You know that old saying “those who fail to plan, plan to fail”? There’s a good reason that phrase gets thrown around. As a former Girl Guide, being prepared (and having a plan) were instilled in me early. I was the “mom” friend long before I ever had kids, carrying bandaids, Tylenol, and a Swiss Army knife in my purse among other things. I was prepared. Planning and preparing will save you time and money (and your sanity in some cases)!
So what are some homestead habits that fall into the plan & prepare category?
- Planning your grocery trips around the sales to get the best prices
- Watching for patterns and cycles so you can predict when products are likely to go on sale again. This way you can purchase enough to last until the next sale!
- Plan your garden in the Winter so you know when you need to start your seeds indoors, when you can transplant, and when you can sow directly outdoors so you don’t end up spending a fortune on seedlings from the nursery
- Deciding in advance what to grow in your garden based on what you’ll eat, and what you can preserve for later use
- Shopping your pantry before you shop at the store to use what you have first
- Planning meals around what you have and what you can get on sale
- Buy in bulk to save and then separate into meal sized portions or freezer “dump & cook” meals for days when you’re pressed for time
- Make larger batches so you have “planovers” (like leftovers, but on purpose!)
