Fundamental Skills to Easily Save Money

Fundamental Skills to Easily Save Money

In today’s modern society, we often depend on others to make or do things for us that our ancestors would have done themselves. While this is convenient, it always comes with a higher price tag. If you have the time and the patience, learning some basic skills can save you a lot of money.

Here are some fundamental skills to easily save money:

1. Cooking and baking from scratch. Convenience foods from the grocery store and food from restaurants are priced at a premium. To get the most value for your money, buy whole, unprocessed foods from the grocery store and prepare your meals and snacks yourself.

Bake your own bread, make freezer meals ahead of time, and prep fruits and veggies yourself. All of this has the added benefit of allowing you to eat healthier. Processed foods and restaurant food often have tons of added sodium and sugar that’s best to avoid anyway.

2. Basic car maintenance. While serious car problems call for a professional mechanic, you can do some basic car maintenance at home. Anyone can change headlight bulbs, install new windshield wipers, and install new car batteries as long as they have a proper guide.

Look up video guides online, or buy a basic maintenance book specific to your vehicle. Just make sure you read, watch, or otherwise learn how to do something before you attempt it. This will help you stay safe and keep you from damaging your car further.

3. Sewing. Invest in a good sewing machine, and it will pay for itself if you use it often enough. Mend ripped seams in clothes instead of spending money to replace them. You can also sew your own clothes and other household items, like curtains, from scratch once you learn a few basic techniques.

Search online for free sewing patterns and tutorials. To save on the cost of materials, repurpose old pieces of cloth found around the house, rummage for craft supplies at yard sales, or upcycle a piece of clothing from a thrift store.

4. Gardening. Use as much yard space as you have to grow fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs. The initial cost of seeds, soil, and other materials is minimal compared to the potential harvest of each plant. If you’re completely new to gardening, start with one type of produce. Then, once you perfect that one, add a second one. Keep going until you’re using all of your gardening space.

Even if you don’t have a huge yard, you can still grow some produce in pots. Place the pots on a balcony or porch, or leave them indoors by windows. Research the types of produce that thrive in pots.

5. Preserving food. Whether you found a great deal on produce at the grocery store or the harvest from your garden was more than you expected, preserving food can keep your pantry and freezer stocked for months. Learn how to properly can fruits and vegetables, buy a food dehydrator, or simply chop up produce to place in the freezer. All of these techniques can ensure that you’ll always have fruits and veggies on hand without worrying about waste.

6. Cutting hair. If your family is okay with basic, no-frills haircuts, you can do that for them at home. Buy a good pair of hair cutting scissors and a high-quality set of clippers before getting to work. Look up videos and tutorials online for different types of haircuts. If you have a big family, you can save much more than your initial investment in tools pretty quickly.