don't waste your money...

...on things you can make with less effort, less money, and more healthfulness! (is healthfulness a word? we'll say yes.)

Today I just wanted to share a short list of things you should be making/doing that are E-A-S-Y and will save you a few pennies.

broth: Every time you cut up vegetables, or even peel them, do NOT throw away the "scraps"! I keep mine in a Tupperware-type container in the freezer. When the container is full, dump into a big pot, cover with water and a pinch of salt, and simmer all day. Put just the liquid into mason jars (if you do this while hot, the lids will seal). When cool, pop in the fridge; I always label mine because I'm cool like that. Et voila! You have FREE veggie broth. I guarantee it's got less sodium than store-bought, and takes nearly no effort at all. While you're saving up your veggie scraps, if you come across any bones, put those in your "broth bucket" in the freezer too. Then, you'll end up with bone broth - even more nutritious!

cast iron skillet: cook with one of these instead of taking an iron supplement. I mean, I'm no doctor, so if you're super deficient, you should probably ignore my advice. But, if you just take a supplement to be safe, why not try cooking with cast iron? It infuses iron into your food, and therefore into your regular diet. They really are not hard at all to maintain or even to season if you need to. I was fortunate enough to inherit one from my grandmother, but if you need to go out and purchase one, check thrift and antique stores first for pre-seasoned options.

multi-purpose cleaner: one cup white vinegar, one cup water, 20-40 drops essential oil of choice (consider lemon, lavender, tea tree, YL thieves, or DoTerra onguard). I will not claim this cleaner is 100% effective in getting rid of every germ on the planet; however, for a general multi-purpose cleaner, it's so cheap, so easy, and healthier than breathing in chemicals. (Keep in mind that even "natural" cleaners are not always as clean as they claim to be!)

So there you have it, three easy peasy lemon squeezey ideas for you to begin using today!