Save Money and Still Have Fun: The Best Tips.

Dear users, dear authors,
everything is getting more expensive right now, so I suggest we collect a few tips here in this thread for saving money on crafting. Obvious ideas are, of course, things like free patterns, discounted models with a discount, or also sustainable scrap-yarn projects. Unraveling and reusing the yarn from clothes you no longer wear would also be an option. What else can you think of?

If you have tips for saving money on food / living expenses / activities, etc., feel free to write them here too. 

Oh Josefa, you’ve brought up a topic that’s on all of our minds right now. Everyone has to save money because everything has gotten so expensive, and there’s no end in sight.

I’m so glad we have a garden. We’ve been growing vegetables every year: cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, and herbs. Starting this year, it’s not just a hobby—it’s a real necessity. But even if you only have a balcony, you can still set up pots with vegetable plants and herbs . Flowers are nice to look at, but you usually can’t eat them. So feel free to pick out varieties that are suitable for the balcony and then get started gardening. It only costs water for regular watering, and you can harvest small amounts.

The vegetable plants also appreciate fertilizer from around the house that costs nothing: coffee grounds, banana peels, and eggshells.

To ensure that herb pots from the supermarket (chives, parsley, basil) keep growing, they must be transplanted into a large flower pot with good soil immediately after purchase. This is because they were grown for mass production, and the roots in the pot are crammed tightly together. They don’t have enough space and nutrients for all of them, and the plant would die. So always transplant herb pots from the supermarket as soon as possible! Then you can harvest them all summer long and even freeze them once they’ve been chopped up.

Before you repot them, you can cut the chives back (leaving about 3 cm) and use them fresh or freeze them. The plant will then sprout back more vigorously.

So, those were my tips for today. I’m looking forward to hearing your money-saving tips.

Best regards, Ina

I collect scraps of wool and fabric, as well as old, faded, or holey shirts, so I always have enough stuffing for crocheted animals or teddy bears at home.
I wear thick, hand-knitted socks almost year-round because my feet are almost always cold. I also darn them. And if I can’t find the same yarn anymore, it’s no big deal—nobody sees it anyway.
I never buy denim—I always reuse old jeans that I no longer wear. That’s always enough for bags and their straps or for patchwork.

Ina, I have one more quick note about the herbs. If they’re Mediterranean herbs like oregano, rosemary, thyme, or sage, please don’t use soil that’s too nutrient-rich for them. It’s better to mix 1/3 sand into the soil and water them sparingly.
This year, we also planted tomatoes and bell peppers in the garden. We’re also planning to build a greenhouse for next year.

You can also save a lot when sewing:

When it comes to sewing patterns, for example, I make sure they’re as versatile as possible, can be sewn from different fabrics, and ideally already include variations and different options.
Or that the designers offer expansion sets or so-called “pattern hacks” (you can often find quite a few of these on their websites, blogs, or social media).

For test pieces (highly recommended for clothing as well as for individual tricky sections of bags or accessories), I always use discarded items, such as old T-shirts, men’s shirts, bedding, etc.

And, of course, upcycling—even for clothing. Often, only certain parts of a garment are worn out or damaged—for example, the collars and cuffs on shirts. You can often still sew a blouse, a children’s dress, or dog accessories from these.

Speaking of dog or pet accessories: you often only need a small amount of fabric for these, or you can work well with patchwork or color blocking. I actually always turn my old jeans into toys.

You can save a lot on haberdashery by removing zippers, buttons, buckles, etc., from old items and reusing them.

Saving money means asking yourself, “Do I really need this?” Do I need yet another sewing pattern or craft pattern, or do I absolutely have to have that new cell phone right now? Do I need new dishcloths, or can I make my own from used items? Do I need that new skein of sock yarn—yes, the colors are pretty, but don’t I already have some nice ones lying around? Scraps can also make great socks. If I really need something, maybe I can buy it secondhand—or even borrow it if I don’t need it very often. You can also save money on food, even if we don’t like to. I don’t have to buy expensive imported vegetables. Carrots and cabbage are inexpensive. Do they really have to be exotic fruits? Apples and pears have plenty of vitamins, too. And above all, shop in a way that means you don’t have to throw anything away. In the evenings, discount stores often mark down fresh produce—especially on weekends. You can get a lot of things for half price then. And take a really close look at the special offers. I just got annoyed again. The “mixed ground meat” on sale wasn’t half-and-half at all—it was 80% pork and 20% beef. That wasn’t a good deal. 

Since the pandemic began, we’ve automatically been saving a lot—no travel, no movies, no going out—and that’s really made a difference. Back in 2020, we had no idea that this would continue (due to my husband’s illness).
Groceries are a huge expense for us, but that’s not where we cut back. No, we don’t have caviar and the like on our table, but when it comes to food, I pay close attention to quality. My husband likes to eat meat often—and he deserves to—but I only buy organic, and that simply costs more.
I don’t need strawberries in December from who-knows-where, but now that they’re in season, I do buy them often and in abundance. The same goes for asparagus and other seasonal items. Of course, I’ll occasionally enjoy no-name, cheapest-brand frozen peas, but not all the time—fresh fruit, vegetables, and salad are very important to me.

Yes, you can save money by not buying things you don’t actually need. Various discount stores tempt you with deals to buy things even though you don’t need them—that doesn’t save you anything.

Saving money while still having fun: We go to the river to swim. You can’t actually swim there, but you’re out in nature, and the grandkids and Grandpa have fun playing with boats.
There are so many parks and playgrounds where you can spend the day. When we went to the zoo, the playgrounds were always the highlights. Kids are easy to please. For me, there’s always a bench where I can knit on the side.
A picnic on the lawn, playing badminton, and chatting.
We meet up with friends more often at home; we don’t really like going out to eat as much anymore. At home, we make sure to eat healthy; when we eat out, we don’t have much control over what ends up on our plates.

When shopping, we consciously look for regional foods. We also only buy what we need at the moment. No more bulk packages—we used to throw too much away. Baking my own bread—I really enjoy it. The same goes for cakes and pastries—if you have a sweet tooth, you can save a lot here, too. 

Yes, saving money is definitely a topic that’s on all of our minds right now.
We were raised to be frugal even as children—there wasn’t much available back in the GDR days, but we appreciated what little we had. Cell phones and computers didn’t exist yet.
My husband and I always buy discontinued cell phone models; they’re cheaper, and I don’t need to have the latest and greatest anyway.

To stuff my crochet figures, I collect all the cut-off and woven-in ends that are left over—you can use them to stuff small figures, too.
For my mosaic crochet projects, I use all the leftover yarn I still have. I want to use it all up before I buy any new yarn. Yeah, that’s tempting—it’s a good thing the “swap package” exists.
We just “cleaned out” some stuff, and beforehand I removed the pretty colored buttons from shirts and blouses that no longer fit. I need those buttons for my crochet figures.

When it comes to groceries, we also only buy what we really need right now. We keep an eye out for special offers (by studying the advertising flyers)—though I get upset by the sheer volume in the mailbox and wonder how many trees must have had to die for them.
When it comes to meals, we turn leftovers into new dishes (frying leftover pasta, rice, etc., with eggs and sausage in a pan, or adding the rice to soup… and so on).
We don’t need a 3-star meal. We’re switching to smoothies now (homemade)—they’re refreshing and healthy.

When shopping, I sometimes buy those cloth bags if they come in nice colors; I then use them as linings for crocheted bags, so I don’t have to sew them.
With old pajamas, you can sew the two cuffed sleeves together to make doll pants.

There are so many ways to save money. You also often see these tiny houses with functional furniture in the media. That’s really interesting.

I think tiny houses are really great. We used to have a log-cabin-style weekend cottage—the amount of storage space in there was incredible, more than in a 100-square-meter apartment, and it was ingeniously designed.
But that’s really only for younger people—narrow stairs and climbing into a loft bed—at some point, that just isn’t feasible anymore.

@Nadeleule
Thank you so much for your tip about the herbs. Here, every little herb has its own favorite spot where it thrives best. For example, I have a savory plant that produces a bountiful harvest every year. I harvest it throughout the summer and dry it to last the whole year. We’re all becoming hunters and gatherers again :-)

Best regards, Ina

For me, saving money has been a priority for years.
Now more than ever.

Though it’s getting harder as basic groceries get more expensive and I don’t have a garden or balcony here.

I buy clothes (if at all) at most once a year at a thrift store.
Sometimes I can snag a bargain and only have to pay for shipping. I actually got my winter boots for free.
As a bonus, there were even a few knitting needles in the package.

I buy frozen vegetables because they last longer and are easier for me to portion out.
We don’t eat meat here anyway.
I also keep an eye out for items on sale just before their expiration date.

Herbs also thrive on the windowsill, but that’s where it gets tricky. We only have a tiny balcony, but it’s still big enough for our own tomatoes, and this year’s harvest is looking good!

By the way, we’re currently taking advantage of the season when fruits are growing in the woods and near fields.

Right now, we’re on the lookout for wild strawberries.
There are also quite a few raspberry and blackberry bushes.

When cherry season begins, it’s time to pick wild cherries and sour cherries.
Come fall, we’ll have free access to a pear tree, an apple tree, and a plum tree.
No one’s touched them in years.

@Marlene, do you also preserve the fruit for the winter?
I always do that because everything has such a short harvest season, and it’s a great way to stock up.

Best, Ina

I freeze berries, Ina.
I use apples and pears to make compote or cakes.
I dry elderflowers and chamomile to make tea or turn them into jelly.

Now is also a great time to pick daisies and ribwort plantain—I use them to make ointment. Daisies have anti-inflammatory properties for minor skin injuries, and ribwort plantain is good for insect bites and, when brewed as tea, helps loosen phlegm when you have a cough. This also makes a great gift. You can find recipes on Google.

You’ve put together some great tips.

Yes, Josefa, I agree. So, there are definitely ways to make things yourself or borrow them instead of buying them at a high price. Unfortunately, that doesn’t work for everything. I just had to get glasses because my eyesight has noticeably worsened. Unfortunately, you can’t save money on that. But these days, you’re all the more aware of the value of things.

Best, Ina