Springtime Money Savers

Now that winter is losing it's power and it seems that it may one day be warm again, I'm starting to get excited. I'm itching to get outside and enjoy the long-lost warmth and the longer days. As time goes on, I'll get to enjoy a lot of great springtime activities that are not only fun, but can save money!

• Bike to work/errands instead of driving. I get to save money on gas, get in shape, and really live. I feel that time spent behind the wheel is life on mute, but time spent on a bike is really lived.
• Preparing the garden. This week I'll be digging my new garden beds in my new back yard. I've been sourcing materials to make a couple raised beds (curb shopping) and have compost ready to distribute.
• Plant seedlings. While it's too early to plant my garden (in my zone), it's the perfect time to get some seedlings started. I'm starting tomatoes this week, then peppers, eggplant and okra soon after. Then it's time to...
• Plant a garden. Soon it will be time to plant some cool weather plants such as spinach, beets, peas, radishes and lettuce. I can barely wait to dig my hands into the dirt and start growing some food!
• Clean up the yard. Now that the snow has melted, it's time to make the yard presentable. I'm gathering sticks for a bonfire, which will be a great way to spend an evening with friends.
• Maintain the house. Cleaning gutters, mending cracks in the driveway, fixing siding and other tasks are cheap fixes that prevent big problems later.
• Eat from the freezer. Most of the meals I'm making now are planned around items from the freezer. I'm clearing out space for preserving my harvest or taking advantage of bargain prices on in-season foods later in the season.
• Take a foraging walk. I love to take walks and look for edible food all year around, but in spring, after a winter of preserved foods, I'm aching for something fresh. Dandelions, chickweed, nettles, and wild onions are all great early spring wild foods.
• Get ready for a yard sale. While your spring cleaning, put aside things that you no longer want or need to get ready for an early yard sale. You can simplify your life, clean your house and make a little extra money.

What spring activities are you excited about?

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Book Review: Grow It Build It Save It

Britni Ross of Our Eventual Homestead has written a new ebook called Grow It, Build It, Save It! How one family saves over $11,000 each year and you can too!

Grow It, Build It, Save It! is an excellent book for the newbie to frugal living. Her ideas are not insane, black-belt tips that take hours upon hours to save a nickle. Instead, she shares practical ideas that can work for many real-life families.

She tackles the topics of cable television, groceries, telephone service, auto insurance, buying unnecessary stuff, eating out and miscellaneous ways to save money. Each section offers a variety of ways to trim your expenses and most people will surely find at least a tip or two that will work for them. Each chapter ends with a set of assignments to help you apply what you've learned to your financial life.

If you are just beginning your journey towards frugality and financial  responsibility, Grow It, Build It, Save It! is a great book to help you build a strong foundation. The book was just released today (March 4, 2013) as a Kindle book, and better yet, until March 6, 2013, it's free! Check it out here!

If you don't have a Kindle, you can still enjoy this and other Kindle books by downloading the free Kindle App for PC here.