I have a confession that might not come as a surprise to many of you. I am not very domestic. I can't bake to save my life, I don't know how to thread a needle and you don't want me decorating your house.

However, I have found that many domestic skills save me a lot of money. So here are a few that I have forced myself to perfect (okay, there is no perfection, just passable).

Cooking

This is a giant DUH, but cooking will save you thousands of dollars a year. And packing a homemade lunch of leftovers will save you even MORE.

You don't have to cook gourmet and Pinterest worthy meals, but you can make simple and healthy meals that will keep your family happy.

If you're busy invest in a slow cooker or Instant Pot. Here are 30+ Instant Pot Recipes and over 60 slow cooker recipes to get you started!

Gardening

Now, if we're truly honest, this one CAN be expensive. Once you factor in the cost of compost, fertilizer and great soil.

We've been gardening and homesteading for four years and grow much of what we eat in the summer. My best advice is to start with fruit trees.

If you’re looking to start homesteading but don’t know where to begin, fruit trees, vines and bushes are an amazing option. They’re perennial, so you plant once and get fruit year after year. It does take tending and time but with patience and fertilizer, you’ll get the results you want. (Cow poop for the win???)

We also have blueberry and grapes that produce with very little effort on our part. Who doesn’t love “free” fruit?

Basic home repair

Do you have a leaky faucet? A piece of drywall in need of repair? A handyman while handy will set you back a pretty penny. Having a basic understanding of minor home repairs is key to homeownership. Investing in a basic toolset will save you hundreds of dollars and so many good tutorials are available online.

I recently patched my drywall in my dining room all by myself. I was very pleased when I was done that I was able to do it after a trip to the hardware store just by watching a YouTube video.

How to unclog a toilet

It's easier than you think.

Spot treating stains

Have you ever spilled cooking oil on a blouse? I have. And if it weren't for my handy little oil removing trick that blouse would have been ruined.

Knowing how to spot treat bad stains will save and prolong the life of your clothes.

Budgeting

Yes, I am going to talk about budgeting. It saves you money. You know where your money is going. You know where you have overspent and you're tracking your pennies instead of over drafting.

If you've never made a budget before, here is a great place to start.

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