When I think of the thrifty housewife, I picture a woman in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up and hands in a large pile of bread dough. (And a husky gal she was, with forearms to rival any sailor!)
Perhaps, because there was a time when it was very unthrifty to buy bread. A bakery loaf was not cheap, compared to the ingredients that went into that loaf. Times have changed, yet we still have this image of frugal meaning baking bread from scratch.
Being frugal is a balance of spending and saving, while preserving quality of life. Being mindful in our decisions, and giving thought to how best to use our time, money and skills.
Let's say, what you really want to do is start up a business. If you were spending all your time baking bread, making pickles, making soap, etc., there'd be little time left to get your business idea off the ground.
Or, perhaps you want to spend more time with your children, maybe schooling them at home, so they can have the kind of education you desire for them. While you could likely work bread-baking into your daily routine many of the years, there are some years when homeschooling is more time-intensive than others.
Maybe you have a career that takes you away from the house. If you devote your evenings to baking bread from scratch, you will likely cut into your relaxation and sleep hours. Given a few months of this, and you'd be resenting the time bread-baking was exacting from your schedule.
Then there could be physical limitations preventing the stirring and kneading of the dough. I know this one first hand. Some days my neck and shoulders just are too iffy to dive into a huge mound of bread dough.
Or just maybe, you prefer to use your talents and skills in other areas, that are equally beneficial for the household budget. Baking bread is not the only way to save some money.
So what are your bread procurement options, while being mindful of your budget?
- You can bake, the old-fashioned way -- bowl, spoon, rolled up sleeves.
- You can make friends with someone who does bake, and swap services with them in exchange for a weekly loaf.
- You can bake with a machine, very convenient if your family really prefers home made bread.
- You can shop at a bakery thrift and fill the freezer once a month. This actually works very well for me, when I know ahead of time that I'm going to have a busy schedule, and may not be able to keep up with the heavy bread consumption in our house (5 loaves a week, on average).
- You can shop at the regular store for bread on a weekly basis. This will cost more, but maybe there are other areas you can make savings, so that store bought or bakery produced bread fits into your budget.
- Or maybe you're a couponer and find bread coupons often enough.
I can definitely see how all of the above would fit within a frugal lifestyle.
I will point out, however, that it is extremely handy to know how to bake bread, whether you do it regularly or not.
Should you hit upon a month where finances are tight, you can temporarily do things like bake your own bread, to stretch that income a bit more.
If you or a family member develops food sensitivities, knowing how to bake your own will allow you to control the ingredients.
Or maybe you want to bring something special to the next family gathering. A basket of yeast-raised dinner rolls is always appreciated.
I like my own homemade bread, but I don't feel its the only criteria in considering myself frugal.
How about you? Is there a must-meet criteria to consider yourself frugal?
