Tightening Your Belt Like An Artist:
Making DIY a Lifestyle
Harsh Times
I feel weird about writing this. It seems like a piece on pinching pennies is warranted. Economic inflation is coming in to tighten the screws on everyone. But... It's kind of like I am making a list of the few luxuries people have left in this world, and suggesting you make work out of them.
I am not writing this to insist that the suffering find discipline. I am writing this for those who are trying to make more out of less in uncertain times. I try to live life like I am playing a video game. This is about raising your crafting skill to level 100 and securing better NPC vendor prices.
There is also a genuine fear that some of you may not have money for
luxury hats, coats or bags in the future. That is seriously not alright by me, and I won't stand idly by. So here are my techniques, most learned from trashy bohemian types, on how to circumvent some service fees.
Meal Prep is Essential
Meal prep is an increasingly important skill in my life. The price of food, fuel, and labor are going up. Most of my food is made twice a week. I freeze things to avoid eating the same thing every day. My diet is plant-based and weird so I save a lot by making my own casseroles and lasagnas ahead of time. Cold brewing my own coffee has changed my life. My cold brew supply is limitless. I have more cold brew coffee than you, and I am proud of it.
Another godsend is keeping hard boiled eggs on hand for a snack or quick salad. (Use a steamer basket instead of boiling eggs if you have one. No more green yolks.) I also learned way too late in life that russet potatoes are the cheapest food in the world if you just cook them yourself. I buy potatoes in 10 lb bags. In my area they keep for almost a month in a paper bag on the kitchen counter. I usually steam them, 1 to 3 pounds at a time, and store the steamed potatoes in the fridge. Then I can quickly make fried, smashed, or baked potatoes out of them later. I also make a lot of casseroles with steamed potatoes as a base. (Look into funeral potatoes if you don't know about them, and if you are not afraid of gaining weight.) I used to buy a lot of frozen potato products before I started doing this. I have learned how to make oven fries that make prepackaged fries seem depressing now. I bake and freeze my own cookies and brownies so I always have “fresh” baked goods.
Due to my location and diet, if I mismanage my time I end up spending a fortune on prepackaged meals or ordering take out. It adds up quick. This is money I cannot buy
cat coats with. My cat deserves the finest.
DIY Your Dye, But Don't Die
A lot of people learned to dye their hair during the pandemic, and were shocked to learn hair dye costs $5 and that the internet has a whole beauty school full of free tutorials. Now, a lot of them ruined their hair, at least the first time. Your mileage may very, but a lot of things that cost $80 at the salon cost barely anything at the beauty supply store. This is something the “artsy” kids have known for a long time.
You do want to read up on anything you do. Some beauty supply stores require you to have a cosmetology license because of things like this (check online before you go). Most do not though, and they won't warn you at the point of sale about potential dangers. You run the risk of chemical burns, breathing problems or staining your house permanently crimson if you do these things without reading first, so 'be an adult' about it.
Discount Stores In Name Only
Speaking of restaurants, have you ever been to your local restaurant supply store? The one I shop at is amazing. It is everything I have ever wanted out of a membership club, without the membership. I don't know about anyone else, but I go to Costco to spend money, not save it. They usually have great electronics and big-ticket items on the cheap. I have heard great things about their liquor and prescription drug prices. The food court got me through college, but their groceries are spendy and you have to buy a pallet of them. My local restaurant supply is much more economical and you don't have to buy everything in bulk, but when you do you save significantly.
Another place that is more for spending money than saving it is the modern day thrift store. I used to buy a lot of my clothing and furniture from St. Vincent de Paul and Value Village. I stopped when I started finding the same items cheaper at the stores they originated from. I still shop at thrift stores but I don't delude myself about savings. Unless you play “color-coded-coupon-games” you are paying prices set (optimistically) by the eBay sales history of that item. You are also paying for it in the condition it was brought in, which was probably before being piled up multiple times and trading paint with the other “collectibles”. Thrift stores, like membership clubs, are for fun not for savings.
Obviously, pay attention to what you're spending money on rather than where you're spending it. The trends in how thrift stores are run could change tomorrow. Costco has crazy deals sometimes. Your local restaurant supply might not be very good. I used to know a guy who drove so far out of the way to get 'cheap gas' that he was still setting himself back. Don't be that guy.
Let Crafting Be Your Leisure
You might be asking yourself how you are going to find time to do any of this stuff. I have had much success combining self care with leisure. A large part of cooking is waiting. Netflix baking competitions are better when you are playing along at home. I play video games while I am dying my hair. Finding time to DIY often means doing multiple things at once, and doing a balancing act to maximize downtime.
It can also be a drain getting past the learning curve of DIY. A lot of these things are more expensive to make than buy. Then there are things that require an initial investment and don't get cheaper until you have done them for a year. Becoming your own chef or stylist is not an overnight journey and research should be the bulk of the work.
What Did We Miss?
How do you DIY? What are your favorite meal prep recipes? Any other hobbies that help save cash, or maybe just pay for themselves? Please let us know in the comments.
- Jennifer Oberg
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