Day 4: Distinctions

Here's the thing:  don't dismiss this home made stuff because you feel like you are not creative or are not interested in crafts.  Home made can mean a lot of things, and have a lot of benefits too.

MYTH #1:  Home made just means crafts.
Let's get one thing straight.  I am not a crafter.  Never have been.  I have recently been thinking a lot about this, because some of what I do may be classified as crafting.  I don't think so, and here's why:  my husband put it best when he said, "Crafting is an end unto itself."  Couldn't agree more, DH.  Thanks for putting it so succinctly.  I make things to serve a purpose.  Instead of running to the store every time we have a need, I try my best to make a suitable alternative with things we already have.  The glorious internet helps a lot with that.  I get a lot of great ideas from simple google searches, pinterest, other blogs, and my real life friends.

MYTH #2:  Home made takes too much time.
A few simple changes, like swapping sink and tub cleaner for baking soda, take no extra time, and you don't have to worry about keeping specific cleaners in stock.  With menu planning, I don't spend significantly more time making meals than I did before.  I do spend maybe 2-4 hours per month making staple items, like dressings and sauces, but the great thing about those is that they can be made in large batches and frozen, so you always have something handy to grab.

MYTH #3:  You need specialized equipment and/or skills to make home made food.

you see tomatoes, I see pizza sauce

The most specialized piece of equipment in my kitchen is my immersion blender, and everything I make I've learned myself from cookbooks or the internet.

MYTH #4:  Home made doesn't save that much money.
Face it:  convenience is expensive.  I spend a fraction of what I used to spend on food and cleaners, even while buying high quality foods like freshly roasted nuts and grass fed beef.

MYTH #5:  Non-chemical cleaners don't do the job.
Chemical cleaners have known carcinogens.  Do you want that in your house?  Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide are both natural alternatives that effectively combat mildew and mold, which are two tough things to get rid of.  We haven't used store bought laundry soap in years, and our clothes get perfectly clean every time.

laundry detergent

What other myths are keeping you from taking the home made plunge?  How can you change that right now, today?