CHAPTER 12

What to expect with a Save Make Do attitude

Congratulations if you are going to give the Save Make Do attitude a go. You have everything to gain. Personally, it has become like a hobby for me, a challenge to not spend, rather than a mad scramble to accumulate as much stuff as I can and then throw most of it away. Then, when my money accumulates I will invest it wisely at my leisure. If you find you use up all your time working and then spend most of the money earned on convenience goods because you do not have any time left to cook or garden, it might be time to reprioritise. But if you have got this far through my book, you must want to try another way.

At the beginning, sticking to a limited grocery budget is a challenge. You are changing the habits of a lifetime. The urge to buy the branded products you have been trained by advertising to choose is a strong one. Actively resist it. Change comes in stages and everyone’s ability to change is different. In the beginning you will be fearful. This is when your mind throws out all the excuses under the sun as to why you simply cannot stick to your new low grocery limit. Subconsciously you are resisting the change. I know, because I have been through it myself.

Here are some examples of people expressing their fear of change. I have suggested to them at a presentation that they try making their own laundry powder and save themselves around 50 cents every time they do laundry.

• ‘Can you use it in cold water?’ Yes.
• ‘Can I use it in my front loader?’ Yes.
• ‘Will it get my whites whiter than white?’ Possibly not, but what does? How much does it cost, and how many chemicals and bleaching agents does it contain? And by the way, who said you had to have your whites whiter than white?
• ‘Can I handwash woollens with it?’ Yes.
• ‘Will I need two food processors – one for food and one for cleaning products?’ I don’t think so. The ingredients you are using are not harmful.
• ‘But I have a septic tank.’ It is beneficial for your septic tank.
• ‘But my husband has sensitive skin.’ You know which two simple ingredients are in the homemade laundry powder.

… and so the questioning continues.

Fair enough, it is only natural to question something different. But these questions are really people saying, ‘I am out of my comfort zone because you are suggesting I try something different to what I am accustomed to.’ Your natural reaction may be to resist the new ideas, but it is time to think: ‘What is in it for me?’

• You will save around 50 cents every time you do a load of washing.
• Your washing will be noticeably soft, clean and fresh-smelling.
• You will get a feeling of empowerment as you realise you have easily made something good.
• You will be putting fewer chemicals and less packaging waste out into the environment.
• Best of all, your success in making something you previously bought will open up your mind to other possibilities. ‘What else can I make myself?’

The options are endless. I have published some recipe pamphlets, available for a small cost on my website, and you will find some ideas to get you started in the back of this book.

However, Pig Tits is more about attitude than recipes. Once you have a play around, you will soon realise that using simple ingredients for practical solutions gets jobs done cheaply, and just as effectively, as buying in to expensive branded products.

Success breeds success. Once you get over the real but unfounded fear of trying something new, and enjoy the feelings of mastery and accomplishment that accompany successfully making your own solutions to household problems, there will be no stopping you. You and your family will be well on the road to financial freedom – and you will have done it by making simple, healthy and sustainable choices.