One question I get time and time again is “I eat organic. How can I save money?”

And it truly is the easiest answer…

Join a CSA.

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. I’ve belonged to one for the last four years. They provide great locally grown produce that feeds my family in the summer and winter. (Because I freeze and can.) And nine-times-out-of-ten the produce will be organic – it just isn’t “certified” -because the farmer’s can’t afford the certification process.

However, I understand that the concept of a CSA can be scary.

Questions like, “Do I have to work on the farm? Isn’t this just for hippies? Where do I go to pick up my produce? What kind of stuff will they give me?” can come to mind.

So if you are new to CSAs or have questions about which CSA is right for you, here are some resources to help you choose the right one for you.

Resource #1

Check out localharvest.org. It will provide you with all of the local CSA in your area and their contact information. It also helps you get an idea of the costs and the produce you will be receiving, as well as if you are able to come out to the farm and help with the harvest.

Resource #2

Attend the Kansas City Food Circle Exhibition of Farmers.You will be able to meet many of the local CSA providers face-to-face, as well as discuss their specific programs. It is also a great place to get information about grass-fed beef, ostrich, and range-free chicken.

There are two events coming up:

March 30 – 9 am to 2 pm at the Shawnee Civic Center in Shawnee, KS.

April 6 - 9:30 am to 2:30 pm at the Penn Valley Community College Gym in Kansas City, MO

Admission and parking are free. And if you are even remotely interested in local and organic produce – this is a great event to really understand the ins-and-outs of different programs.

Resource #3

Read about my experience with last year’s Hen House CSA (I’ve been a member for several years and I will be again this year)  in my posts from Good Eats.

I believe that Hen House’s program is the most cost-effective and easiest to use.

• You pick up at the store on either a Saturday or Wednesday.
• You can trade items out. If you don’t like Kale – you can trade for another “equal” item because all items are assigned points and can be mixed and matched.
• It’s only $25 per week and that includes meat, produce and bread. And while it is a bit of splurge for our budget, I have NEVER been disappointed with my items.
• The support local farmers in the area that may be too small to do their own CSA but have amazing quality produce.

Are any of you current or former CSA members? Which programs do you like?

I am not.

In fact, most of my friends would not use the term “crafty” or “DIY” when describing me.

Lover of Halloween.

I am not.

But my kids have been begging for indoor Halloween decorations. So I was determined to find some quick, easy, cheap ideas that did not require any additional items from the store.

My solution…

Fast & Easy Halloween Decorations With Recycled Materials

Paper Bag Tree

Supplies

• Paper Bag (Lunch Size)
• Scissors
• Colored Construction Paper (Optional)
• Glue Stick (Optional)

Directions

1. Cut strips half way down paper bag. Start at top of bag and work down so the bottom is intact.

2. Open bag.

3. Cinch at bottom and twist to make the trunk.

4. Take strips two at a time and twist to create branches. These are flexible, so move them as you need to for an artful look.

5. Tear small strips of paper and adhere to paper bag limbs with glue stick.

Milk Jug Ghost

Supplies

• Empty Gallon Milk Jug
• Scissors
• Black Sharpie
• Battery-Powered Candle or White Christmas Lights

Directions

1. Cut top off milk jug to form a straight line around the surface.

2. Turn upside down and make sure milk jug will set level on hard surface.

3. Draw “ghost like face” with black Sharpie.

4. Stuff with white Christmas lights or flameless candle. Turn light on.

5. Awesome idea of up your walkway on Halloween night. Could also go over outdoor lights.

Tissue Paper Ghost

Supplies

• White Tissue Paper (2 – 3 sheets)
• Empty 2-Liter Soda Bottle or Mayo Container
• Glue Stick
• Black Construction Paper
• Scissors
• White Christmas Lights

Directions

1. Cut off top of 2-Liter Bottle or Mayo Container to form a straight line around the surface.

2. Turn upside down and make sure bottle/container will set level on hard surface.

3. Take tissue paper and drape over bottle to make a “ghostly like” gown.

4. Take glue stick and tack paper down to bottle.

5. Cut out eyes and mouth from black construction paper.

6. Fill with White Christmas Lights. Turn lights on.

And if you want to see my segment on Kansas City Live where all talk about all three with more detail – check out the video below.

So, I’ve discussed with you how to get Cheap Produce by looking into Kansas City’s Community Supported Agriculture Programs.

Today, we are going to talk about getting cheap produce by things you can do in your own house.

Plant a Garden.

The picture above is baby lettuce from my garden.

You don’t need acres of land to have a garden. We are able to grow lots of veggies with our three different plots - in front of our house (full-sun), side of the house (sun-shade) and back yard (sun-shade). Between these three plots we are able to harvest lettuce, cucumbers, squash, snow peas, peppers, tomatoes, radishes, basil, cilantro, and beans. (And this year we are trying rutabagas and strawberries.) And since I’m the farmer, I know they are pesticide free.

With that being said, knowing what your “plot of land” can produce is helpful. Don’t be like me and spend three years planting and watering tomatoes and only get three tomatoes. That doesn’t make for cheap produce. It makes for $20.00 tomatoes.

Learn How to Store Your Produce.

Once you are able to get your hands on some cheap produce, it’s important to know how to store it for the long term.

The easiest way is to get some good produce storage containers because they honestly make your produce last longer. With the right storage conditions, I’m able to keep my produce for at least a week longer than without it.

Also learning to freeze and can your local organic produce at its prime, you guarantee a superb tasting product. As as added benefit, you are usually purchasing the produce when it is its lowest price – so it is like stockpiling – only with fruits and veggies.

I know canning and freezing can seem intimidating, but it isn’t as hard as you think. I did several freezing and canning tutorials (Look under the subhead “Tutorials”) last year and I plan on doing more this year. And if I can do it, you can too. Because Martha Stewart, I am NOT.

Like anything, you can do as much or as little as you would like. But even if you pick just one, you reduce your overall produce budget long term.

How about you? Are you planting a garden this year? What things do you like to can or freeze? Leave a comment and let us know.

Last summer I washed my windows with a mixture of dish soap, vinegar and water and was AMAZED at how well it cleaned my windows and made them shine.

Following the “sparkling window” experience, I decided that I would try to find some other natural and less chemical alternatives to our normal cleaning supplies. What I found is there are many homemade or natural products that work awesome at cleaning, but there are also some “tried-n-true” traditional cleaners that I just can’t leave behind.

Here are some great natural alternatives.

Vinegar

• All Purpose Solution: Mix 1/3 white vinegar with 2/3 water and a couple drops of dish soap in a trigger sprayer for an amazing all-purpose cleaner.
• Window Cleaner: Mix 1/2 vinegar with 1/2 water and a good squeeze of dish soap in a bucket. Wash windows with soft rag and dry with newspaper. Murder on your nails – amazing on your windows.
• Lime-A-Way: Mix 1 teaspoon of vinegar with 2 tablespoons of salt to make a paste that will get rid of lime buildup.

Baking Soda

• Garbage Disposal Cleaner: Pour 1/2 cup baking soda down your garbage disposal followed by 1/2 cup of vinegar. Wait 15 minutes and pour boiling water to clear residue.
• Bathroom Scrub: Mix 1/4 cup baking soda with 1 tablespoon liquid detergent to make a scrub. Rinse with warm water.
• Oven Cleaner: Mix 1/4 cup baking soda with 1 tablespoon of water and 1 tablespoon of dish soap to make a scrub for the inside of your oven.  Scrub and allow to dry and then wipe clean with a clean rag and warm water.

Lemon Juice

• Microwave Cleaner: Mix the juice of one lemon with water and heat on high in microwave for five minutes. Let set for five minutes and then wipe clean.
• Deodorizer: Place lemon peel in garbage disposal and run for a minute. Follow with boiling water.

Microfiber Cloths (my favorite, Libman)

• Dusters: Use on high varnish furniture to remove dust without wax or spray buildup.

Tried-n-True Traditionals

• 409: There are just some greasy stains or sharpie marker that can not be eliminated without the help of 409. It’s my go to cleaner for making grease/dirt/gunk a thing of the past.
• Scrubbing Bubbles Shower Cleaners: I hate cleaning the shower. And whatever they put in this stuff makes it so I don’t have clean that hard or that often. I’ll smell any fume for that convenience.
• Lysol or Mr. Clean Pourable: I have young children who can’t seem to aim correctly. I just imagine the chemicals killing all the “stuff” that lands on the tile floor.
• Lysol Spray: I’ve been know to spray family members with this stuff when everyone is sick in the house except me. It makes me feel like a have a line of defense.
• Mr. Clean Magic Erasers: They do a really good job of making a high traffic hallway presentable (without repainting) before a Christmas party.

How about you? Do you have any cleaners that you just can’t live without-no-matter-what? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to know that I’m not the only one.