Sometime along the way, in my years of motherhood and homemaking, I felt a strong conviction. A pull to become a better steward of our many blessings as a family. Mr. Painter is the sole provider for our family and has been since the birth of our first child, almost 8 years ago. Over the course of those 8 years, I’ve had to grow in just about every way one can grow. Spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, yes…even physically :)

“If I’m caring for our home with all my heart and strength, shouldn’t that include dealing carefully with our finances and things we have been so blessed to have? Putting our hard-earned money to the best possible use?”, I began to wonder.

It took me a while to get here… to realize that a part of taking extra special care of the things I hold dear, is to manage our home and assets with intentionality. To use what we have wisely and sustainably.

I’ve written down three ways you can also be a good steward in your home, whether you’re a stay-at home mom like myself, a working mom (or dad), or a retired grandparent...

Always accept anything (especially food items or things you know your family will use) that is offered to you for free or trade.
Last year, a fellow came and bought one of our older tractors and had asked if we’d be willing to knock a small amount off of the asking price, in exchange for several huge sacks of apples. Mind you, these were way past their prime, covered in yellow jackets, and intended to feed hunting game with. I had to sort them quickly in order to save them, but we decided it was worth the offer and the effort. I was able to make several pints each of apple sauce and apple butter, an apple pie, shared five gallons with my sister, and our pigs thoroughly enjoyed the true culls.
We are currently in the middle of the summer months, which means I am working to keep up with preserving the harvests here on our own farm, but I’ve been offered fruits of others’ labors that I can’t turn down. Just this week, my mama told me that her blueberry bushes were loaded down, producing faster than they could pick, and many would go to waste if we didn’t come and gather some. So of course, me and the kids headed straight over with our buckets and were able to enjoy a homemade pie that night, and put a quart of berries in the fridge for snacking.
My father-in-law also had more produce than he could use, so Thomas and the kids went over and pulled beets, and I spent the rest of the day pickling them. (Pickled beets are a staple in our household!)
Never turn down free stuff. Especially when it’s organic produce :)
Use it all up.
This one was hard for me to get the hang of. I had been wasting things for so long, I sometimes didn’t even realize I was doing it.
For example, you cook a whole chicken and your family leaves nothing but the bones with hardly any meat left clinging to them. Certainly not enough to make a chicken salad with the next day. So into the trash it should go, right?
Wrong. Into the stock pot it should go. Or into the fridge until you have time to deal with it.
You see, when you take the leftover bones, vegetable peels and scraps that most would toss away, you can create a whole separate meal. And the benefits of homemade bone broth are plentiful! (Check out my blog post all about bone broth plus two ways to make it!)
Learn how to make things yourself
Over the last decade, I have learned how to make/grow lots of simple things, but things that truly make sense for our family…For example:
We love coffee. Hot, iced, espresso, pour-over, it doesn’t matter. So, I have practiced making specialty coffees that taste better than if they were from a coffee house (cleaner ingredients, too!) and saved us at least $6 a pop. We treat ourselves once in a while, but it’s just that… a treat.
I also love, love candles. They’re one of my weaknesses, guilty pleasures…whatever you want to call it. So, I learned how to make them myself, and now I rarely buy them anymore (unless it’s a 12-pack of candlesticks for 50 cents at the thrift store!) It’s also smart to keep candles well stocked in your home in case of power outages, so I feel that it’s a simple skill, well worth the time and effort.
I myself am a believer in the power of God-given plants for medicine. One thing I strongly recommend adding to your skillset, is making your own medicine with herbs you’ve grown or foraged yourself. There is so much information out there…so many herb books. Check out a couple from the library and get started taking notes!
These are, in my opinion, some of the most effective ways that you can steward your money well. Of course, self-control and a little bit of sacrifice play a part, and it’s beneficial to exercise those, too!

Becoming a good steward…

How to make bone broth…and why you want to…