Living off of a tight income, I'm preparing for the fact that I am going to need to be very budget conscious. I'm great at making a budget, I'm TERRIBLE at following one. One of the things that I am seriously considering, is adopting some crunchy mom habits.
A member of an increasingly growing group of moms who are neo-hippies.
They generally believe (for varying reasons) that there is something bad or less beneficial about buying mainstream products or doing other common activities in the mainstream way.
You might be a crunchy mom if you:
...bake all your own bread
...make your own jam, jelly, pickles, applesauce, etc.
...gave birth at home -- by CHOICE! (With a midwife, doula, or unassisted!)
...prefer to teach your children yourself at home instead of letting the public or private schools do it for you.
...grow your own food as much as possible, and buy the rest at farmer's markets or health food stores.
...are vegan or vegetarian.
...choose not to use birth control.
...don't wear a bra or shoes.
...don't use shampoo or soap, but instead maybe sea salt or a variety of other things.
...had your placenta chopped up for an anti-depressant pill or smoothie.
...have no television in your home -- and actually read BOOKS for entertainment!
...grind your own grain to make your own bread with (did you know that wheat looses about 90% of it's nutrients within 7 days of being ground?)
...don't cut your hair or wear pants (not going around half-naked, but wearing skirts! Silly people! Get your mind out of the gutter!)
...can add 10 more things to this list that I didn't even think of!
If it were a spectrum, on the extreme far end you would find Amish.
They generally believe (for varying reasons) that there is something bad or less beneficial about buying mainstream products or doing other common activities in the mainstream way.
You might be a crunchy mom if you:
...bake all your own bread
...make your own jam, jelly, pickles, applesauce, etc.
...gave birth at home -- by CHOICE! (With a midwife, doula, or unassisted!)
...prefer to teach your children yourself at home instead of letting the public or private schools do it for you.
...grow your own food as much as possible, and buy the rest at farmer's markets or health food stores.
...are vegan or vegetarian.
...choose not to use birth control.
...don't wear a bra or shoes.
...don't use shampoo or soap, but instead maybe sea salt or a variety of other things.
...had your placenta chopped up for an anti-depressant pill or smoothie.
...have no television in your home -- and actually read BOOKS for entertainment!
...grind your own grain to make your own bread with (did you know that wheat looses about 90% of it's nutrients within 7 days of being ground?)
...don't cut your hair or wear pants (not going around half-naked, but wearing skirts! Silly people! Get your mind out of the gutter!)
...can add 10 more things to this list that I didn't even think of!
If it were a spectrum, on the extreme far end you would find Amish.
A little extreme huh? I don't have the patience or the drive to be a full on crunchy mom. But some of their Eco-friendly ways are SUPER budget friendly.
Here are some of the things I'm considering:
Cloth Diapering- Maybe not full time, maybe not at all, but I want to try it. Did you know that for between $300-500 you can diaper your newborn through potty training AND possibly re-use them for other children or re-sell them. The average cost to use disposable diapers for one child is between $1000-3000.
Breast-feeding: not only is it eco-friendly and better for the baby, it's FREE
Growing your own food--Just kidding---I've said that I have wanted to grow vegetables since I moved out of my parents house, not one seed has been planted. Maybe one day.
Making baby food- 60% of what you are paying for is packaging. I'm already buying food, why not just buy a little extra, mush it up and give it to baby.
Baby-wearing: Sometimes. I like the idea of using baby carriers rather than having them laid on the back of their head all day in a stroller/ on a bed/floor. It also helps with bonding between the child and parent.
What are some other crunchy-momma habits that you practice?
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