Homemade vs. Store Bought~priddymomma

Hello, gorgeous!  How have you been?  Yes, I’m talking to you.  Quit looking over your shoulder, silly!  I missed you since last week!  This week, we’re discussing Homemade vs. Store Bought.

The greatest determining factor deciding whether I am store buying or homemaking something has to do with how much time I have to do it.  As a mother, I am well-learned in the art of not having the time for anything.  Ever.  I made my own baby food, but it was more convenient to buy it with busy days and dishes and not-always-so-fresh produce.

My number two reason for not making something myself is that I am sometimes just that lazy.  I practically never take the time to make cupcakes from scratch, for instance.  It is so much easier for me to just buy the mix.  And for a party?  9 times out of 10 I will just buy those suckers already baked and iced.  I can then spend time on what is more valuable to me.

But sometimes…. sometimes you just can’t justify the store bought product, even if it is relatively cheap and time friendly.  For example, take Jiffy muffin mix.  No thanks.  Sure, it’s only like fifty-two cents a box, but that is crap food.  If you have ever had homemade muffins or cornbread, you know what I mean.  It costs me eight times that just to buy the blueberries for my muffins, sure, but I gladly do it if the alternative is that imposter-muffin.  (Okay.  To be fair I like the corn muffin mix, though I still prefer homemade cornbread)

I have a relatively short shopping list when it comes to cleaning products.  I know that whatever I use to clean my floors, will end up on Princess Cheerio’s hands, inevitably reaching her mouth.  I also don’t like to keep cleaners around, as most of them are poisonous if ingested.  That’s just not something I’d like to have to worry about with kiddos about.  I use vinegar to clean most things in my home.  If vinegar doesn’t cut it, vinegar and baking soda usually does.  It’s great for floors, counter tops, mirrors, windows, toilets, as fabric softener, clogged drains, deep cleaning towels, cooking, hard water stains, you name it.  I’ve read of uses for salt and lemons as well.  Why buy 200 different products?  Outside of vinegar, I buy Lysol spray, because sometimes you just want a surface really disinfected.  As far as laundry detergents go, I have a fabric softener and laundry detergent that I stick to religiously.  I do this because growing up, my mom couldn’t experiment with laundry detergents much.  I always developed a rash if she changed them.  Both my kids are the same way.  I found something that works and I like the smell.  I’m not changing it.  But that’s another thing to consider:  allergies.  I don’t change my detergent because of allergies, but allergies might be a great reason to choose to home make something (especially with food allergies like peanuts).

The last thing that I have to say about homemade vs. store bought is this:  nothing beats a handmade card or gift.  Nothing.  To know that the person thought of you, found a project they thought you would enjoy, invested time and money in collecting the supplies, and made the commitment to spend time on you (sometimes hours!), means so much more than, “oh hey….I saw this (when I was feverishly trying to find you something for your birthday) and I thought of you.”  Especially when it still has the price tag on it, or they didn’t even sign the card.  COME ON!  Also, the hand made things are one-of-a-kind and oftentimes a thousand times more wonderful/beautiful/useful than what is available at the store.

Whether you go homemade or store bought is up to you.  Do what makes you happy and gives you time to do things you enjoy.  If you want to use more homemade products, but don’t have the time for making all of them, maybe trade off.  Have a friend make her patented detergent in bulk to trade some to you in exchange for your amazing homemade baby wipes.  The sky is the limit, and you don’t have to do everything alone.

What are some of your favorite homemade products?  Any non-negotiable store bought things?  By now, you likely know you can reach us at thecaseofthemissingcheerios@gmail.com with any topic suggestions, or drop us a comment below.  Enjoy!  :)

(P.S.  I promise not to start the next post by hitting on you….but you know, if you hadn’t worn that top…you know how it makes me blush.) 

Homemade Products vs. Store Bought Products ~ Tori

 

 

 

This week we're going to be discussing homemade VS store bought products. To figure out which is the right one for you, you need to factor out quality and cost. Asking yourself these questions can help:

 

• Is the quality the same?
• Will I be saving money?
• Which is healthier for my family?
• Do I have all the ingredients and time needed to get into homemade products?

Those are just a few questions you can ponder. To be honest I do dabble in a lot of homemade items. Going to the store for certain things can be so pricey, and such a waste of time if you can make something just as good at home.

One of my favorite things to make is homemade febreeze which calls for some fabric softener, baking soda, and water.

You can also make your own fabric softener (which I haven't tried yet but would like to).

Most generally when making something homemade you get a lot more of it than you would if you go to the store and purchase it. Your also going to save money in the long run even if you do seem to be spending more at first on certain ingredients. Mainly because the ingredients you buy, you will be able to use over and over, as well as use them for other products.

 

Personally I think a lot of homemade products are much better than store bought. The quality is better, and you get a lot more bang for your buck. Problem is the time it takes to make them. For instance, cake mixes. I love making cakes from scratch, but sometimes I'm short on time or energy and find myself using boxed mixes more than anything. I would like to get into making more homemade products for my family and household. There's everything out there right at your fingertips.

Most homemade household cleaners for instance are much better than store bought. Homemade baby food can be much healthier and safer for your child to eat.

 

We all have the ability to go completely homemade, and to be honest I prefer homemade objects. But I still need store bought as well. I need store bought sunscreen, mosquito repellent, etc. But when you take a look around you can find easy to make things that are just as good as store bought (even if they take a bit of time to make) that will save you money.

 

Do you make anything homemade? Which one do you prefer? Homemade or store bought?