Make. Don't Buy.

There are certain items in this world that you should always buy and never make. 

In my humble opinion, you should never make currency, legal documents of any kind, drugs, and Where's Waldo books. Because clearly you are either a criminal or have way too much time on your hands.

I definitely encourage your DIY self to make anything else your heart desires. 

There are a few main things that I feel are just silly to buy. 

Let's start with those flat hair elastics that have become wildly popular.

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I have bought (and quickly lost) more of these than I would like to admit, and at $3 a pop, I might as well be buying a Sprinkles cupcake. 

According to The Superettes, it cost about 4 cents a piece to make these cute little ties, sooooo yeah. Let's make.

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Next up, pumpkin butter! 

I know. Random. 

But after making 4 cups for about $2, buying a 10 oz jar for $4 at Trader Joe's started to look less and less appealing. I really like this recipe from Skinnytaste. It yields a ton of pumpkin butter, tastes amazing, and is so much better for you than store bought. Do it.

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Third, oatmeal!

We all love this hearty, warm breakfast staple (except for my mom...she is not an oatmeal eater...blows my mind that we are related) but what we don't love is all of the added sugar and bad stuff added to this instant mush.

Here is a recipe for pre-mixed oatmeal that is way more cost effective than the prepackaged oat flakes. It is also totally customizable, which we love. Add what you like, heat, and EAT!

And since we are on a granola kick, let's talk about granola bars! It costs me about $6 to make a batch of 12 raw, vegan granola bars. Most raw, vegan granola bars sell for around $3 per bar! 

Huge saving here, people. 

There are tons of raw bar recipes out there, but I usually use this one. Great taste, texture, and super easy!

Last, freaking.dog.toys. 

I have made the mistake of buying my dog actual "dog" toys for years, until the day that I accidentally left a cashew on our carpet and Nova had a HAY DAY with that silly little nut. I am not kidding, he was jumping over it, nuzzling it, rolling over it...a cashew!

He now plays with cashews, socks tied in a knot, and empty water bottles and I save about $20/month not buying miscellaneous dog toys for the win.

Seriously. Stop buying dog/cat toys from the pet store. Go take two old socks or an old t-shirt, tie a knot in it, and watch the homemade dog toy magic unfold.

So there ya go! What are your make-don't-buys???

Happy Tuesday! You are loved!