Saving Money vs. Spending Time

Saving money often means spending more time. Sometimes the time is miniscule and other times it feels like an eternity, so it's important to decide when the amount of money saved is really worth it.

Here's how I decide:
If it's going to save me lots of money, I'll usually try it at least once. This philosophy is what encouraged me to tray ricotta cheese and pita bread. Both of these homemade versions are fairly easy, though require lots of sitting time, and cut the price by about half.

If I enjoyed making the item, I'll typically keep doing it. I'll buy it again when the price is a great deal or I just don't have time and we need it.
This is how I am with bread, I usually enjoy making it, but sometimes life seems too busy, or I find the good bread at the cheap bread price.

Marshmallow Fondant

If I didn't enjoy making it, I decide how my home-made product compares to the store-bought product. If it's better and the savings are great enough, I grin and bear it and keep making more. Oh fondant, how frustrated you make me! Everyone (most, anyway) enjoys the flavor of my fondant, but I loathe cleaning up the mess I always make in my kitchen. However, making my own cuts my cost by 50-75%, so unless I'm getting paid to make the cake, I make the fondant.

If the savings are only marginal, I might try it just to say I did, but I'm certainly not going to wear myself out and blow up my kitchen just to save pennies. A good example of this is tortillas, I save a little money by making my own, but unless I have the time to make it with my meal, it's not really worth it, so I buy them.

What things do you find it worthwhile to make from scratch?

I originally posted this on 10/18/11 @ oneincomefamilyliving.blogspot.com. I have since revised it and moved it here.