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A Recipe for Homemade Itch Relief Stick

A Recipe for Homemade Itch Relief Stick 3
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Insect bites. Mosquitoes. Stings.

Spring is here and summer is on it’s way. The children are loving the warmer weather and already enjoying more time outdoors. With all of that, the signs of biting insects — itchy arms and legs — are beginning to appear!

The past few days, I’ve been hard at work preparing and re-stocking our family’s herbal first aid kit. So today I want to share with you a few homemade remedies for dealing with itchy bug bites.

Simple Itch Relief Remedies

You can beat the itch of bug bites by simply using things that you may have around the house, such as:

  • applying a paste made of baking soda and water to each bite
  • soaking in an Epsom salt bath
  • making a paste by crushing an Aspirin and adding a few drops of water or rubbing alcohol
  • dab on a bit of raw honey
  • rub on a little apple cider vinegar
  • try an ice pack to the area
  • mottle a few fresh plantain leaves and make a poultice
  • make a fomentation by using plantain leaves (basically infuse plantain in water, as you would if you were making tea, soak a clean cloth in the infusion then apply the warm, moist cloth on the bites)

Because each insect bite is different and our bodies react differently, don’t give up if something doesn’t work for you…just try something else.

A Recipe

All of the above remedies are great to use when we are home, but when we are on vacation, camping, hiking, or road-tripping…I need something a little more functional and convenient.

Here’s my solution!

Homemade Itch Relief Stick

A Recipe for Homemade Itch Relief Stick

Ingredients  

-1 ounce (approx. 2 tablespoons) olive oil infused with calendula flowers, chickweed, nettle leaf, lemon balm leaf, plantain leaf, and goldenseal root
-1 ounce (approx. 2 tablespoons) Shea butter
-1 ounce (approx. 2 tablespoons) cocoa butter
-1 ounce (approx 2 tablespoons) beeswax
-1 teaspoon Neem oil
-2 teaspoons essential oil blend (You can use a blend of clove, lavender, rosemary, peppermint, tea tree and/or ginger)

Method

1. Infuse your oil with the herbs (Read more here to learn how to make an herb infused oil).

2. In a double boiler, or small pot, over very low heat slowly melt the olive oil, butters, beeswax, and neem oil.

3. Once melted remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before adding the essential oils.

4. Pour mixture into a clean roll-up or lip balm tube and allow it to cool on the counter overnight.

A Recipe for Homemade Itch Relief Stick 1

Notes

-This Homemade Itch Relief Stick contains herbs that have been well-known for their strong antihistamine, analgesic, and antibacterial properties. Not only will this stick stop the itch, but it may reduce the risk for infection! Bonus!

-The butters act as skin protectants to provide instant relief of itchiness and pain due to all sorts of insect bites and stings.

-This recipe makes quite a bit — approximately 4 ounces of product — so go in with a friend or two and share resources!

Where Can I Get This Stuff?
-Mountain Rose Herbs…they have everything you’ll need for this remedy! It’s your one-stop-shop!

–The Bulk Herb Store also carries many of these ingredients if you’d like to price check.

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Comments

  2. My favorite outdoor activity, other than gardening, is watching my son place sports or playing a game outside with the family. We just love being outside. LOL Hard to pick just one.

  3. I can’t wait for it to get warm enough to get the plants into the garden. Plans to grow all sorts of things. 🙂

  4. Boy do I need to get some of these going! The biting pests are already out since the winter was so mild.

  5. We have crazy mosquitoes here in the summer! This will be a good addition to my medicine cabinet!

  6. My favorite outdoor activity? Definitely hikes with my 3 boys. Not only is it exercise for all of us but it serves as a great learning experience for their young minds (5 and 3 years old). And a bonus: it wears them out if done before naptime or bedtime 😉

  9. this sounds terrific! I can’t wait to try it out. thank you so much for sharing the recipe!

  10. My favorite outdoor activity: playing with my kids, whether that’s running around the yard, going to a park, or catching bugs. I love it all! Last year I got into gardening, so we’re all looking forward to getting our garden started this year.

    Thank you for the great blog. I’ve never been one to follow blogs until Pinterest came along. Now, I’ve found so many great blogs to follow. Frugally Sustainable is my new favorite!!

  11. Neat idea! I have one child that freaks over all applied products, maybe she’d go for one that was homemade.

  12. My favorite outside activity? Sitting by the river at my parent’s property we’ve had since I was baby. Nothing is more comforting or peaceful!

  13. Can’t wait to make some of these my son’s exzema(sp) is so horrible he can’t use the store bought stuff it just breaks him out and makes him itch more. With this being natural hopefully it won’t do that to him.

  14. Oh, I definitely need to make (or win!) some of this. I spend a lot of time outside gardening and the bugs just love me.

  15. My family loves camping and my husband is a magnet for mosquitos so I know he would love this! 🙂

  16. My favorite outdoor activity is watching the stars at night. I’ve done this since I was little. Always relaxes me.

    PS-Would you consider adding these to your Etsy store??

  18. I like walking my dog… also digging around in the compost… I think all my worms died though…

  21. If I keep trying to make one of everything you recommend I am going to go broke getting all the ingredients! But I am so excited to try! I am doing a little here and a little there, inspired by my success with laundry detergent and all-purpose cleaner!

  23. My favorite outdoor activity is definitely beachcombing…Depending on where I am, the “treasure” changes but my favorites have been searching for beach glass in Maine and shark teeth in Florida 🙂

  25. Do I have to pick just one? :0) I’ll just use the general term….GROWING THINGS to encompass a lot of what I love to do….and watch “The Ladies” (our chickens) roam around and be free.

  27. Geesh….WISH I knew about this before I spent a small fortune at CVS the other day looking for anti-itch stuff. I have eczema, plus we just moved to a new state with apparently a whole different set of allergens….I’m miserable…

    • My family actually prefers Andrea’s balm over the commercial stuff. We are happy to support her by purchasing her products. Just because I have the knowledge to make something doesn’t always mean I WILL. Sometimes I just have to let someone else do it for me. Thanks, Andrea for giving us options!

  29. Favorite outdoor activity in our house…there’s more than one….dog training, cookouts/dining outdoors, bonfires.

  30. gardening on my deck. most of my plants are in containers, so I actually enjoy that type of gardening more then on my hands and knees in the dirt now a days!

  32. Do I need to use ALL of those herbs, or just one or a combination of? Sorry if I’m confused.

  33. My favorite summer activity is…. oh, do I have to pick?? Putting my feet in cool water on a hot day, eating cool fruit, backwayrd picnics, fishing, watching my garden grow. . . 🙂

  36. Great recipe, I will make sure to try it! Have to win over the BF from team “If you cannot buy it, it probably won’t work”. ^^

  37. What a sweet giveaway! I’ll need and itch relief stick when after all the hiking/walking I want to do this summer. Realistically I’ll actually just be chasing the kids around outside!

  38. This would be so great! I get bit on my hands every morning when I go out to water during the summer.

  39. “Lazy” spring walks, just enjoying the flowers, birds and the 173 questions from my little ones.

  40. my favorite outdoor activity would be, once it gets warm enough, take my kiddo’s outside and begin on the garden, and clean out the flower beds.

  41. My favorite outdoor activity is probably gardening – especially herbs … or just walking around looking at the flowers … or canoeing on a nice quiet lake. =)

    Thanks for sharing your recipes and salves!

  42. hmmm….too many to name…but really anything that evolves creativity, the outdoors….yup!
    lovely thanks!

  43. Oh warm weather, where art thou?! Looking forward to this warm weather and even the bugs since they come with the warmness! Spending time with the family in summer is the best!

  44. my comment is great site!!! found you pinned to Pinterest.
    my fave outdoor activity is cruisin’ the alleys around here on what I call garbage walks.
    mostly I look into peoples’ gardens and scavenge for the stuff they love too much to trash but that they leave out to ‘karma donate’ and I make it over if we need it.
    I’ve met many of our neighbours, young and old, made a couple of good friends, and got loads of tips for our home garden which I also really enjoy.
    thanks for the site!

  45. My favorite outdoor activity is hands down horse back riding! Hoping we can eventually move somewhere we can have our own horses!

  46. I’m very excited about this – bookmarked it. I just got my Calendula seeds from Horizon Herbs which I plan to plant next week. I was inspired by your Calendula posts last month and am very happy to have another use for it. We live in the “lakes district” and have dreadful problems with the mosquitoes who have already awakened this year. Thanks so much!

  47. My favourite outdoor activity would be hiking in the woods in spring and fall. Summer is a bit too buggy for my liking, but greeting the new season and all the new life it brings, and enjoying the scent and colours of fall are both lovely. 🙂

    • I love that this is in a push up tube. What a fabulous idea. Favorite outdoor activity at home…jumping on the trampoline, playing with the dog, gardening. Away from home…hiking, camping, beach going. You didn’t say just one, right? 😉

  49. My favorite outdoor activity is walking, walking, walking! And enjoying everything. (:

  50. I have a little girl that seems to attract any insect that can bite! Would love this! 🙂

  53. We are outside all day every day and we live in the swamp so there are tons of mosquitos around. We could LOVE something like this!

  57. Our family loves camping and hiking!! We’d also love to find some natural relief for bites!!

  59. I’m outdoors a lot and enjoy working in the garden. Unfortunately, I’m allergic to mosquito bites. Apple cider vinegar is my best friend!

  60. What a neat idea! I just started reading your blog and it is incredibly informative!

  66. This will be wonderful for those times we are hiking and (rock)hounding. Can’t wait to try it!

  68. My daughter is an absolute magnet for mosquitos. She gets bit when no one else does! I am. Trying to find a natural insect repellent that works weel, but in the meantime, this would be great.

  70. Going chick shopping! We’ll be doing that this weekend to replace damages from a coyote raid yesterday. At least it helps the mood a bit! I also hope to get a bunch of friends together impromptu, to work on predator proofing the poultry! Might as well make it into another great activity, a potluck picnic!!

  74. My son and I plan to use our bikes a lot this summer. I would love to be able to try your itch relief stick.

  76. This would be awesome to have on hand…mosquitoes tend to think my blood is candy 🙁

  79. I will definitely have to try this. My daughter reacts horribly to mosquito bites. Oh, and we love to go for hikes in the woods. 🙂

  80. What a great stick–thank you for sharing! My favorite outdoor activity is taking photos 🙂

  81. My calendula has sprouted!! (I’ve never grown it before, so I’m very excited!!)

    I’m also guessing this stick will be better than the Mosquito Control Truck that drives through our neighborhood at night with its sprayers on so as to continuously spray “repellent” into the air??? Yes, I know, how disgusting…but sadly I’m not making that up!!

  83. A drop of tea tree oil on a mosquito bite is effective at stopping the itch.

  85. I have to admit that I am not an outdoorsman by any stretch. However, my favorite outdoor activity is sitting around a campfire with my family and making s’mores.

  87. Love to spend time in our backyard with my boys…but I am a mosquito magnet! Seriously, the bugs in TN are wicked nasty! Would LOVE to try one of your sticks!

  88. I guess if I had to pick a favorite outdoor activity it would be watching my son play soccer! I spend a lot of time outdoors doing that! 🙂

    And I’m making a mental note to plant calendula!

  89. My favorite outdoor activities are things with my boys. Gardening, hide and seek, picnics, etc. Anytime with them, teaching them, appreciating them is time well spent! 🙂

  90. I love being out in the garden, and camping in the mountains. Mosquitoes and chiggers think I am a feast, though, so I suffer every year. I can get Nettle and Calendula. Guess I need to do some planting!

  91. My favorite outdoors activity is I taking pictures especially of the ocean, rain, and family.

  92. This would be phenomenal for my family as my little girl is so sensitive to bites.. They get really red and inflamed… Our favorite activity is going to the park and just playing…

  94. Our favorite outdoor activity is Fishing, (or just relaxing out on the water, watching turtles play…… We call it fishing, But its really not.. Hahah)

  95. We garden from spring till fall, and live on a river. I would love to have these to help with the after effects of being outside!

  96. Thank you very much for this recipe and thanks for the opportunity to win one of your tube.

    Happy Easter

  97. I love anything outdoors if it’s not too hot. I especially love taking my children camping which we will be doing a bit of this year.

  99. This looks awesome; I LOVE natural remedies and my family gets eaten alive in our backyard every summer! I love gardening, long nature walks and almost every other outdoor activity I can think of 🙂

  103. I love playing outside with my kids – digging in the dirt, playing tag, looking for bugs.My 4 year old would live outside if he could!

  106. I read your post on infusing the oil, but still wonder how much of each of the herbs to use to infuse say, 4 oz of oil? I am a beekeeper, and am really interested in trying this stick, as well as having on hand for family members who help me out occasionally. I try to make sure I have plantain growing in each of my beeyards. I generally just chew a leave and plaster it on the sting, but it’s hard to keep a poultice on for any length of time on busy hands. Really enjoy your blog!

  109. We love spending any time outside we can. I have to say gardening and swimming definitely top our list, as does camping! I have been sick the last few years but hope to get some family hiking in this year as well. he bugs seriously love us all.

  110. Love going outside and watching my little ones run around with the sheer joy of being outside. Also enjoy working in the garden together as a family.

  111. Thank you! I love this giveaway, what a life saver!!! 🙂 Makes hiking with our children more enjoyable 🙂
    Stacy in Lancaster

  117. My favorite outdoor activity is working in my organic garden. I love getting all those vegetables and fruits of my labor of love!! I also love my wonderful flowers! I love your site too! I made your peppermint foot cream as gifts for a women’s retreat and it was amazing and well received!! Thank you!!

  119. I have not been able to find calendula flowers or seeds but I’m still looking. Thanks for the giveaway.

  121. Swimming has to rank #1 outdoor activity with my and I. Dad, he likes working…go figure! I am going to have to try to find the ingredients for this. Last night my 8 year old came to me with bug bites asking if I knew of anything natural (he’s so my child!) that would help with the itching. There was one that he described as “ugly”. He reacts so harshly. I had to bow my head in shame and tell him that for once, Mom didn’t have a natural answer.

  124. We love to go camping in the mountains.

    If I am not lucky enough to win your homemade itch relief stick would you be willing to sell one?

  125. This looks great! I can’t wait for Spring to finally arrive so i can get out and start some gardening (calendula!) …the sun is only just starting to peak it’s head out from behind the clouds where I’m from!

  126. My favorite outdoor activity is camping! I just love all that fresh air and sunshine out in the forest. 🙂

  128. We have horses, dogs, a milk cow and her calf, plus 3 children and planning on a large garden. Outside happens ALL the time!! The sunshine is my favorite, so whatever I am doing outside is great, as long as the sun is shining!!

  129. My favorite activity is gardening. I have only been gardening a few years. I am so excited when I see my seeds germinate. I love growing my own food.

  134. That’s awesome! I’m from a town with lots of mosquitoes.

    And my favorite outdoor activity is pole vaulting!

  136. I just love to be outside. Doing just about anything, playing with my dogs, taking photos, hiking, camping, just anything…

  138. We’re loving your Bug Repellent Spray here at our house…can’t wait to try this recipe for Homemade Itch Relief Stick!

  139. I love this! I can’t wait to try it! (I just finished my first infused oil (with Calendula) to make the Calendula lotion you posted recently.) My son is an outdoors-man, not to be contained within the house, so bug bites are sure to follow! I’m excited to have an all natural remedy to try! Thank you!

    Sara 🙂

  141. This is a very interesting redipe. i will try it as soon as I can get the ingredients. Some are in my herb garden already. Thanks.

  144. My all time favorite outdoor activity has to be working in my garden. It’s a combination of flowers, herbs, vegetables, and berries. I also have to setup a “home” for my birdies and a place for the butterflies to visit.

  146. My favorite outdoor activity in the Spring and Summer is going to check my mail. I try to stay out of the warm and hot weather for medical reasons! I do love to be outside during the Autumn and Winter months! 🙂

  148. My favorite outdoor activity is sitting (or laying) and reading a book in the sunshine.

  149. My boyfriend & I like to go hiking in Southern Illinois (Little Grand Canyon) and we go jogging a lot too!

  150. my boys like to play outside and I like to work in my garden, this would be perfect to use!

  153. My favorite outdoor activity? Floating on the lake on a warm summer day while I watch my kids and husband fish. Doesn’t get any better than that!

  156. I live in a big city, so mine is gardening. I love digging in the dirt and seeing what I can grow! When I escape the city, I adore going hiking.

  157. My favorite outdoor activities are camping, and going for walks with my little girl. You’ve inspired me to start my own herb garden along with making my own lotions ect…. Thank you

  158. I live up in the hills and we are outside all the time. If I am not in the garden, the kids and I are playing or walking. I would love to try this and maybe make my own.

  160. I love to take a walk by myself outside. It gives me a chance to clear my head and tune into nature.

  161. One of my favorite outdoor activity is going walking through a state park and taking a picnic lunch, we carry our backpacks.

  162. I love to just “piddle around” in the yard. We live nestled in the piney woods of east Texas, so between the pine needles and the sweet gum balls, there is always plenty to do!

  164. Great ideas! I”m always looking for ways to reduce purchases, save money, and live more healthfully with fewer chemicals. I don’t think I have the patience for much more than the baking soda and water trick, but I’ll give that a try! Thanks!

  165. My favorite outdoor activity.. varies depending on my mood but lately I’ve just enjoyed sitting on my porch in the sun with a good book!

  166. Fishing, hunting, toes in the water, sitting in the swing with a good book…too hard to pick just one!

  168. We love camping! And my kids seem to get eaten up every summer so one of these would be great. Thanks!

  169. I tend to enjoy just being outside in some way in general, even if it’s just sitting outside enjoying the air and reading. But it doesn’t matter what I do, I always end up eaten alive by the bugs.

  171. Well I’m not much of an outdoors person but my children are so I guess I would have to say sitting outside reading a good book and watching my children having a blast.

  172. My favorite outdoor activity is hanging outside with my kids while they play. I love watching them play and enjoy the outdoors. I also enjoy blowing bubbles and catching fireflys.

  174. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    My favorite outdoor activity would be either having an outdoor Spring picnic or simply reading a book outside. 🙂

  175. My favorite outdoor activity- hard choice, gardening is on the top of the list and a pleathora of activities that involve the Sierra Foothills outside Yosemite National Park.

  176. My favorite outdoor activity is definitely going on walks with my hubby and kids. We go every evening as long as it’s not raining or freezing.

  177. These look fantastic! Do they work on Fire Ant bites too? Living in the south I swear we get a new ant hill everyday.

  179. My favorite outdoor activity has to be gardening. Nothing feels better than eating your own food that you grow!

  182. My favorite outside activity is fishing/ camping/ or even just plain vegging out with the family. We love to spend evenings on the back porch enjoying the backyard woods. =)

    By the way, I just love your site! So much information!

  187. My favorite outdoor activity is watching my daughter play in her sandbox 🙂 Second favorite is hiking in the redwoods.

  189. I love gardening, hiking, and camping. We got married outdoors in a state park so we are serious about the outdoors!

  191. My favourite outdoor activities are picnicking with good friends, and digging in my garden.

  193. Ps My favorite outdoor activIty is going box sledding with my kids. (We live in Hawaii, but my Air Force husband and I are from Maine.)

  194. We practically live outside during the warmer months, so one of these Itch Sticks would certainly be put to good use! Fingers crossed!

  196. Sounds awesome! We’ve had a super hard time getting rid of fleas since the winter was so mild this year and with my little mans super sensitive skin, he’s always itching!

  197. My favorite outdoor activity is finding a quiet place on a hike in the mountains and sitting to listen to the quaken aspen trees rustle in the wind.

  198. Oh My!!! I am so getting in to all the alternatives!!
    Learning so much from you!
    aka Healthy Wealth Wise & Other Junque!

  201. I love all your recipes! I’ve just ordered a TON of stuff from Mountain Rose Herbs and I am so excited to get started!

  203. I love gardening, hiking and camping. We got married in a state park so we are serious about the outdoors!

  205. My favorite outdoor activity would have to be just playing with my kids. We love going to the park. I have a toddler and a teenager, and I do my best to keep up with both of them. 🙂

  208. If I don’t win I hope I have the patience and follow through to make this myself. I would love to get away from artificial anything! Thanks for posting your inspiring recipes and ideas for a frugal healthier more natural life!
    Maja

  210. I’d Love to win but, even if I don’t I hope you sell this on your Etsy site! I bought the raw wax and first aid balm from your Etsy store. I Love both of the things I bought and, I found both products an affordable price, especially with combined shipping! I tried to find a way to give you feedback through Etsy but, I wasn’t able to find anyway for me to do so. I just wanted to let every one know how quick your shipping was and how excellent the products are that I bought! I use the first aid cream all the time and, the beeswax…well, i’m kind of in love with the beeswax right now but, it smells like fresh hay and it’s been doing some awesome things for my house and my family. I just LOVE your site and appreciate the time you put into it to help people be frugal. You’re so helpful in an honest way and it is such a relief to have a resource, a Friend, to help me navigate the world of holistic, natural, organic living. Thank You, So Much! <3

  211. (I already like you on FB, and follow you on Pinterest, and I believe get emails too–which I’m really glad for what you put out there…learned all sorts of tidbits n tips and, have been able to share some of mine too!) My fav outdoor activity is wandering the woods and countryside snapping photos (slow walks looking up, down, n all around–the funniest one was when i squatted down to snap a pic..I was standing on a bunch of oak leaves on a steep slope. There were some cool mushrooms growing out of a tree stump. Got my photos but lost my footing and landed in a ravine. First thing I did was check to see my glasses were still attached. Then I wiggled my toes and appendages to make sure they were intact only to realize, my phone and car keys were up in the car, and no one knew where I was….figured a way out only to get overrun a few minutes later by girlscouts!

    • Oh, and since I have many of these ingredients, I am going to try this very soon!! 🙂

  213. Gardening and playing with my grandchildren,horses and dogs,but in Fl. we have huge mosquito’s,especially this year since we didn’t have much of a winter.Be Blessed

  215. If the sun is shining and the wind isn’t blowing, I’m outside working in the yard. Unfortunately the mosquitos think I am “food” for them…lol!

  216. like being outside – HATE the bugs. They seem drawn to me for some reason… I’ve always had problems with mosquitos!

  217. I would love to try this! We get eaten alive with all of the hiking my kids and I do during the summer.

  218. Would be wonderful to have for my grandson when he works in the garden with me!

  219. This is really cool. Thanks for sharing the recipe! (I got here via a Facebook link from Homestead Survival)

  221. I would love to win the stick. I am made absolutely MISERABLE by mosquitos every summer and am usually slathered constantly in benadryl. I’d really love to try a natural alternative.

  222. I would love to win the no-itch tubes. Mosquitos LOVE me. Sounds great. Thanks for the give-away.

  223. HI ANDREA,
    DO YOU THINK DRIED CITRONELLA WOULD WORK INSTEAD OF LEMON BALM?
    THANKS!!! LOVE YOUR SITE!!

  224. This is exactly what I need! I live in Texas close to a lake and the mosquitoes try to carry us off. They are big and many! Thank you so much!

  225. What about using mango butter instead of shea butter? It’s so darn good for you. Thoughts on that? I was also thinking about some grapefruit seed extract. This sounds like a really terrific recipe; I’ve been thinking about making something to replace “cortisone cream” and this sounds great!

  226. I was just wondering, I want to make some of this now as I still will be doing out door things until November. If I make a batch up, how long is the shelf life on it? If I added vit. E oil, would that perserve it longer if it has a short shelf life?
    THANKS!!

  227. I would love to make this! Do you know where I can get empty rollup tubes or lip balm tubes? I live in Canada. Thank you

  228. This is available for sale, but when you check out the price, it is $14.00 for one! This is a perfect example why not-so-safe-for-us products continue to be sold. I live on approx. $9,000 a year and am a single mom of 2 who chooses to homeschool. Healthy living is not an option for us if we choose to eat also.

  229. Also, before anyone suggests I make it myself, please research the costs to buy all the ingredients. We live in a very small apartment with no lawn space, no garden space, and would have to buy everything. This is an equally (or more so) expensive option.

    • I agree that initially, there is a lot of cash outlay to get the ingredients. However, this stuff is very versatile. Wax, oils and butters can fill all your skin care moisture needs. Add some Sodium Hydroxide and a stick blender and you have your soaps covered. Then you have your house cleaners taken care of! You can start with commercial liquid castile soap to make your own cleaners, them move to making your own. Go in with a group of friends and the cost goes down. These are great homeschooling projects.

      I don’t understand why you felt the need to complain here. She showed you how to do something. Didn’t work for you. OK, move on.

    • Hi there,

      My husband and I are college students full-time and are on a limited budget also. We don’t receive food stamps due to lack of children. I believe you do get food stamps right? We manage to eat all organic and high fat much reasonable then most in our age bracket eat for. We also don’t have children… we hand make our snacks.. no box or can foods for us! To expensive and unhealthy. But!! The majority of farmers markets will accept food stamps and whole foods accepts food stamps also. You should be able to use your EBT at whole foods for your meats and they have really good deals sometimes on fish and ground beef. You aren’t going to be able to order from a local Co-op but you could do better the conventional. I know the heathlyhomeeconomist did a post on a single mom who is a hairdresser that feeds her family almost all organic and quality meats/ Raw milk/ healthy fats on EBT alone.

      I also like what the above reader posted.. because yes.. there is a start up cost.. but you should get a tax return due to an earned income credit for having two children.. If you take even 100.00 that would go a LONG way. I am sure you would find that these items can be used in so many different ways that it is CHEAPER for you. It is the case for us. You don’t have to worry about running to the store to get your toothpaste. You have it on hand in large amt. of stock. Every time you walk into the store 50.00 percent of your buys will be impulses purchases.. just by limiting the amt. of times you run into the store (is proven) to save you money. Have you ever read the book about American’s most frugal family? I think they had like a family of 5 and lived on 15,0000 a year with a paid off house and cars and no debt.. this was one of their tips. I think that Andrea actually lists this book in her resources? Maybe I am wrong about that. We don’t own a garden. We have a small kitchen. No lawn space. Maybe just get creative -) I am sure that it feels overwhelming but baby steps are the best place to start.

    • I got her back :

      Helen AApril 20, 2013 at 4:29 PM
      you stole this recipe from Frugally Sustainable. You should at least give creditt to where you got the recipe when it isn’t your own. shame on you 🙁

  233. We love to walk outside together and talk. My fourteen year old son and my four year old daughter have a blast walking and talking and running and laughing! Making memories outside is awesome! I would love to try this anti-itch stick for my daughter who was recently diagnosed with Roseola. Thanks.

  234. I am new to all of this and want to make the infused oil basse for this recipe. My question is how much of each herb does it take to make the infused oil? Do you put the same amount of each herb into the oil or does it vary depending on the herb?
    Can’t wait to make this since we have chiggers (hoping it works on their bites) and mosquitos like crazy in Texas!
    Thanks

  235. i have the same question as christina. how much of each herb to you put in to make the infusion. would really appreciate the help. my daugther gets eaten alive by mosquitoes.