Hey Friends,
More and more, my readers have been asking me questions related to marriage and homemaking. These questions always make me happy because I love these two topics and I’ve been learning a LOT in the past 14 months! 😉
Today, I want to focus on the topic of homemaking.
As a new wife, becoming the manager of a home was a completely new and exciting experience. Thankfully, I have a wonderful mother and mother-in-law who have taught me many things… as well as other ladies that I have learned from over the years. Homemaking is such a fun experience as a new wife – but it can also be overwhelming when it’s new and there’s so much to think about!
In today’s post, I want to share some tips to help you become an effective and efficient homemaker – especially if you’re a brand new wife! These homemaking tips are not just for brand new wives…. even if you’ve been married for several years or you’re in the throes of motherhood, these tips can help you too!
Homemaking Tips for the Brand New Homemaker
1. Read What The Bible Says About Homemaking
I love it when I find verses about being a wife, mother, and homemaker in the Bible. It’s encouraging to know that God has something to say about these important areas of our life as women. One of my favorite authors, Elizabeth George, encourages ladies to highlight Bible verses pertaining to womanhood in pink. I’ve begun doing this in my new KJV Creative Bible, and I love being able to look back through different passages of Scripture and see the verses that are applicable to me as a wife and homemaker – and eventually a mother!
Proverbs is a wonderful place to start to find verses on homemaking, but here’s a list of Scripture passages to get you started. I encourage you to look up the following verses in your Bible, highlight them in pink, copy them down, and work on memorizing them!
- Psalm 113:9
- Proverbs 19:14
- Proverbs 24:3-4
- Proverbs 27:23
- Proverbs 31:10-31
- Titus 2:3-5
This is just a small list to get you started. The Bible has much to say to us as women. I would encourage you to read and study your Bible and highlight the verses speak directly to you as a woman.
The Bible is our guide for life – and that includes the area of homemaking!
2. Choose Joy in Your Homemaking
Some wives struggle to find joy in their homemaking. I definitely understand that, homemaking can be mundane and awfully repetitive. However, finding joy in our homemaking is choice that we can make. We can learn how to make it fun. We can learn how to get better at the things that don’t come naturally to us. For instance, cleaning does not come naturally for me. I really don’t enjoy scrubbing the floors or dusting the house. However, after reading some really awesome cleaning books and establishing a fairly simple cleaning routine, it’s become a whole lot easier!
I’ve also implemented some things that make my cleaning and homemaking more fun – which gives me joy while I do it. Here are some quick tips to make it more fun:
- Remember that homemaking glorifies God – Caring for our home is our God-given responsibility and it brings God glory when we do it with a joyful heart and attitude!
- Listen to music or podcasts while you cook, clean, and do laundry – This makes my homemaking so much more fun. I love to listen to the Homemaking Foundations Podcast or my favorite songs while I work.
- Diffuse essential oils while cleaning – This will help you get into a cleaning mood because there’s is nothing better that a house that smells good!
- Watch a movie or cooking show while you meal prep – We don’t have a TV, so this isn’t something I have done lately. But sometimes it’s fun to turn on a movie to watch while you work on a project like meal prepping.
- Focus on the tasks you enjoy – If you enjoy cooking more than cleaning, don’t be afraid to put more effort into your meals than into your cleaning. As long as you don’t completely neglect the cleaning, it’s not going to hurt anyone if there’s a little dirt on the floor. Remember – balance. 😉
It’s amazing how much we can learn to enjoy something when we make the choice to be joyful!
3. Ask for Help From Family
Moms, mother-in-laws, and grandmas can be so helpful. If you feel stuck in a homemaking rut or need some help, don’t be afraid to ask! Asking Google just isn’t the same… it’s so nice to ask someone who has tried and true answers!
Moms, mother-in-laws, grandmas, and older women are such a gift. Ask them for tips and advice. You will be glad you did!
4. Read Homemaking Books
I don’t know where I would be without homemaking books. Since getting married I have read several – especially cleaning books since that’s the area I struggle with the most.
As a homemaker who is planning meals, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, and organizing, homemaking books speak to you right where you are. I have gotten so many helpful tips and suggestions from reading books on homemaking – I would encourage you to give some of them a try. You will learn so much!
Several months ago, I compiled a list of some of my favorite books on the home. Click here to check them out, and please, do yourself a favor and read one or two!
5. Listen to Homemaking Podcasts
Ever since I discovered the Homemaking Foundations Podcast, I’ve been hooked. This particular podcast is my favorite but I also enjoy the Titus 2 Minute Podcast as well as a few other homemaking podcasts from time to time. I would encourage you to give some podcasts a try the next time you have some laundry to fold or meals to prep. You will learn so much!
6. Plan Your Meals Ahead of Time
If I don’t know what meal I’m making for dinner the next day, I am going to feel incredibly stressed out. Every week I plan out all my meals in advance. Some people enjoy meal planning one month out, but one week at a time works well for me.
>>> I love this list of meal planning tips – so helpful!
7. Have a Grocery Budget
Without a grocery budget it’s incredibly easy to overspend every week at the grocery store. Have a little meeting with your hubby and come up with a reasonable amount of money to budget for your weekly trips to the grocery store. Pre-packaged foods and name brand items can really jack up your grocery bill. Making more food from scratch and buying store-brand products can save you a lot of money.
Choose a reasonable amount for your weekly groceries and do your best to stay at or below the budget.
8. Always Make a Grocery List
A meal plan and grocery list are key to staying under budget at the grocery store. When you make your weekly grocery list, have a sheet of paper nearby to write down everything you need to make your meals. When you notice something getting low in your pantry, write it down.
9. Buy Meat in Bulk and Freeze It
Several months ago my husband and I began buying our meat in bulk. We get about $40-$50 dollars worth of meat at one time, divide it up and freeze it. We usually get 10 pounds of chicken, 5 pounds of burger, some sausage, and either pork chops, ham or a couple roasts. I’ve learned how to make our bulk meat stretch for about 6 weeks. This has saved us both time and money… and it’s so nice not having to buy meat at the grocery store each week (we get our meat at a farmer’s market near my in-laws’ house).
If you can start buying your meat in bulk – go for it! It saves so much time to be able to pack and freeze the meat all at once. You just need to remember to let the meat thaw in the fridge the night before you need it!
10. Meal Prep Once a Week
Once-a-week meal prep is something I started doing once I began working outside the home four days a week. If you are at home most of the day, you may not be interested in giving this a try… but I love it so much I want to continue this even when I’m done working outside the home! Here’s how I do this each week.
- Wednesday: meal plan and make my grocery list.
- Thursday: pick up groceries. (I use Walmart’s grocery pick up).
- Friday or Saturday: I spend 2-3 hours in the kitchen prepping all the meals for the next week. I chop onions, brown the ground beef, assemble my crock-pot meals, wash lettuce/make salad, bake muffins, etc. When I’m done, almost all our meals are ready to go for the next week.
It’s always good to know what can be prepped ahead of time. I plan our chicken meals for the beginning of the week so that I don’t have raw chicken sitting in my fridge for more than a couple days. Potato meals need to be cooked ahead of time or prepped the night before so that the potatoes don’t go bad, etc. However, most meals can be prepped ahead and then you just need to pop it in the crock pot or oven when it’s time to cook.
This has saved me SO MUCH time and it’s wonderful to know that we have a week’s worth of meals waiting for us. (I also figure in one night for leftovers too!).
>>> To learn more about once-a-week meal prepping you can read this article!
11. Become Friends With Your Crock-Pot Or Instant Pot
I have never used an instant pot, but I love my set-it-and-forget-it-crock-pot! As a wife who works outside the home, my crock-pot is a life-saver. About 80% of our meals are made in the crock-pot. It’s so nice knowing that our food is cooking at home while I am at work and it will be ready and waiting for us at dinner time.
My crock-pot has a nifty little timer that can be set on high or low for a certain amount of time. Once the time is up, my crock-pot automatically switches to warm so that the food stays hot without being overdone.
A lot of homemakers love the instant pot, which is similar to a crock-pot except it cooks the food in record time. So, you can come home from work, throw something in the instant pot and have a hot meal in no time.
Even if you don’t work outside the home, I would highly recommend using a crock-pot or instant pot on a fairly regular basis. They save time and dishes.
I will never be able to emphasis enough how wonderful it is to have all your meal prep done and ready ahead of time. It’s so nice not having to cook after a long day!
12. Always Wash Dishes After the Meal
I learned this from my mom, who was great about washing the supper dishes right away! Now, as soon as I finish up eating supper I wash the dishes right away. This frees me up to go and get things done without having to come back to a dirty kitchen later.
I wish I could say I always wash dishes after breakfast too – but that doesn’t normally happen on the days that I work. But I always like to wash up the breakfast dishes as soon as I come home.
It saves time to wash the dishes as soon as possible and it feels so good to get them done.
13. Go to Bed with a Clean Kitchen
After washing up supper dishes, replace the dirty towels with clean ones, wipe the counters, sweep up the crumbs and set the table for breakfast the next morning. When the dishes are done drying, put them away before bed. It feels so good to end and begin each day with a clean kitchen!
14. Follow a Cleaning Routine
I’ve already shared that I struggle with cleaning. However, after reading a few good cleaning books and establishing a routine that works for me, it’s gotten so much better!
Here are my favorite cleaning books:
- Simply Clean by Becky Rapinchuck – I absolutely love the easy cleaning routines laid out in this book. The author also shares alternative routines that work better for different people – which I absolutely love!
- The Complete Book of Clean – I will never clean as much as this book says I should, but I love the pictures. This book also taught me HOW to clean various parts of my house – like the laundry room and the bathtub!
- Sink Reflections – I loved this book. The author is funny, shares helpful tips, and just motivates you to get cleaning! She also shares helpful routines and daily practices to keep your house clean!
For awhile I was following the cleaning routine laid out in the book Simply Clean, but now I do most of my cleaning on Fridays when I have the day off. If I have extra time in the evenings I revert back to the method I adapted from Simply Clean – which is the following routine:
- Mondays: clean bathrooms.
- Tuesday: dust the house.
- Wednesday: sweep all the floors.
- Thursday: wash the floors.
- Friday: catch up and/or work on more intensive cleaning.
I would encourage you to read some good cleaning books and adopt a routine that fits your unique personality and schedule. Don’t be afraid to change things up if something isn’t working for you!
15. Invest in a Robot Vacuum
The newest member of our family is a bObi robot vacuum. I love to turn bObi on and let her do the sweeping while I work in the kitchen or read a book. I still vacuum my house on a weekly basis, but bObi helps to clean up the dirt that collects on the floor on a daily basis.
I use bObi for maintenance sweeping throughout the week. This has been a huge help to me because dirty floors really bother me after a couple of days!
16. Learn How to Use Essential Oils for Cleaning
Essential oils are another investment that are well worth it. I love all of my essential oils. It’s been so much fun learning what each oil can do for our home and our health. My favorite ways to use oils in our home is diffusing them as an air freshener (plus it supports our health) and adding it to my homemade cleaners.
My favorite homemade cleaner is a non-abrasive vinegar cleaner from The Complete Book of Clean. It’s such an easy cleaner to make, and I use it so much. I add citrus essential oils to drown out the smell of vinegar.
I highly recommend Young Living Essential Oils (although I do not sell them myself – I use them on a regular basis).
17. Go Thrifting for Homemaking Supplies
As a newlywed, it’s common to be on a tight budget in terms of homemaking supplies – especially home decor. If you’re like me, you received some decorations as wedding gifts, but there are still a lot of finishing touches needed to “complete” your little nest.
Thankfully, a home is never going to be fully complete. That’s a good thing because it keeps things fun and exciting. You will always have a corner of the house that can be improved upon or updated.
In order to decorate and give my home a “finished” and home-y feeling, I have found lots of amazing deals at thrift shops. Half of our Christmas decorations are thrift finds from local second-hand shops. Some of our dishes and kitchen supplies also came from thrift shops.
If you want to decorate you home but you’re on a budget, look up local thrift shops in your area and start visiting them on a fairly regular basis. You will be pleasantly surprised how many wonderful things you will be able to find for your home! ♥
18. Pray About Your Homemaking
Last but not least, learn to pray about your homemaking. We started with tip #1 which is to find out what the Bible says about homemaking. Now, I want to end this post with prayer. Everything we do should be bathed in prayer. Homemaking is no exception.
Homemaking is fun and exciting in the beginning, but it can get a little overwhelming, and sometimes it gets repetitive. There where be times when homemaking just plain feels like work so, take your tasks and to-dos to the Lord! Ask Him to help you be an efficient and effective home manager. Pray for grace. Ask for wisdom. Make your homemaking a matter of daily prayer.
Final Thoughts
Well Dear Friend, these tips have gone a long way in helping me become a more efficient and effective manager of my home. I hope you will save this list for future reference and work on implementing these tips into your daily routine.
To help you even further, I’ve put together a weekly meal planning sheet that you can print out and use when planning your meals. Meal planning is one of my favorite aspects of homemaking and it saves both time and money!
To get access to this free printable simply sign up for my email list right here. You will be sent an email that gives you the password to my resource page. Once you have access to my resource page, you can print and download to your heart’s content!
If you would like to read more… be sure to check out these related posts:
- Over 15 Great Books on the Home
- How to Be Happy At Home: For Homemakers and Young Ladies
- 20+ Tools and Resources for Marriage and Homemaking
I would love to know… what was the most helpful tip on this list?
Until next time,
Thank you for this thorough and very practical post, Rebekah! As a young lady who wants to be a homemaker someday, this is very helpful for me! I think the tip that I most need to work on is establishing a cleaning routine. Although I do a bit of cleaning, it’s definitely not what you would call “organized.” 😉 I think a routine would be a big help. Thank you for the resources + articles you suggested. 🙂 You are an inspiration!
I am so glad this post was helpful to you! It was fun to write and share. Before I got married I tried to soak up a lot of homemaking advice – and it when a long way in helping me transition into the role of wife and homemaker. I hope these tips are helpful to you both now and in the future 😊
Wow, sounds like LOTS of great advice! I’m still only a teenager daughter in the home, but I enjoy learning about and studying topics such as homemaking even now. Learning from my mom has been the best — I do quite a bit around the house, and when my mom leaves its no biggie, because I’ve watched her manage the home for years. I can’t wait till I one day (LORD willing!) have my own house to be my own homemaker in. I am a planner and an organizer and I like things neat + clean so reading about homemaking makes me excited. =) I’m not a huge cook but I think my mom’s instant pot and air fryer is cool and have enjoyed learning to make a couple things in them. 😉 The area I have least experience in is probably decorating, because we do very little seasonal decorating (if any). Being able to have my own room and decorate within it has been fun!
A couple years ago I came across a really cool book filled with cleaning/organization/meal planning/all things homemaking hacks, and it’s basically just a collection of short paragraphs women have submitted with tips and tricks for homemaking. It’s like Pinterest in a book! =)
Hey Grace! It’s good to enjoy learning about homemaking. Even though marriage isn’t for everyone… You never know when you may need to use the skills you’ve learned. It can be a huge help to your mom as well! When I was still at home I loved decorating my bedroom – I wasn’t the best at it, but now that I have a house to decorate it’s gotten easier. What’s the name of that book? It sounds great!!
Thankyou so much for great Homemaking advice!Still a teenager I have a while to go before I have a home of my own.But being the second oldest of four more siblings,I get a little bit of practice.My mom is also a excellent teacher!!Thanks again.I can’t wait to hear more from you.😊
You are so welcome! Now is the best time to learn and prepare for the future God has for you – whatever that may be. ❤️ Thanks for reading and commenting!
Thank you for this post! I’ve been a homemaker for 3 years, and these tips are still useful to me. I have also enjoyed listening to the Homemaking Foundations Podcast, so thank you for recommending it!