Two years ago around the holiday of Sukkot my 2 1/2 year old daughter (at the time) needed a Lulav and Etrog* of her own to shake on Sukkot.
It didn't take me long to decide to take her to the produce department at our local grocery store to see what she will choose as her very own Lulav and Etrog. I was actually very impressed that she picked up a lemon right away and said "Here is the Etrog, now I need a Lulav...". She look around and tried a couple of different vegetables to be her Lulav. First she picked up a bunch of scallions but it was too flimsy. Then she picked up some celery but it was too tall and straight. Her last choice was a Leek! It was perfect, not too stiff and not too flimsy! She said "Hey mommy, I found my perfect Lulav! I am all set for Sukkot!"
It really was perfect and ever since then I have been buying her a Leek and a Lemon for Sukkot, for her to have her very own Lulav and Etrog set!
Chag Samech!
*Note: An Etrog is actually not a lemon but rather a Citron, although they can look alike. The Lulav is a Palm Tree branch.
Sukkot is Jewish
Holiday that begins at sun-down on Sunday September 30 and ends a week
later on October 9th. Throughout that time posts will be sporadic being
that my family and I will be celebrating the Holiday!
See Savin' for Sukkot Part 1 here!
As you all might know, Jewish Holidays can be a big expense on our families. My husband calls it the "Jewish Tax". This coming week is the Jewish Holiday of Sukkot*. Building (or should I say, buying a ready to build) Sukkah for a family can easily cost hundreds of dollars even close to a thousand dollars, which not all of us can afford. Especially not my husband and I with our frugal minds. So this year we decided to think out of the box and we used what we could to build a PERFECT SUKKAH FOR OUR FAMILY FOR UNDER $10.
Both my husband and I and two other friends signed up for the $10 off of $10 at Lowe's (which is unfortunately no longer available) equaling $40 in FREE cash at Lowe's Home Improvement. That money (coupons) covered most of the cost of the 20 assorted wood studs which made the frame of our Sukkah, a bundle of lath slats which is being used as our schach on top of our Sukkah, and the box of nails he used to put the whole thing together.
6 - 2"x4"x96" wood studs FOR $ 2.96 1.48 (happened to find it 50% off) each. $8.88
8 - 2"x4"x84" wood studs FOR $ 2.85 each. $22.80
6 - 2"x3"x96" wood studs FOR $ 2.17 1.09 (happened to find it 50% off too!) each. $6.54
1 - lath bundle of wood slats FOR $12.97.
1 - Tarps - FOR $1
1 - box of nails FOR $7.47
---------
SUBTOTAL $46.69
MINUS $40 FREE CASH at Lowe's
TOTAL = $6.69
We took a tarp that we bought at a yard sale for $1 this summer and nailed it around the frame to make walls. Our next step was to find some extra evergreen and cedar branches that were laying around (we found some branches that were perfect waiting to be picked up for garbage by a house down the street) to
put on the top to add to the wooden slats to complete the schach and make our Sukkah kosher. It came out awesome!
One very important thing that was needed, to make a Sukkah on a budget was a husband who is willing to take the time and energy to work on the Sukkah, which my dear husband did with such passion and excitement. I tried, but I wasn't exactly going to help very much being that I am, thank G-d, 8 months pregnant with my second child, but he did an awesome job all by himself! It took him a few tries and about 2 days of full dedication and "walah!" He did it! We have an awesome Sukkah that was built with lots of love, from scratch, by my husband and the grand total cost was less than $10.
The very last thing we need to do is add some decorations (which my daughter is very excited about) and enjoy our little Sukkah for the holiday of Sukkot!
Chag Sameach To All!
*Note: Sukkot is Jewish Holiday that begins at sun-down on Sunday September 30 and ends a week later on October 9th. Throughout that time posts will be sporadic being that my family and I will be celebrating the Holiday!
