I live, write, and garden in the PNW with my husband of 27 years, disabled daughter, college-aged son, and my 84-year-old mother. We have paid off $250,000.00 worth of debt (if you include the interest) in the last fifteen years and as of 6/12/2020 are 100% DEBT FREE!!!!DH's paycycle is weird because of how he works, so we always have one week out of four that doesn't get a paycheck. And during that time it seems that there is nothing financial to do, because we budget accordingly.
Frugal things I've been doing:
1. Getting organized. The kitchen counters are clean, the cupboards are organized, and the floor is swept. The kitchen table is almost clutter free and will be by the end of the day. I found four bottles of ginger and three of garlic. Also plenty of mustard powder for making a new batch.
2. I've been pulling chunks of clover out of the cracked concrete pad where the old garage used to be many years ago. I've been feeding it to the rabbits who love it. They look at me like I am the bringer of all things wonderful when I give them piles of it to eat. So this is the sixth free food I am giving them, including grass, lemon balm, oregano, raspberry leaves, and blackberry leaves from the yard. Actually seventh if you count apple tree twigs.
3. I've sewn up the armpit seams of two shirts and one pair of my son's underwear where the hem was unraveling but was otherwise perfectly serviceable.
4. I've organized my canning supplies. Without a garden this year I am going to go out to an organic U-pick farm and pick 25 pounds of green beans. Not sure when, but sometime soon. Then I will can them. Then I will do it again. That should give me about a year's supply of green beans the way we eat them.
5. I have discovered that we have enough canned food to survive at least 3 weeks if disaster struck, but not near enough water. We have far more food than that in the freezer, but I am assuming if disaster strikes it will mean no electricity. I am going to can some rabbit meat next time we slaughter, because our stores of canned protein are pretty low. We'd have the chicken eggs of course, and if it came to it, the chickens. I'm not foreseeing a disaster, mind you, but neither are a lot of people and they get hit by them. Next payday I am going to buy a couple of cases of bottled water to put under the bed, just to be on the safe side.
That's really about it.
There Isn't Much Going On
July 21st, 2013 at 01:57 am
July 21st, 2013 at 02:38 am 1374374308
Also, as the rabbits are to be eaten do they drink human quality water? And the chickens/eggs? Are you a planning water for them as well?
July 21st, 2013 at 02:48 am 1374374901
I also have short-range walkie-talkies (batteries removed), a shake-to-use LED flashlight (no batteries), and four disposable rain jackets. Everything fits into a single 18 gallon tub like you'd get at a big-box store.
My second tub is food stuffs. Water I keep separately on a high shelf in the garage. The above along with a stand-by generator all came in handy during the two weeks we were without power during Ike's aftermath. We were the "party house" on the street for folks without anything. It was actually a blast, since no one we personally knew lost more than an old carport.
Planning ahead has many advantages. When I get back to the US, I'm going to lay in six month's to a year's worth of food stuffs. A lot of survival sites show you how to preserve everything. I don't know what I'll do, but dried beans will be a big part of the set-aside, I'm certain.
July 21st, 2013 at 03:20 am 1374376858
July 21st, 2013 at 04:57 am 1374382640
July 21st, 2013 at 06:51 am 1374389472
A long time ago i developed a weekly calendar on how to prepare over a year so that it wouldn't impact a grocery budget to much. I think spending was $7 a week. Simple recommendations like week 1: purchase a well made hand crank can opener and put in your kit. Week 2: buy one gallon of water, two cans canned meat (tuna, chicken, etc.) and two cans of canned veggies your family will eat. Week 3: one gallon water, two cans of canned fruit and a flashlight. It went on for the entire year until it prepared a family of four for 3-7 days.
It also had several weeks skipped to save money and buy a larger item like a camp stove from craigslist and learning how to cook safely on it by attending a free class at outdoors stores like REI. I need to figure out where the calendar is now. Additional emergency prep supplies like first aid kits, emergency papers, planning for pets, planning for kids is also something to consider especially when the animals are part of your food source.
I'd be careful where you store the supplies. High shelves are not recommended because it may be difficult for children or injured to get to them.
I keep meaning to post about this and now that work has slowed down maybe i can find some time and give some examples of how to do it.
July 22nd, 2013 at 04:24 am 1374467052
July 22nd, 2013 at 05:17 am 1374470230
Is there a list with information on what to take, important papers in a grab and go bag or folder in filing cabinet marked take me?
In my filing cabinet there is one folder that i know i grab that, the bag behind the couch by the front door and my grandmothers recipe box from the 1920s that sits next to the front door and i am gone. Sufficient with clothing, cash, money, water and food, toiletries, spare glases in my graband go bag and i am ok.
Just aomething to consider.