I am starting this thread in response to the thread about a depression. Regardless if a depression is coming or not, regardless of a recession or not, our societies structure, as most of us have known it is changing. Our financial spending habits are changing. Things are changing. I am writing this thread because I am interested in what people are doing in response to it. Beyond the "how to save money" although we need those tips too, but more of a thread about lifestyle changes. Some of our members have sold their homes and moved to the country maybe partially or wholly because they realize that a country life is going to be more stable then a city one for their family. I am one of those members. But it wasn't without drawbacks. My dh has a 70 mile commute. Yup that's right, 70 miles. That was one price we had to pay for living in the country. The only upside is that he drives it once a day, either going in or coming home because he works at least a 24 hr shift. Here's my kick off, Changes I have made myself learn how to take care of processing a chicken. Put up a clothes line, despite the dust All my fence charges are solar. Learning to can and "put up" Storing bulk, and learning how to do it properly and to rotate it. recycling anything I can, for the family, not to turn in. Trying to figure out how to get solar or turbine set up I really want rain barrels, but I don't have gutters, so, I'm working on that I know this is just a few, but I'm hoping more people will chime in. We have tons of members that do just about everything from scratch, I for one, would love to learn from them. Rachel
We got rid of our TV and cable. Got rid of all electrical appliances I didn't really 'need' Started cooking more from scratch. Planted a garden. Got chickens (both meat and egg layers) Got rabbits (for meat) Buying more in bulk and storing in 5 gal food storage buckets (I found a good place to order online if you can't get them locally PM me for the link if interested) Doing a lot more price comparisons. Shopping for the month rather than the week. Canning. Dehydrating. Using the clothseline more than I used to. Shopping yardsales more. There's more I'm sure but I can't remember everything right now. ETA: Also I don't drive at all. I either walk or bike. If I need to go farther than I can get to under my own steam I pay for a friend to take me.
Quote:I might learn how to process a chicken once we have some big enough. I learned how to clean my own fish so it can't be too bad. I just need to get fishing this year. I LOVE Catfish! Hoping Dad will get some deer and turkey this fall. I LOVE Venison! Maybe I will take hunter ed. and I can try my luck also. The clothes line, no. We live on a hog farm(not ours) but I do hang dry inside whenever I can. Our electric fence chargers are solar I turn trash into treasure whenever I can I trade this item for that item whenever I can so stuff someone may not want but I want doesn't end up in the landfill. Since we are in a small town I may ride my horse to the store. I have not yet due to the liability factor just in case someone was too stupid and got hurt. My dad drives 25 miles to work each day and tries to make errands on the way home so we don't go back out. If we do go out we run a lot of errands at the same time since the bigger stores are an hour drive away. Instead of taking 2 cars we take 1 car as a family almost always.
Well, I think this is a great idea. I think we all can start doing a little at a time to not only prepare for the future, to help our LOCAL economies. I put in a much bigger garden than usuall so I will be able to can the excess. I have chickens of course. I will get whatever produce I'm not growing from farmers markets and U-pick farms.(this, not only ensures freshness, it helps my community, and the farmer that has his life invested in his crop.) I will do the same for my beef and pork needs, buy from local farmers, same with my dairy. I am a stay at home mom, so if I buy my flour,sugar,yeast, in bulk in one trip, I don't have to go anywhere. We also supplement most of our meat needs with moose and fish.
1. We made a budget and stick to it 2. Large garden for our own use and to sell at the farmer's market later this year - I have about 50 tomato plants, all heirloom and they sell like hotcakes, along with all the okra I can pick 3. We only heat and/or cool the rooms we spend the most time in. My son's bedroom and he is leaving soon for summer work and college and our bedroom/office. In the summer we use the grill and have an outdoor kitchen for cooking. 4. Really watch the sales on groceries, especially meat. Our neighbor grows his own pig and even with getting all of it's food from the local grocery and restruant, after processing fees, he figures he pays about $1.00/lb. We find pork on sale fairly regularly for about that much but just in case the pork skyrockets, we are prepared to grow a pig. 5. Never use the clothes dryer 6. And we figure we use less water in a dishwasher than by hand washing - my husband actually read the meeter before and after washing dishes by hand for a week and then compared it with running the dishwasher - for us that's about 2 times a week 7. We are puting in a pump on an old well at our place for outside watering, washing, etc 8. Never go out to eat - we both cook better than a restraunt anyway 9. I have canned for years 10. Start almost everything from seeds or cuttings and swap and save seeds. 11. I live 30 miles from work so I traded my 2004 truck off for a very small, very cheap, very fuel effecient new car. The gas savings alone almost makes the car payment and all the gas BUT we do all our errands at one time - no running the roads for us and I have dropped my speed limit to 55 on the open road - that for me was a real surprise. 12. Building a small greenhouse to open a small local nursery and hoping that eventually I won't have to leave home to go to work. 13. Cupons work if you are going to buy that item anyway but if it is not something you usually buy or want - then it's just an impulse buy 14. Make my own spray and wash 15. I am growing my hair out - after 30 years of very short hair that I paid $30.00 about once a month to have cut I have decided that I am old enough to wear an old lady bun atop my head. 16. Next summer we plan to put in a wind generator of some kind if for no other reason than to help with the electricity bills to cool us in the Texas heat. 17. Got rid of the cell phone. Told the company I work for if they wanted to be in constant contact with me they could get me one so they did. 18. We haven't gotten rid of cable or high speed internet as that is basically our favorite entertainment when we finally settle in at night but I am considering it.
The best thing I've done so far is making a list and sticking to it. The grocery store would get me every time... "Oh! This is on sale!" or "That looks good!" No more. I write everything I need down (after looking through the pantry, etc) and that's what I buy, period. Same goes if I go to Target. I go there with a purpose and I stick with it. It's so easy for me to get sucked up into their marketing... I end up buying stuff I really don't need. We also use our whole house fan and our ceiling fans a lot. I close the drapes during the day. Before we installed the fans, our a/c bill was $600 A MONTH in the summertime, and that was running it only when we were home. Cutting out the eating out, alcohol, icecream, processed foods, etc. has really made a difference. You'd think that fresh food would cost more but it really doesn't. You don't eat as much (no empty calories, more of the calories that really count) but you get so much more out of the food you do eat.
OH! I almost forgot....as to the alcohol....if you DO appreciate a drink every now and then you can make your own wine. It is very simple. Personally I make a very ancient mead (honey wine) I'd be more than happy to post the recipie if you like.