Cha Cha Changes

[tygab]

southern, we've been slowly moving along a similar track.... some steps forward, some steps back but we keep trying. I get frustrated sometimes that we're not farther in our goals but things are moving at the pace we can handle...

anyway, here's the last year or so lifestyle changes we've made, starting with the big ones...

bought a home w/4 acres and barn, at the end of last summer. I plan to make 3 acres productive.
got our chickens for eggs hopefully by fall!
getting some fences done this month so we can have 1/2 our alp herd here vs boarding.
planted our first garden. w/herbs and veggies.
will be trading in our fun car for a pickup truck (not a gas savings but for plowing/towing - we spent a small fortune on plowing alone this year).
husband works from home 2-3 days a week.
I work from home 1ce every two weeks or so.
make our lunches 4-5 days a week.
do not get curbside trash pickup (ok, so our house is on the same street as the transfer station but still, most of our neighbors seem to get curb pickup).
will be setting up a compost so we throw out even less.
buying more local, non overly processed foods/veggies (maybe not cheaper, but much tastier and healthier for us).
buying in quantity (costco for house stuff, store sales for food nonperishables).
bike, run/snowshoe, camp for recreation.
getting a chest freezer (our butcher will do a side of beef cut how we want it, & cause we have 10 meat birds being grown for us on the way too!)
will be putting in a clothesline to minimize dryer use.
can/dry/make our own foods. [we started with drying last year, this year I'll learn to can]
vacationing around family events over the next year (one in TX, one in CA).

things on the discussion table or research:
to central ac or not? not really something I want, but we'll see how the summers are.
cutting back/out digital cable? we do watch a lot of tv...
how to get more bulk stuff delivered but w/out shipping fees!
how to save on winter oil (pellet stove??)

probably a never ending effort...

 

[southernsibe]

Tygab, Let me know if you find a way to get bulk without the huge shipping fees! I am on the fence about the tv and the internet too. Those are things that really contribute to our entertainment, and even though they are the entire entertainment budget , it is pretty much what we do.

MOM, I think I will do your experiment, with two kids and a dh that is only home every other day, I didn't use the dishwasher much anyway. Maybe I am using more this way! I'd be interested in hearing about how you are going to put a pump on our well so that it isn't dependent on electricity. I've found a site that details how to do it , but I need to measure teh water level to see how far down it is.

The thread os only 2 pages long and already we have shared some really wonderful ideas , some really practical, and in a lot of cases, relatively easy things we can do!!

 

[CarriBrown]

A clothesline is becoming more and more enticing, especially now that it's starting to get hot out!
Question... how do clotheslined clothes feel compared to dryer dried clothes? Any downfalls to the clothesline?

 

[Their Other Mother]

Some things that we are doing:

Use a clothes line ( I didn't think this was a big deal but after talking to some of my friends you would think I told them we have completely turned off our electric! And they who are always complaining about being broke, "will never hang clothes"

Have a propane stove top.

BBQ outside alot more.

Use my dutch ovens to bake out side.

Make cakes, cookies, pies from scratch.

Grind my own wheat and make all of our bread.

Use pressure cookers - they use much less energy & time and retain more nutrients. ( I have 3 but could use more)

Turn off hot water heaters - It's hot enough in the desert.

cancelled extra phone lines.

keep my pantry filled and rotated.

Have the chickens & goats

We have an old Jacuzzi set up on the patio. We don't run the heat but cool off in it several times a day, so we can keep the ac set higher and still stay cool.

I have an old cook book from the 1930's. My how different they ate then! I find myself using it everyday. Less meat, more veggies & fruit.

I find myself sewing for my family more and making gifts instead of buying. I'm finding friends would rather receive my homemade Prickley Pear Jelly, Fresh Bread or a hand made quilt or afgan anyway.

Parked my 1 ton duelley and drive an old ford escort.

I buy 95% of my clothes at discount or used stores.

Love to dumpster dive.

Would love to be more self sufficient but we are working towards that.

 

[Their Other Mother]

Quote:
I do cheat on some things. Like towells, I will fluff them for 10 minutes then hang them out. That way they are still really soft. Same thing with jeans. As for tee - shirts, if you hang things out as soon as they are done washing, then you don't even need to iron them, just fold them as you take each one off the line. I also use a good fabric softener and everything smells great.

My clothes line is stretched between the pillars of my back patio, altogether I have about 80' of line and can get about 3 loads up. Here in the desert summer clothes are dry by the time you are finished hanging them ( 10 minutes) The dryer would have to run for 40 or more!

Downfalls : It soes take a little more effort than just tossing things in the dryer (But I enjoy it). Sometimes the birds sit on them and leave a mess, My stupid Great Danes Jump up and pull the clothes pin bag down to chew on the pins, or walk under the lower hanging wet clothes/sheets to keep cool and get them dirty so I try to put them (dogs) in the barn on big laundry days. If a storm pops up you have a mad dash to get them down. But the money we save on electric out weighs any excuse to not use the clothes line.

 

[southernsibe]

Their Other Mother
Use pressure cookers - they use much less energy & time and retain more nutrients. ( I have 3 but could use more)


I have only heard tales of pressure cookers, and read that they are no longer like wat they once were. Can you discuss a bit about yours and what you do with it?

Thanks
Rachel

 

[Their Other Mother]

Quote:
I should be a salesman for them! It's like once you use a microwave...

If you forget to get something out for dinner, ( I do this occassionaly) Grab some frozen chicken, throw it in the pan with 1/2 inch of white wine or chx broth. Put the lid on, raise the pressure and in 20 minutes you have fully cooked chicken. Works with pork chops or thinner cuts of beef too. I cook all of my pot roasts in the pressure cooker too, about 1 hour. Mashed potatos, 5 minutes. White Rice, 5 minutes. Brown rice, about 25 minutes.

Mine are Kuhn Rikon, Duromatic 18 - 10 stainless steel. One is a 5 litre waffle bottom , 2 litre & 5 litre.

Advantages: Produces full flavored dishes, preserves vitamins and minerals, conserves time & energy.

How it works: Increases internal pressure, thereby increasing temp of foods and decreasing cooking time. Softens the fibers in foods, tenderizing even the toughest of meats and beans.

Spring Valve (Duromatic) vs weight - valve: allows for greater accuracy in timing, resulting in better cooking results, is quieter, requires less water which results in greater retention of vitamins and minerals.

New saftey features have 7 features which prevent explosions.

Value for Dollar: Can be used either for conventional or pressure cooking, Stainless steel lasts a lifetime and they are pretty so they go from the stove to the table nicely.

I have tons of recipies and adaptations if you want to pm me.

 

[DuckyBoys]

changes I have made -

I took a work form home job last year and WOW - am I glad I did. I also took a $16,000 pay cut BUT - I was working full time before AND commuting one hour each way.

What is the point in that?

Now I work from home 90% of the time and I only work part time. I still have full vacation, health etc because I work for the government.

That was the best decision I ever made. I figure I've saved thousands in gas alone - not to mention the wear and tear on my car.

Other than that - I haven't made very many others BUT I will be cutting back on the movie channels on cable (I know not really that big of a deal, baby steps people) and have cut down on the grocery bill, planted a garden, and of course raising my own eggs.

I am also going to sell all our old homeschool curriculum on Ebay to make a little extra cash and get it the heck out of the house. I have way to much.

People around here actually want to buy runner ducks...who knew those little things would be such a money maker. I'm now in the runner business.

I would really like to build a greenhouse...working on that one.

This a very good thread.

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Thank you for starting this thread. I am in the UP of MI and just starting garden planning as the weather is just getting into the 60's at a pretty steady rate.

I too run the dish washer it is me and my son so I run it maybe 2 x's a week.

I am going to learn to can and put up frozen foods

I make 1 trip a month for food and necessary items.

I cut out all frills and extra's

For years we had no tv other than dvd's and vhs and we will be going back to that this week.

Internet is my only source of entertainment and info so it will stay. I will also be using it for selling tons of counted cross stitch and quilt books and mags and other mags and books.

I keep my phone as it is my life line but I switched to the internet phone combo and really saved.

I will be going back to meat and veggies and homemade breads and goodies (I come from a family of 13, youngest by a minute and am use to poor)

I moved to the country and rent from my brother in law and have 5 1/2 acres and can do what I want on it as long as I ask first. Hence chickens.

I am cleaning out and clearing out with a rummage sale to buy presure cookers, canning items and one of those food machines to suck the air out and seal for freezing foods (sorry brain fart can't think of the name LOL)

I am also saving for at least 1 new freezer if not 2 as my brothers hunt and I will be asking for bear and venison as well as mountain lion and other meats, those boys eat everything and are always willing to share.

I save all my change and once a month cash it in to buy TP, soaps and other household cleaners and items. Doesn't seem like much but it adds up.

I also always bend over and pick up the pennies I find on the ground they really add up and you would be surprised how many people don't think they are worth picking up. Last Wed I pick up 18 cents. Better my pocket then the ground.

Can't think of any more but am really getting ideas for what is possiable for me. I love to hang clothes but so many trees on the property that I would have to talk to brother in law about getting rid of some LOL.

Thanks again

 

[SterlingAcres]

Well, I too think this is a great thread

Umm... well so far, we're purchasing a farmhouse on 3 acres. Only 1 acre is cleared, but I'll be trying to get as much out of it as I can. We're planning a large flock of chickens (meat and eggs), milk goats, ducks (eggs and meat), rabbits (meat), a turkey/pheasant/quail combo pen (for meat around the holidays), as large of a garden as I can plant and care for with 2 little toddlers, we've got plans for solar ovens, solar showers, assembling our own solar panels for the house, I plan to can and freeze as much from the garden as I can. I'm trying to make everything from scratch. I've been setting aside a day during the week to make all our bread for the rest of the week. Today, I made 4 loaves and sent one home with my sister in law, so I'll have to make more this week. Even though we're moving, I've got a small garden planted here and we're eating our veggies as they ripen. I don't drive anywhere unless it's dire need. My dh drives 8 miles to work, once we move, it'll be 18 miles, but I'm hoping to cut corners in other places so the gas prices won't kill us. I'm also very excited to switch the little coal stove out for a wood stove, so I can cook on it. Plus with all the woods out back, heat would be almost free.

I'm really tired and I can't think of anything else at the moment, but I'm really looking fwd to checking into this thread again for some more helpful ideas