Just curious who else is living super frugal

[offgridhermit]

Well, we're retired and live off social security and only get paid once a month so we have to cut back and not live like we did when we had jobs. Only grocery shop after the bills are paid, once a month. We don't eat out or go anywhere unless absolutely necessary. We're 30 miles to the nearest little store, gas station, church, or to pick up our mail. Our pharmacy is 75 miles away. I might check the mail once a week or so and pick up my husband's prescriptions once a month.

I keep canned milk on hand to cook with and mostly cook from scratch. Of course we have eggs from my chickens and next year I plan to get some meat birds and do my own butchering. If we can't get to a store, I do know how to make bread. Most of my canned goods are bought at the dollar store and I only buy meat, produce, and cheese that's on sale.

I grow a small garden and can/preserve/dehydrate/freeze my extra produce. I also go to the local food bank once a month and get a free box of food that often contains produce with a few canned items as well as beans and rice.

My coop and run were made out of pallets and scrap wood. I like to reuse and re-purpose. And my thinking is: if it aint broke, don't fix it; and if it still works or can be used, then don't buy a new one. Oh, and don't pay someone else to do something that you can do yourself.

I'm currently building a new little chicken hutch and want to put a window in it for light and sunshine. Man oh man, have you checked the prices for windows? I think it put me in shock. I'll be looking at the thrift stores for a window and if I can't find one, I may just take a framed picture that I don't use that has glass in it, and remove the picture and just use the framed glass as my "window".

I don't know if I'm frugal or just cheap.

 

[Beekissed]

You are frugal!

About those meat birds....if you like your chickens canned, there is a cheaper way to get into some meat. Keep your eyes peeled on the local ads for free roosters. I picked up 13 free and huge roosters of various breeds and also 6 others of the same for $1 each this past year. Someone else put all the feed and time into them and I reaped the benefits. I just kept them long enough to sweeten up the meat with some fermented feeds and then they were put into the jar. Cheapest chicken I've ever eaten and the fermented feed makes them all taste like gourmet birds, while the canning made them all tender. Not one gamey smell or taste in the whole bunch with the fermented feeds.

I love it when people can't bear to kill their own chickens! I've picked up various roosters that way in the past and my sister has a couple she is feeding up to the proper age right now that she wants me to take off her hands. I've canned over 3 dozen qts of chicken and stock this fall from free or very cheap roosters.

Why don't you just use plastic for those windows? Or dumpster dive for some discarded windows. Check at your local dump...often they have a free day once a month that people can bring trash and very often people will bring all their stuff from home remodeling. You can get so many lightly used items you just wouldn't believe! I've seen guys down there picking for bathtubs, shower surrounds, windows, commodes, sinks, countertops and sinks that look new.

A row of discarded kitchen cabinets can make some mighty nifty nest boxes with outside access doors when mounted to the side of a coop.

 

[DennisK]

Is picking up grapevine clippings along the side of the road stealing? On my way through the valley, the other day, I noticed a field of grapes that was being pruned for the winter. Clippings from the roadside row were laying along the side of the road; so I pulled over and picked up a bunch. This gave me a potential of about 80 new starts – Hmmm…. Am I being frugal or am I being a thief? In my defense, there was no fence, and the clippings were right there at the road’s edge. I’m not sure if I should brag about my frugality or slink away in shame.

 

[MoonShadows]

Is picking up grapevine clippings along the side of the road stealing? On my way through the valley, the other day, I noticed a field of grapes that was being pruned for the winter. Clippings from the roadside row were laying along the side of the road; so I pulled over and picked up a bunch. This gave me a potential of about 80 new starts – Hmmm…. Am I being frugal or am I being a thief? In my defense, there was no fence, and the clippings were right there at the road’s edge. I’m not sure if I should brag about my frugality or slink away in shame.

Brag away! Road's edge is fair game.

 

[Allysha1990]

Is picking up grapevine clippings along the side of the road stealing? On my way through the valley, the other day, I noticed a field of grapes that was being pruned for the winter. Clippings from the roadside row were laying along the side of the road; so I pulled over and picked up a bunch. This gave me a potential of about 80 new starts – Hmmm…. Am I being frugal or am I being a thief? In my defense, there was no fence, and the clippings were right there at the road’s edge. I’m not sure if I should brag about my frugality or slink away in shame.

I wouldn't say you are stealing. When we used to go to a certain store, there would be massive rosemary hedges, so we would break of a few sprigs to plant

 

[DennisK]

It is hard to say these days when everything seems to be an outrage or a reason to complain – every crack and cranny must turn a profit. But, I agree – anything found along the side of the road is abandoned; thus, a source for some bargans.
If you all live near an agriculture area, this is a good time to scarf up on the prunings which could be used to propagate your own gardens. I am now thinking of an apple orchard which is fenced by a row of pomegranate bushes. If the farmer prunes those back from the road, I wouldn’t mind cleaning up after him.

 

[DennisK]

Merry Christmas and Yuletide Blessings to all. Haven't had much chance to post lately due to work and the coops keeping me busy, but I did get a chance to get out early this morning to try my luck at putting some venison in the freezer, no luck yet. It started to snow on me so I needed to head back in since I hunt with a longbow instead of a rifle and didn't need to risk the string getting damaged. Going out again a bit later for another attempt.

Hay pettersonml – Good luck on your meat quest! On my property, DW & I noticed where the boars are rooting around under the oak trees. I’m not an archer, but we do have a Remington 700. I haven’t used it on them yet, because I don’t have the facility to butcher and store the meat. A deer carcass requires curing – so I hear. How do you deal with that?
Previously, you and I wrote about curing the hides. Shortly after, the dogs cornered a bobcat who was stalking our chicken coop. A cat will go for a dog’s eyes, and not wanting those kinds of wounds, we both shot the thing with our 22s. Both were head shots at the same time – no suffering. Good old Annie Oakley (DW) and me – what more can I say? So, with the hide thing still fresh in my mind, I skinned the thing. I now have it salted and stretched on a piece of plywood. I will now need to come up with a compound to use when I scrape the hide. So far, no stink.

 

[kuntrygirl]

A neighbor down the road came over and invited me to go to his house and pick all of the lemons off of his tree because they were falling off and he was tired of seeing them. So, I went over and picked 15 gallons of lemons. I will juice a lot and freeze in ice cubes for lemonade and probably make wine with some and bake with the rest.

 

[LadyBehir]

100 Dollars a Month blog just posted a lemon marmalade recipe.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

A neighbor down the road came over and invited me to go to his house and pick all of the lemons off of his tree because they were falling off and he was tired of seeing them. So, I went over and picked 15 gallons of lemons.

I will juice a lot and freeze in ice cubes for lemonade and probably make wine with some and bake with the rest.

Oh this photo is absolutely lovely!

Wonderful- they are organic? I would imagine. (Organic lemons are oh so expensive. Even if they aren't organic that is still fabulous. I always get a thrill out of home produce since it is also usually organic which would have cost even more to buy.) How generous of him!

Also, a lot of canning recipes call for lemon juice (to make it more acidic).