What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

[igorsMistress]

Yup. I understand that some people could never do it and/or think of their chickens more as pets than livestock. I've harvested a few chickens now, and though I still dislike it, I know I can handle cockerels (I had one by mistake) and older birds that aren't very productive any more.

I don’t enjoy it so one cockerel makes as many meals as possible for sure.

 

[TooCheep]

When I was a teenager I worked after school as a cashier in a grocery store. People who used food stamps were not allowed to buy prepackaged food, nor candy, soda, or snack foods. While it might seem mean it also helped people to buy real food and not junk. At some point the restrictions were lifted, it seems.

Yup. According to the USDA, sugary drinks, candy/snacks and prepared meals make up about 31.7% of SNAP purchases. Data from 2011. I couldn't find newer.

 

[gtaus]

I have often thought there should be a mandatory class for people receiving food cards to use at the store. At the first of the month the store is packed with people using the cards. Everything they buy is processed, frozen prepackaged food, juice, pastries chips. They could get so much more food if they would put the effort into cooking.

I don't do much of the grocery shopping for the home, that's Dear Wife's domain. She buys fresh food when available, and in season, when the prices are lower. She is a great cook and I really got lucky. We save lots of money every week just because we can, and do, cook at home.

However, I live in northern Minnesota, and we also survive on canned and frozen foods to get us through the off seasons. In the dead of winter, our fresh produce is usually sky high in prices. If we are lucky, maybe we still have some home grown garden-fresh frozen veggies to take out and cook. If not, it's buying canned or frozen food at the store which is much cheaper for us than buying fresh produce in off seasons.

I know a person who does shop groceries for his family. He often complains that he sees people on food cards loading up their carts with the most expensive name brand items, and other people without food cards are buying the generic store brand items, like Great Value brand at WalMart. He gets frustrated because he knows that the food card money would go a lot further for their family if they made other options.

 

[gtaus]

Recycling old 12v battery options

Over the years, I have a collection of 13 old, dead or dying batteries sitting out in one of my sheds. This week I am cleaning house and checking out all those batteries and turning them in for recycling.

Our local county recycling plant pays 10 cents per pound for old batteries. But we also have a Battery Wholesale Inc. (BWI outlet) in our town, and they pay 15 cents per pound. That's 50% more than the county recycling! It pays to ask each place what the current price for recycling is before you turn them in.

A couple days ago, I dropped off my first dead battery at BWI and got $9.30 for the core. That's not too bad. On the other hand, if you need to buy a new battery and you don't have a core return where I live, you get charged something like $11.00. In my case, I have many more old batteries than working batteries that will eventually need to be replaced.

I think it's great that today we can get money for our old, dead 12v batteries. I am old enough to remember the bad old days when you just tossed them at the dump. Unfortunately, some people are stealing car batteries to turn in for money. So, where I live at least, we have to give our driver's license info to the recycling center when we turn in old batteries. That info is shared with local law enforcement if they have an investigation. And yes, according to the guys at the recycling centers, people are indeed stealing batteries just to turn them in for money.

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

This is someone who knows how to cook, can, and garden, had a large garden, but they've cut way back on it because the animals get most of it (and a fence is "not what I want to look at").

What kind(s) of animals? (Your friend may disregard suggestions but I think the discussion is worthwhile for those of us here.)

I’ve heard fishing line will keep out deer, has anyone used it who can confirm or deny?

Yup. I understand that some people could never do it and/or think of their chickens more as pets than livestock. I've harvested a few chickens now, and though I still dislike it, I know I can handle cockerels (I had one by mistake) and older birds that aren't very productive any more.

I look at unwillingness to butcher like Terry Pratchett characters view dwarf bread - it’s excellent incentive to find other things to eat, like maybe put away some extra canned goods or planting a couple more potatoes so you won’t come to the point where you have to.

 

[Smokerbill]

And yes, according to the guys at the recycling centers, people are indeed stealing batteries just to turn them in for money.

I suppose batteries would be easier to steal than catalytic converters.

 

[saysfaa]

...I’ve heard fishing line will keep out deer, has anyone used it who can confirm or deny...

I tried fishing line to keep deer away from the squash that sprawled through my garden fence. And to keep them from eating the green bean that grew on the garden fence. It did not work for either. I am not sure it would never work; I don't think I had a good description of how to do it.

 

[gtaus]

I’ve heard fishing line will keep out deer, has anyone used it who can confirm or deny?

I have never used, or heard of, fishing line to keep out deer.

This year my raised bed gardens have been hit hard by varmints. Lots of early growth damage done by rabbits and squirrels. I had to build wooden frames with chicken wire on them to protect the plants.

Next year, I plan on having most of my raised beds covered with chicken wire frames on all sides and tops. The top chicken wire on top will also keep out the deer from eating the plants. I have used that on my young bean plants for years and that keeps out the deer.

Growing your own food can save the family lots of money, but this year I lost too many early battles with the squirrels and rabbits and would have to admit that I probably lost money trying to garden certain plants. I certainly lost lots of time, effort, and money due to varmint damage. In response, I will have to spend even more money on building protective cages to put on top of my raised beds.

I look at unwillingness to butcher...

I learned how to butcher small game animals before I ever learned how to raise them. I learned how to butcher small animals from my grandpa, who was an avid hunter. So, I knew how to clean fish and butcher rabbits, ducks and geese long before I ever learned how to raise them. I have no fear, or hesitation, in butchering the animals I raise. So, I am thankful I learned that skill when I was a young kid.

Having said that, I understand how some people may not be as comfortable in killing and processing small animals. Especially if they have never done it.

My suggestion would be to get a few meat chickens, don't treat them as pets, and then butcher them at around 8-10 weeks. You would quickly find out if processing your own birds is something you can do. I think it would be a lot harder to butcher your favorite hen after you have been feeding her for years and know each and every personality of the girls in your flock.

I don't treat my backyard flock as pets, but I have to admit that I had one hen that would run up to me every day and want to be petted. That is very unusual because I make no effort in trying to tame my birds. She got sick and died, but I was kind of glad she went that way. I won't butcher animals that get sick and die. It saved me the decision of having to butcher her later on. It would have been hard for me to butcher that hen, even though I have butchered many chickens in my lifetime.

 

[ChicNmom]

A friend of mine is sure we are headed for an economic meltdown. She said they plan to eat less, but figure they're going to "have to eat crap food this winter because there won't be any vegetables in the stores, or they'll be too expensive to afford."

We have friends that say if anything ever happens they'll just come to our house. Nope!

I know a person who does shop groceries for his family. He often complains that he sees people on food cards loading up their carts with the most expensive name brand items, and other people without food cards are buying the generic store brand items, like Great Value brand at WalMart. He gets frustrated because he knows that the food card money would go a lot further for their family if they made other options.

I have also notice it's always name brand stuff and most of the time when you see them in the parking lot they are in a new car.


A friend volunteered at a food pantry and people would show up early, well dressed and in expensive cars to get the first choice of what they had that day. It really bothered her. The policy was not to question anyone. Just give them the food. I realize someone could have lost their job or something. But it was the same people each week.

The church pantry she volunteers at now ask how many are in a family and about food allergies. Then they decide what the person gets so no one is hogging up all the better items.

 

[FloridaChook]

I use old feed bags as garbage bags, cat litter containers for food storage, and there is probably some other stuff.