How to live frugal and sharing tips what you do to save money...

[angels4u]

6 minutes ago, Starise said:

I started another similar thread here awhile back called "Ways to Save Money".

As threads sometimes do parts of it went south or off topic and I guess there wasn't much interest in it after that. A lot of that thread was about how we can save money  in utilities and with smart phones which in hindsight, probably wasn't the most important aspects of people's day to day lives.

When it comes to saving food for later I think protein weighs in over vegetables, so I have been thinking about canned meats. I purchased some extra vegetables but could use some more. I have two chickens and they have been laying a lot of eggs. A dog  got into my chicken open and killed 5 of my chickens. For just us, two or three chickens are plenty.

While I think it makes sense to plan, I don't believe we should worry.

If I buy in bulk it's probably less expensive for me to buy canned goods than to plant a garden. Yes they have gone up but are still affordable to buy extra.

I am not really living as frugal as I could. There are things I could probably do. I don't waste either. I try to use whatever I have to the max. I mostly buy various cuts of chicken for meat, but sometimes will buy beef. If things go too high this year I'll be grilling more hamburgers and hotdogs instead of steak.

We don't eat out often any more. 

I heard here that hotdogs are getting crazy expensive,used to be so cheap,you can mix oatmeal with  hamburger and spices to stretch it and it also a little healthier

[angels4u]

42 minutes ago, Dennis1209 said:

Yes, I have some sugar and other items sealed in mylar bags in five-gallon buckets. Sugar and honey never go bad, at least that is what they say. 

I hope you didn't put oxygen observers in white sugar? Honey is a good sweetener

[Cntrysner]

We live on 20 acres and have zero debt. We garden using the Back to Eden method and and I make my own fertilizer from chicken litter, wood chips and wood ash from the wood burning stove we use to heat our small home.  My wife does alot of canning and makes homemade bread, nothing like sour dough bread fresh from the oven. I harvest four deer every year and dry age the meat for two months in an old frig before processing. Our ground deer loaf is my favorite with the deer jerky running a close second. We enjoy our 3/4 acre fish pond and the bass fillets, bream and catfish it provides.  I use a 1000 gal propane tank with a 7K watt propane/gas gen.

I thank God every day for His blessings.

[Dennis1209]

10 hours ago, angels4u said:

I hope you didn't put oxygen observers in white sugar? Honey is a good sweetener

As a matter of fact, I did. Instead of using oxygen absorbers I used those chemical hand warmers, they do the same thing, use up the oxygen. I was not aware not to use them with sugar. What can I expect whenever the sugar is opened? 

[angels4u]

49 minutes ago, Dennis1209 said:

As a matter of fact, I did. Instead of using oxygen absorbers I used those chemical hand warmers, they do the same thing, use up the oxygen. I was not aware not to use them with sugar. What can I expect whenever the sugar is opened? 

It will probably be as hard as a rock but then you can  use your hammer to smash it into powder? Nuts,raisins and those things shouldn't be in Mylar bags, or you can put them into those bags but no oxygen obsorbers.

[angels4u]

1 hour ago, Cntrysner said:

We live on 20 acres and have zero debt. We garden using the Back to Eden method and and I make my own fertilizer from chicken litter, wood chips and wood ash from the wood burning stove we use to heat our small home.  My wife does alot of canning and makes homemade bread, nothing like sour dough bread fresh from the oven. I harvest four deer every year and dry age the meat for two months in an old frig before processing. Our ground deer loaf is my favorite with the deer jerky running a close second. We enjoy our 3/4 acre fish pond and the bass fillets, bream and catfish it provides.  I use a 1000 gal propane tank with a 7K watt propane/gas gen.

I thank God every day for His blessings.

Can you share more about the back to Eden method? I have a book called "Back to Eden" it's an old book with health remedies, it sounds you have a wonderful place to live,I bake my own bread ,we don't really buy processed foods..

Sour dough bread is delicious!

[Dennis1209]

11 hours ago, Starise said:

I started another similar thread here awhile back called "Ways to Save Money".

As threads sometimes do parts of it went south or off topic and I guess there wasn't much interest in it after that. A lot of that thread was about how we can save money  in utilities and with smart phones which in hindsight, probably wasn't the most important aspects of people's day to day lives.

When it comes to saving food for later I think protein weighs in over vegetables, so I have been thinking about canned meats. I purchased some extra vegetables but could use some more. I have two chickens and they have been laying a lot of eggs. A dog  got into my chicken open and killed 5 of my chickens. For just us, two or three chickens are plenty.

While I think it makes sense to plan, I don't believe we should worry.

If I buy in bulk it's probably less expensive for me to buy canned goods than to plant a garden. Yes they have gone up but are still affordable to buy extra.

I am not really living as frugal as I could. There are things I could probably do. I don't waste either. I try to use whatever I have to the max. I mostly buy various cuts of chicken for meat, but sometimes will buy beef. If things go too high this year I'll be grilling more hamburgers and hotdogs instead of steak.

We don't eat out often any more. 

Ah, canned meats. A few years ago, I also thought about canning some meat, and I did. Besides safety, vitamins, protein, shelf life, and nutrition, canned food has three aspects, smell, taste, and appearance. I cannot explain how nasty that canned meat looks in a Mason jar; it is worse than Alpo. I have some Spam and potted meat stored up; Spam & eggs are pretty good together.

Since I retired and moved to my retirement home, I have had chickens. I have 6.5 acres of lawn to mow and a field to bush hog, and many other upkeep projects. It was no big deal 10-12 years ago, but age has caught up with me. I looked at my workload to see where I could cut back on some labor and time, and chickens were one of them.

I have always raised 12-16 chicks, way more eggs than we can use. There is not much more time and effort in tending two or sixteen chickens, and I enjoy sharing the eggs with my church family and neighbors. The only thing I don’t care for is, “here comes egg man.”

But anyway, a few years ago, when they had to kill millions of chickens up North because of some Avian flu, we had shortages and price hikes on eggs. Metaphorically speaking, I had eggs coming out of my ears and giving them away. Now it will be September before I get my first egg.

You are correct. With what I spent on my garden this year, I am not saving a lot of money and expending an old man’s limited labor, and I do not have a place or the ambition to start my plants indoors to transplant.

If the weather cooperates, the deer, critters, and the insects take their 2/3^rd of the garden, and I will still be more than recouping my investment. The tomatoes will be succulent, tender, juicy, and favorable, and I will know where they came from and what chemicals were applied.

As shortages and inflation wax worse and worse, I foresee an increase in bartering between neighbors and the community. As these things progress, I imagine civil unrest and rioting will escalate. Living or working in a major city may become tricky?

This year I will be canning much more. In the years past, I have taken bushels of fresh produce to share with my church family. I get the impression they feel they are doing me a favor by taking it.

[Dennis1209]

11 hours ago, angels4u said:

I heard here that hotdogs are getting crazy expensive,used to be so cheap,you can mix oatmeal with  hamburger and spices to stretch it and it also a little healthier

I remember the day when butchers would give away scrap meat, soup bones, chicken wings, organ meat, etc. free for the asking. We loves us hot chicken wings, now $30.00 for a small frozen bag at Wally World, if they have them in stock. Times, they have changed!

[Dennis1209]

38 minutes ago, angels4u said:

It will probably be as hard as a rock but then you can  use your hammer to smash it into powder? Nuts,raisins and those things shouldn't be in Mylar bags, or you can put them into those bags but no oxygen obsorbers.

Thank you for the information, I was not aware of that. Would that also apply to vacuum sealing? Seems it would be the same concept? 

[Starise]

13 minutes ago, Dennis1209 said:

Ah, canned meats. A few years ago, I also thought about canning some meat, and I did. Besides safety, vitamins, protein, shelf life, and nutrition, canned food has three aspects, smell, taste, and appearance. I cannot explain how nasty that canned meat looks in a Mason jar; it is worse than Alpo. I have some Spam and potted meat stored up; Spam & eggs are pretty good together.

Since I retired and moved to my retirement home, I have had chickens. I have 6.5 acres of lawn to mow and a field to bush hog, and many other upkeep projects. It was no big deal 10-12 years ago, but age has caught up with me. I looked at my workload to see where I could cut back on some labor and time, and chickens were one of them.

I have always raised 12-16 chicks, way more eggs than we can use. There is not much more time and effort in tending two or sixteen chickens, and I enjoy sharing the eggs with my church family and neighbors. The only thing I don’t care for is, “here comes egg man.”

But anyway, a few years ago, when they had to kill millions of chickens up North because of some Avian flu, we had shortages and price hikes on eggs. Metaphorically speaking, I had eggs coming out of my ears and giving them away. Now it will be September before I get my first egg.

You are correct. With what I spent on my garden this year, I am not saving a lot of money and expending an old man’s limited labor, and I do not have a place or the ambition to start my plants indoors to transplant.

If the weather cooperates, the deer, critters, and the insects take their 2/3^rd of the garden, and I will still be more than recouping my investment. The tomatoes will be succulent, tender, juicy, and favorable, and I will know where they came from and what chemicals were applied.

As shortages and inflation wax worse and worse, I foresee an increase in bartering between neighbors and the community. As these things progress, I imagine civil unrest and rioting will escalate. Living or working in a major city may become tricky?

This year I will be canning much more. In the years past, I have taken bushels of fresh produce to share with my church family. I get the impression they feel they are doing me a favor by taking it.

You seem to have a good plan Dennis. Unfortunately I don't have that much land. There are many farmers with stands close by selling produce in the summer though. We did the small, yard thing for awhile and had a mini garden that produced tomatoes, cucumbers and melons. Not really enough room for beans or corn.

Probably for me buying a few vegetables in bulk as backup is best. Then buying local produce in the spring and summer.

I had two dozen eggs in my fridge and since it's been cooler I knew I didn't need to collect eggs from my two chickens every day. Yesterday I decided to look in the coop egg bin and there was another 13 eggs in it! Those two girls must be laying like crazy.

A couple of hunters around here are canning deer meat and when it's done right it tastes better than any other meat for soups or eating plain. I was thinking more of just buying already canned meat. Not sure how long it will keep. I imagine for a very long time no refrigeration necessary. 

If a person has access to beans, eggs and meat, they have all the protein they probably need. I am all for ways to preserve those things without mechanical cooling. You being in Tennessee are probably well aware of salt cured hams. I think they can still be bought around here. I used to give my father in law one for Christmas every year. Better yet I could use a small smoker to preserve meat I buy locally. Jerky can be made in any oven.