When I bought my house, the family room had a gas fireplace. I used it a few times because it was cheery; another time my furnace broke and I needed the warmth until a repair man could service it in the morning. Using the fireplace was lovely UNTIL I received my utility bill! It doubled the amount of gas I usually used. I actually had a fireplace specialist turn off the pilot light and my gas bill decreased $20 a month. That is a small savings but everything helps.

Some municipalities have a minimum charge for water usage each month. Carefully monitor your usage and store the unused portion for car washes, plant watering, exterior cleaning or other miscellaneous uses.

Anyone who loves Bloodhounds is good by me!!
God bless

I recently some some advice from an Argentinian, regarding inflation.
Put your money in assets immediately, don’t leave in Bank.

Down at Ft. Bliss they are training up ‘illegals’, those guys crossing the border who are ‘fighting age’. Promise of citizenship, replacing regular recruits, who are less and less available due to physical conditioning and intelligence.
Anyone in the area to check it out? I got this from an old spook whom I trust.

Get a digital or fractile antenna to pick up over the air tv broadcasts and save a bundle over cable charges. I get 42 to 48 channels this way. Also, get a streaming device like fire stick or rokue to get hundreds of available programs at little to no cost.

I baked a cake in the Air Fryer. It actually work. Only difference was, instead of the cake being flat it had a dome. No problem. Put the icing on and it tasted great. You can find the temperature and length of time for cooking on the Internet. Instead of having the kitchen heat up from the stove in the middle of summer.

For 15 Years now I have not had cable TV (look at your bill from your provider). I do not want or need tv. I do have Internet for my laptop for work and research and Data for my smartphone. All electronic devices use a lot of electricity and create heat as well. When not using the home internet I unplug the router from the outlet.

If you are planning to use alternative transportation like a bike or e-bike and moth balling a car, disconnect the negative side of your car battery if you can.

The combination of summer heat and the continuous parasitic draw on the battery will make an old battery fail.

I use a couple of clothes drying options because so many women’s clothes don’t do dryers at all. The place I had already had properly placed hooks in the ceiling above the washer/dryer area. I bought a dowel from home depot and drilled holes in the ends then partially screwed a couple of screws into the wood. I used clear fishing line to hang each end from the hooks by wrapping it around the screws. Works like a champ, I hang things up that I don’t want wrinkled right away and if I have a few things that are light – beach covers, yoga pants – I hang them from hangers or over the rod right there. I also have a $20 drying rack from Walmart. Sturdier than the first one I bought. I can hang a small load of clothes, towels or sheets on it and leave it in the 2nd bath to dry. I also use it to dry the “rugs” after I spray them down in the bathtub. My “rugs” are those plastic ones that relieve tension in the kitchen. I also have a second tension shower rod in the second bath that I can use to hang dresses on to dry. In my tiny shower, I have a couple of plastic hangers whose hooks can be twisted to hang over a rod. I hang hand washing on those to dry in the shower.

I have awful sandy soil, but, wanted a garden. With the fertilizer shortages, I have bought some good soil, but, wanted something sustainable. I am allergic to pretty much all mammals, like llamas and omega (guinea) pig. So, I wasn’t enthralled with the chicken idea. Instead, I just bought an Urban Worm Bed and put it together. I will buy the worms locally after I fix their “bed” cause fishing is big around here. I plan to keep mine in the garage or laundry if the temperatures allow. But others keep them in the kitchen. They can be kept outside, but, not in Florida. It’s easier to use than the trays, which you pull a tray out from the bottom to collect castings, then, use it as a new top for food waste. You can’t give the worms any meats or fats, but, you can give them most of your vegetative food scraps. You also have to give them shredded paper and/or cardboard bedding to keep them from drowning in high moisture scraps. The castings can be used directly on soil unlike most other forms of organic fertilizer that must be composted. I may get a composter later, but, I have read they are complicated to put together. I have a small yard and with Florida bugs, do not want an uncovered compost pile to draw flies.

Plan to plant a fall garden. You can have an in-ground one or a raised bed. There are numerous veggies, etc. that will produce until the first frost. Plus there’s nothing like picking fresh produce, washing and preparing it. It is satisfying and yummy. Seeds and “elbow Greece are less expensive than the supermarket.

our neighborhood is now calling each other when someone goes to store. If need a few items we all pitch in an pick up.

There’s a lighting product line named “Mr. Beams”, distributed by Wireless Environment Co. They make small, super-bright LED lamps that are motion-and-darkness activated, mainly designed for outdoor use. Powered by AA and C cells, these units can be used indoors as reading and work lights if one positions them so that regular motion triggers their motion sensors.

These are an effective alternative when and if the grid goes bye-bye. I’ve been using about ten of these 24/7 for nearly a decade with zero failures, just regular battery changes. https://www.mrbeams.com/

My expertise in saving energy lies in the kitchen and here’s my set of tips:
I set aside 4 hours 1x a week to prep meals. I use a gas range, an electric crockpot and a charcoal bbq grill mostly. My cookware is quite varied, but my energy savings come from having to clean it once a week vs. 7 times. I have good knife skills, so I tend to buy whole fresh vegetables, fruit, and meat for daily meals then bulk buy canned goods and pantry staples for the disaster pantry. I save myself about 10 hours of cooking and cleanup time per week. I use the dishwasher less, so I’m also saving hot water and detergent cost. Sometimes I challenge myself and use my camping gear, or try ideas people have on survival cooking gear, like a homemade rocket stove made of a coffee can. I don’t bake much during the summer to keep the house cooler.
I have a grocer within walking distance, so when the pandemic started, I made myself walk there with my bag or backpack. There are some nifty insulated backpacks and beach bags with an insulated section that keep perishables cool on the 15 minute walk home. I’d take a bicycle, but there is no safe place to park it at the store : ( ….that forces me to think about what I’m buying, too. If I can’t carry it, I can’t buy it. The car is used 1x month to go on shopping expeditions and I plan my route out to save gas. I carry a large cooler and my own shopping bags in the trunk. All these have kept my food dollar costs fairly even for the past decade.

My kids are 20 and 25 so this one had slipped my mind. My mother bought us an Oster blender after our first child was born. She also gave us 1/2 pint mason jars. If you unscrew the bottom of the blender pitcher (part with the blades), the mason jars will screw on. Take some part of your dinner, put in the jar, screw on the blades and pulse until smooth. No need to buy the little baby food jars.

In our small town our new sheriff just announced that he is having to let all prisoners out of the local jail. His reason is he does not have enough money to pay the personnel and yet the city has plans and some funds to build a new jail. I ask why build a new jail if we don’t have the people to run it? Our town has been needing a newer jail for some time, but has built many new administrative buildings like the court house. It all’s seems backwards.

A couple years ago I swapped all my light bulbs over to LED and cut my electric bill to about $65. It went well for one season, then They raised the rates rapidly till now it is nearly tripled that. With the push for electric over oil and gas, it looks like the affordable care act all over again. When they pushed that, my premiums skyrocketed and my company that paid for it previously started paying only half. Family coverage was out of reach. Now, the electric companies are raising the cost like crazy, too. While they say electric cars run cheaper, it’s going to really be just as or more expensive and the grid won’t support it either.

Get chickens if you are somewhere where they can free range in your yard, then you have free eggs after any start up costs.

Minimize startup costs for chickens.
Buy 3 laying hens as cheap as possible on Craigslist or trade a friend. (In my area $8 to $20 each)
Use some secure enclosure for them at night. Find a large used dog crate ($5 to 20) then put it up on blocks to help protect from predators prowling around at night ($10 to 30) cover it with a tarp or large trash bags or dollar tree shower curtain just anything water won’t go through ($0 to $5) to protect from flying predators and to keep them dry, find some sticks ($0) to put through the sides for your birds to roost on at night. Then open the door in the morning and close it after they go back in at night. Find where your particular chickens like to lay eggs and collect them from there, you may want to get a wooden egg to leave there to encourage them to lay in the same place. Alternatively you could use a dog pen or make something else. Regular chicken coops can be very expensive and only serve one purpose.

For $45 or less you could have around 15 to 18 eggs a week for a couple years assuming no predator problems.

In my experience, Chickens poop in their sleep. So a dog crate with a pan is easier to keep clean.

Since the installation of ” SMART METERS ” for gas and electric with no way to Opt-Out charges have increased drastically.

Nicor Gas Begins Deployment of Smart Meter Radio Modules in Northern Illinois | Smart Grid Awareness

The above link from 2018, is just one of many examples. No more people out reading meters, instead the Gas and Electric companies sweep your usage and every 15 minutes.

The Smart Meters are now WIFI instead of Analog and they emit EMF (electro magnetic frequencies which are very detrimental to your health. The safest distance from them is 40 Feet.

I recommend learning a skill. Something you can fall back on to earn extra money or use to barter with. Ex: sewing, net making, leather working, etc.

Find trading partners. People who have skills or resources you don’t and vice versa.

Keep some emergency supplies in your car in case.

Remember to keep your eyes on the Lord. We have to go through the fire to get to the other side, but we don’t have to do it alone.

So at our house in the PNW we have 30 solar panels, a Nissan Leaf, a garden/orchard that produces 25% of our calories per year.

No electrical bill, no gasoline bill, plus we keep expanding or food production. If we just grew high caloric foods, beans and grains, I think we could push towards 50% in an emergency right now. Plus we have a way to get and store drinking plus growing water for the whole year.

Full meat freezer, plenty of long duration storable food and a way to cook all of it. Enough wood to heat the house for a year, and a way to get more.

It also took ten years of hobby level of effort to achieve this level of self sufficiency. I’m not a big sports watcher, so I used that time.

Everyone should look at what they are spending there time and money on.

Growing food was among the most difficult BTW. It’s not as simple as putting a seed in a hole. I have increased respect for people that do this for a living. There are so many of ways to mess up.

Our current weakness that I’m working on is the grid tied nature of the solar, which I’m gradually fixing as budget allows. Plus an EMP backup for basic power needs.

Given our illegitimate govenor removing our last base load coal plant, 2o%, and even talking about removing our dams, brownouts can’t be too far behind. The grid goes down so does the solar to protect the line workers.

I also want to harden the front door beyond the basics. Just long enough to give whoever is breaking in a proper reception from all seven of us.

Maybe it’s time for me and my boys to have a 1 hair cut. Chop it all off. Then we do a speed run for a shower max 2 minutes. Cuts down energy bills.
User gas heater for a while and reverse cycle mode of AC to recirculate air as hot air rises. If you have solar use kettle to make water hot and then use for cooking. Also use pressure cooking for certain meat dishes to save on gas. Buy a power bank and charge using solar in the day time and then use it an night. On really hot days try to take a trip to the shopping centre to save on energy cost. Use cycle or walk if nearby. Maybe integrate you energy use specially the aicorns/heater and lights so you know what items are on and their times to control them from even offline. A friend of mine made a switch to only have one light on in every room instead of all. He normally stays in just two rooms. He also blocked all the vents of the aircons in unused rooms. I would not do that.

https://fb.watch/d-khgkRic6/ this is sad but hilarious at the same time from an Aussie pensioner 😂

Compared to other suggestions, this one’s paltry — but intended for older folks like me who don’t see as well anymore.

I just finished pulling out about 150 cans of fruit and vegetables from my pantry to re-organize them, pretty much by “subject matter.” It’s too hard to read the expiration dates stamped on the bottom of each can, so I took a sharpie and printed the numbers HUGELY on the front of each label. 6-23, 12-24, and so on.

Then I lined up the cans with the upcoming dates in the front of each row, which forces me to pick the carrots even if what I really want are the string beans (which are now in the back of the row…)

Doing this also helped me see (no pun intended) what I have too much of, and what I need more of.

Interestingly, canned potatoes and canned beets seem to have the longest expiration dates. They go into 2025.

Didn’t bother doing this with the long-term storage No. 10 cans, since I will have expired before they do:)

I’m in Fl and summer heat is a big deal. I try to pump as much hot air out of the attic as possible: 1) got small solar powered fans to pump air out of goosenecks; 2) clean or add extra eaves/gable vents (can use same solar fans there too); 3) tint all windows in the house that get direct sunlight.

The best economic decision we made was selling our home in Arizona and moving to Mississippi to be near family who moved from California a year before.

We paid cash for our home. It’s smaller but has a large yard. Good for our pups. We found out at property tax time that we are exempt. There’s a homestead exemption and, surprise, surprise, a senior citizens exemption which zeroed out our tax. That’s such a big plus for us who live on Social Security.

They do things differently here. The DMV is for getting a driver’s license. To register a vehicle, that is done at the Tax Assessors office. Our yearly runs $36. No smog testing required. Our electric bill runs under $150 even during 24/7 AC or heat. It’s separate from our other utilities which run around $50. Our biggest bill is car and homeowners insurance. So far we haven’t been increased. Gasoline is down to $3.66 this week.
As seniors we are also exempt from hunting and fishing licenses.

This place has been a blessing to us all the way around. Businesses still accept cash and checks. They charge more if using a card. Some businesses don’t accept cards at all.

We are veterans and utilize the VA for our Healthcare. The 2 hours up to Memphis is a long ride but worth it.

For anyone looking to move to a new state be sure to look not only at cost of living statewise but look at counties. The costs of living between counties here in Mississippi vary widely.

I suggest stocking up on so-called mylar “space blankets.” They are AMAZING when used between an exterior door and a storm door to keep solar radiation OUT in the summer and heat IN during the winter. Same for windows. If you buy in bulk (20-30) they barely cost a dollar. Make sure they are the see-through kind. You won’t be disappointed. Respect

I agree about the ‘bump’, but something I just recently found out is that our suppliers no longer have to give us ‘advance’ notice of a bump. Where I live, my electricity and gas and phone internet, etc are paid by me, but the cable is paid by the landlord….. who does it by “on line”. He happened to be gone last month, so the rate went up and he wasn’t here,so it got turned off. Was off till he got back, as the idiot that I spoke to didn’t mention that the rate had gone up and no notice was required any more. What the heck do they do is they don’t require a “notice” how many people might get their electricity, gas, phone etc, turned off because they don’t require any advance notice. I’m sure my landlord is not the only one who pays automatically by internet that was not given any notice of a rate increase. What good is the fcc anyhow now. They sure don’t help the consumers at all. Like most of the Federal Employees, they get to stay home. work from home, get paid and don’t have to do the job they are paid to do. At least that is how it works where I live. Can’t even get half of them to get the phones answered, let along anything taken care of. That’s my gripe for the week…..
and worl

Chickens

I currently have 20 free ranging birds Supplemental feed comes from a trashcan with3, 3 inch holes at the base sitting on a water heater tray. I put a piece of garden fence around the base to keep them out but allow their heads in.

The coop is an old hunting blind shed with lay boxes and two roost bars. I have two large barking great Pyrenees in a dog park next to their coop.

I was food banking and passing out the eggs but I have now begun dehydrating my eggs.

I have a dozen Roma tomatoes plants going in to dehydrate as well.

I try to only buy groceries on loss leaders example Kroger had butter for 179 a lb a couple months ago a bought 144 lbs I bought nothing else that day.

Dogs know. And dogs love.

At a level we two-legs deeply trust as children, but can only dimly sense through the darkening glass imposed by these accrued years.

Make sure your refrigerator / freezer are functioning 5 by 5

For groceries, organize your pantry and freezer so you know what you have on hand. Make a menu, order what you need and pick up. This keeps impulse buys down significantly.

Our grocery also gives a dollar off a gallon of gas depending on your purchases. We have extra gas containers to store safely.

Many stores have a clearance section. We have 8 grandchildren and can often buy several boxes or bags of their favorite snacks. I have also found Naan bread which is easily frozen.

Our local butcher has always had bundle specials. Whole chickens are cheaper than buying pieces.

Cook extra servings and freeze them so you can warm favorite dishes you’ll save time as well as gas or electricity to make smaller portions.

Planning ahead means less waste of resources and will stretch the budget.

Finally, it won’t hurt to fast and pray on a regular basis for God’s forgiveness and mercy as we enjoy every blessing we have.

I am certain most of us saw this coming and are prepared.

We deserve 100% of that which we allow.

At Sundance’s suggestion I put a clean dry towel in the dryer with my sheets and pillow cases.

There was a significant reduction in drying time. I can’t quantify it other than to say it was significant.

It is nice to have a nest egg, but that’s getting harder and we don’t trust the government. The government arbitrarily declared gold illegal once upon a time. They could do it again. Bonds, stocks, funds, etc. can all be seized or mercilessly taxed. Even land can be taken over by the feudal lord.

So, what is lasting?

Only an eternal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Some day the world will be judged through this One who was raised from the dead.

If there are more than one person in the house buy a thermos flask (or several) for when you boil water. Pour the water in there and then you have boiled water on tap for most of the day so you don’t need to keep reboiling the kettle for tea or coffee throughout the day. Learnt this trick in The Netherlands where they have had these sky high energy prices for at least the last decade (the plan was implemented early in The Netherlands, I guess).

The energy company levied a tax on your usage and that got incorporated into your total bill. Then the government taxed you on your total bill as well. So you paid tax on tax. It was a nightmare. In that scenario that trick of only boiling the water once and keeping it in thermos cans all day really helped.

We also gathered as a family in one room where we kept the electronics, bought an oil heater and only used that heater in that one room all winter. We kept the central heating on low enough to keep the pipes from bursting but did not put it higher in the unused rooms. If people watched a video/dvd the people on computers put headphones on. And don’t forget non-electronic forms of entertainment like reading to each other, board games, card games and puzzles. With music on in the background that was a lovely way to bond with the family. We never had cable tv as my parents through that out as soon as they saw the levels of propaganda it belched out in the 80’s in South Africa.

The type of want we are going into now will push families back on each other, create a strong bond and this will ultimately be one of the ways that unites everyone (religion being the first) and it will enable us to start resisting the lies spread now by the propaganda.

Also, for food create menus and stick to them. Plan your shopping around what’s on sale and make menus so you can stick to using those food types. That really cuts down on the costs. If you can, buy in bulk. Even if bulk is only two cans instead of one and not the whole crate. You will be surprised how it stacks up.

Go to the different monasteries and Catholic orders in your vicinity. They will help you even if you are not Catholic. I know that in 2008 the French bishops started a micro-credit company that saw a lot of small businesses through that recession and these are going strong now. The Church will have organisational structures in place that they will be happy to put at your disposal if it will help the local community and you have an idea that might work.

This thread is great. Thank you to all who have shared their tips and tricks. One thing that is very important and not discussed in detail is how to minimize your tax burden.

I am Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in PA. My specialty is taxation (both federal and state). Believe it or not, only about 35% of all licensed CPAs in the United States are tax specialists.

One of the most forgotten about ways to increase your monthly cash flow is to legally reduce your monthly federal tax outflow. Print out your 2021 federal and state tax returns and look at the bottom line. If the total tax you owe (less tax credits) for the year is significantly less than the payments you made (withholding on your paycheck and/or quarterly estimates), then you need to make adjustments to your payments, so that you keep more of your money each paycheck and not send it to the government where hold it interest free until you get in back in April.

Here is an example. Jack and Diane are a married couple (husband and wife) with three children all under 16. Assume their federal calculated tax is $10,000. They then receive the child tax credit of $2,000 per child or $6,000. Total owed to the government is $4,000. Jack works and is paid on a weekly basis by his employer while Diane stays at home with the kids. Given this example Jack should have no more than $76.92 taken out of his paycheck each week to cover his federal income taxes. $76.92 x 52 = $4,000. When Jack and Diane file their federal taxes in April, they won’t be getting a refund or writing a check, because they had their tax withholding done correctly.

Ask your employer for Form W-4 and fill out an updated one. If you want to run sample tax withholding calculations, I recommend this website (all their calculators are fee to use):

http://www.paycheckcity.com

Many families with a similar above scenario will have way too much money taken out (i.e. $200-300 per week). That $125 you sent Uncle Sam to wage war in Ukraine would be better put to use by Jack and Diane each month.

Do this same exercise with your state income taxes as well.

If you have a more complex situation, I recommend engaging the services of a CPA who specializes in tax. What he could save you in total tax burden could well be worth the fee he charges you.

Also, here are some more tips to try to reduce your taxes:

1) If you live in a state that shares a border with Oregon, Delaware, or South Dakota, consider shopping there for non-food items. All three of these states have 0% sales tax.

2) If you live on the border of two states, research the gasoline taxes in each state. Here in PA the gas tax is $0.584 per gallon. For comparison – MD is $0.361, DE is $0.23, OH is $0.3851, NY is $0.4919, and NJ is $.507. When I travel to MD and DE, I take advantage and fill up at lower prices.

3) Pull out your property tax bill and look at the assessment value. Figure out how your municipality/county/school district came up with that number. If you know that your home value is much less than what the government thinks, then appeal their assessment. Call the tax office that issued your bill and ask them what the process is to appeal your tax bill.

4) Move to a state that has no income tax. There are eight of them is our great land – Alaska, Nevada, South Dakota, Wyoming, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, and New Hampshire.

Chantrell mushrooms are up.

Easy to find an don’t really have any poisonous lookalikes just one really and it’s not even close.

You can find a lot of them and preserve them for up to a year.

Yummy.

Chicken of the woods mushrooms will be coming on soon very very very easy to identify. You can find lots of these literally 20 50 to 100 lbs In one outing .

Can be used any way that chicken is. Do a search and happy hunting.

Puffballs as well.

Home purchases like stuff from lowes etc etc. buy cards off sellers o line there’s plenty of sites . Some give you up to 10 percent off on cards. Some more if you buy bulk.

You can also get moving packet from postal office that gives 100percent discount at lowes.

These tips may sound trivial to some, but they have saved my family a lot of money. I am a woman and enjoy taking care of myself including hair, nails, etc. When the plandemic hit these services were deemed “nonessential” causing me to take matters into my own hands. Once these businesses were allowed to open again, they required masks and/or vaccines which were not acceptable to me or my family.
We invested in hair, nail, and waxing equipment. Over the last 2 1/2 years it has paid for itself and much more. My husband does my pedicures and waxing. My daughter helps me to dye my hair and we have great visits during this time. I do all of the haircuts myself.
I use a mail order company to purchase hair dye which has been great saving me over $200 every 2 months or so. Waxing instead of shaving has saved us a lot because razors are ridiculously expensive and waxing only needs to be done once a month or so. Haircuts were definitely a learning curve, but we are getting better each time.
I regret in some ways not being able to support local businesses that supply these services, but they just basically gave up and offered me no alternatives.
I know that these services are considered luxuries by many (including myself), but I enjoy them and we have found a way to pamper ourselves a little bit without breaking the bank.

We have found that many of the normal maintenance and repairs needed we can find How To’s on YouTube. Our dishwasher was fixed, replaced our cabin air filters in all our vehicles, cleaned our woodstove, etc. by watching a few videos, and it has saved us a LOT of money. Also, cut out all fancy coffee drinks, get our books at the library or at Goodwill, use cash instead of credit when there are extra charges, always pay off your credit cards every month so you don’t pay interest charges, switch out regular light bulbs for LED’s, watch water usage closely, cut back on gifts by either giving homemade gifts or taking the person somewhere (like a baseball game or race).

I use paper plates, especially in summer for sammiches, unless I eat something that is super messy or greasy I will brush off the bread crumbs and reuse the plates for another sandwich, sometimes they will get used several times before I use them to drain bacon, sausage, or cut up something before I toss them. I know that sounds extreme, but seriously they are perfectly fine. Kinda like washing the Zip-loc bags. Same when I use a paper towel for a napkin, two wipes of the mouth and they look unused so I started using them for when I wipe down the counter tops w/vinegar and lemon.

My dog loves green beans, will eat them straight up, he also loves watermelon. I use green beans to stretch out his canned food that gets mixed in w/the dry. Green beans, even though they have gone up, are still cheaper than the canned food I have him on, which has skyrocketed. I buy them by the case at places like Wal-Nut and Aldi’s. They are healthy for him and it was a vet that told me to do it years ago when I had a dog that was getting too plump.

Found this last night, I will be giving it a try.

http://livingwellspinecenter.com/blog/powerful-powder-uti-relief-and-other-magical-things-to-know-about-cream-of-tartar?format=amp

There was a discussion earlier in this thread about the cost of Sundance’s laundry detergent alternative relative to the cost of Tide or equivalent.

I have been doing this and thought that Sundance’s method is much cheaper. It is. Walmart prices today washing soda $4.76, borax $5.47, gels -naphtha $1.20. And this gives you enough to last years. Oddly the Walmart online cost was $42.77 plus $1.20. Gotta watch the online prices compAred to in store.

You can’t bump your own post like this. Can he do that?

At any rate, I can’t say too much here because I’m just extremely smug about it since I know the solution and ain’t nobody want to hear it.

So I’ll just sit here in my corner, warm and cozy from the ever-loving glow of nuclear power.

I mean technically it’s a light bulb and probably lit by a coal plant, but if I had my druthers, it would be a nuke plant.

Thanks, K, Bye.

My wife is a bargain hunter and frugal – she can make a penny squeal. Recently she went back to frozen orange juice-half the cost of ready made OJ and just as good. Also we have been saving bread bags for some time – we do not buy sandwich and freezer bags – it adds up. Also, buy the light sour cream and mix with onion soup mix to make chip dip – half the price and calories as ready made onion dip.

Can of chicken breast. Buns. Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce. Drain water from chicken breast, pour into bowl, cover with BBQ sauce, heat. Put on bun, add a slice of Swiss cheese or something if you have it. Quite good and cheap.

We use night lights at night around the house. Unless we have company over
we only have a nightlight on in the kitchen, in the hallway, at the landing of the
stairs and in the bathroom.. It is enough light to see where we are going
but we don;t have to have the light on..

Also since our street doesn;t have streetlights we don;t use our outdoor lights instead
we bought solar lights that you can stick on..we lined the concrete floor of the front porch
with them and they give enough light to see the porch , front door and the garden and walkway.

Also if you don;t have a programable thermostat you should get one. They are great
especially if you forget to turn down your furnace. We keep it set at like 68 in the day and down
to 65 at night. in the winter and we keep it at one set temp for summer ac. .don’t have to remember to turn it down just program it in.
if you have various zones..

Get used to, and practice, making good!food from staples. If it comes down to it; mindset will be the most important. Good food helps to be feel healthy and to stay positive, and without fear. Simple. Good. Faith. Need to practice it.

My most recent discovery was to make 10 second, 3 ingedient mayonaise. Now this was a good accomplishment for a dedicated Helmans only gal :). (And yep, discovered ‘cause we were out of mayo and didn’t want to waste diesel to run to town and was hankering :).

1 cold egg, 1 cup chilled veggie oil, 1 tbsp cold lemon juice (fresh or bottle) – put egg in bottom of narrow jar without breaking yolk, gently pour in oil, then lemon on top. Used hand blender on steady (without moving) for 10 secs = instant mayo. After 10 secs move around a bit if needed to finish blending. Makes a great base coating for baking chicken etc and or dressings with any added spices etc. Keeps for a good week in the fridge so just make a bit as needed.

Easier, cheaper and more versatile to stock up on a bit more oil in the pantry…. & Probably more healthy too :).