**Bumped, 8/23/22 8:30pm ET**
My jaw came near the floor when I opened July’s electricity bill to find a notification of a 28% increase in electricity rates, effective immediately. An increase of 28%…. just like that. This month, August, even higher with less use.
After the initial shock wore off, I started thinking about what this means to the working-class people in my community.
Already struggling with a doubling of gas prices, massive food price increases at the grocery store and the pain of all costs for goods far outpacing any rate of wage increase, this type of uncontrollable increase in price of electricity is going to hit hard.
In the past we have used CTH threads to spotlight the smart thinking and resourcefulness of Treepers from all walks of life. A discussion thread where people can share tips, things that can actually be done, to help offset the financial pressures during severe economic times. I think we may all benefit from starting a series of post like that again.
Let us share our wisdom and experience again. There are many thousand who will benefit, as I have always done, from reading your smart tips and suggestions.
What ideas, tips and suggestions do you have to help people save money on ordinary life and living expenses?
These are painful economic times and the stress that is caused by financial worry is some of the most horrific family stress that people can face. Let us come together with tips as a community to help each other. No suggestion is too small. What advice do you have that can help people save money on monthly expenses?
During one of our previous discussions someone gave a tip about putting a clean dry towel in the clothes dryer as a way of cutting down drying time and energy used. I tried it and jumping ju-ju-bones it worked fantastically. Simply putting a dry towel into the dryer when you add the wet clothes from the washer reduces laundry drying time by around 25%. Not only does that save time, but it also saves money – and it was so simple.
So, what suggestions do you have? Tips about anything and everything that might lower the monthly cost of ordinary life. No tip is too small. No suggestion is too odd. Your advice can/will make a difference.
Please use the comments section to drop your advice.
Thanks again for being part of our fellowship.
Love to all.
When you go into a room, put on the lights; when you leave the room, turn the lights off.
Do not leave the air conditioner running all day while you are at work. Get a timer, maybe? Or just wait it out?
The towel in the dryer idea is good; a better idea is – do not use the dryer.
Or only use a dryer for big things; you can buy a drying rack at IKEA not too expensive.
Little things – when you brush your teeth – while you are brushing, turn off the faucet.
Same with washing hands. Wet your hands, turn off the water, soap up and wash your hands, turn on the water to rinse.
If you can, ride your bike around for errands, or walk.
Make a trip to the supermarket with a big list rather than driving there every day for a few things.
This may gross a few people out, but who hasn’t noticed that the older one gets, the more feasible it is to wear some clothing more than once (no, not underwear!) before washing it.
😆
“””Same with washing hands. Wet your hands, turn off the water, soap up and wash your hands, turn on the water to rinse.””
I also do this in the shower.
Baby Food- cook potatoes, squash, meat etc and scoop into ice cube trays separately. Once frozen, put into labelled bags. When needed, grab a cube of potatoes, squash, thaw, warm and feed. CHEAPEST, BEST FOOD FOR BABIES
My children never ate any Gerber et al, all homemade. Daughter is coming over for dinner today, she’s due with the first grandchild any day now. Will reiterate that.
Same. I also stored mine in ice cube trays. Perfect serving size when warmed up.
My son did not either. He wore cloth diapers except when I was out running errands. His bottom was too sensitive for the ones back then. My DIL has had more success with the newer plastic/paper diapers except with her first baby.
Ice cube trays also work great for saving the broth from boiled or steamed vegetables. Use the veggie broth cubes to flavor other meals and add to sauces.
I did this to flavor my meals when my husband had high triglycerides and couldn’t eat any processed/ salted foods.
I am going go with another commenter here who stated essentially “why work harder to live less”. Yes, economic pain is hitting all of us, but I am choosing to take the pain and use it to join my local planning commission and become an election worker.
There is something empowering when you are “working harder” yet remaining free.
Your resolve is strengthened and your ingenuity is increased because freedom is priceless.
Both “working harder” and “become an election worker” are avenues for remaining in full control of your life.
Why? I agree.
We are held hostage to the economy because they know we will get a second job if need be. That we won’t go down without a fight.
Working harder for less is present in how hospitals get reimbursed under ACA dictates. And employees feel it big time.
I understand, but there is no kinectic activity right now and we all know deep within that this is what it will take to end their attempted tyranny.
What we could easily do that could be most effective is to start with non compliance. Widespread wherever appropriate.
But that will not pay our bills nor keep disadvantaged persons among us.
This is complex and I seek to understand all avenues available to resist the tyrants.
They’d have just kill some of us…..
-NO jab; ever ((( ever ))))
I recommend everyone who lives in a place that freezes in winter have a way to heat your home if there’s no gas or electricity. Woodstove fireplace something.
I got through 7 days in my current house 11 winters ago in a bad outage. On the night that the outage ended I had finally caved and gone to stay with a friend in another town.
I was still working so I was warm at my office during the day. I have a wood fireplace and spent most of my inside time near it, sleeping on a couch there. The battery candles I mentioned lit everywhere I needed to move to in the house during the dark. I took everything out of the frig and used garage coolers for it.
The nat gas stovetop lit with a match and my nat gas hot water heater warmed up the bathroom a little.
I charged my devices at work but at the time thought about buying some sort of battery unit that would allow charging them without power. I do now have a small solar charger we use at bluegrass festivals – it does a great job in the middle of sunny summer. but not sure how it would do in deep often dark New England winter…
And of course I dressed in layers! Lots and lots of layers. Did not own the thermal cuddlduds then but they would be yet another improvement.
I also had purposely bought my little downsized suburban ranch house within walking distance of a couple of grocery stores.
If we return to paper ballots we’ll need ALOT of people. I know, I can dream can’t I?
France has over 50 million and had results out that night
Dont want to throw a damper but there was widespread fraud destruction defacing of the paper ballots
Got a link on that?
Mike Lindell has been working on a project to produce paper ballots with even more secure paper than used for currency.
He’s no dummy!
There are many ways to make paper secure. Watermarks, serial numbers, etc all done invisibly. Printers now put identifiers on the paper going thru them.
Being French i can opine. Polls closes at 8PM within minutes we get the results. Brother and sister always volunteers to open ballots and verify with many witnesses presents
France voted over FOUR days, not one, so a “that night” result would have been impossible. Unless a candidate gets above 50% (rare), there’s always a run-off. They voted for President on one day, then two weeks later the two top vote getters (Macron and Le Pen) were up against each other again. They voted for their legislators in the same fashion, in two rounds, on two OTHER days. That’s three more opportunities to mis-count than in the US.
Also, if you write a note or submit a form, they allow someone else to go vote in your place (proxy voting). France has its own unique avenues for corruption in elections.
don’t want to follow voting procedures from a socialist country
I agree. Too bad we’re doing just that at the moment.
Our elections are among the worst in the world.
Just because they are stupid enough to do run-offs in their procedure doesn’t mean their use of paper ballots is a problem.
The other thing we need to fight tooth and nail in the USA is “Rank Choice Voting” (so rank it reeks). That one desperately needs a court challenge or even an amendment.
One vote per person – not a buffet table’s worth!
Good choice, provided you make the elimination of voting machines and drop boxes your number one priority. Otherwise, you may just as well sit home and binge-watch the TV Land channel.
Many times, folks such as yourself, state the “TV” option. One expense that folks CAN eliminate, is to do without TV entirely (tough choice, seemingly). My wife and I are blessed, in that we built our own home in the country, and while doing so, for years, without electricity. Using electricity sparingly/intelligently, comes naturally since that time. We have been without TV since 2003, and as we both read (I was fortunate to have Parents who both encouraged that habit), we do not miss the TV. We DO have computers, so that we can keep ‘current’ by ‘haunting’ Treehouse, and others. We do not have a clothes dryer, and ‘hang’ our clothes (both inside and out) to dry. This, of course, is not an option for many. Household lights are not on during daylight hours, and only two or three are on at any one time, evenings, and none at all when sleeping. We were both ‘low’ wage earners most of our working lives, so bargain-hunting and doing without are ingrained habits. Blessed again, to not need air-conditioning, as most of three walls are backfilled to seven or eight feet, the rest at least four feet. The house (log) stays cool in all temps below the mid-nineties, and gets up to about 74 when our “global warming” stays in the 100’s, (which is forecast for the next week). Those folks who do not read, and have not ‘enabled’ their young ones to enjoy that habit, are likely to be stressed while dealing with the many electronics used by most these days, as their electricity bills mount. I repeat, we are truly blessed, here in the country.
Oh, and we also hand-dug our own well… have great tasting water… and the well is about eighty feet above the house… so.. Gravity feeds water to the house. (no electricity for that) Blessed again!
Oh, and we do not have a dishwasher… well, the two of us…
Wonderful and enchanting, Sturmudgeon. You didnct mention the deep, deep satisfaction of self-sufficiency.
How do you heat your water for bathing?
I saw an episode of the Homestead Rescue show where a metal water catchment barrel was painted black on the outside to help warm the water by sunlight.
Ours is used as a drying rack.
My first (and only) dishwashing machine came with a new home eight years ago. I always forget to use it because I’m so used to washing my dishes by hand.
Judith, I considered doing dishes by hand more like “therapy”…lol.
You’re an inspiration Sturm. Thanks.
Wow. One of the next things I plan to be looking into is a well.
Recently dropped my cable TV (saving $62 per month) and find that I am forced to be more creative in entertaining myself, which is a good thing.
Interesting that some one would consider being self sufficient an unpleasant situation to live in.
Being out of debt, owning a home and cars and so many things free and clear is worth the effort and has been my husband and my goal in life for over 40 years.
We now own not only our home but farms and a bit of ranch land almost free and clear.
I know many treepers here who probably own their homes and cars free and clear by working hard.
Being clear of debt and having marketable skills in plumbing, construction, electrical, auto mechanics, sewing, gardening, cooking so many things I have read about here has paid off for so many treepers and now they are not as worried about the road ahead as those who have no skills and no experience.
There has been a lot of good tips here given by treepers who know how to take care of themselves and will be able to get through the tough times ahead.
We do not call this living with less it is just living and adapting until we solve the huge problem that the enemies of our beautiful country has caused.
We have no choice, we will adapt and win this.
I too admire all the treepers with these excellent skills.
I’ve taught myself to be a half-decent gardener but have no other such real-world skills.
Maybe there will be some demand for a singer/musician around the campfires. 😉
Much of my music used to require electricity and power; no longer, now that my main instruments are mandolin and accordion, and I’ve always had the lung power.
It didn’t strike me until this moment that the surge of acoustic Americana music over the last decade might reflect a general unconscious sense that something is terribly wrong and a big change of some sort is on the way…
Gotta go back and finish The Fourth Turning. Very prophetic.
I look at every expense and see how it can be cut. I had tea, I measured the water to not waste electricity. I saved the tea bag for a later cup.
I had cold cereal for breakfast, bought on sale (of course). I didn’t over fill with milk and finished it all.
I waited until I was ready to milk my tea to add milk to the cereal, so one less task requiring opening the fridge.
I finished off the box of cereal, I removed the heavy plastic bag and will use it for freezing something.
I didn’t turn on the light because it was bright enough.
I use those empty cereal bags to pound down chicken prior to cooking. Much sturdier than plastic zip lock bags and fraction of cost.
You can also use those empty cereal bags as replacements for waxed paper. Something my mother, who grew up during the depression, did on a regular basis.
If you do use ziplocs, they can be re-used by washing them in hot soapy water and hanging them up inside out. (I do not re-use the ones used for chicken, to avoid salmonella – I throw those away.)
I reuse the chicken ones too…I do not reuse any where what was in it goes bad – moldy cheese, aged meat…
Those of you who use Keurig machines: Run the K-cup thru twice for your second cup. Those of you who use French presses: Add a second slightly smaller amount of boiling water and make a second, slightly smaller pot. Both methods produce additional satisfactory coffee with no additional “coffee” inputs.
I do that, most of the time if I do a second cup I don’t drink it all, so I am fine w/running it through the cup twice.
I had thought about the french press yesterday but forgot to post and I just did and then read this!
Be careful with the re do of a K cup, they can get moldy inside and you may not see it.
One K-cup’s worth makes 2 iced coffee glasses for me.
“I saved the tea bag for a later cup.” Just two cups from one bag??? I use it until there is NO color. (teasing)
When I go hiking in the spring time I harvest lots of stinging nettles, enough to last the year. It makes a good and healthy tea.
With almost 4× the amount of Vitamin C of a similar amount of oranges!
And without the sugar!!
I hope you use gloves. Those things are no fun if they touch your skin!
I use 2 tea bags in a teapot–one green tea and one English breakfast. Then I get 3 cups from that. I drink black tea. I also drink Rosemary tea–1 tsp to cup boiling water steeeped for 10 mins–good for the ‘rona and Alzheimers. Dried hibiscus flower tea for high blood pressure. Raw beetroot for blood pressure.
Compound in the herb rosemary may be useful against COVID-19 and other inflammatory diseases
Scientists find evidence that carnosic acid can block SARS-CoV-2 infection and reduce inflammation.
https://www.scripps.edu/news-and-events/press-room/2022/20220201-lipton-rosemary-covid19.html
I had another tip but don’t know if its really one that “saves”.
The french press coffee maker eliminates a lot of electric but clean up uses a lot more soap and water.
We rarely use soap when we clean out our French press. We just run it under water and give it a scrub with our hands but we’re mainly getting out the excess grounds. All it gets used for is coffee so there is no issue with a weird taste. It’s all just coffee.
Use grocery bags for garbage bags.
They make great small trash can liners, and we use them as doggie waste bags also.
I invest in packages of those wax paper sheets used by bakers and use them to eat snacks rather than waste yet another plate to wash. They are cheap in bulk, easy to grab one when needed.
And many of my meals are small enough to fit on one.
There are many ways to save electricity, none as easy as the dry towel trick. My suggestions, wrap your water heater in an insulating wrap meant for them. You can save at least 10% or more keeping it warm.
The next largest saver of electricity is cleaning your ac unit outside, use a garden hose to wash dirt from between the aluminum fins. I have 58 air conditioners, I know what I’m talking about. There are much more ways to save like taking advantage of attic heat with long circling runs of 1/2 copper tubing feeding into the cold side of my electric water heater thereby pre-heating the water before it enters the heater. Sealing leaks and drafts can also save a lot of wasted power.
FPL in Florida has been encouraging (constantly and obviously) to sign up for ‘ monthly bill averaging’ to “balance” summer and winter costs . No mention, surprisingly, from them that this could hide an increase. FP&L is an excellent power provider, unfortunately trapped into this government planned inflation.
Yes. When I moved (both FPL), they switched me automatically to that plan. I hated it. I could not tell what I was really using/spending each month because of the way the graphs presented the data. I went off of it. I used most of the refund one month and the second portion this month. Soon I will begin to make sense of my bill again.
If you don’t have them already install thermal pane windows and insulated glass storm doors. Add insulation and vent attic and seal around doors and windows. I know this is a big capital cost but it will pay off all year round. Install a programable thermostat if you don’t have one. I once lived in the desert SW and during a local heat wave it hit 110 and stayed there for over two weeks. All my neighbors had builder grade doors, windows and insulation in similar style and size houses. I bought my house for energy efficiency. That month they all had $400.00 + electric bills. My highest was $75.00 and I had a fully electric kitchen. I set my thermostat at 74 degrees in summer and 78 in winter and never changed it unless I was going to be away for an extended period. I also had gas hot water and heat.
Also beware of those mailers you get teasing you into lower energy costs by switching from your main company in the area. They will jack up your rates during periods of high heat or cold because they use alternate energy supplies and fail to properly forecast energy needs during peak seasons. This causes them to incur higher costs during these leaks which get passed into you.
Thank you! I was always suspicious of those offers and trashed ’em.
Agree with the ‘wrap’, but… 58 air conditioners???
likely an apartment/property owner.
My sweet Mother used to save water like she was on her last drop, she was very conscious not to waste food or resources, I poo-pooed her then now I get it.
We rarely eat our meals out, I love to cook so I think we’re healthier for it but I know many people who won’t eat leftovers and dump everything in the garbage, that has never made sense to me, we’ve always tried to eat our leftover meals and just add something else to make it go further. I will tell my husband that we’re having ‘scraps’ for dinner, he laughs and usually says bring it on.
I know people like that also. I’ve ended up with many a turkey carcass for soup, because they were just going to toss it.
I made soup sure, but there was so much meat we used it in other meals.
Never understood that, leftovers are the best – especially Italian. Lasagna on day one, no thanks, lol.
Chili gets better each time it is reheated.
True! I won’t even eat my chili until it’s spent at least one night in the frig so the beans can do their thing and congeal nicely…
Same with lots of Cajun dishes, gumbo is always better the next day..
Always eat my left overs. also, very rarely eat out. When you eat out you really don’t know what you are eating..I eat very well at home. And I enjoy my own company.
And it is lots quieter. I really dislike eating out in noisy places. The quiet restaurants are Chinese and high dollar fine dining establishments. I can’t afford fine dining so it is Chinese when I want to eat out. There are a few local Mom and Pop places but to get quiet I have to go during the off busy times.
When we go out it’s always for takeout now.
Good local restaurants around here – Italian, Mexican, anything we want – and they all, as restaurants have become used to doing, serve way too much food, especially Italian.
I’ve brought Italian dishes home, divided them, and gotten four meals out of them when supplementing with salad and side vegs etc.
Then again I’m very strict with calorie intake. If things go south at least I know my ruined fat-storing metabolism can survive on very little food. 🤣🤣🤣
I cook larger batches and store in glass containers with lids, then reheat meals in the microwave. That way, I use the main oven a lot less.
Good thoughts re the ‘glass containers’… we recently read, in the Epoch Times, of several possible dangers to storing foods in plastic… so we are weaning ourselves away from that.
We switched to glass containers within the past two weeks. We all love them and it feels healthier. they do have plastic lids for storage that we don’t use in the microwave. Got them on Amazon.
Glass keeps food colder in the fridge. Leftovers last much longer. They don’t stain and are easier to clean. I save glass jars that food comes in, i.e., jellies and jams and use them for drinking glasses. I’m weaning completely off plastic storage bins. They are the most aggravating things to clean.
Not eating the leftovers is insane! I always make a large-ish batch of whatever, ensuring that I don’t have to cook for the next couple of days.
Yep. Hint: If you like garlic, use as much as you can. It’s a natural preservative.
I used to make a chicken taco filling with tomatillos (green tomatoes) and with lots of garlic and onion. It lasted up to 3 weeks right in the frig without going bad.
(Hmm, might be time to resurrect that one.)
We call leftovers refrigerator buffet.
Looking back to my own childhood, with six siblings, there wasn’t much ‘left over’, but yes, leftovers can be used in many tasty ways. Those who “won’t eat leftovers”, likely have not had to do without much.
I keep a pitcher in the kitchen for water that would otherwise go down the drain and use it on my plants outside. And if you cooked and enjoyed it for dinner, then it can’t be bad when it’s leftover! Never had a leftover that couldn’t be scrambled with an egg or two for breakfast, or if there’s a lot leftover, more eggs for an easy dinner.
If you have leftover cooked meat, it’s great ground up in a food processor and added to regular ground beef/bison for a meatloaf- it really adds nice flavor. Leftover cooked squash makes a great soup base. And homemade bone broth made with whatever bones you have, seasoning, some celery stalks and a carrot and onion in the crock pot for 8-12 hours is the most nutritious delightful food.
I save left-over vegetables, then at the end of the week I brown hamburger and throw it in a soup pot with all the leftover veggies for a hearty and simple beef vegetable soup.
Move to a Blue city where they have decriminalized theft and steal most of things you need. Just make sure it is less than the $950 theft limit.
Lol!!!
You are nominated for Internet Winner of the Day!!!
I thought you had to be of a certain shade to take advantage of that policy?
Everyone can join in. You’ll need an all black outfit, a balaclava, and a raised fist picture on your hoodie with BLM emblazoned under it. You can dye your hair Kool-aid color, too, so you’ll look even more authentic should someone snatch your balaclava. Lol.
Use the Justin Trudope option?
Yep, you can even practice your ‘attack a Congressman’ skills, and not be charged.
That will be the norm from everyone if this nonsense continues.
Last year Sundance posted a recipe for homemade laundry detergent. I priced the ingredients, and it didn’t make sense at the time (yes, I know, the post wasn’t about cost, it was about availability). However, there was a poster who mentioned Nellie’s Laundry Soda. Immediately bought some, had always used liquid laundry detergent; can highly recommend. Incredible cost savings. Clothes are cleaner and no grunk on the seal on the front loader (have a love/hate relationship with the front loader).
To those who garden, check out starting your own worm farm. My little red wigglers have been happily composting our kitchen scraps for a couple of years now, providing worm castings as fertilizer for the garden. Yes, they live in our house (Wisconsin, they wouldn’t survive outside).
No matter how small your space you can garden. I live on three acres but heavily wooded with black walnuts. Only area with sunshine is the back deck/patio, north facing. Growing tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, herbs, cucumbers, cabbage, broccoli, melons; all in containers in a small space. Where there’s a will there’s a way. Mom was born in Germany in 1935, she taught me a lot.
What is your soil mixture and size of pots please
I hope you don’t mind me interjecting even though you asked Smokey Jo. Our tomatoes did poorly in containers because we followed bad advice to just use potting mix with slow release fertilizer. Container tomatoes really need compost. This video shows a 2:1 mix of potting mix to composted manure. And definitely water in the morning – not the evening. I got lazy and did late afternoon watering a few times and ended up with splitting tomatoes. Mulch on top is a must, too. It’s a great video but there are other good ones out there, too.
https://www.growingagreenerworld.com/episode1201/
I use potting soil, and am a huge fan of the Schultz tomato fertilizer, but have also had great results with Miracle Gro. I usually water in the afternoon, that’s what works for me. I water with a hose, overhead (sprinkler) watering leads to cracks. Why rain doesn’t I have no idea, but in my 49 years of life it’s proven true. The cloth pots (grow bags) are pretty amazing, they allow airflow to the roots. Although I’ve had good results in big nursery pots, too. Lots of water, might need to water daily at the height of summer.
What variety of tomatoes are you raising? Apparently, some do better in containers than others. I was trying the heirloom beefsteak.
We save all our fresh vegetable and food scraps in multiple plastic buckets, the buckets you get when you buy a tree or bush. We keep regular potting soil in there too and turn it every time we add food scraps to keep the raccoons out. Then use the compost mixture for planting next season.
I’ve never had luck growing tomatoes. Recently I visited an old friend and he had a table full of green tomatoes.
I asked why he picked them all green and he said because of bugs. I was floored. I asked if they always turn red, yes.
Pick tomatoes when they are green.
If you pick tomatoes when they’re green, you can put them in the windowsill on a red plate, something red. I don’t remember the science behind it other than it had to do with the spectrum of the color red, it helps to ripen faster. I have done that several years.
Tomato/peppers need nitrogen to grow big stalks. Then, when they flower, they need potassium. I bought an early girl. Added the water and bits of boiled banana peel. I had half a dozen plus tomatoes from that plant. Florida’s liquid sunshine did the rest. Some dropped while green, so, I had fried green tomatoes for the first time. YUM!!!
Potting soil from the local big box (I like the Pro-Mix in the big, compressed cubes; reuse each year, just make sure to mix it up and fertilize). Pots are a mix of cheap black nursery pots and grow bags (cloth pots). From 10 – 30 gallons. I try to avoid buying Chinese where I can, huge fan of Grassroots fabric pots.
Consider asparagus. It has the most nutrition of any vegetable, and is a perennial that will provide food for 20+ years before giving out. There’s a ton of YouTubes on how to buy it, plant it, grow it, harvest it, and cook it. It will thrive in Zones 3-8.
If you are biased against it because of childhood encounters with canned asparagus, get over it. Fresh and fried in garlic butter it is excellent.
We have a small patch and start cutting it in April (zone 7) but its the gift that keeps on giving. We were still harvesting into June. You can collect it as you go – keep in the fridge until you have a big enough batch to process/cook. Don’t keep it for too long, though, as it will start to go bad. Haven’t tried freezing any of it – probably could after blanching.
One year did that, blanched then froze, we used a seal-a-meal to freeze our spears in meal serving sizes and were very happy with the results. When planning to use it in a meal would let it that in the refrigerator, still had that fresh blanched crispness, which was a nice surprise.
It is excellent broiled wrapped in bacon. I also love east/west asparagus, basically soy, olive or sesame oil, garlic marinade.
Grilled, can’t be beat. I don’t have a large enough sunny area for it but do harvest it wild from roadsides. Great, classic book – Stalking the Wild Asparagus by Eull Gibbons.
Absolutely buy books on foraging in your local area. Amazing how many “weeds” are edible, and good for you! Live in the desert? Cacti are wonderfully versatile, and tasty.
I adore asparagus but have so far not tried it because I understand it requires a lot of room and a very deep root, too deep for patio containers.
The only food I have in the ground is raspberries because my yard is so full of critters who eat everything. I tried unprotected rhubarb (which I also love) once and found it sheared off at the ground within a day.
Just bought several lightweight but large deep pots for next year’s crops, the same one I used for potatoes just harvested. They are more than 18 inches deep and will allow me to try eggplant, broccoli, and peppers. The peppers I planted elevated are tiny because they didn’t get enough root space. Still learning!
Potatoes are best because they stay below the surface – no danger of critter bites. Even my tiny peppers got chewed, probably by a deer. I may have to erect some sort of cages at the top of the pots for the three vegs I plan. Winter will be a good planning time…
Simple asparagus recipe:
Steam a lot , and top it with minced garlic, balsamic vinegar dribble, salt and pepper.
Visit the website everyday cheapskate. So many fabulous ideas!
Zucchini and other squashes practically grow themselves once started. And the yields per plant are yuuge. They’re good fried, baked, and sliced raw with a homemade vinaigrette.
Zucchini spears w/grated parmesan cheese & a little garlic, grilled. And yes, zoodles are great, buy a spiralizer.
Awesome grilled when sliced about 1/4”.
Thanks, Jo, for the Nellie’s Laundry Soap tip. Like you, I have only used liquid and this will take some getting used to – I 100% agree with you about the love/hate with your front loader!
Just got back from a visit with family who live up in Eagle River, WI. They live on a lake and it felt like paradise. Lots of fishing, boating, skiing, friendly neighbors and nightly firepit s’mores! Such a healthy way of life (ok, with the exclusion of the S’mores, lol) and the kids were actually OFF their blasted phones!
It’s not the space that’s a problem here–it’s NO RAIN. I still garden, but it’s not definitely NOT very economical!
For years I have used greywater harvesting & rainwater harvesting. When harvesting greywater, which is water from washing & rinsing dishes, shower water, & if you can disconnect your washer to reroute it into 19 gallon tubs or something large enough you can use that water too. But, super important is to use 100% bio-degradable soaps, as the microbial life in soils love the food tidbits, etc in the greywater. Also, it must be dispersed to your garden, trees, & buses within 24 hours.
I have a couple of Art Ludwig’s books on greywater harvesting. He made an invaluable point, why spend hundreds of dollars on the design & implementation of a system which can be problematic if ANY of the water collects in corners or slight depressions. It can breed bacteria. He said why not go simple & low-tech instead? So I use a combination of 2 gallon tubs for dish washing, one for the washing & other for the rinsing. I also had/have another 19 gallon tub to stand in to collect my shower water, and 5 gallon buckets to make it easier to scoop out & water whatever needs watering.
First time I ever did it, I was living in a house with just me & the homeowner. We kept track of the gallons saved from collecting the water from the washing & rinsing, shower water & washing machine, every month it was consistently above 700 gallons of water. (We were spending a lot of time in the yard getting dirty creating an Edible Food Forest I had designed in exchange for rent.)
Here in TX, it’s been very hot & dry, so I’ve been able to keep watering my container pots & had set up 2 dozen ollas for dry farming techniques to save even more water so the water bill wouldn’t go sky high (the utilities are included in my rent, one of 5 bedrooms in a house).
I highly recommend Steven Cornett’s YouTube & Rumble channels entitled Nature’s Always Right.
He is exceedingly knowledgeable in many facets of home agriculture and is very generous with his efforts.
He also has a tremendously helpful e-mail newsletter. All free.
I’ve used Nellie’s. It’s expensive.
I made detergent from the Sundance recipe and have been using it ever since. It’s great. I am struggling to understand why it seemed expensive to you. It consists of Borax, Washing Soda and Fels-Napta fil soap ($1.20).
Unfortunately I don’t remember what i paid for the Borax and Washing Soda but I thought it was under $5. IT may have been more. I just checked online and the three are $42.77 for the online price. I did not buy online which for Walmart is often much more expensive than instore. Perhaps it has gone up as I see more and more people seem to be using it.
My main point is this amount buys enough laundry detergent to last for the rest of my life, as opposed to buying Tide or Kirkland HE at $20 or $25 that last for a few months.
Growing up on a farm in the 50’s and 60’s, in a large family, we couldn’t afford luxuries like shampoo or creme rinse, so we used just a little bit of Joy dish soap as shampoo and put a capful of vinegar in our hair rinse water which left our hair very soft and shiny. (Grew up in a house without indoor plumbing so baths were drawn using water heated on a stove for bathing and for shampooing hair.)
I just made a new batch..last one lasted a few weeks past the 2 year mark.
Borax …$6
Arm and Hammer….$5
2 Amish bars….$1
$12 for 2 years of laundry is a positive for me.
My husband and I have been living in our 5th wheel travel trailer. We don’t have a dryer. I hang my clothes on a clothes line. No electricity needed. We actually live completely off the grid with a solar system that is sufficient to power our home and a backup generator if the power fails. While the backup generator still needs gas, we rarely need to use it. However, we live in Southwestern New Mexico where we get well over 300 days of sunshine. I know everyone can’t afford their own solar system, but we are in a special circumstance where it would have cost much more for us to bring electricity from the local grid to our site.
I grew up in TX & NM, now in Wisconsin but hope was always to retire out west in an RV. Guessing you’re in a permanent site with hookups? We were hoping to boondock out and about for a few years, don’t see that happening. Tent camping is one thing but the RVers have taken the best spots, 14 days be damned.
We use LP, our small-town provider sold out to a bigger fish. They sent us a contract with an absurd price per gallon. Shopped around, new provider coming tomorrow to swap out the tank. My next task is shopping a new cellphone provider. It’s getting ridiculous.
We’re switching to Straight Talk. Sim card costs 99 cents. Unlimited text, talk and 10 gig of data for $35 per month.
They ride on AT&Ts backbone so we can still use our AT&T compatible phones.
Redpocket.com is another that does the same thing. Just not as established as Straight Talk.
T-Mobile has unlimited everything and we pay $70/month with senior discount. Never forget to ask for senior or military discount.
T-Mobile unlimited everything, no senior or military discount, but yes, auto-pay, no bills in the mail, they just take the money after the email reminder, $50. a month + $4.50 a month taxes and fees. And I’m in an expensive state. Call em’ up and tell them what you want and what you’ll do. Mine was: same bill every month, no piecemeal services. One price supplies it all, no sales pitches or upgrades or the latest and greatest. Just connect me 24/7, you won’t ever have to bill me, put it on my CCard. They were happy.
After 7 years had to buy a new phone 3 weeks ago, called the company not the store, to ask what their phone prices are. I said it wasn’t a deal, I’d shop. He gave me $430. off newest iOS – iPhone, pay the balance in equal monthly payments, no interest.
Add unlimited high speed internet w/ their free router for multiple devices, add $50. IF….. you have their cell service visit their site, type in your cell no. and address to see if they have “rural internet service” if you’re in the boonies. Or call. No issues, no delays, no problems for 7 years.
My son uses my senior discount, so, he pays the bill and we both win. He has an upgraded system because he works tech from home. Even with my new T-mobile Internet setup, he has not complained. He’s going to use my discount to get a new 5G phone on a T mobile special. He needs a new one, but, he wants to switch from Android to Apple when the Iphone deals come in. He left Spectrum for T-Mobile’s internet setup a couple of years ago because Spectrum was so expensive. My Spectrum bill including that part of the HOA dues was almost 200 in the condo, no phone included. In the house, with a T-Mobile wireless router added to the phone bill, it’s 85 a month and I have all I need and want. I already paid for Amazon Prime, so, I got a FireStick cause their app no longer works on my PC. They say my 2010 PC is too old.
If near a Best Buy, check out Lively, used to be called Jitterbug. Phones (either the smart phone style or their flip phone style), were between $100 to $150 for the phone, monthly service unlimited talk and text began at $25 a month.
Being in that senior citizen category, both styles have that one-button push for those ‘help I’ve fallen and can’t get up’ moments the TV ads have convinced us we need.
I priced those a few months ago, so prices might have changed; thinking it might be time to get a cell phone again after reading about possible power rationing, thinking it might be time to have one as a back up.
Smokey, you may want to re-examine the necessity of your cell-phone. Your every action regarding that unit is being monitored. Landlines are (at this moment in time) quite safe, I believe. How did you communicate/function prior to the cell-phone? No sarcasm intended.
Use of a faraday (or simple metal) box can limit the “tracking” of a cell phone somewhat.
The caution with land lines is they burn in wildfires, go down in floods and storms and you can’t take them with you if you evacuate or bug out. Satellites don’t burn and your cell phone goes with you to safety while updating the emergency
I use less than 1gb of data per month, so I switched to Xfinity for $15/month. Just saw an advertisement for Verizon at 30/month, but I don’t know the details. I have no problems with Xfinity.
I just switched to Xfinity also – glad to hear of your success with it.
I hardly used any data, so called my carrier Patriot Mobile, & had them turn it off, so my bill went from $40 down to $30 a month/
That’s PRK. (Peoples Republik of Kalifornia)
The best way I know of to end this is to make Libs irrelevant.
Not just the Libs but the media too. We now have some of the best news / info groups like never before. I actually have blocked all alphabets from Twitter. It’s all lies.
This is ridiculous. What kind of gov starves and impoverishes its own people? How much food can most people store? Really? We talk about surviving this regime, an engineered Holodomor? Eating Crickets? Eating people? Soylent green? Leftards are ok with this? At what point do we reach the conclusion that these insane people running this illegal regime are going to mass murder us? I used to blow this stuff off as scare/fear mongering but I’m convinced these billionaire globalists are serious and seriously insane and most of our so-called rep’s don’t give a flying fk about us. They are perfectly ok to let this go on. No push back whatsoever. This is getting serious. Instead of a thread of how to curl up in a ball and survive for a couple years before they starve us to death why not a thread on how to organize and pressure/remove feckless leaders? Why not be proactive instead of reactive? We have no leaders. Where are our great military heroes who fight half way around the world for the “freedom” of others but won’t lift a finger to save their own country. If my father was alive he would be shocked and horrified at what is going on, especially what’s happening to our children!
The kind of government that we have does this and until we can rid ourselves of that burden we have to survive. Our situation is real and until the pitchforks come out we must deal with what we have.
Very true Clyde N.
I think most of us are trying to learn to strengthen ourselves and learn to live without the things that sap our strength and give the enemy a hold over us.
We are trying to stop their invasion into our lives while we strategize.
I think we will find that using a lot of tips listed by Treepers will be more than just surviving but it will be thriving and giving people more control over their lives.
It’s the plan, to kill 90% of us
Contact your State Legislature and urge them to join the Convention of States. Three main objectives: (1) Repeal the 16th Amendment. (2) Forbid indiscriminate money-printing. (3) Repeal the Patriot Act.
We The People can take back our country!
Term limits should be a priority.
Convention of states could be another opportunity for Leftists to adulterate the Constitution. Better to work on state sovereignty in ones own state and throw off some of the federal government shackles.
We have been doing that, but how is that working? It isn’t due to cheating and lies. This will not end well no matter how we get through if we do. They intend way too much for a 4 years term but have made great strides in only 15 months. Should make you angry enough to do what must be done.
Give it another year. If whatever goes down in the midterms is a bust for conservatives, then, we must act. They are pushing forward at top speed now to make up for lost time with Trump and because they know like we know they will not have the power to do so after midterms, unless they cheat or go totally rogue and lawless. If there is no restraint provided at midterms, then, the government probably will not survive to 2024.
Communist gov’t
Much of what you posted I agree with, but meanwhile back on the “tips to save money ranch” that is the purpose of this thread, what tips to save money do you have to offer?
Yes, well I just remembered this website which I have bookmarked:
https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/low-tech-solutions.html
This one I haven’t done yet, but looks good:
“Homemade Swamp Cooler with stuff you already have (video)”
https://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2022/07/homemade-swamp-cooler-with-stuff-you-already-have-video-3776872.html
I have some of the items necessary to do each of these, but will start shopping at my local thrift stores for the rest..
“Methods of Alternative Refrigeration”
http://www.provident-living-today.com/Alternative-Refrigeration.html
Government =genocide
There will be a civil war IMO
Get ready.
Wait till the Antifa thugs and BLM thugs start starving.
In the summer use fans for cooling breeze circulation, only run heat generating appliances at night ( washers and dryers, dish washer, etc..). Use sun blocking curtains, use timers or manually shut down water heaters and adjust the H2O thermostats down to 120-130 degrees, most are factory set at 140 degrees. HVAC systems are the real amp hogs and those with heat pumps will really suffer if we have a really cold winter…I supplement with wood heat in the winter, if you can cut your own that alone will save a ton of money. BE ADVISED: Prepare for extended power outages this winter. Harden your home and prepare to defend yourself.
Be aware, however, that if you install a stove inside your home, there are insurance ramifications. Your insurance cost will increase OR your insurance company may cancel your coverage if they are made aware of your stove. Expert installation is also crucial, to avoid a fire hazard.
Ohboy … what a great thread for these times! And except for that well-known hermit (Dave) nobody’s cheaper than I am. I’ll mention only stuff that’s less common — everyone reading here already knows to buy largest sizes of regular use stuff that keeps.
The advantages are that Wal-Mart is ~10% cheaper than anyone else, buying everything at one place saves gas and time, working from a list reduces impulse buying and forgotten items requiring extra trips, and really — if they don’t have it at Wal-Mart you can live without it.
(This should be item #2 but I can’t figure out how to make that happen). Obviously this is limited to stuff that will keep, it does take up space, and would be for only small items if you might move.
Okay. I’m quitting. I don’t have time or patience to fight with the automatic formatting. If there’s a way to turn that stuff off would someone please tell me?
I really can do my own numbered lists but I always go in order 1, 2, 3 … and would like to be able to do paragraphs with numbered items.
Someone was just a bit too clever here.
Wal-Mart is the last place I would buy groceries. They are more expensive and further away then local stores.
My first choice is actually a salvage store, I spend about half our budget there.
Your methodology is sound!! But if you care about the quality of fresh vegetables, can’t grow it yourself and have a local farmers market, that’s the place to buy in season fresh food!! Better all around quality and it helps local farmers/ gardeners. Not dissing on Walmart, they are the best in many areas for selection and price.
Walmart 1) forced local mom and pops out of business and 2) buys many of its products from China
Aldy’s is way cheaper than Wal Mart. Their store brand is good and they have a generous return policy on all items.
As a man, I do my own laundry. Wear lots of golf shirts (poly) and workout/ T-shirts (also poly). When I put them in the dryer, I set a timer for 5 minutes. At this time, I take out the shirts and put them on a hanger when they are still lightly damp. Hanging while damp keeps the wrinkles out (I never have to iron) and saves energy.
Our kids were raised wearing cloth diapers. Hung out on clothes line. Wife and I had a large garden Composted table scraps, leaves and grass clippings.
My wife stay at home mom sewed baby clothes.
Chickens are also a great source of repurposing table scraps into eggs.
Hanging clothing up to dry will make those item last longer and fit better – drying in a dryer is hard on them. I know: I don’t spend much on clothing and what I have, I take care of.
Very true COLiberty.
And if you really want to fluff or soften you can put them in the dryer for just a few minutes.
Take them right out and hang them up.
You can also soften towels and bedding this way.
Wash all my clothes in cold water.
Me, too. Have for almost two decades. I hang everything up all year. Outside in the warm weather and on racks inside the rest of the time.
me and use Shout for stains
dawn liquid dish soap combined with hydrogen peroxide make an excellent spot remover.
Thanks, Patty – will certainly use this suggestion!
Really, did not know that.
Thanks for the tip Patti.
Hydrogen peroxide is like using bleach. Be careful.
What state?
Get used to fans and open windows with screens once again
Catherine Austin Fitts has a really good podcast about how to make ends meet in the next 2 years.
https://live.childrenshealthdefense.org/shows/financial-rebellion/8wDglFzFFV
It’s titled, ‘where to stash your cash, but she gives a lot of really good tips for making it through our next adventure! Very valuable. Blessings all ~
This video is excellent! Great tips – thank you for sharing it.
Terrific interview — can’t thank you enough for recommending it and providing the link.
Catherine Austin Fitts is a national treasure.
And recently, CHD (Children’s Health Defense) has become a daily stop for me, a trusted source for news on issues important to me.
Everyone should try to buy at least some of their groceries at Dollar Tree .
There are zillions of shopping haul videos that come out daily with a heads up on all the good deals, even on name brand stuff with good “best by” dates:)
I used to be a customer, but now I work there too:)
They do tend to have longer expiration dates on their canned goods. I find all kinds of good things at Dollar Twenty Five Tree. Many aren’t as well stocked as used to be, certain items they can’t seem to get anymore, but it is still a great place to get lots of basics.
My only complaint w/that store is they don’t do returns. I bought some stuff to make gift bags, long story short, plans changed and I can’t use them. It was a decent amount of money, if they won’t give cash back, a gift card would be good.
I think they will allow you to exchange goods for the same price you bought the ones you want to return. Return $5.00 worth, get something diff for $5.00.
1st we need to get rid of the people in office.
2nd. I’m working on a new motor. Once It’s built it will run a alternator producing dc to be converted to 120 VAC.
This is better than solar.
Yes get involved in your local election board. I m in Dallas and discovered we dont even have a precinct chair so im applying!!
Sign up w Energy ogre to find the best electric plan in your area. $10/mo and well worth it Signed my annual contract w new provider in March before rates skyrocketed
Use a programmable thermostat and cool your home after peak hours / over night. In the morning, shut the window shades, and let the temperature raise. But don’t let it get too warm indoors – the A/C will have to work extra hard to cool the house down once the outside temperature goes up. I run 74° overnight, and 78° peak daytime temp.
Exterior shade screens on all windows, reduces heat transfer significantly.
We have interior wooden shutters, which I close on alternating sides of the house as the sun moves during the day
Over 1000 comments! Wow!
I’m a 60 y/o female. Signing with a health sharing network has saved me $$! I use Samaritan Ministries and pay about $160/month. Great coverage.
I ride my bike to work almost every day. This involves taking back roads, and crossing a 6 lane road with insane traffic. Buy a good bike helmet, they’re rated in meps, the last helmet I purchased was over $200. My brain is worth it. Bike helmets are goofy until you crash.
I also bike to the store and gym when I can. I carry a rain jacket in my backpack (sw Florida summers!) and I have panniers on the back of my bike to carry the groceries home.
Got kids on swim team? Get polyester swim suits. You’ll get sick of them long before they wear out. Try dolphin uglies.
I’ve installed a bidet on the toilet, easy and cheap to do. Toilet paper use down 75% and you feel cleaner.
Never toss out leftover coffee, tastes just fine to me reheated – coffee savings of about 30%
Biggest money booster for me is using Dave Ramsey’s EveryDollar free budgeting app. As Dave says, “Tell your money where to go instead of wondering where it went!”
Thanks for the great ideas y’all!
And never stop giving. Give big, give often. One idea is to drop prepaid gas and grocery cards off at your church, they’ll get them to those who need it the most.
I use the leftoveer morning coffee for iced coffee at lunce.
use 1 tea bag for hot tea 1 cup and put same tea bag in same hot boiling water to make cold tea with some sugar and lemon and ice later
My family and I use cold water for laundry and dishes. We turn burners off a couple minutes before we’re done and use the residual heat to finish. Same for the oven. We don’t let the water run when we brush our teeth, just when we rinse. That saves a surprising amount of water. We have a list of items we buy on a regular basis and the store where they cost the least. We buy in bulk to lessen the number of trips we have to make for groceries and other supplies. We measure everything to make sure we only use the amount needed. We wash food storage bags and re-use them. We limit ordering takeout and going out to eat. That saves A LOT of money. We make our meals from scratch most of the time, only eating something convenient when it’s been a long, hard day and no one has the energy to cook. We just bought a dehydrator to make our own stores of certain foods and we’re going to go get our fishing licenses. We live near a lot of small lakes and an enormous river, plus we’re only an hour from the beach now.
Okay, that’s enough for now. I’m sure there are some other little things I could include, but they don’t come to mind right now.
Oh, yeah, saw this below and we do it as well–we don’t turn on lights unless we need them. We also keep the air conditioning set as high as we can stand, so it’s not running constantly in this Florida heat. And I have a single cup coffee maker. No keeping it hot or reheating.
WAIT…. why are we taking this?
The He!!! with tips to conserve. We already conserve and what do we get, ever higher rates… shutting down 4.4 GW of power nuke plants with no replacement, no new dams while we dump water to the ocean, no desalinization plant in Huntington Beach because of its impact on [fill in the blank]….
And you guys sit back and wait for Calimexistation to come to your State.
Are you NUTS?
ENOUGH.
This is a man made political problem.
Instead of putting up with it, time to do a Deep Dive… the problem is political, so let’s bring out the politically incorrect guillotines.
Enough!
Yes, it’s a man made political situation. And it sucks. We need to get through it with as little damage to ourselves as possible.
Then we can have the energy to deal with it.
THANK YOU!!!!!
Open the windows at night to let the house cool down to reduce air conditioning costs ( if possible).
Utilize a clothes line to dry clothing, sheets and blankets.
Start cooking.
Freeze extra food, even leftovers.
Be fussy about spending your money. Don’t just continue to buy out of habit. Give up purchasing things that simply cost too much. ( I gave up my favorite bacon, bath soap, and coffee due to terrible price increases)
Invest in instant hot water and wood stoves.
Be fussy about your money. Indeed. We begrudgingly open our wallet unless we have to. We negotiate the prices in stores for a lot of things. Home Depot for trees or bushes that look a little sad. All furniture. Anything that is marked at full price that is dinged or not in perfect condition. Car repairs and services for a home contractor. You’d be shocked what you can get. If the person hems and haws, ask for a manager. Don’t be ashamed. It is your money.
We just got our power bill from Amerin ( Central IL. Amerin is a German owned Corp. That’s right, they lost WWII but now they own the utility co.) Charge per Kw/Hr.. went from 9.8 cents to 18.6 cents. We used 1050 Kw/hr.
Our local nuclear power plant is owned by the French. Ridiculous!
Yes one of our local perennial candidates taught us that one of our local utility gougers is owned by a Canadian company. Water in the desert – of course!
If you are starting, or about to start, new residential construction and life in a northerly clime, consider geothermal heating with under-floor hot water piping. High initial cost, low ongoing cost, and cannot be turned off by TPTB.
Here’s one of many sources to consider: https://www.waterfurnace.com/residential/about-geothermal/
While agree with most of the responses here I am a little perturbed. We need to save, conserve an prepare. Why are we accepting defeat? We are we editing our lives because the demonic cabal has shown it will destroy anything it cannot control?
We’re not accepting defeat. I’ve not edited my life, to the contrary purchasing what I can from my neighbor farmer as opposed to the local grocery store has done a lot of good, for my family and the farmer. The rest is just common sense.
Where was all this “common sense” when the duly elected POTUS was residing in the White House? Why was no one talking “common sense” then?
We didn’t have to when we had a President who wasn’t actively declaring war on his citizens. I’m sure most of the tips that have been shared by posters are things they have practiced for many years and are offering solutions to those that are asking for help.
I used to be a heavy couponer when I had my 3 kids living at home. When they moved out, I became lax and didn’t find it necessary because it was just hubby and myself. So, even though the kids were gone, we didn’t change the amount we had budgeted weekly for 5 people and bought to our hearts (and stomachs) content. I am now back to using coupons and Ibotta and studying the weekly grocery ads, and we now save at least $150 weekly. My pantry and freezers are stuffed. Now we aren’t eating as high class and at will like we were, but we aren’t starving. We’ve also switched to ice tea.
As far as AC- we had to buy a new unit last month because ours was hit by lightning. One night of sleeping in a house that was 85 degrees with windows open and fans running was enough for me, and our air is set at 73 and lower. I figure we will make up the difference in cost during the winter because we keep the heat at 68 degrees.
Also, another thing I do is sign up for freebies on the internet (I never pay shipping for a free sample). With a lot of the freebies, coupons are sent as well. I also joined a site (social nature) that sends coupons for free products and you are essentially a product tester. You just have to leave a review after you have tried the product. Very easy and a fun way to try new stuff.
There is a time to fight and a time to prepare to survive in order to fight. The old normal is not coming back. Covid damage to businesses/lifestyles is in the rear view mirror. The carnage of death of the vaccinated is straight ahead. We must bolster our financial underpinnings to thrive in the new normal. If we fight now, we just go to jail. Outside of the big cities, the streets are still mostly peaceful. They will not remain that way, when people are hungry. We still have time to prepare. Being first to violence would backfire right now. Choose one’s target wisely. Be second, be effective, be quick.
Always good to save money.
I use cleaning vinegar to clean bathrooms, walls etc. No more expensive cleaning products. The cleaning vinegar works better than all those costly producys!
I mix white vinegar with liquid dish soap and water in a spray bottle. Great for surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom. I use an 8 ounce spray bottle. Give it a good squirt of soap, a couple of ounces of vinegar and the rest water. Shake and go. Works great.
I bought 120 pounds of Starbucks on eBay for $1.45 a pound free freight. This was 2020 coffee that was never sold. Wonder why? Tightly poly wrapped. Truth is coffee doesn’t go bad when sealed properly. I’ll have my coffee if SHTF. Point is, there are deals out there when you put your mind to it. Whenever we visit friends, we always take along a pound of coffee. (Last I checked this same bunch had started charging freight. Something stupid like $51.95)
Looks like a decent deal on 20lbs
https://www.ebay.com/itm/384294452737?hash=item5979bbfe01:g:xaQAAOSwOVJf85iy&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4Pb%2BZzhz23paQlotGc6hTsVb5Cu%2BDTOi8qV20cu16x1hOsv7Qbds6fuIpObvv7jvrPZmXDk%2Fx5V1vpSgWTBquM5x76SqXu7rfnW6U6N9n4AAJJEt%2BF1THn2WWsUB09A2FUMRjr3sqIHV3e2%2Fjpd2hr2CCqSoHBSOA1pbIeq%2BdNRfALztApkLdt2Yq84baw18djCgaVNZDK2YKsTS3jK5XVSZOnebPo5jWD%2BgrV78R6%2BsLXyG6ViN8hLIlvhKRboslEByvSmnFASWkdcbEVvdhHhgylyip6suNT%2FWnTNwXWPE%7Ctkp%3ABFBMvJiPnsZg
I roast green Columbian coffee beans in a large skillet. It takes me about ½-hour every three weeks.
I save money on my coffee costs each month. My coffee is much fresher than store-bought (for example, Eight O’Clock from Wal-Mart) and it’s fun.
Save every receipt and account for every penny spent. It sounds like a lot of work, but it isn’t. If you list everything out, you become aware of the number of times you bought something you wanted, and not necessarily what you needed.
My grandad told me that if you count your pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves, and that is really true.
What I have found by listing every cent spent, is that I have habitual splurge buying for things I don’t need. Once I am aware of what I am spending, it is easy to discard the non-essential items, and when it’s time to spurge on something I really want, those pennies have added up to dollars.
I budget for everything. It really makes a big difference.
I budget too. I use Dave Ramsey EveryDollar app. One of the best money management things I’ve done.
Grill outside. Don’t throw out the non-gas grill. I just picked one up in someone’s yard they were giving away for free. You can also grill with wood rather than charcoal if you have lots of wood around. Don’t use any pine-related wood for cooking.
Many are at a decision point that they have to reduce current expenses to offset new expenses. This is really time to cut the cable TV. There is nothing to watch.
Use this:
https://ustvgo.tv
https://watchnewslive.tv/
http://www.freeintertv.com/view/id-200
https://americasvoice.news/
Search Free TV in your internet browser. Lots of options there.
Great Russian movies on MOS film. Type this in and then go to Home and/or Videos on the top menu. Many US films also on YT.
Don’t give those media dipsticks your hard-earned limited money.
I buy the paper towels that are already perforated to half size. Even then , I find that I usually only need half of that. So I am in the habit of tearing those sheets in half.
I try to use indoor lighting to a minimum. I am a big fan of the headlamps you can wear that are powered by AAA batteries. I always have a set of rechargeables ready to go. Just light the space you are looking at.
I drink ginger ale and have eliminated the brand name that I really like and now use the store brand. It’s not as good but half the cost.
Spend more time thinking in advance about what I need to do, where to go and try to consolidate trips to reduce mileage.
Water plants with the dehumidifier water.
Some food items I like are reaching prices I can no longer justify. For many of them, I have established a price point where I just will drop them.
I have not been much of an outdoor griller. I don’t know that the ROI is, but it would reduce the heat generated in the kitchen.
I haven’t used paper towels in a really really long time. I’ve cut up sheets (I used to be a massage therapist) that were becoming thread bare & towels that were falling apart or also getting thread-bare into rags, napkins, handkerchiefs, dish towels, strips for around my pant legs when I’m bike riding, and any other purpose I can think of.
Thank goodness this thread is Yuge!
The ideas and suggestions are indicative of the community supported here. Common thread…SD.
Central OK. M
y last water bill near $200.
Let Bermuda go dormant.
Crispy brown grass not a pleasant sight but it will come back next year. Preserving itself just like us. Weathering the storm!
Stay cool and healthy my friends.
Howdy neighbor! South central OK here. Sure looking forward to cooler days lol. No grass for us, just what grows naturally, and our septic system waters that.
Good day everyone,
I discovered this site in January/2022 and I absolutely love it. It is the first thing that I read when I get up in the morning. The posts are always spot on and on point. There is so much useful and helpful information here. I’m always hungry for knowledge and for learning something new and with this site I’m learning everyday !! It’s great. I just want to say a public thank you to whoever is in charge or control of this site and also to everyone that contributes to it on a daily basis. In May/2020 I became “awake” and realized something was seriously wrong up here in Canada and I immediately started to question everything. Thru the Truckers Convoy I discovered The Last Refuge and I haven’t looked back. This post about Treehouse tips is a really nice thing to do … people helping people. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Thank you again for everything that you do. Keep up the good work.
I have had a timer on my hot water heater for better than 25 years now and can not say how much it has saved me by heating water needlessly. Considering that I am single now, I don’t require that much hot water any more but, if I do, I just turn it on manually for the time needed. Otherwise, it is set to come on twice daily. Once in the morning and once in the evening and I have hot water virtually all day. Also, my hot water tank is wrapped with a thermal blanket made for the purpose.
When your house value declines due to the recession, be sure to apply for a reduction in your property tax.
Property taxes are based on the estimated market value of your home. When the home value goes down, your property taxes should go down, too.
You need to push it because the taxing authority (usually city and county) will be dragging their feet this time.
Get on a couple of the home valuation sites and document today’s value. Then you can show the decline as the economy continues to contract.
Home values in some areas are holding OK while other areas have already started to drop. This is not advice based on any firm research or long-known principle, but I’d guess a weekly snapshot of your home value in a rapidly declining market would be wise, and maybe monthly in the markets that are still holding.
At least in my county, they will make the adjustments – it’s the law – but last housing bubble we had to be proactive to get our taxes lowered. They did do it, though it’s paperwork and a bit slow.
Most taxing districts will make an adjustment to your home value every 3 or 5 years as they are required to by law. But you don’t necessarily have to wait for the scheduled reevaluation, at least not in our county.
Check it out for your county or city. It could save you some money each month.
Find cheaper insurance NOW. I just saved over $600 by switching to another company. If you don’t find one yourself, contact a company that uses many different insurance companies. Also, for homeowners insurance, lower the amount to replace your possessions. Then if something does happen, buy almost everything second hand.
Ok here goes…Want to save some serious money on electric? Using the towel is a good start – Also when the wash cycle stops you should also run Just the spin cycle again – it will extract even more water from the clothing –
Get this device to measure how much things use that you plug in
Measure any item that has an LED light that stays on even if the unit is off
I have every television and cable box in the house hold on a light switch – you can use a power strip –
Shut off and unplug everything when you are done using it – even plugged in and device that has a red led light emitting is using power even though its not on – Cable boxes suck up a lot of power when they are off and plugged in –
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/06/the-energy-costs-of-your-game-of-thrones-obsession/372950/
Lower hot water temps
If you have a pool get a variable speed pump that you can program
Avoid using the stove when the AC is on
This I have yet to look into but many people say a misting kit on your AC condenser will lower your bill as well…
https://www.arlingtonairconditioningheating.com/does-misting-your-air-conditioner-help/
Also change every single bulb in the home with LED’s
Also use light switches that automatically turn on and off when you leave in rooms such as laundry room – basements –
Hope this helps
I’ve also started drying clothes at night to keep from heating up the house, and using wool dryer balls to save on fabric softener sheets…
I just looked at a couple misting videos. I’m not sure it’s a good idea, especially if you have city water. The risk to the system is too great for me to try.
Remember some years back when the government was going to mandate us using less electricity by forcing us to go to compact fluorescents rather than incandescent bulbs? The CFLs weren’t all that reliable and had to be disposed of as toxic waste.
Science and the marketplace have given us LED bulbs that have risen in reliability and come down in price. I use LED lights almost exclusively throughout my house. Very satisfied with them. Cuts your electric usage. I have an LED porch light that I run 24/7/364 for pennies a year. (I turn it off Oct 31 after I run out of candy!)
This may sound weird, I have a small face and a small nose, but need to blow it fairly often.
I have discovered that a paper tissue torn in half does the job well and gives me twice as many blows. So for the last couple of years I have been ripping the facial tissue down the middle, and often rip even those two pieces again.
I know I know, I should use a delicate little handkerchief.
I just posted above that I use various pieces of fabric like towels or sheets falling apart & I cut them up to use in various ways. One is a handkerchief. I have several of them.
I don’t think so. Those handkerchiefs are not sanitary. Nobody washes them after each use. A tissue is usually disposed of immediately.
Our Son’s family saved a lot of money by asking us and the other set of grandparents to take a couple of days each week to watch the kids for them while they were at work. What a blessing to have all that bonding time with the grandkids.
Here in Washington State, Puget Sound Energy has just delivered my combined electric and gas bill for the coming month. Also in the package was information on the upcoming rate increase they are asking for in 2023. For residential customers, electricity rates up 15.8% and gas rates up 12.15%. And this is all because of good ole Joe in the White House. With a heavy dose of sarcasm, I say, “Thanks to King, Snohomish and Pierce County voters for voting for Joe so we poor folk can have colder homes this coming winter. We ‘appreciate’ you swinging the statewide vote to Joe.”
Hang your clothes up on clothes line to dry them, don’t use the dryer at all.
Don’t eat out, at all. Make all meals at home.
Make meals out of raw ingredients, i.e. cook your meals.
If you haven’t done it by now, go all LED for light in the house. This helps a lot.
Shower every other day.
Turn off the computer when you aren’t using it.
Really, when you think about it, if you live like your ancestors did in the 1950s, you save so much money it is crazy.
This thriftiness and penny pinching is good in the interim but does not solve our long term problem which is the lunatics imposing this hardship upon us.
We need a purge of these people from power by whatever means necessary…..to borrow their favorite maxim. And if that is by the ballot box, revolution, civil war, whatever, it needs to be done sooner than later.
The globalists, Left, WEF etc have set 2030 as their deadline to implement the great re-set. They are running out of time. Expect the desperation and abominable diktats to increase. It will get ugly, and our response needs to be measured but ruthless in return.
They need to be afraid of us, and they aren’t……yet!
I hear ya, we need to wake people up. I highly suggest listening to the Michael Saylor interview with Lex Fridman (any podcast provider). Saylor talks a lot about economics and how we need a paradigm shift to change how economist measure the economy. It gets you thinking and puts inflation in prospective.
The best phrase (I’m paraphrasing) is cash at the “2%” target inflation rate (he busts that myth) is worthless after 50 years – if you buried $100,000 in the ground 100 years ago it wouldn’t buy hardly anything compared to what it would’ve bought 100 years ago.
Thanks for posting this. I am familiar with Saylor as my husband follows him. He also follows Raul Pal, who at one time was the head of Goldman Sachs in London.
In addition to a similar rate increase, we now pay an additional $28.00 a month for opting out of the smart meter network and keeping the original type of meter…..which is now only read once every other month.
Mmm hmmm.
One good piece of general advice is to cook from scratch using as many unprocessed ingredients as possible, and buy in bulk as much as you can. Buy organic. It matters.
Learn about sprouting. It’s a fantastic food multiplier, both in quantity and nutritional value. For example, two teaspoons of alfalfa or broccoli seed will produce in excess of a half gallon jar of sprouts. And sprouted brown rice has 400% more calcium than regular brown rice. Sprouting increases the protein in rice from 4% to 13%.
A good source to learn about this is a book titled Cooking with Ancient Grains by Laura McBride. I believe it’s still available through Azure Standard. It opened my eyes to sprouting and fermentation, and made me healthier person and a better cook.
When my beloved Great Pyrenees was diagnosed with pancreatitis I went to work researching alternative treatments, having firsthand knowledge of the standard treatment presently offered by most veterinary practices. I adapted a modified diet for him based on sprouting and fermentation to give his pancreas and digestive system the extra support it needed. It’s been successful, and he’s now very old and doing well.
Sprouting and fermenting are old, deep knowledge used for millennia of human history, virtually all of which existed without refrigeration, and it was a history endured under much harder and harsher conditions than we’ve known as a culture.
Understanding the concept of self rescue is not something the present culture encourages, but it looks like the culture is about to undergo a real shock, and get a great big lesson in self rescue and survival.
Don’t throw away overripe fruit or avocado. Make smoothies with a little milk, OJ or yoghurt. If you can’t consume it all in one day, refrigerate for the next.