It’s almost painful to go to the grocery store today, not just because the prices for everything are so high, but also because seeing the stress amid the working-class shopping is palpable. Unfortunately, while we may have a momentary plateau on current pricing, there’s a strong possibility another wave of higher prices is yet to come.
At the core of the issue are energy prices which continue to rise. The immediate cycle of energy price hikes, a direct consequence of political policy, has lessened somewhat and we are now in that slow tick upward as the pressure on oil, gas, heating and electricity prices continues.
Michael Burry, famous for his predictions in/around the U.S. housing market, is noticing the same thing as CTH. “Inflation peaked. But it is not the last peak of this cycle,” he said. “We are likely to see CPI lower, possibly negative in 2H 2023, and the US in recession by any definition. Fed will cut and government will stimulate. And we will have another inflation spike. It’s not hard.”
Peak demand side inflation is long in the rearview mirror, but the peak of supply side inflation is questionable at best – I would say it’s a plateau, not a peak.
The price of goods, including industrialized and processed raw materials from China are going to increase again – and simultaneously become less consistent in availability. This is going to make prices extremely volatile in 2023.
Essentially, everything around price is tenuous as the western economies absorb the full impact of this Build Back Better energy policy, and into this foray comes China with production and processing challenges as a result of COVID bubbles being removed. We are seeing this problem right now in the pharmaceutical industry and with ordinary medicines becoming scarcer on store shelves.
With the macro economy showing a consumer collapse in spending on goods, the economy will contract again. However, the prices of essential products continue to sustain upward pressure. What does this look like in real terms? Less income amid the workforce and consistently higher prices. We need to be as prepared for this scenario as humanly possible.
Many people have written with sincere appreciation for the CTH forecasts delivered in the fall of 2021. I am thankful to have been of benefit to those who could take proactive measures to avoid the economic issues we faced in 2022. However, I am worried now.
I am worried because the downside to this economic contraction is going to hit the already tenuous and barely surviving middle class the worst. There’s only so much a person/family can do to offset rising energy costs. I listen to this woman’s voice, and it crushes me because I know and feel that pain (Twitter video):
https://twitter.com/WallStreetSilv/status/1609912402446794752
I know just about every reader on these pages can relate to how financial fear can eat you from the inside. The life game of trying to figure out how to get from one week to the next, keep a roof over your head and keep the kids/grandkids safe and fed is fraught with trepidation. I get it. Believe me, I get it…. But you just gotta keep going; whatever it takes.
2023 is going to be rough for many working families and people on fixed incomes.
This is why I was saying for 2023 we need to focus at home; build that bunker safe and secure.
Then look to help/assist the neighbors, then the community, etc. But start by being proactive at home and do not isolate. Fear, worry, trepidation, foreboding etc, is worse when internalized. Do not swallow it – reach out to a loving God, pray, release it, and then embrace the central purpose in life, fellowship.
This too shall pass.
“2023 is going to be rough for many working families and people on fixed incomes.”
I’m on a fixed income and can’t work due to a disability, which doesn’t “qualify” for any sort of disability payments. My savings are being rapidly depleted.
Out of pure spite to TPTB, and out of pure obdurance, I am now scrolling to that “DONATE” button in the upper right corner of this page. To whatever degree I am prepared, the latter is largely due to the sound advice in Sundance’s articles. Ain’t gonna be much, Mr. Sundance — might get you a few Big Mac’s and fries — but then isn’t that President Trump’s favorite?
I view you both with the same regard. Thank you.
In electric cars, using electricity for cabin heat is very energy intensive. So all electric cars have heated seats which can apply the heat directly to your body while using a lower cabin air temperature.
So I’m throwing out there that an electric blanket while having the thermostat lower might work. This works pretty well in the hybrid car I drive as a commuting car.
You will not believe this, but I hope you do — for Christmas my sister and BIL gave me an over-the-mattress/under-the-sheet Sherpa heater sort of thing! Hard to describe since it’s not an official electric blanket. In any event, thank you for your kind post. Looks like you and they think alike:)
My mom had one on her guest bed as the upstairs had no heat or insulation, and was in the high 40’s during cold winter nights. They work great, as most have zones of heat to keep your head cooler, your body warm and your feet warmer.
I just heat one or two rooms when really cold…using propane. I use kitchen/den in the daytime and bedroom/den at night. Sheets/blankets over door openings.
I slept on the sofa when the temps were 0°, heating just one room…the den.
I still had broken pipes in one bathroom with the water running. The pipes were on the outside wall; next year I’ll leave that tub running.
It’s been 10 days and I’m now on two lists of plumbers for repair.
I can be positive due to not being on the flood lists all across the world.
It could be so much worse. Count your blessings, folks.
Jesus is King….Amen.
Heat tape on the plumbing pipes might be worthwhile.
Don’t forget ventilation when using propane heaters indoors.
Good idea to get a carbon monoxide detector and smoke alarm.
Here in Maine, built-in propane fired heaters are popular…the brand found is usually Rinnai. These heaters are direct vented to the outside. It could be that JayJay has one of these.
Heated mattress pad.
Here is how y0u middle class American citizens can beat this evil game: Fly down to Mexico, landing at a beach town. Stay there for a week or two getting a great tan. Find a used clothing store, buy some duds that make you look like a Mexican or someone from Central America. Learn where the illegals gather on their trek to America. Go join them, but keep your passport, etc. hidden and in a waterproof pouch. March toward America.
When you get to the border, cross over, play deaf and dumb, talk mumbo jumbo if pressured.
Accept the new clothes, the new cell phone, the instructions on how to live in the USA and where to get all the free stuff. Board the bus and if given a chance for location drop off, pick a place close to your legal residence.
See how easy that is…
You win the internet. That was hilarious. I can do “mumbo jumbo”… my name is “Habeeb”.
Thats actually my Mayors name…
Agreed. Hilarious. Until you recognize that not one single illegal crosses the Northern reaches of Mexico without a cartel escort and $$$ payment. Try to pull your stunt … and you’ll become a corpse in the desert. Which will, however, also solve any personal inflation difficulties you may be experiencing.
Illegals used to arrange to get picked up in a sweep, when their South of the border relatives were having a wedding or birthday; free ride to the border, attend the family event, then just cross over to go back to their new home.
That was back in the pre-cartel days, …
Cheech’s family did that in Up In Smoke.
yep.
Immigrants I know just bring their relatives who have always wanted to migrate to America and now have the opportunity. They buy plane tickets and fly in with their whole family. Within weeks they have jobs and settle in with the American relatives.
I recently spoke with some immigrant friends who told me that their relatives are flying from (overseas country) to Mexico and are going to enter through the Southern (non) border of the US.
Better to stay. Period. Marry a local. Done.
them electric cars are expensive too
Report: Siblings Charge Tesla 6 Times in 1 Day as Frigid Temperatures Quickly Drain Battery
A brother and sister said they had to stop six times in one day to charge a Tesla they rented for a road trip because the frigid temperature caused the vehicle battery to drain quickly.
Xaviar and Alice Steavenson were curious to see what driving a Tesla would be like, so they rented a model from Hertz in late December to drive from Orlando, Florida, to Wichita, Kansas, Business Insider reported.
The brother claimed to Insider that Hertz advertised on their website that driving a Tesla would always be cheaper than using a gas-powered vehicle. However, as they traveled in the electric-powered vehicle, they quickly discovered this was not the case.
The historic winter weather from late December was causing the vehicle’s battery to drain so fast that they spent more time at charging stations than they spent on the road and were spending more money as a result.
“We ended up having to stop every one to one and a half hours to charge for an hour, then an hour and a half, then two hours,” Xavier told the outlet.
“So beyond the lost time, it also got to the point it was between $25 and $30 to recharge. Just in one day, we stopped six times to charge at that cost,” he added.
Well, it stimulates the economy by giving business to the coal-fired power plants.
So basically, a Tesla is useless in Minnesota during the winter.
And they’re using ’em in School Busses in some places.
Brilliant.
School is out when they work! Sounds like the teachers unions!
Batteries universally do not like cold. Mostly about those chemical reaction rates being attenuated by temperature. Never mind effecting the internal (electrical) resistance by the same token, and the effective power transfer efficiency in the circuits.
Any honest chemist would have been able to tell you that. Ditto for electrical engineers.
But these days, the truth is considered a conspiracy theory!
The laws of nature are not moved by the whims of mortal men.
It is, was, and will be. To pretend otherwise is be slave to a lie.
Objective truth exists regardless of what one may think of it.
Speaking of which, one can ignore reality but one cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.
You sound like an olllllld Luddite … who doesn’t believe in NEW !! GAME CHANGING technologies!! /sarc.
A is A.
Bet you’ve read Ayn Rand.
Yeah, but with Global warming you don’t have to worry about cold….. (hehehe)
The wiser ones will be prepared for a repeat of the Little Ice Age that coincided with the Maunder Minimum.
Any honest research in geology would reveal that we are currently enjoying a warmer interglacial period that will unequivocally end at some point.
There’s nothing humanity can do much about it with our current technological development level. Still less than a type 1 civilization on the kardashev scale for how ever that matters.
The sooner the better IMHO
This is absolute truth. While we don’t know when the effects of Maunder minimum will hit earth in reduction of solar activity, it will hit and somewhere in the next 8-20 years, the temps will start to fall. There will be no escaping this. I am hopeful that well ahead of such time, nuclear energy is declared ‘renewable’; like hydro electricity was, after over half a century of protests against building any dams (still continues at some places) and there is sufficient energy available. What people don’t realize is that electricity is not that much above a third of total energy deployed (in quads: quadrillion BTUs), so we need, oil and gas (& coal) energy generation sources operating efficiently and effectively for a long time more.
A couple of links:
US Energy Consumption Dropped 7.3 Quads in 2020 (treehugger.com)
U.S. energy facts – data and statistics – U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
Kardashev scale, eh? Kardashian scale might be more accurate considering the level of ignorance on display these days.
But when the biggest salaries go to EE’s and Chemists working for EV corp’s. … they remain silent about physics and chemistry. Why? Because they’re working on GAME CHANGING technologies! That defy physics and chemistry.
It’s hard to argue against something when ones salary depends on not understanding or “knowing” about it.
If we freeze to death, is that considered “game changing”?
well, it’s certainly “an inconvenient truth”
I learned that one Christmas morning in Idaho, when my brother and I took our new remote control monster trucks out in the snow for some fun back about 1992.
I heard a report that electric cars lose 40% of their efficiency in the cold; this just verifies it.
They do lose efficiency but the bigger battery drain is heat.
Gas/Diesel vehicles use waste heat from combustion to heat the interior. Electric cars have run to high wattage electric heaters off the battery.
so you’re kinda SOL if you’re buried in a roadway snow drift awaiting rescue
at least you don’t die from carbon monoxide poisoning
Become a green energy activist and take a private jet.
now there’s a man who’s always thinking
Obviously the Steavensons aren’t very tecnically adept. Electric cars aren’t made for long road trips unless you have lots of time to waste. Worse, you need to use the charge for heat with batteries that lose energy density in cold weather.
Everything has a niche. Electric vehicle’s niche is local driving and delivery with limited milage and the ability to charge them overnight. I would investigate an EV truck if I had a business requiring a vehicle (e.g. plumber or electrician) and my driving was less than 1oo miles a day and I could charge overnight. It might make sense in certain business models.
But, but, but …. their rented Tesla has a “range” of 275mi. !! Wow!! Such wonderful GAME CHANGING technology in those massive Tesla batteries … /sarc.
Which is part of the elite/deep state/WEF plans…all humans will be ‘existing’ in 10 square mile communities and not need to go further for any work/medical/entertainment/household supplies.
Thus, the program to force all from the rural communities one way or another to the cities.
AGENDA 30
Noticed the world domination of farmers/farming??
Well it wasn’t the car that blew smoke up your arse!
Oh, well. Play stupid electric car games, win a poverty prize. And please don’t expect sympathy, as you CHOSE to rent a Tesla and not a gas powered Ford
you stole my comment!!! My thoughts exactly.
The welfare rats don’t care. They are making out better than ever. It is easy to tell who has a job and who doesn’t. The working class pushes the little carts with a bag or two in them for 100 bucks. That is if they can find what they want because while they were working the welfare rats cleaned everything out. The welfare rats walk around in pajamas pushing the big carts that are often stacked 2 feet over the top of the cart. They don’t have any clue what it costs, but I know it is likely in the 500 to 700 dollar range. The grocery stores take advantage of welfare week and cancel all sales and jack the price on everything. Sickening.
Of course they don’t care, they believe the rest of us owe them and the Democrats are happy to steal from and starve us of our own money/ resources for food, etc…. so they can buy their votes. Funny I always thought vote buying was Illegal.
But they can’t profit from the taxpayer on the scale of corrupt politicians and their friends who conduct proxy wars, fake climate con games, and build powerful finance empires. We lowly work force folks provide the capital with which the big players build massive illegal fortunes. (Yes, we’re stupid.)
If you ever view the EBT/SNAP food on Amazon, you’ll see prices elevated all the time. The same item will be a much better buy when buying without ‘gov assistance’. They know what they’re doing. So d–n obvious yet always ignored. Sickening. It just jacks up the cost eventually for the working person.
Price increases followed the initial Biden giveaway EBT increase to the exact week in my local stores. As he gave out the NEW free money the prices went up ~ 20-25% . The Biden Regime is one giant Racketeering family. When you think about the COVID BS as well…. imagine looking into all the politicians stock trades as they pretty much knew which companies were going to be hurt and which would benefit from supply chain shutdowns.
I’m also sick of disable badge people walking into the store and walking out with heavy bags! Nothing about them is disabled!
Actually, I have a friend with bad arthritis, whose husband has serious heart issues.
They don’t look ill, but they are.
The handicapped parking spaces help them a lot.
Don’t know about other states but in Oregon SNAP staggers throughout the first part of the month based on the last digit of one’s SS#. Pandemic extra does come on one day but that varies from month to month. I think this month it’s the 11th.
I’m still a small cart shopper; didn’t change my five buck a day food habit after SNAP. After a year now that has built up a pretty good warehouse in two buildings and still the benefits roll in. I figure I’ll help out neighbors if need be. One senior can only eat so much and I do OK.
I don’t see the big carts at the local mom and pop I shop at. Then again, it’s the only grocery store and that nearby town only has 1500 or so residents. Different world. I’m amazed things aren’t more expensive than they are considering the distance and transportation involved.
Where I live in Oregon it’s a pretty subsistence lifestyle for the locals. People have their own animals and hunt and fish and garden. If any benefits went away tomorrow I’m sure we’d be OK. We plan for that. It doesn’t change the deeply conservative values and voting we hold. I figure the Communists did this to us so economic warfare is OK.
Having a garden, a few laying hens, learning to make your own bread and canning your own food is the smart way to live.
It’s not that hard. Most people can at least do something.
Every little bit of independence and self sufficiency is a speed bump on the Globalists’ road to Hell.
I have always said Walmart is owned by the Taxpayers/Government.
They pay low part time salaries forcing their workers onto SNAP/EBT, and then it gets spent right back in their store. Walmart gets its workers for free!
Was advised by our local Walmart that they will no longer have cashiers. They are going to all self checkouts . Apparently all of the Walmarts will do the same.
Be interesting when the hood start stabbing the elderly to death because they can’t find the barcode fast enough!
Holy cow, you described exactly what I see at our Walmart!
In Ohio, the EBT cards (food stamps) are refilled in a staggered fashion…10% of them on the first of the month, then 10% every other day until every card is refilled.
I shop every two weeks because that’s how we get paid. My cart is very full because I have a family of five and I cook. We don’t typically eat out. So not everyone with a full cart is on welfare.
I read recently that some store in a town in Calif. was charging $11 for just one head of lettuce.
Weather and disease, supply and demand.
I haven’t see that out here in Cali, but 22oz of bacon is $19.99. If I see it on sale for $14.99 I buy 2.
I don’t know how much the use of the strategic oil reserves has been propping up the price of gasoline, but right now the strategic petroleum reserve currently contains only about 375 million barrels of oil, which is enough for 19 days of consumption.
If the draining of the SPR has kept gas prices low, then we can expect an increase in oil and gas prices which will play out in inflation of everything again.
I shop around and clip coupons and trade my citrus for farm fresh eggs and other items. Still can’t get the grocery bills for a family of 4 (with 2 young growing boys) to be under $185 a week.
Yeah that’s about right. I’m in the same boat family wise: 4, with two young growing boys. I’m impressed you can get it to that! Even splitting up the shopping in to 3 separate stores for best prices (regular Harris teeter, Aldi, Costco) , I can’t get weekly down below ~$325!!!
Damn!!!! That’s my mortgage + 50!!!
I only have 1172 each month. I lost 1700 monthly when husband died 2 years ago.
That SS increase has already been monkeyed with…..auto insurance increase…we’re paying for all the flood, etc. victims…and Prime Video.
Please, don’t go there. I am widowed, have no neighbors, just houses on same street, and no family.
Can you raise a garden, even a few raised beds?
Or try raising food inside your house?
I’m going to try raising lettuce under some inexpensive LED grow lights, after seeing a Youtube video on the Provident Prepper channel.
I also bake my own no-knead bread, after seeing a Youtube how-to video on the Jennycancook channel.
Can you raise a couple of laying hens in your town? I have a small flock and share my extras with friends.
It is hard, I know. My husband passed 13 years ago.
But it can be done.
May God bless you and provide you with all your needs.
amazing you do that good but I’ve read enough of your posts to know you are dedicated.
Just 2 of us, both early 70s and we eat one big meal per day. I’m a thrifty shopper with Kroger, Meijer and Aldi nearby. Usually runs $80-100 wk. That does include about $10 a wk for chicken for the 2 wireless doorbells. They sometimes share as long as they get theirs first.
Spend $600 a year on the big boxes of meat at Sam’s Club. Can it, or freeze it, and grow your own veg. If you get chickens even better.
Flour, milk, rice, pasta is still cheap.
I can’t say what I spend since I started storing food about 2008/2009. So I spend more than most for things I have run short of or find on sale and take advantage of.
On my list today are eggs(many cartons), pancake mix(I freeze), crackers(has great shelf life), and bread(I freeze).
Oh, and Tropical Punch I buy several tubs.
I’m short on these items, not out.
It’s crazy world living in Biden’s BBB…. ya spend $100 and look at the cart scratching head….. what exactly did I buy that cost $100? I used to spend $20 a week for one, then it went to $40, $50 and as of the last 3 times at the store $100 for the same stuff I used to buy for ~$20 under Trump.
So, what I’d also like to know is where is all this extra Tax revenue going? In my area sales tax is ~10% on everything, food, clothing, etc. etc. So with food prices going up 3-400% where is the EXTRA tax money going? (Most likely into some corrupt politicians pockets would be my guess.)
Good point.
I’m in Cali, our sales tax is 9%…… sometimes Gavin says we have a surplus, sometimes he says we’re in the hole. I would also like to know where the sales tax goes…..
Try the CA gas tax … and where it goes. Hint: doesn’t go into road repair and maintenance
Yes, the old Cali gas tax- 3 of them to be exact. It really grinds my gears that they post the 3 taxes per gallon at the pump- just torturing us.
I did not realize any state charges sales tax on groceries! What states do that??
My area in SC has 8% sales tax.
2% sales tax on food.
Plus extra 2% if it’s prepared food (grocery store salads sandwiches, cut fruit…)
So, fast food and resteraunt food is taxed at 10% (8%+2%)
Some states do charge the full sales tax on food….. mine being one. You can look them up if you want, others charge nothing which surprised me.
PA no tax on food or clothing. RE Tax is sky high.
Except for two or three resort towns, there are no sales taxes in Montana.
Alabama @ 10%
Tax Foundation has a list of state with sale taxes . Thirteen states tax groceries.AR,IL,MO,VA,UT,AL,HI,TN,OK,SD,ID,KS,MS.
NY isn’t on that list but they should be. In NY There is charge per grocery bag. You can avoid it if you carry your food in your arms or get a reusable bag but it’s a hidden food tax nonetheless.
Yeah some states do tax everything, including food. This article gives a recent rundown
Some tax nothing purchased. When I looked for a place to die and live inexpensively, I picked the latter. Oregon is one of those.
It travels to Ukraine and then back to the American politician.
Ky isn’t taxed on food items.
I cook a pound of ground beef with a cup of lentils. It tastes and looks like 2 pound of ground beef when done.
Great idea, the kids love lentils. I will try that
Brown rice with black beans, with a bit of taco meat.
Where the sailor spends his hard earned pay
Red beans and rice for a quartah
Depression cooking; meat isn’t the “main coarse” its the seasoning.
My Dad grew up in the depression, and cooked that way for us sometimes, just cause he liked it, and so so do I.
Hamhocks and beans with cornbread, Cabbage, peppers and sausage (smoked or polish).
Instead of every member of the household getting 8-12 oz cut of fish, chicken, beef or pork, you take ONE 8-12 oz. cut of meet, and cut it up and cook it WITH noodles, rice, beans, etc.
Yes its called “stretching your budget”, but it also makes some deliscious, rib sticking meals.
Both of my parents grew up during the Depression, and Dad was the oldest of 10 children, so that was reflected in our meals (we were a family of 10 (8 kids)). We had a little bit of meat cooked with our Navy Beans (it is yummy), and we would pour our portion of beans over cornbread. And, my Dad’s German-ish heritage always included some kind of sausage in our cabbage.
I’ve learned a lot from my parents about tough times which is good information to help prepare for our coming depression.
Best friend and her brother were raised by their grandmother in rural Texas. Grandma lived through the depression and fed the kids much like your dad fed your family.
To this day my friend fondly remembers when she’d ask her grandma for more meat, and her grandma would reply, “Meet yourself around the corner.”
Like most of her grandma’s many memorable words of wisdom it didn’t make any sense, but always made the kids laugh.
Me too. I remember eating pigs feet and tripe, liver wurst and canned salmon. My mom made spaghetti with boiled eggs in it instead of beef.
Liverwurst — I’m thinking that’s what we called Braunschweiger (spelling). We also ate salmon as well…Mom made what she called salmon patties. She also made potato patties from leftover mashed potatoes.
We grew up on soup, spaghetti and casseroles.
Mom could stretch one pound of hamburger to two nights of dinners, for six people.
Now I get a Costco rotisserie chicken and make a week’s worth of sandwiches, a quiche for a week’s worth of breakfasts and a large pot of soup to last a week, all out of that one chicken.
The eggs and veggies I raise myself, and I bake my own bread.
It takes some time and some work, but it is do-able.
Thanks for the lentils tip!
Makes a wonderful cottage pie, or chili etc
I raised 3 boys and 3 girls. Back then, I spent $1500/month on groceries and thought that was outrageous. I couldn’t feed the boys enough. I can’t even imagine what parents are going through now.
I noticed the cost for a loaf of bread has tripled.
So I bake my own no-knead bread for less than a dollar a loaf.
Learned how from a Youtube channel:
Jenny can cook
Very easy to do and takes very little prep time.
Watch the Dow stocks. They were only down 9% last year while the Nasdaq was down 34%. Jan 1 we rolled out new taxes on stock buybacks, on business interest deductions, on business capital expense, so there will be no more investment. If the Dow stocks head a lot lower, it won’t be good for the market.
But it will be OUTSTANDING for the elite-level wealthy buying up stocks for pennies on the dollar … same as they’ll be doing with cratered real estate prices.
Retired Magistrate here: Our house is our Alamo; we are as prepared as a couple in their mid 70’s, on a fixed income can be. Thankfully we are each other’s best friends and work together as a team to take care of each other and help a neighbor who is older than we are. We also give advice to younger neighbors on how to stock up and prepare. Some listen; some don’t, but at least we are trying to make our outpost a better place to live.
GOD Bless.
One thing you may not have considered as a tradable resource. I keep chickens and I use wood chips from local electric company as litter in the coop to keep down the smell. Guess what! I have people asking me if they can come dig compost from my coop!
Cheaper to have a chicken tractor on pasture. Just mark your pasture out into 12 blocks the same size as the tractor. Sow that area with clover, rye, barley grasses, and move your tractor once a month. The chickens will eat the pasture and fertilize it. Once they chew up one plot, wheel the tractor to the plot next to it and so on, and on. The pasture will keep renewing itself, no need to buy chicken feed, and the ground will be good and fertile if you ever want to grow veg. No cleaning out the coop, they just poop in the grass all day, and get in the nest box at night.
I’ve done that during good weather, but the winter snow can get mighty deep in Montana, so I stash the chickens in the coop for the winter.
With egg prices so crazy here in N.CA … I need to find a local suburban chicken keeper … and buy half a dozen eggs from them every two weeks. When I buy a dozen in the store … most of em go bad before I use them for the two of us, who don’t eat lots here in our mid-60’s
Eggs last longer than most folks think, stored in the fridge.
Also, have you thought of having a quiche for supper?
Eggs aren’t just for breakfast anymore!
If you have a local farm supply store, they may have a community bulletin board. Might find an egg farmer there. A local health food store might have eggs, too. Look in your local Nickel shopper paper, or at the farmers market.
To all those growing a garden to save money on food, follow the sun! The solar maximum is upon us, and there will be several years of rain. Add that to vapor and ash now falling from the largest volcanic eruption in recorded history, and growing conditions will be very hard.
Arm yourself with frost protection of good quality, pesticide, and fertilizer, or your hard work will be for nought. Plant in raised beds if you live in easy flood areas.
My entire back yard was a lake of 2ft deep water on Sat. … and come Wed. … we’re in for another week of downpours. Cue every mouthpiece spewing the FRAUD of global warming to tell us that … our record-breaking rainfall and snowfall just isn’t enough to reverse …. Years (sic) of punishing drought.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/miracle-or-mirage-atmospheric-rivers-end-california-drought-year-with-heavy-snow-and-rain/ar-AA15OsXx
https://www.drought.gov/states/california
80% of CA experiencing … SEVERE … drought. *cough* *cough* … bullshit.
If all the water washes out to the ocean then y’all are right back in a drought!
Hardly. The reason I have a lake in my backyard is because the groundwater is FULL. Fully saturated … barely a third into the rainy season. By definition … saturation levels such as these END droughts. And we have another mechanism that goes FAR beyond drought … snowpack in the Sierra. The snowpack is currently MASSIVE with 2/3 of the rainy year still to come. And the snowmelt and runoff doesn’t fill our reservoirs till JULY every year. Yeah … there … is … no … drought … in … CA. Period. We are being LIED TO by the global Warmists.
Raised bed/ container gardening sounds like a good bet for you.
Check out:
Robbie and Gary Gardening Easy
on Youtube.
They raise lots of veggies for very little money, in containers, in California.
I bought a $200 Amazon greenhouse that I hope to put up in the spring.
Can someone please explain to me how Trump expects to win in 2024 when the D Rats continue to steal elections? Has he explained to anyone how he is going to stop the steal?
And it’s going to extra tricky when I keep seeing comments from conservatives saying that because of the fraud they won’t vote anymore. These people are gifting the election so the Dems will not need to cheat as much.
I think stopping the steal is up to us. So far, the high road isn’t working out too well.
I’m interested too. I actually wasn’t sure Trump would run again because of how the midterms were taken in AZ and GA and PA…. So I’m not sure the plan…. Maybe he’s gonna get into the ballot business? I’ll door knock and collect 🤷🏼♀️
Does anyone have a pulse on the disaffected class of voters? The ones who don’t vote or care, i.e. the plurality of voters (33.9% in 2020).
Curious because a young fellow I know in his 20s, the sort of working class person who would be in a state of constant anxiety financially, had nothing but scorn for Musk when I overheard him at a New Year’s Eve get together, but none of it was political. He said roughly “I go to Twitter to laugh at jokes not see a bunch of political talk, I don’t go on Twitter anymore”.
I wonder if this sentiment isn’t more widespread than is realized – this attitude of “I don’t give a s*** about Musk or DeSantis or Biden or anyone, I’m too busy just trying to survive and I’m sick of the importance ascribed to their doings while my misery is being ignored”.
Venture over onto reddit forums, there is a whole swath of Ignorant dolts posting on that forum. I cannot believe the stupid crap these younger folks are posting. It’s like they are missing their brains…. or maybe they are all bots, (wouldn’t surprise me) who knows. Anyhow their voting patterns are gonna ruin this country for everyone…. Biden and other leftist commies are proof of that.
That’s what brainwashing looks like. 🙁
Proud alumni of government schools.
Doo not discount the young, there are plenty of old dolts, too.
KL’s campaign staff, average age 33, with a campaign director of 21.
Charlie Kirk has organised LOTS of young voters, and PDJT’s rallys are definetly NOT all old people.
So, maybe it is better that they not vote.
My hubby is civilian DOD.
1 month after we upgraded to a larger more rural home in ’21 and 2 weeks after the birth of my seventh child, the vax mandates came down. For months we had rumbles, doubts and sleepless nights in our relationship where there had never been disagreement on a plan of action in 12 years.
And for many months we worried about the status of his religious exemption (which was never addressed).
This year he was given a $342 raise and no explanation why it was a fraction of a percent.
Our 8th child is due in July. We have savings and faith in God. And I’m ready for the journey of poverty if God leads us there. We will always be a happy family. But we used to be able to easily save out of every paycheck, we’ve always been frugal. And now we are very embarassed that his paycheck doesn’t cover our expenses anymore. And I dont know how much more frugal we can get. Next year my kids whom we homeschool will have less extracurricular club/team/sports opportuinites because of our situation. We will weather the storm, Jesus has the wheel.
But its important to recognize that inflation is not just crushing us at the grocery store (which it is), it is crushing opportunity. Inflation isn’t my fault. And it’s time for those who are manipulating the markets, raising our taxes and flushing it down the toilet of war or laundering for their own desires are held to the flame of accountability, and the rest of the spectators hear the truth.
Its time that the truth is heard about the pain these mandates and covid policy caused. Sure we all know, but speech of it is censored away. Those politicians need to know they were wrong about the vax and they didn’t do enough to protect us from the tyranny.
We need more media and politicials and speakers of every stripe who will break the narrative talking points.
Our government is torturing it’s countryman and pretending not to know. And the abuse must end.
8 kids…what other hobbies do you partake in?
Mike, are you 15? I wish you were serious and not in jest. My enthisasm for hobbies is endless and love to carry on about them.
I hope one day you see the world through my eyes and recognize how disgusting and juvenile your comment is.
Making children is part of being married.
Children are the reason for living.
Modern society has rendered children as selfish accessories or downright drudgeries.
And sex, which is an integral and sacred part of marriage, has been turned into a jokable recreational activity.
Having a good marriage and raising a (large) family up might be the most selfless, humbling honorable uplifting and worthwhile thing i could spend my life doing. I will never appreciate crass barbs for it.
I emplore you to never make such a dumb comment to any married parent again.
Best sex is procreational sex. 😉 makes sense, really
Amen. You keep going honey.
May the Lord bless and keep your family.
You and your husband have honored God in your marriage, and in return God has honored you with 8 blessings.
I am grateful to know your children will be raised in the fear and admonition of the Lord. All the “stuff” of this world means nothing, and you are showing them a much better way.
Thank you for being a good wife and mother.
Bless you for building a strong, Godly family, which is the cornerstone of a good society.
Heh, in the 60’s for we Catholics big families were the norm. I was an anomaly. My mom was one of eleven, dad one of five. My best friend’s mom and dad kept having babies until having a son, him, so six. Sadly both his parents died in the Tenerife disaster in 1977, leaving him as the patriarch of the family business and home.
In large swaths of America, particularly rural America, big families like the OP there aren’t unusual.
I had a college friend who lost both his parents in the Tenerife crash. Jewish. Not 5 siblings though. 6 degrees of separation place us all in closer orbits than seems logical
What other hobbies can compare? However … a rubber sheath on the ol’ Fella can be useful. But only if you’re a Protestant …
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2023/01/a_plan_for_rescuing_america.html
3rd Party it is!
That was perfectly stated. I read every word, which I don’t normally because I won’t read a long written scathing rebuke without any good spacing.
Use a bit more spacing and more Treepers will follow your writings.
Personally, I believe you are “spot on”….I’m old, deal with it.
Got it. Appreciate the advice.
I wish you all the best. But I just wanted to say that I admire your life choices of a large family and home school.
Me, too.
Convenience foods will be going away. Best to just have oats.
Read the replies to that tweet and you can instantly tell who’s a Biden voter and who is not.
The Biden voters are telling this woman that she’s shopping at stores that are over-priced, or buying “unnecessary” stuff. No empathy at all.
Their flagrant “fighting back” tells me that they KNOW this is Biden’s fault.
I live in N. California. My recent PG&E bill was $560.00 for one month. Majority for gas, some electric. For Xmas my daughter got me long johns and other thermal clothes to wear around the apartment to stay warm and use less energy.
Breathtaking, isn’t it? I only have PGE electric in CA and last month it wasn’t too bad, just under 100 bucks, however the CARE program buys the rate down by 25% or so. Dead trees heat the house and I cook and heat water on the insert. Still haven’t filled any LP this winter there. It’s a cold water house right now.
That reality was part of the reason I traded that 2000sq/ft space in for one half that size in Oregon. God willing in a couple months it’ll be sold and I’ll bid PGE a fond farewell. They were a good customer too for about 20 years. Paid a lot of my bills. Monster though. Not the utility i remember in the old days.
My newly remodeled home with above-standard foam insulation, super high efficiency furnace and appliances, and high efficiency tankless water heater … 3,400 sq ft. compact two-story residence … was billed $389.00 last month. And our furnace is set to 61deg.F upped to 66 deg.F for 2-hours morning and night. Next month … I expect much higher. These rates are pushing us into energy poverty as more and more disposable income is siphoned into PG&E’s bloated bureaucracy and useless job descriptions. And we’ve done EVERYTHING the State eco-crats have scolded us to do … short of a $40,000 solar system
Sounds like you folks took advantage of the latest technology to save energy which hopefully will mitigate some of the pain that is to come if trends in PG&E land continue. It wasn’t always like this with them. I’ve been a customer for 39 years and they were my customer for 20 and IMO the culture has definitely changed.
In comparison, when I first bought in Oregon, the local PUD charged seven cents a kwh; today it’s gone up to 7.8 cents a kwh, roughly one fifth of the PG&E rate.. Columbia River hydro is the source.
I’ll say one thing about CA besides the surf and ski part…. it’s been a great place to make money. I lost interest in that so there wasn’t much else to keep me after being there 60 years.
Seems like the regulations and energy costs are getting more and more onerous. God be with you.
I hope lots of Democrats suffer mightily as well as any Republican that voted against Trump because the TV said he was a meanie
Don’t we all miss the “mean tweets” and all the wonderful things that came along with them?
Figures at what 7-8 % in Biden math.
I completely agree with the idea of ‘do not isolate’. As well as mental health, which is so important, it is also a way to learn from each other how to manage in the current situation. I have learnt so many good ideas from CTH comments, and I’ve shared them with friends, too.
Teaching someone is a good deed. And giving someone an opportunity to teach you (or help you) is to allow them an opportunity to do a good deed.
My fav liters of Diet Coke used to be 4/$5.00 12 mos. ago … I just bought 2 this weekend for $5.00. Even worse math. Yes. I know DC is a filthy, expensive habit. Time to go cold Turkey. Time to punish woke COKE
Buy frozen juice and soda water, and make your own.
Defrost the frozen juice, and keep it in a jar in the fridge.
Pop a can of soda, and add fruit juice to taste.
And then gradually “wean” yourself by putting in a little less fruit juice, over time.
You don’t HAVE to go “cold turkey”.
Or use a Soda Stream.
Learn to drink water a lot. Never throw out the coffee from the morning; make iced coffee for the afternoon. Flavor your water with a teaspoon of lemon or lime juice. Don’t go broke over bubbles.
Even worse if one is hooked on Starbucks mocha frappuccino. Price of a four-pack of 9.5 oz. bottles has become bizarre. Shame on me.
I’m broke looking at easily $40k of hurricane damage and I get from the FEMA person, who is from DC and looks like the former Nuclear Energy luggage thief, that I have white privledge…. Yeah he/she flagged me for appeal. They need to keep DC people in DC.
2023 will be the year I starve.
No, do not go gentle into that good night!
Sell it all, buy a van and hit the road, if you must, but don’t let the SOBs get what they want, which is your death!
If you want to fight FEMA, see if there are class action lawsuits you can join in with.
There are conservative law groups that will fight for our rights. You need to find one.
Mr. Trump left a legacy of many good, Constitutionalist judges.
There is hope!
As I understand Sundances explanations for the economic woes we are experiencing there iis -0- basis for the optimistic predictions of the “experts” that “this too shall pass.
Its all about too much Govt. spending, and their insane war on energy.
The Govt spending is continueing unabated, as is their war on oil.
Without a change in Govt. policy, there is no way this stops.
And, again due to Sundances tutorials, the “slowing down” of inflation that they talk about, is an ILLUSION, because they always measure year to year.
Batstuds are driving the economy off a cliff, confident they can design and make a parachute on the way down,…
It will pass, though perhaps not until the Lord’s return.
And they have no desire to build a parachute on the way down.
They want to destroy it all, because that is what their master, Satan, wants.
That’s the greatest photo of that little boy and his pup, praying!
You can’t eat deodorant.
$1.7 trillion more in inflation for sure, and not just from Biden, remember McConnell and other RiNO’s had a hand in this too.
Don’t expect the Republican House to slow this speeding train down before it runs of the rails.
Thank you Sundance for your welcome voice in this persistent storm.
My friend in Idaho sent me a picture of eggs in the grocery store. $8.79/dozen
I am enlarging my flock this year because I believe my neighbors will need eggs and I have the room to do so.
The “paying” customers can help me continue to give eggs away for free to those who need them.
We can help one another through this.
Let’s Go Brandon and the horse he rode in on.
I got a couple of roosters, too, since I am not confident that the government will continue to let us buy chicks in the future.
Also stocking up on open pollinated seeds.
When Republicans officially take back the House will they be removing the troops and fencing around the Capitol building?
If so, it sure would be time for our reps to hear and see us in person and give them a piece of our minds.
What are they doing about reversing this madness?
Agenda 21 has wrecked the economy, supply chains, put incredible stress on insurance, health care, energy, and put bioweapons in the blood steam of millions. Next up agenda 2030. This year a 17% tax increase on already high nat gas,
increased taxes coming on oil, carbon dioxide, coal, and unrealized capital gains. To meet their goals they will have to eliminate nat gas, and most hydrocarbon usage in vehicles. Electricity could see a price increase 400%. I am seeing potential demand for minisplit units to replace nat gas usage. People may be heating or cooling only one or two rooms in their homes. One answer may be to bring on an illegal immigrant house mate and have them put the utilities in their name to get financial help with the bill.
I think its time for Treepers to once again, share their money saving tips…and any new ideas…especially activities that can be done as a family….
its not a precise recipe…its adding stuff as you go and are satisfied with the consistency of the mix…
Aggiegirl’s home made dog treats…one egg…approx. 16 ounces of canned salmon (or tuna, cheap kind or meat scraps–chicken, turkey also leftover green beans or peas and carrots can go in it)….save the fluid…and use about half of it in the mixture, tapioca flour (is excellent for non crumbling treats)…the fish juice is useful to help make it stick together too)
Puree the fish or meat…add egg, cusinart it some more adding fish juice…I have a little two cup food processor that works perfect…transfer to a bowl….start with one cup of the flour and mix…adding more to make it manageable, it won’t get sticky or crumbly….you can add pumpkin, applesauce, a little garlic or cinnamon…bacon drippings…
when it gets to a manageable ball, after mixing, …I lay it on a foil covered cookie sheet, press it to a 1/4 to half inch inch thickness and bake at 250 for about a half hour till a tooth pick comes out clean.
Let it cool and then cut into cubes, triangles or whatever….I freeze about half of them and for me they last 6 months in the freezer.
Check the various websites out there so you know what foods are NOT canine friendly. Onions are a big no no.
My grandchildren love making them for their dogs.
Bake your own bread. Go to Youtube, Jennycancook, and learn her easy, no-knead bread recipe.
Learn to can and dehydrate food safely.
GARDEN! Even raising lettuce under grow lights will help.
Try to raise a couple laying hens. Many cities will let you have a few. Fats and protein in eggs.
Stock up when there are sales.
Take care of your health. Take a daily multivitamin.
Take care of your teeth.
Buy in bulk, along with others in your neighborhood, your church, your work place.
Split a Costco or Sam’s Club membership.
Reach out to friends, family and neighbors.
Stick together, like immigrant families used to.
I notice more and more how quiet it is in the store when I go grocery shopping.
I have spent my entire life cooking and gardening and raising a family on a single small income. I still am almost as frugal as I was then and am thankful for a lifetime of knowledge on how to live well on less. Realize THINGS YOU CAN LIVE WITHOUT. Paper plates and paper towels, expensive laundry detergent ( even a dryer) and laundry softener, fancy shampoos, deodorants, and household cleaning products. Learn to shop at thrift stores for clothing and furniture. Use the library. Buy used vehicles. Don’t have multiple items for the same purpose. Challenge yourself. You will be shocked at how comfortable you can live on far less money if you embrace the task. Change your mind and change your life.
AND ALWAYS BE THANKFUL.
I’ve found the cause of all this “inflation”