Monday Message - Yard Sale Season

Yard sales are a great place to look for pressure canners, water baths, vacuum sealers and a ton of other things!

Provident living classes will start up again two weeks after school starts in the fall to give you time to adjust to your new schedule. I will announce as we get near there. For now just enjoy your families, drop me suggestions for what you want a class on, work on your SKILLS and your STORAGE!

"[The pioneers] were taught by their leaders to produce, as far as possible, all that they consumed, and to be frugal and not wasteful of their substance. This is still excellent counsel. Joseph Fielding Smith, "The Pioneer Spirit," Improvement Era, July 1970, 3.

 We can begin with a one week's food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months.  I am speaking now of food to cover basic needs." Gordon B. Hinkley, "To Men of the Priesthood," Ensign, Nov. 2002, 5.

http://verypink.com/2012/08/08/worlds-best-kitchen-scrubbie/ - this link works, last time it didn't so this even has a YouTube to show you how to make it - very nice scrubbie!

http://www.theyummylife.com/Natural_Room_Scents these are wonderful and frugal all in one - a good thing to save the site.

http://www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2012/07/copy-cat-recipe-homemade-bisquick/ scroll down, it is cheaper to make your own and some recipes call for bisquick so I always have on hand my own.

http://thefrugalfreegal.com/frugal-gift-idea/ this is a very handy thing to have.

http://www.firsthomelovelife.com/2013/12/budget-paychecks-differ.html this an idea for budgeting when you have irregular pay.

http://bargainbriana.com/save-money-by-freezing-food/  this is a good way to be frugal provided you have the freezer and space, something to think about.

YARDSALING....tis the season! So while you are out looking, you should look for (if you do not already have).........vacuum sealer, dehydrator, pressure canner (don't worry about if this gauge is accurate, they are easy to replace the rest never goes bad and if it has a gasket easy to get up and running with a new one), water bath or steamer canner, canning jars canning equipment... you get the idea. Finding them at yard sales saves so much money and yes you can find them.

If you already have an item and you see it for cheap at a sale and know of someone who needs one, pick it up or give them a call to see if they want you to get it. Always check dehydrators by plugging in to hear fan and a fan one is what you want. Have them show you the vacuum sealer too,.. pressure canner - just grab it.

The vacuum sealer, you want it to have a port for the hose. Often you do not find the whole set up but you can obtain it through the internet or sporting stores. If they do have the equipment to go with by all means get it, i.e. hose, jar attachment and hose and any canisters.

Living within our means is our goal and yard sales can help with clothing and things that would be costly like blenders, and other kitchen things and household and gardening stuff etc.

You can find yarn and knitting supplies and fabric and sewing machines (though make sure to test that machine before purchasing it).

If you think the price is too high you can ask if they will take less. If you think it is a good price already I feel fair in not asking if they will take less.

It is good to know prices. Also check out those free boxes. I used to get lots of adult jeans with broken zippers that were in good shape. I would make little jeans for the children from them of course, if you are that size and know how to replace zippers that is good too.

So make a list of what you need and carry that list with you to every sale. It will keep you tethered to reality when you are in there looking at everything wishfully...

http://artandbytes.com/2014/05/back-basics-homemade-liquid-laundry-detergent-for-only-pennies-load/  I love being able to make my own laundry soap. That is one huge savings when I found the recipes! I have friends who have allergies and they have benefited greatly by being able to do this. They cannot even walk down the isle of laundry soap without having terrible problems - saves on two fronts!

http://www.marthastewart.com/267317/salad-table this is a fantastic way to have salad for an extended amount of time.

http://benziecd.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Salad-Table-Instructions.pdf  this has different plans.

http://frugalliving.about.com/od/frugalliving101/tp/60-Frugal-Skills-Everyone-Should-Know.htm you know I have been pressing you to build your skills, well here is a great idea. Either use her list here which is a link to how to do what she has on her list and you could make a list of your own with sites and that would be your go-to for learning your skills or renewing skills you have not worked on for a while. This is a good jumping off site to get you started. Scroll down and see all the good things she has here - great ideas!

http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2009/01/06/survival-skills-101-frugal-liv/ okay, I like the first one. I hate to window shop. I do like getting ideas to do my own but not to window shop. So here is a list you can read what she has here. Some things won't apply like the coffee, so pick and choose.

http://www.pennilessparenting.com/p/frugal-kitchen-skills.html another list of frugal kitchen skills to build on.

https://www.quickquid.co.uk/quid-corner/2013/09/13/take-the-frugal-living-challenge-step-8-learn-new-skills/ this has some helpful clips, you might enjoy the garden one right now. If you have a dog, how to groom it is on there, cleaning furniture, just a nice way to learn.

I have given you a lot to work with here. Refer back to it and enjoy your summer and learn skills and build your storage!