Monday Message

Living with in our means is a worthy goal... Check out these links for some good tips!

http://www.sidetrackedsarah.com/2014/07/10-ways-save-money-childrens-clothes/ - As we are trying to get kids ready for school I thought you might find these helpful  it helps when we recycle

This article is one of my favorites and may change your thinking on certain things: https://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/07/powdered-milk-budgets-and-blessings?lang=eng&query=boxes+and+powdered+milk

Being frugal is a way of life. Those who walked life’s path before us knew how important this was.

I find being content is way more comfortable than wanting something you cannot afford. Learning to make do is a schooling that one learns by researching, implementing, and helping others. The more you learn and develop skills the easier this becomes. It is the harder path but way rewarding for sure. Some day we may need to rely on these skills and wouldn’t it be easier to already know how and what to do?

When you are under stress and need to bake bread let's say for your family the learning curve will be a tough pill to take. The first loaf of bread I made is buried behind the place we were living at the time. Looking back I am sure I killed the yeast. I placed it in two pans to rise. Hours and hours went by and they did not raise. I thought hmm.... put them in one pan then try. Well then I gave up and baked it anyway to describe that bread only takes one word “brick.” So if we needed at that time it would have been uneatable plus used up supplies.

Kids also play a factor in this curve. They might not like homemade bread at first as you are trying to learn making it as it won’t be the same as store bought but as you master it they will be requesting it.

I have a friend who learned to bake bread. She learned it over a one year period, learning all she could by the end of that year. She made the best bread I have ever had. Would I ever love to have her recipe! After that year she moved on to the next thing she wanted to learn. Now, it may not take a year to learn something and that is great. She had seven children at the time. Learn all you can. If you cannot learn it on your own find someone that is great and ask if they could teach you most often the answer is yes.

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2013/04/25/how-to-overcome-food-storage-challenges/

http://thesurvivalmom.com/simple-food-storage-meals-for-tight-times-stock-up-on-three-months-worth-fast/

Make a book of basic meals your family likes then start storing those ingredients

If you have wheat stored, do you have a wheat grinder? Do you know how to use a wheat grinder?

http://www.breadexperience.com/home-milling.html - this can help you with information on grinding and has some recipes at the bottom. As a side note there is a wheat grinder you can check out from the ward. Check out from RS president or provident living leader. Check with your wards to see if you have one you could check out. You could grind flour ahead but you must freeze the flour.

If you do not have a grinder, start asking those who have one what they have and if they like it. Start searching to see which has good reviews then be saving up for one.

In the meantime these are fantastic…..

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2009/02/05/food-storage-blender-wheat-pancakes/

Keep working at learning new skills or perfecting ones you have already. Also, work at living frugally.