Monday Message

I bought my sewing machine used thirty years ago and used it to sew for my babies.

“As we have been continuously counseled for more than 60 years, let us have some food set aside that would sustain us for a time in case of need. But let us not panic nor go to extremes. Let us be prudent in every respect.” (Gordon B. Hinckley, October 2001)

Everyone can be more prudent.

This is the time of year when we make a list of New Year's resolutions. This would be a good time to think what you can do to be more frugal, what skills we can learn and what we need to do to build our food storage.

Make a goal to get out of debt. Maybe it could start by not going into more debt. Put away credit cards. It might be hard especially in the beginning but skip what you might now use your cards on. Think to yourself how you could do it differently, like wait and pay cash or get it used or do without - could you do that?

Ask yourself, why do I want/need this? Now, be honest - is it an emergency? Is it to make yourself feel better? Do you feel you deserve it? Try to think about it. Ask yourself, how am I helping my family by not making this purchase? As a yard sale shopper I can tell you I have seen many things with the new price tags on them for ten cents. Really, that was not a frugal purchase; they only got one dime back.

I am a firm believer that used is the way to go to save on your budget. It is clear though if you have money and spend $25 on a blouse then sell it for a dime never having worn it, this might not be a frugal use of the that money.

I am not saying that having money is bad, I am not saying getting a blouse for that amount is bad. I am saying that if you are struggling, give this thought and also another thought - how many hours must you or spouse work for everything you purchase? What if you settled for less, so less has to be sacrificed. I have heard some say but I want the finer things in life... really, what is finer? Fancy new things or spending more time with family or spouse? What does it say when things are more important? Time for a rethink.

Make a plan.

Once you stop the extra spending then go for paying down what you owe. Take the smallest debt, get it paid off then tackle the next by using the amount you were paying and add the now money from the paid off thing and just keep going.

I saw a sewing program on Saturday that there is a group who helps teaching to mend clothes. I think mending is a skill that all should have.

http://www.wikihow.com/Fix-Clothes

http://sewing.about.com/od/techniques/tp/mendclothing.htm

http://sewing.about.com/od/techniques/a/mendclothes.htm - this has so much good info.

http://www.dummies.com/crafts/sewing/mending-holes-and-rips-in-your-clothes/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n7nOtmwBwk - this is very good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ynBWa5ej1Q - this shows if you don’t have a sewing machine.

I think mending has been given  a bad rap. Instead, think you saved money that can go to benefit your family. You can see this as happy work. You are extending the life of the clothing and stretching your money.

I once was at a grocery store in Kalona, Iowa, and was behind a young married man. He was buying a huge fifty lb bag of potatoes but I was drawn to the patch on his pants. The patch was held on with the tiniest stitches by someone who loved him very much.

Though he probably did not have a lot of money I would say he was rich in what matters and rich to have a wife who knows how to mend.

This group also gives out used machines as well as teaching them to mend.

I bought my machine used thirty years ago and it was ten years old then, so it is forty years-old. I learned the skills of being able to clean and oil it. This machine I used to sew for my babies and as they grew. I still use it.

If you learn to mend you will save money and bless your family.

So I challenge you to learn to mend. Look over these sites and find more. A few years ago to do easy mends it was eight dollars each, harder mends and the price goes up.

So make this one of the first skills you take on.

Making do is a sign I keep on the fridge as a reminder.

What helps me is to do mending right away, keeping up is better then catching up.

Work with what you learn here. Even used clothes need mending so this is a huge skill with the less training.

Keep working on your skills, watch for inexpensive but working used sewing machine at thrift stores. Tell others what you are looking for, put it on freecycle that you are looking for a working sewing machine.

Keep putting in storage. When you get groceries, add doubles of things.

I am proud of you, I notice frugality and am proud of you!