Monday Message

"Decide as a family that there will be no vacation or holiday next year unless you have your year’s supply. Many Church members could buy a full year’s supply of the basics from what they would save by not taking a vacation. Take the vacation time and work on a family garden. Be together, and it can be just as much fun.” (Vaughn J. Featherston) *Intended as a suggestion

I know a family that put off a new vehicle purchase till they had their storage in, great example.

"The counsel to have a year’s supply of basic food, clothing, and commodities was given fifty years ago and has been repeated many times since. Every father and mother are the family’s storekeepers. They should store whatever their own family would like to have in the case of an emergency … [and] God will sustain us through our trials.” (James E. Faust)

As we are in tighter times for us right now, I am glad I didn’t put off getting our storage in as that has been a huge blessing to us.

We need to keep up with our skills and keep learning new ones.

One of the skills I am working on right now is learning to make socks fast using any pattern type and using the continental style of knitting. I have two socks going right now. I have just done the heels. These are both second socks so when they are done I will have two pairs.

Of course, I am working on Christmas gifts as well. Having tight times means being frugal here too. 

Another area I am learning is tatting. This last week a friend thought of me when helping a neighbor clean up after her yard sale. The woman did not know anyone who tatted but my fiend Karen Myers remembered that I did so she was given this tin to pass on and this is what she gave to me.  I feel loved thank you, Karen.

I was gifted from our daughter Sarah special yarn so we could make a sweater at the same time which will help us on our knitting skill.  Thank you, Sarah.

Once you learn a skill, keep it up by practicing and even improving it.

These are some of the skills I keep working on...

I'm thankful for people who love us. I have a tub of sock yarn from gifts to me or from yardsales, I am working through those.

I also am trying to spin and weave but had little time this last week to work on those.

I feel like this is all about what I am doing. We want to hear about what skills you are working on.

I continue to make bread and make mixes up ahead for when I bake bread, cinnamon rolls, regular rolls, platz... just whatever is wanted.

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2017/02/versatile-bread-mix.html?showComment=1503696469568#c661276648452873254

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/search?q=hamburger+buns

I continue to cook from scratch.

http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2013/09/monday-message_9.html

I continue to get free ebooks on www.freereadfeed.com. This has been a fun thing. I check it daily as I have to wade through to find what would be of interest.

You might check to see if there are books on skills you are wanting to learn and free is in my budget.

I have mentioned before, we got rid of cable tv years and years ago and we got Roku. I have never missed those cable bills. So this may be an option. I am sure there are other products but back then that is what we did at that time. We went with Magic Jack for phone calls so the phone is very cheap too. So if tight times is what you are having then these might be something you look into.

http://mrsmaryannshouse.blogspot.com/2007/04/frugal-fridays-eating-well-on-very.html - this article has good ideas.

http://frugaling.org/low-income-lifestyle/ - he takes you through his budget.

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/981029e.cfm - frugal ideas

http://theartofsimple.net/how-we-stopped-living-less-than-paycheck-to-paycheck/ - this had great  ideas too.

https://www.candofinance.com/debt-management/frugal-living-tips/ - good ideas

"There are some who feel that they are secure as long as they have funds to purchase food. Money is not food. If there is no food in the stores or in the warehouses, you cannot sustain life with money. Both President Romney and President Clark have warned us that we will yet live on what we produce." (J. Richard Clarke)

Keep working on your skills. If you don’t have any in mind, ask yourself... do you know how to mend or sew? Can you make warm blankets? Can you cook from scratch? And if you can, go look on the internet for more ways to learn so that your family can benefit. Keep working on your storage. Be like the little ant building his stores for winter.

Do the best you can.