Monday Message

"I wish to urge again the importance of self-reliance on the part of every individual Church member and family. None of us knows when a catastrophe might strike. Sickness, injury, unemployment may affect any of us. We have a great welfare program with facilities for such things as grain storage in various areas. It is important that we do this. But the best place to have some food set aside is within our homes, together with a little money in savings. The best welfare program is our own welfare program. Five or six cans of wheat in the home are better than a bushel in the welfare granary." (President Gordon B. Hinckley)

I hope each of you are actively working on building your storage. It is hard not to notice the calamities happening and noting how fast store shelves empty. I get it, when money is low it is easy to put things off till you have to get it. But when you see all those people frantic to get supplies in before a storm…think about if you had gotten them in as part of your storage over time. You would be home preparing your house for the storm instead of standing in line trying to get supplies. Knowing you have tended things is a calming peace.

I got corn syrup the other day and it felt lighter. I looked at it, turning the bottle to see it better I noticed that they also did the bottom trick.

I measured water and it was just under half a cup less in the bottle - less product, more cost.

I guess higher prices are here to stay. I know our income hasn’t increased by half a cup. This is just one item. Were it just one item it wouldn’t be a big deal but it is a lot of items and every bit adds up to you having less for other things. I have been noting less variety in all the stores, products that were once there are not anymore.

So if you don’t cook from scratch now is the time to revisit that.  You have to admit it tastes better and you can do it in the same amount of time if not less.

This week I made a batch of vanilla yogurt...

This is the recipe I used:

Yogurt

3 c. water
1 1/3 c. powdered milk
2 heaping tbsp. of yogurt with live active culture (this week I used vanilla yogurt as my starter)

I mix this together and put in my cups to yogurt maker

Now if you do not have a yogurt maker do not fret. Use an ice chest. Put your yogurt into jars with lids, place in the ice chest. Take a quart jar and fill it with the hottest tap water you have. Do not put a lid on this jar. Place it in the ice chest too and then put the lid on the ice chest. Leave them overnight. If they are not set up, then empty the water and fill as before and replace the lid on the ice chest. Check in a couple of hours, do this till set.

Having the ingredients on hand makes this easy for me.

I also tried a granola recipe this week to be like what we had at that bed and breakfast in Clear Lake where we stayed during my husband's gallery exhibit… the granola was so good and turned out easier than the easy one I usually do.

https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/maple-pecan-granola-169710

I had all the ingredients on hand to try this. It was easy to do. Next time I want to try it with just regular pancake syrup to see what difference it makes.

How are you coming on your skills??

I was able to get some used dresses in my size but they were way too long for me so I hemmed them. Glad I know how, it saves so much money.

Along with that, I again bring up supplies. I can’t stress enough having supplies. I had thread, colors I needed, needles, scissors and sewing machine.

Yard sale season will soon be wrapping up then you will just have thrift stores to gather supplies.

Of course, you can pay store prices too but living frugal is what I am all about. I know it is a way of life for me and it works with our income. It takes our income and stretches it to go farther to make things even out.

Being a wise steward over what you have is the goal.

Try living on half of what you make and save the rest as a challenge.

Also, you could do a low spend month. Do you have things on hand that you could do this?

Many people fill their earnings with spending till before they know it they are trapped into having to have that amount of money to make ends meet. Then it doesn’t take much to put you behind, then you are on the hamster's wheel and it's very hard to get off. Not impossible, but a very hard job.

Goes back to wants vs. needs. Being content is such a great thing. I know everything is shoved in our faces - get this, buy that - they show the happy looking person buying this and that, very seldom do you see the hardship of that purchase on tv. It is not right but that is how they do it.

So even if you make plenty of money every month, learn what you can do if you didn’t.

Keep learning skills that are needed.

Do you store wheat? Do you have a grinder? Do you know how to grind wheat?  Do you know how to use your wheat?

If you cannot eat wheat do you have what you can eat stored?

If you cannot eat eggs do you know what to do to cook without them?

You might have other food allergies. You need to stock what you can eat just like storing things you like verses don’t likes. If no one in your house likes tuna don’t store tuna. No one will eat it. Stop saying they will if they are hungry enough. Store your food based on things your family does like in storable food…remember too that you need to rotate it!

Keep working on your frugal living and storage building and skills you are trying to learn. Share with us what you are doing. Do the best you can!