Monday Message

"A cardinal principle of the gospel is to prepare for the day of scarcity. Work, industry, frugality are part of the royal order of life." (Bishop Keith B. McMullin)

Well the bad news - I heard on the news this week is that prices for things are going up for things we use in our daily lives.

So I guess we need to buckle up it will be harder than it has already been. So we need to find even more frugal ways as it just won't be groceries, it will be rents and mortgages, gas for cars, gas for heating, electricity, vehicles, medical... I think we need to start conserving all we can and find cheaper ways of doing things.

Plant seeds for your gardens or pots.

I have planted seeds in pots that I need to have a bit of growth on them before frost date, which is May 15 here where I live.

While your plants grow, be looking for dehydrator and canning jars and canners and vacuum sealers at yard sales and thrift stores and community pages. Perhaps you have relatives or friends that you could borrow theirs.

Look also for coats and boots and school clothes items that will benefit your family. You can also find things for home repair. That said, do as much as you can for yourself. Look up on YouTube how to make the repairs. You will be surprised how much you can do.

https://www.thriftyfrugalmom.com/frugal-pantry-staples-to-help-you-cook-from-scratch/ - stock up on pantry basics. I like to store basics because you can do so many things from simple basics.

https://www.cheaprecipeblog.com/2020/03/50-cheap-recipes-made-with-pantry-staples/ - more staple ideas.

https://www.taste.com.au/quick-easy/galleries/easy-dinners-made-pantry-staples/5o7wvrje?page=15 - just some ideas.

https://www.taste.com.au/quick-easy/galleries/easy-dinners-made-pantry-staples/5o7wvrje?page=15 - more ideas.

https://frugalpantrycooking.com/how-to-stock-a-pantry-on-a-budget/ - some good ideas.

https://www.gracefullittlehoneybee.com/how-to-build-an-old-fashioned-frugal-pantry/ - I love this gal.

We need to work on the basics, first then add to them.

Also keep working at your basic skill-building.

https://familycorner.blogspot.com/2017/08/homemaker-series-basic-homemaking.html - this has some info on skills.

https://www.queenofthehousehold.com/homemaking-skills/ - I like that she says taking care of ourselves is a skill. It reminds me of them telling you to put the oxygen masks on yourselves first so you then can help others.

https://www.artfulhomemaking.com/8-useful-skills-grandmothers-knew/ - good ideas here.

I think having skills is a huge savings. Clothes will always need mending, people will always need to be fed and cared for.

Learn while you can cause if you are having everything hit you at once, it is too hard to learn but push on and learn the basics before you need them.

Remake things into things that are useable. When our kids were a baby and toddler, I would check out free boxes at yard sales and would find jeans that were fine but with broken zippers. I would make them into jeans for the kids. You can do a lot more than you think. You can also learn to replace the zipper if they were the size of someone in your family. It is easier then you might think. If you have a pair of jeans with a broken zipper that can be your homework - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWRf6AOX7jA 

This week I found a computer desk half price - so ten dollars at the thrift store. It's perfect for my sewing table. It can rise and lower, so we were able to get it lowered to the perfect height for sewing that will not add to my pain.

It took a bit of reorganizing this week with that as it is tight quarters to make a shift, but I'm happy with it.

I did a deep organize as long as I was at it.

I sorted the bobbins - metal for one machine, plastic for the other.

So glad the sewing table is set to the right height, it's a lot easier.

In sorting and deep organizing, I found some scraps of fabric that I could cut in strips for my little rug mugs I am working on.

It is amazing how the fabric changes as it is woven. Think how you can use things in a different way.

Missy says remember to be kind no matter what end of the string you are on.

Tippy Longstockings says to keep working at things on your list ,you are doing great.