Monday Message

"The best food storage is not in welfare grain elevators but in sealed cans and bottles in the homes of our people. What a gratifying thing it is to see cans of wheat and rice and beans under the beds or in the pantries of women who have taken welfare responsibility into their own hands. Such food may not be tasty, but it will be nourishing if it has to be used." (President Gordon B. Hinckley)

At the time of this writing, this it is two weeks ago as you read it. We have cold weather and there are fires in California out of control. We should pray for them, it will be a hard recovery. It is so hard to build back from scratch.

I have asthma so here in Central Iowa we are having the smoke from those fires which is setting off my asthma. It is hazy out with the smoke.

My heart goes out to them and they are in my prayers.

Prices still have not gone down and they are saying will go up. We need to do what we can to stretch our groceries. The first way is cooking from scratch. Yes, it takes a bit more time but it is a lot less costly and a whole lot more healthy. Plus, tastes a lot better and to show you just how much better here is a favorite recipe all from scratch...

Peanut Butter Brownies

3 eggs

1 1/2 c. Sugar

3/4 c. Brown sugar

1/3c. Peanut butter (I use crunchy)

3 tbsp butter

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 c. Flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

Mix in first six ingredients given, mix well, then add dry ingredients, mix till smooth.

Spread in sprayed 9x13 pan. Bake 350 for 30 min.

For frosting - powdered sugar, two tbsp butter, tsp vanilla and big spoon peanut butter. Then I add a little hot water and mix till spreading consistency, then spread on cooled bars.

Keep haunting those thrift stores. I found a food saver for $4.99 today at Salvation Army it doesn't look used at all. I always check electrical things out there before I purchase. It works great! It has the vacuum hose but I put it away for a spare as I have one in my canister already.

I share this with you to show you that you can still find these things. Just put a list of these together and carry it with you to look for them when you are in the thrift stores.

With things continuing to climb in price, we should buy used when we can. We may no longer say it stretches our budget but instead it is what we can afford.

It is what we could afford all those years buying used. If I didn't we would not have the things we do that make life easier like a blender, waffle irons, etc.

It was just a way of life for me. Who knew that now in my old age this would bless us ever so much more than before.

https://www.awilson.co.uk/how-to-make-a-crocheted-hot-water-bottle-cover/ - this would be a good project for crochet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF30B6wrC68 - if you need a thick yarn, this is a way to get around that twenty-five dollar ball of super bulky yarn in crochet and knitting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnFy09KHvGI - this hat is fantastic and uses the thick yarn but doing the yarn as the video shows, you can make this size.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4MW25Ub94I - this lady does the best sewing info for you to learn.

Here is a palette I made using what I had at home. I saw on Pinterest someone do something similar. I used button parts that you use to make covered buttons. You glue them into a tin then fill with watercolor tube paint, let it dry, and now you have made a wonderfully useful item. I had gotten the tube set on a half-off sale a couple years ago. For me, this was a frugal thing as watercoloring is a skill I am working to build.

You may not want to make this but I put it here to say - what do you have on hand already that you can redo into something more helpful?

Now is the time you might start hanging onto things you have. Try to fix it rather than getting rid of it, as replacement costs will not come down any time soon. For example, you have a lamp and the shade falls apart...you can redo a shade for a lot less money than it takes to purchase another.

We need to start thinking and living more frugally.

Missy says learn to make things for yourself, like this pillow my mommy made...she thinks it is hers but really it is mine.

Tippy Longstockings says learn sewing so you can make cat toys as well.

Monday Message

"Let us be in a position so we are able to not only feed ourselves through the home production and storage, but others as well." (President Ezra Taft Benson)

At the time I am writing this post we just have gotten four inches of snow.

It is to get very cold with a polar vortex to come a day after my b-day which is the seventh of January.

So I will be putting blankets on the upstairs windows to keep out any of that harsh cold - I remember that last year...very cold.

It helps with heating costs since they are saying there will probably be several more polar vortex events, I will just leave the blankets up.

What do you do to get ready for weather events?? Comment below.

We all learn from each other.

I still feel difficult times are coming, not just for our country but all countries. So try to put aside some extra into your storage, if no hard times come you will be set for any event that may come.

Missy says she feels safe hiding under the rug loom.

Tippy Longstockings says she likes to keep warm by the fireplace.

Even if we all don't experience the same trials at once, there is always something coming around the corner, a car repair, medical bills, weather event the list is endless but putting some away for that rainy day takes off some of the stress while you work through it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0KLCHkTooY - this can help you see how to stretch your food. I think I would suggest measuring the spices though to help save.

https://www.youtube.com/@JuliaPacheco/videos - this will give you other videos she has, it is always good to see what one can make for less.

https://www.plantoeat.com/blog/2023/10/maximizing-leftovers-how-to-make-the-most-of-your-meals/ - uses your leftovers.

https://premeditatedleftovers.com/naturally-frugal-living/how-i-create-menu-plans/ - the buffet sounds yummy, we love leftovers.

https://www.slenderkitchen.com/article/12-ways-to-use-leftovers-in-your-weekly-meal-plan - making a meal plan sounds not fun but you know what leftovers you have from meals, so while you are making your plan and you decide to have chicken and you know what you have left after the meal, you can boil the carcass and take out the bones. Any meat can be divided, you now can make a soup and a casserole.

https://avirtuouswoman.org/planning-101-how-to-plan-for-leftovers/ - use those free calendars from the bank to be your menu planning aid plus save them for ideas in the future.

How do you plan your menus and list for grocery shopping?? Comment below.

Take time to go through cookbooks, look for frugal recipes. I don't like recipes with tons of ingredients. I find we never liked them as well as simple recipes.

Also, look at your store sales flyer. Use these hand-in-hand together along with your family favorites recipe file.

Write your meals on that calendar. You can figure out what days a faster meal may be needed like Wednesday church nights would be for easy meal prep or your leftover like chili.

One of our favorite easy meals is hobo dinners. I have no idea where that name came from but it is a foil dinner. You put a hamburger patty on tinfoil then slice a potato and a carrot salt and pepper. I like to sprinkle dried onion on this just a little, fold foil up, set them in a pan and cook for an hour at 350 degrees.

Remember, while you are being frugal-minded, try to continue to add to your storage.

I keep a running list that when I use from my storage, that I write down this item on the list, like when I am nearing the end of a bucket of flour, it goes on my list so I can refill the bucket as it gets emptied. Then remember the two bay leaves on top, put on the lid, then I cross off the old date, add the new date, and rotate it. This goes into storage and another bucket comes up with the oldest date next in rotation.

Lets say you are about out of mustard. You write it on your list but you should get two if you can and one will go into storage.

I know this sounds hard but when things are tight, you will be thankful that you have done this. We were very tight over Christmas even though I made gifts, shipping is awful in price, but I spent nothing on groceries using what I had in storage and this worked great. In our case, it is medical expenses that have been eating a huge part of our check. So be sure to stick things into your storage. It probably seems hard now but will bless you so much when you need it.

Missy says keep working on your skill building, says her momma made this pillow. I think skills are nice and comfy.

Tippy Longstockings says remember to save your tissue paper, you can press it as seen here, she is demonstrating. You can reuse it for many things.

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)

If things suddenly changed in your life and there was a job loss, what would you have wished you had stored? Make a list and look at your storage and determine what you need to beef up on. But don't get anything before making sure it is something your family likes, otherwise you might as well just throw your money away. Also, make sure you have the basics stored because that will bless you the most.

https://www.familysurvivalplanning.com/food-storage-basics.html - this has some great info.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs_G03QYkOE - this is very good.

I do have to say they now say that non-instant powdered milk will last 25 plus years. I know this first-hand as I am now in year twenty-six and tastes as good as ever. I do not have mine vacuum sealed.

I live in Central Iowa and have a basement. I store it just in regular buckets with regular lid, no bay leaves - I save those for my pasta and grains and such, but mind you this is how to in my climate.  Gamma lids are fantastic. I only have two that were gifted to me, as I age I would love more.

Flour - I take it out of the paper bag it comes in as bugs like to live in the corners but in the video she freezes hers which is a good way as well. I buy my flour in the twenty pound size, no room for that in the freezer. I dump it in the bucket, put two bay leaves on top of the flour, and put the lid on, then label and date the bucket, and I store it in basement... huge note here - never store your storage right on the floor!! Put wood on the floor and then the bucket on that. I have gotten five years on the flour so I try to rotate through using my oldest first.

My buckets I had collected from bakeries, most were free but then they started charging a dollar for them. If you can't find any, you can go to Lowe's and get FOOD GRADE BUCKETS ONLY. You can get them and lids but they also have gamma lids separate, this costs to purchase but is good to know this is an option if you cannot get at the bakeries for free or low cost.

https://www.theideadoor.com/home-family-resources/self-reliance/food-storage/everything-under-the-sun/ - this is good, click the X on the note and there is tons of information there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dH1jOuFO9M - she talks about storage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z32C8xwGwfk

https://valleyfoodstorage.com/blogs/inside-vfs/how-to-start-food-storage-essentials-for-beginners

I thought we would dig more deeply into storing food.

Also learning basic skills...

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2017/08/monday-message_28.html

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2019/12/monday-message_9.html

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2021/08/monday-message_16.html

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2020/01/monday-message.html

What are some basic skills you are wanting to learn this year? Write in the comments below.

Be sure to be thrifting for things that will help you be frugal.

Looking at things outside the box... Tippy is showing you mats that I picked up for free. They are children's mats to play on but for me, I knew right away what I would use them for and that is to block out projects.

Learn to plant stuff in pots or in the garden. This isn't a fun one for me as I hate gardening all to bits but I know it is a skill so I am still learning even though I hate it. I know it is important for us to be able to have food and to help with the cost as we can all see that the prices are still continuing to climb.

This last year I saved seed for next year, even seed prices have gone up.

Learning to sew is huge. Check out thrift stores for patterns. Also look for fabric either in too big of clothing that you can use the fabric for and even sweaters to reuse yarn for other items you need.

https://www.roseryapparel.com/videos/ultimate-gathered-dress - this gal makes the best dresses out of sheets and tablecloths. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxrCz8wFX1c - we have talked about unraveling sweaters before but here is another.

These are all frugal things to do.

A time may come that every arrow in our frugal quiver will be needed so learning now will help you then.

Missy says keep learning skills, they will help you in huge ways!

Tippy Longstockings says this is the year to start learning these things...DON'T PUT IT OFF!

Monday Message

"Today, I emphasize a most basic principle: home production and storage. Have you ever paused to realize what would happen to your community or nation if transportation were paralyzed or if we had a war or depression? How would you and your neighbors obtain food? How long would the corner grocery store—or supermarket—sustain the needs of the community?" (President Ezra Taft Benson)

I think it will take all our skills in the coming years. Add to those skills as quickly as you can. Learn to make more from scratch meals and look for some frugal recipes and learn more frugal ways to save on the things you usually do. Try to cut down the spending even if you think you cannot do more, you will be surprised by little things you can do.

Try learning frugal meals so you can find favorites. If you learn frugal desserts and bread, I think your family will be okay with being testers. Then have them rate the meal one to ten and you build a binder of what everyone liked. Then make your basic purchases around these items.

I think you will like the meals that you find.

Also keep putting items in your pantry storage.

https://www.thespruceeats.com/standard-kitchen-supplies-for-your-pantry-1808020 - here are some ideas.

But remember, I keep saying store the basics and build your knowledge to know how to use them.

Frequent your thrift stores and yard sales to find things that can help you be more frugal like canners, dehydrators etc.

Over the years, I would gather things like these used and every bit of it has saved us money and has continued to serve us well over the years.

I have been working on this hat. I got the pattern free but the yarn that it calls for is $25 said the designer. Well you know that is not in my budget, so I decided to use some roving that I spin and use it by striping the same size from it and using that. As you see, it worked. I tell you this to show you to think outside the box. You could even undo a sweater using that size yarn from a thrift shop but check the inside seams to be sure they are not serged, those will not work.

https://blog.tincanknits.com/2021/02/04/how-to-recycle-yarn-from-second-hand-sweaters/ - this will help you understand how to.

Many years ago I found this pizzelle maker at a thrift store for five dollars. I had always wanted one. It is the black one in the picture here.

Here are the cookies I make in it.

The cookies are so delicate and taste like a waffle ice cream cones but can be done with other flavorings.

Hear is the recipe I used...

Krumkake (a Norwegian cookie)

One stick butter melted

1 c. Sugar

2 Eggs

A scant one cup of milk, I used powdered milk mixed up (a frugal tip from me)

1 1/2 c. Flour

You mix this all together, stir well. Then have your maker hot and ready to go. Then put a tbsp of batter on each and close. This cooks very fast so you need to stay with it.

I have always hear that these are Italian cookies but for this recipe it said a Norwegian cookie. I have seen several podcasters from Norway make these.

Wherever they come from, they're delicious!

I had always wanted one but they were too expensive. Finding it for five dollars was a wonderful surprise!

So as you start your new year, don't rule out thrifting to help you save money.

Missy says prices won't be coming down soon, so find a frugal work around.

Tippy says no matter how hard things get, keep a stiff upper lip - we can do it!