Monday Message

Elder Marion G. Romney - "...We will see the day when we will live on what we produce" General Conference April 1975.

I am still trying to get well. According to what the doctor said I had at least two to four weeks more. It sure has not been fun. I keep pushing through.

“As we live providently and increase our gifts and talents, we become more self-reliant. Self-reliance is taking responsibility for our own spiritual and temporal welfare and for those whom Heavenly Father has entrusted to our care. Only when we are self-reliant can we truly emulate the Savior in serving and blessing others.

“It is important to understand that self-reliance is a means to an end. Our ultimate goal is to become like the Savior, and that goal is enhanced by our unselfish service to others. Our ability to serve is increased or diminished by the level of our self-reliance.” 

-Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
"Becoming Self-Reliant", Ensign, Jan. 2010, 9

Now this explains why I am pushing you to build your skills and build your storage.

“‘Self-reliance means using all of our blessings from Heavenly Father to care for ourselves and our families and to find solutions for our own problems.’ Each of us has a responsibility to try to avoid problems before they happen and to learn to overcome challenges when they occur. …

“How do we become self-reliant? We become self-reliant through obtaining sufficient knowledge, education, and literacy; by managing money and resources wisely,being spiritually strong, preparing for emergencies and eventualities; and by having physical health and social and emotional well-being.” 

-Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president.
"Becoming Self-Reliant", Ensign, Jan. 2010, 9

These quotes help us see why this is so important.

There will be times we get sick, despite all we do it is part of our mortal life. I can’t tell you how much I have been helped by having storage and trying to be as self-reliant as I can be. It has been a blessing. I have been so sick I had to rest at each step of anything I did. It would have been a lot harder. 

http://www.hometalk.com/1345862/stretching-your-grocery-budget here are a few ideas

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/30-ways-in-30-days-to-stretch-your-food-budget this should get your ideas going.

http://twocents.lifehacker.com/a-guide-to-planning-meals-when-you-re-on-a-tight-budget-1573204892 - helpful

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/nine-strategies-for-stretching-out-a-tiny-food-budget/

http://www.wisebread.com/20-easy-ways-to-stretch-your-grocery-dollars great ideas

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/fcd/nutrition/ewfl/module3/index.html - has effective info 

https://blog.allstate.com/smart-grocery-shopping/ info

So stretching our food dollars is prudent, learning to do so is a skill. Start working on your food budget. You will save and with that savings you can build your storage.

Yard sale season is starting. Remember - make a list of things you need and carry it with you. I would suggest if you don’t already have the basics i.e., dehydrator, food saver or equivalent, water bath canner, pressure canner, canning jars, church type cookbooks, bread pans,.. these are just to get you thinking. You should add to your list.

Think about school clothes, winter coats, Christmas gifts, Church clothes and also shoes and boots and other winter gear.

Crochet hooks, knitting needles, yarn, fabric, threads, buttons, and other notions, working sewing machine, patterns, this sort of thing.

Look for books that will help you with your skill building.

I also think board type games, they are fun family memories and surely electronic devices can wait a bit for that.

I think extra casserole dishes that you can take meals and just give the dish too. It could be then up to the receiver to help someone else when they are better. It could be the casserole dish that just keeps giving.

I think of waffle iron, popcorn popper, toaster, blender, these and more if needed…..you will find the savings over buying new to be huge.

Being frugal is not just having but learning to use to its fullest.

Think of needs first on your list then wants.

There is no written law that we must buy new. Used things help the budget tremendously…you can do it!

If you buy a brand new pair of jeans for a child the minute they go outside to play they are used, so save money.

I have a niece who was extremely popular in high school. I am sure it was because she was so kind, but she would go to goodwill and put together one of a kind outfits. Think about it, the store has just so many to choose from that your friends are wearing the same but worse than that, you are left to style whims without modest choices. She set the trend….

Keep working on your skills and building your storage. I shall keep trying to get better.