Monday Message

(Gordon B. Hinckley, October 2001)

“As we have been continuously counseled for more than 60 years, let us have some food set aside that would sustain us for a time in case of need. But let us not panic nor go to extremes. Let us be prudent in every respect.”

Let us be prudent in every respect - that is such a wise statement and oh how needed. There is so much we could do to be more prudent. Living beneath our income is certainly something to consider. Be frugal with our budget and save some for a rainy day. Where is it written that we must spend all we make?

We should never be spending more than we make, this never ever ends well.

Sticking to your budget has to be a priority. Wants versus needs and no saying I need this or that when they are wants not needs, identify them honestly.

Think outside of the box. If i don't have something can I make it? Can I find it used? Is there something else I can do?

Make mindful decisions, don't be fast on spending money.

I kept looking at a chair at the thrift store. It would be perfect for sitting in while working at the sock machine. It swiveled and had a low back but I would notice it was there, maybe there was something else I could use? Nothing seemed right, they were either too big or too high. So finely today I asked how much the chair was and they said five dollars. I could do that. It was worth it to try other things. First, it was worth it to not just buy new. It was worth it to get it used and it did not break the budget. This is just a small example.

I have been wanting to build a skill by teaching myself to do bobbin lace. Over the years I have collected used books and people have given me the bobbins but the pillows are horridly costly. I tried making one out of a small ice chest lid. It was cute but it was too small when I worked on it. So I gave this some thought. I came up with another idea. I liked how light the ice chest lid was but what could I do? Well, I had another ice chest, one that leaks and I could use its lid. The lid was wooden with the inside had the top to the ice chest. So I made a cover for it with a casing that I put elastic through and pulled tight and tied it. This can be replaced easily if needed. I put cloth on it around the pricking and then worked the first stitch and it was absolutely perfect. It was big enough and made it a joy to work on!

So think outside of the box.

I also organized my quilting and dressmaking rulers this week...

I got a t-shirt at a thrift store a while back and upon wearing it I have never ever worn one as comfortable, so I plan to make a pattern off it to make more. So think outside the box and be amazed what you can do.

I found these packages of fabric a frugal find for sure they were free to me so i will put them to good use

The bags with quilt blocks have the pieces already cut, worth it for sure.

The other thing is we keep getting storms here is a pic of the amount of snow we got last week this shows ten inches but two more fell after that 

This pic was taken with more storms coming every two days. It reminds me of the book The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder, in it they said they were getting storms one day to two days apart.

We have so many things available to us now to help us learn, mind you the cost of a class is not in my budget even if there were classes in my area. Do searches to see what free things are out there to learn from.

Here is a site where she shows how to make a wrap skirt without a pattern, she uses white thread so you can see it better - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwrJDyuHcHs

Try to live more frugally. Try to build your skills. Keep working on your storage and keep sharing what you are doing. We all learn from each other.

Monday Message

(Keith B. McMullin, April 2007)
“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. Remember these words from Paul: "If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

A little at a time adds up. If you picked up one can of green beans every time you went to the store after 24 visits you would have a case of green beans and you probably would not even notice a strain on your budget.

At the same time don't be wasteful...

This week I used my dehydrator and chopped up veggies that needed to be used soon. So I chopped up the celery and peppers and cut and blanched carrots.

Then when those were done I put them in jars and vacuumed sealed them. Then I took the older apples and are drying slices of those. Did you know if you only have half a jar, or any amount, you can still vacuum seal it? It doesn't have to be a full jar.

This is one of the frugal things I do to stretch our tight budget.

I will use the dried veggies in soups and the dried apples I will use in oatmeal or apple crisp.

If you have stale bread make it into croutons or bread crumbs or make bread pudding.

How are you doing with your skill building?

This week I saw a great thing a beginner can make with sewing... pattern weights! - https://loreleijayne.com/2016/02/pattern-weights-updated.html/

This was a very easy thing to make and scraps can be used but make sure you get the cheaper metal pieces as I have pictured here and four in a bag. They had some individual brackets...one for the same price as the whole package, you don't want those.

I think any beginner  could make these a good project to start.

Projects I have been working at learning are the sock machine and bobbin lace. I have been reading all I can find and for bobbin lace besides reading and watching YouTube videos, I made a portable pillow or surface to do beginning projects.

I made this by covering an ice chest lid. it was a compact type styrofoam. This I have already used as I am following along in a book.

So think what skills you want to learn and try to learn by yourself or take a class if you wish. My budget is tight so I do what I can to learn for free, this helps stretch what money we have.

We have been getting storm after storm and I can tell you I am grateful to have storage!

Let us know what skills you are working on. Do the best you can.

Monday Message

Missy asks what did you do during the polar vortex? Did you have enough gibble?

"The best place to have some food set aside is within our homes...

"We can begin ever so modestly. We can begin with a one week's food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months. . . . I fear that so many feel that a long-term food supply is so far beyond their reach that they make no effort at all.

"Begin in a small way, . . . and gradually build toward a reasonable objective." (Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, Oct 2002 and quoted again in April 2007)

I feel like this is the way to get our storage in little by little. It doesn't wreck the budget and is the most painless way, same can be said for our skill building.

A lot of us were affected by the polar vortex and spent a lot of time inside. Those who experienced it, did you see areas to improve on anything? Like having things you needed on hand so there were no dangerous trips to stores? 

It sure made me grateful that neither of us had to go out for anything.

There are many unseen things just waiting around the corner, it really is best to be out front of them.

Did you run out of anything? Milk? Toilet paper?

It is always good to reflect on our progress. Take notes on what to improve. 

Think about things that you might have needed...

Oil lamps have helped us through many a storm. Remember to  store oil for them too and matches. I have oil in most of my lamps.

At least have some emergency candles.

How would you cook? We can use our stove top when the power goes off. Lots of things can be made on the stove top.

Heat is a scary thing to be without. For us we have a gas fireplace that we can use if the power is out.

If it is really bad we could fire up this stove...

Do you own a manual can opener?? If not, how would you open cans if you had no power? We have a p38, actually quite a few truth be told. That is the only way I open cans here.

Don't forget about water in case your pipes freeze or a water main breaks. Frozen water pipes happened a lot to us and so we have had to live and learn. There was one time we had a water main break  and we had water stored and was able to wash our hair and get ready for church because we had water stored.

How are you coming along on your skill building?

I worked on a sweater during time inside this last bit.

https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/garter-stitch-scarf-for-beginners-2116203 - here is a basic first knitting project with instructions on how to knit it.

Share with us what you are learning.

Monday Message

“As we have been continuously counseled for more than 60 years, let us have some food set aside that would sustain us for a time in case of need. But let us not panic nor go to extremes. Let us be prudent in every respect.” (Gordon B. Hinckley, October 2001)

I feel so sad when I see the hardship people had during the government shutdown. They had one lady say she had $1.06 left in her account because she went out to start the car and it would not start. So money she was going to spend on groceries had to go for a battery and others have said they had to work without pay and couldn’t afford the gas. 

It is wonderful that pantries helped during the shutdown. I find lots of people cannot even imagine that little in your account but those of us who have been there know exactly what having that much in our account is like. It still takes money to get to a pantry and many pantries are already stretched. There is only so much you are allowed to get from pantries and while these are a blessing it sure isn't a month's worth of food. 

When you are in the crisis it is not the time to try and build supplies and learn to be frugal. You must do it before because when the hard time is on you I am afraid you will be working a lot harder than having a job...it is hard work to be poor. You might be updating resumes, you may be looking for work, trying to work out your medical bills, and still stretching what food you have and, of course, trying to get food and clothes. Is there gas money? And then how old are you? Companies just don't hire older people. Add to that tending your family, washing clothes, making meals, and stress...it is even longer of a to do list. Things always need repairing but there’s no money for it and you try to learn and do the best you can.

I keep saying we just never know what is around the corner.

If you could not buy groceries and had to go as long as these people in the shutdown had to go, could you do it with what you have on hand right now? What does it hurt to have food and supplies ahead? What does it hurt if you don't?

I have been noticing lots of companies downsizing, meaning lots of people getting laid off.

These are trying times. We need to stand ready to help others.

https://www.moneycrashers.com/easy-ways-save-money-tight-budget/  there are some helpful ideas here.

Taking care of what you have. This speaks to the “use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

Be grateful for what we have. Being content is hugely important. Remembering what is truly important is a good reminder.  

https://www.gracefullittlehoneybee.com/how-to-feed-your-family-on-a-tight-budget/ - I do love her site a lot.

I thought perhaps I should share some of the things I do that helps stretch my budget...

I learned how to make bread first by hand.

http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2012/02/homemade-bread-crackers.html - here’s where you will find my favorite wheat bread recipe.

The next thing is I have a good friend who discovered she could make these bread mixes that worked in a bread machine as well as by hand.

http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2015/02/lizas-machine-bread.html 

This was a wonderful way to do bread items - http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2015/03/monday-message_16.html

Cooking from scratch is huge too.

http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2015/03/monday-message_16.html - there’s lots here

http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2016/03/monday-message_14.html - this has some of my favorite sites

Here I am making homemade hamburger helper to have handy meals in minutes for those busy nights, recipes are in the sites above.

These are just a few things I do to help stretch an already tight budget. Of course, I store the ingredients to make these things, this is the most helpful. This is a good starting spot.  

Do what you can.