Monday Message

"Start now to create a plan if you don’t already have one, or update your present plan. Watch for best buys that will fit into your year’s supply. We are not in a situation that requires panic buying, but we do need to be careful in purchasing and rotating the storage that we’re putting away. The instability in the world today makes it imperative that we take heed of the counsel and prepare for the future." (L. Tom Perry)

https://www.littlehouseliving.com/cheap-grocery-list.html - she has so much helpful information.

https://www.littlehouseliving.com/cooking-tips-from-the-great-depression.html - we need to find and use every tool we can.

I do not see things improving.

I urge you to get to thinking about a garden if you can. I start my seeds at the end of April here.

Put out the word you are looking for jars. We have a spot on our post office board where one can put a note they are looking for items or for sale items. I put up I was looking for free canning jars one time and people were done canning and gave me jars. 

Last week, someone thought of me with some canning jars as they are downsizing. I already have all they gave me filled except for the jelly jars which I am saving to make jam next week or so, as I still have raspberries in the freezer.

You might be wondering how did I vacuum seal that two quart jar as it doesn't fit in my canister. I used the regular size lid attachment. I have a wide mouth size one too. If you vacuum seal, you know these attachments.

https://www.lemproducts.com/product/canning-jar-sealer/roots-and-harvest-by-lem - here is a picture of them. All brands pretty much look alike. Mostly, I use a canister to vacuum seal and only use these attachments if a jar is too big for my canister. These attachments only fit regular or large mouth sizes so they wouldn't fit on something like a store bought jar with a weird size lid. That is why I use a canister so I can do the weird size jars.

I vacuumed seal things and had stuff waiting for jars...chocolate chips, cream of wheat, some pasta, rice, barley...it is a bit of work but this extends the life of my food.

I do these things to be more frugal. Everything adds up and helps us to be able to stretch our very tight budget.

https://www.littlehouseliving.com/how-to-make-wool-dryer-balls.html - I think if you crochet, this would be great to make. I have a knitted one I am thinking of doing. If you don't crochet, it is a great project to get you started. I think this could be a good cat toy for Missy and Tippy Longstockings as well.

This week I did a deep clean of the closet and moved the file cabinet. This is very deep and almost as tall as me. It is a lot of work to unload and take out drawers so I opted to leave everything inside as I was only going two feet and turn it. Oh my, what a hard thing. It required pushing and pulling and body slamming to get a fourth an inch. This was quite a curious thing to watch for our kittens till I was trapped for a while but in the end it is in the better spot. It was hard work to watch, Tippy Longstockings says...

This week we were given this table and it fits perfectly my bobbin lace pillow. I had been looking for a better way for me to have it on to work it so a huge thank you for that.

Keep working at storing what you can and learning skills. You can still find vacuum sealers and things you need to put up food at Goodwill or Salvation Army or do a wanted on a community list but there are dehydrators, canners, jars. I saw a vacuum sealer the other day at our Salvation Army. If you want it to do jars, it must have a port which is a hole on top, usually by a corner and it sometimes says port next to it like the one I saw. You can look up manuals online and can order the tube and jar attachments, even the vacuum canister. So while things might be tight, keep looking at used places and if times aren't tight, they can be gotten new too, but used affords me to be able to get it and maybe a dehydrator... 

Every little bit we can do to stretch our dollars helps us through these hard times.

Remember, don't waste anything. I have a weird wire rack I am looking at and have no idea what it is but I am setting it here and there hoping to figure out a use for it. If not, I will donate it and someone will know exactly what it is or have some better ideas of how to use it. As we have done with things before, we toss it out or donate it unless we think of how we could use it.

Missy and Tippy Longstockings say cabin fever is a real thing so they will give you ideas on how to combat it, mind you they are indoor cats but they wanted you to think in and out of the box....