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Our money-less challenge

7/7/2014

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Some of my craziest (best?) ideas come to me in the strangest moments.  Take Saturday evening for instance.  I was in the shower, getting ready for church and minding my own business, when an idea came to me.  Before I even finished washing my hair, I yelled out to DH: “DEAR!  I JUST HAD A THOUGHT!”  No...it’s not because I rarely have thoughts (geez don’t be so mean!).  It was because I rarely remember things if I don’t say them out loud while I’m thinking about them.  After explaining my idea, DH agreed that it wasn't the craziest thing I've ever come up with, so we're going to give it a shot.

We had to establish a few guidelines, but the basic challenge is that we are going to attempt to go money free for a month.  It would have been a grand idea to start on July 1st, but it didn't occur to me until the 5th...but I digress.  It won't truly be money free, because some expenses just cannot be avoided.  So maybe "money-less" is a better term?  Erm...maybe not...but you get my point I hope!

Here are the basic guidelines (subject to clarification later if necessary):
  1. Obviously our regular monthly bills have to be paid.  The electric company gets grumpy when they don’t get their money.
  2. No groceries will be purchased.  Period.  No veggies, no meat, no processed, packaged, anything.  Well, except for # 5 below - but only if we can’t do without.
  3. If it isn't a necessity, we will do without.  If it is a necessity and we completely run out, see # 5 below.
  4. The animals (pets and livestock alike) must still eat, so if we run out of whateveritisthattheyeat, more will be bought.
  5. Some staples just can’t be made at home.  I’m sorry, but my postage stamp city lot is just a smidge too small for growing our own wheat, and I do not yet have a grain mill - so flour I must buy.  However, we will try to use less of these things so that they stretch farther.
  6. Preservation supplies (canning lids, freezer bags, pickling salt, etc.) can still be purchased, to allow for preserving the bounty from our garden.  When “not spending” is a priority, it just wouldn't make sense to waste food.
  7. Fuel for the car must still be purchased - just until I strike oil in the back yard.
I think all of that sounds fair.  The biggest challenge really is going to be fighting the urge to run out to the store every time I think of something we need.  I think we handle our money (what little of it there is) pretty well already, but how many times do you go into a store for “just one thing” and come out with five things?   This will be an exercise in patience, planning, and frugality.  I’ll let ya’ll know how it works out!

Day 1:
Sunday, July 6th, 2014
  • We rarely eat breakfast anyway (bad habit, I know!), but I made a large blender full of iced coffee for us. Caffeine - breakfast of champions!
  • I had to work, so I drove there and kept my foot off the gas in an attempt to increase my car’s average gas mileage for this tank of fuel.  The digital gauge on the dash will actually tell me what the average MPG is, and after going from work, to the goats, to home, back to the goats and back home again, I managed to increase the average from 21 mpg to 22.2 mpg.  Not bad for the first day, huh?
  • While at work, I kept thinking of things we “needed” and I nearly convinced myself to stop by Wal-mart on my way home - but I fought the urge and decided to make a list instead.  I didn’t need any of those items today so I wrote them down to remember them for another day when I actually do need them.
  • For lunch (brunch? - it was 2pm by the time I got home), I made homemade english muffins (topped with butter and honeysuckle jelly - yum!) and scrambled eggs with yellow squash and banana peppers.
  • Supper was bratwurst with fried zucchini and green tomatoes.  Oh, and ice cream!

Total $ spent on day 1 = $0...SUCCESS!
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Summer Workshops

5/19/2014

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I am looking at the Summer schedule, and wondering which types of workshops most of you would be interested in attending?  Usually, I like to do the Meat Rabbit Workshop once in the spring and once in the fall, but there has been some expressed interest in having one this summer.  Tentative dates for a summer rabbit workshop would be either June 28th or July 12th.  If you are interested in attending (or know anyone else who may be), let me know as soon as possible so that I can put together a plan.
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I am also considering a Back Yard Flock workshop for this summer - likely in July sometime (but no date set yet).  I do not yet have a page up for that one because we have not hosted this workshop yet, but the topic would be the basics of raising chickens, for eggs, meat, or both.  We would also touch on some of the ways that chicken keeping knowledge can cross over to keeping other breeds of poultry, such as ducks and turkeys.  Again, if you are interested in attending this workshop (or know anyone else who may be), let me know as soon as possible so that a plan can be put into place.
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Both of these workshops require a minimum of 6 participants, but 12+ is better so that we can have a larger discussion group. 
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 Finally, I am hoping to put together a soap making class this summer as well.  Tentatively, I am looking at late July or possibly early August for this class, and it will require a minimum of 4 participants.  This class may possibly be held at a different location as well, which will limit the class size to a maximum of 8 participants.

I will keep you all updated on the plans for these workshops as more details come together.  The more feedback I get from interested participants, the more informed decision I can make on the timing of these workshops as well - so don't be shy!  
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Preparedness Fair Update

5/5/2014

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After much contemplation, I have made a minor change to the schedule of mini-sessions I will be presenting at the Anderson County Emergency Preparedness Fair in Clinton, TN this Saturday.  I am concerned about the logistics of transport, set up, storage during the event, etc. of the lye-water that is necessary to make soap, and the raw soap after it is made.  Maybe in the future I can make it happen, but since this is my first year, I was afraid I may be getting in over my head with trying to plan such a feat.  So instead, I will be demonstrating how to make your own laundry soap, using my handmade goat milk soap.  I will discuss the supplies needed, measurements, and how to use the laundry soap.  I will also provide a limited number of free samples of the laundry soap, to those who attend the demonstration.  

I hope to see you all there!
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Bees!

4/29/2014

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The Queen and her Ladies have arrived!
I have wanted bees for several years now, but due to the start-up expense, I have never seriously pursued the endeavor.  A few months ago however, my local beekeepers association offered a free, two-night class on the bare-bones basics of keeping bees.  I attended the class out of sheer curiosity, in hopes that it would help me decide whether I really wanted bees as badly as I thought I did.  I was hooked by the time we were half-way through the first night!

The first presenter discussed both the Langstroth hive and the Top-Bar hive.  Prior to this class, I was only aware of the Langstroth hive, and purchasing those can get a little pricey.  Not to mention, each super (the removable square box part of the hive that holds the frames where the bees build their comb) can weigh 60-70lbs or more (usually more).  You can probably imagine the reason for my hesitation.  After learning about the top-bar hive however, I realized that keeping a beehive wasn't such a lofty dream.  A google search will provide you with multiple resources from which to purchase this style of hive, but it can also be built using scrap lumber if you have it (NOT pressure treated!) - so you can decide how much money you want to spend and do it within that budget, no matter how small.  The construction plans are also easy to find online - for free.  Of all the plans I looked at (there are several), the differences included only minor variations.  I suggest looking at several different styles and decide which one will best suit your needs.

The next expense is purchasing the actual bees.  This is one expense that is much harder to avoid.  You can collect a swarm, you can trap a swarm, or you can purchase your bees.  While the first two options are potentially free, they are hit-or-miss, especially if you have no experience.  Rather than hope I could find free bees, I chose to purchase mine.  If you go that route, the best source for purchasing bees is going to be locating a local beekeeper.  If they do not have bees to sell, they will surely know another beekeeper who does.  Local is always best because those are the bees that will be best acclimated to your specific climate, and most familiar with local pollen sources.

However one chooses to acquire their bees, there is always a risk that the bees will reject their new home for one reason or another.  From what I understand, the risk is not so great that you should sit in fear and watch for them to swarm.  But you should be aware that the possibility exist.  I just acquired my bees on Sunday, so I'm still in that nervous phase of hoping they will settle in okay and decide to stay.  So far they don't seem unhappy, and that is obviously a good thing.

I am a brand new, infant of a newbie at this, so I can't answer any hard questions yet.  I do know though that honey tastes wonderful, a very large portion of the general food supply depends on bees for pollination, and the fate of honeybees is a bit precarious due to a whole host of possible causes.  Whether you want to collect honey, or simply want to improve the health of your flower garden, vegetable garden, or fruit trees, keeping bees will make a big difference, both in your purpose for keeping them, and in the general health of your local bee populations.  

Do any of you keep honeybees?  I would love to hear about your experiences!
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Anderson County Emergency Preparedness Fair

4/24/2014

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On Saturday, May 10th, I will be at the Anderson County Emergency Preparedness Fair in Clinton, TN.  This is the 3rd year this event has taken place, however it is the first year that I have participated.  I must confess that I was not aware of this fair before this year, but it sounds quite interesting, and very much like an event everyone will enjoy!  This is a free event, open to the public, and all of the classes offered that day are free as well.  There will be classes such as food preservation and canning, bread baking, and CPR certification.  
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I will be offering the following mini-classes as well.  These are short sessions and will not cover the in-depth information that is covered in my full classes, but will provide you with useful information on the specific topic covered, and will hopefully whet your appetite for considering participation in one of my full-length workshops.
  • 9:15am Laundry Soap (how to make it and use it) - A limited number of free samples will be available.
  • 10:30am Meat Rabbits (why you should consider raising meat rabbits, and different housing methods used)
  • 11:45am Goat Care (preventative care, with a focus on deworming practices used here on our farm)
  • 1:00pm Backyard Flock (why you should consider keeping chickens, and various feeding methods)
Start times on the above classes are approximate, so consider arriving a few minutes early.  Each class will last approximately 15-30 minutes each.

I will be sharing a table with Damnearafarm and our table will be inside, so we will be there rain or shine.  I will also have goat milk soap and some other handmade items available for sale that day, along with more information about the full-length workshops I offer.  Even if you don't have time for one of the mini-classes that day, please stop by and introduce yourself.  I would love to meet you!

Click here to download a printable flyer with more information about the event.
Please feel free to ask if you have any questions about the specific classes we will be presenting that day.  For general questions about the event itself, you will need to contact the fair organizers - contact information is provided on their website.
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Death, where is your sting?  Hell, where is your victory?

4/20/2014

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HE IS RISEN! ALLELUIA!

The "rest of the story" from last week's Sunday Sing-A-Long (it's worth listening to last week's song too, if you haven't already).

In Celebration of Jesus' victory over death (He IS alive - not was - IS!), I give you your choice of songs this week.  Enjoy!
On of my very favorite Easter songs
(and who doesn't like Dolly Parton?)
An excellent Southern Gospel song - even if it's not your favorite genre.
And my very favorite resurrection song - Easter season or any time of year!
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A homesteader's To Do list

4/15/2014

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I sat down last week to make myself a spring To Do list.  I am terrible about starting one project and then leaving it half-finished when I get distracted by another project (or twelve), only to remember that I didn't finished the first project when I actually need it and have to modify the plan because it isn't finished right now.  So I thought that maybe it would help to write everything down so that I can cross each thing off as it is finished.
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When I read back over my list I thought "to most people, this list sounds crazy!"  But I know all of you other homesteaders (no matter if yours is a vast spread of land, or squished in between your neighbors, like me) will understand my list.  Instead of laughing as you walk away shaking your head, you will see my list and maybe think "Hey, that's a good idea.  I should add that to my list."

So here is my list:
  • set up beehive
  • clean off sun room table (to make room for seed starts)
  • start more veggie seeds
  • prep meal worm brooder
  • build compost bins
  • make rain barrel
  • build red worm bed

And that doesn't even include my gardening To Do list - that is long enough on its own!  I'm sure my list will grow as the spring wears on.  There is never enough time or daylight to finish it all and, as I work on each project, I find more that I need/want to do.  


Tell me what kind of "purely homesteading" things are on your To Do list.  Do your friends give you odd looks too?
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Sunday Sing-A-Long

4/13/2014

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I don't know if you'll want to actually sing along with this one, or just watch the video and sob (that's what I do).  This is a beautiful, beautiful song, and absolutely perfect for Holy Week.  I hope it touches your heart, or maybe even your soul.
Stay tuned next week, for the rest of the story...
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Sunday Sing-A-Long

3/30/2014

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This guy drives around trying to get other drivers to sing along with him, and it's pretty funny.  Go ahead, you know you want to sing too!
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Sunday Sing-A-Long

3/23/2014

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In honor of Spring, today's sing-a-long song is about vegetables.  Enjoy!
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    Hi, my name is Nicole and my friends think I'm crazy.  I love farming, and my methods can be non-traditional at times, but I love simple living, I love playing in the dirt, and I love life.

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