|
|
 I'm adding some pictures of the animals and growing garden. Zane was juicing oranges for breakfast! Click HERE to get to the new page. He doesn't know it yet but he's going to help me juice some lemons since he ate the rest of the lemon curd I made! He made himself a "lemon curd sandwich"! Add Comment  As most of you know it has been a while since I've posted much. Time passes and things change. My life and focus have also changed and I'm not sure if Frugal In Kitsap is wanted, needed or of much value any more. There are still coupons out there but the industry has changed a LOT! The coupons are not as good and the stores are harder to deal with. My goal for FIK was that we would help each other. If YOU saw a great deal you would post it on the FIK Facebook page to share with others. Local businesses would (and did) offer special deals for FIK Fans but Fans didn't take advantage of those deals as I found out from the local businesses. I envisioned a group of FIK Fans that would gather once a month and volunteer - we could switch between different opportunities that the team was passionate about. Non of those things ever really happened sadly. The free monthly coupon classes and swaps saw fewer and fewer people until it was just me. Frankly I'm not good at doing coupon match-up and there are several very good local (Tacoma area) bloggers who do a great job. I have found that I am focusing more and more on being self-sufficient. Canning, planting my own garden, raising chickens, goats, rabbits and such. Coming up with creative ways to re-use what I have and making it new with paint or something else. I'm also passionate about teaching others to be more self-sufficent, preparing for the challenges of life that you don't know are barreling down the road at you. That's why I got involved with Thrive Life. It makes sense to me to incorporate long term food storage in with my short term stockpile. I know that I'm not going to make everyone happy (and believe me I heard about it when I didn't) so for now this will mostly be my ramblings of cool things I've found or want to try. Learning about small scale farming, being self sufficient and my attempts to continue to be "Frugal In Kitsap". If you want to stay great! If not, I understand. I would love to hear what you think about this my first "official" rambling and whether Frugal In Kitsap should stay or go... Lanelle I got this recipe from Pip & Ebby. Her photo's are beautiful and presentation. I couldn't find my bundt pan so just used a 8" square and it turned out fine. This is super easy to make AND is a great recipe to do with kids! Click the Pip & Ebby link to get her recipe - at the bottom is a printable version. Drew and I will be so glad when this is all done and we have moved on to other projects. We are getting close. Right now with the Tuesday May 15th date looming the rest of our lives have been on hold but we can finally see light at the end of the tunnel. Drew has been amazing! He is up early and working on the house then home late, shower - eat - bed, then starts all over again. He along with some other friends have done most of the work. I have been packing and sorting and acting as the "runner" for needed tools and supplies and making lunches and trying to keep things "normal" for Zane. Not everything will be done when we move in but the majority will be. Carpet is being installed on Sunday (yes - Mother's Day). The flooring will go in after we get moved in (We're doing that ourselves too). We'll have to do some furniture shuffle but hey, we can deal with that. It is slowly coming along. The pace is slow because when we open one section or wall there is more problems than what on the surface appeared. Each of the collages are of the same area or room. We have made some big changes in the floor plan by opening up a couple of walls and moving others around. The rooms you see below are the master bedroom, main bathroom, Zane's room, kitchen/dining area and entry way. So, many of you may have noticed that I haven't been on as much or posting near what I was and this hopefully will explain partly why... Here are some pictures of the property we purchased in all it's glory! Below is a video walk through of the entry, living room, Zane's room and part of kitchen. When this was taken there was no power and of course the back door had plywood covering it up thanks to vandals who felt it necessary to break and steal property. A LOT has changed since these pictures and video...  Zane usually cooks with me but Daddy stepped in and they made these yummy treats for Valentines Day! Zane had a great idea to make peanut-butter/chocolate chip cookie sandwiches with the Oreo icing center! They were yummy! Thanks to my boys for a special treat. Did you do anything special  
 I wish I could say that I "practice what I preach" in all things but, (sigh) I do at least "Try". Most Americans (us included) live paycheck to paycheck, and those who do save money are dwindling in number. With the cost of daily life increasingly on the rise, it is often difficult to keep up with even the most essential expenses. However, keeping yourself financially safe is one of the best and most important aspects of emergency preparedness. From small emergencies like a flat tire to large disasters such as a house fire, keeping yourself financially stable is essential for peace of mind and emergency recovery. If you find yourself to be in insurmountable debt, work out a plan to free yourself as soon as possible. I highly recommend Dave Ramsey. Especially his book Total Money Makeover. (FYI buy it used on Amazon or thrift shops or borrow it from the library). He admits that he isn't reinventing the wheel - this is all common sense info but put together in a workable plan. Discontinuing the use of credit cards is one of the best ways to start on the road toward becoming debt-free. Many of us use our credit cards without giving a second thought to what we’re buying or the costs we are incurring. But even small purchases add up, and, over time, the credit owed may outweigh the amount we are able to pay back. If you must use a credit card, discipline yourself to spend only what you can afford. If you have found yourself to be in too much debt to pay off at once, make a payment schedule to pay off the amount you owe. Stick to this schedule and don’t incur any additional debts. Also, avoid late payments. Paying late on credit cards causes your APR to increase greatly! This often incurs late fees as well. Especially avoid paying over 30 days late on your mortgage payment. This will automatically decrease your credit score. I have to say it again... GET RID OF YOUR CREDIT CARDS! Yes, I'm sorry, I'm YELLING! Here are some other helpful money saving tips: 1) Clip coupons—although most coupons won’t save you much individually, the little amounts add up to a lot. Click here to get started with couponing! 2) Buy on sale! When possible, combine coupons with sale items to increase the amount you’re saving. Here's a link to how to maximi 3) Live within your means—plan out a budget and stick to it 4) Cook wholesome homemade meals instead of eating pre-boxed dinners and fast food - Check out Food on the Table to plan meals around current sales. It's FREE to get started! Click HERE or on the banner on the right 5) Build up a supply of food storage to reduce meal costs and trips to the grocery store. Our family uses Shelf Reliance THRIVE Food. I LOVE it and you can build up your storage as your budget allows. Find out more HERE 6) Set up a savings plan that automatically deducts money from your checking account. Many savings account plans accrue interest as well, so you get paid to save! There are thousands of ways to cut little costs in our lives. The more you are able to do this, the better your financial status and emergency preparedness profile will look! The US Dept of Homeland Security recommends that "All Americans should have some basic supplies on hand in order to survive for at least three days if an emergency occurs. Following is a listing of some basic items that every emergency supply kit should include. However, it is important that individuals review this list and consider where they live and the unique needs of their family in order to create an emergency supply kit that will meet these needs. Individuals should also consider having at least two emergency supply kits, one full kit at home and smaller portable kits in their workplace, vehicle or other places they spend time." Basics... * Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation * Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food * Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both Flashlight and extra batteries * First aid kit * Whistle to signal for help * Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place * Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation * Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities * Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food) - non electric! * Local maps  Additional Items to Consider... * Prescription medications and glasses * Infant formula and diapers * Pet food and extra water for your pet * Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container * Cash or traveler’s checks and change * Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or information from www.ready.gov * Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate. * Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate. * Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners. * Fire Extinguisher * Matches in a waterproof container * Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items * Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels * Paper and pencil * Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children  One of my greatest fears is that a disaster of some sort (winter storm, earthquake, foreign attack, flood, power outage) occurs and I am separated from Zane, Drew or both of them. I know if Zane is with me or Drew he will be safe - but what if he's at school or at a friends home? Don't underestimate your child(ren) abilities! Kids are smart and there are lots of ways that you as a parent can help them and educate them on what to do in an emergency - especially if you aren't there with them. It will also be less scary for them if they feel prepared. * Make sure your child knows you and your spouses REAL name! Not Mommy & Daddy. What is their last name? Is it different than yours? * Your work or cell phone number or home number. * Their home address - including the city! * How to call for help (911) and most times now you have to press "SEND"  Contact the school or child care provider and find out what they have in the way of planning and provisions. If they carry a backpack use an old luggage tag to secure the above contact info inside their pack - especially if they are very young. Put extra protein bars and some box water in their pack. A picture of you and your spouse and a note to comfort them - reminding them of what you taught them and that you are coming to them as soon as you can. One of the best things you can do is practice! Pick a weekend to have a "Power outage". What will you eat and how will you cook it? How will you stay warm or cool (depending on the season & location). Sleeping arrangements? Where IS all that camping gear? Is it easily accessible - in the dark? Make it an adventure so the kids will have fun. What about games to pass the time? Pick some up for pennies at garage sales, freecycle, Craigs List and thrift stores.  What about WATER? We get our water from a well... until the power goes out! No power - no pump = no water. What about you? Water is MORE important than food! Washing, boiling, sanitation, drinking, making and cooking food... Here's a great video on water storage and preparedness. I'll be posting some more info and a downloadable preparedness document soon. | 
I'm a truly blessed person! After many
careers I'm fortunate to stay home with my wonderful son Zane and
strive to be a "10 Cow Wife" to my husband Drew. We have and continue
to struggle like many and living frugal has helped. I hope to help
others by sharing what I have learned.
 CategoriesAll ArchivesMay 2013 |
RSS Feed