Seasonal maladies

The year is winding down now. Christmas is a day and a half away, and the new year rolls in in about a week. Spring is just around the corner...I wish.

It's actually rainy and cold here. We may even be getting some ice by Christmas Eve. At least I don't have to worry about allergy relief for a few more months.  But I really really hate ice and snow!

The rain and dark skies have left me a little depressed. I can handle cold sunny days OK, but when there are several  overcast days in a row, I wind up gloomy and non-productive.

Ah, well, This too shall pass.

Technorati Tags: winter

Beating the winter blues

Winter is definitely a season of long, dark, cold nights and short, often cloudy days in our part of the country. This can lead to depression in some folks. I myself tend to have the winter doldrums if I don't stay active indoors on inclement days.

This seasonal sadness can wind up making us sleep too much, eat too much, or drink too much if we let it. I have my own ways to combat it, though without calling upon North Carolina health insurance plans for medication.

One thing is to turn ON the lights! Yes, I said it out loud. As much as I like saving money on electricity, the truth is that since I use only CFL bulbs in my home, I can actually turn them all on and use only the same amount of power as one 100 watt incandescent bulb. (My fixtures only accommodate one bulb each,) So, I feel comfortable keeping a few lights on in the rooms I'm frequenting during my day or into the evening. I only use about 60 to 75 watts for them, so it's really not bad at all.

Technorati Tags: electricity,compact fluorescent bulbs,cfl,winter

Upcoming tax season

I just got my first Christmas card of the season. It was from the folks who do my taxes! They had already given me a call a few days ago, saying they hadn't raised their rates. This makes, I think, four years in a row that they haven't raised the prices on their tax preparation fees. This kind of assurance and stability in pricing saves me a ton on wrinkle cream - I don't frown and worry so much!

I've been using this local company for about 10 years now. They've always done a good job for me and offered tips about how to save on taxes the next year. They have their office open year 'round in the small town where I work and do most of my other business. If I need to, I can drop by and have them call up any records I need from previous years.

They are a husband and wife, Christians, and treat their clients with respect. They don't try to help anyone cheat on taxes - just get the best refund possible or at least owe a lower tax bill.

A couple of years ago, they were even able to get Son's refund for him. A refund that one of the national chain tax services (you know them, they had failed to pay their own income taxes that year!) had said they'd submitted, but Son never received it. A phone call to the IRS settled the mistake and it was sent within a few days.

This local service has also bought out that national tax service office and has it right next door in the same building, if anyone's interested in using in. Personally, I'm sticking with the folks I know!

Technorati Tags: taxes

Down time

I was off work Monday, worked Tuesday, and am off work Wednesday and Thursday. I prefer two days off in a row. I really feel like I've had days off then. See, every so often I need some down time. I'm sure you do, too.

So, Wednesday became my "down time day". It's dark and rainy outside, and the weather service is predicting some light snowfall today. It won't stick, but it will add a wintry look to the outdoors.

In the meantime, it's raining but the aroma of the granola in the oven offers warmth to this otherwise dreary, chilly day - pumped throughout the house by the Minka Aire turning lazily overhead. After it's done, I'll indulge in a serving of it. I'll also fix myself a little pot of Earl Grey tea - such a warm, sensuous taste to enjoy on this dark day.

I'll get a few things done as far as housework, but I'm not going anyplace today. That means I can read my magazines, listen to music, and maybe work on a craft.

Just relaxing and being in the moment is enough for me today.

Technorati Tags: winter,tea

Granola

As I write this, I have a batch of granola in the oven. Granola is a comfort food for me, plus it's packed with things that are good for the body. There's no real recipe for it - I just toss it together with what I have on hand. But here's a list of what I'm putting in it today.

• Old fashioned oats (large box)
• Honey
• Wheat germ
• Canola oil
• Cinnamon
• Chopped pecans
• Brown sugar

All this gets mixed, then put into a large pan. You get a feel for how much oil and sweetening to add. You need enough oil to help the oats toast, and enough sweetening to make the taste delicious. I put it in the oven at 350 degrees F., stirring it occasionally, until it's all toasted nicely. When I get it out, I'll let it cool for awhile, then add:

• Craisins
• Raisins
• Dark chocolate chips
• Chopped dates

I'll mix these in and store it all in an airtight container. This granola is tasty eaten out-of-hand, cooked like oatmeal, eat it like cold cereal, or sprinkled on ice cream or yogurt. It's got lots of fiber and antioxidants, plus vitamins and minerals. I don't know that it's a good wrinkle treatment, though, since it makes you smile really big when you eat it!

It's pretty economical to make, and you can add your own favorite dried ingredients. The last four items I listed go in after it's cooled so that they don't get rock hard or, in the case of the chocolate chips, don't melt.

I have put in coconut, other dried fruits, sesame seeds, sunflower nuts, and pine nuts in other batches of it. It just depends on what I have in the pantry.

Technorati Tags: granola

Keeping weight gain to a minimum

Thanksgiving is behind us, some of us more than others, if you get my meaning. With all the rich foods that are served at the Thanksgiving dinner table, I'm sure many of us overindulged at least a little and now need to trim up before the Christmas season hits. there are loads of cookies, cakes, candies and rich desserts associated with Christmas dinners and gifts.

Many people look after New Years Day for the best weight loss supplement, buy my thought is to assess your eating habits now and cut back before Christmas so you won't be pushing so hard after the first of the year to drop unwanted pounds.

• Choose healthful meals and snacks
• Park further away from shopping malls and walk the distance into the stores
• Resist the urge to eat samples that confectioners have laid out
• Keep drinking lots of water
• Take a snack prepared at home with you on long trips. You can control the fat, calories, and salt of homemade snacks
• Get plenty of rest
• Eat more whole grains, nuts, and seeds

Maybe after the holidays are over, you will not have gained so much weight this year!

Technorati Tags: health

Free room

Son is moving out. Well, he's actually already out. He's staying with a friend in town until he gets his own place. He's been looking around and I think he's found an apartment he likes.

This gives me an entire bedroom to do whatever I want with, so I think I'm going to convert part of it into a small office. I'd have a place then to put my office supplies, a computer desk, some shelves for storing movies, books, and other resources, and a dedicated place to work from when I'm working online.

The other part of the room can be home to my craft supplies and out-of-season clothing. Then my bedroom could have some free space to it, which translates into better decorating and more comfort.

Technorati Tags: office

After Christmas and truck repairs

Once I get my truck fixed, I'm going to be in the market for some truck accessories. For instance, I'd love to have a way to mount my laptop inside so when I'm on the road and stop someplace, all I have to do is turn it on and use it.

I'd also like to have a storage bin of some kind in the back that is bolted into place so it doesn't slide all over when I make a turn. Another thing that would be nice would be a way to mount my spare tire either on the back or inside the back end so it's not underneath the truck. It's really hard to get out of there when it's needed.

Of course, first I've got to get my truck fixed, right?

Technorati Tags: truck repair

Catching a ride

If you live in the country, as I do, then you realize the importance of having reliable, economic transportation available to you at all times. Here, there is no such thing as public transportation anywhere but in the largest cities of the state.

In the country, it's up to the individual to provide a way to get to and from work and shopping. Recently, I've had to really deal with this issue. Son got aggravated with me and took the keys to both of his vehicles, leaving me without a ride. The stress this caused me worked as a sleep and appetite suppressant, making me barely fit for work even when I got a ride there.

Things are getting worked out now, though. Son has handed the keys to one vehicle over to me for the time being. Once my truck is operational, I'll give them back to him. Hopefully by then, we'll have ironed out a few more of our problems, too.

Technorati Tags: transportation,truck repair

Gift giving

It's almost Thanksgiving, yet I'm seeing Christmas decorations on display at various stores. I really think they put those out too early, considering we just passed Halloween. I like Christmas - I just tire of seeing the decorations so early in the year.

However, it is a reminder to at least begin shopping, if you haven't already begun. I have a couple of things for folks on my list already, but I'm not really very far along on shopping. Yes, I will be doing some Christmas shopping, but each thing will be carefully chosen for the intended recipient. Nothing will be extravagant. The spirit of the season isn't how much you spend, but if the gift suits the person you're giving it to, don't you think?

For instance, I shop for some things online at places that offer some coupon codes, like Amazon books, or places that offer deep discounts over the regular retail prices. This allows me to give nice things without going into debt well into the following year. When Christmas is over, I don't find myself owing money. That's a lot more satisfying than trying to outdo others who are giving to the person.

• What are the recipients hobbies? I can give items that will help them in their hobbies. Some craft supplies, a gift card to a hobby or collections shop.
• What are their activities? If they love to play music or sports, I can give something to add to that enjoyment. Small sports equipment, guitar strings, reeds, etc. are examples of things that can be a good gift.
• I can give a dinner out or a ticket to an upcoming movie or concert, if that's where their interests lie.
• Do they love to cook? A subscription to a cooking magazine or an interesting kitchen gadget from a kitchen specialty store would work.
• Do they have children? Passes to a local child-oriented movie or play place for the whole family, or offer to babysit for the parents to have an evening out.

You get the idea. Really putting some thought into gift giving makes the gift much more special and appreciated. Again, it's not the amount of money you spend. It really is the thought that goes into the gift.

Technorati Tags: Christmas,gift

Hunting the best deals

Along with generating income and trying to be entirely free of working for "the other guy", I also spend some time (and money) finding the best places for my current income to go besides the run-of-the-mill bills.

For instance, I shop the best deals for my auto coverage, I use my company's 401k and stock options programs, and now I'm looking for the best term life insurance rate and health insurance rate. (The cost of health insurance where I work is prohibitive.)

Of course, I also look for the best deals possible when doing regular shopping. For instance, I haunt the clearance racks at most clothing and discount stores. Even if something is not right for the upcoming season, I can use it next year when it is appropriate. Fashions don't evolve so drastically from one season to the next that there's no difference at all if I buy it a few months in advance.

How do you shop for bargains?

Technorati Tags: shopping,bargains

Amazing bit of technology

One of the fascinating tools where I work is the receipt printer. Not so fascinating, you say? Well, think about this:

• It prints out customer receipts.
• It prints out store data on request.
• It prints out the opening and closing data.

There is a lot of information shooting out of it any time we need to view something. The whole system depends on those little printers to be available on demand.

We even have one in the kitchen area that is designed to take sticky-back printer paper so we can attach special requests to each order. All the printers take thermal paper, so there's no need for ink. I think it's a great advance!

Technorati Tags: work

Business trips

Every month I make a trip to visit my Mom. It's about 100 miles away from my house so I always have to plan pretty carefully. Along with visiting her, I scope out things I can put on eBay.

The town where she lives has some pretty interesting shops with unusual items. A little shopping around can pay off later. In fact, since it's getting colder weather now, I'm going to be looking at electric blankets. If I can find them at a low enough price, I'll get one for myself to cut back on heating expenses, and I'll get a couple more to list on eBay.

Because I write reviews, shop for items to sell, and conduct other business while I'm visiting, I can usually write these trips off on my taxes. In fact, rarely do I go anywhere that doesn't have business as the goal.

Last year, I took a trip to Branson for a week. That was entirely unrelated to business and purely for pleasure, so it could not be written off. But these shorter trips, a few times a month, are when I really am looking for items to sell or topics to write about. It's when I take some pictures, too, so you can see what I've been up to.

Technorati Tags: business,trip,taxes

Freelancing

If you look over at the right sidebar, you'll see a feed related to ways to earn money. Those are primarily aimed at people in less fortunate countries, but many of the ideas could be used by just about anyone.

There are companies out there who are looking for freelancers to do some work for them instead of paying full time employees. This is known as outsourcing and is becoming a real industry. With many companies downsizing in order to stay in business and cut costs, freelancing could be the way to go for many professionals.

Photographers, writers, graphic designers, maintenance persons, cleaning people, and others can start a good cottage industry from their own homes or from a small office by offering bigger companies the services they need. For example, a freelance writer could publish colon cleanse reviews for a health magazine or website. A freelance photographer could submit photos of interesting places to magazines and newspapers. If you are a photo-journalist, the pay increases since you can also conduct interviews that go along with the pictures.

Some states even have programs for artists to become involved in education through workshops they conduct at public schools, museums, and other government supported agencies. You are paid for your time, materials, and travel/lodging for these efforts.

Think outside the box. What do you know how to do that could be offered from home in today's market?

Technorati Tags: work,job,freelance

Under control

There are a lot of things in life that are completely out of our control. For instance, I have to have a repair made to my truck. A part wore out. That's out of my control. Parts do wear out after awhile and my truck is almost 10 years old.

Other things are within our control, though. We can't do a single thing about the rates for electrical consumption, but we can control to a large extent how much electricity we personally consume. Thus, reducing our electric bill and saving money is somewhat within our control.

This goes for a lot of other things, too. While we can't dictate the base cost of consumer goods, we can reduce our spending on them in a variety of ways. Making thrifty choices boils down to a few things:

• Asking ourselves if this is something we really need.
• Figuring out the best value for our hard-earned dollars by comparison shopping.
• Checking to see if we already have something similar in our possession that will do just as well for a long time.
• Finding out if what we have can be repaired instead of just tossing things out.
• Shoot for lower goals for possessions and higher goals for long range financial planning.

Stop and think before you buy. Sleep on purchases before making a commitment. For example, be sure the treadmills you've been looking at have the options you need and will fit your space and lifestyle. While one person may want all the bells and whistles to get the most use from time spent on the treadmill, another may just want a simple, straightforward machine for quick walking sessions a few times a week.

Technorati Tags: shopping

Give to Heifer

While you're busy making money, don't forget that there are those in need whom you can help. Even if it's only in small ways, give. Give your time. Give your money. Give your prayers. Give your gifts and talents. Do something to improve the world.

There is a saying that the poor will be with you always, and to some extent that's probably true. Because of natural disasters or war, there will always be people who need some help. Also, because some people just don't have a desire to better their lot in life, they will remain poor. However, for those who just need a little boost to improve their circumstances, there are ways you can help.

What I'm referring to is the work that Heifer International does around the world. They work with individuals and families in the US and in foreign countries to educate them and give them a start to a self-sufficient life. They teach sustainable agriculture, offer a beginning to farming that's right for their particular area, empower women, and guide families and communities into a life of success. They teach people to share with others so that communities benefit.

There are a number of business ideas they have for people who are only willing to work and make themselves a success. From farm animals to bees to bunnies, these folks could probably show families how to use stainless steel drums to store water as well as store feed for whatever animals they are raising.

If you're thinking of giving back, this is the place to make the most impact globally.

Technorati Tags: Heifer International,gift,charity

Chill air brings warm thoughts

Fall is definitely in the air around here. The leaves are already changing colors so it looks like we'll have a blazing fall landscape soon. We've had a rather wet summer and now are having a really wet fall. In the last week, we've had one day of sun, and that was today - not even all day!

It's overcast and chilly again.

I spent part of my day cleaning house (my day off) and another part just relaxing with a cup of hot cocoa while listening to music. Of course, a real winter past time would be to spend a week or so in Cozumel Mexico, soaking up the sun and playing in the city. But that's not in my fall lineup right now, so I'll be content to spend days off dreaming of it all and thinking that maybe next year...

Technorati Tags: vacation

Living life

Let it be known to all that the kind of house you live in is not as important as the kind of life you live there. It doesn't matter if it's a site-built home, a manufactured home, or a cabin you built yourself, how you live your life is ultimately the most important thing.

• Do you give more than you receive?
• Do you appreciate what you have?
• Do you strive to better yourself intellectually and morally?
• Do you share with others even when you have but little?
• Do you try to maintain a positive outlook?

It's not really so important to "keep up with the Jones'" - it's very important to be true to yourself and your own set of ethics.

Technorati Tags: life

Oil business

I thought you might like to see a short QuickTime video of an oil well near us. I took the video at night because it's the gas vent fire they keep going all the time. The well is already in place, so there isn't anyone much around at night.

See, in this part of the country there is a lot of shale. That has led to a booming oil business since oil can be extracted from shale. There are natural gas pockets in the shale and the vent is to prevent those pockets from exploding. The shale oil business has supplied a lot of good paying jobs for folks who are willing and able to work long, hard hours.



When the wells are first drilled, the place reminded us of Area 51. There are lots of bright lights going up a tower where the drilling rig is being used. It's a pretty eerie sight at night.

Tired more easily

It's been quite a week. I did get 4 days off in a row last week, which I spent with Mom, Sis, and Brother-in-law at a local campsite. Since then, though, I've been working every day. It may not seem like much, but I was supposed to actually be off early Tuesday night. However, I wound up closing because we were very short handed.

I'm not getting enough rest and several people have asked if I'm tired. Well, yes. And it looks like I need some wrinkle eye cream to have a more refreshed look. I tried some "gets the red out" eye drops, but still appear tired and worn.

I think I'm going to have to see a doctor to find out if I have a thyroid problem. Mom and Sis are both on thyroid meds now, and it appears this is a genetic problem which means I'll most likely need the meds as well. One of the symptoms is feeling more tired than usual too much of the time, even with adequate rest.

Such is the lot for those of us in our "golden years".

Technorati Tags: work

Food choices

Once again I find myself working more hours than I was originally scheduled for. In addition, my schedule was changed so that instead of being off on Tuesday, I actually have to work. I will be off on Wednesday, unless something else changes, though.

In the meantime, instead of eating wholesome, home cooked food I am eating way too much fast food. I do try to make smart choices, though, since I don't want to have to take something to reduce my "wide load". Still, it's hard to find healthful, low-fat, low sodium foods when eating out. I wind up eating only part of the portions I'm served so that I'm at least cutting back on the salt, fat, and calories. Eating too many fats acts like the best sleeping pills for me, making me sluggish and drowsy. So, I try to get around that by eating lower fat foods.

How do you accommodate your own diet when eating out?

Technorati Tags: food,work

Good paycheck

It turns out I have put in right at 100 hours in the past two and a half weeks. That's how long the pay period is where I work. We get paid twice a month. None of this was overtime because of the way the period is laid out, but that's OK since 100 hours is still a lot! Who needs diet pills when you work that many hours! Fact is, some days I barely have time to eat at all.

I am hoping to be able to just take my regular budget out of this paycheck then put the rest away for a later time. See, we'll also get our quarterly bonus this time and we've gotten raises.

I figure if I work with the amount of money I normally receive, the rest will be gravy for use later when I really need it. I am tempted to put it all in the bank, but I know myself. It's better for me if the money is out of reach when I'm in town. The best way for that to happen is to put cash someplace at home and just not carry it with me.

See, winter will eventually arrive. When it does, there will be days the roads will be too icy for me to try to make the 10 mile drive to work. This means I'll miss some hours later, so I need a little cushion to help overcome those times.

In addition, this will be a good time to stock up on pantry items for those hard winter days, along with making sure I have additional water and other emergency items. I've blogged about emergency items before so I won't list them here, but I will be getting these things rounded up with this paycheck.

Technorati Tags: emergencies,work,money

Somewhere over the rainbow

I think we all have dreams of living or vacationing in a faraway place. Dreams of lazing the days away absorbed in nothing more important than lying on white beaches or dining in beautiful surroundings. It's for sure, I have these dreams myself and would love to make them come true by participating in Karisma Hotels' all inclusive vacations.

Maybe I'll find that special someone who will go with me, walking hand in hand as we enjoy beautiful tropical sunsets together. Maybe he will join me in a spa treatment or at the table of a private room where we can watch a movie on a big screen TV. Am I dreaming of too much?

I don't think so. I think this kind of trip is attainable with the right planning. It's mainly a matter of preparing financially, making plans for the right season of the year, and figuring out what I really want to do while enjoying some time off.

Hoping for home

I've spent too much time at my regular job lately to do much in the way of making money online or any other way. Of course, my regular job pays the bills, but other things I do add padding to my income so that I don't feel strapped for cash all the time.

Eventually, I'm hoping to go part time at my regular job and make more money in other ways so I can spend more time at home, pursuing interests that appeal to me more than punching a clock. Some of those interests can actually generate some income.

I like to make jewelry, so I need to hone my skills so that the jewelry is appealing enough for others to buy it. I also like fiber arts, which means I need to develop some original things that would be marketable.

For now, though, I'll keep plugging away at what I'm doing and keep planning for the day when I can stay home all I want!

Technorati Tags: work,home

Leftovers - bread

Saving on groceries can be as simple as using what you already have on hand. For instance, I've heard a lot of folks say they don't like leftovers. However, if you really think about it, frozen dinners and entrees are nothing more than leftovers that have been packaged for consumers to use.

This is the way I look at leftovers in my kitchen. I call them "planovers", though, because I often intentionally cook double or triple recipes of some things in order to have more for later. Things like spaghetti sauce, breads, and soups come to mind immediately, but I also cook extra quantities of rice so I can have it with the current meal then use more of it later. It's much less trouble to have some already cooked items on hand than it is to cook fresh for every meal.

A good example of this is home made bread. We eat some of it with current meals, then I freeze what's left to use as bread crumbs, bread sticks, and croutons. Of course, you can do the same with commercially prepared bread. Not throwing away the ends of loaves will save you money and will add dimension to your meals.

LEFTOVER BREAD USES

• Use your food processor to mill the bread into fine crumbs. Use this as a coating for oven fried chicken, fish or pork chops. Add the seasonings you like to the crumbs.
• Cube the bread and lay it out to dry or use your food dehydrator to speed up the process. Dried bread cubes are safe to keep in the pantry in tightly sealed zip bags. Use them for croutons by sautéing them in a little olive oil or butter with some seasonings on them.
• Use bread cubes for bread pudding.
• Use bread cubes for dressing.
• Cut the bread into 1 inch strips. Coat with butter into which you've creamed some herbs and garlic powder. Bake until bread sticks are toasty.
• Stale bread slices make great grilled cheese sandwiches.

Technorati Tags: bread

Old cars

We've discovered something here. People will buy anything. My son just sold his old car. It hasn't been driving in over a year. It has some things wrong with it, although it would start. They fellow who bought it has all kinds of plans to put in new air intakes, get some body work done to it, and use it for daily driving.

These aren't things Son wanted to spend money on and he doesn't have the mechanical skills to do them himself, so selling it seemed like a good idea. The fact is, he really didn't advertise it or anything. The fellow who bought it knew he owned the car, and approached Son with an offer. It was more than I personally would have paid for the car, but the guy was pretty intent on getting it, so Son sold it.

A few weeks ago I actually gave away my old car. It wasn't running at all and the folks just wanted to put in in their paint ball field. I probably could have gotten $50 or $100 for it, but I just wanted it out of my yard so it seemed worth it to just get it hauled off.

A couple of years ago I sold two vehicles to some guys that were going to take them to the crusher for scrap metal. I made some money, and so did they. I don't have a way to haul scrap metal or I'd probably try doing that, too!

Technorati Tags: scrap metal

Saving on laptops

This is definitely the time of year when people are shopping for netbooks for themselves or their children. Either the kids are going back to school or they're entering college.

Either way, new laptop computers are now part of the school scene. My older daughter had to get one when she started college a few years ago, and has since gotten another one - an updated one - to use in her classroom and at home. She's a middle school math/science teacher.

The truth is, most of my family members now have laptops. We still have our old PC at home, but even now I'm typing this blog post on my laptop before I have to clock in for work.

I think the hardest part of buying a laptop is shopping around, trying to get the best deal, researching, and finding a good fit for your needs. It was for me, anyway. Now, I'm at the point when I really need a new laptop since mine is already three years old.

I guess I need to look online for a price comparison. That way, I can find the data I need - prices, speed, OS, and other specifications - at a central location instead of spending hours searching the Web for that information. Seems to me the best way to shop, don't you think?

Where do you shop for laptops?

Emergency tips

It's already the end of August, which means I need to really think about preparing for the colder months ahead. This means making sure I have plenty of groceries laid by and also being sure we have plenty of water in containers, just in case of power outages or freezes.

It's really hard to think about these things when temperatures are in the 90s, but better now than when an emergency hits!

The little store up the road has some veggies for sale that I'd like to put in the freezer for hearty winter meals. I also want to get some canned veggies and meats stored, as well as getting and alternative cooking source ready. The flea market I like to go to has little emergency stoves and pressurized fuel to use in them. I'll probably get two stoves and a couple of cases of the fuel.

Emergency ideas for families

Most weather related emergencies in our area only last two or three days, so that's what I'll be getting ready for. If you tend to have longer emergency times, it's a good idea to start getting ready now.

• Have enough bottled water on hand for drinking.
• Have other water you've drawn into jugs for washing.
• Have canned or dried foods available for meals.
• Have a safe heat source to use.
• Have a safe cooking source.
• Be sure you have extra blankets and sweaters to use.
• Keep extra gas for your vehicle stored in a safe location.
• Make sure you have a good first aid kit, sufficient over-the-counter remedies, and extra dosages of prescription medicines.
• Have extra batteries, flashlights, and other kinds of lighting that can be used safely. Candles can be a fire hazard, so we choose to use camping lanterns with good ventilation and rechargeable flashlights. I can recharge them using the inverter in my truck. Having even a single outlet inverter in your vehicle can help with recharging batteries, flashlights, and running a small electrical appliance. Keep your vehicle running when using your inverter.
• Store extra personal hygiene items in a single location - germicidal hand cleanser, wet towelettes, tissues, travel sizes of toothpaste, soap, shampoo, deodorant, etc.

I look at emergencies like this as ways to use camping skills I've learned over the years. It's not as much fun, but it's doable. A few camping items can come in very handy, even if they're used at home. Just be sure to be safe with it all. Store fuels properly. Make sure you have good ventilation or use camp stoves outside.

Don't be a victim to fire or carbon monoxide because of a winter emergency!

Technorati Tags: emergencies

Laptop changes

My computer looks different than it used to. See, Son's lap top finally gave out completely. It has crashed a few times before and he was able to repair it himself. But this time was it's swan song and there's no more repairing for it. Maybe Son should think about getting some kind of life insurance policy for laptops the next time he gets one! Anyway, since I was having a problem with my laptop monitor (a weird triple line running down the right side of the screen), Son put his screen on my laptop. So now, I have a slightly larger screen. It also has better resolution than my old screen did.

He took my old keyboard out and put his in, too. The cat had ripped two keys off mine and although I could still use the empty spots for the keys, it wasn't as easy. Now my laptop has a bunch of stickers on the keys from a kit he'd gotten at a computer store. All kinds of black and white figures. Anyway, at least I have all the keys!

He also put in both of his sticks of RAM to see if my machine would run faster. it helped somewhat, but it's really the exact same amount of RAM that I had before. He fine tuned my laptop a bit, removing old Wild Tangent games that I'm not going to buy, eliminating some of the start-up processes, and getting some programs off the quick-launch bar. Now it boots up a lot faster.

I suppose a little "housekeeping" is always in order for computers and laptops. This one is pretty old - I've had it three years which is a pretty long time for a computer. I'm really wanting a new laptop, but that will have to wait for awhile.

Technorati Tags: laptop,computer

New laundry soap recipe

• 1 bath size bar Ivory soap (4 oz.)
• 1 1/2 cups borax
• 1 1/2 cups soda ash
• 3 quarts cold water

Finely grate or shred the Ivory soap. In a large, dry pan (non-aluminum), mix the soap shreds, borax, and soda ash. Add cold water, mixing with plastic spoon while adding water. Place over medium heat. Stir constantly until soap shreds are completely melted. Pour into a bucket or other non-metal container. Add 3 more quarts of cold water. Mix well and allow to cool. This should be a very thick gel that will dissolve even in cold water.

Use 1/2 cup of this mixture per load of laundry.

Technorati Tags: soap making,laundry soap

Home made laundry soap update

I wanted to update you about the home made laundry soap I made a few weeks ago. I tried the powdered variety, but since we have well water it didn't really dissolve as well as I like. So, I changed to a gel variety. It's basically the same recipe. You just add water to it and let the soap, borax, and soda ash dissolve.

The first round of gel laundry soap was too thin and watery. I suspect I just wasn't using enough Ivory soap to make the batch, so I switched to larger bars - bath size bars. The next batch came out the way I expected. A thick, white gel-ish soap.

I use 1/2 cup of the gel per load. I hang my clothes on the clothesline, so one of the real tests was whether it made my clothes stiff. It didn't. Even the towels come off the line fairly soft. I don't use fabric softener, so this was a real victory as Son complains that with commercial laundry soap, the towels are rough.

The home made laundry soap doesn't have any fragrances or dyes in it, and it doesn't have chemicals in it that I can't pronounce. Ivory soap is real soap - fat, lye, and water - so I don't have to worry about unusual chemicals in that, either.

If you make your own home made  bath  or cleaning soap, you should have no problem using that in your laundry soap recipe.

This kind of laundry soap won't get you out of your debt problems, but it is a beginning in learning how to live without so many commercial products. At a later time, I'll share with you how to make bath soap in your crock pot so you can have it on hand for personal use, for general cleaning, or for making laundry soap. I will say that a crock pot will produce about three pounds of soap, which is really quite a bit. The larger bars of Ivory soap are only 4 ounces.

It's a very satisfying project to undertake.

Technorati Tags: soap making,laundry soap

Computer crash

Son has learned a hard lesson lately. His laptop crashed. He had a lot of fun stuff on it and thought he had it fixed, but then it crashed so far down that he can't even wipe the hard drive and reinstall Windows! The lesson is: Do backups to CD or use a service to do an  online backup.

I'd hate to think of losing all the information I have stored on my laptop. But, I'm just as guilty of not doing the necessary backups and making copies as he was. What am I thinking?

What if your computer crashed? What would you lose?

Technorati Tags: computer,backup

Herbal teas

Drying my herbs gives me not only a chance to have delicious, organically grown herbs in the winter, it also gives me a way to have great food and beverages throughout the year. Today, I made orange mint iced tea, which is really good. Using dried mint in a mesh tea ball, I can actually get more of the herbal flavor infused into the tea than I can with fresh cuttings in the tea ball,

See, using dried herbs means that I get more leaves in a smaller "package" so the flavor is more concentrated.

I made the orange mint iced tea using the same method as I do for every mint iced tea. For hot tea, the steps are slightly different.

Mint Hot Tea

• Enough dried mint to fill a mesh tea ball
• 1 pint of water
• 2 small tea bags, if desired

Place the mint in the tea ball. Put tea ball and tea bags in the water and bring it to a low boil. Turn off the heat and let the tea steep for three minutes. Pour into a tea pot which has been preheated with hot water, discarding the tea bags and used mint. Add 2 teaspoons honey or other sweetener to your tea cup. Pour the tea over the sweetener and stir. Enjoy!

Orange mint and chocolate mint really lend themselves well to hot tea. They are very relaxing at the end of a hard day. How lovely to put up your feet and sip a wonderful mint tea before you head to bed!

Treating yourself to these kinds of lovely teas puts you in a better mood, too, in my opinion. Growing your own mints is a good money saving tool for your budget. While you're enjoying the fruits of your gardening efforts, you can begin to ponder things like which business plan consultants you may want to employ, which business model you will choose to use, and how to budget both your time and your money in order to be successful.

Go ahead. Brew a pot of mint tea for yourself. Put up your feet. Jot notes down on a pad of paper. Relax and plan.

Technorati Tags: mint,tea,recipe

Setting goals

As a woman, I often feel compelled to succeed probably just to prove myself to others. From time to time, I have to sit back and re-assess just what I'm working toward in my life. I have to ask myself questions that help me refocus my energies.

• What is my goal?
• What am I doing to make progress toward that goal?
• Do I allow distractions keep me from making progress?
• What is the time frame for completing my goal?
• Am I taking the small steps necessary to reach it?
• Am I maintaining my own personal identity in the process?
• Am I allowing time for spiritual regeneration daily?
• Am I writing down what needs to occur and what I need to do to accomplish my goal?
• Is the goal for me and me alone, or am I trying to impress or outdo someone else?

How are you progressing toward your goals?

I have to confess to you all that of late, I haven't been as committed to producing income that will help me leave my full time job or at least just go part time. Shame on me. I really know the reason, too, and I bet it's the same for you.

It's easier just to work and make a guaranteed paycheck than it is to develop a home business with all the risks it may entail.

Now that I've said it out loud, I can move forward toward my true goals.

My goal is to live and thrive full time at home.

This means making a few sacrifices at the beginning. Doing the necessary things to create a true home based income isn't always easy, but this is what it takes. It means cutting unnecessary expenses, which I have done, and increasing the time I devote to developing a true home based business - which I haven't done enough.

In upcoming blog posts I'll share with you my day-to-day advancements as I move closer to fulfilling my dream.

 

Technorati Tags: home based business

Reducing expenses without pain

We are definitely in a recession in the U.S. However, there are still people making money in all kinds of ways. Otherwise, there would be more people on the government dole than are actually employed. So let's just think about what we must do, compared to what our parents and grandparents did, to not only survive the recession but actually come out at least less scarred by it than perhaps some of our neighbors.

Profit or Loss?

When I read that a big automaker has lost money the last quarter, I already understand it's not a loss in the sense that they paid out more than they took in. This is a term used by big corporations to mean that they made less than expected, but they really did make a nice profit nonetheless. It's hard to feel sorry for them, you know?

For the everyday person, losing money means just that - their expenses outweighed their income to the extent that they are operating in the red at the end of the month. It doesn't mean they have less spendable income leftover - it means they owe more debt. Understanding this, we "everyday persons" have to learn to cut expenses drastically in order to still have some money leftover at the end of the month.

Cutting Expenses

For me, cutting expenses has meant learning to live a little differently without being so frugal that all the joy of life is removed.

• I've kept lights and entire circuits turned off when not in use.
• I use CFL bulbs in every fixture.
• I reduce water usage by making sure there are no drips or leaks and by only using the minimum amount necessary for any task.
• I limit trips in my vehicle to going to work, and I use those days as opportunities to run errands after work.
• I use leftovers to create new meals, reducing food waste.
• I recycle anything I can that's brought into the house so that I don't have to replace store-bought items so often. (Think, using plastic grocery bags instead of buying plastic trash bags.)

These are easy things to do that will really help the budget in the long run. By first reducing expenses we free up some of our money to be used in other ways, such as investing in a home business project or investing in our own retirement accounts. I've stopped just short of using video surveillance equipment to watch what is spent out of my wallet! Every dime that we can move from one purpose to a more profitable purpose has added value.

Technorati Tags: expenses,home based business

Gardening - mint cuttings

I've done some gardening over the weekend in the form of taking cuttings from my mints and getting them potted up. I used some of the hard plastic drink cups that you get from fast food places.

I cut the cups down by about half, cut a tiny hole in the bottoms, and put my cuttings in them. I also used craft sticks (the ones that look like ice cream sticks) to make my labels so I'd remember which mint is which. When you just cut them, they can be difficult to distinguish from one another, although the chocolate mint is pretty strong and easy to identify. (Now to find a use for the tops of those cups!)

I also used a couple of old whipped topping tubs for other transplants. I'd much rather use these plastic items this way than to add them to my trash. They won't compost so I can't get rid of them that way and reusing them just seems to make sense.

As time goes by, I'll take more mint cuttings and cuttings from other perennial herbs. Some will be given away. Others will be used right here to increase my herb garden. Gardening is one of the best fat burners I've found. I get to bend low, squat, use my arms for digging in the dirt with a small gardening trowel, and walk around just admiring the work I've done.

I dry as much of my herbs as possible so I'll have them throughout the year. For instance, right now I'm sipping a delicious glass of apple mint iced tea as I write this post.

Mint Tea

• 2 regular tea bags
• 2 heaping tablespoons of any dried mint you like
• 1 quart water

Bring it all to a high simmer, then remove from heat for about 3 minutes to let it steep. Pour into a half-gallon pitcher and add water to make the half gallon. Sweeten as desired. Sweetening helps to make the mint flavor bloom in the tea. I use 2/3 cup of sugar in the bottom of the pitcher and pour the hot tea over that.

An icy glass of mint tea is so refreshing! Apple and orange mints are super as iced teas, though any can be used. I really love to use chocolate mint in a hot tea. It's so relaxing at the end of a tiring day.

Technorati Tags: gardening,mint,recipe

Peaceful organization

One thing that helps me feel at peace at home is to have things organized. Now, I'm not saying that I'm always perfectly organized in every area, but I am working on it.

A few days ago I was talking to Son about needing a shelf of some kind at the back of the kitchen counter. It's an area I can't really use for anything and tends to seem piled up with this and that - appliances, cords, etc. While I was shopping I came across some coated wire locker shelves. They are 12 inches tall and about 10 inches wide and deep. You just unfold them and the legs lock into place. They can also be stacked, but two of them side by side fit my purpose perfectly.

I now have a place to put my crock pot, can opener, midget food processor, steamer, and food shredder/grinder. Since I have a power strip right there anyway, I can easily plug an appliance in when I need to use it without having to reach behind the shelves for the only outlet on that wall. There is room for smaller things to be on the shelves (midget processor, cords) and taller things to go underneath them (crock pot, steamer). The can opener lays on the shelf until it's called into action.

Being able to store these items at my fingertips is better for me than having them tucked away in some cabinet. See, I have hip problems which makes it difficult for me to reach into lower cabinets to find needed kitchen tools. Once down, it's hard for me to get back up again!

I realize all the "organization experts" in the world admonish you to either rid yourself of some belongings or hide them away. Well and good for people who never use things. However, I do use my kitchen gadgets - a lot! That's why I got them. They make my life easier, cost very little to operate, and are part of my kitchen furnishings. I enjoy seeing kitchen tools and gadgets out where they are used. A bare wall, counter, or shelf tells me the kitchen isn't visited very often. :-)

Technorati Tags: kitchen,gadgets,organize

Peace at home

It's a cool, quiet evening right now. I'm sitting on my front porch listening to the cicadas sing and the mourning doves calling to one another.  Between choruses, I can hear tree frogs punctuating the symphony with their intermittent chirp-chirps.

I've taken a couple of cuttings from my lavender plant and have them settled into small pots on my front porch. I hope the cuttings take root. I'd love to have lots more lavender around my house.

This time of day is one of the best reasons I love country living. No sirens. No traffic noises. No neighbors fighting. Just the solitude of being at home, comfortable, and miles away from work.

I'll head inside soon and get the kitchen set to rights before relaxing for the rest of the evening. I don't have to work for the next two days, so I don't have to feel rushed in any sort of way.

In the morning I'll take a few more lavender and mint cuttings. Gardening is more than just a pass-time with me. It's a deeply rooted love (pun intended) that goes back to my early 20s. I'll have all next winter to stay indoors while the landscape slumbers under winter's chill. For now, though, it's awake and calling my name every day.

Technorati Tags: gardening,nature

Gardening thoughts

I referenced my recent transplanting successes on Zoo Talk, letting everyone know just how my recently acquired transplants are doing. Getting plants, cuttings, and seeds for free is a great way to have new things in your garden. You can try them out without having to spend a lot of money.

Next, I'll be cutting down some plastic fast-food cups to use for transplant pots. Instead of adding them to the landfills, using them in this way saves me money and also helps the Earth.

I'm going to be taking more cuttings from my mints. I'll also take cutting from my lavender. With them both, I can increase my herb gardens and also have some to share with others. There's a lot of satisfaction to be had in sharing, you know.

I am hoping eventually to have most of my small yard covered with herbs, vegetables, and flowers. I figure it's better than having a lot of grass to mow. My goal is to have stone paths and some raised beds to the extent that it will be a true haven outdoors.

Gardening can be expensive unless you are willing to scrounge out some of your garden features. Using natural stone, cut wood, your own compost, and your imagination can give you a unique look that's interesting not only to you but to your visitors.

Technorati Tags: plants,gardening

Foraging - Huckleberries

I've just made a neat discovery in my own woods. Huckleberries! I found a thicket of the bushes farther down than where I'd previously trekked.

Huckleberries are similar to and related to blueberries. Huckleberries are smaller, though, so it takes a lot more of them to use in a recipe. The bushes are very similar in appearance to blueberries so they're pretty easy to recognize. They are lower growing a bit, probably because they grow so close together and under the canopy of the woods.

What I found already have a few ripe berries and hundreds of green ones that will be ready within the next week or two. I am hoping to get to them before the birds and other animals clean them out.

Of course, I'm also keeping an eye on the local elderberries. Some of those are also getting ripe so I'll probably need to plan on having a berry picking outing over the course of a couple of days.

I'm looking forward to jams and jellies made from this sweet portion of nature's bounty.

Technorati Tags: huckleberries,elderberries,foraging

More on reclaiming water

I now have 10 of the 5 gallon oil jugs from where I work. All that's left to do is clean them out well so that the oil residue is gone. Since it's cooking oil, I'm not terribly concerned but I don't want the water I reclaim in them to smell like old, rancid oil.

Next on the agenda is to put some gutters in place along the roof's edge so that I have a way to catch rainwater to go into the jugs. I'm thinking that letting it downspout directly into the jugs will be the best solution. Then, I can just move the filled jug to a more convenient location until I need the water.

Of course, I'll also still be collecting and reusing the water from my washing machine rinse cycle. It can go right back into the washer for the next load of clothes.

Son seems to think I'm a little whacky doing all this. His preference would be a high-end home like the Outer Banks homes. You know, where you don't have to be concerned with all this water reclamation. The truth is, I don't have to be concerned with it, but I am for personal and environmental reasons. Someday, I'd like to go completely off-grid!

Technorati Tags: off-grid,water

Beneficial insects and animals

Maybe I'm just a little strange, but I'm wanting to build a couple of bat houses to put in the trees here. I have seen a couple of bats at night, flying around the yard light hunting for bugs. Bats eat a lot of bugs at night and since we do have mosquitoes in abundance in this part of the country, it seems like a good idea to encourage more bats to live close by. These night flyers whisk through the air silently as they seek their prey. They are swift and accurate hunters.

I like to encourage all kinds of beneficial animals and insects. I make sure there are small pans of water around for frogs and lizards, so they can consume insects within their reach. I also like to make sure I have certain flowers blooming that will attract a small variety of wasp whose primary function is to lay eggs on tomato worms so their offspring kills the worms.

I figure, if I encourage beneficial insects and animals they will help me keep the population of harmful insects down without having to use possibly harmful chemicals.

Technorati Tags: insects,bats,beneficial animals

Return on investment

You all know how keen I am to stay at home and still earn a living. Besides being frugal with my spending and making sure utilities are kept to a minimum, I also like to keep a sharp eye out for opportunities to earn without punching the clock. I'm thinking pretty seriously of looking into silver as an investment that will return income to me later on.

I only have a few years left before retirement age, and I don't believe Social Security is going to be enough to get me by. I'm already buying stocks in the company I work for, and I have a 401k I'm paying into. I fully intend to look more closely at Monex to see what I can invest in and how much I'll need to spend to get a decent return on my investment dollars.

I've seen ads on TV for precious metals investment companies, but none of them has the long history that Monex has. It's important, in my view, to look at a company's history in whatever their field is and make sure that it's a company that will be around for the long haul.

Transplanting update

I got all my transplants in the ground. The key to moving established plants mid-summer is to make sure they are well-watered before, during, and after the process. This helps them to shock less and recover to full growing vigor much more quickly.

I watered every transplant very well before I even started digging holes to put them in. Then, after the holes were dug, I filled the holes with water. I moved the transplants into the watery holes, and gently pushed soil in around them, packing as I went to make sure there were no air pockets. (The air pockets can dry out the roots and be death to the plants.)

Let me tell you, even small plants with super-wet root balls are heavy, so watch your back! Unless you're already accustomed to a vigorous workout with Kettlebells, you could strain your back hoisting small shrubs that are heavily loaded with soil and water.

Once planted, I then watered again until the water absolutely would not go in the ground anymore. I've re-watered them each day since and so far the plants are taking to their new home as if they'd never been anywhere else.

I'm looking forward now to lovely, aromatic cuttings from the artemisea and yarrow, as well as blooms next spring from the violets and Rose of Sharon.

Of course, I'm keeping a close eye on the rosemary and mint that I am trying to root in small pots. I'll let you know how that goes.

Technorati Tags: gardening,plants

Free gardening - flowers and shrubs

One of the best ways to acquire new plants for your yard, garden, or inside your home is to take cuttings or be willing to put your back into digging up extra plants that friends and relatives may have. If they're willing to let you work a spade in their yard, you can wind up with lots of great plants such as Rose of Sharon, which tends to drop seeds and grow new plants all around itself all summer long. The added benefit is the great workout you'll get. Even with the best diet pill on the planet, you need to exercise to really stay in shape for summer gargening.

Monkey Grass (lariope) is another plant that loves to propagate itself to the extent that it almost becomes a nuisance for many homeowners. Dividing some off will give you numerous plants to take home and put in the ground as borders and edgings in places that need a little dressing up. This hardy plant will grow in shady spots so could be a good choice if you have an area that is too shady for grass to grow in. This also lends a nice green or striped leaf to an otherwise drab winter landscape.

Violets are another plant that are beautiful when in bloom and have wonderful dark green leaves through the summer. They spread readily so that only a few crowns are needed to quickly fill in borders along the edge of your walkway or to be the front attraction for an otherwise tall flowerbed. They are low growing and easy to maintain. In the spring you get gorgeous purple flowers that are actually edible. Use them in salads to add color and interest. Violets will grow in full sun or partial shade.

Artemesia is another willing grower that can be used as a fast ground cover. Although it can get tall if left alone, cutting it down to around 8 inches will give you a thick growth of lovely silver leaves. The cuttings can be dried and used in flower arrangements or on wreathes. This plant is also very aromatic.

Yarrow is a perennial that grows easily in either full sun or partial shade. It really does better in full sun, though. It will give you gloriously soft, feathery leaves and also reward you with delicate blooms in mid-summer.

Technorati Tags: gardening,plants

Recycling

By now, you all know how much I am "into" recycling and reclaiming. From the paper I use at home to using reusable shopping bags to reclaiming water that runs off from the roof or from the washing machine, I am a firm believer that it's up to us as individuals to make a difference in the world.

I'm not alone, of course. There are large paper recyclers who use Paper Equipment for hauling and getting paper ready to be recycled. Some of these companies are small, yet still do their part. Others, like Surplus Paper Equipment are large and go about the recycling process in a really big way.

This company actually supplies the world with Paper Machines so that we an all benefit from their technology. I'm sure you've heard, or even said "Save a tree" when you use plastic or reusable shopping bags. I'm sure you never really realized just how important it is.

By supplying others with things like Vacuum Pumps and Pulp Mill Equipment, this company makes a reality what many of us may think is impossible. Placing this equipment into the right hands means saving acres and acres of rainforests, sustainable forests, and hardwood stands.

Recycling waste water

I'm beginning my water reclamation project in small ways. Today, I'm catching the water from the washing machine so I can use it to water the garden beds instead of letting it go down the sewer.

I was able to get a 5 gallon vegetable oil jug from a local restaurant, and they said I could get more. That way, I'll have several on hand to use for reclaimed water. I washed the first one out with Dawn dish liquid, which worked pretty well to get the residual oil out of it. Since it's a food product, I'm not overly concerned about getting every trace of it out. In time the waste water will get the rest of it out anyway.

I'll use the rinse water to refill the washing machine, saving water in that way as well. It's a bit of extra work, but I think it will be worth it in the long run. As I make progress on my water reclamation project, I'll add submersible pumps, hoses, and Delta fauctes to make using the water a lot easier.

Technorati Tags: water,recycling

Closer to staying home

The price of gas is creeping up again, though. Isn't it amazing how much more expensive it is to produce petroleum products in the summer? (Now, I'll remove my tongue from my cheek.)

Having these days off gives me a chance to do more foraging while I'm home. It also gives me a chance to get caught up more on my housework and get some rest. I only work a normal schedule these days, since I'm not a General Manager anymore, but in fast food, 40 hours is hard work because it's all fast-paced, on your feet, and highly stressful. I really look forward to the day when I can quit or just go part time. I'm getting there slowly but surely.

Electric and water conservation, generating income from home, frugal living habits - all these things help get me closer to where I really want to be....right here at home until I choose to go someplace!

Technorati Tags: electricity,conservation,frugal living,water

Foraging - Wild Grapes

Wild grapes, or Possum Grapes as they are known in the South, are similar to Concord Grapes in many ways. The leaves are large. The vines woody with a shaggy kind of bark on older ones. The fruit grows in bunches but is a bit smaller than the Concord Grapes you may be accustomed to.

These grapes can be used in every way tame grapes are used. They are a bit tarter than tame grapes but can be eaten out-of-hand. The vines will be found in wooded areas, growing up the trees to reach the sunny canopy. That's also where you'll find the fruit - like muscadines. Foraging is great exercise, too, as you trek up and down hills in the woods. Count on foraging to act like diet pills in reducing your appetite and burning off calories!

You have to get them before the birds and other wild creatures do, though. They are a highly favored food for many wild animals.

Technorati Tags: wild grapes,foraging,muscadines,grapes

Getting a grip on debt

DebtSteps.com has some easy to use worksheets in pdf that would be well worth the download. The 12 pages contain just about everything you need to complete a workable monthly budget including tracking credit card and other expenses. This money management planner would be a great tool for anyone, even if you aren't currently having debt problems.

Maintaining control of your finances and spending is vital if you wish to become debt free at any time in the future. This file gives you a chart of recommended income distribution for common bills such as housing, transportation, debts, and others.

If you're not tracking every penny you spend along with every penny you earn, you're really missing out on some insight into your own budget. I was acquainted with a fellow who used a pocket notepad to write down everything he spent - from a pack of gum to his mortgage payment. After just a couple of months he could see where to cut the fat from his budget, save some money, and head more quickly toward being debt free.

Some things are out of our control to an extent. For instance, while we can cut some costs on insurance and utilities, those things still must be paid. Finding ways to reduce them is advisable, though you may not want to cut them so low that you aren't protected or your life is miserable.  Never running your air conditioner when it's 100 degrees outside is just foolish. You put yourself in danger of heat exhaustion or even heat stroke, and you can work inside to your full capability if you are swimming in sweat! Use common sense.

Becoming free from the 9 to 5 grind begins in your wallet!

Technorati Tags: debt,frugal living

Freezer for a fridge?

I was reading the Off-Grid website recently and came across an article about using a chest freezer in place of a standard refrigerator. The author's contention is that a chest freezer uses a fraction of the electricity of a refrigerator. How? Because when you open it, the cold air doesn't just fall out, requiring the unit to run more to cool the interior back down. Who knows, doing this I might even be able to save enough on electricity that I could buy a new tuxedo for Son to wear to Daughter's wedding next spring!

I have to tell you, it makes sense to me. I already have one small chest freezer and the recent power outage really brought this point home to me. The fridge lost cool air pretty quickly and by the next morning, the food in it was warm and unsafe. The chest freezer, on the other hand, has kept the food nicely frozen during the entire time - from Friday at around 1 PM to Sunday at around 7 PM.

I only opened each appliance once during the weekend without power but lost everything in the fridge and nothing in the freezer. The trick with using a chest freezer for a fridge is to not let the temperature get low enough to freeze the contents.

I'll probably need to purchase a switch that will turn the freezer off if it drops below a certain temperature. I'm thinking that if I can keep it at around 36 to 38 degrees, food will be safe without worry. (I haven't tried it yet, but I may be able to accomplish this simply by turning the freezer temperature all the way up to its highest setting.)

Locally, I can buy a new chest freezer just like the one I already have for around $150 - far less than a new fridge and the capacity is about the same. These little freezers will fit into the space allocated for the fridge in my house. I've already measured.

 

Technorati Tags: electricity,utilities,freezer,power

Reducing dependency on utilities

Because the days following the bad storm that knocked out our utilities were so overcast, depending totally on solar will not be feasible, although it is definitely at the top of my list. The days were also without breezes, making it stifling inside the house and even outside. This translates to not being able to rely on wind power those days.

The humidity went way up and we were barely able to sleep the whole weekend due to the discomfort. This means I need to invest in a generator for back-up power. I need something here that can keep my fridge, freezer, well, and AC operating. All are on 120v circuits. The only things on 240v are the stove and the water heater.

Using a solar water heater would have helped although that water is not up to the temperature most of us are used to and call "hot water". However, it would have been sufficient for bathing, I think.

It may be that I need to begin collecting good batteries that can be used as a battery bank for both the solar and the generator. I'll be researching that and report to you as I go along.

One thought I have been mulling over in my own mind lately is to use some parts from my old car to build a generator of some kind. The car motor is shot - it has a rod hammering in it. But, there are all kinds of other things on that car that could probably be used. The alternator, the electrical wiring harness, fans, radiator, axle, wheels - you get the picture. I'll be looking online to see if anyone has ever actually salvaged an old car for this purpose.

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Foraging - Muscadines

Muscadines are also known as Skuppernongs. These large, bronze, grape-like fruits grow on vines that are very similar to grape vines. The leaves of the vine are also similar to grape leaves but are smaller. Usually you will find these fruits growing up into trees in the woods, though occasionally you might find them mixed in with some wild shrubs.

Unless you bring a very tall ladder with you, you'll need to pull the vines down out of the trees to retrieve the delicious fruit. It's tasty eaten fresh or made into jelly. The skins are tougher than grapes but you can make jam or preserves by grinding them up with the pulp.

The vines themselves make beautiful wreaths. Soak them in water before creating the wreaths to prevent breakage. Wind them around an old tire, a large bucket, or whatever will produce the size of wreath you want.

They can be frozen and juiced up at a later time, if you want, or make the juice and can or freeze it. Do not add sugar until you are ready to make jelly.

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Foraging - Poke Salet

One of the things I miss the most since I've had to take a regular job is foraging. This means going out into the woods and country to find wild foods.

As I go along, I try to learn as much as possible about wild foods and wild herbs. A few are easily recognizable and grow prolifically here in the South. One such wild food is Poke Salet (aka Poke Salad). This is a wild green which loves to grow where fence rows and construction sites have been cleared off, but you can find established stands of it around old fences and abandoned houses way out in the country.

The plant does have a toxin so you must cook it a certain way to remove the toxin. After washing at least 6 times to remove all traces of dirt and insects, you place it in a large pot and cover with water. (Handle it like any fresh green and really look the leaves over for insects and insect eggs.) Let it boil until it's wilted down and the leaves have gone from medium green to a brighter green. Pour off the water and rinse the greens, then cook as you would any green.

It's delicious boiled with some bacon in it. You can also squeeze out all the water and fry it in a skillet with bacon grease, adding eggs at the end of the cooking - much like you might do with spinach.

I find it's best not to pick Poke Salet too near a roadway. This keeps you from bringing home too much dust and emissions that might come from passing vehicles. I have seen it grow up to 8 feet tall. It's easily recognized by its long, broad leaves that come to a point on the end and the reddish, woody stems near the ground when it's more mature. Late in the spring it will produce tiny white flowers along the stem and at terminal points that quickly turn into red berries. The growth pattern is similar to grapes, though the berries are much smaller. They are a favored food of many birds but are toxic to humans. Birds spread the seeds to other areas.

This green is as nutritious as any you might eat from the grocery store or garden. The main thing is it's free for the picking, as most people consider it just another wild shrub to be cut down. Because it sprouts and spreads through woody roots and through seed, it can get out of hand. But I consider it a gift because it's one way I can have free groceries in my freezer.

It's especially delicious in the middle of winter, when you know you can't just go out and get more! Just be absolutely sure you are picking the right thing.

All together now! "Poke Salad Annie...gator got your granny...bum bum bum...!"

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Making laundry soap

Several years ago I used to make all my own soaps, including laundry soap. I haven't been doing this in the past few years because of time constraints. Silly me. The value of the home made soaps and the quickness with which they can be made is amazing.

I mixed up a batch of powdered laundry soap this morning. I found the ingredients at the large always save store you probably have in your town. The only thing I didn't locate was washing soda. The wonderful thing about making laundry soap yourself is that you know what's in it and you know there are no fillers. Powdered laundry soaps often have tiny plastic shavings and other things that just serve to bulk it up so you think you're getting 4 lb. of soap to use. That's why it takes a cup or more of commercially made laundry soap per load!

I learned online that you can bake baking soda to turn it into soda ash, thereby producing washing soda. So, that's what I did. I baked two cups of baking soda in a 350 F. oven for about 20 minutes.

Warning: Do not inhale any of the powders or get them in your eyes.

Here's how I made the laundry soap:

• 2 cups borax
• 2 cups washing soda
• 1/2 cup baking soda (optional)
• 1 small bar Ivory soap

I grated the bar soap in a food processor, then added 1/2 cup borax and grated it till it was a fine powder. I turned this out into a large bowl, added the remaining borax, washing soda, and baking soda and mixed thoroughly. I stored it in a plastic coffee canister and labeled it, including how much to use per load - 4 tablespoons.

Even with baking the baking soda, the whole process took only 20 minutes. I had to wait for the soda ash, or it would have taken 10 to 15 minutes tops.

I'll let you know how this formula works out for me.

Costs:

1. 4 lb. box borax - $2.96 (.74 per batch
2. 4 lb. box baking soda - $2.12 (.53 per batch)
3. 3 bar pack Ivory soap - $1.07 (.36 per batch)

Total: $1.63 for the batch. This should wash 22 loads of laundry, costing a little over .07 per load!

It may be that I will have to go back and make this into a gel if it doesn't rinse out well. I can do this by adding a couple of gallons of boiling water, stirring it thoroughly, letting it cool, then using about a cup of the gel when it's cooled down.  To use the gel, you need to stir it every time before you use it to make sure none of the ingredients have settled to the bottom. ("Gel" sounds better than "glop", though that's what it's like when you use water in it.)

Next time I make this, though, I'll make sure the Ivory soap has set out long enough to dry out. I took it straight out of the wrapper and found that, though it was easy to cut up for the processor, it tended to clump and stick together.

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