When my son was about age 3, we were getting ready to move because my spouse had gone back into the military. He had the car so Eddie and I would walk to the store when we needed something. It was about a mile one way. Looking back, that's a long walk for a 3yo. I would walk and he would fall behind. I'd stop to let him catch up and would say "Come on. Ketch up or be mustard." He would tell me he was not mustard and then 'ketch up' to me. Sounds dumb now but at the time it was funny.
Been awhile since I posted and lots has happened. In September finances were getting tighter and tighter. Ed was drinking heavier and heavier - which, of course, is why the finances were getting tighter. He had a retirement program thru his work and it seemed to me that the literature said he could hit it once he was retired and age 55. Well, he was over 55, so I called them. No, I was told, it's age 62. Finances got worse. I was sure it was age 55 so I called again. Nope, age 62. I told them to send me the paperwork anyway. Paperwork arrived - from 2 slightly different funds.
Depending on when one started, one belonged to either NEAP or NEBF. NEAP was age 55 and NEAP was age 62. Ah ha! Ed was a member of NEAP. I put in the paperwork to get money out of the account. I figured out how much I needed to pay everything off. Truly it wasn't that much but it was killing me. I had to send in some additional paperwork - yes I knew my maiden name on the marriage certificate didn't match my current social security card. I mean, think about it. Sent in the new paperwork. At the first of November I called them to see what the status was. Hmmm, the lady on the phone says. Yes, your bulk check was just sent out and the monthly checks will start this month also. Woo HOO! At my desk at work, I cried over the good news.
The bulk check arrived (and I had figured the tax deduction down to the penny) but my credit union wanted to hold it 10 days. That's OK with me. Come the 10th day I paid off all the bills except the mortgage. What a relief. The budget is still very tight but all ends meet and I actually have money for groceries. Such a weight off of my shoulders.
I had some money left over after the bills were paid so I spend money on groceries to replace what I'd used in the last 7 months from my food storage. Even added a couple new items. Spent some money on small gifts for the grandkids for Christmas. Didn't think I was going to be able to do that so that's wonderful. Still had some money to put into savings. I planned on this money to pay to have the gravel driveway graded. It really needed it.
Ed was getting worse. He was turning yellow and getting weaker every day. The kicker was the day he fell in the bathroom and couldn't get up. He was telling me to pick him up. Now, he'd lost a lot of weight but I couldn't pick him up. I informed him he was going to the doctor and if need be I would have people there to physically put him into the car. I spoke with my son and father to have them ready. Doctor was on vacation. Made the appointment anyway and on November 21 we went. I didn't need the helpers after all.
Doctor was amazed at how bad Ed looked. He'd lost 30 pounds on a frame that didn't need to lose any weight. He was very yellow, shaking like a leaf and weak, weak. Heart rate was racing and erratic. Blood tests are done and we went home. 5:30pm that night the phone rings - it's the doctor. Ed's potassium is very low, low to the point where it was dangerous. Could I get him to the ER? Yes, and did. Two and a half hours after we get there Ed gets seen. Doctor was supposed to have called ahead and prepared them for him. They kept saying he'd never called. The ER drew more blood and had it retested. Oh my! Low potassium, he needs some now in a drip. Six hours after we arrived they tell me to go home as Ed will be admitted overnight to make sure the potassium takes hold.
Ed left the hospital 6 nights later. He had potassium drips 24 hrs a day every day he was in. Had to have magnesium given. Then his blood pressure plummeted and he ended up having to have a blood transfusion. Only 2 units though. He's now back home and doing OK. He is not drinking so far. He had a followup apt with doctor a couple of days ago (doctor did call the ER, I asked). More blood tests. Results came back good. The liver is healing (amazing thing, the human body) but now his sodium is low. Don't drink so much fluid. Ed is not drinking any alcohol but he is drinking juice and gatorade like he used to drink alcohol. Oh well, let him drink the juice and we'll get some sodium into him some other way.
I had a doctor's apt the same day Ed had his follow up. I wanted some help in coping with things and wanted to talk about getting anti-depressants. I get there and they are going over my file, like they do. Hmm, the nurse says, when was your last pap. Oops, I'm almost a year overdue. I had cervical cancer about 5 years ago and even though I've been clean every year since I had 2 procedures to remove it, they freak out. The doctor tells me to come back so we we can talk about the anti-depressants with more time and gives me a pap. Pap was just fine but I haven't make a new apt yet. Not sure I will.
Wednesday, Dec 5, Ed calls me at work. We have no water. We have our own well so this is a major problem. Pump company comes out on Thursday checking things and says looks like we need a new pump. The pump is barely 9 years old and usually they last for 15 years. Gotta have water - how much for a new pump? The figure is just dollars under what I have in savings. Sigh. So much for the grading of the driveway. They pull the old pump and install the new one. Yeah! we have water! Filthy dirty water. Couldn't be used. Good thing I have plenty of drinking water on hand as we've been using that with the water out. This morning the water had settled and was clean and clear. That shower felt great and I got to get the dishes washed. Laundry tonight.
I had to stop my 401k deductions at work to help pay bills during the financial crunch and I'd just filled out the paperwork to start it up again in January. I called HR and told them to trash the paperwork. That money needs to go into savings for awhile until we have some cushion again. I'll change it back to a 401k contribution as soon as I can. At least I have the money to go back into savings now. I guess it all works out somehow.
And now it's Friday, almost time to go home for the weekend. Grandkids are coming over this weekend. The 3yo and 8mo for sure, the 9yo isn't sure yet. I plan on making sugar cookies so they can decorate them and take some home. Should be fun. If that 8mo will just go to sleep. She's pretty much a spoiled princess and she screams a lot. A lot. Really a lot. Could be a long weekend.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
Food storage
I'm a believer in food storage. I have both the basics on hand (i.e. wheat, oil, salt, dry milk, beans, rice etc) as well as convenience foods (canned veggies & fruit, canned beans, chili, soups, canned meats and lots more). I have enough for 5 adults (and dogs) to last 2 years. Or had, I've been using my storage since February '07 to live on. I also store non-food items like TP, soaps, personal hygiene items, water, juices, sugars, pastas etc. The idea is to be prepared for whatever might cause one not to be able to go the grocery store. It makes me feel safe and has been a life saver during this time of no money.
Basically I follow the LDS plan for storage. I'm on a food-saver group list and one for general prepping. Initially all I stored was food and then from information I learned from the lists I branched out to the non-food items and water (how did I not think of water?!) The Mormons have it already thought out as to what one needs as basics and even how much generally. I started from their plans and then customized it to fit my needs. I've spent a lot of time and money on my storage and usually I add to it every month. Now I'm not able to add to it and it's driving me nuts. Now is the time many stores have their fall case lot sales. I was invited to go with a Mormon to their church cannery, something I've wanted to do forever, and I can't go. The price of wheat is skyrocketing. Actually the price of everything is skyrocketing. I read recently that within 5 years it is expected that food will increase by 50%. Now is the time to stock up. And I can't.
Everyone should have, at a minimum, some basic food and water storage for each person to last a month. The Red Cross even suggests this. Water is 1 gal per person a day. It's bulky and a pain to store. I keep drinking water plus washing water. It would be a huge same to pour a gallon of drinking water into the toilet for flushing or to use to wash dirty hands. Better dirty than thirsty. I wash used milk containers and fill with water for washing/flushing. Plastic soda bottles are better but I rarely drink soda. There's storage room under beds, behind bathroom doors, on the floors in closets - all kinds of places. One of my friends had no storage of any kind and her comment is "I don't have room." I'd find some. Another friend now has some storage, how much I don't know but started storing when I pointed out the empty room under beds. Winter storms with snow, floods or high winds, illness, job loss, a truck strike - whatever, a person will have food and water in the house. Ever see the pictures on the news with all the people lined up for grocery stores with empty shelves before a hurricane hits? With food and water storage you won't be one of them.
It's easy to get started with food storage. Keep a record of what your family typically eats in a month. When you go for groceries and you buy a can of tuna, buy two cans of tuna. If you normally would buy 2 cans of veggies, buy 4. It adds up pretty quickly. A big problem is that too many people eat out frequently or live out of boxes. Boxed pasta mixes are quick and easy (and tasty) but they don't store very well. Storing pasta and making your own sauce is better and I'm working on that myself. Learning to cook from scratch is really the way to go. I'm working myself on this and I'm finding it's not as time intensive and I'd thought. The internet is a wonderful source for recipes. I'm still struggling on bread making. I have wheat berries (whole wheat) and a grain grinder. I grind my own whole wheat flour which is SO much better for a body. My whole wheat bread has been dry, crumbly or a brick most of the time though. I need more practice. At least my goats eat the mistakes so there is no waste.
Frozen items are great and I keep stuff in the freezer too, but no electricity could cause one to lose a lot. Storms tend to cause power outages and sometimes those outages can last weeks. but I love frozen veggies much more than canned and there's allot of tasty things one can store in the freezer. Most of my storage is kept in food grade 5-gal plastic buckets with lids. These can be purchased but I've been able to get all of mine for free from bakeries. Food storage should be kept at low temperatures (the garage usually won't work) and in the dark for best quality. Rotate your storage so you are using the oldest first. And, above all else, do what the LDS say: "Store what you eat, eat what you store."
Food storage is a wonderful first step. Get your storage for at least a month, 3 months or more but don't forget the other things. I stock a lot of soap for washing bodies, hair, and dishes. I have toothbrushes, toothpaste, lotions, deodorant, first aid stuff, TP - everything that we use in our daily lives I try to have some in the storage. It does take up room and I've been lucky to have a place for it all. Once the house sells and I move it's going to be a problem. Moving it is going to be a pain! My husband built study shelves in the closet in one bedroom. Be creative. I've read that some people will take a bucket or two and cover them with a pretty cloth for a corner table.
You'll even save money in the long run. Yes, you are buying more now but at X price. By the time you eat it prices could be XX so you're eating at the X price. Oh, if money isn't a problem and you really want to get started on food storage there are places you can go and order from. They sell in boxes, bags, and buckets in small or large quantities. Things you can't find anywhere else often. Dried cheese, butter powder, cheese powder, sour cream powder, and so many more. Books on how to use them. Check out the internet. My favorite place is Walton Foods http://www.waltonfeed.com/. I think they have good prices but shipping is painful. Another place is Emergency Essentials. Their shipping is cheap but prices are higher. http://beprepared.com/Default.asp? These are just two and there are many out there. The Blue Chip Group http://www.bluechipgroup.net/ I've ordered several times from Waltons and EE. Find a place more in your area so shipping is not as much. Some people live close enough where they can pick up their items.
But, please, start putting some food and water away now. I don't think you'll regret it.
Basically I follow the LDS plan for storage. I'm on a food-saver group list and one for general prepping. Initially all I stored was food and then from information I learned from the lists I branched out to the non-food items and water (how did I not think of water?!) The Mormons have it already thought out as to what one needs as basics and even how much generally. I started from their plans and then customized it to fit my needs. I've spent a lot of time and money on my storage and usually I add to it every month. Now I'm not able to add to it and it's driving me nuts. Now is the time many stores have their fall case lot sales. I was invited to go with a Mormon to their church cannery, something I've wanted to do forever, and I can't go. The price of wheat is skyrocketing. Actually the price of everything is skyrocketing. I read recently that within 5 years it is expected that food will increase by 50%. Now is the time to stock up. And I can't.
Everyone should have, at a minimum, some basic food and water storage for each person to last a month. The Red Cross even suggests this. Water is 1 gal per person a day. It's bulky and a pain to store. I keep drinking water plus washing water. It would be a huge same to pour a gallon of drinking water into the toilet for flushing or to use to wash dirty hands. Better dirty than thirsty. I wash used milk containers and fill with water for washing/flushing. Plastic soda bottles are better but I rarely drink soda. There's storage room under beds, behind bathroom doors, on the floors in closets - all kinds of places. One of my friends had no storage of any kind and her comment is "I don't have room." I'd find some. Another friend now has some storage, how much I don't know but started storing when I pointed out the empty room under beds. Winter storms with snow, floods or high winds, illness, job loss, a truck strike - whatever, a person will have food and water in the house. Ever see the pictures on the news with all the people lined up for grocery stores with empty shelves before a hurricane hits? With food and water storage you won't be one of them.
It's easy to get started with food storage. Keep a record of what your family typically eats in a month. When you go for groceries and you buy a can of tuna, buy two cans of tuna. If you normally would buy 2 cans of veggies, buy 4. It adds up pretty quickly. A big problem is that too many people eat out frequently or live out of boxes. Boxed pasta mixes are quick and easy (and tasty) but they don't store very well. Storing pasta and making your own sauce is better and I'm working on that myself. Learning to cook from scratch is really the way to go. I'm working myself on this and I'm finding it's not as time intensive and I'd thought. The internet is a wonderful source for recipes. I'm still struggling on bread making. I have wheat berries (whole wheat) and a grain grinder. I grind my own whole wheat flour which is SO much better for a body. My whole wheat bread has been dry, crumbly or a brick most of the time though. I need more practice. At least my goats eat the mistakes so there is no waste.
Frozen items are great and I keep stuff in the freezer too, but no electricity could cause one to lose a lot. Storms tend to cause power outages and sometimes those outages can last weeks. but I love frozen veggies much more than canned and there's allot of tasty things one can store in the freezer. Most of my storage is kept in food grade 5-gal plastic buckets with lids. These can be purchased but I've been able to get all of mine for free from bakeries. Food storage should be kept at low temperatures (the garage usually won't work) and in the dark for best quality. Rotate your storage so you are using the oldest first. And, above all else, do what the LDS say: "Store what you eat, eat what you store."
Food storage is a wonderful first step. Get your storage for at least a month, 3 months or more but don't forget the other things. I stock a lot of soap for washing bodies, hair, and dishes. I have toothbrushes, toothpaste, lotions, deodorant, first aid stuff, TP - everything that we use in our daily lives I try to have some in the storage. It does take up room and I've been lucky to have a place for it all. Once the house sells and I move it's going to be a problem. Moving it is going to be a pain! My husband built study shelves in the closet in one bedroom. Be creative. I've read that some people will take a bucket or two and cover them with a pretty cloth for a corner table.
You'll even save money in the long run. Yes, you are buying more now but at X price. By the time you eat it prices could be XX so you're eating at the X price. Oh, if money isn't a problem and you really want to get started on food storage there are places you can go and order from. They sell in boxes, bags, and buckets in small or large quantities. Things you can't find anywhere else often. Dried cheese, butter powder, cheese powder, sour cream powder, and so many more. Books on how to use them. Check out the internet. My favorite place is Walton Foods http://www.waltonfeed.com/. I think they have good prices but shipping is painful. Another place is Emergency Essentials. Their shipping is cheap but prices are higher. http://beprepared.com/Default.asp? These are just two and there are many out there. The Blue Chip Group http://www.bluechipgroup.net/ I've ordered several times from Waltons and EE. Find a place more in your area so shipping is not as much. Some people live close enough where they can pick up their items.
But, please, start putting some food and water away now. I don't think you'll regret it.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Light bulbs
I called this blog 'Changing the light bulbs' because I'm trying to make changes in my life. Each change is a lightbulb. Changing regular lightbulbs to CFs makes a more efficient running household. Hopefully I'll slowly change my personal lightbulbs to CF types and make my own life run a little more efficiently.
I'm continually surprised at how much I can cut money and still live. I am very saddened by this too as I'm managing to pay bills on X when we used to have XXX. Where did all that extra money go? Some went into my 401K, which I've just had to cancel. Some went monthly to my IRA and I paid extra each month on the mortgage. I saved each month for Christmas and I sent money each month to my brother, the missionary, in Peru. The 2 little dogs were groomed each month. All of these things have been stopped for now. Still, there was a lot of money going out that should/could have been going into savings.
There has been no offers on the house yet and not even any lookers in the last 2 weeks. I did check into refinancing and have decided to wait. It would cost around $5500 to refinance and it would be wasted if the house should sell. I've decided to keep the house for sale during the winter after all. A couple of co-workers helped change my mind as they both purchased their houses during winter. Can't hurt. I've starting bringing stuff back from the storage place, a few boxes each day. My plan is to have it empty by the end of the month and that will save me $100 each month. That and canceling my 401K will pay the bills for now. Not a dime extra though.
I'm hoping that as I watch my budget during these very lean times that I will learn something. Savings first. It needs to be treated like a bill. Good advice but I've never taken it. I think I will this time though. Stopping the 401K really hurt. I'm getting closer to retirement age every day. Cutting out lunches, snacks, teas, and casual buying was extremely difficult at first. I managed to hang on to $12, which was all I had, for over 2 weeks until my payday. I was very pleased with myself. I can do this. I want to do this for other reasons as well.
I believe that we rich First World countries need to cut back, to reuse, recycle, renew. Cutting back on my usage of gas, water, electricity, garbage, and other purchases is something I have been working on. There is a group called Riot for Austerity (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/90PercentReduction/) on the internet that I subscribe to. Their challenge is to cut by 90% our own individual usage. Wow, 90%. I'm not even close. Tracking things I found that I was already very close on the garbage, waaay off on the gasoline usage (I have a long commute), and not too far off on the electricity. The plan allows for natural gas usage but my area is all electric so while my electricity figures are higher than some I have 0 for natural gas. I figure it balances out a bit. If my husband didn't sit at home and watch TV all day the figures might be a bit lower. Most of the house lights have already been changed to CFs. We heat during winter with wood as much as possible (we have an efficient woodstove and we like it) and pretty mild summers. We haven't used AC but once this summer. My husband turned it on and I turned it off as soon as I returned home from work. At this time I cannot change jobs but I'm working to consolidate car trips and eliminate unneeded trips to save gas. Cutting out casual shopping has made a big difference in car trips. No fun trips to the mall saves money and gas.
Eating locally is another change I'm working on. It's hard because until recently I ate pretty much out of boxes and cans. I went to buy some more of the fish I like so well and found it came from Honduras! Ack. I bought local trout instead. There is a small farm that sells off the farm not too far from me. I've already purchased blueberries and raspberries from them. Potatoes should be available in a month or so and I'll want them too. Onions, garlic, salad stuff. When I bought such things last week I went to the grocery store because I forgot about the farm. The farm costs more but is fresher and definitely local. I did manage to buy spinach from the general area at the store though. It wasn't a part of the spinach recall, thank heavens.
I want to learn to cook more from scratch. Eat less meat. Eat more veggies. I'm not very fond of all the good veggies, unfortunately. I'm doing pretty well on less meat though. I took a pack of 2 pork chops from the freezer and instead of eating them as 2 meals I made a delicious stew. It'll take me several meals to eat up the stew. I cooked some lentils that were tasty and will fix them again. I need to experiment on cooking to find out more things I like. I used to cook for the husband and now I'm cooking for me. It's a big difference. More lightbulbs.
I'm continually surprised at how much I can cut money and still live. I am very saddened by this too as I'm managing to pay bills on X when we used to have XXX. Where did all that extra money go? Some went into my 401K, which I've just had to cancel. Some went monthly to my IRA and I paid extra each month on the mortgage. I saved each month for Christmas and I sent money each month to my brother, the missionary, in Peru. The 2 little dogs were groomed each month. All of these things have been stopped for now. Still, there was a lot of money going out that should/could have been going into savings.
There has been no offers on the house yet and not even any lookers in the last 2 weeks. I did check into refinancing and have decided to wait. It would cost around $5500 to refinance and it would be wasted if the house should sell. I've decided to keep the house for sale during the winter after all. A couple of co-workers helped change my mind as they both purchased their houses during winter. Can't hurt. I've starting bringing stuff back from the storage place, a few boxes each day. My plan is to have it empty by the end of the month and that will save me $100 each month. That and canceling my 401K will pay the bills for now. Not a dime extra though.
I'm hoping that as I watch my budget during these very lean times that I will learn something. Savings first. It needs to be treated like a bill. Good advice but I've never taken it. I think I will this time though. Stopping the 401K really hurt. I'm getting closer to retirement age every day. Cutting out lunches, snacks, teas, and casual buying was extremely difficult at first. I managed to hang on to $12, which was all I had, for over 2 weeks until my payday. I was very pleased with myself. I can do this. I want to do this for other reasons as well.
I believe that we rich First World countries need to cut back, to reuse, recycle, renew. Cutting back on my usage of gas, water, electricity, garbage, and other purchases is something I have been working on. There is a group called Riot for Austerity (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/90PercentReduction/) on the internet that I subscribe to. Their challenge is to cut by 90% our own individual usage. Wow, 90%. I'm not even close. Tracking things I found that I was already very close on the garbage, waaay off on the gasoline usage (I have a long commute), and not too far off on the electricity. The plan allows for natural gas usage but my area is all electric so while my electricity figures are higher than some I have 0 for natural gas. I figure it balances out a bit. If my husband didn't sit at home and watch TV all day the figures might be a bit lower. Most of the house lights have already been changed to CFs. We heat during winter with wood as much as possible (we have an efficient woodstove and we like it) and pretty mild summers. We haven't used AC but once this summer. My husband turned it on and I turned it off as soon as I returned home from work. At this time I cannot change jobs but I'm working to consolidate car trips and eliminate unneeded trips to save gas. Cutting out casual shopping has made a big difference in car trips. No fun trips to the mall saves money and gas.
Eating locally is another change I'm working on. It's hard because until recently I ate pretty much out of boxes and cans. I went to buy some more of the fish I like so well and found it came from Honduras! Ack. I bought local trout instead. There is a small farm that sells off the farm not too far from me. I've already purchased blueberries and raspberries from them. Potatoes should be available in a month or so and I'll want them too. Onions, garlic, salad stuff. When I bought such things last week I went to the grocery store because I forgot about the farm. The farm costs more but is fresher and definitely local. I did manage to buy spinach from the general area at the store though. It wasn't a part of the spinach recall, thank heavens.
I want to learn to cook more from scratch. Eat less meat. Eat more veggies. I'm not very fond of all the good veggies, unfortunately. I'm doing pretty well on less meat though. I took a pack of 2 pork chops from the freezer and instead of eating them as 2 meals I made a delicious stew. It'll take me several meals to eat up the stew. I cooked some lentils that were tasty and will fix them again. I need to experiment on cooking to find out more things I like. I used to cook for the husband and now I'm cooking for me. It's a big difference. More lightbulbs.
Friday, August 17, 2007
The starting line
My husband and I have never been much more than mid-income but I know how to budget and save so we were always comfortable. Never had much savings but always more than most of the people we knew. At least enough to bounce back from whatever financial oops we had. After my spouse retired from the military we had a nice savings and a decent military retirement that we planned to use to build the dream/retirement place. We bought 5.8 acres and had the house built. Although one of my brothers called it a mansion, it wasn't huge (2212st) but custom with lots of glass, wood and tile. We no longer had savings but the military retirement paid for almost all of the mortgage payment. We both had decent jobs and extra money.
Somehow we never really managed to save after the house was built. Always something needed on the place mostly as we didn't travel or do much that cost money. I got into raising goats and had to keep buying more and more expensive stock. Fences, barns, equipment, meds and the money kept going out. My spouse was having problems with his drinking, something never under control at the best of times. Periods of layoffs and lots of drinking. What savings we had kept get lower. A job change lowered by a third my spouse’s income. Then, a job loss, he was fired. No unemployment and a plunge into a deep ravine of drinking. Suddenly we are living with the same bills on less than half the income.
This was in March 2007. It was pretty obvious that he won't be going back to work any time soon. The house was put on the market and all of the livestock was sold off. The livestock went quick and was sold mostly to goat friends. Thank heavens as we had a pre-inspection done and found we had major water/moisture damage down in the crawl space. We had put up some of that black vinyl stuff to help eliminate moisture but put it over insulation which just trapped the moisture. We also found that the outside walls had moisture damage (the house is a Tudor with lots of trim. I was told the contractor that built the house used the wrong type of wood for the trim and didn't angle it properly, causing water to not run off properly). We had it all repaired but it took every penny we had.
A wiser person would have tossed out the drinking husband I'm sure, but evidentially I'm not wise. He sank deeper into drinking using money from the sale of the old cars he had sitting around as projects. That money lasted about 4 months. Come August I'm facing a serious shortage of funds. My son thought that he and his family could move in and help pay expenses. They did but moved back out after 2 weeks. Many reasons for that. The kids were scared by my spouse's falling due to drinking and not eating (imagine that), they felt isolated out in the country and didn't like living in the garage. I got no rent money at all although hopefully I'll get a little next week and they ate up most of what food I had left in the freezer.
That last statement sounds worse than it is. I am a firm believer in food storage and have put food by for years. I believe in being prepared for whatever so my preparedness goes beyond just food to everything one uses to live. I have enough of the basic food items to feed us for a couple of years: beans, rice, wheat, oils/fats, dry milk, oatmeal, salt & seasonings, corn etc. I also have lots of canned foods: fruits, veggies, soups, meats, chili etc. Water is stored. I prepare for whatever by having anything I use on a daily basis stored. It takes up a lot of room but is very comforting. For the last 4 months I have been eating mostly out of the storage items buying mostly fresh fruits and veggies. Saves a lot of money. The freezer mostly held meats (goats is in there too), fish and chicken, some fruits and veggies, breads the usual freezer stuff. When the kids moved out I was shocked at how empty the freezer was and ended up crying, wondering how we would eat.
Having all the food storage is not enough. The LDS always say to 'store what you eat and eat what you store'. This is truly something that one must work on I think. I've been bad at not using the food storage as I should. I have plenty of food to eat! Once I got over the 'what will I do' wail and thought about it, I'm fine food wise. Just fine. But it really was a changing of the way I thought.
This shows how I've been thinking because I've been working for several years toward being more self-sufficient. I have the food and water storage. I had livestock (and chickens). I had lots of fruit trees and bushes, a garden area. But I panicked when I couldn't go to the grocery store. Because the house is up for sale I had to declutter it. All of the storage items got packed and are in a storage shed. The cupboards truly are bare these days but I recently went to the storage shed and brought back stuff I needed. I hate to bring it all back just yet.
We are on a 6-month contract with a real estate agent to sell the house. We've had a lot of viewers as it is a nice house. BUT, our land is all on a hill. Steepish driveway and very little flat land to be had. No one seems to like that. I don't think it is going to sell. We all know what the housing market is like right now. I have enough money to pay bills for September (sold a couple of things). The contract is up in mid-October. If the house hasn't sold by mid-October I will refinance. Shouldn't have a problem with that. I hate to do it as I have a low finance rate on a 15 year mortgage. Refinancing will not quite double the rate but it will lower the payment so I can meet all financial obligations. Come spring I will relist and try again. Once the contract is done I'll bring back all the storaged items and have everything at hand again. I do look forward to that.
Anyway that is all the background. Learning to think of the food storage as real food is a good thing. Learning not to run and buy something is a good thing. Next entry I'll talk more about things I'm changing my lightbulb on.
Somehow we never really managed to save after the house was built. Always something needed on the place mostly as we didn't travel or do much that cost money. I got into raising goats and had to keep buying more and more expensive stock. Fences, barns, equipment, meds and the money kept going out. My spouse was having problems with his drinking, something never under control at the best of times. Periods of layoffs and lots of drinking. What savings we had kept get lower. A job change lowered by a third my spouse’s income. Then, a job loss, he was fired. No unemployment and a plunge into a deep ravine of drinking. Suddenly we are living with the same bills on less than half the income.
This was in March 2007. It was pretty obvious that he won't be going back to work any time soon. The house was put on the market and all of the livestock was sold off. The livestock went quick and was sold mostly to goat friends. Thank heavens as we had a pre-inspection done and found we had major water/moisture damage down in the crawl space. We had put up some of that black vinyl stuff to help eliminate moisture but put it over insulation which just trapped the moisture. We also found that the outside walls had moisture damage (the house is a Tudor with lots of trim. I was told the contractor that built the house used the wrong type of wood for the trim and didn't angle it properly, causing water to not run off properly). We had it all repaired but it took every penny we had.
A wiser person would have tossed out the drinking husband I'm sure, but evidentially I'm not wise. He sank deeper into drinking using money from the sale of the old cars he had sitting around as projects. That money lasted about 4 months. Come August I'm facing a serious shortage of funds. My son thought that he and his family could move in and help pay expenses. They did but moved back out after 2 weeks. Many reasons for that. The kids were scared by my spouse's falling due to drinking and not eating (imagine that), they felt isolated out in the country and didn't like living in the garage. I got no rent money at all although hopefully I'll get a little next week and they ate up most of what food I had left in the freezer.
That last statement sounds worse than it is. I am a firm believer in food storage and have put food by for years. I believe in being prepared for whatever so my preparedness goes beyond just food to everything one uses to live. I have enough of the basic food items to feed us for a couple of years: beans, rice, wheat, oils/fats, dry milk, oatmeal, salt & seasonings, corn etc. I also have lots of canned foods: fruits, veggies, soups, meats, chili etc. Water is stored. I prepare for whatever by having anything I use on a daily basis stored. It takes up a lot of room but is very comforting. For the last 4 months I have been eating mostly out of the storage items buying mostly fresh fruits and veggies. Saves a lot of money. The freezer mostly held meats (goats is in there too), fish and chicken, some fruits and veggies, breads the usual freezer stuff. When the kids moved out I was shocked at how empty the freezer was and ended up crying, wondering how we would eat.
Having all the food storage is not enough. The LDS always say to 'store what you eat and eat what you store'. This is truly something that one must work on I think. I've been bad at not using the food storage as I should. I have plenty of food to eat! Once I got over the 'what will I do' wail and thought about it, I'm fine food wise. Just fine. But it really was a changing of the way I thought.
This shows how I've been thinking because I've been working for several years toward being more self-sufficient. I have the food and water storage. I had livestock (and chickens). I had lots of fruit trees and bushes, a garden area. But I panicked when I couldn't go to the grocery store. Because the house is up for sale I had to declutter it. All of the storage items got packed and are in a storage shed. The cupboards truly are bare these days but I recently went to the storage shed and brought back stuff I needed. I hate to bring it all back just yet.
We are on a 6-month contract with a real estate agent to sell the house. We've had a lot of viewers as it is a nice house. BUT, our land is all on a hill. Steepish driveway and very little flat land to be had. No one seems to like that. I don't think it is going to sell. We all know what the housing market is like right now. I have enough money to pay bills for September (sold a couple of things). The contract is up in mid-October. If the house hasn't sold by mid-October I will refinance. Shouldn't have a problem with that. I hate to do it as I have a low finance rate on a 15 year mortgage. Refinancing will not quite double the rate but it will lower the payment so I can meet all financial obligations. Come spring I will relist and try again. Once the contract is done I'll bring back all the storaged items and have everything at hand again. I do look forward to that.
Anyway that is all the background. Learning to think of the food storage as real food is a good thing. Learning not to run and buy something is a good thing. Next entry I'll talk more about things I'm changing my lightbulb on.
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