When this started I had several people ask me how long I thought it would go on... my answer, 2 years... why did I answer that way?... because Covid 19 (true name of this crap) mimics the Spanish pandemic (which did not start in Spain... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu). I also knew that jobs lost causes recession... big enough one that last long time and we will have another Depression. Weather gets nuts on us and flooding or drought can make things worse.
SO I am preparing (as I was raised to) to do what ever it takes to make it through these times....
When we decided to retire and move,we made up our minds to be as self sufficient as possible. When we bought this house with no heat, running water , and an outhouse (it was Amish) we knew the first year we would be working on the inside of the house to handle me (or Hubby) but mostly me as I know I will be in a wheelchair some day as my spine will give(it's twisted like a cork screw). We still need closets and one room needs finished. Supplies are here to finish it. I sometimes wonder if we should have had 2 furnaces until I remember the propane bill.
We also knew we would be adding fruit trees and maple trees (neighbor taps for sap to make maple syrup) and a garden that we knew where the veggies and fruit came from and what was used on them.
Last year there was 1,041 recalls on food and drink.... 1,041 times what you ate, what you fed your families could have caused you to be sick, even die. With my Crohn's already causing problems I don't need the extra sickness and I definitely don't need the worry that comes with those recalls.
I was asked on my last post if I knew what it costs me for dirt, seeds, plants etc... YES, right down to the last dime. This year will be high.... fruit trees, berry bushes, dirt, building material for the sq ft gardens will increase that. and was put in the budget when we bought the house.But next year it won't be like that.... I will add fertilizer just like I would every year, etc... that will put the cost down to where organic fruits and veggies is in the stores. I also buy veggies and fruits I don't grow (and won't ) from the Amish. They pay property taxes just like the rest of us.
SO starting with the the gardens... yes, I will be putting up at over a thousand canning jars of food. I will take care of us, and most likely at least 3 of my kids... if not 4. The other 2 either have a garden or are in an area they can get garden goods.Those 3 rent and have either no place to put even a pot or not allowed according to their lease. If the season it good I will be more than that. I already know that the season will on average have 2 to 3 back to back below average harvests. Then we get 1-2 above and then it slides back down. I would rather have too much than not enough. I swear M got gray hair when she started running low and it wasn't fit to grow anything. Her brother has a greenhouse and grew some salad stuff for her. I gave her 2 cases of tomato juice (seemed right since E's brother gave me the tomatoes) and 2 cased of green beans. We got pork loin when she sent the jars back.
My Amish neighbors (on each side) has offered to supply meat .They also told me of the butcher shop that buys the animals from the Amish to butcher. I can barter or pay for what I get. They know where their meat comes from and how it's raise... mostly grass fed during the summer and corn they grew them selves in the winter.
I have my buy list that I usually pick up from the store. I am going to learn to make more of it myself aka sour cream to start. Wait...it might be an almond chocolate bar. I am craving chocolate.
We have several budgets... house, land/gardens, business, clothing, etc.
The business right now can carry it's self 3 months. For the 1st year of starting a business, that is unusual. So Hubby isn't looking for work to pay this week's bills but bills 3 months from now.
Land and Garden budget is funded( from when we bought the house) I am spending it now instead of later. I am getting some great deals with how I am buying things right now. I am growing my own paste tomato plants which I will harvest the seed from when the tomatoes ripen. Will bring it down pretty low with the four projects we are doing this summer.
We are putting up a green house next to the barn. We were going to put up something like this
I looked at where I can cut the household budget
I will drop the full coverage on my car to what we have on the dog truck we just bought.
We can just order enough propane to get us 2 additional tanks as we should have at least 1 tank left at that time. We use 3 1/2 tanks a year so if I just need to watch how I use my gas cook stove. Use the turkey fryers to do the water bath canning instead of the cooks stove. Multi dishes in the oven or use the air fryer (which is really nice in the summer as I sit it outside so it doesn't heat up the house..
We can change going to the chiro (when the stay at home goes away) every 3 wks instead of 2 or me go alone if Hubby is working.
We cut the fuel budget for the car and the dog truck
We cut the grocery budget to $75, we was going to do $50 but I will need pickling salt , vinegar and spices for canning. I won't buy ice, there is room in the barn freezer with E's ice to put ice I make myself for blanching.
Our OTC and meds has dropped due to me coming off 3 meds, dropping to half.
We dropped the household maintenance to half. I have what we need for 6 more months I can buy them on sale instead of "OH we need to change this"
We are not saving for next year's bdays or Christmas. We have 2 graduating next year (We have 2 this year also) so I will save for that. IF we have money at Christmas they will get that or baked goods. I think they would like baked goods more this year since it has been mentioned. Bdays will be decided later.
I am grooming and cutting toe nails at home unless its shot time, then I save office visit by getting the dogs toe nails (which is cheaper than office visit) done along with shot.Hubby now gets the dog food at TSC which is cheapest around here.
Non food... I hope we have enough tp to last until fall. Geeze. Son 2 who never has stocked more to than what he uses in a pay period since it's just him, bought a 24 pack just because he is closer to his 2 sisters than we are and they might need a couple rolls. Other wise he has enough for 4 months. I have 4 months supply of cleaning products and personal products. I have bar soap when the liquid soap runs out.
We have no eat out money, no spending money and no clothing money. I do have money put back for Hubby to get new boots. He no longer needs steel toes and would like the next pair to not have that. That will probably happen when the stay at home goes off and he can go to the store in Sidney that carrys his style of boot.
Eighteen months of this roller coaster can be smoothed out by you in your home.
Think of this
It was during this time that Calvin Coolidge was quoted as saying “Eat it up, Wear it out, Make it do, or Do without” (Later, the phrase became more popular with, “Use it up.”)
Blessed be
Posts
It's very exciting to get a new place whipped into shape and into the homestead you have dreamed of. Your grown kids are lucky you two are keeping an eye out for them.
ReplyDeleteWe live quite differently from you, on a small lot in a suburb but it sure is fun to watch you guys from afar. I look for your posts everyday.
we lived 20 plus years in city raising the kids, I had a lot of pots planted. Both of us raised in the country. Back to our roots. We have 2 that would move to the country if they could find something close to work and their kids' colleges.
DeleteWe, too, keep track of every penny we spend on the garden, and what it produces. For a few years I would go to the store and price out what it would have cost me to buy the vegetables and fruits at the grocery store. Most years, we saved over $1000 dollars. Plus, as you say, the food is not going to be recalled!
ReplyDeleteActually, we do the same as you. We separate our money into long term and short term goals. We always know exactly how much we have in every category. I'm old school. I do it with pencil and paper. But I did want to ask you one thing. With all the canned goods have you ever had any go bad or beyond the date you could use them?
ReplyDeleteonce in a great while I will have lids pop... that's why I keep the rings on. As for beyond the date.... I usually don't have anything that is over 3 yrs old. Daddy and Mother would go to 5 yrs. It would depend on what it was. Best used by date is totally different from do not eat date. I've ate store expired food, usually not past 6 months unless it's like cake mixes
DeleteDo you get the emails on recalls from the FDA? I do and most of the foods recalled are not items that we would ever buy and a large number of them are for undeclared ingredients that would only effect those with food allergies. Since we don't buy prepped produce or things like convenience store foods there is really very little to worry about except the lettuce recalls. Almost all of those have been from Salinas, CA. So, the concern about recalled foods are not a huge deal as far as I am concerned from reading the emails they send me.
ReplyDeleteNo I don't get FDA recall emails. I do know I was buying Dole salad when my brother and Hubby was driving for them and they closed down in Springfield OH over the recall. Took awhile for them to clean the place and open back up. By time I get a recall we have either already ate it or I repacked it for the freezer and don't know what is what.
ReplyDeleteThey come from www.fda.gov.
DeleteI signed up to get the email notifications years ago so I don't exactly remember how but now I understand why you are worried. It would be worth signing up yourself since anytime I see a recall somewhere else I have known about it for days or weeks already.
Thank you Lana I signed up...
DeleteDo you have a blog?
No. I am too outspoken. I know I would get myself into trouble!
Delete