how we save money every month.

 When we moved here, the first year it cost us $14000 a month. Six years later with mortgage the same payment it's half that. With the tax hit we just got, I will have to cut it even more

Scrap wood...I can use about half to a whole one in one day if weather is on cool side like around 40.

Day wood, burns about 3 hrs. 

We call these chunkies. They will extend an fire about 2 hrs long more than usual time frame.

This is night wood. Average burn is 3-4 hrs. Sometimes 5 hrs depending on the wood and curing.

This is how we save money. Yes it's a lot of work, hard work. BUT we saved about $5,000 on propane keeping the home WARMER than propane. We only buy about 1/3rd of the propane now for the kitchen stove, water heater and pump house heater for winter.

I do use the wood stove in winter for cooking and baking. I use the grill ( get free refill when I order and pay early for propane for the year), air fryer and microwave during the rest of the time. I fry my eggs on the propane stove... I am picky.

We have a septic tank and leach bed. I use ridx once a month to keep it "healthy" I have to have it pumped every 4 yrs instead of 3 and according to our pump guy he says it due to using ridx. I buy it in bulk to get the lowest price. We do not pay for water as we have a cistern and deep well. Deep well is on electric but does run about 1 wk. a month on solar panels. There is a $3 difference between on solar and on electric. We thought it would be more than that. We do have a water softener. $33/month. They deliver the salt and put it in the tank which is why we got them because I couldn't lift the bags at that time now I really don't want Hubby carrying 12 bags of 40 lbs of salt from the front of the house to the basement.

We pay for trash... $53/ every 3 months. 6 kitchen trash bags is allowed a week. I have used the 25 lbs dog food bags for trash bags and taped them shut. Hubby has used the 2 cubic garden soil bags for trash bags in barn. Our township takes recycling once a month for free... except of the fuel to drive there. It's 2 miles way so not far. I use a separte trash can for that. Anything that is paper or cardboard is burned in burn barrel which is then dumped in compost pile in the fall.

All lights are LED but still we only use task lighting or oil lamps (Hubby takes Amish to go get barrels of mineral oil for lamps).  We spend $5 a month for it. I have found when we don't use the oil lamps the electric will go up at least $20 a month.I do have over head lights in kitchen. BUT try to do all meal prep when I have sun light. Same when canning or dehydrating food. I will use Christmas candles with LED for night lights. I unscrew about half of the bulbs.

We have internet and land line (our cell numbers would route the 911 call to another area we no longer live it) It's the most reliable in this area and mid range on price. The home behind us does hot spot... their bill runs close to $300 every month. Ours is $108.

We have straightalk unlimited for our phones. It's the only service I found that worked going through mountains in traveling to Georgia and Hocking hills. I've had service when 3 of my kids with BRAND names services couldn't talk to each other on phone was only 5 miles apart from each other. 

We just rechecked our farm, motorcycle and car ins. It's good price and service as we have had them since 2006. Farm insurance is always more expensive than house insurance.

We rechecked everything to make sure we had the best price and good quality.