Need some ideas....

[EggsForIHOP]

You are from Conroe???? Shoot, I was going to give you my homemade deodorant recipe, but I doubt it will hold up to your heat. :/

I lived in S. Texas for over 30 years...just moved up here almost two years ago...after Ike.

How is the gulf looking?

HaHa - I moved here from soCal 10 years ago - they told me "It never snows, we don't really get hurricanes, and the weather is just like California!"


I bought my x-mas tree in the snow this year, drank myself to oblivion to sleep through Ike (I don't drink, but that night I did) and if you compare it to BajaCalifornia, somewhere down in Mexico, I;m sure it is just like Cali!

But I still love it here for what it's worth! Though I have had to switch to clinical strength deodorant!

 

[EggsForIHOP]

Things to look for while at the Goodwill:

Dehydrator

Bread Machine

Juicer

Meat GrinderGot one! Use it during deer season...gives me ideas for the rest of the year!

Foley Mill (google it if you don't know)

Canning jars (around here they are priced too high - I might as well buy new)

Fold up wooden clothes drying rack

Pretty jars (to keep herbed oils, bath oils, laundry powder etc in)

Crocks

Big Stainless steel bowls or Stock pots. A lot of stuff needs a big pot (rendering lard, soaping etc..)Already have a TON of these thanks to the FIL (inherited when he passed)

Cast iron cookware (you will never go back!)Have EXTRA - may be looking to sell/trade some!

Pressure canner

Water bath canner (again look them up)

Seal-a-Meal

Can you think of more stuff guys?

I really was on a roll all my life and just not putting this stuff to use! How stupid I have been to not be seeing and doing and using these resources already available to me...at least I have a little bit of stuff I already needed though...

 

[Farmfresh]

EXTRA CAST IRON!!! Nonsense... there is no such animal!

I have multiples of a lot of my cast iron items. Sometimes I use them three pans at a time. I DID give my children all cast iron as they moved out but other that that you will have to pry it from my cold dead arthritic hands.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Be careful eggs, folks around here will have you making your own TP and feminine supplies. That & buying goats

You've gotten some good advice, I would add:
Put an insulation blanket on your water heater in addition to turning it down.
Put out rain barrels or at least buckets for plant watering.
Shop the dollar stores for seeds until you get used to maintaining a garden.
Compost everything your chickens won't/can't eat.
Scavenge a plastic tote & raise worms for fertilizer & chicken food.
Be a light switch nazi and turn everything off. Why do you need lights on if the sun is shining into your windows? (Unless you have a dark/shady home that is! )
Handwash your dishes & spray the soapy water on your plants to help keep the bugs off.

 

[Farmfresh]

Be a light switch nazi and turn everything off. Why do you need lights on if the sun is shining into your windows? (Unless you have a dark/shady home that is! )

AND watch for those "phantom loads"! We have all of our electronics on switch strips so that when they are off they are REALLY OFF!

 

[Crusty McPottydoodle]

Get rid of the cable tv completely. Check out your local library for Video/DVD of tv shows and movies. Also, if you are on highspeed internet, there are websites where you can watch your favourite shows for free.

We got rid of cable (as in we have NO tv channels at all) about 6 years ago - The teenagers complained for about a day and the youngest didn't even notice. I discovered that for the cost of just the basic cable, I could buy a whole season of a tv programme we like and watch as much or as little of it at a time as we want with no advertisements. Then I discovered my library has all kinds of tv shows and movies on DVD for FREE!

Also, I listen to audio books. I get CDs from the library for when I am in the car and my local library belongs to an online library, so by using my library card number, I can download audio books to my mp3 player. This is great for keeping me entertained whilst I do house and yard work or when I go for walks.

Be careful about buying in bulk, though. It can end up costing more if the family ends up consuming more because there is more in the cupboard. I had this problem with my teenagers. If they saw we had lots, they consumed lots.

 

[Sunny]

We recentally got rid of our cable tv. But most of my favorite shows I cant find free online. But we do have at least 250 DVDs. But no series yet. cant afford them yet..

All these ideas are great. Keep them coming..

 

[Crusty McPottydoodle]

We recentally got rid of our cable tv. But most of my favorite shows I cant find free online. But we do have at least 250 DVDs. But no series yet. cant afford them yet..

All these ideas are great. Keep them coming..

Have you checked surf the channel?

Also, check your library - you may be surprised.

 

[Jaxom]

I might be new here and all, but since I've on an extremely tight budget, here's a few things I've done...

Don't waste money on clf's. Sure the save money over regular bulbs, but if one breaks you practically need a hazmat team to clean up the mess. Go with LED's, they're even more effcient and last alot longer then the cfl's.

If you're not gardening, you should be. But if you can't or it's too late to plan for the year, at least hit some farmer's markets, buy in bulk and can, freeze as much as you can.

Oh, speaking of freezing, my chest freezer is a godsend. But something to keep in mind, as you remove stuff to be eaten, before you can replace them, take some old plastic milk bottles that you've thoroughly cleaned and sanatized, fill with water not quite full and place in bottom of freezer. This serves two purposes, a full freezer is more efficent, compressor doesn't have to come on as often. Secondly, if there's ever an issue with water, you've got some as back up just in case. (Note, I'd rotate those though, after a while ice can become "stale" tasting).

I seen a few mention good will, there's also the salvation army as well. And don't forget craigslist and freecycle too! Great deals on both of those online sites.

I've also seen folks talk about dumping cable. Yeah, at times it seems like there isn't much on the dummy box, but here's a tip. Google FTA or FREE TO AIR satelite systems. There's an intial investment, but once that's paid for you don't have any monthly fee's. If you do this concider a system with a motor mounted dish, that way you can get even more programming from different satelites.

If that's still not sufficent enough, go with a long range rooftop antenna. Even with the conversion to HD now that the FCC has institued. Even if your urban homesteading, long range will get you other nearby cities channels!

Don't be too proud to dumpster dive. For some this may seem a bit extreme, but I tell ya, I've made quite a bit of money doing this. I've a small s-10 pickup, printed up my city's garbage collection days, and the night before I go alley cruising/dumpster diving. Few rubber made totes in my garage and I sort aluminium, metal, copper out and off to the recycler's on saturday morning. Don't over look tv's either. Folks put them out for trash collection and the truck drivers don't pick them up. I strip them down for copper, the plastic bits go in with the rest of my plastic recyling and the tubes go in with the glass bottles and such. Then at night while watching tv I'll strip the copper bits till theyre' bare. (more per pound for uninstulated copper....in 2008 that was $4 a pound!)

You can find alot of stuff to recycle for money on craigslist in the free section or on freecycle too. You can apply this money towards thinks like canning supplies or bulk food buying.

 

[VickiLynn]

Check out your insurance policies. Are you getting all the deductions you are entitled to (they won't tell you if you qualify for a deduction, you have to ask)? Can you increase deductibles on vehicles? What about dropping collision or comprehensive coverage if your vehicle is older?