UP-cycling?

Buy ugly afghans and dis-assemble them to reclaim the yarn and make something you like. It's called UP-CYCLING. You can do it with sweaters also... I had a heck of a time figuring out how to get it started though. 'Learn by doing' project.

Reclaim wool and cashmere that have been stained or holes in them. If the sweater is lovely and the defect is in the arm, cut out front and backs for a pillow - cashmere pillow! Another way to get yarn cheap - yard sales, thrift stores. Place yearn skein in an old pair of ruined panty-hose leg and wash/dry if you feel that it's dirty.

Venison , You Say?

If you consume meat, then think about hunting to save money. My eldest child just called to inform me that she just signed-up for our local Conservation Department's Hunting Course. WOW! She's following some of my advice from homeschool lessons. She's going to take the archery skills that I and her Father taught her and use them to save money on her grocery bill! Proud parent!

She's already found that if you hunt in your own state , that buying a resident license is cheaper than hunting out of your home state. She also knows she must pay for a butcher to handle the meat carving or do it herself. Deer are small enough to butcher at home if you have experience, time, help, enough cool weather and a large freezer. I have helped home butcher a hog, a deer, chickens, rabbits and fish. It can be done.

You do need to learn some things about butchering BEFORE you attempt this though. Go to your local county extension office or the Internet and research. You need to know how to determine if the animal's liver is diseased and never, never to use the brain- not even for tanning hides unless it's the Apocalypse and you have nothing else. There's a correct way to butcher an animal so don't WASTE the animal by doing it wrong. Ever see the movie " Into The Wild " ? Perfect examples of what NOT to do.... sorry but that guy didn't research a thing.

What's that? You say you 'did the math' and it costs the same as buying meat at the lcoal grocery store.... I'd much rather 'trust ' WILD meat than what's at the local food mart - really..... You have no idea and don't want to know. Why do you think we have so many virus outbreaks? Now you have more movies to watch. :) EDUCATE yourself!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

We go for drives in the country and find perennial plants that grow on the road easement (not in people's yards or on the "other" side of the fence). We also always buy perennial plants/bulbs plants for our yard. Future owners see it as a plus and we never spend money twice for the same flower bed.

Wood You ?

It's a pretty big expense to start, but owning a wood stove can save you a lot of money through the winter months.

I found one used at a garage sale. Actually, I was at a garage sale and asked if they had one because they had several old fashioned things for sale. I took a risk and asked - never hurts right? Just so happened that his mother was selling hers....YES!

She lived in a different town. That's alright by me! She felt she was getting too old to deal with the work of a wood stove (and it is work and can be dangerous so don't enter into this lightly-(You've been warned.))

I got a great deal but wow that thing was HEAVY! It was what I requested as my birthday present! (July of all months to get a wood stove but that's the best time.)My NOW X wasn't that against the idea because his family is kind of old fashioned (church that wears long hair and long dresses - etc) so I got my wood stove heater for a July birthday gift! I know, I'm not a typical American woman. I warn potential dates. :)

Anyway, I had this sucker lugged into the house after we had built a hearth (gotta do this people or the wall/ floor could catch fire), and wah-lah - free heat! Well, you still have to buy and install the chimney piping. ALWAYS get at least double wall pipes for the attic and anywhere the pipes go through a wall/ceiling!! It gets HOT (like the black pipe just about the stove) and it hurts so it could potentially and probably would ignite wall boards etc. Follow the safety rules or this won't be worth saving money.

I suggest you make a trip to the local County Extension Office and get an instruction pamphlet on wood stove heating, etc. They have a ton of FREE information. Very cool! No pun intended....

I currently have a very OLD, large, historic house which means in translation that it doesn't have much insulation, therefore more difficult to heat. In a hard winter for Oklahoma, I used nearly 8 rick of wood. You can find seasoned wood, have it delivered to your home almost everywhere for $50-60 bucks per rick. (A 'rick' is a certain stacking method that is measured and should allow you to buy the same amount of wood from everyone that uses this method. A 'cord' is a larger amount but not as common here.)

SO, at it's most expensive year EVER it cost me $ 480.00 to heat my home that year. After all the stove, pipe, hearth and set up costs, of course.

Don't forget that YOU must be the one to 'feed the stove' firewood or it will go out and the house will get cold. If you are a lazy, forgetful or way too busy person, I suggest you DON'T heat your home with wood. It can very VERY dangerous. You get up early, stoke the ash and embers and add kindling then sticks then finally wood so your home can warm up in the morning. You can't just leave the wood stove all day either - you must SUPERVISE it (It has a FIRE in it. - enough said?)

So if you are a stay-at-home parent or work from home ( I am BOTH )- it is possible to heat your home cheaper than the alternatives AND you are now OFF-GRID for your heat! We had an ice storm here that knocked out electric for a week and more in other areas. People were scrambling to get hotel rooms in other areas, finding and buying generators, etc. We were warm and toasty and cooked on the stove. No problem!

Some people died and not because of the cold. They didn't have good knowledge or skills about alternative utilities or were just lazy. One man DIED because he put a generator (that's fueled with gasoline,etc) near his window and ran the cord through the window WITHOUT blocking the rest of the window crack from FUMES. Deadly gases come from ANY source of fire! Wood stoves, fires,exhausts from cars, etc. are DANGEROUS. Did I tell you this can be DANGEROUS?

Yes, I know EVERYBODY used to heat with wood stoves... and it's true but these newer generations have NO EXPERIENCE with them or anything other than electric heaters. It's DIFFERENT and must be handled in a different, more careful way. Electric can be deadly too if you aren't familiar with the safety rules. If you decide to heat with wood, educate yourself AND your family first and 'keep the home fire burning' as they used to say.

Stay warm, safe and save money this winter! Forms of heat can be deadly but so can the weather - be aware.

Oh, and if your stove is flat on top, think about buying some cast iron cookware to use when the fire is hot. Lastly, PRACTICE before you NEED it. Have a fire extinguisher near and have smoke alarms everywhere!

I am not responsible in any way, shape, or form for your actions. This is a way to save money - I have a wood stove and it's an idea for you to consider. If you get a stove, it's all your responsibility - you waive and dismiss all possible liabilities from me. It's your idea to actually get one and/ or heat with it.

Do you Qualify ?

http://www.connect2compete.org/cox/

COX is now offering low cost Internet to low income families...who qualify.

Books For Sale! Books For Sale!

If you read my other blogs, you've no doubt learned about my love of books.

We went to the local library book sale and saved a TON of money. I mean, one brown paper sack full of books for $2.00 is quite a bargain considering how much only one book costs new.

Used books may not always be in perfect shape, and that's okay. Life happens. If you have kids and/or pets, then you know what I mean. :)

Sometimes, I find vintage classics or duplicate copies of my favorite books that I resell or give as gits. Last year I found several copies of a certain trendy book and was able to sell all of them but one which I gave as a gift. The profit of which more than paid for my trip to the book sale.

If you want to resell books, I suggest you do a lot of research. 'Buy what you know' and have Internet access to check what price they are going for currently before you buy. But really, $2.00 a bag full isn't too much to lose if you do make a mistake on a book's value. My daughter bought two possible resale books in her bag. After we looked them up, we found out she won't be making a lot of money on them but they are books she likes and can keep them for her family or she can sell them and get her $2.00 back.

Goodwill is a good book place too! Make a Book Budget before you go and get ready to save money! It is recycling too....

Don't buy more than you can carry or care to dust! :)

Is it worth a Penny?

I teach my children to pick up pennies that they find on the ground and parking lot. I tell them it's free money and that no one else likes it because of it's color and value. This has a double message in it. All money is valuable just as all colors are also.

I tell the child to pick up the penny then pull out my calculator and tell them if they spent that amount of time and picked up pennies for an hour they would be making $$$ an hour. Of course, I also tell them that they won't find a pile of pennies but they will find money at times and it's worth the 30 seconds they use to pick it up.

Sometimes they will find nickels and even quarters! One child found $20.00 with no one around to ask if they lost cash. I found $20 at a religious college's holiday light event once - I turned it in to the lady accepting donations that was standing near (lots of people so who knows who dropped it) and told her if no one came searching for it then it's a donation after closing time. Be nice.

It's also good exercise! I tell the children that this is the only job they are eligible for at such a young age so be happy to bend for a penny! (My X told them it wasn't worth a penny...) Guess who has no mortgage? Me. :)