| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| JojoNH |
Posted - Jan 09 2011 : 06:04:51 AM
 Happy New Year!!
If your like me, I always make a few New Year Resolutions. This year it is about being thriftier,saving for retirement,work on making all my Christmas Gifts throughout the year (rather than last minute ) and having a great garden to harvest and put up as much of our own food as possible including wild harvesting.
I feel if I share my goals it helps me to stay focused when those real trying times pop up. . . So I am re-assessing everything I do, from shopping, how many errands to town I make each week,and looking at all the small things that I can change that will add up to make a big difference in our lives.
What about you? Do you have an new goal for the new year? I would love to hear them and maybe we can keep each other focused on our goals so at the end of the year we can see all that we accomplished!
Joanna #566
JojoNH
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CountryCents
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
http://www.Eastwooddesigns.com "For all your Promotional Needs"
www.JoannasHomeStudio.com "Keeping traditions alive a stitch at a time" |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| JojoNH |
Posted - Apr 16 2011 : 04:14:24 AM
Hello Everyone,
Sorry it's been awhile since my last posting. . . life has been crazy.
I have had a little time to do some long over due reading, as I was thumbing through some old magazines I came across some beautiful hooked rugs ( antique ones) after reading the article and looking at the pictures a light bulb went off! Many of you are asking what to do with the burlap bags you have, several great ideas came up as suggestions and I would like to offer this one: Use them to create your own hooked rugs! That is what the women used for the base to many of the rugs and even the penny rugs that covered the tables. A great way to recycle them and incorporate them into your hobbies.
Joanna #566
JojoNH
www.countrycents.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CountryCents
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
www.JoannasHomeStudio.com "Keeping traditions alive a stitch at a time"
http://twitter.com/NHJoanna |
| adnama |
Posted - Apr 09 2011 : 11:28:42 PM
My brother has used solar cookers for years, he gave me a DVD that shows how to make these using nothing more than a cut up cardboard box, covered with aluminum foil. he has also made a more permeant one out of mirrors hinged together to look like a three sided screen. This was a project to teach his children about self relience in the outdoors. This this gets so hot that he has been able to cook dinner in a cast iron dutch oven. It does have to sit on bricks due to the amount of heat that is generated. The foil covered box is used to make sun tea, and it gets the water so hot that it almost is boiling within a much shorter time frame then the 6 to 8 hours it used to take to brew the tea before. |
| mrsamy |
Posted - Apr 08 2011 : 08:30:36 AM
Newspaper and flattened cardboard boxes make great weed barriers in the garden...just lay 'em down, get 'em wet so they don't blow away and weight them down a little or use your homemade garden staples. Mine are about 10-12 pages of newspaper covered with cardboard box. I can cut right through to plant anything new I want to. Also using newspaper to start my seeds in...cut it into strips as wide as you want your container tall plus about an inch to fold into the bottom. Roll it very tightly around a cylinder with that inch or so protruding from the bottom (my son's set of blocks has lots of choices, but a look through the medicine chest or spice rack for a cylinder the right size) fold the bottom up, slide it off and whammo there you go a planting container that can go right in the soil and invites wormies, too. Ever heard of a solar cooker? Gonna try using a discarded cooler with a piece of old glass on top and line it with foil...was in an issue of Tightwad Gazette and I've been wanting to give that a shot, too.
Prayer costs nothing, but is worth the most. |
| JojoNH |
Posted - Apr 06 2011 : 04:32:59 AM
Sounds like your off to a great start! Don't forget you can even have an herb garden in your kitchen on a sunny windowsill, a porch, even line your walkways with container gardens. . . amazing the results you can get and the benefit, you can bring them indoors when the weather starts to change in the fall, extending your harvest time.
Joanna #566
JojoNH
www.countrycents.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CountryCents
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
www.JoannasHomeStudio.com "Keeping traditions alive a stitch at a time" |
| pmburk |
Posted - Apr 05 2011 : 10:20:17 AM
^ I will check out your herb garden thread. I have a very small garden, and I tend to get lazy and not grow anything during winter. This year I'm planning to change that and put in (hopefully) a much larger garden space. Usually during the spring & summer I grow assorted tomatoes & peppers, lettuce, spinach, and a variety of herbs - right now I'm only growing basil due to space limitations. I mostly can my tomatoes & peppers as homemade salsa. I also can jellies and preserves with the fruits I get from friends. |
| JojoNH |
Posted - Apr 05 2011 : 09:25:56 AM
Hi Pamela,
Your home sounds beautiful, to find all your treasures at a great price only adds to the fun of being thrifty! I wish we had bakery thrift shop where we live. . . had one when we lived in the southern part of the state. . . LOVED all the great deals you could get there.
You mentioned having an herb garden, I have a thread under herbs you may wish to read as well. For your garden, what do you typically grow and do you can your surplus for winter use?
Joanna #566
JojoNH
www.countrycents.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CountryCents
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
www.JoannasHomeStudio.com "Keeping traditions alive a stitch at a time" |
| pmburk |
Posted - Apr 05 2011 : 08:26:43 AM
I'm new to this thread, but we try to live very thrifty and frugal. We actually find that we are able to afford nicer items this way. The majority of our home furnishings & decor have been purchased from Craigslist or estate sales. We love antiques and have been fortunate to hit some good deals. I have a kitchen full of high-quality French & English cookware & dishes, purchased for almost nothing because I bought secondhand and got great deals. If I have to shop retail for something, I always go to the sale racks/clearance bin first. Our household motto is "never pay full price for anything." LOL
For grocery shopping, I buy on sale and stock up when I can. If I have $5 extra in my grocery budget, I'll buy an extra $5 worth of canned goods and put them in storage. I buy meat when it is marked down & freeze it - we keep a small chest freezer, which really helps. I make a lot of my own cleaning products and buy some at the dollar store. I use plain white vinegar around the house as much as possible. I shop Aldi and the bakery thrift shops. I also use Freecycle, and have been able to give and receive some good usable stuff. I use the clothesline as much as possible, I grow a small vegetable & herb garden, and I am fortunate to have a couple of friends with land that allow me to pick wild blackberries, plums & pecans. I also make my own jar candles, although I haven't done that in a while. |
| JojoNH |
Posted - Apr 05 2011 : 05:12:55 AM
 Oh My Gosh!!! Am I ever jealous!!! What a great thrifty find that is!!!!! I can see you doing the happy dance nothing makes us feel so good as to finding something on our list of needs/wants at a bargain price! I say that qualifies for "Extra Thrifty Status"
Joanna #566
JojoNH
www.countrycents.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CountryCents
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
www.JoannasHomeStudio.com "Keeping traditions alive a stitch at a time" |
| phonelady |
Posted - Apr 04 2011 : 8:22:07 PM
Wow Patricia!
That was a find and a half!
Good for you!
And the fact that it fits in your kitchen.
Hey, you saved something from ending up in the dump and you reused something instead of having to have new. Cool for you!
Carla
It's not just life-
It's an adventure!
http://familyhistoryfindings.blogspot.com/ |
| 2quilter |
Posted - Apr 04 2011 : 7:34:17 PM
I don't know if you'll agree, but I think this counts toward 2011 and Thrifyness.... I've been dreaming/planning for a remodeled kitchen for over a year now....and we've been scouring Craigslist, ebay, etc. for kitchen ideas and deals.
I just got home from purchasing a used Jenn-air free-standing convection oven, cooktop, grille, griddle and microwave, all in one unit...for $125 !!!! I am pinching myself! She still had all of the paperwork, it was purchased new in 1983 -- and at that time it was over $2,000 (even waaaaaay back then). Everything works perfectly, it's American made, exactly the height and width requirement that I need for my shoebox kitchen, and I absolutely could not be happier!
How does this fit into 2011 and thriftyness? I was THRIFTY and bought used appliances -- while still getting good, quality, AMERICAN MADE !!! cha-ching!!
When life hands you scraps, make quilts! |
| marjean |
Posted - Mar 25 2011 : 10:17:05 AM
I found this great tip from a past post of Aimee. How to save on the electric with your dryer lint filter and save the heating element as well.
Take out your lint filter and clean it with a stiff brush like the ones I sell on my Fuller Brush site. Or, just us an old hair brush. Then take it to the sink and run hot water over it. Notice how the water stand on top and little to none gets through?
Well, that makes the dryer work harder and burns up the element faster. So as your running the hot water use your brush and scrub until the water runs through freely. Then just dry with an old towel and put back in the dryer.
I do this after every days useage of the dryer. I don't even use fabric softners but a Shaklee unscented natural dryer sheet and only Watkins natural and Fuller Brush chemical free soaps that are unscented and my filter still gets clogged up.
So if you do use fabric softener and smelly dryer sheets it will clogg up even faster.
Farmgirl sister #308
handmade cards, vintage organizer bags and more at www.jeanpatchbymk.etsy.com
http://jeanpatch.blogspot.com
www.fullerdirect.com
id#0920150
www.watkinsonline.com/rjaramillo
www.sunshinefarmgirlcoop.com |
| urbangirl11 |
Posted - Mar 14 2011 : 2:45:38 PM
I'm sure many of you will borrow books from your public library, but did you also know that you can borrow movies and music cd's? I can go online, request the item that I want, and receive an email when I can go pick it up. I'm fortunate enough that my town belongs to a consortium, so I have access to materials from libraries all over eastern MA. Sometimes, depending on the popularity of an item, I have to wait a little bit for it to become available, but I have been able to watch entire seasons of a tv show, listen to the latest cds, and even borrow books with recipes and patterns - all for free. I also really like that I can load/save the cd's into my iTunes library (but, shhh - lets not tell BMG or Sony please) and listen to them long after I return the actual cd. Its something you should definitely check out.
EC |
| embchicken |
Posted - Mar 13 2011 : 07:50:35 AM
Just found this thread - I can't believe how many ideas I have already jotted down!
"Be the change you wish to see in the world" ~Gandhi |
| JojoNH |
Posted - Mar 12 2011 : 2:42:49 PM
Oh, the fun you will have on your new scooter!!! Be sure to post some pictures for all of us to see!!!
Joanna #566
JojoNH
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CountryCents
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
http://www.Eastwooddesigns.com "For all your Promotional Needs"
www.JoannasHomeStudio.com "Keeping traditions alive a stitch at a time" |
| Tea Lady |
Posted - Mar 09 2011 : 3:53:13 PM
Congratulations on your scooter! That sounds like fun. I've seen a couple people zipping around on them - it looks fun and fuel efficient. Have a ball!
Lorraine
(aka Tea Lady)
Farmgirl #1819
www.birdsandteas.com |
| fudsy |
Posted - Mar 09 2011 : 11:59:59 AM
He already has a street legal trail bike, but I'm not interested in trail riding (that is what I have and ATV for) but when we travel with our camper I don't like driving the big truck. So now with a scooter I won't be stranded at the camper. It will serve many purposes. I our jumped this morning from 3.18 to 3.33, I'm glad I'm getting one. Back to making just one trip a week into town, I feel stranded out here at times.
Farmgirl #1599
Working from home, working the land
www.lightningcreekinc.com |
| forgetmenot |
Posted - Mar 09 2011 : 08:37:41 AM
Oooooh! Lucky you, Fudsy!
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the belief that something is more important than fear." Ambrose Red Moon |
| fudsy |
Posted - Mar 09 2011 : 06:47:21 AM
So my birthday is coming up and DH took me to the local Honda shop and I picked out a SH105i scooter. It gets 80 miles to the gallon but can go 75 miles an hour. I don't ever plan on going that fast, but it will be handy going to town 25 miles away and back. Also having a "trunk" put on the back so I can carry groceries and other items. I already have my motorcycle indorsement so once the weather is nice I'm good to go.
Farmgirl #1599
Working from home, working the land
www.lightningcreekinc.com |
| fudsy |
Posted - Mar 09 2011 : 06:46:11 AM
I'm glad our snow is almost over, we are still getting a lot in the mountains but just traces here in the valley. Now we are in the brown dirty snow season. The good news is that on Sunday I saw the beginnings of tulips coming up through the dirt.
Farmgirl #1599
Working from home, working the land
www.lightningcreekinc.com |
| countrymommy85 |
Posted - Mar 08 2011 : 05:46:06 AM
We only got 3 inches of snow over night but tomorrow we are supposed to get a storm but not even close to 19 inches! More like half that! I use that trick for bread sometimes too, works like a charm! Which reminds me, this summer I will be doing most if not all my cooking outdoors since the kitchen is centrally located and we do not have air conditioning. I an going to be making solar ovens and using the fire pit and as a last resort my propane burner setup for frying fish or turkey. I was thinking about it and there is so much dead wood in the woods behind our house I will be fine for the whole summer after I cut and split it. Most of it is already down but there are quite a few standing dead I could chop and use right away! I will save a lot on propane and electric by cooking outdoors, not to mention help keep the temperature down in the house!
~We can make the world a better place for our kids and future generations by what we do today!~
http://countryrenaissance.blogspot.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SunflowersAndHoney |
| JojoNH |
Posted - Mar 08 2011 : 04:20:09 AM
Well I am happy to report the sun is finally shining today!!!!!
Although it did keep right on snowing and the whole scene from yesterday will play out again today. The large snow plow is needed to open our front driveway, which is filled with drifting snow. The grand snowfall amount is. . .19+"  Wow, spring. . . in like a lion out like a lamb. . for sure!
Tip of the Day:
Day two of being snowed in. . . makes a great day for baking bread and making pasta. So, if all goes well, that will be the afternoon, evening task. Now for the tip, with everyone in and out of the kitchen it creates a draft that is too cool for rising bread. Place a table near a window ( I have one in my kitchen), next take a box and cut off the top and one side ( long side if not square), line with aluminum foil and place your bread dough in to rise. Now don't cover the top of the box or it will get to hot for the dough! Works like a charm!
Happy baking everyone!
Joanna #566
JojoNH
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CountryCents
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
http://www.Eastwooddesigns.com "For all your Promotional Needs"
www.JoannasHomeStudio.com "Keeping traditions alive a stitch at a time" |
| Oggie |
Posted - Mar 07 2011 : 6:23:14 PM
I'm so glad you got that snow and not us Jojo! On the coast of Maine we just got rain, lots of it. The bright side is I can now see my mail box, deck, walkway to the chicken coop, and the pick up that was buried all winter!
My Dad is on a salt free diet so Mom gave me four cases of chicken broth, beef broth, and canned veggies that she had. It is all one year old but so far, we haven't had any trouble with it.
We have a "store" in town that is the joke of town. They have food, clothes, cleaning stuff, you name it, it's in there, that is probably 10+ years old. When the kids come back home to visit & bring friends they bring them there just to see how strange it is. I haven't heard if anyone has gotten sick from anything in there yet but I sure do wonder why the State hasn't shut it down!
Ginny
Farmgirl #2343
www.thedewhopinn.com
"I always have a wonderful time, wherever I am, whomever I'm with."
"Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it." Both by Elwood P. Dowd (Jimmy Stewart) in the Movie Harvey
|
| Tea Lady |
Posted - Mar 07 2011 : 4:11:01 PM
Wow! That's a lot of snow! You better give your snow plow driver a couple hugs and kisses. :o) Hang in there - spring will be here soon!
Lorraine
(aka Tea Lady)
Farmgirl #1819
www.birdsandteas.com |
| JojoNH |
Posted - Mar 07 2011 : 11:45:14 AM
Hi Everyone,
Well we are Buried in snow!! The first time this year we were snowed in until the plow truck arrived!! Here are a couple of pictures for you to see:
This is what we saw as we opened the kitchen door. . the mark in the snow is from our kitty, he did not appreciate how deep it is ( 14" at the time)
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WAHOOOO!!! The Plow Truck Made it!!!!!
So the Tip of the day is:
" Hug and Feed your Plow Driver!!" 
Joanna #566
JojoNH
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CountryCents
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
http://www.Eastwooddesigns.com "For all your Promotional Needs"
www.JoannasHomeStudio.com "Keeping traditions alive a stitch at a time" |
| JojoNH |
Posted - Mar 07 2011 : 11:39:24 AM
NO, DON'T EVER TASTE SOMETHING YOUR CONCERNED OVER!!!!
The number one rule to remember is:
When in doubt, throw it out!!!
Please, your health is soooo much more valuble than any savings on a dented can of food.
Joanna #566
JojoNH
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CountryCents
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
http://www.Eastwooddesigns.com "For all your Promotional Needs"
www.JoannasHomeStudio.com "Keeping traditions alive a stitch at a time" |
