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Gathered Up:  THRIFTY LIVING  |
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mommom
True Blue Farmgirl
854 Posts
Susan
Lancaster
Pennsylvania
USA
854 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 14 2006 : 07:52:30 AM
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| What a blessing it is for me to hear from women who don't want or need to have a lot of new fangled machines and gadgets to make them happy or to make their lives better. In 1994, we had to declare bankruptcy and lost our 160 acre farm which also housed 90,000 laying hens. At one point we became homeless. We finally found a job for my husband managing a chicken plant where he received a small paycheck and they let us live in one of their homes for free. It had snakes in it! Anyway, my youngest son, Andy, was about 10 years old at the time and I think all of this hit him the hardest. I heard him say one day to his best friend BJ" , "my mom puts a pot of water on the stove and makes the best soup!" A maintenance worker or feed hauler had brought salmonella into our original chicken houses and all of our chickens died or we had to kill them. I've always been frugal. It's a habit. Or as Martha Stewart would say, "It's a good thing!" My kids kid me and say that when I'm 90 years old I'll still be freezing tomatoes and storing things away for the winter! And, suzyhomaker, you sound like someone I would love to meet! God bless you , Susan |
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suzyhomemaker
True Blue Farmgirl
806 Posts
Clare
Tyler Hill
PA
USA
806 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2006 : 5:47:26 PM
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Hi, Susan. We are not too far away. We used to travel more in the camper when we were exclusively homeschooling. Now it will have to wait until summer again, but we can do small overnighters along the river flats (corn field, although it will be finished being cut next week). Our school district does not believe in time off. :-) I'd love to meet you, too. Perhaps we can meet up this summer.
Country girl in NE PA |
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mommom
True Blue Farmgirl
854 Posts
Susan
Lancaster
Pennsylvania
USA
854 Posts |
Posted - Sep 15 2006 : 8:08:20 PM
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| Wouldn't that be wonderful? We're going to have to work this out somehow. Susan |
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newheart
True Blue Farmgirl
471 Posts
Margie
Owings Mills
Maryland
USA
471 Posts |
Posted - Sep 16 2006 : 04:10:18 AM
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Hello, Suzyhomemaker and mommom.....I live probably 45 minutes from Lancaster Pa... just 30 minutes or less from Hanover Penna.....I would love to meet with you all some place centrally located.. I travel to Lancaster alot...to Roots Market, to Bird-In-Hand and to along 340 at all markets,store etc.....
newheart ---margie |
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mommom
True Blue Farmgirl
854 Posts
Susan
Lancaster
Pennsylvania
USA
854 Posts |
Posted - Sep 16 2006 : 07:07:22 AM
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| I live ten minutes from Roots Market! Is this fun or what? Susan |
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suzyhomemaker
True Blue Farmgirl
806 Posts
Clare
Tyler Hill
PA
USA
806 Posts |
Posted - Sep 17 2006 : 06:44:15 AM
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Now it is my turn to wish I lived closer to both of you. :-)
Country girl in NE PA |
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BarefootGoatGirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1495 Posts
Corrine
North Carolina
USA
1495 Posts |
Posted - Sep 23 2006 : 08:12:45 AM
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Reading past posts on this thread I was introduced to the book "Not Buying It." It arrived in the mail yesterday (yes I had to buy it), and I started reading last night. This woman is right on in her critique of why we spend and what we spend. Has anybody else managed to get their grubby little hands on this book and find time to get it read? Has anybody tried a year with out shopping? Hubby and I plan to start Jan 1. With growing children in the house I will have to have a thrifting/fabric budget to keep them clothed, but I think we can do it.
Trina
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Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. Proverbs 27:23 |
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BlueApple
True Blue Farmgirl
430 Posts
Julia
Oregon
USA
430 Posts |
Posted - Sep 23 2006 : 08:17:27 AM
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I have not read it but have certainly heard about it. I may have to see if I can get it from my library.
Julia
BlueApple Farm |
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
Posted - Sep 25 2006 : 7:15:53 PM
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I have not read that book but I laughed at your comment "yes I had to buy it" because it so reminded me of all the books I used to buy about how to get rid of clutter. I finally threw away all the books and some of the clutter was finally gone!
quote:
Originally posted by BarefootGoatGirl
Reading past posts on this thread I was introduced to the book "Not Buying It." It arrived in the mail yesterday (yes I had to buy it), and I started reading last night. This woman is right on in her critique of why we spend and what we spend. Has anybody else managed to get their grubby little hands on this book and find time to get it read? Has anybody tried a year with out shopping? Hubby and I plan to start Jan 1. With growing children in the house I will have to have a thrifting/fabric budget to keep them clothed, but I think we can do it.
Trina
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Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. Proverbs 27:23
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my blog at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com ,web site store at http://www.watkinsonline.com/fish or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
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BarefootGoatGirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1495 Posts
Corrine
North Carolina
USA
1495 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2006 : 10:54:01 AM
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Brenda,
I had the same experience with clutter! Honestly most books about getting rid of it are useless. they just tell you how to store things instead of saying "grab a trash bag, close your eyes and start pitching." Yes, I have really done that and only regreted it on a few occasions. Usualy when my husband starts asking for something the day after a dump run and he describes its last location as the area I just cleaned.
As for the book, as I get into it further I start agreeing with her less. Those seasons she spends in the city seem to muddle her brain as that is the time frame she starts getting a bit wacky (the book is written like a journal).
Trina
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Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. Proverbs 27:23 |
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bybiddie
True Blue Farmgirl
267 Posts
susan
upstate
ny
USA
267 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2006 : 11:15:41 AM
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Deciding to buy my own place, on my own, ended up taking all of my financial resources - but it's definitely made me more creative! When I first moved in, the place was a mess - tons of piles of stuff left inside and out. I was so angry about having to clean it up that I almost missed out on the *plus* side of it - there were lots of bits of wood and other things that I was able to use to build my chicken coop and other small projects. Of course, there was also a lot of TRASH!
I got a non-working built-in microwave (now used for storage), a working dishwasher, stove and fridge with the house. But thanks to freecycling and local yard sales, I managed to get a $2 microwave in clean, perfect working order, and an older washer and dryer for free! I also found a free laundry tree and lots of other treasures. I either make my own clothes (knitting & sewing) or buy them at the local Goodwill. It's much more fun and a whole lot more fulfilling. I have a tv but no reception where I am, so I don't watch it and don't miss it. Simplifying my life has opened me up to a much more satisfying life.
Lovin' my life |
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Clothcraze
Farmgirl in Training
42 Posts
Kristina
CT
USA
42 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2006 : 5:11:26 PM
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I'm working on voluntary simplicity.
Most people think I'm chosing to live in the dark ages. It isn't the case at all.
I'm chosing to be more personally responsible for the resources my family uses and how NECESSARY it is. If I'm not willing to give something up, then I try to figure out how I can do it less wastefully.
I won't live without electricity (at least that's how I currently feel) but I do think it should come from wind or solar energy sources.
I don't like being so dependent on world resources. I'd rather do without than be dependent on someone else. I'd rather the power company pay ME to generate power. 
I also have an immune disorder which I attribute to the artificial immunization practices of the last 30+ years. I prefer a more "natural" way of living, which includes natural toys for the kids which encourage imagination and that doesn't involve plastics which will later prove to contribute to some form of lethal cancer.
It's just reevaluating what is "needed" vs "wanted" in my life and why. I don't NEED to set the thermostat at 72 when I am perfectly comfortable in a sweater with it set at 68. Some people don't want to cover their pretty designer shirts with sweaters, I don't have that problem.
Oh I could go on and on about this stuff. So many topics fall under voluntary simplicity. Couldn't we have a seperate board or something?? It might get hard to keep reading a single thread. 
Kristina
Mama of 5
Seeker of a simpler life |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2006 : 8:44:34 PM
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You sound great Christina...I feel the same way about most things you said...and find it very interesting that more people don't "get it". How fun it will be to have you here with us!!
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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BarefootGoatGirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1495 Posts
Corrine
North Carolina
USA
1495 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2006 : 08:47:08 AM
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It seems that voluntary simplicity seems to go hand-in-hand with natural living. My family is working on simplifing everything in our lives and moving more toward a natural life style. I am also a naturopathic student, health food advocate (my extended family gets tired of hearing it), non-immunization mama, homeschooler, tightwadding type girl. We heat with wood and use a small window ac in the kitchen to make cooking and canning barable durring the hottest days. We are not part of the eco-movement, but as conservative Christians we believe in conservation and stewardship of what God has entrusted us with. When hubby gets out of the Army we will move back to his home state, buy at least 100 acres and live in a tipi while we build a home with responsably harvested logs and scrounged material and runs off of solar and wind power.
I've given my bio, now a fun question.
What is the most useful thing (that most people throw out) that you save and reuse? For me the answer is mesh produce bags (we have a weakness for organic citrus fruit). I use them for scubbies in the dish pan, tops on sprout (or when my boys are around bug) jars, scrunch them up in the bottom of my flower pots to keep the soil from washing out, fill them with hair and yarn scraps for the birds in the spring, use them to apply paint in fun patterns for school projects...the possabilities are endless.
Trina
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Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. Proverbs 27:23 |
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GaiasRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2552 Posts
Tasha-Rose
St. Paul
Minnesota
2552 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2006 : 09:30:30 AM
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RE: voluntary simplicity
We actually had someone ask us if we were THAT poor, that we needed to cloth diaper! I was shocked and completely insulted. Are you that narrow and disrespectful that you would use throw away landfill stuffers on your kid? That should have been my reply, but instead I was cordial and informed her of the facts surrounding using disposables.
I love how we live. we dont have cable-we have ONE tv channel. We live in the woods. We make a lot of our own things from food to clothing to toys and other things we need to use. People always think that what they don't know about is substandard or weird. Heck, my own brother even thinks that as a Witch, I sacrifice animals!! ROFLOL!! What peple are uneducated about, they are scared of.
~*~Brightest Blessings~*~
Tasha-Rose
blog: http://gaiarose.wordpress.com |
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wovenheart
True Blue Farmgirl
80 Posts
Dona
Washington State
USA
80 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2006 : 09:41:43 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by BarefootGoatGirl
It seems that voluntary simplicity seems to go hand-in-hand with natural living. My family is working on simplifing everything in our lives and moving more toward a natural life style. I am also a naturopathic student, health food advocate (my extended family gets tired of hearing it), non-immunization mama, homeschooler, tightwadding type girl. We heat with wood and use a small window ac in the kitchen to make cooking and canning barable durring the hottest days. We are not part of the eco-movement, but as conservative Christians we believe in conservation and stewardship of what God has entrusted us with. When hubby gets out of the Army we will move back to his home state, buy at least 100 acres and live in a tipi while we build a home with responsably harvested logs and scrounged material and runs off of solar and wind power.
I've given my bio, now a fun question.
What is the most useful thing (that most people throw out) that you save and reuse? For me the answer is mesh produce bags (we have a weakness for organic citrus fruit). I use them for scubbies in the dish pan, tops on sprout (or when my boys are around bug) jars, scrunch them up in the bottom of my flower pots to keep the soil from washing out, fill them with hair and yarn scraps for the birds in the spring, use them to apply paint in fun patterns for school projects...the possabilities are endless.
Trina
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Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. Proverbs 27:23
Your way of life parallels mine except that I think I'm probably about 100 years older:) I was lucky in my family growing up as my mother's parents were way ahead of their time. My grandfather was a chiropractor & my grandmother was a massage therapist and we are talking in the 30's, 40's & 50's. I'm surprised my first words weren't "let nature takes its course":) It is hard to buck the system and in choosing to live a homeopathic lifestyle when living in a world where there is a pill (or a shot) to 'cure' everything is difficult at times. I had an easier time raising my sons than my grandparents or my parents as alternative 'ways' were/are becoming more talked about and somewhat accepted. Whole foods are lots easier to purchase for things that you don't or cannot grow yourself. My grandparents taught us from an early age that there is definitely a mind/body connection. Preservatives were not to take lightly especially when eating from the earth was so much healthier & 'cleaner' and everyone has the same opportunity with a little bit of dirt and a few seeds we can all have 'homemade' goodies:)
It was a joy to read about you!!!
"It's the beauty that thrills me with wonder...It's the stillness that fill me with peace." |
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Clothcraze
Farmgirl in Training
42 Posts
Kristina
CT
USA
42 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2006 : 11:00:17 AM
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I grew up the polar opposite of "simple" and fight my parents on it with every choice I make.
The house we want to buy is half the size of this one and in need of a lot of work. When I told my mom about it *I* was soooo excited!! She said she was in tears thinking of how I could live "that way". What way??? Because I don't have a 4000sf home??? Buh?? Wha???
She feels SOOO sorry for me which I just don't get. I feel sorry for HER that she is of the mindset that she sacrificed for "years and years" and now feels no guilt at all with driving around a gas guzzler or cranking her heat up to 85 when it's 70 outside. Or using A/C all day and night.
She can't understand why we've come so far only to go back! Umm look where getting us "so far" as a society has gained us?? Do you SEE the state of the nation, of the world right now? You don't think ANY of that has to do with our gluttonous, self-centered, self-indulgent lifestyles??? Ay yi yi!! I'm 'bout to go on a tangent!!! 
It's about giving, it's about taking only what you NEED and closely evaluating whether what you THINK you need, is really what you need and then taking responsibility for it.
This whole lack of caring about the future thing just baffles me.
Kristina
Mama of 5
Seeker of a simpler life
www.clothcraze.com |
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BarefootGoatGirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1495 Posts
Corrine
North Carolina
USA
1495 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2006 : 11:24:26 AM
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I hear you, Kristina. My mom isn't as "advanced" as yours, but she does think I am a bit nuts. Every time we talk about getting rid of it all and moving into a tipi, she says "put it all in storage, you'll want it back soon." I finaly have her convinced that my kids don't want or need toys (with all the adult items they are allowed to use, why would they?), but she still thinks thier closets are aweful: 2 church outfits, 2 town outfits, 3 play , a couple coats and sweaters, 3 pairs of shoes (all items are used or homemade). I have no more in mine than they have in theirs (with the exception of 2 formals *bought for less than $8 each*--hubbys work requires my participation at times).
Dona, your family sounds great! I am the first in mine to go this direction compleatly (in the 50's my grandfather refused to use "modern" farming applications and became an early organic grower with out even realising it), so I am trying to convert everyone else. My mom and SIL (both nurses) have started using my herbal and homeopathic medicine when all else fails. When I get my naturopathic license I want to specialise in Nutritional Therapy. It just makes sense to me that we should eat our "medicine". My oldest son is a little nutrition crusaider and tells everybody why they should eat better. He makes me laugh some times...the other day my mom asked me to pick up some bread for her at the store and Bubba was with me. As we rounded the corner into the bread isle he yells "The whiter the bread, the quicker you're dead." The isle was full of shopper and they all turned to look, I just about died laughing.
Trina
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Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. Proverbs 27:23 |
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grammagoose
Farmgirl in Training
35 Posts
sandy
exeter
rhode island
USA
35 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2006 : 1:10:37 PM
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I really enjoy hearing abaout voluntary simplicity. Ways to save on the every day necessities. Many are fortunate enough to have a choice not to live at proverty level, but simply enough to know and enjoy what is important.
grammagoose |
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flowerchild
True Blue Farmgirl
52 Posts
Erica
Oregon
USA
52 Posts |
Posted - Sep 28 2006 : 5:53:50 PM
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My family is in the process of choosing simplicity and frugality- I have checked out every book the library has on ideas, tips, etc on saving money, living frugally and simply etc.. over the past few weeks. The more I read, the more I am inspired to continue to make changes- and in all honesty, the more I am disgusted by how ignorant I have been in so many areas. Sadly, we thought we were doing well, paying off bills, trying to get out of debt, trying to do things simpler. Then I start reading, and hearing about how inventive so many of you are here, and UGH! I could cry at how much more I should have known, and done, and how much I could have done without and saved. But, at this point, I refuse to let myself get all down about could have and should have, and just be thrilled at the changes I am making for our family, and how happy it makes us all.
It is sad that this is not the "norm" though. That so many people think those that choose to live this way are poor, or deprived, or have taken leave of their senses....=p The more we get into this and learn, the more we have realized we were insane to be the "other way".
Just my ramblings... |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Sep 28 2006 : 8:47:06 PM
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I always wish I could live more simply than I do. We do use air-conditioning (it is Florida) and as I grow older I find myself making life easier on myself. We cook at home and do not eat out a lot, I quilt, I do not have expensive hobbies - we hardly ever rent DVD's (that is such a waste to me), we garden organically, we do all our own chores. We do not have new cars.....but I used to be a fanatic about re-cycling, and now I find myself throwing away newspapers. I used to use only paper bags for the trash, and now I use plastic ones brought home from shopping at Lowe's, etc. In some ways hubby and I are so conservation conscious and in others we are slowly slipping into too much convenience. As the years go by, some hang in there, and others let life get a little easier. It is always such a balancing act! Living simply is not as easy as one would think! But we must keep trying! Do any of you find this to be true for you?
Peace |
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Norskema
True Blue Farmgirl
98 Posts
Candace
Central Indiana Area
USA
98 Posts |
Posted - Sep 28 2006 : 9:04:12 PM
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I remember the very first Earth Day back when I was in high school (oh, so long ago!) We got out of high school to do some environmental projects like cleaning the park and picking up trash along the lake shore. Learning about recycling was new and exciting. Seems like all those lessons are shoved by the wayside any more. What happened to all those programs?
I was happy to see a recent report about how many people are beginning to wonder why they are building bigger and bigger houses. My kids aren't so sure that the run-down farm we are buying is such a good idea for folks in their 50's. I think we're supposed to be looking for a trailer in a Florida community somewhere. But, I think we are on the right track. We're cutting our living space in about half. The plumbing is shot, the furnace needs to be updated, there have been some furry critters living there who will have to move out when we move in, etc. This seems a better, more exciting way of life than baking in the sun somewhere. I am alarmed at how 'soft' our country is becoming which is why I find this site so refreshing. There ARE other people who feel the same way as we do about living the simpler life. We can all translate what that means in our own lives but the basic undercurrent is there - that less really is more. I agree that we must keep trying. A voice doesn't have to shout to be heard. If we try to resist the easier way because we are doing things out of habit we can make a difference.
Every way of a man seems right to himself but the Lord is the tester of hearts. Proverbs 21:2 |
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GaiasRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2552 Posts
Tasha-Rose
St. Paul
Minnesota
2552 Posts |
Posted - Sep 28 2006 : 10:03:45 PM
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There was a show I watched at my moms one day about house flipping and the houses of 50-60 years ago that housed families of 4-6 people were about 1/2 the size (or more in some cases) that they are today. Our house is only as big as it is because the man who moved it here and put it on it's basement made the basement so huge when before it didn't have a basement. We are at just over 2200sqft. If we took the basement off we would have about 1500. the more house you have themore fuel you consume to heat and cool it....it just doesn't make sense.
~*~Brightest Blessings~*~
Tasha-Rose
blog: http://gaiarose.wordpress.com |
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MustangSuzie
True Blue Farmgirl
634 Posts
Sarah
New London
Missouri
USA
634 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2006 : 04:22:44 AM
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This is a fantastic topic! I am doing my best to try and live this way too. I always thought that my parents were the biggest tightwads I had ever seen but now I totally understand that way of thinking of not being in debt. I love the idea of not buying anything new and am going to do that myself. We defintely live in a plentiful land but a wasteful society. I love everyones ideas and comments on living closer to nature. I think the Native Americans were on to a few things there.
Sarah |
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katie-ell
True Blue Farmgirl
1818 Posts
Katie
Illinois
1818 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2006 : 04:34:01 AM
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| Welcome, Suzie! Be sure to post over in the Welcome Wagon area so all the FarmGirls can greet you. Tell us a little about yourself! |
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Gathered Up: THRIFTY LIVING |
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THRIFTY LIVING
