Happy Planning

Its that time of year to contemplate gardening again.  Many of you may live in snow country and the thought of gardening is a bit off for you.  But you can watch this teaser film from Back to Eden and be inspired and then get things in order to start your garden when the snow melts.   For those of us who live in sunshine country we can begin now to prepare our beds for the planting day.  This film teaser will inspire you wherever you live.  Enjoy and happy planning! 

Garden Woes

The pre winter winds are beginning to blow and the skies are showing signs of an autumn rain.  Our garden is not producing as it once was.  It is with a sigh and great regret that we begin to till the ground we once grew our garden in.  Gone are the eggplant, cucumbers, zucchini, melons and potatoes.  We hold onto hope that our tomato plants will give us just a few more of their delicious fruits before we till them up as well.  But alas, I know even the tomatoes will have their end.  Now a winter garden is in store for this garden plot of ground.  Good bye summer days and hello autumn. 

10 Commandments for Frugal Living by Jeffery Strain

Considering the present financial climate, I thought Jeffery Strain has a lot of good old fashioned advice and insights for us to ponder and put into practice.  Heidi

"Frugality often gets a bad rap. Many people misunderstand frugality and assume that it's nothing more than being "cheap" when, in reality, frugality is making sure that you get the most from the money and resources you have, even if they are limited.

For those who are just beginning to embrace frugality as a part of their lifestyle, here are 10 frugal commandments to live by.

10. Thou shalt not buy things you don't need.

To get the most from the money that you have, it's essential to have a basic understanding of the difference between wants and needs. Chances are that a lot of things that you assume are needs are only wants you have disguised as needs in order to justify purchasing them. Basic needs are food (including water), shelter and clothing plus the essentials needed to work so that you can provide those basics. That means that the TV (and virtually every other gadget in your house) is a want and not a need. Having the willpower to buy only those things that you really need (being frugal doesn't mean being stingy, but it does mean that any wants you do have are specifically saved and budgeted for as opposed to impulse purchases) is essential to getting the most out of frugality.

Simply put, if you don't need it, don't buy it, no matter how good the price.

9. Thou shalt only buy when you have the money.

One of the basic premises of frugality is having the money to pay for the things that you buy. By budgeting and saving for those things that you want and paying for them with cash rather than using credit, you ensure you aren't paying far more than you should be for the products and services that you buy.

8. Thou shalt purchase by value, not price.

One of the biggest misconceptions about being frugal is that those who are frugal only purchase things that are cheap or the very lowest price. The truth is that those who are frugal always try to buy the best value taking into account other factors such as the life expectancy and additional upkeep costs that come into play beyond retail price. This often means looking at the long term cost of an item rather than just the initial purchase price.

7. Thou shalt be patient.

Those who embrace frugality rarely have the latest and greatest gadgets that have just hit the market. Instead, those who are frugal wait for the early adopters to embrace the technology until the point at which the price falls to a reasonable level as the gadget makes its way to the masses. Those who are frugal are usually a generation or two behind on the latest gadgets, but they still perform the functions that need to be done and they get them for a fraction of the price.

6. Thou shalt buy used.

A basic tenet of frugality is to get the best value from what you purchase, and this often means purchasing products used. Those who are frugal are more than happy to let someone else pay full retail price and absorb the premium pricing for products that are depreciating assets (think of the difference in price between a brand new car and a two-year-old vehicle, as an example). Used products are often a fraction of the price of the new models and in many instances perform the needed task just as well.

Is it possible to borrow it from a friend, a neighbor or a place such as the library? Would renting it be less expensive in the long run? Do you have something else already on hand that can be used to perform the same task? Buying is only one of many options when it comes to getting things you may need.

5. Thou shalt look for alternatives before buying.

If you need something, automatically going out and buying it is not an approach that a true frugal person would take. Instead, before spending any hard-earned money on something that may only be used a few times, consider alternatives.

4. Thou shalt ignore the Joneses.

Part of living a frugal life is understanding that life isn't a competition over who has the most stuff. It's important to concentrate on your and your family's needs, and not what others are spending their money on. Just because your neighbors bought it doesn't mean that you need to go out and buy something on par or better.

3. Thou shalt not pay full retail price.

When you are going to make a purchase, you should never pay full retail price for it. There are a number of ways to avoid paying full retail such as using coupons, finding discounts, waiting for sales and negotiating a lower price. With a bit of preparation and forethought, there is never a reason to pay full retail price for anything you purchase.

2. Thou shalt not waste.

One thing that those who are frugal hate is waste. While this obviously includes the waste of money, it also goes beyond money to such areas a wasted resources and wasted time. Efficiency is a frugal person's friend, and those who are frugal tend to follow the green mantra of reduce, repurpose, reuse and recycle for the things that they do possess.

1. Thou shalt do things yourself.

When something needs to be done, the first choice to perform the task should be yourself rather than hiring someone else to do it. Frugal people tend to be do-it-yourself experts and do not pay others to do things that they can easily do by themselves. When they don't know how to do something, they research it to see if it is something that they can do with the proper instructions or something sufficiently complicated that it's best to let an expert handle. While it may take some practice at first, getting these 10 frugal commandments down will make your savings account look a lot healthier in the new year."

Montana Family Enjoys High Quality Living at Low Cost

Check out this article on page 4 and 5 of the February 4 1985 Gleaner magazine: 

adventistarchives.org/docs/NPG/NPG19850204-V80-03__C.pdf  

When Randy and I first read this article, back in February 1985, our curiosity was peaked.  These folks lived totally off the grid.  They had no electric bill,  no water bill and hardly a grocery bill since they grew their own food. Never had we known anyone that had attempted to live like this before and it intrigued us. We planned to live in a country setting but we had never thought about a wilderness setting.  This article was the catalyst that turned our thinking  around about what kind of property to look for for our young family.  

Shortly after we read about the Wernick's  story, we mailed a letter (they had no telephone) to Jerry and Linda Wernick.  We asked them if we could come observe  their place and check out how they live.   The reply  from the Wernick's was a resounding "Yes".  Later we were to find out that many folks often visited their wilderness home just as we did.  Some from pure curiosity and others because they wanted to live off the grid too.

As we observed the  Wernick's wilderness home that weekend long ago, we were  inspired.  This is what moved us toward choosing our wilderness setting of Border Mountain.  The Wernick's still live in Polebridge, Montana. They daily look out at the towering peaks of  Glacier National Park.  If you are ever in their neck of the woods, you ought to pay them a visit.  I am sure you will receive a warm welcome just as we did 26 years ago.

Pop-Up Greenhouses and Pot Gardens

Our garden is all tilled up now and almost ready to plant.  We need to put in a watering system and a fence so the little bunny critters can't get to our plants.  

 Our Garden Spot

Yesterday I purchased a pop-up greenhouse at Lowes.  It was a pretty good deal.  Only cost me $89.00 for a 6.5 ft high 5 ft wide and 5 ft deep greenhouse.  The greenhouse took us about 15 minuets to assemble.  Pretty cool!  I can hardly wait to start growing our seedlings.  

 Pop Up Greenhouse

Have you thought about starting a garden too?  Don't have much space; live in an apartment?  Start a pot garden.  You can grow your vegetables in pots on your porch or balcony.   All you need is a little soil, a little water, and some vegetable seeds and your good to go.  It is a lot of fun to grow and eat your own food.  Want to be rewarded? Start a garden this year.

Have fun.

Bread Day

I love the aroma of freshly baked bread and I love the taste in just about the same degree as I love the aroma.  Be sure to check out Amy's Whole Wheat Bread on Heidi's Recipe page.  It is undoubtedly the best bread I have ever made.  Yum yum!  Be sure to block of some time for this bread event. 

Amy's Wheat Bread

This is undoubtedly the best bread I have ever made!  Thank you Amy for sharing it.  Heidi

Makes 5 large loaves


Combine in mixer:

• 6 c. hot water
• 12 c. hard white wheat flour (we freshly milled our wheat)

Let sit 30-60 minuets.


Add and mix very well:

• 1/2 c. oil
• 1 c. honey
• 2 T salt
• 1/2 c water

Add in this order and mix a few minutes:

• 2 c. flour
• 1/3 c. vital wheat gluten (opt)
• 2 T dough enhancer (opt) I have never used it and my bread it fantastic!
• 3 T instant yeast (Saf Instant) WinCo

Add more flour as needed---judge by stickiness of dough---some should stick to your finger, but not a lot.


Turn on auto knead or to the knead setting on your machine. Knead for 8-10 minutes. While kneading, spray large bowl and lid with cooking spray (i.e. Pam).


When kneading is complete, place dough in large oiled bowl, turning once to coat with oil. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours. Alternatively, place in refrigerator overnight and proceed as follows in the morning.


Form dough into loaves and place in loaf pans coated with cooking spray; cover with cloth. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours, longer if dough has been refrigerated.


Preheat oven to 350*. If desired, slash tops of loaves with very sharp knife just before baking.


Bake for 30-45 minutes. Check bottom of loaf for nice medium brown color. Remove from pans and place on cooling racks. Enjoy!

Gardening

Wow! Was I shocked at the increase  of  food prices at the grocery store this  last week.   The price increase might be weather related but it is more likely related to our current economic troubles here in the USA; and really all over the world.  I think it might be wise to get out our plow, shovel and rakes and start getting our soil ready for the garden.  Not a bad idea even if food

prices were not going up.  There is nothing like home grown fruits and vegetables from your own garden.  There is nothing like a tomato freshly picked from your own garden.  Some have never really tasted what a REAL tomato tastes like.

Gardening is more than just growing your own food.  Gardening also provides time in the great outdoors breathing the fresh air, taking in the sunshine and of course the exercise of shoveling, raking and plowing will invigorate you and bring health to your body. 

Now is the time to check into ordering your own seeds.  I have purchased from Heirloom Seed:  http://www.heirloomseeds.com/  This is a great site because you can harvest the seeds from your plants and grow them again year after year.  Many seeds you purchase at the local garden center, unless they say say they are Heirloom seeds, usually are hybrid seeds.  You cannot save these seeds and grow them again.  Keep that in mind when planning your garden.

Happy gardening!

Marcus, Our Youngest Gardener

Country Living

Some may ask "Why have you always chosen to live in a country setting?"  The answer comes from one of my favorite books called The Ministry Of Healing page 367.  "Instead of dwelling where only the works of men can be seen, where the sights and sounds frequently suggest thoughts of evil, where turmoil and confusion bring weariness and disquietude, go where you can look upon the works of God. Find rest of spirit in the beauty and quietude and peace of nature. Let the eye rest on the green fields, the groves, and the hills. Look up to the blue sky, unobscured by the city's dust and smoke, and breathe the invigorating air of heaven. Go where, apart from the distractions and dissipations of city life, you can give your children your companionship, where you can teach them to learn of God through His works, and train them for lives of integrity and usefulness. {MH 367.1}