I'm glad I read that little article I mentioned...

Yes folks.....that's mens underwear worn as a halter top, LMAO. Too funny. I'm all for being frugal, but WOW! I just had to share that one!

Lisa and I haven't gotten to talk tonight, so it will have to wait till tomorrow. She went with her daughter to get some things for the housewarming party this Sunday and won't be back till probably after 9.

Today I got home, read my usual forums and blogs, and headed outside. I filled the chicken feed bin, replaced a broken water bottle in the rabbit hutch, and brought out most of Lisa's outdoor halloween decorations. I got everything set up that I had brought out, including about 10 fake foam headstones, and spread some of the brush from the fallen trees amongt them. I figured it would look more than just like grass with headstones in it lol. I drove a few stakes in the ground, and wrapped them with the dried corn stalks from the garden..I had more than I thought!!! Tomorrow I'll get the rest out and set up, and run cords to the spotlights I have from last year. I love decorating for Halloween...when else can I make the yard look like one of my favorite heavy metal videos???? LOL

Tonight I decided to relax and sit in my new room after dinner....NO T.V.!! I already read through the latest Mother Earth News again, and after this post, I'll check out the new Countryside. After that, I'll more than likely start reading Four Season Harvest again. I skimmed through it when I got it for Xmas and havent touched it since. I want to learn more on what I can grow possibly this winter in the cold frame other than a few greens...gotta be something!

I sat earlier as I ate and went through my notebook I started for preparadness/emergency/shtf and realized something. What I have in there are the BASIC things we need to live. No frills, no extra's, no convienences, no frills, just the basics...and it make me think. (again) What do we currently have in the house that ISN'T on that list? What do we have that we can certainly live without? The answer is "A LOT". Most of my belongings that arent on that list are tools, others are hunting and fishing gear far beyond the basics. Lisa's list would be her sewing & other craft items. Both of us have far more than we really need, but both of us have things that are at least helpful or productive. My tools can make things like the cold frame, fix the tractors and vehicles, make home repairs.....etc.My fishing and hunting gear can bring us food and if ever needed, be home defense. Lisa can make damn near anything. She quilts, sews, makes candles, paints, does needlepoint, and all kinds of other crafts. Some are useful like mending clothes, making quilts for warmth, candles for light, and other crafts can be sold or given as gifts. So basically, both of us on those 2 large lists are on the "keeper" side of things. Now to figure out what ISN'T on the keeper side.

We had a list long ago that I can't seem to find and will have to make again. As a starter, we listed every single thing we had in the house that used electricity. We listed room by room, every thing there was, no matter how small. If it got plugged in, it went on the list. We made the list with 3 columns. One for things that were always on, one for things that were at least always plugged in, and another for things that we only had to plug in to use. When we were done, we were amazed at the amount of things we actually had that were electric. When we went down the list, we found some to be so obsolete and rarely used that they went to Goodwill. (like a quesadilla maker and cappucino machine) The microwave has been gone for a few years, long before we started this list. The electric griddle went bye-bye as well, along with the mixer, "spare" toaster, and 3 of the 5 crockpots we had for some reason. Less electric gadgets, less clutter, more savings down the road. It felt good to get rid of unnecessary items, and we continued through the whole house eliminating gadgets and gizmos and clutter and energy hogs....basically anything we hadn't used in 6 months went out the door. Even clothes we hadn't worn went to Goodwill. Face it, I'm not planning on wearing those Dockers anytime soon lol. I'm a jeans and tshirt kinda guy...always have been, always will be.

Now that we have gone pretty much through the house and eliminated most every unnecessary electric item, its time to look at everyday things. How we live and what we do...basically what we spend money on and how we spend our time. It's time for big changes. I'm tired of making excuses and having reasons to avoid doing this or that to better our lives. Starting next week, if we don't HAVE to have something, we aren't buying it. Starting first with my cigarettes and gatorade addiction. Sure, gatorade is cheap, it's only 2 for $3 at the gas station....but I buy 2 every day for work. Figure last week....I worked 7 days. So 7 days x $3= $21 I spent on gatorade. If I continued that for a month, thats approximately 30 days x $3 day or $90 a month in gatorade! A year would be $1095 a year. That's one helluva Lehmans shopping spree. Smokes are even worse at almost $4 a pack now. 2 packs a day @ $4 each x 30 days=$240 a month....no damn wonder we're always short on cash. I HAVE to quit, no ways around it. Besides the fact that at 43 now, I'm noticing the affects more and more. Especially at work now going up and down 3 flights of stairs and ladders all day. Add just those 2 together, and eliminating both would save us $330 a month. (give or take a few) THATS MORE THAN OUR CAR PAYMENT!!!!! Step one figured out and will start this weekend. As I said......no more excuses. None of the "just one last one" or "I'd kill for a smoke". It's time to get my head together and get some self control and discipline. If I can stop eating junk food, stop relying on a microwave, and stop watching tv for 5 hours a night, I can sure as hell stop smoking and drinking gatorade.

Now thats just ONE step. Imagine what we can do with the grocery bill, the utilities, and other spending if we put our minds to it. The savings can get us the woodburner we want, or the grain mill, or the wringer washer. All of which will save money and simplify our lives, which are some of our goals. It's time I looked beyond gardens, chickens, and rabbits and concentrated on the rest of our lives....no more excuses.