The Frugal Life I Lived

Peaceful Forest Homestead

I have been researching for quite awhile now on living the "simple life" and I know many people who follow my blog, think that means the modern homesteading life. All I can tell you is that is not a simple life by any means. No, it is a hard life, even if you are on the grid (electric coming from the utility company). I used to call it the simple life, until I lived it for close to twenty-one years. I am talking about the simple living lifestyle, or minimalist lifestyle, or frugal life. Whatever you choose to call it. I just call it life.

Garden in 2000

Ever since I moved here I have lived very frugally, but it was not by choice, as much as no choice. I have learned to make do with a lot of things I took for granted. I sold a lot of my stuff just so I could buy food, gas and the necessities of life. I bought things I needed from the local thrift stores. I made things out of broken things or nothing.  I learned to garden and can my food, so I would have plenty to get through the winter.

Nikita eating carrion

I bought what I couldn't grow in bulk and canned that. I accepted the parts of the deer the hunters did not want and cut them up, which I hated to do, but did it anyway. Canned that also. Made venison stew and chili and canned that. Our dog's favorite food was raw meat and specifically venison. The hunters in the state forest around us would gut a deer and leave the rest behind. We would find the carcass and bring it home for Nikita. It fed her for weeks sometimes. The cold weather preserved it, but she liked carrion and it fed her well.

After the tornado

For years we did not have to buy fuel for heating. In 2000, we had an in-line tornado that took down over 300 trees on our small piece of property. We were able to heat and cook with that wood for a very long time. Cooking and heating water on the wood stoves all winter, fall and early spring. I even cooked breakfast in the summer on my wood cook stove. I liked it better and it was faster for me. It didn't really heat my house up at all. A very frugal choice back then. Firewood work is not without some sort of payment. The cost is in the manual labor and the chainsaw costs.

Kerosene Lamp

For lighting we used kerosene lights for a number of years. At night our house was lit up like an Amish home. It looked cozy and welcoming. Kerosene though, was not cheap and it went up in price. As soon as we had our solar array up and able to generate more power, out went those lamps. Electric efficient lighting was now free. Talk about frugal! As we enlarged our system, we were able to add appliances, such as our SunDanzer refrigerator, that uses less power than my laptop. Free to run now!

Wild grape or known as "Fox Grapes"

Living out in the forest has made it possible to collect many different wild plants, especially in the spring time. I use many all year round, for eating and for medicinal purposes. No chemicals sprayed on any of them. If you do this, make sure you have good guide book for your area to consult before using any. Or ask someone who might know. I have so many right in my own yard. I don't have to go far from my house to gather weeds for food or medicine.

The road to my house

To live frugally it just takes effort and research to see what you can do to cut your expenses down. I am sure it is much cheaper to live in the country than the city. I know though that my grandmother did it in both places but she was raised on a farm in the early 1900's and that knowledge was common back then. You can do it though, I did.

Copyright © 2018 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2018 Kathleen G. Lupole

The Top Five Ways to Be Self-Sufficient and Save Money

Today Kirsten Cavaliere is writing a guest post for Homesteading On The Internet. It is the first time I have had a guest post on my blog. She has some good ideas for living in these tough times. Seems like it keeps getting worse every time I read the news. ~ katlupe

As food, oil, gas, and other resources rise in cost, more and more Americans are taking an interest in learning to become self-sufficient and save much needed money. There are a lot of simple, clever, and creative ways to rely less on others to take care of yourself and your loved ones.

1. Grow Your Own Food

You don’t have to have a large plot of land, a big yard, or experience gardening to grow your own food to feed your family. There is wealth of free information on planting techniques for a small garden in your back yard, or even container garden inside.

Try asking lots of questions to workers in greenhouses or nurseries when you shop for supplies. There are also a variety of forums where thousands of homesteaders are ready to field your questions about maintaining a small garden. Keep trying, and you’ll have fresh, organic produce for you and your family to enjoy! When you harvest, eat all you can, then freeze or can the rest to eat during the winter months.

2. Sew Your Own Clothing

This is a great way to take up a fun, new hobby, save money, and be more self-sufficient all at the same time. Sewing even an article of clothing from scratch can be challenging, especially for beginners. But, even beginners can easily learn to mend or patch clothing to make it last longer, hem up you own clothes, attach new buttons, make curtains to cover windows, oven mitts, pillows, or other fashion accessories.

Sewing is not just a way to save money, but could also be a way to bring in some extra part time income. If you sell some of your sewing handiwork or services you could find some extra breathing room in your finances.

3. Become ‘Mr.’ or ‘Ms. Fix It’

Fixing your home or your car can be a huge expense that can take a bundle out of your budget. Why depend on someone else to fix everything for you? Most people have tools just laying around the house that are only rarely used in a pinch. You don’t have to be an expert mechanic or handyman; you just have to be willing to learn the skills to fix whatever is needed.

There are many small tasks that anyone can do to maintain their vehicle and home. There are repair manuals for every type of car available, and there are books about rudimentary home repair at most libraries for free.

4. Learn to Cook From Scratch

Cooking from scratch is not just cheaper and more self-sufficient, but if you use the right materials it is also healthier and free of any harmful preservatives or chemicals. There is joy to be had in producing something delicious and healthy that you and your family can consume and feel good about.

5. Fight For Your Debt Freedom

As the saying goes, “the borrower is slave to the lender,” and until you become debt free you will not truly be self-sufficient. Those who strive to live frugally can use the money they save and channel it towards paying off their debt.

Try calling your creditors and asking for lower interest rates. If you’ve paid on time they are likely to lower them or offer a faster repayment plan so you can get debt free sooner. If you have multiple, high interest debts, then research a debt consolidation or credit counseling service and see if they can help you.

Written by Kirsten Cavaliere of  DebtConsolidation.com.