First of all, I want to say that Kmart's prices are so high on their toiletries that even the double coupons didn't help much! The one thing I managed to score lots of for free was a new line of paper towels and toilet paper called "small steps". Everything else was carefully priced to make sure that the store got at least $.50 out of your pocket. Not bad, but not free. I think I'll try out the CVS bonus bucks this weekend.
The BIG news, though, is that my kids and I will be moving into the new SOM home at the beginning of May in a "house parent" kind of capacity! Sorta - we're still trying to figure out what to call the position - personal assistant? utility cop? I mean, I'm already President of Research and Development reporting directly to the CEO! (Translation - I come up with money & energy saving ideas, test them, and tell Sue what I figured out) So, what's in a name? But generally I'll be there to keep an eye on situations, teach people how to cook and clean in unconventional ways, show them how to save money, and keep utility use to a minimum.
Currently an unpaid position, but our grant writer is trying to see what she can do about that!
Live free for free!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Whew!
Kmart is doubling coupons this week! Up to two dollar face value - a $2 coupon will get you $4 off! I've been hoarding coupons for the past three weeks, thinking that maybe it just wasn't even worth bothering - this week, I plan to head out and pick up as many toiletries as I can for free.
Found a new book this week - it's called "Just In Case" - a book about how to be self-reliant during a crisis. Honestly, when I read the book and took a look at our current emergency storage, I was horrified to realize that in 3 days our family would be out of many things, and within a week we would be in danger of dehydration, malnutrition (eventually), and really rank living conditions.
I encourage everyone to start stockpiling items, even if it's just one can at a time. Buy two cans of tuna instead of one. Baked beans, veggies, shelf-stable milk - just one per shopping trip.
Why worry? Remember those poor folks in Kentucky this winter? An ice storm left them without power for weeks at a time, with no running water, heat, or food. It could happen. Be ready.
Found a new book this week - it's called "Just In Case" - a book about how to be self-reliant during a crisis. Honestly, when I read the book and took a look at our current emergency storage, I was horrified to realize that in 3 days our family would be out of many things, and within a week we would be in danger of dehydration, malnutrition (eventually), and really rank living conditions.
I encourage everyone to start stockpiling items, even if it's just one can at a time. Buy two cans of tuna instead of one. Baked beans, veggies, shelf-stable milk - just one per shopping trip.
Why worry? Remember those poor folks in Kentucky this winter? An ice storm left them without power for weeks at a time, with no running water, heat, or food. It could happen. Be ready.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Well, I'm at it again (still). Today my mom, my kids and I took a day trip to Ikea. We live near Harrisburg, PA, so the closest Ikea was in Baltimore - you can see why we made a serious trip out of this!
BTW, this was the first time we've been to an Ikea since my youngest was potty trained - there are few things more exciting than walking into Ikea, signing your kids over to the playroom folks, and getting to shop without having to scold, chase or restrain anyone!
Part of my never-ending quest for the Silence of Mary is to find alternative, energy independent solutions for daily living, so I wandered through the store, letting the different products jog my imagination. I knew I wanted to get a new drying rack, but beyond that I just wanted to see what was there. In the first 15 minutes, I found some outdoor living items - nothing too fancy, but there were solar powered outdoor lights there. I had only ever seen the kind that are mounted on stakes that you stick in the ground, but these new ones are so cool! They came out with strings of tiny party lanterns that are solar powered, and the cords are pretty long. I guess they're meant for outdoor parties and stuff like that, but I looked at those and thought "That's a lot easier than mounting solar panels for lighting!".
I bought one to test - not terribly bright, but it will provide some backup lighting in the hallways and in places where people really shouldn't use candles. And the best part is that for about $20 a room, I can put basic solar lighting in the SOM houses! All I have to do is make sure that the end of the cord with the solar cell is near a window during the day, and we have free light every night!
Lets live free for free people!
BTW, this was the first time we've been to an Ikea since my youngest was potty trained - there are few things more exciting than walking into Ikea, signing your kids over to the playroom folks, and getting to shop without having to scold, chase or restrain anyone!
Part of my never-ending quest for the Silence of Mary is to find alternative, energy independent solutions for daily living, so I wandered through the store, letting the different products jog my imagination. I knew I wanted to get a new drying rack, but beyond that I just wanted to see what was there. In the first 15 minutes, I found some outdoor living items - nothing too fancy, but there were solar powered outdoor lights there. I had only ever seen the kind that are mounted on stakes that you stick in the ground, but these new ones are so cool! They came out with strings of tiny party lanterns that are solar powered, and the cords are pretty long. I guess they're meant for outdoor parties and stuff like that, but I looked at those and thought "That's a lot easier than mounting solar panels for lighting!".
I bought one to test - not terribly bright, but it will provide some backup lighting in the hallways and in places where people really shouldn't use candles. And the best part is that for about $20 a room, I can put basic solar lighting in the SOM houses! All I have to do is make sure that the end of the cord with the solar cell is near a window during the day, and we have free light every night!
Lets live free for free people!
Monday, March 9, 2009
It begins...
I'm out there. In many ways...
I'm researching the most bizzare sounding things for The Silence of Mary Home (SOM) - the woman who runs the home is very concerned about the possibility that electricity, oil, natural gas, food and water may all become unobtainable or unaffordable in the next 12-18 months. For the past 5 months, I have been getting and testing non-electric alternatives to keep SOM going. It started with storing water - each milk jug was washed out and filled to keep our water supplies up. Then I started getting excited. I went to http://www.lehmans.com/ and bought a clothes wringer, picked up big tubs from the hardware store, and started learning how to do laundry by hand. Then we needed to hang it dry - I learned how to do that. Then I was dropping off recycling with my mother when we both noticed some 55 gallon plastic drums off to the side. Now we collect our rainwater!
The latest developments have been a trifle weirder - granted, I bake my own bread by hand, do wash by hand, etc. so my weirdness tolerance is higher than some, but here goes. I am trying to build a solar oven that can be used in the city. It needed to be lightweight, easy to make, and frickin' cheap (single mamas can't shell out the big bucks for something that might get trashed or stolen). So, you can imagine how thrilled I was to find plans for a solar oven made from cardboard, tin foil and plastic wrap!
Yeah, I built one. :) It doesn't work as well as I'd like, so I may have change the design a bit, but it does get nice and warm on sunny days. But that's not the weird part.
I found a way to make my own sterno-type camping stoves out of old candle wax, cardboard, tuna cans and a coffee can! Yeah, that's the weird part! And it works really well, too!
Tune in again to find out how crazy one woman can get in the quest to live free for free!
I'm researching the most bizzare sounding things for The Silence of Mary Home (SOM) - the woman who runs the home is very concerned about the possibility that electricity, oil, natural gas, food and water may all become unobtainable or unaffordable in the next 12-18 months. For the past 5 months, I have been getting and testing non-electric alternatives to keep SOM going. It started with storing water - each milk jug was washed out and filled to keep our water supplies up. Then I started getting excited. I went to http://www.lehmans.com/ and bought a clothes wringer, picked up big tubs from the hardware store, and started learning how to do laundry by hand. Then we needed to hang it dry - I learned how to do that. Then I was dropping off recycling with my mother when we both noticed some 55 gallon plastic drums off to the side. Now we collect our rainwater!
The latest developments have been a trifle weirder - granted, I bake my own bread by hand, do wash by hand, etc. so my weirdness tolerance is higher than some, but here goes. I am trying to build a solar oven that can be used in the city. It needed to be lightweight, easy to make, and frickin' cheap (single mamas can't shell out the big bucks for something that might get trashed or stolen). So, you can imagine how thrilled I was to find plans for a solar oven made from cardboard, tin foil and plastic wrap!
Yeah, I built one. :) It doesn't work as well as I'd like, so I may have change the design a bit, but it does get nice and warm on sunny days. But that's not the weird part.
I found a way to make my own sterno-type camping stoves out of old candle wax, cardboard, tuna cans and a coffee can! Yeah, that's the weird part! And it works really well, too!
Tune in again to find out how crazy one woman can get in the quest to live free for free!
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