The Hard Times Cafe

 

Its been a long time sense we left that old farm house.  God has taken us down a long and winding road that took us 700 miles away from there only to replant us less than 30 miles from there right now. Sense then time has passed and gas and kerosene has exceeded electricity.  We have had an gas drier and stove for years now.    I had previously spent 6 years not having a dryer.  Someone gave us a gas dryer and at that point life had gotten extremely busy and I got spoiled with a dryer again.  For awhile with propane prices down, it wasn't too financially burdensome, but I can't say that any longer, propane is right up there with gas.  Air drying is still free and with the rise in propane, again I can see my dryer's days are once again numbered. 

It is no longer economical to burn kerosene in my lamps as electricity actually now is cheaper.   I'm stumped on that one.  But am praying about it for sure and for certain.

 

I guess the reason I'm going over this is 2 fold.  One, we lost power early this morning.  Not a big deal except for our water.  We are not set up for water in case of loss of power.  My pantry has more of a stock of something's than the local grocery store but non of it does any good without having water.  My husband, who is also firmly founded in the pantry belief, has a long term plan for water needs should the time and need arise but I'm responsible for short term, a day or 2.  I laid in bed this morning realizing how I neglect that area of my pantry, even though I truly understand the importance of it.  One reason, I don't like bottled water.  Yuck!  Especially for our coffee. We perk our coffee and it changes the taste completely.  My kids prefer well water and so water storage goes on the back burner.  But the "experts" say you need to have on hand 14 gallons of water per person for an emergency.  Big, bulky and hard to store but I think its something that needs to have room made for even though I haven't.  Usually if there is a chance of loosing power, storms such as ice, rain, snow or wind, we prepare and fill up all empty containers, bath tub and outside waterers.  Last night there was no storm, for some reason we just lost power.  It wasn't off long, but it has helped remind me that no matter how prepared I think I am there are still areas that I lack and I need to really make sure I have my ducks in a row.  I have, I think, 2 gallons in my pantry cupboard but it wouldn't get us through but a day, it certainly wouldn't last till my husband implemented his water plan which he wouldn't do till we knew we would be without water for a least several days.

As far as lights went, even though I don't have more than one full lamp worth of kerosene and probably 12 empty lamps, I have candles, we could get by for a few nights.

 

The second purpose is, I have had a question going over in my mind for some time now with everything so out of control in this world.  "What can I do to help my family in its current situation right not".  Not tomorrow but what can I do today, besides the obvious pantry.  Where can I cut corners sense fuel and food are taking up any slack there is in our budget? 

For me, some of it is little things.  Don't walk out of a room without turning off a light.  Don't create more dishes than necessary thus saving soap and electric pumping the well.  Use all left overs in the fridge.  Make the kids hang up their clothes so the dogs don't use them for a bed, sorry for the honesty but that's real life in my house.  My kids change their clothes and more often than not, drop them on the floor and a dog curls up on them at night, thus creating a need to wash them again even when not dirty prior to the makeshift bed. Little things like mail the bills out before the due date so I don't have to pay the phone fee to get it paid on time.  These are things that I've become lazy on.  Its time to regroup.

Bigger things, the dryer is leaving, the gas log we heat part of our house with is going to be replaced with another wood burner.  The wood burner we already have (which is a cook stove) is going to get a wood water heater attached so it will heat our water this fall and winter while it heats part of our house.  Our meat goats and part of our dairy herd is going to be eliminated and rabbits will replace them.  We will keep a few milk goats and 2 meat does but having to buy our hay for 30 goats  is expensive especially sense hay has over doubled in our area.  Last year it was $2 a bale and went up to $5 (that's on the conservative end).

We've never had a car payment, we've always driven older vehicles but with that comes an increase in usage of fuel as they don't get as good of mileage as a newer car.  Hasn't been too big of an issue until gas has skyrocketed this past year.  We've always had a truck for our homestead usage and then a mini van or such.  This week, we parked the trucks that get on average 11-13 miles to the gallon (our van died a few months ago) and bought a 4 door 1997 Saturn that gets over 32 miles to the gallon.  My family and I have given thanks to the Lord for days now for that vehicle.  My husband has to drive 300 miles a week to and fro work, it will be an enormous blessing to our finances. He has had to drive a truck sense the mini van died and though the van didn't get 30 plus miles to the gallon it certainly did get better than 13.  The Saturn itself is  small, a lot different than what we are use to driving but its time to change the  outlook even if it means stepping outside of the comfort zone.

Waste nothing is a motto hard to adapt in a nation that is so use to disposable everything.  But as I evaluate my behavior, though many would deem me prudent, I see I have a lot of waste in my life and a lot of chance for positive changes to help my family today.  Some is just changing my behavior pattern, some takes more commitment because they are more costly at the onset but in the long run and whether they really help in the end of not, I know that instead of laying in bed  wondering and worrying like I did this morning I will be able to lay my head down and know that as Proverbs 31:27 say, that I had looked well to the ways of my household and maybe the hard times won't be quite so hard.

Until next time at The Hard Times Cafe

The Intentional Peasant