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| Coal miner walking home with groceries, West Virginia, 1938. (LOC) |
There have been two major world events, in recent times, that have required action on the part of homemakers. It was Y2K and the Pandemic. We were forced to spend money on stocking up, getting extra supplies, and facing the possibility of losing electricity and other essential resources to manage our households. We had to do this whether or not we could afford it.
These days, I am constantly hearing the warning to prepare. This is very difficult when it requires extra money, over and above basic living expenses. When one is living on very little, how can one be expected to come up with extra funds to stock up and prepare?
It used to be common to gather the harvest, can, freeze and preserve food for the coming year. Clothing was mended and made by mother. String was saved and reused. This was before the invention of scotch tape. But string was free since it often came on packages from the mailman or at the grocers. Today, since string is not generally used, people are spending money on tape. Money is being spent in many ways that was not happening years ago. Yet, in order to prepare for hard times, we have to find ways to cut costs and keep expenses down.
I have noticed that my electric bill is much higher this year. It could be a combination of increased rates as well as usage. I honestly suspect that charging my laptop computer is part of the culprit. I can only cut back on that on a limited basis. (I use it for writing, editing, and working on articles and books.) This is an expense that is difficult for me to manage. I have also noticed my slacking on turning off lights or using the clothes dryer too much. I will make a plan to find a way to cut back on all three of those uses and hope it makes a difference on the next bill. If I can reduce it by $50 or $60 a month, it will free up money I dearly need for other things.
Many people have a grocery budget for the month. They spend only a certain amount for food. But what happens when that budget has to include non-food items such as trash bags, dish liquid, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, first aid supplies, medicine and all the rest? It would leave very little for actual food items. This is my current dilemma. This is why my expenses must be reduced so I can afford to buy those basic and necessary items. I have always worked hard in the kitchen to make as much as our own food as possible. Yet, there are days when I have been sick, worn out, or recovering from a long and tiring medical trip. There is only so much energy. One cannot possibly do it all.
Homemade vegetable soup is a common menu item in our household. Last week I made a batch and froze it in portion-sized freezer bags. This is an inexpensive, nutritious meal that can be defrosted and heated up when needed. This is one of many examples of preparing in advance so money and energy can be saved.
Last week I had some of the grandchildren here for the day. While we visited, I also had to make bread and do other work in my kitchen. The housework had to continue whether or not there were little treasures in the house. But I kept the children occupied with drawing projects, snacks at the table, lots of chatter, and games. In the midst of all this, I made the bread dough and set it to rise. I checked on it, made lunch, and then later, formed the dough for the second rising. I did the housework in little moments throughout the day while enjoying the company and care of grandbabies. It takes hard work to care for a family and to save money.
When people have said to me that I need to prepare for a disaster, it reminds me of a time, many years ago, when I had to do our laundry in the bathtub. When the washing machine is broken and Dad needs clean clothes for work, you find a way. One year we had plumbing issues. We had no running water for a couple of days. I washed our dishes in a basin and then walked down a flight of stairs to the backyard to discard the water. We do what needs to be done, but nobody wants to live that way on a regular basis. When a crisis comes, it helps to be creative and have a will to find a way to get through.
For the rest of this month, I plan to do a variety of things to get my expenses down. I will set up our oil lamp for evening use. I will cut back on using lights at night. I must remember that even though it is dark tonight, the sun will be back in the morning. Tomorrow is another day. We can start fresh with our work when the sun is shining. I will cut back on computer use to avoid the high cost of keeping the laptop charged. I will resist the inclination to use the dryer and simply hang the clothes on chairs and a wooden rack by the fire. I will be willing to wait for days as the laundry dries while I practice the art of being patient. I will do as much as I can to find ways to come up with extra money for preparing for the necessary expenses of life.
We also have to keep this in mind: There is both a practical and a spiritual side to preparing. While it is important that we do our daily chores and find ways to get through the hard days, we must keep our focus on the Master. Are we reading the Bible and doing devotions each morning? Are we having both private and family times of worship in the home? This is our lifeline for help, comfort, provision, and guidance. For those who are the children of God, we are not alone and never will be. We must remember to pray when each problem arises. We must be willing to wait for the answer or the guidance. When moments of anxiety or fear come upon us, immediately turn those worries over to our loving Father. It is not our burden! He knows all about it. He will walk with us throughout all of our lives. This should bring us such a sense of relief and cheerful happiness!
Blessings
Mrs. White
From the Archives -
Something We All Need - Peace Be Upon This House.
Always Remember This - The House Comes First.
Through Good Times and Bad - Domestic Happiness.
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10 comments:
Indeed, there is only so much money that needs to go to so many places. I too struggle with an illness that zap my energy. Other days all is well. I am so grateful for the good days. Letting go of the guilt of not being able to accomplish all we want to can be difficult. The Lord is our strength and wants us to lean on him always. May you and your family be blessed with the choicest of blessings.
Knowing that God is walking with us and that He understands our troubles gives us such incredible comfort. There are ways to cut back on things that aren't necessities without cutting the corners of enjoy life to the fullest. May the Lord continue to bless you and yours, Mrs. White!
We are in the midst of a days long blizzard, bringing over 30” of snow throughout. I am grateful for the pantry I planned out back in October, the warm winter clothes we have gathered thrifting over the years and the bedding layers I have also accumulated. As we try to keep expenses down, we keep our hands warm with endless cups of tea and put a throw across our laps, so the heat stays at 60. Thank you for always making me feel I’m not alone in this pursuit:).
It can take over our lives, the constant worry of budgeting, preparing, bill paying, and so on. I'm sure if we do as much as we can, without making ourselves ill doing it, things will become easier. We know that the Lord is in charge of our lives, thankfully.
Hello, Mrs. White. Thank you for always inspiring me with ideas and hope. I always find comfort when I visit you here.
Hi, Mrs. White!
Here in Portugal, we are having increased prices, too, due to the war and we all have to cut expenses or try to be prepared.
One thing I have been doing for years is to have a stocked pantry. I learned that from my mother.
She always had a big jar with sugar, one with rice, she had flour, pasta, etc. It wasn't something she bought all at once, but she added every chance she would get, so it wasn't a big expense.
I try to do the same. I try to buy a bit every chance I get and that way, when the pandemic came and now increased prices, we can get by and not be worried, because we added slowly.
Praying for you and your family, sweet Mrs. White.
My son, who is an electrician, has done study on different items electric usage using meters etc. If you have LED bulbs in your lights the use is extremely minimal and cheaper than using oil lamps. A 5 watt bulb, on 24 hours a day, for one month would cost .50 cents at .15 cents a KWH. Also, charging your laptop is very minimal as well. A large tower computer plugged in and on for the entire year would cost $11. The most expensive items are those which produce heat, furnace, stove, oven, space heaters etc. When you use your oven it helps to use it for multiple items at the same time. Or use a crockpot which was way more efficient. Our bill is also high, but our usage is down. This is due to the price increases. He did a breakdown on most common household items and it was very “enlightening “ 😉 Hope this helps.
I was going to comment the same as Anonymous above. Big items like freezers, well pumps, space heaters, hot water heaters,refrigerators, etc. use the most electricity. Light bulbs, lamps, computers and small appliances don't use much in comparison. Our electric bills are sky high but mostly because of rate increases. Over the last 10 years the base rate for electricity went from $22.50 to $62.50! Kilowatt hours went from 6.5 cents to 11.9 cents. Then they add line charges, taxes, federal fees and other costs to bring the total to a very large amount.
As for prepping, it's nice if one can store up a lot but if it isn't feasible then a person should not feel obligated. It's prudent to store up somewhat for winter or for upcoming storms though. Whenever I have a few extra dollars I take advantage of sales and stock up on things we always use. After a while the pantry looks pretty full! Gardening is great if you can do it or have the room, but if not perhaps area gardeners could help out with that. I know I usually give away a lot of extra produce just so it doesn't go to waste to people who cannot garden, like the elderly in town. I am also a believer in bartering. We have lots of chickens and eggs and I often trade eggs for fish from a friend who has a passion for fishing. I often trade honey from our farm, for help with work, strawberries, or other things. I have traded pies or baked goods for various items also. The Lord always provides but often He uses other people to provide!
I sat down this evening at 8:00 PM to review our budget and see where we may be overspending so we can make the best use of my husband's paycheck. I guess I wanted a quick break first so I ended up on your blog and read this post. How timely! This lead me to research the biggest energy vampires. After HVAC and water heaters appliances like dryers and dishwashers are big culprits. I realized that not only did I not understand what the settings meant on some of my major appliances, but I was also running them on the least efficient or just completely wrong settings. I took some time to learn about the setting and have adjusted my dishwasher, washing machine and dryer to run on the correct settings. I am confident that this will help our power bill significantly! I am encouraged by your joy in the Lord despite your challenging circumstances. Whether we offer up copper coins or precious perfume the Lord loves a cheerful giver who knows that He provides all that we receive. Blessings!
Mrs. White, it's always so good to visit here. One thing I've done to help with the electrical bill is to put it on "level billing" which means the bill is basically the same every month. They take the past 12 months worth of bills and average them out to get your monthly bill. This saves worry because I know the basic amount will be the same each month. It helps me budget. I've also been able to get our laundry routine down to about 2-4 loads per week. That includes towels, linens and clothing. I also love online grocery shopping because I can control the amount, by adding things to the cart or removing them and staying within my spending limit. When I go in person, I spend way more than I need to. I hope some of this inspires you. Take care and many blessings to you.
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