July 4th, economy, save cash

Dealing with the family is always fun, and this last weekend was no exception. My mother in law is always shocked that I know how to do anything around the house, including but not limited to, canning food.

There also doesn't seem to be any understanding at all about modern economics. All she understands is that gas prices are going up. But that shouldn't stop us from making the 3 hour trip to come see her at every opportunity. After all, what is $4.00 a gallon gas when she doesn't have to buy it.

I did get to spend some time with my niece over the holiday. She finally ditched the dead beat boyfriend that she had been supporting for the last couple of years and is learning how to be a person. She thinks it is just awesome that I can sew, can, bake bread, smoke meat, make butter, and all of that other "hippy" stuff. Personally, I don't think of it as hippy, I think of it as making as much as I can so that I don't have to buy it.

I tried to pick my dad's brain about how his grandparents did all of the daily living things, and he just looked at me like I was crazy. He went on to explain that where his house is now was a pasture for a milk cow and her calf and that the house only had a fire place and a cook stove for heat. Personally, I am fine with that. I grew up with wood heat.

We talked a little while about how we are over consumers and spoiled to the niceties that aren't really necessary. Like the AC. He said that he had heard the cost of electricity was probably going to double in the next year and if that happened, he would be in serious trouble. He is already paying $300 a month for his electric bill. And on a fixed income, he will just have to live in the dark if it goes up very much. He really doesn't have a problem with opening the windows instead of running the AC, but his wife is a city girl who never had to hang out clothes or grow her own food. And she is a neat freak, so the dust from the gravel road would just drive her over the edge.

I am always looking for ways to cut our costs and live a little healthier. My husband will not let me have any chickens or other livestock while we live in town though. It kinda sucks, but I can understand his point of view. I don't really care what the neighbors think of us, but I also don't want the cops called on us because our rooster can't tell the difference between morning and midnight.

So, we will just plod along as best as we can and hope that things don't go to pot too quickly and that we have the time to get ourselves into position before the world collapses in on us.