It's Time To Start Doing It The Old Fashioned Way

 

If you aren’t already, I think it is time, probably past time, to really embrace doing things the old fashioned way like our very resourceful ancestors.  Back before all of the modern conveniences and instant gratification, massive importation of goods from other countries, disposable incomes, credit cards and buy now/pay later schemes.  Far earlier then before all of the cheap, low quality, disposable products took over our world.  If we are going to successfully navigate this economic crisis we are currently in we are going to need to make some changes.  No worries, because change can be a very good thing.

 

Buy Real Food & Cook/Bake From Scratch 

I can’t preach this enough because not only does buying the basics and cooking our meals from scratch save us a ton of money but it also saves our health.  Home baked bread tastes so much better and is much better for us.  Watching our portion sizes is always a good idea too.  Stop drinking soda, sugar laden (corn syrup) juices, pricey energy drinks, trendy kombuchas, etc.  Instead choose water or homebrewed iced tea and on special occasions make lemonade.  We can also send a message to the greedy corporations and let them know we aren’t interested in the crap they are peddling as food or the prices they want to charge us for their garbage.  That includes fast food too.  If you do anything, do this.  Your body will thank you for it and so will your wallet.

 

Minimize Fuel & Power Consumption 

Combine errands, car pool, walk or ride a bike, use public transportation or just park the car and stay home.  Set your thermostat lower and wear a sweater and slippers.  Consider using an electric blanket or heating pad rather than heating a bedroom.  Turn off lights that don’t need to be on.  Keep showers short and baths shallow.  Washing dishes once a day saves hot water and soap.  Run a full load of laundry and hang some items, if not all, up to dry.  Instead of mowing the lawn weekly, mow it every ten days or consider using a push mower that doesn’t use fuel or oil.  I personally have never owned a gas or electric powered mower.

 

Plant A Garden & Make Your Own Fertilizer 

Even if you only plant a few tomato plants in buckets or an entire yard full of vegetables it is worth doing.  There is nothing tastier than a homegrown tomato, thinly sliced between two slices of bread with a little mayonnaise, salt and pepper.  Oh yum!  Zucchini and yellow squash is easy to grow too.  And we can amend our own soil and make fertilizer by composting kitchen scraps, leaves and grass clippings, shredded paper, coffee grounds and tea bags.  Did you know urine is a nitrogen amendment?  Egg shells and coffee grounds help tomatoes to thrive.  Manure is a much better fertilizer than chemicals purchased from the store.  Ask friends and neighbors with bunnies or chickens for their extra manure.  I’m sure they would happily share.  Also check with your city for resources.  Ours offers free compost.  Dairy farms have an abundance of manure too.  With a little resourcefulness you can figure it out.

 

Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do 

If you don’t know how to mend your clothing then it is time to learn and there are thousands of videos on Youtube that will show you how.  There are also thousands of videos to show you have to repair just about anything.  We don’t need to constantly fill our closets or toss things out and buy something new.  We need to fix things.  We need to make things instead of always being in that buy, buy mindset.  Sometimes we just need to go without.  Quite often, we already have something that will work or do the job without the need to buy something else.

 

Borrow, Barter, Exchange & Forage 

Embrace your inner “freegan”.  For instance, if you need a tool that you will only use once ask someone if you can borrow one they have.  If you need help with a project or repair offer your services in exchange for theirs.  Helping each other makes our workload lighter, but also more enjoyable.  If you do borrow something be sure you are a responsible borrower and return that item in the same or better condition than when it was lent to you.  If it uses fuel be sure to replace the fuel that you use.  Foraging is also a great way to get what you need.  Not just with food, but I’ve foraged for firewood and building supplies out of the FREE WOOD bin at a business near where I used to work.  Facebook Marketplace is a great resource too.  I was able to get all of the rock and gravel I needed when I landscaped my yard.

 

Picnics, Potlucks & BBQs 

Simple, delicious and nutritious food, iced tea and/or lemonade make the perfect fare for picnics at the park or any nearby lake or stream.  Invite friends and family over for a potluck supper where everyone brings something.  Strike up the BBQ and have everyone bring their own cut of meat, burger patty or some hot dogs and a side dish.  Back in the good old days we even brought our own plate and silverware to save the host from having a sink full of dirty dishes to contend with.  When I was a kid this was just how it was done and we had fun!

 

Do As Much As You Can Yourself 

As long as you are healthy and able, do things yourself.  It is good exercise and good for our brains too.  Shop for your own groceries, do your own yard work, wash your car, clean your house.  Whatever you can do, do!   Remember, slow and steady wins the race.  Need help?  Don’t be afraid to ask and reciprocate with a home cooked meal or some baked goods when appropriate.  Hint:  Baked goods are always appropriate. 😄

 

Not everything needs to be done on a grand scale.  We don’t need to spend a lot of money to live our lives or have a good time.  We can scale back on many, many things to save expenses without feeling deprived.  How are some of the ways you are economizing right now?