Living Life in Rural Iowa
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Prepping. Homesteading. Frugal living. Tired of the BS that is our world today. Random thoughts by Erica.
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Hello! Hopefully I found a place that won't constantly theaten to throw me into social media jail. I will be a bit more open on here.
New post! In the spirit of "use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without," you figure out a way to reuse or recycle the old clothing. With so much just being thrown away and filling up more of our landfills, we have a duty to use them until they are completely done. In times of crisis and SHTF events, you use everything until it can't be salvaged any longer. Nothing should go to waste if you can still repurpose the items.

https://www.livinglifeinruraliowa.com/2021/09/20-ways-to-reuse-and-repurpose-old.html
I have heard from people that we aren't really going through inflation. So what do you call this then?

Propane is 100% higher than one year ago. Last year at this time, it was 99 cents a gallon. As of today, it is $1.93 a gallon.

Bacon was $2.99 on sale, $4.99 normal price one year ago. Now it is $6.99 to 8.99 a pound if you can find it in one-pound packages. Now, some packages are only 12 ounces instead of 16 ounces.

Ground pork and pork sausage one year ago were $1.99 a pound. Now it is $2.89 a pound.

Gas prices at the pump were $2.18 (national average) a gallon and now they are $3.22 a gallon (national average).

Notice the sales at the grocery stores? Not as good as usual. Not even close. Convenience items are still on pretty decent sales, but even the prices of those are going up. What was 99 cents one year ago is now $1.49 - 1.99 now.

Besides apples, it has been pretty rare to find any fruit on sale for lower than a dollar a pound whereas last summer, it was still happening.

Supply issues have caused bare shelves. The cost of goods has caused suppliers to carry fewer items and less variety in their stores. Blame can be placed all over because the blame does fall on several shoulders especially over the last 1.5ish years.

Is there something you can do about it? Yes, there is. Don't believe for one second that you are helpless in this situation or just a pawn in the game. We need to take back our power by:

- being producers instead of consumers.

- yes, grow a garden. Fall is the perfect time to get a garden ready for spring. Also, you can plant onions, garlic, and shallots in the fall.

- grow food indoors. Lettuce, spinach, greens, ginger, turmeric, herbs, and more can be grown indoors in a sunny spot or under grow lights.

- raise some hens next year for eggs. 3-6 hens do not need a ton of space - just your backyard - to roam and be happy. Nor do they take a lot of time to take care of them.

- raise some chickens and rabbits for meat. Producing and butchering your meat provides food for your family and you know where your food came from.

- shop locally. Shop your farmers' markets, local farms, get a CSA, get meat from your local butchers, and keep your business local.

- make your own/cook from scratch. Eating a lot of convenience foods is not good for you (and yes, I'm guilty too) and they are putting money into the hands of corporations. Cook your own meals, make food on the weekend, and do what you can to reduce your dependence on the corporations who don't care about you.

- be conscious of where your money is going. Is it going to help you, your community, or your loved ones? You have the power to decide.

Things are going sideways quickly in this country and we will be the victims of the outcome. We don't have to be though. We can do small, simple, and quiet things to take back our power and our rights.
New post! Many things about our current economic/political situations bother me greatly. However, we have very little control over the egotistical maniacs that are putting us in this mess.

What we can do is control our situations and our finances. We are going to be going through some tough economic times and need to be prepared to live without and to be uncomfortable in order to survive. Some people will not struggle with this, but there are many people who will struggle and lose everything.

In this post, I have some advice, suggestions, and tips to ride this time out and to be prepared for what is coming. Feel free to share this information with anyone you feel needs to be aware and prepared.

#savingmoney #frugalliving #inflation #preparedness

https://www.livinglifeinruraliowa.com/2021/11/how-uncomfortable-can-you-live-to-save.html
This book should be required reading for everyone. There are some eye-opening truths here that we have a tendency to overlook in the name of comfort and security. We need to be demanding more of our leaders in character and truth than we are now. No matter what side of the aisle you are on, you know we have settled for less because we haven't wanted to be bothered. It's time to start being bothered.

#bookrecommendations #book #booksthatmakeyouthink #history
I finally got the garlic, onion, and shallot bulbs in the ground yesterday. The weather was gorgeous for Iowa in November so I got it done. I'm using pine shavings for cover to protect the bulbs over the winter.

80 onion bulbs
60 garlic cloves
10 shallots

In the stock tub, I planted 6 Egyptian walking onions. This is a new one for me, but I'm excited to try them!

I also put in 30 crocus bulbs in the lily bed because they are pretty. Pretty matters too! (No pic of that)

#growyourown #gardening #fallgardening
#homesteading
I tried something new. I have never strung peppers on a string and hung them. However, I found it pretty easy. They are hanging over my stove now above the window.

Bonus, they look pretty hanging up and one more thing is off my dining room table.

#gardening #dryingpeppers #preserving #growyourown
Forwarded from Daisy Luther
This manifesto is the motherlode of links to solid information. Here are more than 350 resources to guide you on the path to radical freedom. What will be your first (or next) step towards greater self-reliance and liberty from the system?

https://www.theorganicprepper.com/the-self-reliance-manifesto-more-than-300-resources-to-guide-you-on-the-path-to-freedom/

🌱 Join the @daisyluther Telegram channel 🛠
New post! Prepping is so much more than just gathering supplies. Prepping is much like life. You quickly lose focus without a plan and a purpose. When you are prepping, you need to have a plan. To have a plan, you need to decide what you are preparing for. This post will help guide you to start prepping in a practical matter.

https://www.livinglifeinruraliowa.com/2021/11/decide-plan-prepare-how-to-start.html
Forwarded from Daisy Luther
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Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
New post! The holiday season can be a dream season for the prepper. The sales are usually pretty good during this time which makes it an excellent time to stockpile. One of the keys to stockpiling for your food storage is to use the sales to your advantage. This becomes especially true for baking supplies.

https://www.livinglifeinruraliowa.com/2021/11/how-and-why-you-should-be-stocking-up.html
New post! Winter is upon us again in the Midwest and the Plains. We just had our first snowstorm that lasted about 18 hours. However, many things can happen in 18 hours to make winter more dangerous and deadly if you are not prepared.

https://www.livinglifeinruraliowa.com/2021/12/35-things-you-need-to-be-prepared-for.html
New post! January is an excellent month to do many things. Many people view the start of the year as a way to start over. I view January as a way to take stock of my life and see where I need to improve. I also find that January is an excellent month to tackle your food storage.

Some people would call this a pantry challenge. The general rules of a pantry challenge are that you try to go an allotted amount of time (i.e., a month) without buying any groceries or just buying milk and fresh produce. However, in these times, I don't feel comfortable asking anyone to stop stockpiling food and goods for the sake of a pantry challenge. So I'm changing the rules.

https://www.livinglifeinruraliowa.com/2021/12/the-pantry-challenge-reimagined-taking.html