Living Life in Rural Iowa

Winter is barreling down the tracks as we speak! Since it always promises to be a cold winter here in the Midwest, I thought I would share some tips and tricks to stay warm this winter and not have to crank up that thermostat!

Saving money is more important than ever now so if you can find ways to keep the bills low, you can save even more money! Before you start these tips though, you and your family need to agree on a minimum and maximum temperature you are willing to keep the house. Make a sign to put by the thermostat and set the settings in the thermostat. This will help keep your heating bill consistent.

16 Ways To Stay Warm This Winter & Not Have To Crank Up The Thermostat

1. Wear clothes! I know this is a given, but I know people who can't understand why their heat bill is so high. They are wearing shorts and a tank top in the house with their heat at 80 degrees! What?!?! Wear some layers, put on some socks, and you will stay much warmer without having the heat so high.

2.…

Every year, more and more trash is accumulated in our landfills due to our wasteful habits. Many people will only use something once and throw it away. Many people still do not recycle their packaging despite the increasing availability of recycling centers. And many people would rather throw away their old things rather than take them to a thrift store or consignment shop. 

However, being a believer in the frugal lifestyle and a student of the zero-waste lifestyle, I cannot do that. We actually have very little trash for a house this size most of the time. We recycle as much as possible. I sell the things we do not use anymore or I donate them to the thrift shop. We try to use things until they are no longer functional. We fix broken things to be used again. 

Below is a list of things we do not throw away. I know I am forgetting things, but this is a good start!

1. Anything that is recyclable. I was raised to recycle and still do this as much as possible.

2. Twist ties from bread and bun…

This is a fairly simple question. The answer is much more complicated. 

Is it better to learn to live within your means? The answer should be yes for many reasons. Many people struggle with this though. 

We think we are entitled to things. We think we deserve certain things because we work hard. We think we should have a fancy house, a new car, expensive vacations every year (sometimes multiple times a year), name brand clothes, the newest gadgets, expensive cell phone plans, satellite/cable television, and more.

Saving money and working towards things like homes and cars was a concept that was extremely common until the late 1940s and the 1950s. To be in debt to someone was considered to be a temporary thing, not a lifestyle. Debts were paid off quickly if any debt was even accrued. Cash and bartering was the common practice. Producing your own goods was considered the best thing for families. It was a matter of pride to have money in the bank.

Attitudes have changed. Drastically. Market…

Since we are close to the end of October, I thought I would update y'all on what we have been doing this last month. There has been a lot of activity and projects getting done around the place!

But first, some really sad news. The chickens are gone.

Their last day at the farm - snacking on their favorite, kale.
I actually found another home for them that is only three miles away. I didn't really want to butcher them. My heart wasn't into that. However, they needed to be dealt with so we could get rid of the rat problem in the barn. We also want to move the chicken coop out of the barn and into its own building. We have two cement pads we can choose from and I will look at plans over the winter. Early next Spring, we will start over with baby chicks.

We, however, added a mama cat and her four kittens to the homestead! The kittens are adorable and I hope to get pictures of them soon. They don't sit still very long! Keep an eye on my Instagram account for pictures of them!

The…

In 10 Preparedness Items You Should Be Buying Every Month, I focused on items you needed to have on hand now just in case something happened. It is a pretty great list and I was very happy with the list. However, you all had some great suggestions in the comments about what else you felt people needed to buy.

Thank you for your ideas! I actually read them and came up with a secondary list for the first list. I added some of my own because these are things I do pick up on a regular basis. I try for once a month depending on my budget and how many I have already in stock.

Just like the first list, these are items I think every prepper should have on hand. These are items you should never be low on. We still need to have stuff on hand when SHTF happens.

10 More Preparedness Items You Should Be Buying Every Month

1. Toothbrushes and Toothpaste: Your oral health can really impact your overall health. Having good teeth means you can eat whatever you want without having to worry about how hard s…