Greetings,
This thought has been on my mind for several weeks now of changing my blog to "The Frugal Homestead". With today's economy only getting worse I see a need for people to learn how to be frugal and stretch their budget dollar as far as they can. Being frugal takes planning and preparation. It takes making a real effort and not just going willy nilly crazy in the stores. For those of us with lower incomes it is becoming a necessity to be as frugal as possible.
Many people have lost jobs over the last few years and finding new work is becoming more and more difficult. Trying to live on a fixed income if you are retired or disabled is also very difficult. The cost of living is going up rapidly but the income is not. Many people face the question of whether to buy food or buy medicine. These are very hard times we live in. So perhaps, I can help ease the pain at the grocery store when you get to the check out or help with saving on utilities to help stretch the budget. I have learned a lot of tips over the years that have helped me, perhaps they will help you too?
I might also change the frequency of when I post and not post 6 days a week any more. But I have not decided that for sure yet.
I would like to share tips, recipes, canning, freezing and drying food types. I will also share scripture from time to time and perhaps some "how to" pictures and videos. Becoming as frugal as possible means going back to a lot of the old fashioned ways of doing things. Cooking from scratch is a major thing. Do you have any idea how much money is waisted on frozen or boxed goods? They are OK in a pinch once in a while but really not good for the food budget or your health. I'll talk about gardening and putting food up for the winter. Making your own spaghetti sauce from the garden. Raising and drying herbs both for cooking and medicinal purposes. And who knows what else I will come up with, LOL.
So my question to you is do you want to see the blog change and go into a new direction or do you want it to stay the same?
Until next time,,,,,Blessings!!
Showing posts with label Economy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Economy. Show all posts
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 2011
The New Testament Church and today,,,,,
Greetings,
Thinking about the trying times ahead with the economy brought my mind back to the New Testament Church and ours today. The bible tells us that the people in the first churches were very giving and loving. If a brother or sister in Christ had a need church members would sell their belongings to help them. They would sacrifice their own comfort to help someone else. Isn't that amazing? Would you do that today to help someone in need? Would you sell land or personal belongings?
I dare say most today would not go "to that extreme" to help another. But according to the bible that is what we should be doing. Looking at the economy, we might have to do that in the near future to help each other survive.
I know so many who have lost their jobs, their homes and their personal belongings due to the economy. It is a trickle down effect. The company they work for has a major "downsizing" to keep the business afloat.
They lose their job, eventually unemployment runs out and they have not found work. They start selling things to try to keep the household running while they continue to look for work, but there is none to be found. Eventually, there is nothing left they can sell that will pay the bills. They have exhausted their savings account if they had one. There is nothing left but a huge pile of bills and bill collectors calling them day and night.
The car gets repossessed. The utilities get shut off. The phone is shut off. They seek assistance from local organizations but they find no help because those organizations are out of funds having to help so many people. Finally, the house is repossessed and there is nothing left. Think this can't happen? Think again, it is happening hundreds, possibly thousands of times a day across this nation!!
How far would you go to help a neighbor, a relative or a friend? Would you give up buying the latest tech gadget to buy someone food? Or would you think, like so many do, that its their problem, not yours? If you are a Christian I would hope you would be willing to buy the food and help the person in need. After all, the bible tells us, that is exactly what we are to do.
A church building should not be a country club who is more concerned about the appearance of the building than the ministry work God wants them to do. What good is new carpet or paint when there are people within your community suffering? What good is a potluck if you do not invite the hungry to eat? Gospel sings can be wonderful, they can feed the spirit of so many, but have you invited the lost to your sings so their spirit can be fed as well?
Jesus tells us in Matthew 25: 34 -46 that we are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned, (see scripture below), does your congregation do this? If not, you are not serving the Lord!
34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
When I read this scripture I see that Jesus is saying, "look, you have to accept me as Lord but you must also do these things or on the final judgement day I will not recognize you as my brethren, you will not be joint heirs with me." The last two lines of this scripture are very important. They are showing us, taking care of brothers and sisters in Christ is the most important thing. So therefore the church has a purpose. It is a purpose far beyond looking pretty.
Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with wanting your church to look nice but if you are neglecting Jesus' commands for the sake of having a nice looking church then you are wrong in that regard and need to get your priorities straight. God's work must always come first!! If we put God first in both our church lives and our personal lives everything else will fall into place. Are you putting God first in your life today? Is your church family putting God first?
Until next time,,,,,,,Blessings!!
Thinking about the trying times ahead with the economy brought my mind back to the New Testament Church and ours today. The bible tells us that the people in the first churches were very giving and loving. If a brother or sister in Christ had a need church members would sell their belongings to help them. They would sacrifice their own comfort to help someone else. Isn't that amazing? Would you do that today to help someone in need? Would you sell land or personal belongings?
I dare say most today would not go "to that extreme" to help another. But according to the bible that is what we should be doing. Looking at the economy, we might have to do that in the near future to help each other survive.
I know so many who have lost their jobs, their homes and their personal belongings due to the economy. It is a trickle down effect. The company they work for has a major "downsizing" to keep the business afloat.
They lose their job, eventually unemployment runs out and they have not found work. They start selling things to try to keep the household running while they continue to look for work, but there is none to be found. Eventually, there is nothing left they can sell that will pay the bills. They have exhausted their savings account if they had one. There is nothing left but a huge pile of bills and bill collectors calling them day and night.
The car gets repossessed. The utilities get shut off. The phone is shut off. They seek assistance from local organizations but they find no help because those organizations are out of funds having to help so many people. Finally, the house is repossessed and there is nothing left. Think this can't happen? Think again, it is happening hundreds, possibly thousands of times a day across this nation!!
How far would you go to help a neighbor, a relative or a friend? Would you give up buying the latest tech gadget to buy someone food? Or would you think, like so many do, that its their problem, not yours? If you are a Christian I would hope you would be willing to buy the food and help the person in need. After all, the bible tells us, that is exactly what we are to do.
A church building should not be a country club who is more concerned about the appearance of the building than the ministry work God wants them to do. What good is new carpet or paint when there are people within your community suffering? What good is a potluck if you do not invite the hungry to eat? Gospel sings can be wonderful, they can feed the spirit of so many, but have you invited the lost to your sings so their spirit can be fed as well?
Jesus tells us in Matthew 25: 34 -46 that we are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned, (see scripture below), does your congregation do this? If not, you are not serving the Lord!
34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
When I read this scripture I see that Jesus is saying, "look, you have to accept me as Lord but you must also do these things or on the final judgement day I will not recognize you as my brethren, you will not be joint heirs with me." The last two lines of this scripture are very important. They are showing us, taking care of brothers and sisters in Christ is the most important thing. So therefore the church has a purpose. It is a purpose far beyond looking pretty.
Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with wanting your church to look nice but if you are neglecting Jesus' commands for the sake of having a nice looking church then you are wrong in that regard and need to get your priorities straight. God's work must always come first!! If we put God first in both our church lives and our personal lives everything else will fall into place. Are you putting God first in your life today? Is your church family putting God first?
Until next time,,,,,,,Blessings!!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
So many questions, so few answers,,,,
Greetings!
The world economy news is so bad it leaves one with so many questions but few answers. As many of you know I am working on getting my small ceramics and crafts business going. But now with predictions of gas rising to $4 a gallon by summer and $5 a gallon by next year the big question is what direction do I take my business in? My plans seem to be changing faster than I can get merchandise made.
At one point I had planned on advertising in Country Sampler, but the cost of advertising has ruled that out. They have deadlines 6 months prior to the issue coming out. And they come out every other month. So basically if I want to have more than a one time ad, which would be preferable, I would be paying for 3 ads before the first one hits the news stand. That adds up to a lot of money not knowing if the ad will bring me enough business. Money I do not have right now. So with that ruled out for at least the time being, on to the next plan.
I wanted to go to a shop in Arthur, IL and rent a booth to sell my wares. I have sold there before and believe it has potential. But Arthur is an hour and a half south of me. At $4 a gallon for gas that would be another expensive proposition and I would have to raise my prices considerably to cover the cost of gas to get there and back. Raising my prices too much will cost me business. So now I am questioning if this is a smart direction to go in. On to the next plan I had.
I had also planned on selling at 3rd Sunday Market in Bloomington, IL. It would be about a 45 minute drive to get to the market place. OK, that is better than going to Arthur, but still would be an added expense in gas that I would have to try to recoup in prices on my wares. Would it be worth it? Would it hurt my sales? Some might say, "well that is the cost of doing business." And while that is true to a certain degree, you can rest assured that no company will ever just chalk it off to a necessary expense and not try to recoup that money. You have to, or there is no sense in having a business. Folks are not in business to give their products away.
So now what? Along with higher prices will come higher shipping fees. Will people stop buying on places like eBay and Etsy because of the shipping costs? When and where does it all stop?
I have heard rumors that coffee will be over $30 a can by the year's end. Naturally, the price of all food is going up and up and the packages are getting smaller. How long will it be before people can not afford the extra things in life any more? I know I can't now,,, but obviously it is going to get much worse.
I don't mean to sound like I am all doom and gloom but I just don't see anything positive coming out of this economy, especially where my business is concerned. I do not have a big budget to put into getting this business off the ground. In fact I don't have much of a budget at all.
I have so many questions and so few answers as to what would be the best direction for me to take at this point. So, here is a temporary game plan. Stop, think, and regroup! I am going to go ahead and work on making inventory, as without that, there is no business anyway, LOL. As I am doing that I will watch the economy and see what it will do. I can try my hand at online sales only for a while. I might not get as many but I think it would at least allow me to keep my prices reasonable as the customer pays the shipping. Then go from there.
If you have any ideas I sure would appreciate hearing them.
I pray the economy does not get as bad as predicted. Survival for some will be difficult at best if it does.
Until next time,,,,,,, blessings!
The world economy news is so bad it leaves one with so many questions but few answers. As many of you know I am working on getting my small ceramics and crafts business going. But now with predictions of gas rising to $4 a gallon by summer and $5 a gallon by next year the big question is what direction do I take my business in? My plans seem to be changing faster than I can get merchandise made.
At one point I had planned on advertising in Country Sampler, but the cost of advertising has ruled that out. They have deadlines 6 months prior to the issue coming out. And they come out every other month. So basically if I want to have more than a one time ad, which would be preferable, I would be paying for 3 ads before the first one hits the news stand. That adds up to a lot of money not knowing if the ad will bring me enough business. Money I do not have right now. So with that ruled out for at least the time being, on to the next plan.
I wanted to go to a shop in Arthur, IL and rent a booth to sell my wares. I have sold there before and believe it has potential. But Arthur is an hour and a half south of me. At $4 a gallon for gas that would be another expensive proposition and I would have to raise my prices considerably to cover the cost of gas to get there and back. Raising my prices too much will cost me business. So now I am questioning if this is a smart direction to go in. On to the next plan I had.
I had also planned on selling at 3rd Sunday Market in Bloomington, IL. It would be about a 45 minute drive to get to the market place. OK, that is better than going to Arthur, but still would be an added expense in gas that I would have to try to recoup in prices on my wares. Would it be worth it? Would it hurt my sales? Some might say, "well that is the cost of doing business." And while that is true to a certain degree, you can rest assured that no company will ever just chalk it off to a necessary expense and not try to recoup that money. You have to, or there is no sense in having a business. Folks are not in business to give their products away.
So now what? Along with higher prices will come higher shipping fees. Will people stop buying on places like eBay and Etsy because of the shipping costs? When and where does it all stop?
I have heard rumors that coffee will be over $30 a can by the year's end. Naturally, the price of all food is going up and up and the packages are getting smaller. How long will it be before people can not afford the extra things in life any more? I know I can't now,,, but obviously it is going to get much worse.
I don't mean to sound like I am all doom and gloom but I just don't see anything positive coming out of this economy, especially where my business is concerned. I do not have a big budget to put into getting this business off the ground. In fact I don't have much of a budget at all.
I have so many questions and so few answers as to what would be the best direction for me to take at this point. So, here is a temporary game plan. Stop, think, and regroup! I am going to go ahead and work on making inventory, as without that, there is no business anyway, LOL. As I am doing that I will watch the economy and see what it will do. I can try my hand at online sales only for a while. I might not get as many but I think it would at least allow me to keep my prices reasonable as the customer pays the shipping. Then go from there.
If you have any ideas I sure would appreciate hearing them.
I pray the economy does not get as bad as predicted. Survival for some will be difficult at best if it does.
Until next time,,,,,,, blessings!
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