When we encounter a painful life encounter such as a job loss, our first instinct is to go into hiding - like under a rock!
You may ask yourself; "How am I going to survive? How can I meet my financial obligations?" As painful as it may sound, going back to the basics is a good place to start. You are now presented with the perfect opportunity to make lifestyle changes - for the rest of your life!
One of the first places that we can start to recover from difficult financial circumstances is within our own homes (even if you have had to move to a new place of residence!). You own the power to survive within your own hands!
First things first;
I left my career a couple of years ago to be with my family. Oh, I certainly wasn't a Superhero about it, my decision came after many months of tears and bargaining. I loved the money, but so missed my family time. I can say now, while looking back that it was the best decision I have ever made...I knew that we would have to change the way we lived, but find that we have more quality as opposed to quantity. A decision that I do not or ever will regret.
Here are some things that we do in order to make our own continuous journey possible:
- Yearly Garage Sales - Outgrown clothing items, belongings we haven't used for a period of 1 year, home accessories, seedlings and baked goods - this nets enough money for my daughter's summer wardrobe.
- Cut the Cable - Oh, this was a toughy, but it wasn't a necessity. We cancelled our cable television. Our local library has so many movies for children and adults - free rental!
- Cancel Your Home Phone Provider - this was so easy! We have Magic Jack, http://www.magicjack.com/ and pay only $19.95/year for unlimited North American calling, call waiting and voicemail. We pay an extra $10.00 for a Canadian phone number within our own area code. We never get a phone bill!
- Sell Your Car - This was the hardest of all! Just think, you don't have to pay for gas, insurance, maintenance or car payments. Want to commute? Remember, this article is about changing the way you live - find a job closer to home & on the bus route. The bonus? More Family Time!
- Grow Your Own: Vegetables and Fruits or whatever you can. Don't have a lot of space? Well, neither do we, so we maximize the space that we have. Go online and invest some time researching about square foot or small space planting. You won't be disappointed or hungry come Summer's end.
- Preserving: This is the time to preserve all that hard work! Remember, the weekends that you spend canning, dehydrating and freezing will get you through a hard Winter. I learned everything Online simply by Researching information and it has paid off.
- Learn to Sew: Unfortunately some say that sewing is becoming a bit of a lost tradition. I can honestly say that I know several men who sew and make things like Yoga Bags and repair their own clothing. If you know how to sew, you can offer your services to your neighbours and do their alterations, make items to sell (for cash!), and gifts for everyone...Hello! Make Extra Money! Okay, I want to type so much that this subject is the highlight of my next blog - make sure you don't miss out!
- Bake Bread: Bake your own bread! I have a fabulous recipe for sourdough bread that has all of my neighbours drooling! I make extra money by selling my bread to my neighbours. I will even trade my bread for farm fresh eggs - there you go, trading = survival!
- Thrift Shopping: Years ago, I felt ashamed to be caught in a Thrift Store. I feel shame that I have to admit I felt ashamed. Say that 3 times fast!
My daughter and I have a favourite Thrift Store that we frequent every Saturday and always find some sort of treasure. I am always excited to find toys, clothing, craft supplies, kitchen or household goods in supreme condition for barely the price of a song. This helps me deal with my former "shopaholic tendencies" because we get great deals. - Make Due or Do Without!: Socks have a hole? Mend them! Also stock up on Duct Tape from your local Dollar Store. A little duct tape really goes a long way. You can do easy and quick home repairs with this good stuff. Fix cracked flower pots, toys, etc. with this. Latest fashions are Duct Tape Dresses! A little creativity goes a long way.
- Remember That When You Buy Plastic, You are buying future garbage: This is the best one ever! I read this in one of my Self Sustaining Books from our library. Unless it is Tupperware that is guaranteed for life, you are setting yourself up. You can't burn plastic for warmth when you need it, nor is it even good for you...our family always focuses on selecting items made of wood, steel or glass because they will last. Plastic is destined to crack over time - Oh, and makes a terrible black smoke if you burn it!
- Flush with Grey Water: We always have water saved in our bathtub. We flush our toilets with this water and it saves us about $70.00 a month which we put towards our grocery bill. Simple and so easy you can start this tomorrow morning -try it, you will be surprised at the savings!
- Conserve Hydro: We invested money in energy saving light bulbs. They pay for themselves within the first month and then some.
- Dry Clothes on a Rack: Did you know that your dryer is the biggest energy hog in the house? You can hang your clothes on a homemade line made of rope or put them on hangers if you don't have a clothes drying rack. We used our Air Miles and got a terrific Stainless Steel version for Free! Our energy savings very month? Unbelievable!
***We also try to make and sell whatever we can. Our Local Community has a "Market Place" where you can sell homemade wares in exchange for bartering tokens. Offer yourself to your neighbours who may need help moving, shovelling snow, gardening, shopping, etc. You will be able to barter for goods in exchange for your services. ***If you want to survive during Tough Economical Times, you need to put your first foot forward and offer what you can in order to receive!
No comments:
Post a Comment