# Poverty Prepping



## B2bKen (Aug 12, 2002)

Okay, here goes... Barefootboy and I have discussed a thread that we will discuss "Poverty Prepping" for those who live paycheck to paycheck, have limited resources, between jobs, or want to do things on the cheap. This would be ideas, resources, D.I.Y. prepping projects, or anything that can help our preps either free or cheap. I have been unemployed for a while (just got a job last week!), and had almost no financial resources to help me in my preps. So I thought outside the box, what could I do? So I began to find everything I could possibly do to continue prepping either free or with very little cash. And I have done a lot! Much more that I originally thought I could do. And I hope to share much in this thread. I am considering maybe sharing a cool cheap D.I.Y. prepping project several times a week with link to the resource. I know times are tough for many of us as we prepare for certain very tough times ahead, so I am hopeful this new thread could help all of us. So I am calling on all of the creative and inspiring "John Gaults" to help make this thread successful!!! Ken

***Note - AngieM2 (our moderator) has suggested you put the topic in the opening line of your post. Below, I just made a post with the following in the first line:

"Poverty Prepping - Solar Cooker for pennies to make". 

Doing this, people can quickly scan down the posts to see the gem of info/idea that you are suggesting!


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

Ken, I can see this thread getting totally overwhelmed rapidly!
Perhaps you could break it down and have categories such as heat, cooking, lighting, clothing, long term food, short term food, etc.


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## B2bKen (Aug 12, 2002)

Cyngbaeld,
Excellent idea! Anyway our moderator could help set this up to have subthreads within this thread? Ken


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

no sub threads, this s/w does not have that control (or if it has it, it's not on where we know it).

I would maybe suggest that what type of prep is the top line of the post, then post what you have for information.
Later, maybe it can be broken out into various topical threads, or that much.

I've put some old stickies with no action recently in to the Vault, so that there will be reasonable room for a thread or two stickied about this subject.
If you want to make two to four separate topics (such as Cyng suggested) then that would be where they would go. Please not more than that, or it fills up the stickies to way too many for one forum to wade through.


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## meanwhile (Dec 13, 2007)

We collect anything at all that is free and can be used for anything. Even if we cannot use the item, we still get it and use for barter. Even unemployed or those of us on really tight budgets usually can see things of value or get offered things of value. We always take or save to fetch anything we can to save.

Examples: 
- last week on a job, my sons were told to haul off a perfectly good metal trash can
- week before they were told to haul a perfectly good TV antenna and metal pole to the dump (they saved it and today are trading it to a man who mows a field for us)
- we traded labor for 300 cement blocks (we sold 100 of them but were able to use the rest for the outdoor kitchen)
- on another job, the lady told us to throw away a huge pile of perfectly good white kitchen trash bags because someone had piled them up in a closet / we saved them to use
- a neighbor gave us a huge stack of dishes
- we saved a stack of old windows from another job and traded them for help from a neighbor with a tractor

Even on a tight budget we can all look for ways to save things of value.


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## B2bKen (Aug 12, 2002)

Poverty Prepping - Solar Cooker for Pennies to make
Here is one of several solar cookers/ovens that I have made on the cheap. This particular one is used in 3rd World countries. It will cost you pennies to make. It is called the Benard Solar Cooker.
The Bernard Solar Panel Cooker

Here is another that will cost a few bucks:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Solar-Cooker/


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## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

I'm in! I live in a condo so we don't have much room for a garden and no room for livestock other than a chihuahua and a toy fox terrier.

We like low cost solutions to daily challenges. 

Good luck on your subject and I'll contribute when I can.

Have a good day!


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

Poverty Prepping is right! We are so broke right now, its not even funny. Sheesh!
The thrift store had a 50% off everything sale late summer. I went and got two pairs of steel tipped tennis shoes for 3$ each. The first pair, I am about done with. It only lasted 3 months, or so, but they were only 3 dollars. They'll get me through to snow. 

When I go to the store for the bare necessities, I buy one extra thing right now. One only. This week, it will be salt. The cardboard cylinder, 44 cents.

We also have developed a rule. With the exception of taking the daughter to work (she pays gas), no one is allowed to drive anywhere unless there are 3 or more reasons. DH put a hitch on my car so it can be used for light things instead of the truck since it gets 30+ mpg.

Also, when searching for prep things I need on CL, I am now making it a regular practice to ask the seller, 'is there anything you would like to trade for'?
Because of that, I am in the middle of negotiating a trade to get the ram to replace mine that died. She wanted 450$ for him. They agreed to accept pigs instead.


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## B2bKen (Aug 12, 2002)

Poverty Prepping - Vertical Gardening
Cheap way to have large amount of vegetables grow in limited space. Will share much more cheap plans on vertical gardening in the days ahead...
VERTICAL VEGETABLES: "Grow up" in a small garden and confound the cats!


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## Horsefly (Sep 17, 2009)

On Friday I went to a rummage sale, probably the last one for this year. I am glad I stopped. DH got 4 pairs of jeans for $2.00, 2 pairs of shorts for $1.00, cart with wheels on it to store art supplies for the boys, a brand new tied Spiderman blanket for our oldest for Christmas. And a few toys and long sleeve shirts for the boys all for $17.00. :bouncy: DH brought a white plastic table home and a file cabinet from work. And we got 55 gallon barrels from my dad to use for collecting rainwater. And our neighbor stopped this week and gave a bucket full of leftover kholrabi for the deer. And it is samon season here, so DH went fishing yesterday and caught 4 really nice sized fish. Now this week I get to can them up. If you have the means to hunt and fish, I strongly suggest you take advantage of it. We have one deer in the freezer and 5 more tags to fill. Filling the freezer is a sense of security for us. Love to hear what everyone else is doing. :spinsmiley:


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## CountryCabin (Mar 8, 2007)

Go to 2nd hand store and buy the biggest sized clothing you can find. 
Often they will have bag sales too and you save a lot then.

Cut articles up to size (save all buttons) and stitch together the pieces. Make enough to make two sides. 
Stitch the two sides together. 
Sometimes you can find filler for that blanket there too, as other people that sew, just want to get rid of it. 

You can also use a flannel sheet for a backer to the blankets. Makes for nice and cozy in winter time.

Often you can get fleece clothing in mens huge sizes those are excellent for blankets.

I have done this for both blankets and for window coverings. 
Very handy when the power goes out to keep cold back from the windows too.Yes and heat in the summer as well.

My favorite time to shop for those articles, are in spring. That when they want to get rid of the winter clothing, so they offer a big discount.

I once made a blanket for a small child out of many old scarves. There is always lots of those there. 
Just stitch them together, as they are. You can make quite the design with those. 

Also when there collect sheer curtains for covering plants for next seasons gardens as sun shade or keeping bugs back.

I once used old sheer curtains over a window that didn't have a screen until I got the proper screening. Just stapled to the frame. Kept the blasted bugs out. 

Need pillows? 
Many throw out toss pillow that are basically new. Take 2 or 3 small ones (depends on size you want) apart for the stuffings, make a cover for them. Top with pillow case and rest your head. 


So let your imagination fly.


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## silverseeds (Apr 28, 2012)

It wont work for me, Im to far out. But I check craigslist from time to time. There are constantly people giving away things that could be useful. From sparse amounts of building materials that could add up over time, to old straw, leaves and other compostables you can build your soil with. If you live in a spot craigslist works well, it can be useful...

Heck I even see a fair number of FREE goats! sometimes rabbits. goat meat is tasty. 

Of course talking over the fence to neighbors can often yield similar results. Ive gotten a bunch of old pallets and now have access to foraging for goats under the premise I am basially making fires less dangerous by clearing out a bit of underbrush for neighbors. 

from there you might need seeds? That can be a decent up front cost if your living paycheck to paycheck. But we all have to eat anyway, and most of us have a farmers market we could make it to. No need to only save seeds from open pollinated things or heirlooms. Hybrids are great to. You wont have true to type plants, but continue to save seed from the best plants and youll have something that does well locally. the local farmers already did the work for you and have locally adapted varieties. 

You might not be able to get a full range of food crops this way, but you can get most of it, even trees. Stone fruits like cherries, and peaches and apricots will still be desirable from seed! things like apples and pears, you will end up with much more variety, and I do this myself, but many dont want to bother. But with stone fruits, if you know they came from something that does well locally you can still get desriable results from seed. 

then of course most of us probably have a few people around who have fruit trees now. a simple question to take a small cutting or maybe seed can be very cheap and expand your orchard. 

Most probably have some nuts around like this as well, if not in someones yard perhaps wild. acorns need processed but are reliable in most of the country. If you know of some locally and have space acorns and other nuts can be grown from seed. Slower even then growing fruits from seed, but it will pay off in time. 

need pasture for animals? you might have to clear some land manually, but Ive collected seeds for a full range of local grasses and other plants animals like for free, as i find them. 

hopefully that helped a bit.


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## AR Aaron (May 26, 2010)

FREE MEAT

It may sound crazy, but if you work with very many people, and don't know who hunts you could be missing out on some cheap meat also. Last year I picked up an extra deer this way. 

This year I have expanded my reach. Have several people that have kids but already stated they probably won't use all the meat. I have let it known that I have freezer and will take any off their hands. Also offered to butcher them for free and split the meat if they wanted some. Sadly enough some people just want the tenderloins after the second or third deer they kill each year.


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## bama (Aug 21, 2011)

LEARNING is FREE

check books out of the library. learn how to do stuff. i dearly love the foxfire series, and collect as i can. 

talk to the elderly. you may not learn how to do something, but oftentimes you can pick up valuable advice on just plain living. i always try to ask what ONE piece of advice on life in general they can give me.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Wheat is cheap. 
Salt is cheap.

We had many, many years of being poorer than poor. We didn't know how poor we were. We determined to keep a supply of food around anyway. $5 here and $3 there. Piece by piece and can by can.


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## oth47 (Jan 11, 2008)

Don't forget Freecycle,lots of free goodies there sometimes.


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## WV Farm girl (Nov 26, 2011)

Money is tight here as with lots of people. 
In the last 2 weeks I have gathered 2 mop buckets full of walnuts. Also nearly a bucket full of hickory nuts. Yesterday I was given a wild turkey and canned up the meat too. I grew herbs this summer and packaged up 2 pt jars of catnip, 1/2 pt of lemon balm, 2oz of sage and the same of oregano. I have tea and seasoning for quite a while now. 
At work the kitchen gets ingredients in these plastic food grade "buckets" with lids. They hold maybe a gallon or so. I have gotten 10 that a cook saved for me. Great for storing and stacking. 
Looking forward to hear of tips to keep stocking up!


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Your Local Food Pantry....
needs volunteers....to take overripe fruits and veg for animals, you can often salvage the good parts and also you may get a few loaves of bread and other items that are overstocked...ours has clothes for $1 a bag full too.
I had no idea that we qualified even before DH lost his job (family of 5 has a limit of 38k a year)...we have always just done for ourselves. DH is back to work for about the same as unemployment check was after gas is paid for--- so its really tight for us....I am weeding thru our outgrown clothes and bringing them down to pantry and eggs too when the hens lay well and about an hour of boxing things up at most volunteer work....its a win win for us!


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

I see Ken got started without me..lol
Ok, I am happy to see we are off to a great start.
This thread is *NOT* meant in any way to be disrespectful to those who have been blessed with the means to prep well.
*BUT* a lot of us are* NOT *in that position.
In my case, I am former US Army , primary Infantry, numerous secondaries that relate to prepping. Later I was a lab tech USDA (food) EPA (soil and water) and finally Nuclear Medicine , making doses of radioactive meds ( NRC level I & II clearance). My wife and I are now disabled. We are moble and can function but could not hold a regular job now. I suppliment our income with some part time writing. We live simply, and can make the bills and have a few extras, but our prepping is squeezed out where we can.
As we can see, and has been mentioned, there is a lot of information we can share.
To my end I am using a few guidlines.
First, the information I'll give will be useable no matter if you are in an apartment in the city or in a small place in the country.
Second, it will be good for almost any event or situation
Third, there will be no politics or personalities invovled.
Fourth, I will not talk about something I haven't tried and tested unless it is general information
I will be working with topics, water, food, energy, sanitation, finance and security. Each entry wil relate to one topic at a time.
I will also do a bit of talking about threat assesments.
*BUT* no one here is an expert, we all bring something to the table. If someone can see where I have made an error , bring it up.
Those viewing this thread have taken the first step and have the first key item . The *WILL* to survive.
Now let us share our knowledge and together help each other to be ready* IF THE DAY COMES*
As Teddy Roosevelt said," *DO THE BEST YOU CAN WITH WHAT YOU HAVE WHERE YOU ARE."*
A minor note here....Typing is very difficult for me with my hands as they are, so please bear with me about any error. I'll try to edit them out .


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

We all live on "the grid", that net that supplies the food, water, sanitation, power, finances and security. Some of us are able to be somewhat less on it, while others are trying to take the first steps to live without it.
The grid, in turn, is vulnerable to numerous problems, not to mention threats.
While stories and visions of massive "doomsday" events catch our attention, we can lose part of the grid in very mundane, and simple ways.
Today, for example, a large urban area to my north has 2 water main breaks. Those affected will have to somehow get water to drink, let alone personal sanitation.
That is why I suggest you start your planning from the stand point of what do I do if part or all of the grid shuts down for even a short time due to some small event. 
Major events have more severe effects and will be gone into more later. For now we start with the first steps.
How will you be affected if you lose the grid for:
1 hour, 8 hours, 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months.
If you try to plan and prep for 3 months from the start, you'll frustrate yourself very quickly. But if you start with 1 hour, it will get you in the direction you need to go.
So for 1 hour you have no electricty, water is shut off, you can't buy food or anything else, sanitaiton may be affected, and the police are elseware handling the emergency.
In most cases the average person would suffer minimal , if any effects.
But take it up each step, and you can see the effects piling up. Let's say two weeks without water due to the break in the line, a week or more because a storm has downed trees and limbs taking out power lines, or the more personal place many of us have been in, out of a job and need to stretch every dollar.
You don't need a nuke war or other "doomsday" event to have a need to prep, it's the small things that can get you. There is an old saying," worry about the tiger and get stung to death by the scorpion"


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## hmsteader71 (Mar 16, 2006)

barefootboy-First, let me say thank you for serving our country. I have a special place in my heart right now for the Army. They have gone over and above with my son-n-law in allowing him all the time he needs for doctors appointments, hospital stays and so on with our granddaughter who is waiting on an intestine transplant. 
Second, this quote: As Teddy Roosevelt said," DO THE BEST YOU CAN WITH WHAT YOU HAVE WHERE YOU ARE," has stuck with me since I read it the other day.
This past Friday I went to Aldi's to try to stock up a little since we had a little extra to work with. My three best buys were sugar, flour & potatoes. 10 lbs potatoes-$.99/piece, sugar-$.89/4 lb/limit 20, flour-$.49/5 lb/no limit. Needless to say I did get the limit of 20 on sugar, as I can freeze it or as Jackie Clay suggested store in air tight trash cans. I got 24 bags of flour, that equalled $.10/lb on flour, and I got 4 bags of potatoes. I am going to try pressure canning the potatoes this week.
My sister has a friend who has turkey barns. If you know someone who does you might talk to them. He has turkeys who drop dead, usually of heart attacks. Either he will dress them out or my dad goes and dresses them out. Then the friend has been giving them the turkey meat. Saturday night my dad brought home 50 lbs or more of turkey. I am going over today and helping him to package it up.


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

hmsteader
Great info. Keep all those great ideas and finds coming in. 
I had a wild turkey walk 25 yrs away from our front lawn a few weeks back and my DW asked what it was.LOL
If you like TR's sayings here's another one posted at my desk:
*FAR BETTER IS IT TO DARE GREAT THINGS THEN TO TAKE RANKS WITH THE POOR, TIMID SOULS WHO KNOW NEITHER VICTORY OR DEFEAT.*
Here' a quick one I did this morning. My 5 gal jug on the water cooler was just about out. Instead of putting in a fresh one out of my reserves, I took it off and refilled it with water from my tap that goes through the attached filter. Cost at the store $6 not counting the gas and time, cost for me, about 5 cents and about 10 minutes.


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## janetn (Apr 26, 2012)

For every dollar you reduce expenses you free up that dollar for preps. Make a game out of it - see how low you can go. By thinking outside the box and being a little creative you can save a lot of money without sacrificing comfort. I know first thing folks say is cut the cable - when your poor that may in fact be the only entertainment you get, so lets put that one off the table for now. 

We turn off the hot water heater unless we need it, Took SOME light bulbs out so we dont use those lights unless we really need them - you will be surprised how many lights get turned on for no really good reason, and if you have to screw a bulb in before for turn a light on you dont use it unless you really need it

If it aint on sale we dont buy it - and when its on sale we buy enough to last a year. That saves money and adds to our preps too. You could start with buying enough for 12 weeks at a time - you will be surprised at how fast this snowballs. 

We use a tracphone, it runs about five bucks a month. We still have cell phones service when we need it with the tracphone. Oh the phones are not turned on unless we are making a call or expecting a call. 

We live in Michigan and it is not unusual to have storms that knock out power for days at a time. 12 years ago we lost power for 12 days - no water as we have a well. Not fun! So hubby scavenged around went to auctions ect till he got us a used genny for $50. That genny served us well for years till we got enough money together to buy a new one - again at a online auction. That genny turns a power loss into a minor inconvience. To me its the one essential thing everyone should have. We see them on CL all the time for fifty to a hundred bucks. So if you save $2 a week the genny becomes a reasonable goal that takes a sort term emergency situation into just a small pain in the hiney. You cant predict if and or when TSHTF, but pretty much every area of the country is prone to some sort of incident that can disrupt power for a few days


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

Great tips and ideas , janetn
Finance is a very key element. The higher people fly in the good times the harder they'll crash when the rug gets pulled from under them. The simplier they live now gives them prep for how to live if times go bad , along with giving more $$ to prep with.
Only you can decide what's good for you, where to cut, how to shift things around. No one is saying to live without some pleasures, just balance things out a bit.
As to genny's their great, but I found a way to stretch the fuel by recharging car batteries , then using them with inverters ($20) to run lights and a 12v cooler, instead of a constant running of the genny.


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## wormlady (Oct 8, 2004)

barefootboy said:


> As to genny's their great, but I found a way to stretch the fuel by recharging car batteries , then using them with inverters ($20) to run lights and a 12v cooler, instead of a constant running of the genny.


Can you explain this a bit more please? Are you talking about extra car batteries or the ones in your car? What is your set-up like? I'm pretty dense about this kind of thing......


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

In the words of one of my cousins , "it ain't how much money you can make , it is how much money you can save"

this reminds me of when another of my cousins brought his step son from California deer hunting in Wisconsin , I think it was cuture shock when after a full day of hunting and dinner we went out to the garage and started gutting up deer , all we had was a pair of saw horses and and some planks we used as a table top , we kept it clean but culture shock all the same , not something i think he ever thought of , he did join in , or maybe it was my 70 year old aunt right in there cutting and calling out claims to the soup bones after she had walked all day , I think he was tired. 

use it up , make do , or do with out 

it has a lot to do with priorities 

I have a country living grain mill attached to the counter , and a LEM big bite #12 meat grinder on the shelf , and a Stihl chain saw in my truck ,but a 19" hand me down tv 
never have paid for a tv or cable , this has taken years of savings , every year if we have a tax return we try and purchase something that will make our lives easier and us more self sufficient 

we rent the log splitter for one day and have a 10 hour splitting marathon so it only costs us the 40 dollars and a little gas , thought about buying a splitter but it was going to take a bunch of years to pay for it's self the splitter rental , the gas for the saw and soem gas for the truck to haul the wood home in 2-3 trips making every trip a full trip and that replaced about 2000.00 dollars in heating oil each year 

eat out very little 
haven't purchased my own beer in a while , but I won't turn down a free one if someone offers 

when fuel oil jumped in price we thought we are going to have to spend it either way one way we burn it all up the other we get a wood stove and chimney and savings later 

we started searching craigs list for trees that needed to come down , and later found some friends at church that have a small forest and many dead standing trees i have been cutting on that for 4 years , just when i think i am going to see the end , a storm drops a few more for me to cut up

if you save some an purchase carefully things that will last things can be slowly accumulated

we grew a bunch of potatoes every year till this one , weren't worth the water this year in the drought , so we found some deals on them and bought a bunch , shop wisely 

try and make things dual purpose as you can 

shop auctions , yard sales, thrift shops , and other peoples waste 

learn , learn to do your own repairs , when it is cost effective and when it is not 

but definitely do the best with what you have 

something i heard on a video at church about poverty , the working poor are much more likely to give up sleep to work and earn money , can not even count the times i stayed up late doing projects after a full days work , half the work in my house would get done between 9 at nite and 2am when the kids were little. not to mention all the nites and weekends of overtime to get ahead or catch up.


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

wormlady
I have two used car batteries that are still good. I keep them charged and inside a gounded metal cabinet which will hopefully be enough of a "faraday cage" to protect them from an EMP strike or solar flare, along with 2 400 watt power inverters ( $20 at Harbor Freight)
You attach the inverters to the car batteries and they can run a single new style 60 watt bulb for 5 hrs a day for a week ( I've tested this.) I am trying to recharge the batteries with a solar panel, but the one I need is out of my budget right now. With a small generator, I can run it just once on a half gallon of gas ( 8 hrs) and recharge the car batteries. Also I have a car cooler that runs on 12v that I can run off the car batteries and with the adapter run off the generator while I am recharging the car batteries.
Even so this is my secondary form of lighting. The primary is nightlights from my outside solar pathway lights, an improvised pole lamp from my 3 solar powered spotlights, and 3 LED strip lights that run off 6 AAA batteries, which in turn are recharged in my $12 solar AA/AAA battery recharger. The final backups are the crank flashlights and lanterns, the big and little oil lamps ( which I can make alcohol to use in) and the candles.


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## bruce2288 (Jul 10, 2009)

If you live in or near a small town there are literally 100's of pounds of apples is peoples back yard that are destined to rot on the ground. Ask, some will say "help yourself"


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## wormlady (Oct 8, 2004)

barefootboy said:


> wormlady
> I have two used car batteries that are still good. I keep them charged and inside a gounded metal cabinet which will hopefully be enough of a "faraday cage" to protect them from an EMP strike or solar flare, along with 2 400 watt power inverters ( $20 at Harbor Freight)
> You attach the inverters to the car batteries and they can run a single new style 60 watt bulb for 5 hrs a day for a week ( I've tested this.) I am trying to recharge the batteries with a solar panel, but the one I need is out of my budget right now. With a small generator, I can run it just once on a half gallon of gas ( 8 hrs) and recharge the car batteries. Also I have a car cooler that runs on 12v that I can run off the car batteries and with the adapter run off the generator while I am recharging the car batteries.
> Even so this is my secondary form of lighting. The primary is nightlights from my outside solar pathway lights, an improvised pole lamp from my 3 solar powered spotlights, and 3 LED strip lights that run off 6 AAA batteries, which in turn are recharged in my $12 solar AA/AAA battery recharger. The final backups are the crank flashlights and lanterns, the big and little oil lamps ( which I can make alcohol to use in) and the candles.


_Thank you!_


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## Peggy (Feb 14, 2010)

I would like to see more links/directions on how to make stuff, like the Bernard solar panel cooker. I print out directions for things like that and save them in a notebook.
i.e. making lye, 
would like to see links on herbal medicene, if anyone has anything like that.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I am glad someone has tried the car battery , with an inverter and a 14 watt 60 watt equivalent compact florescent 

your charge time seems rather long i can usually charge a battery fully with my charger in about an hour or less

what do you use for a charge controller


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## lmrose (Sep 24, 2009)

I lived my entire life making do and being frugal so much so I couldn't spend money recklessly even if I had it! To this day both my husband and I won't spend a dime on anything that we can scrounge, trade, barter or find for free. It has just become part of who we are.

We just built a small addition on the barn with recycled materials. The timbers and boards were from a building we tore down. Plywood was some a friend was throwing out.
Roof shingles were someone elses cast offs. Nothing gets wasted here. Our hothouse and horse barn were all built with other people's throwaway materials.

What we don't grow to eat we find wild like cranberries and apples. Sometimes someone will trade apples for vegetables or trade fish for vegetables.

Clothes , boots and shoes all come from the thrift store and nothing is over $3.00. Twice a month they have "bag" day and you can fill a garbage bag half full for $5 or full for $10 of anything forsale in the shop.

Money was always tight so we had to always find alternative ways to get what we needed. I am looking forward to seeing how others get their needs met without spending money. To me money is only for what can't be paid for other wise.


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## ai731 (Sep 11, 2007)

Peggy said:


> I would like to see more links/directions on how to make stuff, like the Bernard solar panel cooker. I print out directions for things like that and save them in a notebook.
> i.e. making lye,
> would like to see links on herbal medicene, if anyone has anything like that.


With herbal medicine, I'd personally be cautious about information from the Internet. Most of it is probably OK, but you never know who is writing the web pages and what their experience level is. If I were you, I'd look for a good book on herbal medicine at used book sales & garage sales. I highly recommend "The Herb Book" by John Lust. (Second-hand copies start at $4 from Amazon).


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

Let's see, we added on to our home a couple of years ago. Insulation for our addition came out of a building my dad tore down. My toilets came from a rummage sale for $10 each. My sink tops for the bathrooms came from Goodwill & an auction. $10 for one & $1 for the other.


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## sss3 (Jul 15, 2007)

Once knew someone who built an entire room on their house for $62. They used recycled=free materials only. Don't know what the $62 was for. Very nice room.


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## wormlady (Oct 8, 2004)

I've been thinking a lot about this thread. 

There are so many things that DH and I do without now, because of the expense. We don't buy pop, we don't even buy juice anymore. Too expensive and not much nutritional benefit. We don't buy snacky foods - but make a pan of popcorn on top of the stove every once in a while to satisfy that salt craving. We accompany this with lemonade made with a tsp. of lemon juice, a tsp. of sugar and a half a cup of water. Enough to wash down the popcorn.

I know folks worry about 'fatigue' - getting tired of the foods you have on hand, but it is only in the past 50ish years that we have had the great variety of foods to choose from that we have today.

I've thought through each meal individually. 

*Breakfast*? I like oatmeal and thankfully it is one of the cheapest grains. You can 'cook' it in a thermos with boiling water overnite to cut down on cooking time. Add some fruit, dried or fresh, jam or applesauce or some sweetner and you are good to go. In a hardship situation you can eat it without adding anything.

*Lunch*? One of my favorite lunches lately is homemade bread, lightly spread with 'cream cheese' (homemade yogurt that has been drained) and pickled peppers/onions/cukes. I refrigerator pickled this combo and pull some out of the jar and put on my sandwich. I could add hard-boiled or scrambled egg to this or a little piece of meat. Peanut butter and jelly used to be my go-to lunch (homemade jam and bread) but with the price of peanut butter out of sight that has changed. Here's hoping next year pb prices will come down. Anybody make their own?

*Supper*? Beans and rice, rice and beans. Twice baked potatoes. Homemade mac and chs - light on the cheese. Chili. Spaghetti - you can add meat or leave it out. Gone are the days (for us anyway) when there would be a big slab of meat on the plate with some veggie accompaniement. We also have breakfast for supper once a week or so. Pancakes. Omelets. French toast. DH fishes so we can have fish once or twice a week.

We just got one of the catalogs in the mail - Heifer Int'l. or Samaritan's Purse have similar ideas. In lieu of buying (or in addition to ) Christmas gifts for friends and family, you can buy chickens or goats or a well etc for needy families here and/or overseas.

One of the catalogs said you could donate $35 to feed a family for a month. WHAT?

I've tried to wrap my mind around this. I'm sure they buy rice/beans/grains by the ton. But still. I'm not sure I could eat on just a little over a dollar a day. Puts my 'poverty' in perspective. 

With some imagination and some fortitude and sacrifice (I guess I don't *need *cookies), I can do better than I am.

Poverty prepping can force us to rethink what we think we need. 

So glad for this thread. We can all encourage each other to think outside the box.


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## Vickie44 (Jul 27, 2010)

I forage and glean. Roadside berries and apples. Some Orchards will let you pick up drops if you ask nice, I have asked farmers if I can go thru their cornfields after they chop and I pick up ear corn for the chickens. 
If you go to farmers markets when they are closing up you can get seconds.
Some people like to hunt but dont use all the meat and will give it away.
Always looking for free jars and buy lots of lids when on sale 
Raised pigs this year so have a full freezer. Canned enough from the garden to last a year plus
I have enough stashed items now that I only buy things at really good sale prices.
No tv , no computer, minimal electric usage , dont go out ( have people over though ) heat with wood ( best money saver ever )and work two jobs. I m actually doing well enough now that I had the money put aside to get a generator when I saw it on sale.
Takes time but eventually you find your expenses very low


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## Bettacreek (May 19, 2012)

For herbal medicine, you can buy a nurse's drug book. They have several herbal medicines listed in them. The one I have was the required book for LPN school, and has quite a few of them listed in it. It tells you what it's used for, how much to use (in mg), any drug/food/herbal interactions and side effects.


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## KIT.S (Oct 8, 2008)

It takes a while to get a base, but we get given so much food! There are several local groups who glean commercially grown fields after the market is finished with them, and they ask that we give them half of what we pick, but we get the other half. And we have friends who raise crops who allow us to glean, and other folks who have orchards, and we can have dropped fruit for the animals (pigs, goats, cow, chickens) and fruit that might not be pretty but makes great juice, etc. I cut out the bad spots, and we have lots of peaches, pears, cherries, apple juice, broccoli, zucchini, corn, pumpkins & squash to put up every year. 

We've also gotten free rabbits, sheep, pigs, chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys from Craigslist. If you learn to butcher, this is absolutely free food. We can the chicken legs so they're more tender and instant dinners on the shelf. 

We've made arrangements with a small beer brewery to pick up their waste brewer's grain once a week. We're on time, clean, reliable, and we feed our animals for free. They also put aside their gallon jars with lids and 5-gallon jugs that oil came in, and I have lots of containers - more than I need.

We get free stuff from Craigslist all the time. I keep missing out on lovely things because I just don't have the time to go get them, or don't have an empty trailer at the right time, etc. Really, I could do so much more free stuff if I just didn't work!! 

If you're comfortable letting your co-workers know you'll take whatever they don't want, you can find fruit, used lumber, tires, jars, fencing, even free pasture for the summer! I guess I'm not proud enough to keep it a secret, and it works for me.

Now if I just could find some free time! Boy, could I use some of that!
Kit


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

Pete,
It doesn't take the full 8 hrs to charge the batteries. What I meant was the generator will run for 8 hrs on 1/2 gal of gas. In that 8 hrs it can power the cooler and recharge the batteries. It has a dedicated 12v recharging plug and cord along with the regular Ac outlet. So instead of needing a lot of gasoline to constantly run the generator, I can run it for 10 seperate 8 hr periods from a 5 gal can.
I am enjoying all the frugal living tips and ideas. The simpler you live now, the easier it will be if we have to "switch off". That's one of the things I've noticed with us here. We could handle a change over better than most people. As part of my" planning prep" I asked myself if the grid went down now, what would it affect? If it was an event that did not directly effect us, we'd sail through pretty much unchanged. We might lose some frozen foods, but I can run the dehydrator off the inverters or generator and make jerky out of the beef. We don't keep a big freezer, and keep large ziplock bags of ice cubes packed around the items in the one above the refrigerator, so I feel we should be able to eat up most of what is there on the average. Even fully packed there is rarely over 2 weeks up there.
Keep all those great ideas, tips and suggestions coming in.


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## Sandhills (Jun 15, 2004)

Last year I saved any potatoes that had sprouted and gone soft instead of composting them. I was able to plant 6 rows at about 10 feet each. I got around 100 pounds of potatoes even though we had our worst drought on record.


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## wormlady (Oct 8, 2004)

Here is a link to a thread from a few months ago where we discussed pre grid living in the 1930's. A lot of what was shared would be helpful for poverty prepping.


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

Thanks wormlady
I see they had an early version of my generator/battery/inverter system
Bythe way , if there are any history fans out there, you might recognise the same system as the one used for subs before nuclear power. They ran the diesel engines on the surface to charge the battery bank they used to run underwater.


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## janetn (Apr 26, 2012)

Vickie44 said:


> I forage and glean. Roadside berries and apples. Some Orchards will let you pick up drops if you ask nice, I have asked farmers if I can go thru their cornfields after they chop and I pick up ear corn for the chickens.
> If you go to farmers markets when they are closing up you can get seconds.
> Some people like to hunt but dont use all the meat and will give it away.
> Always looking for free jars and buy lots of lids when on sale
> ...


Now thats what it takes KUDOS to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You show just how to do it
Thinkin out side that box:clap:


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## B2bKen (Aug 12, 2002)

Here are two stoves I made. A wood gasifier and a rocket stove. I made slight changes to the designs from the instructable. They use little fuel (twigs), put out alot of heat, and are practically smokeless. Great for camping too. They are cheap to make too!
http://www.instructables.com/id/Woodgas-Can-Stove/
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-Rocket-Stove-from-a-10-Can-and-4-So/



http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a489/B2bKen/SAM_2538_zpsba849dd9.jpg


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

Ken,
Thanks! I've been wanting to build one like this for the BOB but hadn't gotten around to finding out the details I might not know. This will make it a snap.

*Preppers...seperated in distance..united in spirit*


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

*Peggy*
Sorry I missed your eariler question concerning lye. I have a method for making lye listed in a thread in the soap making section. As far as the old days, water was passed through a barrel containing wood ash.It was poured in the top and drained out the bottom. This could be used directly, but it was better if some form of powdered lime was mixed in the liquid (powdered limestone, or sea shells). It would seperate out as a solid (chalk) and a liquid (lye)


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

I learned a saying years ago 

*IF YOU WAITED FOR THINGS TO BE PERFECT, NOTHING WOULD EVER GET DONE.*

When it comes to prepping

If you can't buy a case of water, clean and refill a 2 Lt bottle

If you can't buy a case of soup, buy 2 cans.

If you can't buy a case of soap, buy 1 bar of the plainest , cheapest type.

If you can't buy a generator, buy a candle.

If you can't save a dollar, save a dime.

If you can't buy a new, semi auto 7.62mm rifle, buy a used single shot .22.

*SOMETHING BEATS NOTHING, AND A SINGLE STEP GETS YOU ON YOUR WAY*


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

One of my postings in the Army was as the unit amorer for an infantry company. This meant I was in charge of every weapon the unit had, from the old .45's to the .50 cal's and was trained to strip them down and work them over.
But now that I am older and a civilian, I stay away from anything that looks "military" or "assault rifle like".
That's a personal view, but I think it's backed up by the idea of NOT attracting attention. Deer rifles and shotguns are common and accepted around here. I can walk into the woods(all of 100 yrds from my door) with either of those and go target shooting without anyone freaking. But a tricked out "assault rifle" might raise enough eyebrows to have a call or two made. 
I understand the range and effectiveness of the military style weapons, and I'l have no problem handling them after I take them from the fool who thought he could outrange a scoped 30-06. A good Mini 14 or M-1 Garand doesn't fall in that category, but any M-16 or AK-47 variable or look alike does.
It's great if you are on your land and have no close neighbors and can have anything you want, but a lot of us are where we have either keep the rifles like this hidden or stick to the regular types.
I would like to know what others think of the value of "assault type rifles" verses regular styles.


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## Shine (Feb 19, 2011)

Just a quick reply - Oh, boy... is this the thread that I needed to see... Thanks.

I owned a Mini 14 for quite some time until I let it go to make ends meet. I really appreciated that weapon, it's only downfall was the round weight. We practiced out in the desert until we had a good idea about where a round would end up anywhere up to 2000 yds to the point where we had all of those giant rabbits that we could make use of. They would just sit there...

Once more, it is a good idea to live outside the beast, and it's not impossible. Thanks for this thread.


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## longshot38 (Dec 19, 2006)

one thing to consider is that they are making civilian looking rifles now in military calibers like 5.56/.223. mossberg makes one but it is a little pricey. but then an old SKS might not raise many eyebrows and 1200 rounds is only a couple hundred bucks. in fact, you could probably do 2 sks and 2 bulk cans of 7.62x39 surplus for about the same cost of the mossberg rifle alone. 

dean


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## bajiay (Apr 8, 2008)

awesome ideas here! Keep them coming!


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## greenmcdonalds (Oct 30, 2006)

I use to pick up cans for money to buy things at the dollar store to stock-up, not anymore since people went healty , all there is now are water bottles on the side of the roads.:sob:


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

*longshot * The SKS is a good choice, especially without the bayonet and plain vanilla, not tricked out. It is less cost all the way around. that's another drawback on the "assault rifles" they are way expensive. A civilian looking 5.56mm/.223 is good if possible as ammo you may recover post "event" may be that caliber*. S**hine*, pity you had to give up the Mini-14, been there, did that, slowly building back now. *Green,* plenty of soda cans on the side of the roads here...lol..and yes dolar stores are great. I picked up an AA/AAA/9v battery tester there the other day
Keep those tips, idea, suggestions, questions and anything else coming in. The more we share the more we learn the more we knowthe better we can prep.


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## belladulcinea (Jun 21, 2006)

I have restarted my medicinal herb gardens again. I use the internet, books plus some very wise people to choose what to plant and use. I've bartered for some, bought some from reputable sites on the internet and gotten a few here. It's good to know what can be used for sleeplessness or to help wounds heal without going to the doctor. 

It's so much cheaper to grow your own herbs like oregano, cilantro, basil etc., than to buy those little bottles at the store.


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

We do alot of bartering/gifting so I make sure to have a supply of items that I can pull out of thin air such as potted plants, extra jellies, cordials.

Every Spring I have a plant sale I accept goods as well as cash. I've gotten farm fresh eggs, SPAM, tp, plants, & pork as well as plants & gleaning opps. 
The trick is to make your inventory as cost effective as possible. I collect landscape plants such as Lilac & Roses from vacant city lots as well as my own yard when I thin out our flower beds. I buy hugely discounted vegtable seed packets (15 cents each) in October for next year.
Pots are collected in the in the Spring & Fall on trash days from my neighbors. I collect yogurt containers from a senior complex to use also. 
I buy potting soil on sale in mid Sept. when the box stores close out their garden departments for next to nothing (torn bags) for next year. Same goes for any soil admendments like bone meal. I use bunny poo from my Giant Chinchilla meat trio. 
I advertise on facebook what I'm in need of & what I have to offer. 

Few years ago I deskinned a leather couch left out infront of an apartment building. Cheap leather but I'm thinking I could use it for sewing projects & replacing the leather on my bellows. Cushions were recovered in denim for window seat on our enclosed porch.
Currently I'm cutting old worn t-shirts into thin strips/yarn for knitting dishcloths. Also working on making fleece socks out of my children's old clothing. 


~~ pelenaka ~~
thirtyfivebyninety: Growing Groceries


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## DYngbld (Jun 16, 2009)

greenmcdonalds said:


> I use to pick up cans for money to buy things at the dollar store to stock-up, not anymore since people went healty , all there is now are water bottles on the side of the roads.:sob:


Walk down my road, all you see is beer cans, and liquor bottles. Why they are on the side of the road is beyond me. (consuming the liquids in those containers while in a moving vehicle has to be in some violation of the law)

As for cheap prepping, here is one thing we have done. When the store has a "prepper item" on sale, two for one etc.. buy the ones you need and the "freebies" go in the prepper closet. Thanksgiving is a great time to find these deals. Turkeys freeze easy, if you have the room, buy several around Thanksgiving time and use them through out the year.


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## Ranchermom (Oct 25, 2005)

Ok read thru some of the posts, hopefully I can add something that hasnt been added yet. Here is what I tell people that they can do for prepping on no or limited budget. 

1. *Inventory:* Before buying any new prepping stuff -Take inventory of what you already have including all camping stuff/garage stuff/Shed/attics/basements you will be surprised at what you already have in your home. Be creative-Example: We have an old chest freezer not working in R house, we decided instead of buying another container for our aquaponic fish we R going to use the icechest to put the fish in it instead b4 it was worthless to us not working now with a "Prep set of mind" we R thinking outside the box. 

2.* Useless stuff:* Ok so you did inventory & you have some stuff you havent used in over a year thats in your garage, closets, sheds, so sell it!. This will create money for more prep items you will need.

3. *Freebies/Couponing:* Check out freebie sites like on craigslist in the "free section" got to check this constantly though stuff goes fast. I picked up one day locally 3 oil lamps for free! Go to sites like Free Printable Coupons,Grocery Coupons, Coupon Codes, Coupon Mom & it will tell you what coupon to use, where to find it and what is free or for pennies! It does the work for you! Ask neighbors, friends for their coupons, join coupon clubs, you can get a lot of stuff for free or join sample groups. It does work I know cuz I do this a lot for my family plus I send a lot of stuff to our soldiers overseas. I have over a year worth of razors, shampoos, soaps, that I got for free! Just takes a little time each week to organize.

4. *Skills:* Learn skills, be valuable. Offer to volunteer to work at a local farm in gardening & butchering. Don't know where your farms are try Local Harvest / Farmers Markets / Family Farms / CSA / Organic Food Most farmers will love volunteers I know we used to take volunteers every year on processing our turkeys. Take classes (Sewing, crocheting, hide tanning, welding, etc...that will make you valuable, most communities offer some of them for free or for very min fee. A bunch of us local lady preppers started a heritage club at our local library where we are learning these skills, I never wanted to learn before but now I feel an urgency to learn what I can and fast. 

5. *Gardening:* Start now on learning to garden by seeds, don't try to learn when you can't afford mistakes....even someone that lives in an apartment can do container gardening.


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## anahatalotus (Oct 25, 2012)

Hopefully this will not get me flamed or percieved as a socialist or whatever but... Go to a food bank! I know it might seem selfish to go to a food bank when you all ready have food to eat but a good deal of food banks have left over cans and bags of non perishables that they don't hand out each week. It might not add too much but it will at least be a few extra staples to get for free.
Secondly check the free section of craigslist and join the yahoo group freecycle. Those are two places where people basically give a way perfectly refurbashable things.


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

I don't think anyone here makes any judgement calls, anahatolotus. I know I bend the rules so much I had to join the pretzel makers union...lol. Where I see it to be legal and moral, I pick up what I can, where I can. So much is thrown out as junk, when it can be useable.


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## CountryCabin (Mar 8, 2007)

for next to nothing.

Bags:

Save all plastic grocery bags to cut into strips. Crochet up into mats or shopping bags instead of buying more. 
Don't know how to crochet? There is easy instruction on line for beginners...FREE. 

The dollar or two you save by not buying 'their bags', can then go to sewing materials for the project below or extra prep items. 

Mats/rugs:

I separate all the used clothing I buy at bags sales from 2nd hand stores, garage sales, etc. 
Again, take off buttons and zippers for later use. Those odd jars are a great place to store those in. Helps to keep them all together for your next project. 

I use sweat pants/shirts materials and the like, makes for thick warm rugs and easy to clean later.

Cut them down into strips of about 2 or 3 ins wide. Depends on the thickness you want your rugs to be. Play with the material ahead of time, without cutting and make your fold, so you can see how thick it will be.

I roll them all into balls as I cut them, to make it easier to tell what I have. 
Sometimes I take the time to sew them together before they go into balls. Other times, I wait til I need more while braiding. 
And sometimes I run out and have to get more clothing. 
There is no right or wrong way. 

You can use different colors or the same, match 'em up or whatever strikes your fancy. It makes no matter on the warmth. 

You will need 3 balls to start making a braid.

Once you have several balls you can then start braiding them. 
As you braid them, fold the strips into themselves for a nice finished look.
To join another strip, hand sew them together, fold as before and continue.

When I get several feet of braid, I thread up my needle and start sewing it in rounds, ovals, or whatever shape you want it to be.
I use a canvas thread or a very strong string. Depends on what you have on hand.

Placing the braids on a flat surface makes it much easier to work with and sew up, without bunching or cupping.
Don't pull the braid tight to the next braid, but let it lay flat against the next braid, before sewing. Only sew on one side thru the braids.

Once you have it all done to whatever size you want, you can use your new master piece that way or putting backing on it.
Again, no right or wrong way. 

It does take a little practice to doing it the first time, but not hard to do. 
Once you get the hang of it..hey you are on your way to warmer feet while sitting at your easy chair knitting some socks, mitts or...? 

Another way my Mom used to do mats, is with jeans. 
Cut in strips and sewn on a different color solid background. 
She would also reverse that. 
Jeans as base, with other materials sewn in strips on top.

These were smaller light mats that were used in front of a door or sink where they would get mucked up and easy to wash and line dry.
That dear lady never wasted anything it was always used over and again.
Was fast and easy for her to make as she didn't have time to braid. With raising kids and the farm work as well. She did all her canning from a huge garden. Processed pork, beef and poultry. She made all our own dairy products from the cow. 
Often working well into the nights after very early mornings. Did I mention, she worked at an outside job as well!

There are many ways but these are some ideas that one can use with stuff you can get free or almost free. 

You are limited only by your imagination..so let it fly.


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## CountryWannabe (May 31, 2004)

I haven't read all the thread, but there are some people who will share meat if you will help with butchering. We just did two pigs and shared a half each to the two people that came and helped. I will be doing 5 lambs in a couple of weeks and will give one to each of the two helpers. 

Mary


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## TRAILRIDER (Apr 16, 2007)

Wormlady, I eat like that as well. And I'm probably alot healthier for it. Having fresh goats milk and eggs on hand really helps too. Forgot to mention, with all the storm prepping the public is doing, I always ponder "Milk and bread and eggs.' The shelves are always cleared. Well at my house there is an endless (although fluctuating) supply of all of those things!


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

For those who have been following this thread, I did a bit of a listing of my preps for Sandy and how I kept the costs low on my log of Sandy thread. I show how over time and a low cost I had us reasonably ready.


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

A great suggestion just came in from fostermamma for when the power goes out and you are heating one room. Block the doorways with shower curtains. I added that you should also tape a mylar foil emergency blanket ( $3.50) on the side facing the room you are in to reflect even more heat.


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

Sandy seems to be a very good teacher.
One of her lessons is "As helpful as a generator is , it does have a weak point...namely fuel."
As I have said before, I am not an electician, so I can't talk about load times or how much you can run with what level of generator. I do know that they need fuel and they drink it up. And getting more fuel isn't always easy after an event. I saw that last year after Irene and Lee came to visit. It seems others didn't take note of it.
To me that leaves two areas to explore. Can you homebrew a fuel to run a generator, such as biodiesel or alcohol or is there some way you can get more use per gallon?
While as a former chemist, I am looking into the first, I went ahead with the second. I stripped down my electric needs to the basics...light and refrigeration. My alternate lighting is now battery operated. A car battery with a 200w inverter powers a single lamp in the main room we are in after dark. It can run 5 hrs per night for 7 nights ( I tested this to be sure.) Solar pathway lights act as nightlights on stairs and in hallways. There are strip lights with 4 led lights in each which detach from their mounts and can be carried if necessary, powered by 6 AAA batteries. The AAA and any AA that are used in lanterns , etc are rechargeable in my solar recharger. As to the car battery, this is where the generator comes in.
I am looking at a small generator at Home Depot for about $170 that has a dedicated DC car battery charging set up as well as the AC plug. it runs 8 hrs on 1/2 gal of gas. That would be more than enough time to charge the car batteries I have, and be running my 12v cooler on the AC adapter at the same time. I hope to have this by spring and test out the idea, but it should work out fine.
This would mean I could recharge my car batteries 10 times with one 5 gal can of gasoline. As each charge would last a week, I could in theory have 11 weeks of light, plus refrigeration.
What happens with some people and their generators is that they want their electronic world of microwaves and tv's totally back. And with a big enough generator, they can have it,until the fuel runs out in about 3 days or so. Then they have to hope their world is back , or at least a gas station or two. But that is not happening in some areas , and they are learning Sandy's lesson.


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## pumpkin (May 8, 2012)

Using curtains to trap heat within a room is something that is very common in Britain and other parts of Europe and during Colonial times. That is also why canopy beds were invented. 

We have always had door drapes for use in the winter over all the external doors and internal doors except the bathroom. We also have door dogs (long stuffed tubes that you place in front of the door to prevent drafts) and insulated shutters mounted inside for over the biggest windows along with heavy drapes for all windows. However you still have to have oxygen especially with a wood stove so it is important not to make your house airtight.

We have highly polished metal fire screens that belonged to my Grandmother that sit upright behind the wood stove and reflect back the heat.


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

Sounds excellent, pumpkin And in a way you hit on a point. When the grid is gone, be it a day or forever, we will revert back to the 1800's, so more of their ways we rediscover now may be of benefit later. so if anyone out there remembers or knows of any useful ways things were done "back then" feel free to contribute them. If we end up back in the "horse and buggy ' days it might be good to know about horses.....lol


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## pumpkin (May 8, 2012)

Duct tape, masking tape, zip ties, flexible wire, ziplock bags in all sizes, pencils (coloured ones as well) and blank paper are all things that you can buy slowly and are not expensive. They are really useful for many things. I get our paper from the office. It is just going to recycling and is usually only used on one side.

Rags are very important as well. You can never have too many. In the old days everyone had a rag bag. The best ones are made from natural fibers. I never throw out any cloth but use my pinking shears to cut nice sized squares. If it is a shirt keep the buttons. I also buy old towels at garage sales and our thrift store has a pile of clothing items that are damaged or stained and cannot be sold and I can take as many of these as I want.

If you have kids they are going to grow. To be prepared you should be buying clothing in several larger sizes to keep in storage. Shoes also. You can get great deals at garage sales or thrift stores. The kids will grow into these sizes whether or not there is a disaster and if they don't want to wear the items to school they can wear them around the house or the barn.


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## unregistered65598 (Oct 4, 2010)

pumpkin said:


> If you have kids they are going to grow. To be prepared you should be buying clothing in several larger sizes to keep in storage. Shoes also. You can get great deals at garage sales or thrift stores. The kids will grow into these sizes whether or not there is a disaster and if they don't want to wear the items to school they can wear them around the house or the barn.


Or they can go to school naked :gossip:, I'm sure mine would choose to wear the clothes LOL


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## pumpkin (May 8, 2012)

We started "prepping" with nearly no money or resources and it took a long time just to get the basics. I think that the best way to prep is to start off with the simplest way possible as in the simpler, the better. And this always seems to be the cheapest way to go as well. In other words don't worry about oil lamps, get candles. Don't worry about generators or battery arrays to keep your fridge going. Can, dry or smoke your meat and build a root cellar. If you have no well or other source of water then start off with some old bleach bottles, jugs and rain barrels. 

Later on as your finances allow you can upgrade. It is best to get a little of everything to begin with and not concentrate on doing it the best way right away. I have noticed that a lot of men get hung up on the techy way of doing things when what you really need is an out house and not an incinerating toilet. 

We started with candles and a wood stove and cords of wood but advanced to wind, solar panels, passive solar, well, cistern etc etc. I like having a washer and dryer that will run on our own power, and it is always a good thing to aim for, but I can do laundry with a toilet plunger, a wringer pole and a clothes line. All of which costs a lot less than installing and maintaining a whole new electric system.


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

pumpkin
Thanks for sharing not only some good ideas, but a very good outlook and plan , especially for the new preppers, and ones who want to be ones. May I suggest you post the same message on some of the other threads? There are some people asking how to get started.


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## janetn (Apr 26, 2012)

Start a prep bank - Toss your change into a piggy bank. You wont miss it When its full count up your loot and see what you can get thats on your list. 

Im Michigan we have a bottle deposit for all pop. We dont take the bottles to the storre till we have a trunk full. That money is considered found money too.


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## OnlyMe (Oct 10, 2010)

Be creative - after a blizzard & days without electricity we strung a rope between two trash cans & ta da! It became our easily accessible clothesline in the driveway.

We use the packing material (large, thick sheets of dense foam) from the generator year round as padding when doing work on the ground and in the garden - better than a small knee pad.


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## pumpkin (May 8, 2012)

Prepping when you are poor is very difficult and frustrating. You can do it but it takes a lot of sacrifice and does go very slowly. The main point behind poverty prepping is to do what you can, as you can and to just keep going. Even if you only have 3 extra cans of soup and a flashlight when a disaster strikes at least you have the 3 extra cans and a flashlight. And as with most things in life KISS (keep it simple stupid) is best.

When you come to the realization that being prepared is really necessary you also need to come to the realization that it will take extra money to be prepared. The way I look at it is that you are living a life plus preparing for a possible life so you are in fact living a life and a half and it isn&#8217;t going to cost the same. 

The reality of prepping is that if you don&#8217;t have money to prep you will have to go out and find some through extra work, selling items and cutting back on expenses. And of course through barter and trade. There is just no alternative. And in fact you have to keep stocking up the prep fund because once you have to use your preps you have to replace them. It took us years to get well (but simply) prepped and we were back to ground zero in a year when we had our own disaster. At that point I was just not ready to prep so slowly again so I sold some jewellery that belonged to my Grandmother. She would have understood as she was a very practical woman.

The real hard part is that you have all sorts of expenses and plans for your real life and now you have expenses and plans for the possible life. Sometime these things can be combined but sometimes we have to spend money on things that you may never use instead of on new hockey equipment. Or you have to wait on the cistern tank. This is where the arguing usually happens. 

Money is very important when it comes to being prepared but the luckiest prepper/ survivalists are those who have a spouse or partner and kids who share their dreams and plans. Unfortunately this is not always the case. It can be very frustrating but compromise gets you a lot farther than fighting. If someone feels like they are sacrificing too much then they will not be supportive.

Little kids are great because they just want to do what Mom and Dad are doing but teens are developing for themselves and they can have a very different agenda. Same with spouses and partners. Your list is not the only list nor is everything on it everyone&#8217;s priority. 

My Gdaughter could not accept that &#8220;they&#8221; bought a generator and a chainsaw when they had needed a new mattress for seven years. This was a big fight and it was a couple of weeks before even the old mattress got used. I think if you have to work against someone who has differing ideas from you, you need to be sensible and give to get. Gson in law should have bought a generator and a mattress and waited on the chainsaw. He had family he could borrow from so there was no urgency and he had an axe, splitter, crosscut and bow saw for possible emergencies that would have gotten them through.


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## vegascowgirl (Sep 19, 2004)

Not sure if anyone has posted this but I scan the net about once a week for free samples. sample sizes, though small can work great in preps especially for keeping in vehicle and bobs. you can find samples ranging from personal care items to energy bars to dog food on any given week. Not to mention that many times the samples come with coupons. in the long run, they can also be a way of trying new items out for your preps. would that item work well for you. does it taste good, or work correctly? either way dont overlook the free samples


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## NamasteMama (Jul 24, 2009)

FYI foodstamps will buy you seeds and fruit and veggi plants.


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## janetn (Apr 26, 2012)

vegascowgirl said:


> Not sure if anyone has posted this but I scan the net about once a week for free samples. sample sizes, though small can work great in preps especially for keeping in vehicle and bobs. you can find samples ranging from personal care items to energy bars to dog food on any given week. Not to mention that many times the samples come with coupons. in the long run, they can also be a way of trying new items out for your preps. would that item work well for you. does it taste good, or work correctly? either way dont overlook the free samples


Great suggestion! Could you share more details on where and how to get the free samples please?


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## Hairsheep (Aug 13, 2012)

CountryWannabe said:


> I haven't read all the thread, but there are some people who will share meat if you will help with butchering. We just did two pigs and shared a half each to the two people that came and helped. I will be doing 5 lambs in a couple of weeks and will give one to each of the two helpers.
> 
> Mary


A very good barter system you have going there...feeds you and them...furthermore, one could enhance such a barter as that...maybe cut your hay field and stack long hay for storage for a pig.
There are countless ways to feed a hungry neighbor, while supplementing what needs to be done.


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

Good point, hairsheep
Maybe someone can offer some "city" bardering possiblities also. It might be helpful if we can start to ween ourselves from the system if only a bit. For those who remember the character, this might invovle a bit of "Radar O'rellly" wheeling and dealing. I'm open to ideas on it. Meanwhile keep those good ideas on country bardering and all other "proverty preps" coming in.
Side note...I delayed my test of the car battery/inverter/dehydrator until Friday because of the weather. It will be in the 50's Friday and Saturday, so the dehydrator , which will be in the workshop, will not have to battle these colder temps.


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## wormlady (Oct 8, 2004)

Love Radar. Master barter-er.


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

Somehow I think there has to be some way of setting up a barder system for small towns and such. I know a lot of stores are owner by corporations now, but there has to be some kind of mom and pop shops that something can be worked out with.


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## jllmm (Dec 29, 2011)

bruce2288 said:


> If you live in or near a small town there are literally 100's of pounds of apples is peoples back yard that are destined to rot on the ground. Ask, some will say "help yourself"


We do this and usually get over 200 qts. of apple sauce. Plus apple butter, apple pie filling, dried apples. It`s a lot of work, but at least the apples are free.


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## CountryWannabe (May 31, 2004)

barefootboy said:


> Maybe someone can offer some "city" bardering possiblities also. It might be helpful if we can start to ween ourselves from the system if only a bit.


I did that too - last year I was pretty sick and my garden was suffering. I had a young lady from the nearby town come out and help with weeding and stuff a couple of times a week, and in return she got lots of veggies and soft fruits. That was great for both of us, as neither would have had much without the other.

Mary


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## pumpkin (May 8, 2012)

It also pays to find like-minded people in your neighborhood and form co-ops with them. When we were suburban homesteaders we got together with our friends and bought a lumber truck of logs which we all worked on together to cut and split and we each got an equal share. We swapped fruit and vegetables amongst us growers (a great way to get things that you don't grow or that failed in your garden) and sold to or swapped for labor those who did not have gardens. We bought staple items in wholesale quantities from mills and warehouses. We went as a group to pick fruit and grapes and the money we earned funded the co-op.


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## coolrunnin (Aug 28, 2010)

If you have skills such as machinist and access to equipment offer these services for trade. My machinist just passed and he will sorely be missed, we could always barter for the things we needed.


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

Great idea, coolrunnin,
In my case I was an Armorer in the Army. I am thinking of some kind of barder work for the privately owned gunshops in the area, among other ideas.


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## coolrunnin (Aug 28, 2010)

Yep, most everyone has some sort of skill or item that someone needs and is willing to trade for.


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## vegascowgirl (Sep 19, 2004)

janetn said:


> Great suggestion! Could you share more details on where and how to get the free samples please?


 One site that i use a lot is all-free-samples.com. many times I jus google "free samples" to find manufacture sites that provide samples. beware of any site that wants you to pay shipping and handling charges. Also, you obviously will need to give an address. if you are uncomfortable giving out your home addy, you may want to get a p.o. box.


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

I am grateful to each and every one of you who contributed to this thread, I think we all learned a lot together from it. 
But, all good things come to an end.
The moderator has stated there wil be no more political discussion here, and I can think of no more political act than to *think* for yourself, *plan* for yourself and *prep* for yourself. By not following the sheep and not relying on the government to care for you, you are making a political statement, you are part of a political movement and you are taking a political stand.
To say you can talk about generating power with a solar panel, but not talking about the reason you would have to, is plain nonsense. What's a BOB without a reason for a bug out, or a hunkering down without a cause. It is not the natural events we prep against, (as it has been pointed out we wouldn't survive the direct effects) we prep against the grid NOT being restored for days or weeks after the event (as we are seeing now) thanks to the political hacks in charge of our "rescue". And almost every non-natural event has a political reason. And as we have seen, the personal shtf's( loss of job, etc) clearly have political causes.
But we must obey the moderator, so then in accordance with her decree issued earlier I , as co-creator of this thread, with great sadness and reluctance, do hereby *CLOSE THIS THREAD TO FURTHER DISCUSSION TO PREVENT ANY NEGATIVE ACTION AGAINST ANYONE BY THE MODERATOR.*


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## B2bKen (Aug 12, 2002)

As creator of this thread (with barefootboys discussion), I would like to mention that this thread IS STILL OPEN. I have not noticed anything that is political in it, and it has been very helpful to all of S&EP forum members and guests. I would like to see this continue, as I believe it has been a real encouragement and blessing for us... So let's continue to share in this thread. Note to barefootboy... Thanks much to your contributions to this thread, however, I am discouraged that you made the sole decision to close this thread. Thanks Ken


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## barefootboy (Sep 30, 2012)

The moderator decides what is political, Ken. You and I have NO say in it.There appears to be no rules or controls over the moderator, so she is free to censor anything she wants. Go ahead , try to keep this thread going. She has already declared she won't allow it. I was just trying to nicely close this out now that she has killed it.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Ken. This thread is fine snd there is nothing political in it.

Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

A quick note. No one can close a thread. Even if someone says so, and you wish to keep on the good work this thread is doing, please continue. Some seem to be having problems with me right now, but that does not need to bother the rest of you. 

It's a good thread. I may have to put a copy in the Vault forum where good threads are kept for future reference.

Keep on with the good work.

PS: a member taking over this thread and acting as master of ceremonies does not convey any authority over anything other than their own particular postings. Assumed master of ceremonies is not a given that they are, and the OP is b2bKen. Just to let you know this is just a great thread, but no authority has been given to anyone to make any proclamations about being closed.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

poverty prepping pictorial..it means doing things on little money and yourself....

meat for the coming year...




























fungus i drilled in logs in april and may now fruiting...blue dolphin oyster





































will be haresting last of the peppers today from garden.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

longterm taters...homemade

i know some seen this..but posting to encourage others and spur them to do things.










7 gallons of onions for soups and chilli and such.i put over a 100 meals of stir fry mixes in freezer for the winter when only snowballs are growing in garden too.


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## Trixters_muse (Jan 29, 2008)

Someone asked about sites for freebies.... Here are three of my favorites and right now there are many great samples available. 

www.sweetfreestuff.com 
Free samples every day found by ALL YOU
www.freakyfreddies.com

In just the past two weeks I have gotten coffee, cream of wheat, "ladies products" cold medicine, Emergent-C, Centrum vitamins, Tea, shampoo, lotion and laundry detergent. I have lots more coming too.


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## belladulcinea (Jun 21, 2006)

Barefootboy, perhaps you need a break from the internet. There's nothing political about this thread, it's exactly what this forum is about. 

Even when you don't have much cash to prep with, one thing I try to do is stay organized so I can find what I do have. We are cleaning to the corners, as my mom used to say and I have found a lot of great stuff for our prepping that I knew I had, I just didn't know where it was!


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## HillRunner (Jun 28, 2010)

Elkhound could you tell me more about growing the mushrooms? 

Farmers only worry during the growing season, but towns people worry all the time.


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## cwgrl23 (Feb 19, 2004)

HillRunner said:


> Elkhound could you tell me more about growing the mushrooms?
> 
> Farmers only worry during the growing season, but towns people worry all the time.


I too would love to know more about growing mushrooms. I want to grow them but buying a kit is not in the budget at the moment. 

Carrie in SD


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

i am new to this but its real simple get spore dowels...drill holes and drive spore covered dowels in logs and chunks of wood cut in winter and wax over the holes.the oyster is the easiest to grow.my logs started producing in 6 months on oysters.but others i have will take a year to start...shiitake and lobster and chicken of the woods.

the oyster was started growing on logs during ww1 to combat hunger in the masses in war torn europe i have read.

heres links to get spore...


Home : Field & Forest, Proud to be part of this rotting world!


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

i have also dealy with funguschris off ebay.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

todays harvest....a person has to keep after it to survive.

daikon radish,sugar pumkin,white globe turnips.










radish....they get much bigger.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

How do you use/prepare that large radish?


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## belladulcinea (Jun 21, 2006)

I don't know what elkhound does with them but a lady at church makes the best radish/cabbage coleslaw, she shreds them and combines them with cabbage. Yummmo!


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

this is first time i have grown them...radishes.a Japanese gardener i know inspired me to try a few of them.

over the weekend i went to a cook out and they had turnip,pepper,onion vinegar base slaw and a traditional slaw coleslaw of turnip and carrots both were real good.i dont have cabbage this fall winter in garden so i am making do with what i do have.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

recipe friend gave me....its to much sugar for my likes but you can adjust that.

turnip slaw

slaw ingredients 
4-5 # raw turnips grated
3 medium onions minced
2 green peppers minced
1 red pepper minced
6 celery ribs minced
1 tbsp salt

syrup
3 cups vinegar
5 cups sugar
1 tbsp celery seed
1 tbsp mustard seed

1.mix slaw ingredients in bowl set aside

2.mix syrup ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to boil.boil for 1 minute.

3.pour liquid over turnip mixture and let stand till cool.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

belladulcinea said:


> I don't know what elkhound does with them but a lady at church makes the best radish/cabbage coleslaw, she shreds them and combines them with cabbage. Yummmo!


i am going to grate some and mix with chopped kale and try different salad dressing on top for a poor mans winter salad.

true cooks and survivors experiment and make do......lol


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## wormlady (Oct 8, 2004)

Yes, *Elkhound,* that does seem like too much sugar. I use a 1:1 ratio of sugar to vinegar for my slaw dressing. Reducing sugar reduces calories and cost - perfect for poverty prepping!

Thanks for posting all the inspiring pictures!


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## K.B. (Sep 7, 2012)

daikon radishes make an excellent kim chi (sweet, spicy or both!)


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## longshot38 (Dec 19, 2006)

elkhound said:


> poverty prepping pictorial..it means doing things on little money and yourself....
> 
> meat for the coming year...
> 
> ...


is that dehydrated corn? how does it keep? and do you just rehydrate in water, heat and serve?

sorry for so many questions but i am curious.

thanks
dean


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

longshot38 said:


> is that dehydrated corn? how does it keep? and do you just rehydrate in water, heat and serve?
> 
> sorry for so many questions but i am curious.
> 
> ...



i dont eat just corn as a side dish.i just use it in soup.maybe someone else can help on using as a side dish.


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## silverseeds (Apr 28, 2012)

longshot38 said:


> is that dehydrated corn? how does it keep? and do you just rehydrate in water, heat and serve?
> 
> sorry for so many questions but i am curious.
> 
> ...


There are a myriad of ways to dry and then reconstitute corn. some keep it on the cob after blanching, then dry it and boil later or even use milk to reconstitute. Others dry fresh corn as is after cutting it off the cob, and reconstitute in water or milk... 

Lots of variations in between.


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## longshot38 (Dec 19, 2006)

thanks folks, all input is appreciated.

dean


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## whiterock (Mar 26, 2003)

Don't know about the daikon radish, but Mex folks put radishes in soups. I grew up eating them raw in salads and out of hand only. They have a completely different taste when cooked. Sort of like turnip. 
Ed


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## sdnapier (Aug 13, 2010)

elkhound said:


> longterm taters...homemade
> 
> i know some seen this..but posting to encourage others and spur them to do things.
> 
> ...


Very impressive!


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## LWMSAVON (Oct 8, 2002)

Great post! I have really enjoyed reading everyone's tips, suggestions, etc. 

I would like to add a few things.

Don't be afraid to check out thrift stores, yard sales, flea markets, junk stores, as well as antique stores for prep items. 

Antique stores obviously will be the higher dollar amount but sometimes there are gems in there to fit everyone's wallet and fit right into the preps.

I don't buy antiques to collect them and let them gather dust. I buy and use them must to the chagrin of many. Many antique items are still in a usable state and honestly I'd put many antique items up against the updated crap in the stores from China these days. The antiques will (and have) outlast that junk. 

Recently purchased a Singer treadle sewing machine with cabinet for $65 at a little out of the way place that is part store, part antique store, part old fashioned diner with a little bit of everything thrown in for good measure. It needs a belt, a shuttle, and a bobbin to get going but the wheel turned smoothly as did the shuttle carrier, needle shaft, and treadle. I have found all the needed items on ebay. The cabinet needs a little touch up as far as stain and some wood glue on the veneer but it's in most acceptable condition for this ol' gal. Consider it's 111 years old, it's in really good shape for that age. I called Singer and was told it's is a 1901 model 27 that came out on Feb. 2, 1901. 

Other items that I have found include:


wooden sock darner (I think it was $3 or $4 and it's solid wood)
cast iron skillets and trivets ($1 for one of the skillets at a yard sale and have a couple from thrift stores but most of mine came from my Momma's but have some that came from inlaws one year as a gift , .50 for some of the trivets - most from yard sales and thrift stores)
good size manual coffee mill that can also be used to grind herbs in. ($5 at thrift store)
rubber gaskets for old style canning jars ($1.00 for a huge lot of them at a yard sale)
sometimes canning jars (bail type, blue, etc.) can be found for next to nothing at yard sales and thrift stores along with a few from antique stores. I use the bail type jars for my spices and seasonings (many I grow myself. What I can't grow, I buy in bulk.)
gallon jugs like gallon apple cider jugs, pickle jars, etc. can be found for next to nothing at yard sales and thrift stores - I make my own apple cider vinegar and use these kind of jugs/jars to store it in. Also great for store dehydrated items in.
crock (I inherited ones from my Mom because none of my brothers and sister wanted them... big dummies ... but I have seen some at antique stores for good prices but I passed for lack of funds at time)
butter churn - needs a handle for the dasher. It's a 2 gallon crock style and I paid $20 at a yard sale for it.
butter bell - paid $6 I think it was at an antique store but it's not an antique... it is newer and looks like this one from Amazon. Butter Bell Classic Hand Painted Raised Floral Crock Great for when using real butter and wanting it spreadable - nothing like tearing up homemade bread with cold real butter. lol

and many other items. Just keep your eyes open for those gems as they could be hiding just about anywhere. Have an idea of what you are willing to pay or know what the new ones go for and have your set price in your head so you know whether or not the asking price is a good deal or not.



I also shop salvage type grocery stores and keep a price book to know if the prices there are truly cheaper than another store. I shop Aldi's, save a lot, and of course shop sales plus combine coupons where I can to really be able to get a deal. 



One food saving tip to share is buy in bulk where you can whether it's a bulk food store, case lot sales, or even orchards. 





We use a wood stove for heat. All the wood we have has either been given to us for the cutting or already cut and just needed to be picked up.


Kitchen stove is propane so if electric goes out I can still use that or just use the wood stove. Not a wood cookstove but works just as well. Just can't bake it in but I can bake on top of it with a dutch oven.


We have a well but the pump needs a part right now. We have city water too only because the well water is laden with rust/iron. it used to turn our clothes and skin orange and clog filters in a day. Now the well is just for garden use.


We garden as well as forage and glean for food. If you are looking for info on wild edible plants, etc., this book is great with color photos for easier identification, ranges for the items, etc. 

 *Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide*



Books.... also check ebay, used books stores, etc. This is how we were able to get a complete set of the Foxfire books, back to basics, and others for big savings off the retail price of new copies. Sure you may only find one or two copies of a Foxfire book at a time but patience has a way of saving you some money in the long run. If your used bookstore has more than one copy of a particular book, look at the price on all of the books as one may be marked less than another. Or at least that is how it is at the used bookstore we shop at.


When someone offers you something don't say no because they may not offer the next time. We were given a lot of extra produce this year. I canned, froze, and dehydrated the majority of it but also shared with others as well as the animals. We were also given non-food items that I happily accepted. What I couldn't use, I passed on to others.


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## pumpkin (May 8, 2012)

Anytime that we go to the beach we bring home a pail of sand to use for scouring. I soak this in a larger pail of water and bleach, drain and then spread on cookie sheets to dry off in the hatch back of my car on a hot day. Right now I have two five gallon pails so I think I have enough if our access to cleaners is cut off.


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## pumpkin (May 8, 2012)

I love my cast iron pots. Everyone should look around at garage sales etc for a cast iron Dutch oven (with lid) and a cast iron fry pan and try to find one of Cee Dubs cookbooks about campfire cooking. You can cook and bake just about everything in these two items either on a stove or right in/over a campfire. They are not expensive and don&#8217;t let a little rust put you off. 

The beauty of a cast iron pan is that they hold the heat for a long, long time which requires less energy to cook. My Dutch oven has a standard lid. I wish I had one with a flat center or wide rim which is designed to hold hot coals so the cooking takes place from top and bottom. I flip my lid upside down and use the flatter inside surface but you best leave a fork stuck under part of the lip as it is quite difficult to remove the lid when it is hot. 

In the old days people used a Spider which was a cast iron pan with 3 or four legs that you could set right in the hearth but they are very hard to find. My German neighbor has a different type of spider which I really covet lol! 

It is made of wrought iron and is four legs with a flat top with holes in it. You set it in the fire over the coals and can put any pan on it. I am going to find a blacksmith who can make me one of these but I imagine it will cost a lot so that is more of a dream. I also want a tripod with chain and hooks like the gypsies use for over the camp fire.


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## pumpkin (May 8, 2012)

About 30 years ago we read about Haybox cooking in The Mother Earth News. A haybox is the non-electric version of a crockpot. We used it for many years. Don't really know why we stopped. I found some notes I had made on building the haybox which is what made me think we best be making another one. I googled haybox cooking and there is a lot of information - even Mother Earth news directions.


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## hoggie (Feb 11, 2007)

pumpkin said:


> Anytime that we go to the beach we bring home a pail of sand to use for scouring. I soak this in a larger pail of water and bleach, drain and then spread on cookie sheets to dry off in the hatch back of my car on a hot day. Right now I have two five gallon pails so I think I have enough if our access to cleaners is cut off.


Do you have mare's tails over there - I imagine you probably do as they are pretty widespread plants. I seem to remember that they used to be used as scourers


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## pumpkin (May 8, 2012)

hoggie said:


> Do you have mare's tails over there - I imagine you probably do as they are pretty widespread plants. I seem to remember that they used to be used as scourers


Yes hoggie we do but we call them horsetail. I learned about using them from my old neighbor. I had completely forgotten about them so thank you for the reminder. Next summer I will have to collect some. I wonder if they will grow in the greenhouse?


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## hoggie (Feb 11, 2007)

pumpkin said:


> Yes hoggie we do but we call them horsetail. I learned about using them from my old neighbor. I had completely forgotten about them so thank you for the reminder. Next summer I will have to collect some. I wonder if they will grow in the greenhouse?



Would be an interesting experiment - the roots go down sssssssooooooooo far I wonder if they would transplant


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## RebelDigger (Aug 5, 2010)

pumpkin said:


> I love my cast iron pots. Everyone should look around at garage sales etc for a cast iron Dutch oven (with lid) and a cast iron fry pan and try to find one of Cee Dubs cookbooks about campfire cooking. You can cook and bake just about everything in these two items either on a stove or right in/over a campfire. They are not expensive and don&#8217;t let a little rust put you off.
> 
> The beauty of a cast iron pan is that they hold the heat for a long, long time which requires less energy to cook. My Dutch oven has a standard lid. I wish I had one with a flat center or wide rim which is designed to hold hot coals so the cooking takes place from top and bottom. I flip my lid upside down and use the flatter inside surface but you best leave a fork stuck under part of the lip as it is quite difficult to remove the lid when it is hot.
> 
> ...


Civil War reenacting has it's benies. Spider pots, tripods, etc. to be found here Jas. Townsend and Son, Inc. - . Look under cooking>pots. For the trivet you put over the coals and put a pan on, look under cooking>fire pits. Your tripod is also in this category.


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## backwoods (Sep 12, 2004)

Rediscover Haybox Cooking - Do It Yourself - MOTHER EARTH NEWS
Here is a link to the non-electric crock pot as mentioned on previous page.


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## pumpkin (May 8, 2012)

RebelDigger said:


> Civil War reenacting has it's benies. Spider pots, tripods, etc. to be found here Jas. Townsend and Son, Inc. - . Look under cooking>pots. For the trivet you put over the coals and put a pan on, look under cooking>fire pits. Your tripod is also in this category.


THANK YOU so much for this link! I never thought about looking at reenactor sites to find this cooking equipment!


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## pumpkin (May 8, 2012)

hoggie said:


> Would be an interesting experiment - the roots go down sssssssooooooooo far I wonder if they would transplant


I guess the only way would be to put them in the floor of the greenhouse but I have never had any good results when I have transplanted a plant and had to cut off part of the roots. Except for a willow tree. I just used a branch and some rooting compound and got the most beautiful tree in just 3 years.


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## bassmaster17327 (Apr 6, 2011)

Here in Pennsylvania the deer rut is taking off, that is the best time to look for fresh roadkill deer. On days I have off work I will drive around in the evening and look for roadkill deer, then the next morning drive the same route and if there is a roadkill there that as not there the night before you know it is fresh and safe to eat if it is cool out. You can get a lot of meat really cheap like that especially if you process it all yourself

Myself and friend where 16 when we picked up our first roadkill deer, and hung it in a tree in hos parents yard to butcher it. His mom had left to go to the store and saw the deer on the road, when she drove home an hour later the dder was gone. When she got home it was hanging in her yard, she still talks about the time she "saw a dead deer on the road and came home and it was hanging in my tree"


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## hoggie (Feb 11, 2007)

pumpkin said:


> I guess the only way would be to put them in the floor of the greenhouse but I have never had any good results when I have transplanted a plant and had to cut off part of the roots. Except for a willow tree. I just used a branch and some rooting compound and got the most beautiful tree in just 3 years.


Willow is one of those that doesn't even need the rooting compound, lavender the same


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## wormlady (Oct 8, 2004)

bassmaster17327 said:


> Here in Pennsylvania the deer rut is taking off, that is the best time to look for fresh roadkill deer. On days I have off work I will drive around in the evening and look for roadkill deer, then the next morning drive the same route and if there is a roadkill there that as not there the night before you know it is fresh and safe to eat if it is cool out. You can get a lot of meat really cheap like that especially if you process it all yourself
> 
> Myself and friend where 16 when we picked up our first roadkill deer, and hung it in a tree in hos parents yard to butcher it. His mom had left to go to the store and saw the deer on the road, when she drove home an hour later the dder was gone. When she got home it was hanging in her yard, she still talks about the time she "saw a dead deer on the road and came home and it was hanging in my tree"


Years ago a friend of ours was behind a woman who hit and killed a deer. She didn't want it, so he gutted it and threw it in the back of his truck. But it was a warm day and he was on his way to his son's ball game and didn't want it laying in the back of his truck for hours. 

This happened a mile from our house so he pulled in our driveway and asked if he could hang it in our garage. I said yes.

DH was a fishing guide at the time. Imagine his surprise when he backed the boat into the garage and saw a huge deer suspended from the rafters. 

We did get some free venison out of it - so if someone wants to hang a deer in your garage, _just say yes!_


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## WV Farm girl (Nov 26, 2011)

Thanks to the folks that mentioned the free samples. I've requested several in the last few days! Looking forward to receiving them and stashing a few away.
Last Friday we treated ourselves and I picked up the Box meal from Pizza Hut. I asked them for plates and forks even though I didn't need them that night. Now I have 6 paper plates and forks with napkins tucked away for when we do need 'em.
I have been working swagbucks as much as I can and now have $25 in Amazon gift cards cashed out and another $15 worth in points. I will be using those to purchase a little propane burner they have which will allow me to cook if we lose electric here in the apartment.
Also I have been saving most of our coffee grounds, used tea bags, egg shells and potato peels to put into my compost pile on the farm. I get down there every 2 weeks. Those added with the cleanings from the chicken house hopefully will produce enough composted soil that I will not have to purchase potting soil again. 
I raised potatoes, herbs and gourds on the farm last year. Even though I was only able to tend to them when I was there the yields were decent. I hope to expand and plant more next year and the compost will certainly help.

Please, keep the tips and ideas coming for prepping on a tight budget! I love to read all those ideas.


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## Hairsheep (Aug 13, 2012)

barefootboy said:


> Good point, hairsheep
> Maybe someone can offer some "city" bardering possiblities also. It might be helpful if we can start to ween ourselves from the system if only a bit. For those who remember the character, this might invovle a bit of "Radar O'rellly" wheeling and dealing. I'm open to ideas on it. Meanwhile keep those good ideas on country bardering and all other "proverty preps" coming in.
> Side note...I delayed my test of the car battery/inverter/dehydrator until Friday because of the weather. It will be in the 50's Friday and Saturday, so the dehydrator , which will be in the workshop, will not have to battle these colder temps.


Ok...do you have a small backyard?
Maybe a small garden and rabbits, which you then can barter for other needed services?
Rabbits can be fed a wide variety of food sources and gain size, such as potato peelings, garden refuge, cracked corn, whole oats, and grass clippings.
You, then would have meat and veggies:lock:

Look at this example: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXCDSZfyZoY[/ame]


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