# Giving things up



## starjj (May 2, 2005)

Last month and this month (barely started) it seems like bills are going up. Yesterday it was my satellite bill went up $18.97 because the credit I received for a year ran out soooo I had to give up some channels (not like I have premium channels). My insurance for medical went up the first last month at work and raises were given out at the end of last month (of course the amount I got for a raise didn't cover the increase). It seems like everytime I turn around I have to give up something just to stay at the same level. I know I am just having a pity party but darn it all I am tired of adjusting downward to stay even. Sigh OK rant done.


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## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

StarrJJ, I 100% assure you that the rate of deterioration in the quality of life will accelerate. It is best to adjust to a lower quality of life as soon as possible. I expect food to inflate 16% to 18% next year. I expect "REAL" unemployment rate in America to rise to 24% to 26% by 2016.

I don't mean to sound depressing, but people really need to "Harden'up" and be quick about getting lean and tough. Sorry, but that is the truth as I see it.


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## naturelover (Jun 6, 2006)

starjj said:


> ...... It seems like everytime I turn around I have to give up something just to stay at the same level. I know I am just having a pity party but darn it all I am tired of adjusting downward to stay even. Sigh OK rant done.


I agree with Sourdough. Things are going to get much worse. It's not just happening where you are, it's happening everywhere. If you want to survive now is the time to start adjusting your expectations downwards instead of trying to stay level or stay even. You aren't going to be able to stay level with where you're at now so get ahead of the game now by getting rid of everything you don't really need to survive what's coming down the pike.

.


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## NewGround (Dec 19, 2010)

Downsize now while it's still voluntary...


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## rkintn (Dec 12, 2002)

I agree, Starjj. I've been doing that as well..to the point where I just about can't downsize any further without giving up some essentials..like utilities. I am dreading how it's gonna be by the end of the year.


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## starjj (May 2, 2005)

Yeah folks I know but gosh darn it I can still get peeved that I have to do it. I know we are all in the same sinking boat.


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## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

rkintn said:


> I agree, Starjj. I've been doing that as well..to the point where I just about can't downsize any further without giving up some essentials..like utilities. I am dreading how it's gonna be by the end of the year.


Give up one essential, what we call "Essential" was not needed or existed 70 years ago.


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## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

starjj said:


> Yeah folks I know but gosh darn it I can still get peeved that I have to do it. I know we are all in the same sinking boat.


Thank God you have employment..........for now.


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## lurnin2farm (Jun 10, 2012)

I voluntarily gave up lots of stuff years ago. I don't miss a thing and quality of life overall is so much better and I am much happier for it.


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## summerdaze (Jun 11, 2009)

Star, I know what you mean. I turned my cell phone off in May. I've been kicking around the idea of turning off the internet service since it went up 15.00 more. I can use the library computers.
And I'm already using way more gas for the car I had to buy a few months ago, and the Big car payment, and my insurance went up 30.00 a month. These things I didn't have much of a choice about though. It was buy a car and get a crappy deal, or don't go to work.
The rent only went up 6.00, so can't kick there, and the water went up about 5.00 a month.
I save my shower water every day to water my plants and flush the toilet. 
Except for the computer, I don't really see anything else that can be cut! I have basic cable, but it's free with rent. If I had to pay for it, I wouldn't have it.
I save scrap metal and aluminum cans, and I'm taking in a decent load either tommorow or Sat. I'm hoping it will pay a bill.
I'm pretty darn thrifty, and don't have many toys or frivolous things to throw money at.

I'm hoping to split expences with someone on the next place. I had a roommate b4 I moved here, and even though I had a job making less money then I am now, I had way more money left over when bills were paid.
I know many people say they could never live with someone else like that, but it's really not bad if they're a friend. It's kinda nice to have the company. I think a lot more people will be living together and splitting expences in the near future.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

Sourdough said:


> StarrJJ, I 100% assure you that the rate of deterioration in the quality of life will accelerate. It is best to adjust to a lower quality of life as soon as possible. I expect food to inflate 16% to 18% next year. I expect "REAL" unemployment rate in America to rise to 24% to 26% by 2016.
> 
> I don't mean to sound depressing, but people really need to "Harden'up" and be quick about getting lean and tough. Sorry, but that is the truth as I see it.


I too expect food to inflate more than the 3-4% this year and 4-5% next year. Gas prices will rise, pharmaceuticals are rising-On the weekends women pick up their birth control pills and I noticed they went up 5.00 retail from 42.99 to 49.99 when a cash customer was complaining. Hormones come from animals and animals need feed. I started thinking about thyroid med that comes from thyroid and premarin from pregnant mare urine and others. The flu shot is cultured in eggs and those birds have to eat. It's more than the corn binder in a tablet.


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## starjj (May 2, 2005)

Sourdough said:


> Thank God you have employment..........for now.


I realize that. Kentucky is FULL of people that don't WANT to work unless it is working on getting a handout from the goverment. I know no one said life was fair. Like I said just having a pity party. I cancelled a program that was costing me $4.99 a month to supposely speed up my computer ( never did see a change it the speed). I got it on a free trail basis and kept it for 3 months. Never thought I would see the day when $4.99 is considered a savings. What makes me really mad is I joined the gym at work and it is a mere $10.00 a month now I have to ask can I afford that.

Tomorrow maybe I will fill better about this but right now I am stressed.


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## Ramblin Wreck (Jun 10, 2005)

Kinda' what lurnin2farm said. If I got rid of the Dish network and cable internet, I could not only save money but also probably have more time to farm or fish or whatever. I sometimes think flushing the cell phone wouldn't be a bad idea either.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

We have a guy at church, who was crying that if we dont get a rain in 2 weeks he would have to sell his cows, as the grass is gone. More like the excelisor they used to put in swamp coolers/

Hes so afraid that when SHTF and theres a food famine that theyll all come outa Tulsa heading for his garden.
Im going to tell him, that, In Tulsa theres a herd of people who dont work, other than to go here and there, to the doz or so charities in Tulsa that give out food, clothing, air conditioners ect. They hit all they need to to fill their refirgerators, THEN they have outdoor BBQs cause they have the food to do it with, and have parties on the weekend. They can spend their money on booze and gas and drugs.
Im going to tell him, that, when the famine hits, those people will find out that theres no more free food to give to the charities to give to the people. The stores will be holding onto it for longer experation dates, which they wont have, as there wont be as much of it to begin with. WHEN that happens, Those people will start raiding the stores for food. WHEN that happens, The stores will threaten to close down. WHEN that happens, the people WITH money will load up and buy out the stores to hoard food while waiting for better times. WHEN that happens the freeloaders will raid the people with/or without food, and rob them of WHATEVER they have. WHEN that happens youll have civil war, of sorts.
He wont have to worry about those people comeing to his garden cause theyll be locked into getting what they need to survive in town where its handier, and the surroundings are more familiar. Hell have to worry about his neighbors tho. The freeloaders out in the country who, dont have a garden, and never intend to have one, dont have chickens, or any other animal, who live on 5/20 acres and do nothing with it other than park old cars, and throw parties, ect, Theyll come knocking at his door.

BUT THEN. IF theres a famine, that means he wont have anything either/anyway. His cows will be long gone, and his garden will be burn up. What garden he has will be visited by the deer, **** and possum, and he will adopt a diet for that meat.

When A Famine hit Cannan and Jacob had to send his boys down to Egypt to buy grain, God didnt tell him, Hey Jake. Im gonna hit Isral HARD. Ok, U been good to Me, so heres what ima gonna do. Over North a couple miles is a hidden valley Ive kept green and fresh. U just get the kids and camels, and get the flock up there and all will be dunky whorie till Ive got over what ailes Me, and I restore the land. OK? OK.
Nope, he told Jake, Hey look. Ima gonna shut down Cannen for good. U gotta go, I dont care how good U been. Ill make sure you come outa it alright. Just trust ME. Egypts fine this tima year. Theyll treat you good for a long while, then the jews will do to the Egyptians what they have done to ME, and the Egyptians will offer the jews a new trade. Makeing bricks. Then, when they get there act squared away, Ill send somebody down there to Mosey them up outa there and back to here.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

RW. If I wasnt old, i wouldnt have the CP. Now, I treat it as a crutch whenever I go anywhere to have it. I dont know what id use it for. BUT I find thats a good time to talk to somebody if I need to. AND thats a bad habit.


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## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

I've pretty much given up drinking, sex and my sanity, I don't want to give anything else up!:teehee:

I do know what you mean though, I hate to think how much tougher it's going to get. I have to go to WV tomorrow so that I can be in court Monday for eviction and to get my house back, so that I can try to put it up for sale again. It was nice while it lasted and it's sure going to make it tougher now.


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## starjj (May 2, 2005)

I gave up a contract cell phone a year ago and just have a trac phone. No bells and whistles as I have no use for that. It does text but I have NEVER used it, wouldn't know how and don't care to learn. I buy my minutes if need be and I use very few. I laugh at those that think they can't exist without a phone tied to their ears. I don't have a home phone just a cell. I know I could give up more and eat out less often. I don't garden (did last year) because for one person I feel like it is not worth it. I probably have 2 years of food in my pantry that I need to work on using up. I don't NEED my mule but I won't give up some things at least until SHTF then I may have to make some mule burgers.


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

wow Terri, I hope it goes well!


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## starjj (May 2, 2005)

Terri in WV said:


> I've pretty much given up drinking, sex and my sanity, I don't want to give anything else up!:teehee:
> 
> I do know what you mean though, I hate to think how much tougher it's going to get. I have to go to WV tomorrow so that I can be in court Monday for eviction and to get my house back, so that I can try to put it up for sale again. It was nice while it lasted and it's sure going to make it tougher now.


I gave THOSE up many years ago.

Sorry about the house.


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## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

starjj said:


> I won't give up some things at least until SHTF then I may have to make some mule burgers.


Better than dog or cat burgers.


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## starjj (May 2, 2005)

SD one thing I like about you (NOT) is your ALWAYS soooo positive LOL


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

starjj said:


> Yeah folks I know but gosh darn it I can still get peeved that I have to do it. I know we are all in the same sinking boat.


Too bad we're not in First Class. I hear the band plays for them until the boat goes under.:whistlin:


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## NewGround (Dec 19, 2010)

I'm steadily weaning myself from the grid... Don't think electric rates will stay low either... I have a prioritized list of things I'm eliminating... Satellite TV was gone over a year ago, have free broadcast TV and tonight's first night in three that it's been on...

Paying off bills and the homestead land... What's more important in your priorities... Malling or prepping?


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## starjj (May 2, 2005)

Tommyice said:


> Too bad we're not in First Class. I hear the band plays for them until the boat goes under.:whistlin:


I will be the one throwing coals in the steam turbines as we sink slowly out of sight


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## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

starjj said:


> SD one thing I like about you (NOT) is your ALWAYS soooo positive LOL


I leave positive thunking to others. I concentrate on my double'tap Drills...:nanner::banana::nanner:


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## homefire2007 (Sep 21, 2007)

I will give up things I am sure as time goes along. I live pretty frugally as it is but there is always room for improvement. At the rate the economy is going I am assuming my sons will be here for a while. There isn't a lot of work for young people, either. I have my youngest to get into and through college and that will be my last hurrah! I could be content and happy in a shack as long as I could have a real yard or acreage. Can you tell I am an apartment dweller? But when all is said and done family is something I would never give up. Their welfare and well-being are very important to me.


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## lurnin2farm (Jun 10, 2012)

If your saving are in real money (Gold and silver) then you wouldn't notice anything going up in price. I'm 48 and its held true for my lifetime. 

The future doesnt look good no matter what the Gov does if your looking for the Gov to fix anything. I cant think of anything that they do right so to think they can do anything to fix the economy or unemployment is just silly. 

there are 2 options that they have. Appease the masses to prevent an all out civil war or degradation of society as we know it. They do this with welfare and every other Gov assistance program. In this scenario inflation is certain. 

Or they become fiscally responsible and stop printing money in which case we have the above scenario. 

The only option really (And the reason we are probably all here) is self sufficientcy in a rural area with like minded neighbors who got your back..


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

I only hope that this is as bad as the inflation will get.

It could happen.


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## NewGround (Dec 19, 2010)

Think Jimmy Cater years times ten, IMHO...


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

Terri said:


> I only hope that this is as bad as the inflation will get.
> 
> It could happen.



sorry its just starting......crop failures....govt printing money and making money worth less = hyperinflation. the next 18 to 24 months are going to be historic...heck they already are.


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## Raven12 (Mar 5, 2011)

I stopped caring. Life has improved immensely since that point.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

YA KNOW, it seems to me that ALOT of these MEGA farms might be shelling out, unless the Govmt bales them out again. This might be an opportunity to break up some of these mega farms, and put small farmers back onto the land.. Course, lots of these mega farms, theyve tore down the old buildings, what didnt fall down on there own, so the farmstead would have to be rebuilt, BUT, If these places were cut up into say 40s or whatever up to 120s, That would give bunches of people the chance to farm. AND, those people arent going to be kissing the govmts mule to get there handouts to keep viable and in operation. I wonder how many small farms that have never grown an acre of veggies say, around Kansas City, would/could start up, on a lost mega farm, or a small part of it, and grow an acre each of all the common veggies for sale in and around KC. If enough small farms around big cities grew enough veggies, then they wouldnt have to be transported from the E or W coast. Farmers further out could still grow grain. Its not perishable.
Looks like this could be a chance for the amish to spread out. One mega farm likely could put a hundred Amish onto farms. They wouldnt mind rebuilding the farmsteads.


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## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

Terri said:


> I only hope that this is as bad as the inflation will get.
> 
> It could happen.


 :hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:

You all can feel for me for my lack of drink, sex and sanity, but don't feel bad for the house bit. Sure it's a pain with having to go to court and the clean up bs, but they gave me a hefty down payment, that they lose. They're still trying to come up with the money to buy and I told them that I would still work with them. That's a long shot though. I knew this was probably going to happen when I did the land contract, but for 2 years I didn't have to worry about vandals and upkeep.

Anyone want to buy a house in WV? I know one that's going to be available.


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## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

I could pack everything I own in a back pack and a Red Flyer wagon  Once you loose it all you'll realize what a burden it was. Owning anything is just a myth anyway, you've never owned anything, and you never will. The government is just letting you use that property and make improvements on it.


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

I have lived a minimalistic lifestyle all my life. I still have a 26 year old tv with digital converter and when I did have to buy a new LCD one for my bedroom for convenience I bought the least expensive 20 inch I could find and watch only over the air free broadcasts or discount bin DVDs.

I use $9 a month dial up on a $18 a month landline and have a $15 a month cell phone with no contract.

My utilities are within $40 a month of what I paid in my apartment in 1991 and my grocery and hooch budget is only $50 more per month than it was 21 years ago.

The big difference for me is in 1991 I was paying $400 a month for rent and now I pay about $300 a year in rent in the form of property tax.

In 1991 my yearly income was about $45k a year and now its about half that but I have changed my values and entertainments along the years while retaining most of my furniture from that period and keeping the same now antique vehicles I had back then. So althoughI now earn less, it tends to go a bit further. 

Of course back then I drove over 20,000 miles per year to earn my living and now I don't buy new computers to do my trade but instead use others cast offs reconfigured to my requirements at no cost and working from home my yearly driving is less than 4000 miles a year unless I get a wild urge to take a road trip vacation.

My entertainment budget I keep within early 1990s range but instead of going out to dinner and a movie I often use it to buy a few old movie DVDs and home cook our own takeout or do my own version of a nice restaurant meal.

Recently I saw where the 20 cent slider burgers of my youth were now 70 cents apiece and when gf said she would like some sliders but didn't want to pay that much, I bought a 3 pound package of marked down ground beef for $2 , a $1 jar of pickle slices and a few bags of day old dinner rolls for 80 cents a bag at the store and opened up my own Krystals for her (White Castle Burgers for you Yankee folk  ).

With less than $6 worth of ingredients , a few sliced onions left over from the bag she bought last month and my electric griddle I fried up almost 40 sliders with meat and onion grill steamed "buns" for an average cost of 15 cents per slider burger which was more like the slider burger from my father's youth than the cost of a slider from our youth. With the exception of the dinner rolls having that corduroy looking layering instead of a plain square two bite bun, they were authentic home made sliders.

I like my electric griddle. On some of our movie nights I set it up at the table and cook our dinner before the movie we choose to watch hibachi restaurant style without the meal costing us an arm and a leg.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

Thanks for the White Castle translation I never heard of Krystals.


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## momof2 (Mar 28, 2003)

doodlemom said:


> Thanks for the White Castle translation I never heard of Krystals.


:shocked: How do you live without Krystal's???? :shocked:


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

White Castles and Krystals are the same and both are disgusting.


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## Smalltowngirl (Mar 28, 2010)

I love White Castles but I didn't care for the Krystals, mainly because they had so much mustard. The White Castles have that yummy gooey layer of steamed bread, onions & a ketchup/mustard mix, the Krystals didn't have that same gooey goodness which is the whole point of eating sliders IMO.


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## bruce2288 (Jul 10, 2009)

Don't you love it when Bernanke says that inflation is not a problem or the official gov. inflation number is 3%.


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## NewGround (Dec 19, 2010)

I scaled back another bill today... My contract period just expired with phone company so now back to basic phone at old home place where brother is staying now... Just have a bare bones line and saving about $60 month on DSL and the "package". Will cancel basic phone when he moves from there to other place...


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Fowler said:


> White Castles and Krystals are the same and both are disgusting.


Can't attest to the Krystals but I agree with you on White Castles. Besides, I live near THE BEST greasy-spoon, burger joint in the continental US. 








WhiteManna at HollyEats.com

Yup. Only about 12 people can fit in there at one time.


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

<bwink>

You ate 40 sliders between you??

<bwink>


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## lurnin2farm (Jun 10, 2012)

Tommyice said:


> Can't attest to the Krystals but I agree with you on White Castles. Besides, I live near THE BEST greasy-spoon, burger joint in the continental US.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Those look good, now I want cheeseburgers for dinner. .


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## ksredman (Apr 22, 2004)

I am a farmer/rancher, so the drought is making me scratch whats left of the hair on my head. The government did release crp acres to either graze or hay, but with a lot of red tape attached. We are in our second year of drought, so any reserve hay has been fed, and I started selling my calf crop today, a couple months early. The good thing is that we are getting a good price for calves yet, they say it will fall for about a year then watch out....beef will skyrocket. As far as giving things up, I live a fairly simple life..basic cable, internet, raise or barter for my own beef. I really cant cut my fuel bill down, the cows need checked daily, and the farming needs done. High grain prices help, but only offset the low yeilds. Good luck everyone...keep smiling.


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## sherry in Maine (Nov 22, 2007)

Gosh Shrek, $300 for prop. tax?

Ours just raised a bit. The northeast is much more expensive.


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## newcolorado (Jan 31, 2012)

I was having to save $2400 to have enough to be able to pay property tax. I still have to save it till I do something with the place. Boys think rent it. Got to get moved first off it in total. Taxes came down quite a bit. So should be some to pay the utilities on it till cleared out. 

Shrek, I have to admire how you do. $2 would not buy a pound of ground beef here or turkey or pork it seems. I have a steam and grill iron. Small one that does meat and a panini sandwich grill. Cheap at the thrift and yard sales. Should be hamburger grill around that was given to me. This poor new stove does not have grill with it. I bought a2 burn cast iron and does not seem to heat the same on both ends as small burn on back and large on front. Been using a heavy fry pan to do the flat bread. his little town is high on breads. I have been baking. And that is not cheap. But better that cheap bread ti eat. Day old bread they stick on shelf with the fresher bread, You have to watch it and do the same with gallons of milk. So after tax and med ins I have X number dollars to live on. I had been watching marked down meat and beef marked down too high to buy. I have found where I can get yeast less that $8 for 2# and those jars woud be $40 for 2#. I cut there good. But I bake more and little jars would not do that. I share my baking with son. I would like to do movie night. My older son does that. No free TV stations there and none here. Library should have free movies. I will check. I can walk to library here. I keep calling DVD's CD's and they are not. I do not run the dish washer. I have not drove this year, Paid the plates that was up and ins. Use the bus to big city or go with son. Got with son a pay a share of the costs. Bus donate the $1 they want.


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## NewGround (Dec 19, 2010)

Been watching these videos of depression era cooking... Some good stuff there plus that old lady is delightful to listen to... Peppers and eggs sounds good... Gonna dig out my wartime cookery books and try some of them recipes too... What happened to that budget cooking thread, that was cool... Recipes and cooking, preparing, buying tips, pics etc. is a good idea...


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

i still cook the way mom did in wartimes.most everything from scratch. there's lots of things i could give up if i had to i guess.satelite etc. but not yet and not until i have to. i like to watch tv myself. i've been watching claude raines today until i'm bug eyed. stopped long enough to throw together a war cake. no eggs. ever good! dad use to say mother and i could make up a meal where others would starve. ~Georgia.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Georgia have you ever thought of doing some videos for YouTube?

Actually after watching Clara, that's how my grandmother and mother cooked. Although those Italian ices of hers we called granita. Made it a little different though. Didn't stir but used a fork to scrape it.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I'm tired of watching my savings disappear although I have to admit that I have room to cut back. It's the nickle and dimes stuff that needs to go plus the unnecessary stuff. It won't cover the increase in health insurance and the lack of a raise for 3 years but it will help slow it a bit.

Despite that I'm really lucky to be in the position I'm in right now. I own my house and vehicles and have some food production capacity. Lots of people through no fault of their own have it much much worse. 

I think we're headed into a period of turmoil at the very least. I don't like to think about what's likely to happen because it would scare me that I'm so unprepared.


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## foxfiredidit (Apr 15, 2003)

> Been watching these videos of depression era cooking... Some good stuff there plus that old lady is delightful to listen to...


NG, you are correct in that, and here are some photos from that era. The kitchens were a little different back then. Gives one food for thought.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

Where's the computor?


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

And the blackberry?

I'll bet that people then had a LOT better concentration than the average American does now with the instant to instant distractions.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

sure i had a stove just like that in the house that dad bought for us when we married. hot water tank on the side. i remember i put some grease rags( that we use to use to clean off the stove) in that top part and they caught fire. that was when i was young and stupid.

the last pic so reminds me of all of us sitting around the table. there were 9 of us but the 2 older bros were away at university while i was still young. so i only remember 7 around the table. it was a wonderful childhood. the table was always laden with good food and plenty more in the pantry. home made bread with every meal. mom baked 3 times a week .that's just bread. every day there was something in the oven. pies,cakes,cookies etc. i still do the same thing but mostly give it away.no tv until i was 15 or so. we had lots of games in the house.dad had a hockey game set up in the dining room on the table also. just reminising! ~Georgia.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Terri in WV said:


> :hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:
> 
> You all can feel for me for my lack of drink, sex and sanity, but don't feel bad for the house bit. Sure it's a pain with having to go to court and the clean up bs, but they gave me a hefty down payment, that they lose. They're still trying to come up with the money to buy and I told them that I would still work with them. That's a long shot though. I knew this was probably going to happen when I did the land contract, but for 2 years I didn't have to worry about vandals and upkeep.
> 
> Anyone want to buy a house in WV? I know one that's going to be available.


No sex? Hey now, there's no need to get crazy. Actually that would (and should) be the one thing that could be enjoyed regardless of a person's financial situtation.

I think most people would be surprised at how much the little nickle and dime stuff adds up to in just one year. Two gas station coffees each week at $1.50 each is $156. Start adding those little things we do without thinking and it would shock us.


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## starjj (May 2, 2005)

foxfiredidit said:


> NG, you are correct in that, and here are some photos from that era. The kitchens were a little different back then. Gives one food for thought.


How strange. People actually sitting down to eat together. How often does THAT happen anymore?


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

I eat dinner every night with what's left of my family. And two dogs. When we all lived at home, we all ate together. And it wasn't _that _long ago.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

many people still do. all of my brothers and their families sit at the table at mealtimes. i only have me so i mostly eat on the go or in front of the tv except when i have company. i venture to say most of the families on CF would say they sit as a family around the table when it's mealtime. ~Georgia.


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## starjj (May 2, 2005)

Guess I am out of the loop then because from what I hear people are so busy now a days with activities they tend to eat in shifts or on the run but me and the dogs I guess you could say still observe a meal time


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

I am trying to give up things and get down to just what I need. I can not think when there is too many things laying around that I do not need.

I am trying to weed down my tool.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

I eat with my family once a week, sometimes more if there is some family stuff going on.

Eating together and having family time is a good habit that takes effort to make happen.


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## foxfiredidit (Apr 15, 2003)

newfieannie said:


> sure i had a stove just like that in the house that dad bought for us when we married.
> 
> ...the last pic so reminds me of all of us sitting around the table. there were 9 of us but the 2 older bros were away at university while i was still young. so i only remember 7 around the table.~Georgia.


There are 7 people in that pic as well annie. The windows are open to the night air on the other side of the room. The curtains appear to be slightly apart, so the room looks comfortable enough. But I don't think this is a regular family meal. Some things about it make me think its an occassion of sorts.

The dining room set has 6 chairs, plus the one that the grandmother is sitting in, its different. From her apron, I think she's the chef, and I would say this is her and the grandfather's home. The grandfather has made room at his end of the table for a grandson. The other smaller boy sits beside who I would say is his mother on his left. The young man, the father of the boys. sits between his dad and mom, and is married to the woman directly across from him. The girl with her back to the camera has the same dark hair as the younger man, so I'm thinking that is his sister, stil living at home...she has her own space at her end of the table.

The main course appears to have been served and cleared from the table. Everyone has small plates probably for dessert, perhaps a cake if its someone's birthday. Three generations of the family at home for this meal.

No computers...no blackberries, unless they're having blackberry cobbler.
(imo of course)


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## cindilu (Jan 27, 2008)

I think that my life is pretty scaled down already?? Maybe not. I have no debt, own my own home, pay property tax, have cell phone only, no land line, do not pay for cable tv or satellite, have no credit card debt and can live off very little money for food because when I do cook I tend to cook from scratch. I do not eat out very often, do not go for coffee's, and grow my own garden. 

Now where I do plan on scaling down in the future is next year I plan on having a really BIG garage sale and plan to unload half of my belongings in preparing to put my house up for sale. When it does sell then I plan on having another really big garage sale and unloading a bunch more stuff that I just don't want to pack up and move. When I do get to build my house I know what I want it to look like and what I need it to do for me to function. That kitchen picture that was posted is pretty close to how I want my own kitchen, that isn't a bad thing you know.


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

fox... I think you were a detective in another life. 

Nice take on the photo. Reminds me of years gone by when we had meals like that at the Grands' homes.


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## Txrider (Jun 25, 2010)

I'm cutting back on a lot of stuff, but then my income just dropped from low 6 figures to low 5 figures as I just moved from metro to very rural central Texas.

I bought 11 acres at a good price, I bought a 60's farm house for 26k and had it moved in. Should be debt free totally before years end.

I'll have a light bill which should be pretty cheap in the coop I'm in, propane bill which should be cheap for me living alone with plenty of wood heat and not much of a winter to speak of here anyway. Only phone is a cell phone, it is my phone, internet and my TV(netflix/Hulu) which isn't so bad. I drive old cars one a 1997 with I believe about another ten years left in it, the other is a 1954 military pickup that's older than I am. I never eat out, always eat in and cook simple things from scratch a bit. In fact I have been cooking and eating from a fire pit the last couple months while trying to get the house I had moved in livable. 

What is going to eat me up and make me cut back further is rising property taxes and health insurance which I am doing without right now as I'm a pretty healthy guy and have only had to go see a doc 3-4 times in the last 20 years.

Funny thing is it seems it is more expensive living single and alone than it would be with someone else here with me.


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

I miss sitting down to eat with someone. And just enjoying each other's company.


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## cindilu (Jan 27, 2008)

Txrider said:


> I'm cutting back on a lot of stuff, but then my income just dropped from low 6 figures to low 5 figures as I just moved from metro to very rural central Texas.
> 
> I bought 11 acres at a good price, I bought a 60's farm house for 26k and had it moved in. Should be debt free totally before years end.
> 
> ...


Why would it cost more to live single then to be married, I don't get that? When I was married my x loved the credit card, he had no clue I was making $400.00 a month payments on it to keep up with his spending. 

So really I am curious why you would think that?


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