Wanted Free or Cheap!

 Wanted Free or Cheap: has invaded.  Every time I browse through the sell groups on Facebook I see it.  Now there are times when I would put cheap.  I'm not one to spend more then I have to.  The problem is that people are looking for animals for free or cheap. 

Its a pet peeve of mine.  It takes about one bag of feed to raise a hen to laying age.  Depending on the brand you are spending from $12-$20.  So no laying hens are not cheap.  Then you add the time you have put into taking care of them.  For me that is about 20 minutes a day.  Caring for chicks takes more time, if you want friendly hens you must spend time with them.  I'm not going to count those hours.  So in three day's time I have put in an hour for my 14 birds.  In a week I've worked at least 2 hours.  An expert makes $20/hour.  Every week I should be paid about $40.  It takes 20 weeks to raise a hen to laying age.  That means in the time it took me to raise the hen to laying age I should have been paid $800.  We still haven't figured in the cost of water or housing, but we'll stop here.  So if we take the $12 in feed and divide the $800 by 14 birds($57.14) each bird is worth $69.14.  Most

people sell their chickens for around $20.  Its well worth paying $20 for laying hens!

So no I won't give you a laying hen for cheap or free.

A little hard work goes a long way.  Chicks are worth about $3 each.  Put in the hard work your self and raise your own laying hens. 

Now don't get me wrong.  If I see a need I'm the first to want to help someone.  I'm not saying that you shouldn't give charity.  Help out a new chicken lover and help them hatch their own chicks!

Elizabeth~

Wordless Wednesday 1/20/2016

Fixing our Garden

 First Item on my garden fixing list is the bug problem. 

I plan on getting Guinea Fowl.  Guineas eat bugs but don't eat the plants.  They also don't dust bathe, or rip up plants.  While they are running around the garden they help fertilize the garden.

On the plus side they lay eggs and can be butchered for meat.

Second is the Deer problem.  The deer destroyed 70 tomato plants, my corn, peppers, and cool weather crops.  I was not impressed with them at the end of the year.

The plan?  Adding netting over top of the entire garden.  We added netting over the chicken coop with great success!  Now the rest of the garden will get its turn. 

Wow!  When listing the problems I realized that I didn't have as many as I thought!  The problem is I have the same problems over and over again.  What problems do you have in your garden?  How are you fixing them so that you can live a more self sufficient lifestyle?

Elizabeth~

Buck up and Start Planning!

Buck up and start planning for what??  Back in October I wrote an article called Death of a County.  Saturday I wrote about a growing bad feeling that something bad is going to happen to our economy.  Actually something bad is already happening to our economy.  Two major companies are closing some of their stores, Walmart and Macy's.  Not a great sign.  Sound like 2008?  So if you can see something bad is happening what do you do?  Sit by and let it happen?  NO!  You do something about it!

I'll have more detailed posts later, but here is what I'm planning for the new year!

1. A Garden.  Ok so I always plan on having a garden, but it needs some major improvements. I'll have a post about that later.

2. Goats.  In the Great Depression it was said that if you had a cow and a garden you were lucky because you ate better then most others.  Goats mean milk, cheese, and soap.

3. A year supply.  Think its for crazy preppers?  Think again!! I'll let you know why I like having some of my favorites on hand.

4. Canning Plan.  I like canning and have even won awards in our local fair, but this year it takes on a whole new meaning.

5. Shopping. Getting great deals means I can buy more food.

6.  Chickens and Turkeys. I love my feather babies!  I talk to them, feed them, and in return I get delicous eggs.  This year I'm going to try to build my own cabinet incubator.  They normally cost $1000+ but I'm trying to see if I can build one for less then $50. We'll see if experimenting will work.

What ides do you have for this year?  Do you feel like the economy is heading for trouble?  Leave me a message!

Elizabeth~

This Growing Bad Feeling...

Have you ever had a bad feeling.  One that keeps growing and won't go away.  No matter what I've done in the last month my stomach keeps getting tied in knots.  It feels like my way of life is going to hit the end of the road.  For weeks I've been praying to know what to do.  I've soul searched, and meditated.  Researched, and read and I think I'm finally ready to share with you what I've found.  If you look at the stocks as of yesterday(Jan. 15, 2016) this has been the worst beginning of the year for stocks.  The market has been sliding since the middle of last year.  I won't tell you that we are going into a Great Depression, but I will tell you that in my part of the country things are looking like they will get bad.  Check out my post Death of a County.  Coal mines are shutting down and the price of oil is the lowest its been since 2001.  It doesn't look good. 

With the bad comes the good.  Have you ever noticed that you rely on God more when things get tough?  Or that Family really is more important when you know that is who you can count on?  Beauty really is all around.  Books are amazing for entertainment.  Looking for the good helps soften the hard reality of the bad. 

I do feel that God wants me to share what I've learned these last few weeks.  So look foward to me posting more in the future.  I know that I have a mission, and what it is.  Let me help you through some tough times that are to come. 


Elizabeth~

One Emergency Item Everyone Forgets!

September was National Preparedness Month.  In the spirit of being prepared I was looking at 72-hour kits, Bug Out Bags, emergency kits, and DIY lists.  There is one major component missing from almost every kit.  What would be missing??

ENTERTAINMENT!!

Think about it.  What happens on rainy days?

Kids go crazy.
There is nothing to do.

Now imagine an emergency situation.  You have to leave home, and are now stuck in a emergency shelter.  No electricity, no TV, no movies, no entertainment.  What are you kids going to be doing?  What are you going to be doing??  See where this could be a problem.  It makes a bad situation worse.

What can you do about it?
Add a few simple toys to your little's bag.  Little guy has plenty of room for a few toys.  Think cars, magnetic games, card games, small dolls.  You get the idea, just a little something to keep them occupied till you can get home.

Taking a little time now can make a big difference later! 

Are Group Buys Worth It??

To Group Buy or Not to Group Buy. What are the most important questions?

Part 1 Group Drop Off

Has someone in your area set up a drop off for a company? Wondering if it is really worth it?

Here are some points to consider.

Do you know the person setting up the group buy?

I've seen to many people burned by someones group buy. Joe talks to Company X and can get sleeping bags $15 cheaper IF they buy 100 sleeping bags. Joe then talks to social media group B to see if they can find people to buy 100 sleeping bags. So you decide that you could use 5 sleeping bags and use an online payment method, and pay for your 5 sleeping bags. ~Lets stop here.~ So much could go wrong. First Joe could be ripping you off. They may have never talked to Company X, and are just taking your money. Since you sent the money online, and called it a gift, there is nothing you can do. Second did you really need the 5 sleeping bags? You might have. On the other hand, are you just buying sleeping bags because they are $15 cheaper?? There are other ways to find a good deal. Most items go on-sale at least once a year. Back to the story. Joe get the sleeping bags and its pick up time. Most of the time picks ups are at one time on one day. Joe picks Saturday at 9:00 am. So you're now pick up your 5 sleeping bags. Everything is happy right? Maybe.

Here's the next problem. Although helping people become more prepared is wonderful, you really don't want the whole city knowing how much you have. This time its just 5 sleeping bags, so really its not a huge problem, except 20 people now know you have an emergency stock pile. Your kids piano teacher, your Spouse's co-worker, and the lady that does your hair. Those people don't seem so bad, and really they are not. The people you don't want know your have a stock pile is the “extreme preppers”. The ones that plan on killing everyone for their supplies. There have been quite a few groups that have come out into the open and have stated, that this is their plan.

Don't become a target think before your next group buy.