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Simple living at the Gas Pump
Let's face it, the price of gas has all of us in a bind these days. The
homestead is no exception. We are 50 miles from the nearest city,
so a trip to the bank or grocery store has to be well thought out.
The price of gas here in town is usually $.50 per gallon higher than in the
city, as well. We haul water several times a week, have no street delivery
of mail, so we have to check the post office box, etc., etc.
Mrs. D does not complain about these seeming inconveniences, as she thrives
on the rural life and plans and consolidates her errands well. In the past
it was more to conserve time - a trip into town and back takes up at least an
hour or more, a trip to the city takes all day. Now that a trip to
the city also costs more than what Mrs. D makes in a day, planning is even more
important. So Mrs. D thought she would like to share some of the things
that work for her, which are mostly things she's picked up from other people and
tweaked to fit her particular situation.
If you caught that comment that "a trip to the city costs more than what Mrs.
D makes in a day" you may be thinking "huh"? And with good cause. At
this time Mrs. D only has the all-purpose, 4 wheel drive, gas hog, tons of
hauling room pick-up truck. It gets about 10 miles to the gallon.
Gulp. The plan is to retire it to the homestead for brawny homestead tasks
such as hauling water, feed, animals and firewood. But at the moment there
is no economy car.
So the first step we try to take is limiting our driving. Water has to
be hauled in at least 3 or 4 times a week. The goal is to combine this
with other activities so that no additional trips are needed. On cleaning
day, we clean our elderly friends homes, check the mail, go to the library, the
play park and bring home a load of water. If there is a weekday service at
church we go to that, check the mail, go to the library, the play park and bring
home a load of water. Two days a week we make soap, sew and work at
Maryruth's workshop, replenish soap baskets at shops in town, check the mail and
bring home a load of water.
Next are the trips to the city. Because this usually takes all day it
has to be carefully pre-planned. The bank, grocery store, and
gas station are regular stops. Depending on need, Home Depot, the
craft store, fabric store and thrift store could be included. Normally
there is not going to be time for all of these, so needs have to
be prioritized, other options have to be considered (mail order, local
supply, etc.) and excess stops are cut out. The goal is to limit these
trips to once a month, but with dentist, doctor and other
appointments, this is not always possible. Sometimes these errands can be
combined with the medical appointments, but not if there are alot of them, or if
the appointment involves pain and discomfort.
In the planning stages, we try for the optimum time when all the checks are
in for the bank deposit. We also have to plan our menus for the month and
include extra for visitors or special events so that we can get all the needed
groceries and supplies. Mrs. D keeps a running grocery list to help with
this, then consults the calendar for an idea of any extras needed.
She tops off the gas tank on the way home and fills up a 5 gallon can to
boot.
Another option that is helpful when possible is to combine errands with
another family. This is okay when you have pretty much the same stops and
plenty of hauling room and can agree on the same day to do it. Adults can
spell each other so that children do not have to come into every stop, and the
gas expense can be shared.
At the Homestead, we have switched over from a gas powered water pump to an
electric one - takes longer but costs so much less. We also use an old
fashioned push mower on our weeds/grass (mostly weeds). A little electric
golf cart has taken over assissting with many chores - feeding, manure transfer,
workshop errands. Lasts about a week per charge.
Mrs. D's Thanksgiving trek to the Big City also inspired some gas saving
ideas for urban homesteaders. Mass transportation may not be for everyone,
but it is an option, especially if you just have a couple light errands.
Many city bus lines are converting to clean burning fuels that don't suffocate
you, and a bus fare usually includes one free transfer. Mrs. D and Li'l
Homesteader do alot of bike riding in the city. It's amazing what you can
carry with a rack, panniers, a basket and a backpack. Then there's
the old two legs. Most stores, libraries, parks and banks are within a 2
mile range in the city, providing they're the ones you want. A well
fitting backpack can carry alot and now there are a variety of lightweight roll
along carts available.
For most city dwellers the solution is going to be the economy car.
Suggestions are pretty much as above as far as combining and planning
errands. The fewer trips you make the less gas you use, simple as
that. Carpooling with a like-minded friend can also help. Check your
electric bill. It may be cheaper to switch over to electric lawn mowers,
weed eaters, etc.
We may not be able to change the world, but Mrs. D believes that if we make
little changes here and there in our own little world, life will be better for
us.
Thanks,
Mrs. D
Copyright (c) 2007 by Robyn
Dolan
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Urban Homesteading
Mrs. D recently took a trip to the Big City
to visit her parents and older children. Though she grew up there, the
difference between her Homestead life and Big City life always astounds
her.
JDBelanger, founder and long time editor of
Countryside Magazine, www.countrysidemag.com, frequently
spoke of homesteading as "a mindset, a desire for self reliance, and a
preference for the plain and functional". When Mrs. D read this a few
years ago, it clicked with her own idea of homesteading. Mrs. D's life has
been a pendulum of trying to simplify and then getting all materialistic
again. Her indicator has been the level of satisfaction in each
situation. Material gain never satisfies, there is always more to be
had. Simplicity can frustrate but when it frees up time for friends
and family, the satisfaction makes it all worthwhile. So in the fast
paced, money driven world of the big city, what are some things that can be
simplified?
Water - so much is wasted when you can just
turn on a faucet and have as much as you want on demand. On the homestead
we haul water and keep it in a 2500 gallon storage tank. We can just climb
up and check the water level. Because we can actually visualize how much
water we are going through, water conservation takes on a whole new
meaning. Install low flush toilets (not the kind that take 3 flushes to
get the yuckies out of the bowl either) and if you're very brave - if it's
yellow, let it mellow. Shorten your shower, or take fewer showers.
Wash your hair or shave in the sink. Use a cup of water when brushing
teeth instead of letting the faucet run.
How about a garden - do you have even
a small back yard? Some fruits and vegetables are also ornamental, like
strawberries or onions, and could be used in front yards. No yard?
Tomatoes and many other veggies do well in containers on a sunny balcony.
Growing and preserving your own food will save a chunk of your grocery bill, not
to mention the health benefits.
Cook from scratch - this is a biggie.
Convenience foods and eating out "eat" up a big portion of
a paycheck. Start by comparing what it would cost to make it at
home to what it costs to buy it. For example, a $3 loaf of bread
costs 50 cents to make, even with organic, whole wheat flour. A
spaghetti dinner with salad and breadsticks for $9 at a restaurant, costs about
$1.50 per person at home. And like most things, if you start off taking a
long time to cook, as you keep at it, it won't take so long. And you can
precook many items and freeze them for busy weeknight dinners.
Electricity - turn it off! Computers,
televisions, lights, heaters, air conditioners, etc, etc. Get into the
habit of turning things off when not in use. Limit computer and TV time -
get out and play, read or get crafty instead. Switch to smaller, more
energy efficient room air conditioners. Turn off when leaving, back up
with a small fan if more air circulation is needed.
Gas - turn the heat down, put on sweaters,
long johns, blankets. Walk or ride a bike instead of driving. Check
out the bus routes or think about taking the train. Look into hybrids if
you're ready for a new car. Try to group errands into one trip
instead of constantly driving back and forth.
Learn to read all your meters, and read
them weekly. This way you can track your usage and find what is
working in saving energy and money.
This list is just a beginning. Start
off with a few new habits and when you start seeing the results you can add in
what works for you. Some great resources for ideas are the classic "Living
More with Less" by Doris Jantzen-Longacre, "Miserly Moms" and "Frugal
Families" by Jonni McCoy, and of course,
Countryside Magazine.
And just in case you're wondering whether Mrs. D is tempted to
move back to the Big City, know that she kneels and kisses the Homestead soil
every time she returns from one of these trips.
Thanks,
Mrs. D
Copyright (c) 2007 by Robyn
Dolan
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Conquering Mount Clutterest
Mrs. D likes visiting with other
homesteaders and she has noticed that we seem to have one thing in common with
everybody else. We collect stuff. What we collect may be different,
but the resulting massive clutter is the same. As Mrs. D tackle her own
mountain of clutter, she figures it's appropriate to share some of her own
trials, observations and solutions.
The problem with homestead clutter is that
you really might need those empty jugs for something and that salvaged building
material most likely will come in handy someday. So what to save and what
to toss? Mrs. D struggles with this one.
Paper clutter is just as big a problem on
the homestead as in town. It seems that ninety percent or so of our mail
nowadays is just junk. And then there is the excessive packaging in
anything you buy or mail order. Mrs. D's routine with paper clutter is to
go through the mail as soon as she gets home with it. All junk is
immediately put into the shredder pox. As she shreds, she saves another
box of used envelopes and blank scraps for notepads - why pay for something you
can reuse? Any 8 1/2 x 11 paper that is blank on one side is saved for use
in the copier to save on the "good" paper. Blank envelopes that come with
those greeting cards you get in hopes you'll send in a donation are saved, as
well as those name labels organizations send out. Another box saves
newspapers for starting the woodstove and soaking up messes that "city folk" use
paper towels for. Shredded paper is used for bedding in the chicken coop
and pig pen or for packing material.
Containers get reused. Glass ones are
washed out and if they pile up, they are boxed and stored for juicing, canning
and drying time. Some plastic containers are saved but if they pile up
unused for months, they are discarded. Same goes for tin cans, boxes,
etc.
Building materials have their designated
area of the yard. They can pile up and sit there until needed, bartered,
or considered not useful anymore.
As far as clothes, books, appliances, etc.,
if it hasn't been used for over a year and is not likely to be used in the
coming year it is given away. Broken appliances such as a crock pot that
can be used for animal feed and water or some such are saved. Clothing in
disrepair is recycled as rags or discarded. Toys are gone through
periodically and kept to a minimum, discarding broken ones. Outdoor play
is emphasized.
Now lest you think Mrs. D came up with this
system overnight or even *gasp* on her own, read on. A couple of Mrs. D's favorite resources for tips and
support for decluttering follow.
www.flylady.com - Awesome, awesome. Did
I say awesome? Somehow Flylady is able to penetrate Mrs. D's wall of "I
can't" and help her to take "baby steps" to a more manageable household.
Flylady's routines and journals are easily adaptable to Mrs. D's lifestyle - in
fact they are a lifesaver. Mrs. D was experimenting with her own systems
for years before she found this site, but Flylady's routines just seem to, well,
fly. Free downloads, free tips, no need to purchase anything;)
Addresses home, work, travel, menu planning, etc.
Living More With Less, by Doris Janzen
Longacre (c) 1980 by Herald Press, Scottdale, Pa 15683
A priceless and timeless volume about real
people, Mennonites from all over the world, living happier, more satisfying
lives with less of everything - money, stuff, stress. Each chapter can be
read in "snippets", short sections packed with practical suggestions for living
more simply whatever your current income, occupation or
lifestyle.
And by the way, don't get
discouraged. It seems that around here, as in many other places, fighting
clutter is a lifelong proposition. Dig in!
Thanks,
Mrs.
D
Copyright (c) 2006 by Robyn
Dolan
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Simple? Living
The title for this month's article is a bit
tongue-in-cheek because, I mean come on, we're on the Internet talking about
simple living? Ha! But seriously, I find that simplifying portions
of my life, at least, is gratifying. Last summer I wrote about how we haul
water here in Northern Arizona, and how wise use of that water directly affects
our daily life. Here on the homestead, all the dish, laundry and bath
water is carted out to the garden. Not only does the garden really like
this, but it saves a trip to the well once a week. Now figuring in the gas
savings (gotta haul the water trailer with the pick-up gas hog), and adding it
to the savings on the water bill, then throw in the savings on the electric bill
(the water pump doesn't have to work while the sprinkler's running on the
garden), and looks like Mrs. D can afford to throw a steak on the barbie now and
then!
All that and we're being ecologically
responsible too. I really don't mind carting the water out (usually)
because it gets me outside into the fresh air and into the garden. Then
I'm usually inspired to do a little more planting and mulching and without
even thinking about it, excercising. And with all the wonderful, fresh,
organic food that is just bound to be my reward for all this labor, my family is
going to eat well and be so very healthy! Talk about one thing leading to
another.
Okay, daydreaming aside, I can tell you
that Mrs. D is really a black thumb. I am the only person I know that has
killed at least 2 aloe vera plants and a thriving patch of mint. I am
happy to report that my second try with mint has been successful for 2 years
now. My point is that Arizona is a tricky place to garden even for a
seasoned yankee gardener like my neighbor. Thanks to his nearly four score
years of wisdom and Mrs. D's bullish determination we do actually get some
things to grow around here. So here are some tips, at least if you're
gardening in a high desert area like we are (5,000-6,500 feet
elevation).
1 - if it says "full sun", don't believe
it. The person writing those directions does not live anywhere in
Arizona.
2 - if it says "water 2 to 3 times a week",
you probably need to water 1 or 2 times a day, unless it's "monsoon"
season.
3 - do not mix clay soil with sand and
hay. You will get, yup that's right, cement.
4 - use lots and lots of compost.
Better yet build raised beds or use containers with lots and lots of
compost.
5 - shade it from the sun; shield it from
the wind; divert the flood waters away from it; divert the rain and gray water
to it.
6 - fence it off from the goats and bunnies
who love those tender green shoots; the cats who think it's a litter box; the
dogs who think it's a digging box; and those Arizona "free range" cattle who
trample everything.
7 - mulch, mulch, mulch.
If you can manage all the above, then you
just might get to harvest it, preserve it, share it and ENJOY IT!
Oh, and by the way, remember that the above
"tips" come to you from a self proclaimed black thumb (ha, ha).
Thanks,
Mrs. D
Copyright (c) 2005 by Robyn
Dolan
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The weather has finally cooled off in
Northern Arizona, and now we have to take preventative measures to keep our
water pipes from freezing. Mrs. D has to haul water from the town well, as the
water table is very low, so we rely on a pump and pressure tank to get water
from the storage tank into the house. The pump is located in a tin shed right
outside the house. This is not ideal, as the shed does freeze. This year we are
going to use volcanic cinders, which are plentiful in this area, to build a
better pump house. Mr. D has a unique way of building with cinders that produces
a fireproof and well insulated building. With a finishing coat of stucco and
some timbers, it is the classic southwest adobe look, without the problems
usually associated with adobe, such as erosion from wind and water. Anyway, the
plan is that this will keep the pump from freezing, with maybe a heat lamp
added, so we can avoid the expense of running an electric heater on it during
the freezing nights, and later when the days are freezing as well.
The compost/manure pile is steadily growing
in the garden. Now if the chickens would just stay out of it, we could water it
down real good so it could turn into nice, rich soil. Then again, maybe they’re
just saving us the work of having to spread it around. If only they would keep
it inside the garden plot. As always this time of year, in spite of repeated
gardening failures, Mrs. D is having visions of bountiful vegetables and profuse
flowers for next year. And so buckets of kitchen trimmings and wheelbarrowfuls
of horse, rabbit, goat and sheep manure are making the daily trek to the garden
plot.
Speaking of sheep, the Homestead sheep went
to the breeder, to ensure that there will be Easter lambs. The only problem is
catching them to bring them back to the Homestead. They were turned loose with
the ram up in the high pasture and seem quite content to stay there, roaming
free and eating crunchy crackly dried weeds instead of coming home to their nice
cozy pen with plenty of fresh water and tasty alfalfa. Mrs. D and company are
currently at the table working out a strategy to round them up and get them back
home. Right now a shepherd’s hook is sounding like a good idea. Suggestions from
the Homestead teenagers include "night ops" and bows and arrows. The Homestead
baby doesn’t care, as long as someone’s holding him.
With Thanksgiving nearly upon us, and
Christmas right around the corner, Mrs. D’s Homestead is operating at full
steam. Cleaning, decorating, cooking, sewing, and hiding of presents are the
order of the day. October pumpkins are being cut up and cooked to make pies,
pumpkin breads, cookies, pancakes and more. Apples are being ground into sauce,
sliced for pies, dried, and juiced. Plums are made into jams, and holiday baking
and candy making is getting started. More batches of soap, lotion bars and lip
butters are in process to fill gift baskets available from the homestead store.
Rice bags are coming hot off the sewing machine to add to gift baskets, or make
a thoughtful gift by themselves. We now have many different colors of covers,
too. Watch for new additions to the store: cloth napkins, hats, rugs and more on
the way.
So browse the store for homespun treats,
and come on back soon, for more homesteading adventures.
Thanks,
Mrs. D
(c) Copyright 2003 by Robyn
Dolan
Disclaimer: All information is provided for
entertainment purposes only. Mrs. D's Homestead and Robyn Dolan are not
liable for any misuse or consequenses resulting from use of this
information.
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