Mood:  caffeinated

Lately my email has been full of people wanting to know more about how to start being an eco happy homesteader….so I thought I would tell you all little about what we have done. 

So here we go…

    We decided to see what we could live with out. 

      We decided we could live with out eating out more than once a month; this saves gas as we live 15 miles from anywhere.

     We could live with out brand new cars…

     Mine will at least run on ethanol. 

     We own a lot of classic vehicles.  -A 1978 Jeep Wagener that was my dream car.

     A custom 1988 Cadillac, a 1989 Buick Le saber custom (We are selling this at the car show this September in Mammoth Springs as it has fuel injection.)

     A wonderful 1987 ford retired gas powered U-hal Truck.

     With out brand new furniture…If we want it will build it, buy it used or post for it on FreeCycle or trade or barter for it.

      Trip to the salon, not store bought hair cuts.

      Along with that no store bought makeup or lotion or chap stick….We make most of these our selves.

      Pet treats-We make these our selves and even sell and trade with others.

      Contract Cell phones….Gosh the money you can save here is amazing. 

      We have four cell phones and went from paying $152.00 a months to a scant $60.00.   

       Credit Cards-buy it with cash or don’t buy it…

      Mortgage, home owners insurance and the like (yes I have car insurance). 

      Car insurance, the cheapest source I could find that did not base you insurance on credit-The Hartford.  $92 per month full coverage on them.

      If you want to know about the insurance on you home and how it is a scam email and I will be happy to tell you all about it.  

      Mail order coffee, I will live with what I find at the grocery store…

      Paper magazines-I can read most magazines online for free and save the trees and money. 

      Incandescent lights- We chose to replace all the nasty energy consuming incandescent lights with thrifty florescent ones. 

      Cost of 22 florescent light bulbs= around $100.00 with tax in Arkansas…

      Savings about $15.00 per month in electric-over all each bulb has a life span of at least three years

      This means they will not only last about a hundred times longer than the old bulbs, but will pay for them selves very quickly.

      Washing our clothes in warm and hot water….we only wash in cold water now.

      Zip lock bags-buy a Seal-a-meal, for the money you will get more and it is more eco friendly…plus you can use it to reseal all kinds of bags.

      Some other changes we have made in our lives are:

      We reuse almost ever container we bring home at least twice. 

     We make our own eco friendly soap, (this saves fuel and the eco system).

     We also make our own laundry soap…

      Feel free to ask for the recipe…

     We make one trip to shop instead of many:

     We try hard t o buy locally grown meat, if beef only Angus, it’s grown cleaner and is local.

     We also raise and eat our own old world sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, geese, quail, ducks and pigeons.

     We milk our goats and sheep to make soap, cheese and of course just for milk as well.

      We eat our eggs from our free range chickens and ducks.

     When ever possible we buy local produce or raise our own from heritage or heirloom seeds. 

     Our potatoes this year will be blue, red and Yukon gold.

     We can our produce and also make our own jams, jelly’s and wines when ever possible.

     We have our own apple tree, pear tree, prisimon tree and a small mulberry tree as well as a tom of wild Black Raspberries.

     Currently we have our own Bay leaf tree and many herb plants.  Sage grows very well here as does basil and mint.

     To heat our home we burn good old fashioned wood…we try hard to gather wood that would otherwise be wasted, plus it’s free….

     We have logging horses that help us and we love them and our glad that they have chosen to share their lives with us.

     We joined Freecycle to give away things we don't need that might otherwise go into the land fill.

     If we are looking for a part or an item we need we ask on Freecycle first.

     We also compost all our food waste that the animals don't eat and use only organic fertilizers on our land. 

     We raise cute little bunnies who help us with this…

    . Well anyway this is some of what we do…I am sure it gives you an idea or two of your own….

                                                                        Be Blessed

                           Shekhinah, Michael and all the kids and critters here on Mahanaim Farm

                                                          www.goldendovegallery.org  

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