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10 Ways My Wife And I Cut Our Grocery Bill By 75 Percent

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My wife and I own two homes and live two lifestyles. One homesteading and one suburban. Here’s how we borrowed the best from homesteading to save money, especially on our grocery bills.

The Homesteading Life

We have a cabin in Michigan. It’s on 80 wooded acres in the Manistee National Forest on a trout stream. We heat the house with wood, hunt and fish, garden aggressively, have 50 fruit trees planted on the property, wild forage and practice a range of food preservation techniques. Our grocery food purchases are next to nothing, with the occasional purchase of coffee, flour, sugar, salt, some meats, milk and butter. I guess you could say we shop like Alaska sourdoughs putting together a grubstake.

The Suburban Life

We also have a home in the suburbs in Northern Illinois about 30 miles west of Chicago. I was an advertising consultant and my wife a nurse and soccer mom. For some reason we were walking away from the homesteading discipline when we returned to our suburban home — and the grocery bills soared. It was some time ago that I decided to do something about that and apply some of the disciplines of homesteading to our suburban retreat. It took some time, but the lessons and practices we learned while in Michigan made the process much faster. Here’s what we did:

1. Fruit trees. When it came time to plant trees in the yard, we skipped the ornamental trees and instead planted fruit trees, including apple varieties, pear trees, peach trees, a mulberry tree and some wild plum trees. It took a while, but once they started to bear fruit we actively ate the fruit and practiced various fruit preservation practices.

2. Vegetable gardening. We aggressively turned the soil in our backyard to make a very large garden. Instead of spending all of our time, energy and money on traditional flowers in our flower beds, we planted certain vegetables. To improve the appearance of those flower beds, we planted edible, ornamental peppers, blueberries, wild strawberries, heirloom tomatoes, kale, broccoli and cauliflower. My wife still planted some flowers like daffodils and tulips, but there were just as many if not more ornamental vegetables.

3. Herb gardening. The cost of herbs at the grocery store is ridiculous. I’ve seen prices as high as $5 for a tiny jar. We haven’t bought herbs at the grocery store for years and once again, we not only planted a dedicated herb garden with perennial herbs, but planted annual herbs in the flower beds. We particularly like the flowering herbs in the flower beds like oregano, chives, garlic and chamomile interspersed with parsley and thyme as a ground cover. Be careful with the chamomile, though. It spreads like wildfire from reseeding.

Discover 1,147 Secrets Of Successful Off-Grid Living!

The dedicated perennial herb garden contains lemon balm, tarragon, rosemary, lovage, more chives, garlic, lemon balm and marjoram. There are more herbs we could plant, but those are the herbs we like and use.

4. Wild foraging. We live next to a large forest preserve and wooded areas and fields abound around our suburban home. My grandfather introduced me to wild foraging when I was 7, and I’ve continued to learn and forage ever since.

Our foraging includes picking black raspberries, blackberries, wild plum, dandelion leaves and crowns, fiddlehead ferns (they taste like asparagus), morel and giant puffball mushrooms, various parts of cattails, milkweed pods for stuffing, goldenrod flower tops and blackberry leaves for two of the best teas I’ve ever tasted, acorns, black walnuts and chestnuts, red sumac berries for seasoning, purslane, clover for teas and salads, and the list goes on. If you take the time to do some research and actively observe and experiment, you’ll find wild plants that can supplement every meal.

5. Chickens. I was surprised to learn that a chicken coop was permitted in the suburbs of Chicago. We do about a dozen chickens a year and haven’t bought eggs for quite some time. We do the same at our cabin, but it was nice to know we could do it in the suburbs, as well. It’s a little alarming to my neighbors when I pull a chicken and pluck and dress it in the backyard, but after bringing them a fresh, free-range chicken a couple of times, they calmed down.

6. Hunting and fishing. It’s a really bad idea to walk around the suburbs of Chicago with a rifle in your hands, but no one has a problem with a guy and a fishing pole. I avoid the rivers. They’re notoriously polluted, but many of the lakes are clear and clean. I usually catch bass, catfish and panfish, and we’ve managed at least two meals a week from my fishing forays which I really enjoy.

7. Bake and cook it yourself. I’m a certified chef, and I bake three loaves of bread a week in addition to cookies, pizza dough and pasta, cakes and breadsticks, hamburger buns and hot dog buns. My wife makes pies from scratch and is a master candy maker. I’ve made ice cream from milk and, of course, apple cider and apple cider vinegar from our apple trees.

8. Can it! We’re both experts at preserving foods through the canning process, and every fruit and vegetable in our yard gets canned and then properly stored for later use. I’ll also bring the leftover canned goods from Michigan when we head back to civilization. We’re also very proactive when it comes to making jellies and jams from the various fruits in our yard and the surrounding forests and fields.

9. Preserve it. We dehydrate a lot of fruits and vegetables, and it couldn’t be easier. Just wash and slice, put into the dehydrator and go do something else for a few hours. We also dehydrate herbs at the end of the season for use all-year-round. We don’t preserve too much fish and game because I never seem to catch that many fish, and then there’s that rifle thing in the Chicago area. However, I have smoked some of our chickens.

10. Waste not. I taught a cooking class once called “the leftover gourmet.” The unfortunate fact is that Americans throw away 40 percent of their food. I’m very proactive about using leftovers the next day, and it’s not about microwaving. I treat any leftover as a new ingredient that can be modified, changed and improved with the addition of other ingredients. I also keep a close eye on fresh produce, but having the garden makes it easy to always find something same-day fresh.

My family has actually found this approach to our suburban life to be interesting and fun. My older kids like it because they can see the healthful and organic benefits of growing, raising and making your own rather some of the grocery store offerings. For me, that’s all good, but what I like the best is I cut that grocery bill by 75 percent!

What advice would you add? Share your tips in the section below:

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Self Sufficiency

NYC Adds Nearly 4,000 People Who Never Tested Positive To Coronavirus Death Tolls

New York City added nearly 4,000 people who never tested positive for the coronavirus to its death toll Tuesday, bringing coronavirus-related deaths in the city to around 10,000 people.

The city decided to add 3,700 people to its death tolls, who they “presumed” to have died from the virus, according to a report from The New York Times. The additions increased the death toll in the U.S. by 17%, according to the Times report, and included people who were suffering from symptoms of the virus, such as intense coughing and a fever.

The report stated that Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio decided over the weekend to change the way the city is counting deaths.

“In the heat of battle, our primary focus has been on saving lives,” de Blasio press secretary Freddi Goldstein told the Times.“As soon as the issue was raised, the mayor immediately moved to release the data.”

The post New York City added nearly 4,000 people who never tested positive for the coronavirus to its death toll appeared first on Daily Caller

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The Ultimate Energizer Review – Does It Really Work?

energy

If you’re looking for a review of the ultimate energizer guide then you have come to the right spot because in this exclusive article we’re going to blow the lid off the ultimate energizer once and for all and reveal weather it is the real deal or not.

This brings us to the review of the ultimate energizer guide. This is a program that provides users with classified information on how to build a free energy generator. But can the program really make you achieve this?

does it work? will it be worth your investment, time and energy? all these questions and more are what this review on the ultimate energizer program seeks to help you find answers to.

The ultimate energizer review – is it worth it?

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About The Ultimate Energizer guide

The ultimate energizer is your ultimate guide to building your own alternative and portable energy source to power up any of your household appliances including refrigerators and aircon units. It is a very affordable way to having an emergency generator that can help you save more than 50% from your electricity bills without spending too much on other alternative energy source like solar panels or wind turbines which is costly and will also need a lot of space.

The ultimate energizer causes you to be calm about the electricity bill. This well ordered guide shows you how to manufacture this claim “home energy gadget” today impeccably. This will dispose of your energy charge ensured.

It is lost to the earth which means we need to really take care of it in order to reduce the cost of energy bills which introduces the ultimate energizer guide.

About The Ultimate Energizer Creator

The creator of the complete the ultimate energizer guide is steven perkins. He found the journal of the founder of this technology in his home when his father shifted near quebec city in canada.

In this post, we will review the ultimate energizer whose creator claimed to offer a way through which you can generate non-stop current. According to the author, you can drop down your electricity bills by 80%.

Of course the ultimate energizer owners provide resources. But the truth is that you are a master creator. All of them have that talent in us. The only difference is the extent to which it is hidden in each of us.

Features of The Ultimate Energizer

The features of the ultimate energizer guide are as follows:-. This program guide will help you to design a the ultimate energizer generator which will follow the rules of linear induction motor which is built around a track that is orbicular to maintain the smooth motion of rotors that are transportable.

You can find here, a extensive review which highlights all the important features and performance criteria of the ultimate energizer. Use of the the ultimate energizer is very easy since all of the functions can be accessed in a short time; you have complete control over it. 100% money back guarantee shows that the ultimate energizer really works. The ultimate energizer gives full customer support for 7/24/365, also, features, credibility and the ultimate energizer’s ease of use are favorably satisfied by the buyers.

Use it on any electrical appliances from small clocks to big plasma tv screens, refrigerators, and air conditioners. Power the cabins while hiking to the mountains or camping. Other essential features of this complete the ultimate energizer are that it is easy to assemble and does not require a technical background to master engineering.

Pros and Cons of The Ultimate Energizer

I’ve created this  honest ultimate energizer review to help you make a well-informed decision. I’ve tested it myself and now i’m going to share with you all the key aspects you may be interested in: how does it work? is it really so powerful and effective? what are its pros and cons?.

It is non-polluting. It remains popular the ultimate energizer guide pros & cons because it is both a renewable and clean source of energy. Harnessing solar energy is more than a fine idea it’s currently a reality in thousands of homes in a lot of nations around the world.

>> Click here to get access to the ultimate energizer guide now

On the review of the ultimate energizer guide, we will be looking into what exactly the program is all about, the details of the energy generator program, the benefits, pros & cons and our conclusion on the program.

Does The Ultimate Energizer really work?

The device is usable during emergencies. It works without fuels and therefore there are no expected fumes. It is weather proof. Cons of the ultimate energizer. You can only download the program from the official website.

But the ultimate energizer reviews that are available from real users online on platforms like google and youtube seem to confirm that the device does indeed work. So, as per my ultimate energizer review answer to the question is the ultimate energizer legit? is definitely yes.

The ultimate energizer guide. The ultimate energizer is said to work for your home and cut electricity by 82%, guaranteed by tomorrow. The ultimate energizer reviews. It can boost any type of electricity by as much as 5 times.

Advantages of The Ultimate Energizer Program

The program can benefit you in many ways. Below we are listing the advantages of using the ultimate energizer program for generating electricity:. This device will help you save up to 60%-70%, without investing money in solar panels which can cost you a lot of money.

There are additional the ultimate energizer guide program advantages too, including advantages at tax time, so do your homework on what you might have for being a solar power pioneer contributed back.

Why The Ultimate Energizer is Useful?

The ultimate energizer is a complete guide and blueprint. With it, you get everything you need to know to build your own free energy generator. This generator can be completed for less than $50 if you have some tools already. But i remember reading another review of the ultimate energizer, and the guy said he took days. Maybe he was crafty. Then, you assemble it and get it to work.

You will be guided step by step, that anybody who can read can build it. You do not need prior building experience or massive strength; it is that easy. Building the ultimate energizer takes under 4 hours if you are slow and definitely a lot less when you have help.

The ultimate energizer has already changed the lives of over 30,000 families who chose to power their homes using this eco-friendly device. This is definitely a good investment that is worth your time and money and if you think it isn’t after trying it out, you can request for a refund.

Is The Ultimate Energizer a Scam?

The ultimate energizer guide really show you how to power your house and save tremendously, or is this just another overhyped scam? this system was created after its owner decided he wanted to have a home power generating system in case of any crises or disasters.

The ultimate energizer pdf. It does not need any conventional electric power. The ultimate energizer scam. In this program, you can also build more generator and sell for profit. This product can also be incorporated into the automobile to power an electric motor.

All you need is an open mind and a desire to try new things to get a life in the field of freedom of energy. So, what are you waiting for? it’s time to say goodbye to major energy companies and start using the ultimate energizer guide today.

Watch this video demonstration of the ultimate energizer guide put into action

 

>> Click here to get access to the ultimate energizer guide now

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off-grid

Better Off-Grid Deal Yet? Good This Weekend Only!

Get Two Pocket Air Pros Worth $99.00 FREE With Your Purchase Of A Pocket Power

Even Better: We’ve also lowered the price of the Pocket Power X. Great Gear, Great Price.

Offer ends on Monday at midnight!

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The post <span style="color:#ff0000">Better Off-Grid Deal Yet? Good This Weekend Only!</span> appeared first on Off The Grid News.

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