I changed the title of this post. I figured for the next few months, it will be completely interchangeable and intertwined. I am trying to homestead as frugally as I can while still understanding it will take money sometimes. I will try to post weekly picture updates also so you can see how well I am doing and learn from my mistakes/failures.

I am also currently having trouble uploading pictures using just Internet Explorer. I will have to go back to using Google Chrome. Thank goodness downloading it will be free!

We have done all the usual to save money and be frugal. I downloaded some free books onto my Kindle. We received a lot of freebies in the mail this last few weeks including several coffee samples, a toothbrush, dental picks, a book, and smaller samples. I fixed Dane’s stocking hat he loves to wear again.

I also made a huge batch of granola while Shali made two pans of apple crisp and two loaves of banana bread using up the plethora of apples and bananas we had been given. We dehydrated a bunch of bananas to have banana chips for the summer if they last that long!

I made a batch of laundry detergent. I also made a batch of DIY Miracle Healing Salve. This stuff is amazing! I had all the ingredients on hand for both so I could make both.

I went two weeks without grocery shopping. I just have not been impressed with the sales so I haven’t went. I make a list of what we have run out of and went to the store yesterday to get those things, milk, and produce. I can’t wait for my garden to start producing so I don’t have to go to the store for those things either!

My garden got tilled by a friend! Yeah! All they wanted was a little gas money which was great for me. We had the garden widened out by 10 feet to be able to grow more. I have gotten carrots, onions, tomatoes, and peppers planted so far. I want to get green beans, peas, beets, potatoes, and popcorn planted yet. If I still have room, I will plant kale, cucumbers, yellow squash, and/or pumpkins depending on the room. I planted the four blueberry bushes I received a few weeks ago. I will be watching the end of season clearance to get more berry plants.

I received a huge load of sawdust from another friend yesterday to use for the chicken coop and my garden! It was free! It will help greatly with bedding costs which I will need because my chicks came! I got 16 chicks. Seven of them died within a few days due to failure to thrive and not having the carrier warm enough. We got the warmth issue fixed by rigging the heat lamp inside the pet carrier they are hanging out in right now. The pet carrier is huge due to it being the one I used for my black lab. I did go to Bomgaars and get five more chicks so we have 14 chicks now.

Rob and I worked on the chicken coop this last weekend. We used the 10′ x 10′ dog kennel we were given for the outdoor area for the chickens. I did have to buy hose clamps to hold it together. We used a piece of pipe cut into smaller pieces for stakes to hold the kennel in place. Rob closed up a hole in the indoor space with a piece of plywood we had, lined the ceiling in chicken wire we were also given, and replaced the window in the room. We have to put a top on the outdoor area yet, line the bottom half of the kennel with chicken wire, and fill in a few gaps where the kennel meets the barn.

I moved Holly the dog to the garage. I fixed the small door going into the garage. I did need to buy new hinges and an eyehook to keep the door latched open. I used free pallets from work to make an enclosure for her in the garage with one of the doors being able to swing open to get in the enclosure. I still need to line the pallets with plywood to make it warmer and figure out a roof with a way to put a heat lamp in there for warmth in the winter.

We also had a garage sale with a friend using a local church. It was fairly successful and I took most of the stuff that did not sell to a local thrift shop right away.

Rob fixed the bi-fold doors we have in the front hallway so they work will again without popping out of the track. He also replaced my water system filter for me saving me $100 in service and labor fees.

I had to turn the furnace back on for a week, but it is shut off again. Hopefully until November!

What did you do this?

Thanks for reading!
Erica

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