Baking Bread? Listening to The Greatful Dead?

Okay. I think I must be becoming a hippie at last. So, I have been thinking that in order to cut costs I have been eating brown rice and tofu, planting my garden, riding a bike to save gas, and BAKING BREAD!!!

Seriously, I love the expensive "artisan" bread but can't afford it, and since I figured I was broke, I've been "rolling my own" (lol 70's lingo there). Making sourdough wheat. People are raving. My next project is Ciabatta. I've even made yogurt and granola, folks! Am I gone or what? Right now I am working on my magnificent compost bin. I want to buy a goat but they don't allow it here. (Dang, goats is cute).

I think my little part of the world is sliding back to the late 60's, early 70's it is like a time warp in here. Seriously, mod furniture, macrame? The only thing "with it" in here is a chihuahua, and he's so 2000.

I need blankets and clothes and am making "crazy quilts" from discarded pieces of cloth, and making clothes on the sewing machine.

I think the news has proclaimed that the new recession is very similar to the early 70's. Funny. That's where it is here. To top it off, I've suddenly become a Dead Head! Yippie.

Anyone else doing the Retro life? to save money?

I'm doing a "community garden" with a friend this summer to save on grocery bills.

Other than that, not much else here. Just coupons and searching for "free" stuff/money online.

Got the backyard garden in the ground and what I don't grow the neighbor does........and we all share.

About 4-6 times a month neighbors here share a supper. We call and say bring your leftovers, picnic, BBQ in the back yard. Or I'll cook a giant kettle of soup beans and cornbread, and we all pig out....... and then cook marshmellows over the firepit.

Great social time and cuts food cost for everyone.......

Sometimes we have lawnmower races to see who can mow and trim the fasest on mowing day..... and we just cut EVERYBODYS YARD we can............. especially the old folks that have to pay to have it done like some of our neighbors do.

Course me, Well, I'm not real old yet.............. so I still mow the yard..... but often give up my mower so someone else can have fun in the races......

People who eat only veggies, fishes, tofu will certainly raise their age/longevity higher (as history has proved that world-famous Japanese culture by having many bi-centenial women reaching 110+, their eating mostly sushi, tofu, seaweeds, cabbage, etc.) :angel:

People who eat only veggies, fishes, tofu will certainly raise their age/longevity higher (as history has proved that world-famous Japanese culture by having many bi-centenial women reaching 110+, their eating mostly sushi, tofu, seaweeds, cabbage, etc.) :angel:

Also, I've read that cutting your food intake down, (though it is hard) can really add years to your life. I guess for the same reason.

I actually think genetics really has a lot to do with age, more than eating. My grandmother died at 100. My mother, father and grandfather all died at about 79 years old. But then, my grandmother was a nun, (Episcopalian, they can be married and have children).

So as much as genetics, food, exercise have a great deal to do with longetevity, i believe also that "peace of mind" or the ability to relax in the face of craziness through whatever means (religion, philosophy, logic, some form of occupation) is hugely a pert of good health.

Things like "Gardening" and simple living are part of relaxing. Just having a hobby that can take your mind off of the hard times is a key to good health. Writers, artists, religious people, and in a lot of cases, farmers all usually have a fairly long lifespan (as a rule-- (the caveat is that many people die of accidents, suicides, genetic diseases and such).

Although it is not the subject of the thread, I hope anyone in a BK has an outlet to enter the mental "space," (sorry I'm talking like a new ager here) to discharge negative energy. When I get all frustrated, I take out a pad and paper and start scribbling.

Strangely, as a writer, I am involved in what might be my breakthrough novel right now. I put it off at first, but then started to write, and the pressure of my finances really had fanned the flame of productivity here.

I find myself always looking for ways to cut things out that I don't really "need" and getting back to basics as much as possible. We don't need brand name clothes, actually we don't even need new clothes a lot of the time. Hand-me downs are often just fine. That's just one example. Groceries are another way. We don't need a lot of the pre-packaged conveinence foods out there. It's usually cheaper to make your own, or even to grow your own if you can.

Our garden is in - love those fresh veggies and herbs all summer long! I also love to bake bread and have been doing that on weekends too. I like to sew as well so have been making my own pj's and other simple knock-around-home clothes. Every little bit saved helps!

The return to more self-sufficiency is (usually) a good trend for the earth as well as the pocketbook!

Gardens coming along fine, getting stuff out of it already.....

Haven't forgotten how to make my own clothes (if necessary), make quilts, drapes, reupholster furniture and refinish furniture (my bedroom suit is 40 years old and looks brand new).

Haven't made any clothes in years but still remember how......

I try to recyle everything I possibly can and make something out of it. reuse coffee cans, plastic jugs, newspapers, lots of things.

Buy very few packaged items or specialty items like prepackaged dinners. Cook a lot from basics.

Can and freeze in the summertime all the fresh vegs I can get my hands on.... so much better than out of a can.

Coupon user at grocery and even at lunch places when I eat out....

Many ways to stretch the budget if you really work at it.....

I make my own bread,and the easy way,i also make my own laundry and dishwasher detergent.
I buy clothes at goodwill,or even make my 6 year old's clothes.I look for clearance at target.
i buy lots of school supplies when on sale after the beginning school begins...because ,you all know that kids will let you know what they need the night before they absolutely need it..

i also use coupons...and love to cook,so rarely a prepackage food in the house...

and now,if only I could garden....

I bake my own sour dough bread from scratch! I have a bread machine but it comes out great when I do it all myself. I have tons of starter in the fridge.

My new project has been perfecting pizza dough and making my own pizza.

And I also have a huge garden. Nothing like homegrown veggies & stuff.

'One half full' and all above. Bravo! Mother Earth News, 70's. Now in the near future we live what they predicted. I have built three passive solar water heating system. Garden YES, we need to pick one now. We have the land but not the time or energy, yet. Thank you folks for reminding me of what comes first. 'Hub