Copper Wyre » frugality

DIY: Chainlink fencing

Penny — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 22:44:17 +0000

Last year, before the house burned down, my husband and I decided that having the front yard fenced in would be immensly helpful for our suburban homestead. The front yard is mostly shady, so it is not conducive to vegetable growth. As such, we wanted to move the ducks and dogs into the front yard, using the entire backyard for vegetable and fruit gardening.

Garden Update: Hillbilly Engineering

Penny — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:38:14 +0000

I so desperately wish that I had the ability to show you lovely pictures of my seedlings, but the computer is still kaputz. At any rate, I will give you the update without it, though it will be a sad update, indeed.

Entertaining on the Cheap:Dinner Party

Penny — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:13:22 +0000

A decorated table for a fancy dinner at home.

Under a tight budget, people believe that they can’t go out and have fun. Maybe the “going out” part might be impossible, but really, how much fun is “going out”? You can’t get exactly what you want, when you want it. You often have to wait in line, wait for someone to bring your food, and then wait for them to bring the check. The food is rarely worth all the effort. The important part of going out is the company, so why not bring the company in? Have a dinner party!

The Power of Less

Penny — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:27:40 +0000

This is a repost of an article I wrote not too long after our housefire last year.

It probably sounds like a cheesy self-help title, but it isn’t any less true. While the fire was stressful and the ensuing fallout even more so, it’s interesting to see the effect of owning less. Right now, my husband and I are staying in a living room at my mother’s house. Since many of our things were destroyed or packed up by the salvage company, we don’t have much. All of our clothes fit in one singular bureau. I have three pairs of shoes, while my husband only has two pairs. I stack them neatly next to the door. It’s so easy to keep everything tidy, when I have a limited number of things to tend. I never realized it, but the over abundance of things made it difficult at our old house.

Making Your Own Laundry Soap

Penny — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:26:55 +0000

As per reader request, I have posted my tutorial on how to make your own laundry soap. The recipe is one I’ve seen in various places on the web, most notably the Family Homestead and The Simple Dollar. Just in case you’re saying that you don’t have the time, it only took me 13.5 minutes to do it all. It costs roughly $.75 for a two gallon yield, when I had to buy soap. Now that I barter, it’s even cheaper! Score! Just remember that this soap is not a foaming soap, but it works just fine.

Laundry Soap

January Wrap Up

Penny — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:53:09 +0000

This month is the first month where I am carefully recording our harvest, preservation, and budget progress. It is my hope that I will be diligent in continuing to keep accurate records. Record keeping is an important part of pursuing and achieving goals.

Eating from the Pantry: Ham and Cheese Lasagna

Penny — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:37:43 +0000

Here's the final product in the pan.

Eating from the pantry, a la LifeasMom, does not need to be a misadventure in taste. As far as I know, I just created this recipe. We had leftover ham and a lot of whole wheat lasagna noodles. I decided to try a ham and cheese lasagna. Here’s the recipe:

Lending Money to friends

Penny — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 09:45:49 +0000

(I posted about this on the Down To Earth Forums for advice)

My husband asked me if he could loan a friend,money with a hunting firearm as “collateral”. I was reluctant, because I didn’t want it to be about DH spending $300 for yet another hunting implement. DH said that the intent was for the friend to buy the gun back as soon as he got the money. He and his wife are in a tight spot because they have three children, and he lost his more lucrative job in construction, having to take a job that paid considerably less.

Read more on Lending Money to friends…

Curtains: They’re Not Just Eyebrows

Penny — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:00:12 +0000

Lacking a picture for the topic, here's a gratuitous picture of my mom's dogs.

I once heard someone on an inane decorating show say that curtains are the eyebrows of a room. *Snort, polite cough*

Save Money: Learn a New Skill

Penny — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 08:51:22 +0000

Learning new skills is important for frugal folks, particularly those interested in homesteading. However, many people seem to have the mindset that if they don’t know how to do something, they can’t ever do it. That’s just ridiculous...