The Homestead Mindset Anywhere: by Donna Miller : save

Revisiting the top 10 garage sale obsessions...how it fits for thrift!

Millers Grain House — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:35:00 GMT

Although by the look of the dates on my blog, one would *think* the Miller Family had dropped off the planet! Sorry I've been otherwise engaged with two college graduations and a pending move! Phew.... To finish up my last post and tie things in a...(read more)

Nation wide peanut butter recall - homesteading mindset solution

Millers Grain House — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:41:00 GMT

In case you haven't read/heard there is a huge peanut butter recall (yes, again) across the nation. It is affecting everything from the stuff itself to ice cream and candy bars that peanut butter is in - I mean EVERYTHING is getting the FDA warning...(read more)

More about my single New Year's Resolution - Organize: it will keep us healthy

Millers Grain House — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:39:00 GMT

As I mentioned last entry, I wanted to take note at how my one and only New Year's Resolution effected us in the area of health. Well, organizing things around this homestead has definitely paid off on the health side already. I'm down 4 pounds...(read more)

My Only New Year's Resolution - Organize: it saves money

Millers Grain House — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:12:00 GMT

Whether you live in a small apartment or in a mansion on a one hundred acre spread of land, organizing is one of the top resolutions for the New Year for many people. It usually comes in about third place in the list behind health related and financial...(read more)

Making gifts and decorations for the Holidays

Millers Grain House — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:50:00 GMT

This year, we are doing as we have often done as we have trimmed our budget to the bone; we are making most of the gifts and decorations. This is not a new thing for our family. It actually began years before the kids were born, but has become a tradition...(read more)

Saving pennies does add up

Millers Grain House — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:08:00 GMT

Plastic baggies.

Aluminum foil.

25# -50# Grain bags

Mulit purpose uses for things like a dehydrator.

Cheap storage for pots/pans/lids.

One grain used many ways.

All these (and more as my mind works) are multi-use topics that help me save pennies around our home. This has helped us in the lean times more than me going to 'work' for someone else.

Very shortly, I will have new series on my youtube channel that branches into use, re-use, recycle and re-think uses of many items we typically toss.

It's amazing how the pennies add up when we just take the time to think outside the box.

If you want to be updated with visual tips and instructions to saving pennies in many areas, please visit my youtube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/thewheatguy

I hope you will check it out - it's like sharing face to face the tricks I've learned as my homesteading mindset has developed during our families journey!

Please stop by.

Best Blessings!

Donna

Keys to bulk buying, storage and learning to stretch grocery dollars.

Millers Grain House — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:24:00 GMT

If, like us, you are preparing your long term pantry for whatever reason (weather, gas savings, economic future) you may be a tried and true veteran of this longstanding homestead traditon or you may be new at it and ready to take the plunge. Either way, it doesn't matter if you live in the country or the city, buying in bulk can be a money (and time) saver if you do it right. There truly are some key points to keep in mind when learning to buy in bulk.

First, just exactly what IS bulk buying? Well, it's not just buying a lot (as in multiple items all at once). It IS buying larger than typical amounts of the same item. One can of organic green beans is always going to cost more per can than if we can find them in the case. Then, each can is substantially lower in price, because we have 12 or 24 of them.

Secondly, buying in bulk often, but not always, is less expensive in the long run. Time saved, gas saved and quantity discounts (as above mentioned) add up to being dollar stretches.

Third, bulk buying doesn't have to be done in the big warehouse stores. When a local market had tomato sauce on sale of $.30 a large can, I got about 8 of them. There are still 7 of them in my pantry and that sale was 3 months ago. The price has risen again, but there I have 28oz of tomato sauce for thirty cents sitting ready for us to use. Most of the time I can tomatoes, but the sauce takes too long for me and heats up our kitchen in the summer. This bulk buy was/is a big time/money saver for us.

Fourth, remember not to buy it - even if it seems like a great deal - if no one in the family will use it, or eat it before it goes bad! Fresh veggies are aften a good buy in wholesale clubs, but if you have 4 heads of romaine lettuce to throw out, then you have still wasted your hard earned money.

Fifth, learn how to store bulk items. Dry items need to be kept in a moisture proof container. Even large bags of rice and oats are easily stored for months on end in the right container...see here.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEblkB1mvFk

.... For meats, repackage into meal sized amounts and freeze. For cheeses, if you don't mind crumbled cheese, just freeze. If you do mind it, slice and freeze or shred and freeze.

Lastly, bulk buying can also work for items that are more household related than just food. Find out how long that $9 giant pail of laundry soap lasts by writing the date you started using it on the top in a magic marker. At the end when it's empty, you can see if it was a savings or not. I'll bet it was.

Buying bulk can be a bit of a learning curve, but by keeping a few things in mind we can see how bulk buying stretches our dollars each month!

Best Blessings and enJOY the journey!

Donna Miller

http://www.millersgrainhouse.com/store

An Audio-Visual Tip for Saving Money on Groceries!

Millers Grain House — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:03:00 GMT

An Audio-Visual Tip for Saving Money on Groceries!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cycj1dEAK0Q

“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime”—Author unknown

More visual tips uploaded every week (usually Fridays) so you can not only READ what I'm talking about with a Homesteading Mindset, but also SEE and HEAR some practical steps to saving $$.

Best Blessings!

Donna

Shopping like a homesteader.

Millers Grain House — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:09:00 GMT

Developing the mentality of a homesteader doesn't mean you have to live on 20 acres and butcher animals or have a garden and tractor. Developing the mindset is something that anyone can do, anywhere, anytime - simply think differently. With a few tweaks of the thought process, one can develop a homesteading mentality and use it in even the most populated, urban city.

The shopping or purchasing mentality of a homesteader bears examining when speaking of saving money. I’d like to simply touch on that one area of the homesteading mentality that is pretty much the same across the board regardless of homesteading style, or homesteading at all. I certainly welcome anyone's input about this thought process as well, because there is always more to learn!

Here are a few tips of how someone who may be known as a 'homesteader' usually tends to thinks before shopping for food, clothing, and misc items:

"Can I make this thing myself for less expense?" (food, furniture, gadget, etc.)

"Do I have something already that works in place of this just as well?"

"How often will I use this?" (Hint: If it's not on a regular basis - it's not purchased.)

"Can I do without it?" (If you've been fine without it for a while now...hmmmm.....see next question)

"Do we NEED it or just want it?"

In the world of 'impulse buy' isles by the register and fast food accessibility, this may be a bit of an unusual thing to think of and is a habit worth developing. Take this challenge and run those questions through the mental computer on your next shopping trip. See if you don't save some money.

Best Blessings ~ enJOY your life!

Donna Miller is a work-at-home wife and mother. She delighted to share her trials and triumphs of learning homestead anywhere. The Millers own and operate Millers Grain House which offers Organic and Chemical-free Whole Grains, Bosch Mixers, the NutriMill, instructional tutorials, recipes and more.

For starters...what is the 'Homestead Mindset' ?

Millers Grain House — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:41:00 GMT

Since this is the initial post for the blog, it seemed suitable to set the pace with at least an attempt to define the title of the blog and what a 'Homestead Mindset' is by definition. Since this blog is about developing that mindset anywhere and not just on a massive 100 acre farm, it seems likely that some readers may think there's no way they can do that, because they live in the suburbs or the city. Hopefully this blog will help dispel that belief and enlighten others to develop the 'homestead mindset' - no matter where you may call home.

Historically a homesteader was a person who was a pioneer; one who set out to 'do it themselves' and forge new territory; to make an untamed place a home. Much of that mindset and thought process has been elevated in our society with the convenience of so much of our daily lives. The pioneer spirit seems left to only a celebrity status, but it need not be so. The homestead mindset is best suited to the small tasks that add up to great results.

Some character traits that are common to a homesteading family would be (but are not limited to or all required):

· Using, re-using, recycling into new uses what one already owns. Known to some as 'making-do.'
· Careful thought before purchasing any item(s), not just large ticket ones.
· Making from scratch any number of items: food, clothing, etc.
· Somewhat of a minimalist lifestyle.
· Gardening, preserving and stretching food dollars.
· Free from 'keeping-up-with-the-Jones' disease.
· Joy in creative depravity (more on that later).

To try to define the mindset of a homesteader may be too large a task to try to fit into one post. The above list could go on and on and on with examples. To develop that mindset is a journey. With the economic times that many of us are facing right now, it would behoove us to do a little rearranging and changing of our minds to make it though, get out of debt and be freer for our future.

We have lived in the suburbs, lived in the city and lived on a homestead. So I know that its how you think that helps you cope and create, stretch and save, enjoy and endure, not a geographical location that gives you the homestead mindset. Hopefully you’ll join me on this journey of creating the homestead mindset anywhere.

Best Blessings ~ enJOY your life!

Donna