Featured posts

Direct Download

Join me for a show on tactics for beating inflation that anyone can work on. This goes beyond “stop buying froo froo coffee” and delves into five places to focus your attention as we navigate quickening technological advances, a transitioning economy, and, well, friggin high prices at the grocery store that are outpacing income increases.

Featured Event: Oct 3 Fight Hacker, Escapeology with Sonny Puzikas in Camden, TN

Sponsor 1: EMPShield.com, Coupon Code LFTN

Sponsor 2: TheWealthSteadingPodcast.com

Livestream Schedule

Tuesday 9:30am: Tuesday Coffee with CJ Killmer and Shawn Mills

Friday 9:30am: Homestead Happenings with the Tactical Redneck

Sunday 6pm: Shoot the Breeze with Toolman Tim Cook and Spags

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

  • Freezer Audit Complete
  • Livestreams of weird things: beef heart
  • Collecting much more herbal tea items to dry
  • Final round of tomato canning up this week to free up freezer space
  • Canned good reorganization
  • Prepper Pantry Redo Update

Weekly Shopping Report

Home Depot. The online price of a 2x4x8 there remains $3.65.

Along with the new type, Aldi had some of their canned cat food back in stock, so we got two cases. We found everything else we wanted, but noted they were out of watermelon (not on our list this week). Staple prices were: bread (20 oz. white): $1.39; eggs: $3.77 (++); whole milk: $2.92 (+); heavy cream: $5.39; OJ: $3.45; butter: $3.99; bacon: $3.99; potatoes: $4.59; sugar: $2.99; flour: $2.35; and 80% lean ground beef: $4.39 (+).

A gallon of untainted regular gasoline remains at $3.599.

Frugality Tip from Margo

Hey y’all. After talking to someone recently I realized there are probably some things that are second nature to some, but unfamiliar to others. This week’s frugality tip is using media mail with the post office. If you are mailing books, movies, music, or educational material you can send them via media mail. Maximum weight is 70 lbs and it is $4.13 (at time of writing) for any size package. But don’t put anything else in the package, they can and will, randomly open media mail packages because some people have tried to skirt the system and mail other things. So send a book to someone and save a few bucks by sending it media mail. 

Happy savings y’all.

Operation Independence

That single beef heart yielding 7 meals was pretty slick – especially considering that people all but THROW hearts, livers and tongues at me.

Main topic of the Show: Five Tactics To Beat Inflation

Long Term View on Necessary Purchases: Quality – repairable freezer without a computer was $200 more than a good-name freezer. Likely to last twice as long.

  • Maintenance on a regular schedule
  • The $5 coffee coffee “problem” and gearing up at home
  • How can you side hustle this?

From Scratch Cooking: This CAN cost more but doesn’t have to. Do you eat bread? Bake it. Make homemade tortillas. Make them. 

  • How often do you grab something for lunch or dinner from a place. Can you premake things and replicate the ease while getting more bang for your buck
    • $15 foot long subway
    • Premade burritos in the freezer
  • Make your own spice mixes
  • Start where you are and make one change at a time. (eating out and making convenience foods on the weekend, meal planning, learn to cook rice or steaks well. If you dont know what to do, do something)
  • SavingsNinja on tiktok -2000/ calories a day on $4
  • Soapless laundry
  • How can you start a side hustle with this?

Prioritize health whatever that means for you. If you are not getting nutrition, exercise, sleep, health maintenance like regular dental attention, mental health – it is harder to tap into new ways to beat inflation.

  • Exercise is free. Making time for exercise is in your control even when you are slammed. Excises do not serve you.
  • Nutrition Reduced Bills, whatever that means for you and your family, when done right will push down the hunger and the bills. Yes. Plenty of people point out that chips are cheaper than vegetables and meats. But in the aggregate ARE THEY? When you cut out the refined sugars, the processed foods and transition to whole foods (yes even if that includes Nicoles nemesis CARBS), the overall grocery bill goes down. At first you may eat more, but your body adjusts. And if you must bake a thing to have a treat, I dont know about you, but it slows me down. Especially since I dont even keep the supplies on hand for something like a cookie. 
  • Learn herbal remedies.
  • Dr’s and herbalists OH MY. Create access to care for you and your family whether that be insurance, direct care, relationships with herbalists, taking that on at home, etc. Do what you can.
  • Good mental health = resilience. Hard times are hard to get through and if you are mentally weak, it is EVEN harder. Address your mental health. (Nutrition and exercise helps with this) 
  • How can you make a side hustle out of this?

Produce What You Need: your home can work for you no matter where you live. Growing food, making beer, taking up knitting as a hobby, weld things together for projects, fix things yourself, find the ways to do this that reduce reliance on cheap Just in time solutions that do not last.

  • Herbs and kitchen garden – lowes barrier to entry
  • Backyard meats, rabbit, chickens and eggs, quail
  • If you drink beer, brew beer (Caveat about how much you drink)
  • Make a list and find things that fit with your lifestyle that you can build into how your household works from a production standpoint
  • Adjusting by just spending less doesnt address the other side of the battle: You need more income. Side hustle, start a business, etc.
    • How can you make a side hustle out of that?

Community – This is what gets it done. No one can do everything but together we can do most.

  • Trade/sell based on what you are good at (Side Hustles)
  • Bulk buying in groups to tap into savings without having to buy a WHOLE CASE of chicken
    • Jacks show on food pma and the roundtable at SRF
  • Project blitzes
  • Tapping into the lows when there are highs and lows (Eg lumber)
  • Entertainment for free (potluck, campfires, picnics, movie night, etc)
  • Events and gatherings
  • How can you make a side hustle out of that?

What ideas do you have?

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Resources

 

I’m ready for something decadent that reminds me of autumns past. When Nicole Sauce was a tadpole, all the neighbor children liked this recipe. Substitute brown and white rice flours for a gluten-free rendition, which tend to be more crumbly than with wheat flours, so also add a little milk or water to the dough. Read more

Direct Download

Join us today for a discussion on preparing for processing season, sourcing organic sheep hay, recovering from the dog days of summer and more.

Featured event: Back to the Land Festival

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com

Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com

Seed Heads all around – the seed fairy returns

Raised Bed Project

Hay Hay Hay

Watercress is coming back

Mint needs another round of harvest and how Nicole does tea mixes

Operation cement Pad Update

Time to pull back the shade cloth

Community Freezer Audit

Fall garden: Chard

Basil needs processing and how I do that

Better System for Ducks (Mineral Water)

Fence Charger Bug Issue and how to resolve

Cooking a cow’s heart this weekend on livestream

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!

Community

Advisory Board

Resources

Direct Download

Join me for a group discussion with John Willis of Special Operations Equipment and Jack Spirko of The Survival Podcast.

Featured Event: The Self Reliance Festival, SelfRelianceFestival.com

Sponsors:

Show Resources

Special Operations Equipment

TheSurvivalPodcast.com

Living Free in Tennessee

NicoleSauce.com

HollerRoast.com 

Main content of the show

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Resources

 

Direct Download

Today we talk about the late summer pantry, some listener feedback, the shopping report, and what to do or say when someone you know is going through grief.

Featured Event: Saturday Open House at Strong Roots Resources, https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/event/fall-gathering-and-open-house/

Sponsor 1: EmpShield.com, Coupon Code LFTN

Sponsor 2: TheWealthsteadingPodcast.com

Listener Feedback From William

Listening to your winter is coming show and you mentioned storing feed.

incase you or your audience didn’t know the 31 gallon galvanized metal garbage cans hold (3) 50lb. bags of pelleted feed, like chicken or goat.  As long as the lid stays closed they are rodent resistant but they are not waterproof around the lid handle so don’t store them outside. Also when refilling pull the old feed that’s left at the bottom out and add it back on top of the new stuff to rotate feed properly.

Livestream Schedule

Tuesday, 9:30amCT, First Tuesday Coffee Chat With John and Jack

Thursday, 10amCT, Own Your Data with Hakeem from Above Phone

Friday, 9:30amCT, Homestead Happenings with the Tactical Redneck

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

  • Tactical collected more herbs for drying
  • Basil Processing
  • Still trying to repair my Harvest Right Freeze Dryer
  • Tomatopalooza in process
  • Pre-emergency Flight Food Prep

Weekly Shopping Report from Joe

2x4x8 at Home Depot, and it is still $3.65.

Aldi: There was still only one rack with eggs in Aldi, but there were more milk products this week, including some half-gallons, and there was also some of the 1% stuff. We found most of what we wanted, EXCEPT my preferred lunch meat, and canned cat food; fortunately we have some extra. Staple prices were: bread (20 oz. white): $1.39 (+); eggs: $2.42; whole milk: $2.89; heavy cream: $5.39; OJ: $3.45; butter: $3.79; bacon: $3.99; potatoes: $4.59 (+); sugar: $2.99; flour: $2.35; and 80% lean ground beef: $3.79.

A gallon of untainted regular gasoline remains at $3.599.

Frugality Tip from Margo

I wanted a chalk board to have a visible list for #mythreethings as well as 20 min tasks. I found a magnetic dry erase board at a yard sale for $1. I painted it with two coats of chalkboard paint and glued a magnet to a chalk pen. The dollar tree has chalkboard paint, chalk pens, and a magic eraser type sponge that is the best to clean off painted chalkboards. And you can paint any surface with chalkboard paint. If it’s bare plywood I recommend putting a coat of any old paint you have laying around first and then two coats of chalkboard paint. After a year or so chalkboard painted surfaces start to get a little dingy. So I paint over again. So for less than $5 it is possible to have a fantastic little chalkboard.

Happy saving y’all.

~Margo

Operation Independence

Relationships matter and because we know a concrete person, we are able to pour the pad sooner and for much less than contracting out – but it means work. While we are doing this, we are learning a skill to get more concrete in around the event area.

Main topic of the Show: What Do You Say

It’s been a grueling 3 months. Really a grueling year as we navigated what is a natural part of life: death. This topic is rarely discussed openly which leaves people rather unprepared on what to do when someone you know is going through the process of losing someone they love. In fact, this seems to be so taboo that being on the other side, the person losing someone is also pretty awkward.

When you find out it is happening

  • To share or not to share?
  • What to say? What to respond
  • How can you actually help
    • Check in from time to tile
    • Mealtrains
    • Extend grace
    • Talk about it or talk about normal things – just feel it out

What about after it happens?

  • To share or not to share
  • There are many things to do – they take time
  • Dont let your bank know yet!
  • Have a financial backup plan
  • Arrangements made with a mortuary in advance is a huge help
  • A word on hospice
  • A word on big decisions
  • Boundaries…
  • What to say? What to respond
  • Cards, flowers, food, etc

But what if I meant to do something and I never did?

I am so uncomfortable with the topic I cannot bring myself to reach out. Now what?

What is trite vs not trite.

Really, there is no “answer” but just being kind on both directions goes a really long way.

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

 

Community

Resources

Ever have a dib of this and a dab of that, but no good ideas for dinner or a hefty lunch? What about a rich leftover pie without the bother of rolling a crust?

This recipe invites you to mix meats, vegetables, and cheeses as you wish. Photos show what happens with about 1/2 cup each of cauliflower, ham, cheddar, some leftover sour cream, and nearly a cup of yogurt. A little bit of gravy or leftover casserole from a prior dinner also work. Read more

Direct Download

Join us for a catch up episode from the past to weeks! I have been ill so there has been lots of things happening a little differently of late.

Featured Event: SelfRelianceFestival.com

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com

Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com

Ducks got sick

Egg production is up with supplementary vitamins

Bottle Lamb Therapy

Accessible bathroom update

New Roof on the Prepper Pantry

Sickee Tea: chocolate mint, mullein, mexican tarragon, oregano, sage

Rose hips are ready to harvest

Canning progress

Paw paws are two weeks early

Goldenrod

Eversole GSD Weekend

Passion flower leaves

Tomato wall Has slowed down – shade cloth roll back season

Meals have been steak or nothing

Bee sting and missing benadryl

Need to separate the rams

Rabbit breeding season

Finances – perspective on eggs

 

Make it a great week!

 

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!

 

Community

Advisory Board

Resources

 

Direct Download

Join me for a group discussion with Greg Doud from Take The Ride 23 and members of our community and beyond about building the life you choose, current events, building a durable life, community development, business, getting started, health and more. 

Each Tuesday, we welcome a different guest to tell their story, as well as take your questions live. 

Featured Event: The Self Reliance Festival, SelfRelianceFestival.com

Sponsors:

Show Resources

https://www.youtube.com/@Taketheride23

Living Free in Tennessee

NicoleSauce.com

HollerRoast.com 

Main content of the show

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Resources

Direct Download

Join us for a discussion of Paw Paws, pool preparations, temporary electrical fence strategies and more!

Featured Event: SelfRelianceFestival.com

  • And the workshops!

Sponsor 1: TheWealthsteadingPodcast.com

Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com

  • What are a few things about running temporary fencing that you have learned over the past 2.5 years
  • Worms, vaccinations and sheep
  • What is a paw paw?
  • The great pool project on 2024
  • Parasites, new water filters, and finding a real doctor locally
  • Accelerated forage
  • Dead chickens and faulty feed
  • Rabbit breeding weekend (Before the 100 degree days hit next week!
  • 1 Fall raised bed
  • Holler Neighbor Dinner
  • Hay debacle (Finance)
  • Next week’s schedule

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!

Community

Advisory Board

Resources

 

Everyone I know in Tennessee, California, and Oregon has trouble growing dill in recent years, including me. But fresh dill chopped into all sorts of things is so good!

Here’s a hefty slaw with dill and sour cream over potatoes and cabbage to fill you up during an exciting football game. Salad and vegetable dish in one, it’s worth the making. Read more