Frugal decides to drop landline!

As we live in what the cellular store calls 

" the dark hole" we have never enjoyed cellphone reception until this year as we invested in a "Network extender"

A box that boosts the cell reception by hooking into DSL/ fast speed Internet. 

No monthly fees and you can find an extender on eBay. We bought one very inexpensively and ended up saying goodbye to our landline and saved about $45 per month. It had been very reliable and texting/ Internet surfing works via wifi on the smartphones. 

Always hated writing the check to the phone co and paying for cell service too.

Frugal farmer is very happy as I'm blogging via wifi on smartphone right now...

Frugal traveling by car

Traveling through the United States by car is a great adventure and it can be done in a very frugal way also. 2 weeks ago, the family jumped in the car heading south to be part of a wedding in Phoenix. We were planning to stop in Reno the first night, Las Vegas the second and Phoenix the third. We traveled in a Toyota sedan to save on gas,( 40 miles to the gallon on the highway), grocery stores to keep the food costs down and the Internet and Priceline to find deals on hotel rooms and to get coupons for cheap meals/breakfast included and so on.
Casinos are great places to stay even if gambling isn't something you enjoy. They usually have deals on free drinks, free/cheap meals and excellent room. Midweek is the time to go to the "Sin-cities" and make sure to book the room before you get there as most of them require bookings made on the hotel websites to get the deals. A beautiful hotel, by the Freemont experience in Vegas, 2 queens beds, $ 39/night.
In Reno, near the strip, $ 29/night, 2 queen  beds, $2.99 breakfast.
For the extended stay in Phoenix we went on Priceline and offered $50/ night for any hotel in our chosen area.
Simply clicking on the map and choose the amount of "stars" desired, make a bid and we ended up at a brand new luxury hotel with pool and gym, beautiful suite with 2 beds/4 people and free full breakfast every morning.
Free internet as a bonus.
Priceline is an amazing site. You never quite know what to expect but so far I have not been disappointed.
Just make sure that you check you dates as there are no cancellations or changes allowed after you win your bid.
Be sure to choose the area you want before bidding.
After you win the bid, call the hotel and let them know what your preferences are.
Also, I called the hotel the day of planned arrival and did a "check-in" over the phone. Often they can pre-block the room and you can then check in any time you like. We saved hundreds of dollars thanks to the internet and Priceline during this trip.
So when are you going to hit the road????
Don't forget your laptop!

Handmade gifts are in!

Feel the crunch of christmas shopping expectations and what the budget allows?

You are not alone and before panic sets in... take a moment and be part of the 2009 christmas shopping trend.

Buy locally, handmade arts and crafts for gifts. Support your local economy and feel good about what you give and where the money is going. Buying or making handmade gifts are the "thing " this year and your family and friends will truly appreciate your efforts.

Happy Holidays and Happy New 2010!

Finding Chanterelles, a frugal gourmet adventure....

...Chanterelles are expensive in the grocery store ( $10 and up...) and some people pick them and sell the on Craigslist to make good money during the mushroom season. We, being frugal minded was hoping to find some to enjoy fresh ( stir-fry with some garlic) and to keep some in the freezer for winter.
During the last few falls we've been trekking through the woods occasionally, trying to find some but this year we finally had some luck. It's a great adventure and the chanterelles gleam like gold in the green underbrush. It's a treasure hunt.
Not only can you find gourmet food for free but you get great free exercise!
No gym needed. To preserve the mushrooms, we quickly sauteed them in olive oil ( or butter) and froze them in freezer bags.
A little goes a long way with this fungus. Well, worth a day-trip for the whole family.
But you have to swear to secrecy...no one tells on another persons Chanterelle location, ever...

It's the code among mushroom hunters.
Also, make sure you know your mushrooms well. It's always good to join with
an experienced mushroom hunter before venturing out on your own.
The Chanterelle is one of the easiest to identify .
Happy hunting!

Raising too many chickens, a frugal failure...

We have always loved raising chickens. Just seeing them walking around the property makes us happy. Wonderful personalities, all different kinds of breeds... great super fresh eggs... keeping the yard pest free... All that and more until one day, we came to the realization that what started with a few baby-chicks are now a group of about 30 of chickens! Many chicks have been hatched by carefully hidden eggs by creative mama-chickens since and many of them are roosters...  Not a single egg can be found in the egg-collecting- boxes  and the feed prices have gone from about $ 7 (for a 50 lbs bag) to $12 per bag!  
The short version- a frugal failure. 
We are now downsizing. 10 chickens (only the youngest ones) and no rooster ( not needed for egg production) and rebuilding the chicken coop to fit a smaller group and make the layer-boxes more attractive. 
Also, a light in the coop, set on a timer to produce a couple of extra hours of "daylight" can keep the chickens laying  eggs further into winter and sometimes all the way through the darker months. They require at least 8 hrs of light per day.
The love for our chickens have not changed. 
We just had to find the balance between over-abundance and sensibility.
And I think a smaller group makes the worry of finding food and the pecking order easier for the chickens themselves.

Maybe now we'll have happier chickens too!?

Building a "stairway to heaven"...

"Craigslist" is my husbands favorite website and he recently found an outdoor staircase for sale. Somebody had torn it down but left it in sections. After an interesting loading and hauling procedure we had a big heap of cedar stair parts next to the house. A good friend helped recalculating the stair structure and made a cardboard-model that now is turned into a fully functional set of stairs. Every piece of wood from the original parts have been used and including some extra bolts, cement and a few boards, the total price: $150.

Estimated cost if we would have bought the material new..a couple of housands!
Ok, I have to brag yet again, T is brilliant. He wanted to build a set of stairs, he found the ad, saw the potential and ran with the idea. And he built it all by himself.
Frugality goes hand in hand with living "green". A heap of wood, destined for the dump, revitalized and beautified. Our own "stairway to heaven"...the beautiful meadow above the house...

Free music for the frugal!

First, I have show off a little....I have a friend who plays in the famous, classic rockband,  The Brymers, from the 1960's. They play great 60's garage rock. Great dance music and Indie rock.

They had many great hits in the past and the group is still very actively writing and recording music.

I was telling my friend about my blog and he offered to give away free CD's to the first 3 people who go to The Brymers web page and mention my blog there! I am honored.

You can check out the music, videos and photos on:  www.thebrymers.com

The CD that you'll receive is called "40 year brotherhood".( 19  tracks of rock-n-roll!)
I already have one and now you can have one too. For free!!!!