Old Project Avalon Forum (ARCHIVE) - View Single Post

12-28-2008, 07:58 AM

Hardly.

We cut our expenses to the bone two years ago and have
continued cutting since then.

One of life's little pleasures is getting letters from Direct
TV begging us to come back.

Our electricity consumption dropped from an average of
9kwh per day down to 7.5kwh per day.

The temperature in our home is set at 50 degrees. Our foam clothing makes up the difference and we have not been cold at all this winter. Our kerosene consumption was 15 gallons for the month of November.

We declared it a rainy day and started eating some of
our long term storable food.

We had a conversation over soup discussing the merits
of soups and casseroles to decrease meat consumption.
This is in anticipation of govt enforced rationing. As students of history we remember that the UK rationed meat until 1954, almost ten years after the war was over. By learning to cut now we will suffer less when it
comes for real.

We've turned combining trips into an art form to save gasoline. On a run to the farm supply I spied 55 gallon drums for sale. With gasoline at 2004 levels stocking up
a supply for the home with a hand pump is on the table to carry us through the memorial day spike we know is coming.

During the severe winter weather we were blessed to be able to just close the gate and not need a thing. We heard stories of every generator and kerosene heater flying off the shelf in panic buying in spite of dangerously icy roads. Our preparations paid off. Not only did we not need to venture outside our gate. We did not even need to go shopping in our barn for food or fuel until the weather got better. We shop a month at a time. If pressed would could not venture out for six months or more, but our cats and dogs would be eating people food and our chickens would end up canned!

We are blessed to still be employed. The savings are allocated toward being debt free. with an eye to the day
that we stop being paid. In my line of work there will
always be a job to go to. The question is will a paycheck
be part of the deal. In the old Soviet Union folks went
months working while waiting for back pay, or any pay at all. That is what I see happening to me if it all goes
south. But there will always be work waiting to be done...

12-28-2008, 07:58 AM	#7
Baggywrinkle Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Are you on a spending spree? Hardly. We cut our expenses to the bone two years ago and have continued cutting since then. One of life's little pleasures is getting letters from Direct TV begging us to come back. Our electricity consumption dropped from an average of 9kwh per day down to 7.5kwh per day. The temperature in our home is set at 50 degrees. Our foam clothing makes up the difference and we have not been cold at all this winter. Our kerosene consumption was 15 gallons for the month of November. We declared it a rainy day and started eating some of our long term storable food. We had a conversation over soup discussing the merits of soups and casseroles to decrease meat consumption. This is in anticipation of govt enforced rationing. As students of history we remember that the UK rationed meat until 1954, almost ten years after the war was over. By learning to cut now we will suffer less when it comes for real. We've turned combining trips into an art form to save gasoline. On a run to the farm supply I spied 55 gallon drums for sale. With gasoline at 2004 levels stocking up a supply for the home with a hand pump is on the table to carry us through the memorial day spike we know is coming. During the severe winter weather we were blessed to be able to just close the gate and not need a thing. We heard stories of every generator and kerosene heater flying off the shelf in panic buying in spite of dangerously icy roads. Our preparations paid off. Not only did we not need to venture outside our gate. We did not even need to go shopping in our barn for food or fuel until the weather got better. We shop a month at a time. If pressed would could not venture out for six months or more, but our cats and dogs would be eating people food and our chickens would end up canned! We are blessed to still be employed. The savings are allocated toward being debt free. with an eye to the day that we stop being paid. In my line of work there will always be a job to go to. The question is will a paycheck be part of the deal. In the old Soviet Union folks went months working while waiting for back pay, or any pay at all. That is what I see happening to me if it all goes south. But there will always be work waiting to be done...