Are there others out there who enjoy this; making things from scratch, conserving foods, tending a vegetable garden, owning chickens/rabbits/other, foraging for wild fruits/nuts/berries/herbs, various diy odd jobs and other crafts....?
I have to be mindful of keeping a balance; I don't have vast amounts of time, energy or mental ressources to put into these things. But I do like this more basic approach to living. I guess it's the simplicity of it that appeals to me. And when I succeed it makes me proud of myself.
Much of what I do have started out as small experiments - to see if I could do it without tipping the balance too much. And just about all of it has to do with saving money. My budget is very tight so I try to find cheap/inexpensive ways to add "good stuff". I am a slow learner and I don't do well with complicated things, so I try to start out small and simple to increase the likelyhood of success (or at least keep the failures from making me too despondent).
I am currently cutting up wood logs and splitting them, for the wood stove. I also have a pellet boiler, but to keep the costs down - and because I love using the wooden stove - I start and end the cold season using only the little stove for warmth (hanging up a heavy curtain in the living room door frame keeps the living room nice and warm) . I am a bit late with this for various reasons. Am currently looking into how I can stack the split wood to ensure it dries as much as possible during the summer before I move it into the outhouse.
A bigger freezer is something I have been contemplating buying for a while. I like to keep a small supply of homemade bread (and cookies and cakes) along with various fruits, berries and herbs I can forage throughout the year. I like the idea of conserving food in various ways, but have found that just because I can find a way of conserving a produce doesn't mean I use it/eat it. So I mainly stick with what I know I am likely to use. I have stopped eating meat within the past couple of years (I'm not very fanatic about it, but I also don't feel a need for meat - or don't want to pay the price for what I deem to be good quality), but I really like the idea of being able to add more raw food to my dog and cats's diet. And there just isn't room enough for all of it in the small freezer I currently have.
I was given the opportunity to acquire chickens when my closest neighbour had to move due to old age. I looked into the costs of raising/feeding them and decided I wanted to give it a go. So I built a chicken house/chicken coop (mainly using materials I had been given for free - I am still very proud of how it turned out) and brought home four adults - one male and three females. They roam free during the daytime so there is not much work in it for me. That was about a year ago; now I have six and they are currently working on increasing their numbers. I claim the eggs and let the dog and cats have the meat.
For variety I am contemplating bying a rabbit or two for breeding as they should be low-maintenance financially speaking. Will have to do more thinking and reading first, and see if I can find a local rabbit breeder to lean on for advise.
I have also dug up a corner of the fenced in part of the garden for a small vegetable patch. The last two years I have tried with just a few vegetables to get a feel of how I would manage. I am no natural at this, but this year I have decided to expand a little while still keeping with vegetables I know I should be able to eat or store for later use. Will see how that goes.
I also try to do the various odd jobs in and around the house myself, but I don't have much experience to lean on and am cautious about accidentally making things worse. I have been living in this house for almost five years and there are still so many things that needs doing. Some of them I should be able to do myself, but it is slow going. I try to get a few things done during winter, when there isn't much to do outside.
I would love if others will share about their own experiences and projects. Hopefully we can inspire and support each other.
I have to be mindful of keeping a balance; I don't have vast amounts of time, energy or mental ressources to put into these things. But I do like this more basic approach to living. I guess it's the simplicity of it that appeals to me. And when I succeed it makes me proud of myself.
Much of what I do have started out as small experiments - to see if I could do it without tipping the balance too much. And just about all of it has to do with saving money. My budget is very tight so I try to find cheap/inexpensive ways to add "good stuff". I am a slow learner and I don't do well with complicated things, so I try to start out small and simple to increase the likelyhood of success (or at least keep the failures from making me too despondent).
I am currently cutting up wood logs and splitting them, for the wood stove. I also have a pellet boiler, but to keep the costs down - and because I love using the wooden stove - I start and end the cold season using only the little stove for warmth (hanging up a heavy curtain in the living room door frame keeps the living room nice and warm) . I am a bit late with this for various reasons. Am currently looking into how I can stack the split wood to ensure it dries as much as possible during the summer before I move it into the outhouse.
A bigger freezer is something I have been contemplating buying for a while. I like to keep a small supply of homemade bread (and cookies and cakes) along with various fruits, berries and herbs I can forage throughout the year. I like the idea of conserving food in various ways, but have found that just because I can find a way of conserving a produce doesn't mean I use it/eat it. So I mainly stick with what I know I am likely to use. I have stopped eating meat within the past couple of years (I'm not very fanatic about it, but I also don't feel a need for meat - or don't want to pay the price for what I deem to be good quality), but I really like the idea of being able to add more raw food to my dog and cats's diet. And there just isn't room enough for all of it in the small freezer I currently have.
I was given the opportunity to acquire chickens when my closest neighbour had to move due to old age. I looked into the costs of raising/feeding them and decided I wanted to give it a go. So I built a chicken house/chicken coop (mainly using materials I had been given for free - I am still very proud of how it turned out) and brought home four adults - one male and three females. They roam free during the daytime so there is not much work in it for me. That was about a year ago; now I have six and they are currently working on increasing their numbers. I claim the eggs and let the dog and cats have the meat.
For variety I am contemplating bying a rabbit or two for breeding as they should be low-maintenance financially speaking. Will have to do more thinking and reading first, and see if I can find a local rabbit breeder to lean on for advise.
I have also dug up a corner of the fenced in part of the garden for a small vegetable patch. The last two years I have tried with just a few vegetables to get a feel of how I would manage. I am no natural at this, but this year I have decided to expand a little while still keeping with vegetables I know I should be able to eat or store for later use. Will see how that goes.
I also try to do the various odd jobs in and around the house myself, but I don't have much experience to lean on and am cautious about accidentally making things worse. I have been living in this house for almost five years and there are still so many things that needs doing. Some of them I should be able to do myself, but it is slow going. I try to get a few things done during winter, when there isn't much to do outside.
I would love if others will share about their own experiences and projects. Hopefully we can inspire and support each other.
