If I could, I’d turn all of my lawn into garden.
Reed, however, not so much.
I’d love a few chickens running around my backyard.
Parker’s Pulmonologist shot that idea down in a flash. Something about chicken dust and trachs and trashed lungs not a healthy kid making.
But there are things I can do. Like learn to get by with what I have. You know: use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without.
Become a producer rather than a consumer alone.
A scavenger….hello, Freecycle.
Did you know you can make bread in these?
An opportunist….so if I let you borrow my wheat grinder you’ll teach me how to make cheese?
Learn to understand the value of sharing.
I am part of a community that offers up what they no longer need in terms of medical supplies. I am often able to get what Parker requires without engaging his quickly dwindling insurance reserves.
When Parker’s formula was changed I was able to offer up the just delivered cases of the old type to someone else in need. Outgrown kid clothes can be given to another. Something that I no longer use may be the very thing someone else is in need of.
I choose to cloth diaper and use cloth wipes. I never worry about finding money for disposables each month, thus removing me from at least that part of repeated consumerism.
By knowing that organic millet and brown rice are cheap, nutritious, and easy to make, I can provide grains for my family for very little per serving.
Organic Chick Peas
Since I understand that lentils and beans are high in protein and cost much less than meat, I know I can stay well within my budget for Parker’s blenderized diet, while still providing what he needs for a well balanced daily intake.
Losing my fear of looking cheap or my embarrassment of seeming poor has opened up new opportunities.
I know I can walk up to a neighbor whose tree has produced fruit that is ready to pick, and ask if I could barter some of their fruit for items from my garden.
Thus creating an abundance for us both without engaging in a traditional economy.
Believe it or not, there is more to life than just working, consuming and then dying.
There are more types of wealth than just dollars, or a balance in a bank, as many under and unemployed Americans are discovering.
Sharing, bartering, making useful from what to others deem useless, gardening, and rediscovering the old ways, allows us to create magic on budgets never before so tight.
It’s finding freedom in unexpected ways.
Recognizing what is really important verses what is advertised as being such.
It’s finding courage and a strength you never before believed you had.
There’s a whole new world of adventure for those who are tired of the usual.
And I’d love to hear some of your adventures in the comment section below.
(I’ll soon be posting about of these solutions that recently opened up for us with Masimo, the maker of Parker’s pulse ox monitor.)
About Tammy and Parker
Twitter: kadiera
says:
We’ve been making our own bread. And doing a lot more cooking at home. Things are not super tight….but tight enough that we’d prefer to have a little wiggle room, and besides, home cooking tastes better, and is (mostly) better for us. I’m thinking about buying a wheat grinder and grinding our own, but haven’t quite made the leap yet.
We’ve turned off the cable. Cut back on going out to the movies (then again, we can’t find a trach-capable babysitter either, so that helps on that front). We’re using cloth diapers. We’ve got Alex completely off of expensive formulas (though it hasn’t been easy, and we’re still buying Carnation instant breakfast). We’re hitting resale shops for this summer’s clothes for Alex too.
We would SOOOOO get along if we met IRL!!! We bake our own bread (although I am still saving for a grinder), I grow, can/dehydrate, etc. most of our veggies & many fruits – all organic, of course. Would be happy to share our gardening secret for cinderblock gardens.
Would also love to know where you belong that you can trade medical supplies? I have tons, well, not tons, but a crap load of stuff that is driving me crazy because we can’t use it anymore! (G-tubes, etc.) Please send me an e-mail if you can. Thanks!
Steph and Chirstopher
My community has a great program with a website where people can post chances to glean after a farmer’s harvest. the only request is that a portion of that fresh harvest goes to the local foodbank. On the same site, people post if they have fruit trees they aren’t going to harvest themselves. Farmers post fruit and vegetable gleaning opportunities. Some post chances for nuts. Some even post their favorite spots for wild huckleberrying. I am not sure if this is national, or just local. i shall check into it and let you know.
I wish I could have chickens, too. And goats. But my HOA frowns on that.
Twitter: kdlavoie
says:
I am nowhere near as good at conserving in these ways as you are, Tammy, but I am learning. One thing I’ve discovered is that one can make really yummy soups from the leftover sauce in one’s crockpot. My hubby insists on meat most nights, and one way I love to cook it is in the crockpot. He also likes a lot of sauce on his meat, so I often make extra sauce and have some left over after most of the meat has been eaten up. Lately I combine this sauce with some broth/water/milk/other liquid, along with some extra noodles/rice, and whatever leftover veggies, etc. that are sitting in the fridge. These “leftover soups” often turn out so well that my hubby says I should write down the recipes (yeah right!). At least I know I’ve used up what otherwise would’ve been tossed.
Amen! We’re there in the poverty pit with you, and choosing to see it as an amazing blessing! Love your blog!
dawn
I am scared.to.death to make my own bread. Something about the yeast just scares me, and all the rising and waiting stuff too. But, you have inspired me to try it! Have a favorite recipe you care to share?
And I love how you barter with the neighbors with fruit for veggies. This is the first year that we’ll be able to have a good size garden, and I’m already preparing my speech to my grandma to give up her canning gear for me to use. =)
My favorite line ever: “Believe it or not, there is more to life than just working, consuming and then dying.”
Love. This.
What a great post!
Hi Auntie! We don’t deal with medically fragile kids but with our own kind of special needs. My 3 stepkids were subject to abuse, neglect, drugs and alcohol by their mother. We’ve had to shell out for therapy appointments, medical and dental appointments due to prenatal drug use and neglect. Point of my story, with these extra expenses and trying to stay an at-home-mom, we’ve had to tighten our budget.
We have a new garden plan this year and I started all my plants instead of buying the 6-packs from the nursery. I plan on canning more and finally picking up a dehydrater from my grandpa. (We did have wonderful terriyaki chicken that I canned last night for dinner)
With a family of 8 (and 4 visiting older stepkids) we tend to consume quite a bit of food. I haven’t bought jam in over 2 years since we only use what’s been canned. Kids get hand-me-downs for as long as they’ll last. We save on gas by staying at the ball parks rather than running each kid up at his designated time. Cable has been non-exisistent in our house for 4 years. There’s nothing wrong with kids entertaining themselves with a jump rope rather than worthless tv shows. Thru all of this I don’t feel ‘deprived’!
My next adventure is to start making my own tortillas, shredding and freezing cheese, and any other ways I can cook and freeze rather than buy. I’ll have to call ya and let you know how the tortillas go and how much it really saves.
Much love from here and always continued support! Btw, we really want Kinsley and Rigel to come this summer.