Is Living Off The Grid Means Totally Denying Yourself?

Is Living Off The Grid Means Totally Denying Yourself?



Hello, everyone, as you know I like saving money and living on a budget.  I have even thought about living off the grid and I have a tendency to find alternative ways of doing things to lower my dependence on some of the so-called modern conveniences.

Mind you, I am a city gal through and through.  My Mom always instilled a sense of independence that I could never learn from anyone else.

  She always taught us about survival skills and things that we could do if there was a storm and we couldn't wash clothes because electric went out or maybe you had a loss of a job and you needed clean clothes for an interview, you always had those old-fashioned skills at your disposal.

My Mother didn't shove these ideas down our throats because we had the modern conveniences at home but she came from the South, from another time and place.  A place of struggle but self-reliance and making a way out of no way.

I love and appreciate the values that she instilled in me and my siblings.



I read articles and like checking out Blogs in reference to living off the grid and I have learned a lot more skills regarding this subject but I was really puzzled about some things.

 A lot of people who wash clothes by hand make their family wear the same clothes over and over without washing them because it is so much work washing by hand when you have a big family.

Some clothing items are worn for five or more days without washing and they make claims that you can do this and you will not smell funky.

 I have been around people who believe that they can wear Jeans a week or so and they do not have to wash them because they think that Jeans don't hold an odor but I am here to tell you, that is not true.

I was around a person two weeks ago and they smelled really bad because their Jeans had a horrible body odor.

Getting back to living off the grid; I think that if your family is so large that you are too tired to keep your families clothes clean, you may need to buy a washing machine and do your big loads that way because it does not make any sense to me to send your family out with dirty clothes because you want to live this lifestyle.

Or, if your kids are big enough, delegate a couple days a week for them to help you with this chore.  It is never okay to walk around with dirty clothes or bad hygiene just to save a buck or because you are hell-bent on living off the grid.




If you use your machine for two times a week and hand-wash your clothes the other times it is needed, you would still save money.

You can even find a big barrel to soak your clothes with laundry soap that is slightly dirty and the next day rinses them and hang them out to dry, this works because I have done this many times.

Find ways to make it easy on yourself and still live this self-sufficient lifestyle.

How to save money on food- The best way!

How to save money on food- The best way!


Image Courtesy Of Pixabay.

Going food shopping can really be a chore and trying to find the best deals can be difficult.  There are many stores where you can get your food for a lower price and you can definitely learn the skills such as; couponing to cut corners.

Buying in bulk can really save money because you will have to shop less often.  Creating a weekly meal plan will allow you to make meals that will include some of the older items that you may have stored in your deep freezer and this way you can save money by using this food instead of throwing it away as long as it is still edible.

Writing a list of what you need will help you to avoid impulse shopping.

Below you will see videos regarding this subject and they are truly helpful in reaching your goal of saving money on food.

How Are You Doing With Managing Your Money?

Image Courtesy Of Pixabay.

How are you doing with managing your money?  The new year just started and it is still time to learn how to save money for that summer trip or towards your dream home.

  You can start small just to get in the habit of saving and practice it every day, that means take a couple of days a week and don't spend any money. Put any change you have into a jar and save towards a small goal, you have to start somewhere.

I have always been told that money attracts more money, it is not hocus pocus but the more money you have, you have more options and opportunities to make that money work for you.


Image Courtesy Of Pixabay.

Never tell anyone how much money you have and also, that you are saving money because it is none of their business.  People have a tendency to want to spend your money while they blow their own.

Below, are videos that may be of some interest to you on this subject.

How to get rid of credit card debt

How to save money on clothing

How To Save Energy In The Summer

How To Save Energy In The Summer:

The first thing you want to get is an energy efficient air conditioner because some of the older models are outdated and burn a lot of energy.  You will see a big difference in your electric bill and you will save a lot of money.

Keep your shades and curtains closed during the day while you are at work and this will keep your house cooler.

Tell your children to keep lights on in only one section of your house or apartment and tell them to only stay in that part of the house.

Unplug all non-essential things to save money, such as; microwave oven because if you are not using it most of the day, this will save you some money in the long run.

Do not use your Oven in the summer because it will overheat your house. Use a Crock pot instead.

Use energy saving light bulbs all over your house.  This really helps you to save year round.

Use your air conditioner in the daytime and use fans at night unless it is extremely hot and you will save money.

Buy and use portable drying racks to dry your clothing because the dryer will heat up your house.

Take short showers at night to save energy.

Time to get your kids ready for school.

In my area, kid's will be starting school next month and it is always a hard time because sometimes you have more than one child starting school at the same time.   You have to remember to buy school supplies and go through your kid's clothing to see what you can salvage from last year.


Your kid's school supplies vary each year because some subjects require specific items.  What I like to do is start getting general school supplies such as; notebooks, pencils, book bags, and paper.  You can never go wrong with these items and it is best to get these items when they are on sale.  Then you should save some money just in case you need certain things when school starts.

To save on clothing, you can go to some discount stores and buy some general  and basics such as; underwear, socks, undershirts, bras and get nice heavyweight t-shirts in nice colors.  Then you want to hit your local thrift stores and pick your kid's up some clothing pieces that don't go out of style.  The last things you want to pick up are some trendy items from the mall so they can mix and match will all the clothing items and get shoes and sneakers too.

You will save a lot of money and from now on, shop for your kid's clothing out of season to save a bundle of money.  If your child is growing fast or gaining weight; buy some bigger sizes from the clearance rack or you can even swap clothing with women in your neighborhood to get clothing that they are no longer using.

Are you saving enough money?

                                                     How To Save Money

What things are you willing to do without?

: Living Below Your Means:

I had to take a serious look at my expenses and my income this year.  I have some wonderful events that are happening in my family this year and I need money to accommodate these expenses.

The best way for me to be ready without using credit cards is to cut back.  The first thing that I must do is to find out what I am willing to live without to reach my goals.  Below you will see what I am doing and what I am planning to do to make my financial dreams a reality.

What I Can Live Without:

High-Speed Internet Service:

Use low-cost Internet service if you do not use the Internet for conducting your business.  If all you need is Internet service just to check your emails, then you don't need top of the line service.

      2. New Clothes:

Stop buying clothes that you don't really need right now.  Go through your closet to see what can be re-worked and worn differently and ways to freshen up your wardrobe.  Scarves and jewelry work wonders to update your wardrobe.

     3. Analog Phone Service: 

I have not done it yet but I am thinking of having cell phone service only and that would help me to save a bundle.

     4. Change Your Hair Style:

Wear a simple low maintenance hairstyle that doesn't cost me anything to maintain.

     5. Movie Theater:

I will buy DVD or borrow movies from the Library.

    6. Cut Cable Service:

I am planning to downgrade my service or totally cut my cable.  The fees are very high and most movie channels are playing the same movie.  It is very easy to watch shows and movies on your computer and there are low price options such as; Netflix, Hulu and there are others that will give you a great deal.

  7. Loose Change;

Go to the Bank and get change so I don't have to break Dollar bills to get change.  We waste a lot of money when we have to go to a store and buy things because we really need change.

  8. Restaurant:

I will not go to Restaurants and if I do, it will be low price local Eateries.  There are a lot of new spots that opened in my area and they are really reasonable.

  9. Personal Beauty Products:

I will buy products that can be used for more than one thing such as All in one body washes that can 

be used to wash hair also and I am planning to make my own fragrance-free soap.

 10. Shoes:

I will use shoes in nude or black to keep my spending down and use a basic nude handbag to go with everything

How to keep your kids learning and growing during the summer.

A lot of kids are now out for the summer and they are easily bored.  We want our children to keep learning and growing during the summer months so they are ready when school starts back in the fall.
Summer vacation affords us a lot of non-traditional ways of stimulating our kids intellectually.   Below you will find some tried and true methods and others that will give your kids a wealth of information they can use and also introduce to their friends.



The public library:  A lot of us use our computer but we forget what the library has to offer.  You can take your kids and they can read and learn about things of the past and the future.  You can truly educate yourself by going to the library and search for any subject that you want.  You can teach your kids about studying in a nice quiet environment.  A lot of libraries have a movie night and arts and crafts.  The library, in my opinion, is a free, public educational institution where you can learn any subject at your own pace.

A Museum:  This is another wonderful place to take your children so that they can see paintings and sculptures from the past and it is a great place to go and spend time with your children and teach them about art and its beauty.

The Zoo:  The zoo is such a wonderful and fun place to take your kids to learn about different animals.  It exposes them to animals that they would never see in their ordinary environment.   Kids who love animals are usually more friendly and tolerant.

Money management:  We can let our kids make a list of things that they want from the store.  Tell them that you will get coupons for the items.  Give them a budget or make them pay for these things from their allowance.  Teach them to calculate to the penny how much they need and add in taxes and they will learn that they have to learn how to save and budget for the things that they want.  Get the Sunday paper and show them how to clip out coupons.

Play Monopoly: Monopoly is a good game that will teach your children about money in a fun way.  We all have played and loved this game but this is a way to teach kids in an entertaining manner.

Day trips:  Take your kids for a drive through the most disadvantaged areas in your state and then have a discussion with your children on ways you can end up living in these areas.  Such as poverty, drug abuse, drinking alcohol or not doing well in school . The next day drive through wealthy areas in your state and have the same conversation on ways you can improve your odds of living in these areas and living the best life possible.  Tell them about living a clean life, excelling in school, staying drug and alcohol-free and staying out of jail.

Cooking:  Get your children together and let them participate in preparing meals for the family.  This activity is good for both boys and girls.  This is a skill that they will always have and they could also make a career out of it.

Teach your kids about exercising:  I wish I had embraced this concept earlier in my life but it is never too late.  I know a lot of people go to the gym to do exercise and there is nothing wrong with that but, I think that you can get fit by running in the park. walking, exercising at home and if you start your children early, they will never have to shell out a lot of money to keep fit.

Start a container garden:  Take your kids to a store such as; Home Depot and get some seeds and containers and watch some YouTube to learn how to garden.  Let your kids start this and let them enjoy the "fruits of their labor" when the plants or vegetables start growing.
I hope you all enjoyed these tips.  Happy Summer!

Top Ten Ways To Be A Good Steward Over Your Money.

Many years ago I would hear people talk about being a good steward over your money and I thought that it was just words that Christian people would use to try to get in your personal affairs or to judge you on, but, it is a practice that I had to embrace when my financial state became very fragile at a very difficult time in my life.

There are times when you just didn't know whether you were going to make it through.  These are the moments that I would grasp all the knowledge that I would hear or learned from other people in my past and I learned a great lesson and that is, " I learned more about trusting God but also being a good steward over my money".  

I watched how other people lived and I began to hold onto a stronger value system.  Some people look wealthy but they really aren't.  They are spending more than what they really earn.

I met a very wealthy Lady and from the outside, this person did not look rich at all.  I met her family and they lived a very modest life. They enjoyed life but they maintained their wealthy state of being by being mindful about where and how they spend their money.  In this post, i am going to show you ten of the things that I learned and embraced that transformed my thinking.

Top Ten Ways To Be A Good Steward Over Your Money:

1. When shopping for clothes, buy the best fabrics that your money can buy in simple styling because these items can be worn for many years.
2. Adopt a minimalist theme in your home and you can make it look nice but focus more on keeping everything spotless and it will make everything look pulled together.
3. Set aside a certain day of the month to go out and eat and for recreation. This way you will not feel like you are missing out on the good things in life.
4. Look over your receipts to find out how much money is going out and what exactly you spent it on.
5. Do not wear your good clothing when you are at home; this way you can preserve your clothes and it makes them last longer.
6. Every pay period make sure that you save some money for emergencies and make this a regular habit. Teach your children to save a portion of their allowance for special things that they want to buy.
7. Learn how to maintain your clothing such as; hemming pants, spot removal and little repairs that you can do yourself.
8. Bring your lunch to work a few times a week.  This will save you so much money.
9. Buy clothing that can be washed in a washing machine.  Only dry clean suits and special occasion clothes.
10. Find an alternative to Cable TV such as; Netflix or watch programs on your computer.

YES, YOUR CUP CAN RUN OVER ( MONEY SAVING)

YOUR CUP CAN TRULY RUN OVER, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

In 2008 I just moved into my Apartment and I happen to be walking from the store and I saw this Elderly gentleman and he said "Hey Millionaire"  I found this a bit odd but I said hello and this Man had such a nice smile on his face. 

 We started talking and he said, " Do you know the Jar method?"  I said "Whaaaat".  He then went on to explain to me that after he goes to the store or anywhere he pays cash; he then take the change that is left over and put this in a jar.

I then told him that if I see this change lying around; I will then spend it and he said " Put it in a place that you cannot see it and out of sight is out of mind"   I knew this Gentlemen had a lot of wisdom as he was in his 80's at the time.

  We talk and talked and then said our goodbyes and I never saw this Man again.  I count this experience as a real eye-opener and this Man didn't know that he forever changed my life.  I am not rich by any means but I am filthy rich in spirit. lol.


I have been able to save money for emergencies, special occasions and for special treats for myself.  What I started doing was, use this jar method and I covered the jar with a colored cloth or colored paper so I couldn't see the contents of the jar and I also adopted using a juice container and I have continually been surprised at the amount I am able to save. 

I have fully adopted old school principles about life and happiness and how to grasp the little things and find beauty in them.  Keeping up with the Joneses will only lead you to the poor house and you will never be fulfilled.


  Life is about Faith, Love, and Family.  I am a person who loves to shop like any other Woman out there but I find way's to do it and not use a credit card or go into debt.

I believe this Elderly Man was sent from God and I hope that wherever he is; he is in good health and enjoying life.  I have also learned some other money saving tips and I will share them in the near future.