I also garden now that I'm retired.  I don't throw anything away: I re-use potting soil, compost vegetable clippings, egg shells, and even use washed rice water to fertilize the plants.  I installed a rain barrel system that catches water from my gutters.

It also helps if you don't mind eating leftovers every once in a while during the week.

Do you have any experience with fungal gnats and how to erradiacte them?? I tried to grow potatoes in pots on my apartment balcony, failed due to bolting and fungal gnats everywhere.

Is EV or Solar PV worth it? I got burned on a few Chinese solar stocks, and felt their manufacturing quality left a little something to be desired. Most panels also degrade over time. Now, with an adult child in the home, who has no regard for turning off lights or electronic equipment, I wish I had solar on the roof. The boy is obsessed with Twitter, 24/7. For cars, I patiently wait for Honda to release an electric car. Nissan Leaf was a terrible experience for my friends.

Young homeowners, beware of the first house you buy. Stay away from pools and Bougainvillea. Too many high maintenance plants around the home will suck up your free time (i.e., stealing from your weapon practice time), or cost you money for a gardener. Explain to your kids (Bart Simpson) that everything in life costs you money, sooner or later.

For the young guys who are still working, take advantage of per diem, on travel. It's like tax-free money, when you avoid eating at Red Lobster. My friends who worked on Navy contracts would come away with over $150 net after a trip.

IDK if companies still do this, but I had a friend about 8 years ago lease a PV system. Instead of spending  $20K on it, he pays the PV company monthly that includes his electric usage.  He went from $400's a month to under $100.  And if the panels got damaged, he wasn't responsible for them. So he didn't have to increase his homeowners insurance coverage and pay more.

For EV, it's up to the individual to do the math. I know a guy with a 4Runner that spends $400 a week on gas, but he loves his 4Runner and refused to drive anything else.

Hello all. Good to be back! Enjoyed reading your posts.   I personally buy live young cow and process it myself. Whole cow costs approx. $1.10/lb at an average of 400lbs.  Nothing goes to waste.  I oftentimes split the meat 50/50 with a friend so meat doesn’t stay in my freezer too long. Best part is I get to eat the beef cuts I want at a fraction of the cost.
Oh, also, my old mentor says just earn more money and spend wisely.  He didn’t say anything about saving money…
Aloha!

Do you have any experience with fungal gnats and how to erradiacte them?? I tried to grow potatoes in pots on my apartment balcony, failed due to bolting and fungal gnats everywhere.

No, sorry.  I had the same problem when I tried growing potatoes in pots also.  After all the effort and fuss what little I produced were rotten and mildewy.  I decided it's not worth the effort.

I'm still a novice to gardening and am experiencing the usual aches and pains, lol!

Hello all. Good to be back! Enjoyed reading your posts.   I personally buy live young cow and process it myself. Whole cow costs approx. $1.10/lb at an average of 400lbs.  Nothing goes to waste.  I oftentimes split the meat 50/50 with a friend so meat doesn’t stay in my freezer too long. Best part is I get to eat the beef cuts I want at a fraction of the cost.
Oh, also, my old mentor says just earn more money and spend wisely.  He didn’t say anything about saving money…
Aloha!

I was thinking of doing that, but I like the flavor of grain fed beef. I would keep the front quarters and back for myself, the back quarters and organs I would give to my dogs.

I was thinking of doing that, but I like the flavor of grain fed beef. I would keep the front quarters and back for myself, the back quarters and organs I would give to my dogs.

Group buy. 

Group buy. 

Yeah but who like end up with the hind quarter.  Ok, I take one for the team and buy all the hind quarters for 50 cents a lb. My dogs will be happy.

Yeah but who like end up with the hind quarter.  Ok, I take one for the team and buy all the hind quarters for 50 cents a lb. My dogs will be happy.

Same here. Dogs gotta eat.

Yeah but who like end up with the hind quarter.  Ok, I take one for the team and buy all the hind quarters for 50 cents a lb. My dogs will be happy.

Would normally cut the cow in the middle so more or less 50:50.  Either 50:50 on the innards or one takes it all and the other gets the head and trotters up to the beginning of the front/rear shank plus the tail.  Then alternate on the next trip depending.  Heart, liver, and lungs are my favorite and kids get the best part of the liver and heart.  My dog gets a piece of everything; his favorite the trachea and tripe.

I just bought a Trijicon VCOG 
Saves money, because with inflation it’ll be $10 k in a few months. Lol

Same here. Dogs gotta eat.

Yeah, I just pau cook for my dogs. I buy plenty Normandy vegetables and chicken thighs and oatmeal. I feed them half of that and half high end kibble.  When I see people buying those 55 lb bags of dog food for $23, I think, poor dogs.  But getting back to cattle, I just found out my good friend is raising cattle and shipping them to the mainland.  He lives only 3 miles from me, but his cattle is about 40 miles away.  I gotta get used to eating the grass fed beef.

Hello all. Good to be back! Enjoyed reading your posts.   I personally buy live young cow and process it myself. Whole cow costs approx. $1.10/lb at an average of 400lbs.  Nothing goes to waste.  I oftentimes split the meat 50/50 with a friend so meat doesn’t stay in my freezer too long. Best part is I get to eat the beef cuts I want at a fraction of the cost.
Oh, also, my old mentor says just earn more money and spend wisely.  He didn’t say anything about saving money…
Aloha!

Good idea. Do you let the carcass hang and age for a bit before you process?

Here's some good advice from activist post:

https://www.activistpost.com/2022/04/tried-and-true-tips-for-surviving-a-turbulent-economy.html

Bottom line is being poor takes practice

Good idea. Do you let the carcass hang and age for a bit before you process?

Helped a friend slaughter a cow a long long time ago. He took the carcass to a house in Kaneohe where the butcher stored it in a refrigerator for two weeks before applying his trade.

Good idea. Do you let the carcass hang and age for a bit before you process?

Certain parts of carcass I let hang for 3 days, 1 week tops. I only buy young cow so the meat is naturally tender. The fat content is average so 3 days should be good but I do let it hang up to 7 days on occasion. 

Sharing another:
We’ve been making our own “laundry detergent/soap” for over 10 years now.  We make 5-gallon batches and average cost to make that is less than $5.  We use 8-16oz per load and lasts us several weeks or few months.  Smells good and smells clean.  Fabric is soft so no need softener. 
You can google the ingredients and formulas but what we use are: 1 zote bar soap finely grated, 2 cups washing soda,  1.5 cups borax, and 1 cup oxi-clean powder (optional).  Melt the soap in water over medium heat. Once melted, mix the dry ingredients until all are dissolved, then pour in 5-gal bucket. Fill the bucket with warm water and stir. 
All can be bought locally from Walmart. 
This is a money-saver for us for sure. 

I reload my own ammo for practice or shootin' matches.
For my house gun, I buy the Speer GD 9mm stuff for that.

I reload my own ammo for practice or shootin' matches.
For my house gun, I buy the Speer GD 9mm stuff for that.

Do you find that since you reload and it's cheaper than buying factor ammo, you shoot more?

Do you have any experience with fungal gnats and how to erradiacte them?? I tried to grow potatoes in pots on my apartment balcony, failed due to bolting and fungal gnats everywhere.

I had some success with the mosquito dunk in addition to the neem oil and soap solution. It is a never ending battle against the insects and
birds when you try to grow your own food. I am winning the war against the white flies, flea beetles, and mango flower beetles. The fungal gnats are a real pest. I try to avoid chemical pesticides for obvious reasons. Keep trying to grow your own food if you can. It can be challenging but it is worth the effort.


 

I save extra ketchup packets and napkins from fast food places. I go around Costco several times for free samples during lunch and dinner