Solar is one of the most reliable alternative power sources we have always had available to us.  With the promised rise in electricity costs, it may be time to take this solar power option into our own hands!

DO IT YOURSELF SOLAR PANELS

You can complete your own solar panel project for less than $200! And that will cut your electric bill each and every month from the time you put the panels into action.

Stretching your budget on the Homestead is one of the key components to becoming more self-reliant and less system-reliant. Doing this yourself helps you to rely less and less on the system.

I hope you’ll take a look!

Whether you live in a an urban apartment or on a ranch on a huge multi-acre spread, organizing is one of the top resolutions for many people this New Year.  It usually comes in third on the list, right behind health related and financial related issues. I believe that if this were the only goal for the New Year, it would do the trick. I am not making a criticism, because I am in great need of taking my own advice on this. Being organized helps in so many areas of life on the homestead, but for the sake of this one entry, let’s just focus on saving money.

Look around. How much is out of place, over cluttered or just plain messy? (Oh I hope you can’t see into my kitchen pantry through this blog)

When we are organized we:

1. Save Time: When we can find stuff, we don’t waste time hunting it. And for everyone from the homemaker to the CEO, time is money. Saving time now means using it for income, chores or to spending time more wisely later (like with family or on projects around the homestead).
2. Save Brain Power: When our minds are free of ‘controllable’ stresses, we can be more creative in ways to earn more income or become more creative to save the income. Disorganization is a number one stressor in daily life on the homestead. Well, for that matter anywhere.
3. Save on Duplicate Items: Have you ever bought something because you couldn’t find an item that you just ‘knew’ you had one around somewhere? Then when going through a cluttered cabinet you find the first one? Isn’t that just lovely?  Organizing will help avoid that duplicate purchase expense.
4. Save on Groceries: A planned menu and all ingredients in the house helps to keep us from eating out and keeps tabs on the food expenses. Shopping based on the sales or seasons is also an organizational issue. This again adds up to money saved, just because we organized it.
5. Save on wear and tear: Upkeep of vehicles, appliances, smoke alarms and more can be organized on the calendar. Check them and make sure to care for those ‘less thought of ‘ items once in awhile. This organizational step can save money in the long run, but more importantly, it’s for the safety of your family.

There are so many examples of how simplely organizing can save money.

So if I could pick only ONE New Year’s Resolution for 2009 – let it be to GET ORGANIZED on this homestead. I’m excited to watch how far this one reaches into our lives in areas other than money!

Best Blessings!