Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Tips & Warnings:
- You need to think "outside the box" to survive these tough economic times.
- What are three words that profile the affluent? Frugal frugal frugal. Webster’s defines frugal as “behavior characterized by or reflecting economy in the use of resources.”
- The opposite of frugal is wasteful.
- We do what we can do, to help our neighbors survive.
- The elderly may need walkways shoveled, transport to medical appt., groceries etc. ,--we're all in this together!
- Know the person likes+ lifestyle, before personalizing gifts.
- When it's a hit, it's a real, inexpensive winner! When it's a loser, like making fudge for a diabetic, it's really a bummer!
Step1
Christmas Clubs are started in October--and are usually paid by October 1st of the following year. It's possible to use at least part of this to prepay fuel. Find out if a "lock-in" is offered by your company. (and make sure that any company that lets you prepay for oil, and lock-in (the present price), is that the sufficiently large to honor that deal, no matter what price oil is in January.
Step2
Purchase fresh fruits and veggies(or grow them) and "flash freeze" them for the long, hard winter months. Purchase bread products (not out of date) from a bakery outlet. An example is to pay $1 for Loaves --instead of $3.98/loaf.(Don't forget the cut rate price of shortcake to go with your frozen summer strawberries@ Christmastime.
Step3
Note a neighbor's spring limb trimming, and casually ask them what their plan are for the wood.
Limbs, pallets, any free wood available is great to dry under the summer sun and be ready to burn during those cold winter nights. (And the exercise of stacking is good for the body+ soul). I keep my grandkids busy collecting sticks, twigs, and pine cones for summer washing+sun drying and winter use for kindling.
Step4
It's possible to burn less than perfect wood, or to lack kindling., with which to start a fire To solve this problem, I make fire starters. Old candles are melted (in a large no longer usable pot), and I dip the dry+cleaned pinecone in --just to coat. Sometimes I fill doubled small cupcake papers with wax. (I first checked with a chimneysweep, to see in this would cause chimney buildup).
Step5
firestarter basket
Shop for deals for Christmas all year long. "Greenies" love all that organic stuff, teas,jams, etc. If they are gifted in a basket with fresh cookies--how personal. Organic soap and bath beads, with a fresh loofah is always welcome. My friends who burn wood, often get a fire starter basket with waxed pine cones+ cups, a long lighter, and flowers , which have been dried from the summer before.
My Valentine's Day Surprise Ice Storm shot by me.
It's possible to burn less than perfect wood, or to lack kindling., with which to start a fire To solve this problem, I make fire starters. Old candles are melted (in a large no longer usable pot), and I dip the dry+cleaned pinecone in --just to coat. Sometimes I fill doubled small cupcake papers with wax. (I first checked with a chimneysweep, to see in this would cause chimney buildup).
firestarter basket
Shop for deals for Christmas all year long. "Greenies" love all that organic stuff, teas,jams, etc. If they are gifted in a basket with fresh cookies--how personal. Organic soap and bath beads, with a fresh loofah is always welcome. My friends who burn wood, often get a fire starter basket with waxed pine cones+ cups, a long lighter, and flowers , which have been dried from the summer before.
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Comments
yessharon said
on 9/29/2008 I guess winter is right around the corner. BRRRR!!!! I will start to stock up too.
Limowreck said
on 7/8/2008 Great article posted at just the right time! Preparing in advance can really help to get through those terrible winter months. I like your idea of diverting Christmas Club money to lock in on a low fuel price. Excellent tips and advice!