Category Archives: Preparedness

More Money Saving Tips for Homesteaders

 More Money Saving Tips for Homesteaders

We have so many tips to share we had to split them up. Here are more money saving tips for homesteaders. Last week’s tips are here.

  1. Write down every penny you spend for three months. You’ll probably spot money trickling away that you weren’t aware of.
  2. Stop using paper towels. For what you’d spend on an 8 pack of paper towels you can buy four or five cotton dish towels. We have packages of 100 and 250 dairy towels for less than a dollar each. You can split an order with friends. Use, wash and reuse these towels for cleaning time after time.
  3. Speaking of cleaning, use half the detergent called for. Let your laundry soak for an hour if necessary. You can do without fabric softener. A splash of vinegar in the rinse water will help remove the detergent build up that makes clothes stiff and scratchy.
  4. Make your lunch to take to work. I called McDonald’s this afternoon. A Quarter Pounder with cheese is $3.99. Leftovers make nice lunches.
  5. Drop your gym membership. Walk, snowshoe, small equipment purchased second hand, the opportunities are numerous.
  6. Do you need your vehicle? If you already have one vehicle that’s dependable and you’re shopping once a week, can you do without a second vehicle? You might be able to coordinate trips with friends by offering to pay for the gas. If you live in the city or suburb it might be worth a taxi fare to not have to make a vehicle payment, insurance payment, and pay for upkeep. This doesn’t mean you’ll never have a second vehicle again but for now, do you need it?
  7. Don’t renew your magazine subscriptions. Or, choose your favorite and call the 800 number on the renewal slip. Offer then $10. They’ll probably take your offer. Or send the slip back with a check for $10 and a note making the offer. I’ve done it three times when money was tight and my offer was always accepted.
  8. Cancel your internet. Use public access at the library. The exception – if you can make more money by having your own account than you spend to have it, keep it.
  9. Do you have an extra bedroom you can rent out?
  10. Turn off cable. Read books and play games instead. You can find board and card games at Goodwill and yard sales. You can probably buy at least one brand new board game for the price of your cable bill as a way to get started.
  11. Do you have a cell phone and a land line? Pick one and disconnect the other. I saved $430.56 a year by disconnecting the land line.
  12. Can you share wifi with a neighbor?
  13. Barter for repair work you need. Will your plumber work in exchange for something you have and can spare? I had a couple of minor repairs done for a loaf of homemade bread a week for four weeks and a batch of strawberry jam.
  14. Pay half of your mortgage every other week. We cut seven years off our mortgage by doing this. Having auto pay take the mortgage payment out of the checking account each payday saved us a quarter of a percent.
  15. Avoid the deli. Deli meat can be very expensive. $8 a pound for roast turkey breast at the deli vs $1 a pound for turkey roasted at home is a big savings. That extra $10 a week you put aside to stock up is well spent when meat goes on sale. Turkey salad from fresh roasted turkey is much nicer than sliced deli meat.
  16. Attend free events. You don’t want to be stuck on the homestead all the time. Get out now and then. It will help you dig in and save money by giving you something fun to look forward to.

Do you have tips to add? Leave them in the comments and we’ll move them up to the list.

Tis’ the Season for Homesteading and Giving Gifts

Homesteading Supplies make the best gifts for everyone!

The holidays are just around the corner and traditionally are a time for reflection and gratitude.  But it’s also a time when we have to figure out what gifts we will need to give.  We at Homesteader’s Supply appreciate your business especially knowing that many of you have experienced hard times this past year.

thanksgiving web pictureHomesteader’s Supply is a home-grown venture, offering friendly customer service just like an old-fashioned store. You deserve to be treated well when you spend your money!  We were just selected as a 2013 winner of the Talk of the Town Customer Service Awards with their top rating!

Our store always tries to provide the best prices on our quality products, all year round, not just Black Friday or Cyber Monday, so keep checking in for our special sales!

So read on and get an idea of some of our homesteading supply products and best sellers.  Because of what is happening in our economy today, it’s a great time to buy functional gifts for your family and friends… gifts that can actually used for a self-sustaining endeavor, no matter how big or how small. And best of all, this is a good time to pick up a good offer for your own homesteading venture.

In General WE OFFER PRODUCTS FOR:

  • Encouraging self sufficient, self sustainable living and homesteading of all varieties… family farm, urban homestead, country homestead, or even in NYC!
  • Environmentally friendly products, U.S.A. made and manufactured whenever possible
  • Dairy Milking equipment and supplies!
  • Livestock care.
  • Poultry, equine, bovine and even pet supplies!
  • Canning / Preserving / Processing of Fruit, Veggies and Meat!
  • Heirloom Gardening
  • Cultures and supplies for Cheese Making! Even our own kits!
  • Variety of items for the homestead kitchen and so much more!

Check out some of our current best sellers:

Our own in house designed and manufactured Ultimate Cheese Press, almost two years in the making and go strong with overwhelming great feedback. cheese press

Very easy to use, ergonomically designed, presses your cheese the same every time!

 

And we also carry all the cheesemaking supplies you need to make just about any favorite cheese.   You will find only our HS Cheese Kits such as our best selling  Best Basic Cheesemaking Kit  and our Supreme Cheesemaking Kit which are flying out the door!   We designed all of our kits to contain the same supplies professionals use, and only the supplies you will actually use.  supreme_kit_2

basic_kit_updateSM

 

 

 

 

 

Interested in fermenting supplies?  We offer our own designed and manufactured Pickle-Pro Lids to fit both wide mouth and regular mouth sized canning jars.  Lacto-Ferment all your veggies and fruits into delicious foods which are better for your health.  We even offer fermenting cultures and the Polish Crocks!   PP05

4gal fermenting crock

 

 

 

 

 

What a great time to get a good deal on Meat Processing Supplies!  All of our smokers are on sale.  Homesteading folks and others just love the Country Smoker… smoker inside

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then another best seller is our Stainless Steel Manual Meat Grinder…

10 SS meat grinder

 

And we have everything else you might need like jerky and sausage making supplies, meat tenderizers, meat mixers and patty makers, and more.  Don’t see what you are looking for, give us a call.. We carry the three main suppliers products… Weston Products, TSM, and LEM…  and we can probably get what you need.  Want to bargain for a better price or better shipping charge… you know website software is not always accurate and we want you to pay exactly what is charged to your home. So give us a call if you have any questions about a product you want.

Here is a great peek at some of our other best sellers for your homestead.  We have used many of these products on the HS homestead and put our stamp of approval on them.  How about the Squeezo Strainer and Sauce Maker  which we believe is the best strainer out there and will last a lifetime… hs squeezo4sm

 

 

 

 

The WonderMill Electric Grain mill wondermill

 

 

 

 

 

WonderMill Junior Manual Grain Mill  … the delux model has both burrs and stones and so it can do just about anything.  Dry and Wet grains… even your coffee beans!wondermill_junior_deluxe

 

 

 

 

Now would be the perfect time pea sheller newto get the Electric Mr Pea Sheller!  Most folks wait until their crop of beans come in and then need a sheller yesterday, Get prepared and be ready! This unit will last you a very long time.

 

And a few of our other best sellers….

wine press stainless Stainless Steel Wine Press… these go very fast!

 

Everyone needs a Stainless Steel Dehydrator! It’s the way to dry and preserve a good part of your bounty… veggies, fruit, jerky etc.  ss dehydrator

 

 

 

 

 

Not everyone needs one of these, cherry stonerbut it sure comes in handy if you have a large crop of cherries to pit.  This Cherry Stoner is all Stainless Steel and at a great value. Will last a lifetime!

 

 

 

 

 

And of course, let’s not forget our furry friends!  Eco-Naps-w-Dog luxury_cat_beds_greta Organic-Bumper-w-Dog-OttoWe now carry Pet Beds made here in the United States with natural materials.  We decided to carry these products because of the company standards in providing a great natural product to ensure our pets will be healthy and happy! And of course, a great way to support another American Small Business!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well folks, we hope you have enjoyed our presentation of suggestions for gift giving this holiday season.  We wish everyone a time full of peace and happiness!

Have questions or concerns, or just want to say hey… give us a call.

From all of us at Homesteaders Supply, we wish you all a wonderful and safe holiday season! jerri HS_logoNewSm

Getting PREPARED for Meat Processing…

Here’s the most unique meat smoker.  It’s the Country Smoker from TSM.

Many folks have asked us about our products for meat processing, pricing and availability etc.   There’s nothing like a slowed economy, and a tight wallet, to encourage us to shop for the best deals for taking care of your organic meats, grass fed beef, buffalo, moose, deer, etc.  You can find many of these in your Natural Food Stores. Now, even Costco is selling organic meats!  Most stores are starting to think seriously about what the American consumer is purchasing these days.  

And then of course hunting season is almost here and you probably will want to be ready with many of these same products.  You can save money and taking good care of yourself and your family by processing and packaging your own bounty! 

So, we have put almost all of our meat processing equipment on sale! And working on even more! We are hoping to keep these sales going for awhile, as long as the manufacturers don’t raise prices again.   And on the heavy items, we only have the sale price listed… we will give you the shipping quote separate from the sale, and also give you an accurate shipping quote right to your front door. There are all kinds of sales tricks… online stores are all fighting for your business.  Don’t be fooled though… sometimes free shipping is figured into the product price and it’s large enough to cover a wide range of shipping destinations. So we’ve decided to just give you a quote to your door!  We hope that will make you happy… the best price on the product and the best shipping price to YOUR door! If you ever feel any of our shipping charges seem too high…just give us a call and we will check.  


We also have Meat Mixers from three manufacturers available and on sale… from Weston, LEM, and TSM.  There are small ones from 20lb to 50 lbs, and then there is the  LEM 25 LB Stainless Steel Tilting Meat Mixers.  Talk about making a job much easier by having the tub tilt away from the frame and actually remove it for cleaning! And with this big puppy you can attach it to an LEM Commercial Grinder (sold separately) and have an electric meat grinder. What can be better?

Ever try sausage making?   Try it with this Sausage Stuffer from Weston… pack up to 5 lbs of meat using this all Stainless Steel Sausage stuffer with Stainless Steel Stuffing Funnels!!

We will be working more on our webstore… getting more of these products available to you at sale pricing… like Grinders, and Meat Tenderizers, and Jerky makers, etc.  
As always, we haven’t learned to read minds yet… so we depend upon feedback from you… our customers.  Tell us what you think, what you want, inquire about products you don’t see, etc.  We are always happy to answer your phone calls and emails!  We at www.homesteadersupply.com are here to make your shopping experience a pleasure, and you will want to come back time and time again for your product needs! 

Fresh Herbs – Healthy Option within Your Reach

Upon searching the internet you sure can find so many options for taking steps to help ourselves to better health.  But how do we know what works and what doesn’t? Sometimes we just have to try some things, but I’ve found it’s best to find a good resource.   

Shoshanna at the www.bulkherbstore.com is one great resource for natural healthy herbal solutions from improving your health to improving your recipes for cooking.  I’ve used the arrowroot powder as a thickener when making real ice cream! Some of the other herbs I’ve used as teas to calm myself after an intense day of work, and others to improve my cooking recipes, and even others just as great soothing teas. Over a year ago I interviewed Shoshanna and her mom on my radio show Beyond Sustainable and learned so much about the use of herbs, and of course about how they carefully select and purchase their products to sell to the public. 

 The reason I decided to share this info with you today was because I received their catalog in the mail and read the article about making my own tinctures. I really didn’t realize how easy it was. And there are lots of how-to’s on their site and in the catalog.   Here’s a looksee onto their site… Isn’t this just inviting… Thanks Shoshanna for all you do!


Are You Prepared Should Disaster Strike????

I’m sitting here watching the coverage of Hurricane Sandy and I’m in awe of the power of this storm! A friend of mine on FaceBook just posted this photo and it gave me some perspective when the weather folks talk about Sandy as compared to Irene… This storm is massive and that’s an understatement!!! I know it’s not expected to hit Wisconsin, but I tell you… it’s got me thinking about being a bit more prepared!!! Do we have oil for the oil lamps??? Do we have enough oil lamps? How about a store of water for the livestock until electricity is restored to run the well? What about a generator to power the well, the freezer full of beef, essentials that need to run until power is restored. What about a snow storm or an ice storm that took out the power in the winter? How would we heat this house without power to run the fans on the furnace or the blower on the gas fireplace? I certainly know it’s time to consider a wood stove to replace the gas insert in the fireplace! So many thoughts are twirling around in my mind. So many thoughts and prayers being sent out to those in the throws of the storm this very evening!

So, what do you have set up for preparedness? Do you have a way to care for your homestead should disaster strike? Whether it is a hurricane, an ice storm or the snow storm of the century… how will you ensure your homestead survives safely???