Friday, August 5, 2011

August 2011 Challenge

This month's challenge is to do with survival:-

Do you know how to cook without gas and electricity?  What would you need to purchase to do so?

And then you can store oil - be it Vegetable Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Olive Oil, Canola Oil, Grapeseed Oil and even Pomace Oil (great for soap making).  It is entirely up to you the quantity of oil you store.

I find vegetable oil versatile and I use it for a variety of purposes ranging from being used instead of butter in cakes to providing a non-stick surface to the BBQ (it helps with cleaning the BBQ as well).

I also store other oils and mainly use olive oil or Rice Bran Oil if I have to pan fry something.  Rice Bran Oil has a high smoking point, and has very little smell.  Occasionally Aldi has it on special, and I stock up on it then.

So basically we're storing an oil you can use generally in cooking, either as an ingredient or to assist with the cooking process.

I am going to mosey on into Costo one of these days and see if they have giant cans - the ones the Golden Circle punch/pineapple juice comes in.  I found that if you have one side open, and you can cut a square out of the bottom (of the opened side), then you can use it as a mini oven - only for outdoor use of course!  Stick some BBQ firelighters underneath and you can certainly use it for re-heating.  A camp trick I learned many years ago.
They're good for pancakes! (Not my photo.  It is from instructables.com)

Thursday, August 4, 2011

"Living Debt Free" from Luke V Erickson

I listened to this talk (podcast?) today, and I loved it.  It didn't bring up any new concepts for me, but it is great to be reminded every now and then just why we do the things we do, and why we try to stay out of debt as much as possible.

http://mormonchannel.org/programs/mormon-identities-episode-56?lang=eng&cid=MMemail8-3-11-L3#d

Luke likens debt to the lure used to catch octopus called a Maka Feke.  Basically the octopus will grip on to the Maka Feke but there is nothing to stop it from doing that, it is free to let go if it wants to, however it just grips on tight because it is lured by it.  Unfortunately then the octopus is pulled into the boat and is no longer free.

He mentions how to prioritise paying off debt.  That husbands and wives should sit down together each month and discuss their finances to see if they're on track so that nothing is hidden, or one spouse is trying to make everything smooth sailing if there is an issue. 

He also talks about appropriate debt (is a car or a house appropriate debt?  How about a student loan?).

Is debt an addiction?  Do we use it to make ourselves feel good (ie going on a shopping spree to feel happy?).

Yes, I'm thinking about finances now as we prepare to purchase the home we have been renting for the last nearly 12 years.  It is a huge step for us, but we are very excited! 

Some thoughts on Debt from Elder Joseph B Wirthlin

Elder Wirthlin gave a talk in May 2004 on "Earthly Debts, Heavenly Debts".  He had some very wise advice to give.  He was talking to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but the general advice is very sound.  Here is what he said on the 'Earthly Debt' topic: 


Brothers and sisters, beware of covetousness. It is one of the great afflictions of these latter days. It creates greed and resentment. Often it leads to bondage, heartbreak, and crushing, grinding debt.

The number of marriages that have been shattered over money issues is staggering. The amount of heartbreak is great. The stress that comes from worry over money has burdened families, caused sickness, depression, and even premature death.

Earthly Debts


In spite of the teachings of the Church from its earliest days until today, members sometimes fall victim to many unwise and foolish financial practices. Some continue to spend, thinking that somehow the money will become available. Somehow they will survive.

Far too often, the money hoped for does not appear.

Remember this: debt is a form of bondage. It is a financial termite. When we make purchases on credit, they give us only an illusion of prosperity. We think we own things, but the reality is, our things own us.
 Some debt—such as for a modest home, expenses for education, perhaps for a needed first car—may be necessary. But never should we enter into financial bondage through consumer debt without carefully weighing the costs.

We have often heard that interest is a good servant but a terrible master. President J. Reuben Clark Jr. described it this way: “Interest never sleeps nor sickens nor dies; it never goes to the hospital; it works on Sundays and holidays; it never takes a vacation. … Once in debt, interest is your companion every minute of the day and night; you cannot shun it or slip away from it; you cannot dismiss it; it yields neither to entreaties, demands, or orders; and whenever you get in its way or cross its course or fail to meet its demands, it crushes you.” 2


The counsel from other inspired prophets in our time on this subject is clear, and what was true 50 or 150 years ago is also true today.

President Heber J. Grant said, “From my earliest recollections, from the days of Brigham Young until now, I have listened to men standing in the pulpit … urging the people not to run into debt; and I believe that the great majority of all our troubles today is caused through the failure to carry out that counsel.” 3

President Ezra Taft Benson said, “Do not leave yourself or your family unprotected against financial storms. … Build up savings.” 4



President Harold B. Lee taught, “Not only should we teach men to get out of debt but we should teach them likewise to stay out of debt.” 5

President Gordon B. Hinckley declared: “Many of our people are living on the very edge of their incomes. In fact, some are living on borrowings. …

“… I urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt to the extent possible. Pay off debt as quickly as you can, and free yourselves from bondage.” 6

My brothers and sisters, many have heeded this prophetic counsel. They live within their means, they honor the debts they have incurred, and they strive to reduce the burden they owe to others. We congratulate those who are doing so, for the day will come when they will reap the blessings of their efforts and understand the value of this inspired counsel.

However, others struggle when it comes to finances. Some are victims of adverse and often unforeseen events that have financially damaged them. Others are in financial bondage because they have not learned to discipline themselves and control their impulses to spend. Consequently, they have made unwise financial choices.

May I suggest five key steps to financial freedom for your consideration.



First, pay your tithing. Do you want the windows of heaven opened to yu? Do you wish to receive blessings so great there is not room enough to receive them? 7 Always pay your tithing and leave the outcome in the hands of the Lord.

Obedience to God’s commandments is the foundation for a happy life. Surely we will be blessed with the gifts of heaven for our obedience. Failure to pay tithing by those who know the principle can lead to heartache in this life and perhaps sorrow in the next.

Second, spend less than you earn. This is simple counsel but a powerful secret for financial happiness. All too often a family’s spending is governed more by their yearning than by their earning. They somehow believe that their life will be better if they surround themselves with an abundance of things. All too often all they are left with is avoidable anxiety and distress.

Those who live safely within their means know how much money comes in each month, and even though it is difficult, they discipline themselves to spend less than that amount.

Credit is so easy to obtain. In fact, it is almost thrust upon us. Those who use credit cards to overspend unwisely should consider eliminating them. It is much better that a plastic credit card should perish than a family dwindle and perish in debt.

Third, learn to save. Remember the lesson of Joseph of Egypt. During times of prosperity, save up for a day of want. 8



Too often, people assume that they probably never will be injured, get sick, lose their jobs, or see their investments evaporate. To make matters worse, often people make purchases today based upon optimistic predictions of what they hope will happen tomorrow.

The wise understand the importance of saving today for a rainy day tomorrow. They have adequate insurance that will provide for them in case of illness or death. Where possible, they store a year’s supply of food, water, and other basic necessities of life. They set aside money in savings and investment accounts. They work diligently to reduce the debt they owe to others and strive to become debt free.

Brothers and sisters, the preparations you make today may one day be to you as the stored food was to the Egyptians and to Joseph’s father’s family.

Fourth, honor your financial obligations. From time to time, we hear stories of greed and selfishness that strike us with great sorrow. We hear of fraud, defaulting on loan commitments, financial deceptions, and bankruptcies.



We hear of fathers who financially neglect their own families. We say to men and women everywhere, if you bring children into the world, it is your solemn obligation to do all within your power to provide for them. No man is fit to be called a man who gathers around himself cars, boats, and other possessions while neglecting the sacred financial obligations he has to his own wife and children.

We are a people of integrity. We believe in honoring our debts and being honest in our dealings with our fellow men.

Let me tell you the story of one man who sacrificed greatly to maintain his own financial integrity and honor.

In the 1930s Fred Snowberger opened the doors of a new pharmacy in northeastern Oregon. It had been his dream to own his own business, but the economic turnaround he had hoped for never materialized. Eight months later, Fred closed the doors of his pharmacy for the last time.

Even though his business had failed, Fred was determined to repay the loan he had secured. Some wondered why he insisted on repaying the debt. Why didn’t he simply declare bankruptcy and have the debt legally forgiven?

But Fred did not listen. He had said he would repay the loan, and he was determined to honor his word. His family made many of their own clothes, grew much of their food in their garden, and used everything they had until it was thoroughly worn out or used up. Rain or shine, Fred walked to and from his work each day. And every month, Fred paid what he could on the loan.
 Years passed and finally the wonderful day arrived when Fred made the last payment. He delivered it in person. The man who had loaned him the money wept and with tears streaming down his face, said, “You not only paid back every penny, but you taught me what a man of character and honesty is.”

To this day, nearly 70 years after Fred signed his name to that note, descendants of Fred and Erma Snowberger still tell this story with pride. This act of honor and nobility has lived through the decades as a cherished example of family integrity.

Fifth, teach your children to follow your example. Too many of our youth get into financial difficulty because they never learned proper principles of financial common sense at home. Teach your children while they are young. Teach them that they cannot have something merely because they want it. Teach them the principles of hard work, frugality, and saving.


If you don’t consider yourself informed well enough to teach them, all the more reason for you to begin learning. Abundant resources are available—from classes, to books, to other resources.

There are those among us who have been blessed abundantly with enough and to spare. Our Heavenly Father expects that we do more with our riches than build larger barns to hold them. Will you consider what more you can do to build the kingdom of God? Will you consider what more you can do to bless the lives of others and bring light and hope into their lives?

The rest of his talk is found here: http://lds.org/ensign/2004/05/earthly-debts-heavenly-debts?lang=eng

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Week 31 of the 2011 Food Storage Challenge

$10 Plan
Store 4 cans corn

$20 Plan
Store 4 cans corn and 2 cans peas

We're storing tinned veggies now.  These veggies require no pre-cooking.  They're ready to go.  If you don't have the resources to heat them up, they can be eaten straight out of the can in a desperate situation.  Of course, in a 'normal' situation you could use them in a Tuna Mornay, in a Risotto, a meat pie/shepherd's pie, in savoury mince, fritters or in a soup.

Cans last longer than frozen vegetables if you are without power.  Personally, I have both.  I don't use my canned veggies as much but I am glad they are there.  They will lose nutritional value over time, just as all canned and jars of food will do so it is a good idea to keep rotating your food storage.

If you don't like these canned veggies, you can always store something that you will use.  There are so many alternatives; carrots, mushrooms, beans, capsicum, baby corn, creamed corn, beetroot, asparagus etc.