Truck update .

   Last week I wrote that my truck troubles were a 40$ sensor . Well the truck has run good and I have put 200 miles on it since the repair. I have filled the tank and checked the mpg it is getting now. It got 14.7 just tooling around the house for the first 100 miles. Now the second 100 was 70 on the interstate  and 30 local and it got 16.4 mpg . It wasn't a cruise speed trip ,mid day through Birmingham is hammer down and move or die .

    Before the repair it 11 to 12 MAY BE  so far it is a 25% increase or more. That is a major operating savings. Now I could drive a smaller truck but it couldn't do what I need it to do. I gave some thought to what that damn part cost me over the last year and I could have spent 2 weeks camping .

Prepper barter items for frugal preppers.

    Ok I am trying to relax between loads of BBQ so a change of pace this post Last week I saw a couple of posts on survival sites on barter goods. Some Items listed were kind of pricey to toss in a box for someday . So I got to thinking what I had multiples of and what I need to add that are frugal and will have bang for the buck.
   Before I go  on AMMO in my opinion is not a barter item. The other thing that is not a barter item is Toilet paper. I have yet to meet a man that would face his wife and say use a leaf I traded butt wipe for __________ .They will not understand I don't give a damn what you barter for!!!

     Most items I have are dollar items or a little more or can be broke down from bulk for trade. I advise a small kitchen scale or a hanging farm scale to make honest trades both ways.
 
Salt its cheap and will be needed in large quantity's .
Sugar, cheap cant be grown and last forever.( honey is pricy)
Coffee any way (green, ground, instant) worth the cost.
Tea individual size qt.size
Spices all kinds in different sizes unground if you can find.
Over the counter meds and pain meds bulk to be broke down
LED Flashlights from dollar tree
Solar path lights, light and battery for a buck at dollar tree.
Bleach
Vinegar
Coco  powder, chocolate syrup. Pricy but bang for the buck
Hot chocolate packs just add water 6.99 for 72 at Sam's
Alcohol or more sugar if you make your own :).like me
Liquid soap in bulk or make your own
Canning lids lots and lots
Fishing hooks bobbers, lead weighs and spools of line
Plastic sheeting ,  2.98 for 20x50 Walmart.
     
    This isn't a complete list but  it is a cheap list of items that should trade high compared to cost . Yes some pricy items and fuel will be in demand  but I cant afford the inventory cost.

     If you have bulk items be sure to have zip lock bags for the dry goods and save empty 1/2 liter water bottles for liquids.

     You may have some personal preps that you may barter if long term but that wasn't what this list is. I also left out gold silver due to it isn't frugal :).

Updates on my son and around here.

     A friend of mine stopped by to check on my son Sunday and then informed me he was doing fine. Seems his solar panel has done good with the sunny days ,but he isn't sure how much propane he has used. Was told he has moved his bed to the kitchen end of the camper and hung a blanket up to stay warmer.The nites have been in the low 30s but days have been 55 and sunny. I will go up on Thursday and probable bring him back to the house for 3 days (forcast is for low teens 2 nites ). Also was told he needed a shower and to wash some cloths .

    While the weather has been nice this weekend I did a good BBQ business and was able to get some odds and ends done around the house and with both campers. I cant wait for a little warm weather for a weeks camping some where .

     Did catch a great deal on a riding lawn mower. My wife's sister told us her husband was going to sell his riding mower for 100$.For the last 4 years I have used my tractor and push mowed what it couldn't cut . There is a lot of push mowing and a bush hog isn't ideal for a smooth cut in the front yard . Called my brother in law to make sure he was going to sell it ( wives sometime sell husbands stuff before we decide to) and why so cheap. He said he was selling it, as for what was wrong he said needs a battery and a deck belt was squealing . Ok still a deal . Went and got it Sunday he told me it had been 2 years since he had used it. Looked great charged the battery , cleaned the jelly out of the gas tank ,add a gallon of premium gas, fired right up ,the belt was squealing because the bearings were almost froze 2 squirts of wd 40 broke them free by hand . This morning I cut the yard next door  used it this afternoon just to loosen the bearings .Just before dark I checked the battery with a volt meter 12.7. It looks like new for 100$ a gallon of gas and a little WD 40 , air in the tires should last many summers .

We got a camper!

   Well  me and the wife found a camper we could agree on.Its not new but it is an 06 in perfect shape and everything works perfect.

   It is a funfinderX that is 23 ft long but only weights 3340Lb so it is towable with my jeep.We have loved our travels in our teardrop but for long stays and parks with limited shower/bathroom facilitys it was rough on the wife (which made my life rough).So now we will be using both.

    When we go for over a week we will take the larger camper but for just 3 or 4 days we will be using the teardrop.We plan on taking the funfinder out to the lake in 2 weeks for a shakedown trip.Pulling something this size will take some getting use to and i had a few issues pulling it the 140 miles back home.My jeep sliped a little in and out of overdrive on flat ground so i had to switch it off  and  drive at 60mph droped gas milage to 11.That is to low it should have been 14 to 16 mpg, time to tune the motor and change the transmission fluid and add a cooler.The cost now will be recouped after 1200 miles so well worth it.
       My post 3 weeks ago was that we were lookig at a new camper I just could not do it.We do love the retro but we got this one for 5000 and it will last us for 5 to 10 years and still be sell it and recoup 2500 to 3500$ .You got to look at total cost and 300 a year in deprisiation is livable.Just for the record for years i saved change when i had the gas station at the end of shifts loose change went into a 5 gallon bucket.Last month i cleaned out my junk room and found i had 2 buckets of change the grand total at the bank was 5049.21 .I GOT A CAMPER!!
    PS  yes the tellers though i was a nut job!!!

Car kits for idiots

        By now most people have heard and read about the snow storm here in the Birmingham and Atlanta.Thousands were left stranded and away from home for one to two days in the low teens.This week Mother nature decided to sweep in and dump a couple inches of snow that was as fine as corn starch and packed into a sheet of ice in 30 minutes.A lot of people that had never given a thought to being stranded were miles from home having to relied on the kindness of strangers for food and shelter.My stepson was stranded with his boss and co worker in a truck on hwy 280
     The one thing tha struck me was no one seemed to have even the barest of a car survival kit. People made there way to home depots Hotel lobbies fast food restaurants anyplace that would welcome them in for the day and nite.Now this event was only going to last 36 to 48 hours but people didn't have a clue on what to do to make it for this short of time or have anything with them to help.
      The head of the Alabama EMA gave an interview and told the public every one needed to have a car and home emergency kit.He told everyone to go to their website or FEMA to make a kit.I have to say our head of the EMA was honest he stated 72 hours was the best a person could expect to aid arrive in an emergency.
     Now i wrote this as a draft right after the snow 2 weeks ago i never posted it.I am glad i didn't post it because in the 2 weeks since i have come to the conclusion people are scared to have to provide for themselves.All we have heard is how we pulled together moved closer as a county,We take care of each other.Now I have to admit we did OK but it was just a 2 day event no one was short of food water,gas,power.I would wager out of the whole county not a hundred people made a car survival kit or did anything.
     Last nite we got a little ice and it looks like we will have snow move in Wednesday afternoon.The news is showing stores out of milk and bread.I have been to the EMA and FEMA web sites they have standard lists for emergency kits.I have read many list and i can tell you i have never seen Milk or Bread on any of them.

      MAKE YOUR KITS one day it won't be a rainbow and unicorn event!

Fall is almost here.Time for the mountains

   Around here we have been having great weather.Crisp mornings in the high 50s and days in the high 70s. Still a little warm to be Fall but super nice.This year me and the wife haven't spent as much time camping as we have wanted but we are planning a trip to the Smokies in 3 weeks.This year we have camped with the kids and sister-in-law,but we haven't gone alone yet and will be taking the family with us to the Smokies.We haven't took any of the kids to the mountains in 7 years so it time.Even though it sounds expensive its not to bad I pay for 1 tank of gas and the campsite.They pay for the gas to get there and what they find in the shops.Some how I always seem to get STUCK with one restaurant bill for everyone,Oh well i am use to it:).

The scrap haul and other stuff paid.

    Well i made the scrap run on Tuesday and it was worth the time made 42$ off the junk and cleaned up some of the yard.Now i am not like most scrap scroungers i don't go looking for it.Most of what i haul off is dropped here by family and friends.Everyone has something to scrap from time to time but rarely enough to justify a trip to scrap yard some how a lot seems to make it to my yard.I just put it under my lean to till i have a trip or need gas money.I like to think of it as poor mans precious metals.I do not sell any lead or cooper.I feel the long term increase in price is worth the wait.
      After i had sold the scrap i took my brother in law a gallon of distilled beer:) .When i got home a friend of mine came by and asked if  i would be interested in making 10 $ an hour cutting his grass (his mower and gas)he was hurting in his back.Sure i know it takes him most a day.Now he is a friend and i felt bad to be paid but knew if i refused pay he wouldn't agree to it.I cut 3 acres in 4 hours.Will do the weed eating tonite.My buddy was happy with the cutting and he didn't nit pick the work so i know he had to be hurting.Now a year ago if i had started  week broke i would have been in panic mode but i have learned there is always something someone needs done and stuff that will sell. It may not be as regular as a payday i had 6 hour involved and netted over 140 dollars.still have 3 hours of weed eating to do and 2 more days for odd jobs to pop up.I am ready for this weekend plan on working Friday,Saturday,Sunday and Monday.Last Monday i laid in 20 Boston butts 9 slabs of ribs and 4 chickens(was the reason i was broke)this cost me almost 200 more than a normal weekend.

A free water heater can cost more.

     This weekend i had to replace our hot water heater.I have to admit it lasted i checked the date it was put in in 1991 so it lasted 22 years my stepson is a plumber said most last 10.TJ got me and his mom a good high efficacy unit for 400$ its also 50 gallons.

      I could have got a free electric unit from the power company to replace my gas one but i did a little research.The unit they give away was rated at 458$ a year cost the one i paid 400$ for is rated at a annual cost of 265$.So i recoup my money in 2 years and will save 200$ every year after that.Also to go to electric i would have had to add a 220 breaker and run 30 ft of 10/2 wire about 60 bucks for that.Not to mention how slow recovery is on an electric.
When you see the word free alarms should sound it rarely is free.
       I am glad i got it done before winter it was leaking a little and last week the pilot had to be lite every day.Tomorrow i am going to haul the old water heater an old stove and aluminum cans to the scrap yard.After this hit to the budget i have 12 dollars for gas money this week i hope what i haul off brings 25 $.If it doesn't I'm going to have to borrow money from the wife or a loan shark who may give a better rate than she will.Luckily the scrap yards closer than the dump and they pay me instead of me paying to dump it.

Foxfire books a must read

      If you have never heard of the foxfire books please look them up online and read 1-5.What they are is a collection of stories wrote in the sixties by high school kids talking to their grandparents great aunts and uncles about life in the Appalachian Mt's.Most of the books are first hand accounts of things that had to be done to just live a lot of how to a lot descriptions of there daily life.If you do read the books remember they had no electricity no cars few stores and little money.
      I have a lot of respect for the abilities of the people in these books .When i read books of this type i look at modern things that we have available for off grid living today vs back then.Our modern mountain families even if they are off grid and living off the land have it so much easier than the folks in the 1800s had.By the same token people from back then knew more about what it took to live that kinda life.If i had to live off the land with only 1 modern item i think i would pick a chainsaw.The amount of time they took with falling trees and making lumber and usable items was huge.A chainsaw would free up a lot of time for other things.You may wonder why not a truck? No roads .Solar panels ?Why a lantern was available and candles.Guns yea modern ones would be nice but black powder was OK and it wouldn't  save time.A fridge? No i have waded a mt stream its plenty cold for milk and most food .So i am back to the chainsaw.Even with a good chainsaw falling cutting and splitting a cord of firewood is a lot of work.Could you do  it using a 2 man saw bucking horse saw then split it?
     If something happens and we devolve back to this level read these books and choose what you could do to make it as manageable as possible.For me a chainsaw is my pick i have 3 and 10 gallons of Coleman fuel for long term.I also have a 10 gallon ethanol generator (a still) that i have used for many years.What do you think your 1 item would be for you.

Regular in the car but premium in a can

   How many people do you know that has had a lawnmower or chainsaw in the shop only to find out it is the ethonal in the gas? Today when you buy regular gas it has 10% ethonal in it.Now i want you to think of it like this 12 oz of High grade moonshine is in your tank with every gallon!!! Thatis the same alcohol content as a 5th of Jack Daniels at 80 proof !!!Almost half or corn crop is now used in place of petroleom in that gallon.Seems like a waste to me but some people will spend their last dollar for a gallon before they would walk a block.
    Sorry got off track. A lot of preppers have gas storage but i bet most use regular.As a former gas station owner if you were to ask at most independent stations if there premium has ethonal most will tell you no only regular and mid grade.Now i know most people run regular in their small engines that are not designed for ethonal.For a measly 40 cents more you will avoid most fuel problems in small engines and pure gas with stabilizer will last longer if stored just buy priemium non ethonal gas.
     The ethonal in the gas naturaly atracts water and binds to it.Most water remover that is sold is just de-natured alcohol it binds the water in a way your car will burn it.Premium gas may cost 40 cents more but remember it also gives more octane power and burns better in an engine so it realy cost less.Besides is when theres an emergancy time to wrry about 40 cents a gallon.Iwant generator to crank the saw to work and the wife to hush!The order of importance is hush generato then saw. I buy premium because I am cheap 40 cents on a few gallons beats the 72$ it cost to have the soft parts replaced in my chainsaws carberator and new lines!