& Country Skills SPECIAL COLLECTION

• Choosing a Watchdog • Self-Sufficient 1-Acre Homestead • 75 Ways to Live on Less and Love It PHOTO BY: Bryan Welch Choosing and Training a

Watchdog By Barbara Pleasant Make your pet a safe and loyal guardian.

My home security system is large and Justice, 16 percent of American house- guard duty. Watchdogs look, listen and black—and she pants when it’s hot and holds were victims of crime in bark to sound the alert that something sheds hair every spring. In return for 2003. Especially in rural areas, the theft unusual is in their territory. regular feeding, periodic veterinary care pattern goes like this: Thieves make a After that, humans take over. and grooming, I get a beloved compan- quick visit to a house or farm to check Dogs have performed this duty for ion that barks loudly when any strange for security, then return later to take thousands of years. In Tibet, the little vehicle enters my driveway. My dog also what they want. But a barking dog often Lhasa apso, called the “bark lion senti- chases opossums from my deck and rab- turns off potential burglars at the scout- nel dog,” was bred to work as an indoor bits from my garden. But mostly, my ing phase. watchdog. In Belgium, schipperkes watchdog makes me feel safe. It’s no surprise that, of the 68 million earned the nickname “little captain of I am not operating under an illusion: pet canines in the , most the boat” because of their work as ship According to the U.S. Department of are expected to perform some kind of watchdogs.

“Dogs have coevolved with says even naturally friendly dogs humans for at least 12,000 years,” Watchdogs look, listen can be trained as good watchdogs. says veterinarian Andrew Lu- and bark to sound the “Dogs are quite good at realizing escher, director of the Animal when something is amiss.” Behavior Clinic at Purdue Uni- alert when something versity. “Dogs are better than Training a Watchdog any other animal at reading hu- unusual is happening in Let’s say you adopt a mixed- man body language, and they are their territory. After that, breed puppy after learning the the only animals that can follow puppy’s parents are good watch- something when you point it out humans take over. dogs. Where do you go from to them.” there? “Don’t encourage too Wayne Hunthausen, a veteri- much barking at an early age,” narian and co-author of the Handbook ask the previous owners how the dog Hunthausen says, because “territorial” of Behavior Problems of the Dog and performed as a watchdog. With a pup- barking often does not emerge until a Cat, says most dogs—including mixed py, find out as much as you can about dog is 9 months to 3 years old. Then, as breeds—can be trained as good watch- its parents, and if possible, spend time the dog reaches maturity, teach it how dogs. The exceptions are calm, less- with the parents before you decide to to do its job. reactive breeds such as bloodhounds or take the puppy home. “I like to teach the dog to bark when Newfoundland dogs. Also keep in mind that some dogs are something unusual happens, and then “You want a dog that will pick up on not content only as watchdogs. When go to a family member,” Hunthausen unusual things and then discriminate as they are not given appropriate work, says. “To do this, tell the dog to be quiet to what’s unusual,” Hunthausen says. herding dogs such as border collies or every time it barks, and then call it to “Dogs that have been bred for territorial Australian shepherds can be extremely you and give it a reward—a treat or a reactivity—Scottish terriers, Airedales excitable, which is not a good trait in chew toy. You want to develop a reflex and standard poodles—make good a watchdog. Predatory aggression is an- so that when a dog senses something watchdogs, but so do many others.” other bad trait that can be present in unusual, it barks and then goes to a fam- If you decide to adopt an adult dog, some aggressive breeds. But Luescher ily member and stops barking.” One version of this technique is “clicker training.” As the dog car- ries out a request, the owner sounds a small clicking device to alert the dog it has performed the correct behavior and then gives it a treat. As a result, the dog learns to associate the sound of the clicker with the treat. Using the clicker is very effective; the device allows the dog to instantly recognize that it has performed the desired task because it immediately hears the clicking noise. As soon as the dog is comfortable with the requested behavior, a verbal command can replace both the clicker and treat. Donna Mlinek, an animal behavior educator at the Dumb Friends League in Denver, says words and phrases, such as “quiet” or “enough barking,” should

an Welc h BY L Br y an PHOTO be taught as firm word commands. “If you yell ‘Shut up!,’ the dog may think Watchdogs don’t have to be large, imposing breeds—almost any dog can be trained to you’re barking with it,” she says. signal something suspicious. The Rottweiler mix above has a loud bark and a friendly But some dogs get so carried away smile. A diligent border collie keeps lookout over a homestead in Lawrence, Kan. barking that owners have trouble teach- ing them a “quiet” command. In this homesteading case, it can help to use an “interrupter,” to think that appropriate barking is bad, companies like deadbolt locks such as shaking a can with pennies in since that’s an important part of its job.” better than dogs; some companies even it, or giving the “quiet” command and When my dog wakes me up by bark- offer discounts if you don’t have a dog. squirting the dog in the mouth with wa- ing in the middle of the night, I get up (For more information, see “Dogs and ter. The dog will stop barking to lick the and look around before I tell her to set- Homeowner’s Insurance,” at left.) water; follow that by giving it a treat. tle down. I can feel her relief when she I personally want my dog’s job per- With these strategies, the dog eventu- sees that I’m doing my part. formance to fall somewhere between ally will respond to the command alone, Security Dogs that of a watchdog and that of a security and the noise or squirt won’t be neces- Security dogs take watchdogging dog. I don’t want her to bite, but I do sary, Mlinek says. a step further by aggressively defend- want strangers to encounter a dutifully “It’s important to understand that ing their territory. Because they can be territorial dog. We’re pretty convinc- you’re using aversive conditioning and dangerous, security dogs require special ing, I think. When a stranger comes to that the interrupter you use should fit training; owning one is a serious respon- my home, I often allow my dog to bark the dog,” she says. “If the conditioning sibility. a little before I tell her to settle down. is too strong, the device will elicit a fear “I do not recommend that people Not wanting to sabotage my own goals, response, which is not what you’re try- buy or attempt to train a protection I also avoid saying the dog’s name or ing to do. You also don’t want your dog dog,” Mlinek says. “This requires a using voice commands within earshot great deal of expertise and many years of strangers. Many dogs can be quickly of training, as well as precisely the right neutralized if a stranger says their name Dogs and kind of dog. A protection dog that is and gives them a treat. (If a burglar said poorly trained or handled by an un- my dog’s name while giving her a treat, Homeowner’s trained person can be very dangerous.” she might show the burglar where I hide Luescher adds, “People want a guard my extra key!) Simply offering a treat Insurance dog, so they will encourage it to be ag- will allow a delivery person to place a gressive because it makes them feel safe. package by my door, but he or she Some insurance companies charge Then things get out of hand.” would have to use commands and the higher premiums—or even deny cov- Aggressive dogs are more likely to dog’s name to get farther than that. erage—to homeowners who have spe- bite, which occurs 4.5 million times a “People also need to be aware that cific dog breeds, such as those listed year in the United States—and that’s once they start encouraging barking be- below. Owners of mixed breeds may only the number of bites reported to havior, their dogs may not make a dis- have to provide veterinarian state- authorities. In 2011, according to the tinction between the kind of ‘intruder’ ments about the dogs’ predominant bloodline before new policies can be Insurance Information Institute, dog that their owner cares about and the issued. The American Kennel Club’s bites accounted for one-third of all kind that their owner is unconcerned Web site has resources for dog own- homeowner liability claims, and the in- with,” Mlinek says. ers who are looking for homeowner’s surance industry paid out about $479 Some home security companies insurance. Visit www.akc.org, click million for them. If a dangerous dog suggest putting up a “Beware of Dog” on “dog owners,” then “Government harms someone because the owner has sign to deter would-be intruders, which Relations” from the drop-down menu, allowed it to run loose, the owner also might be a good idea. But good watch- and “Dog Owner’s Insurance Center” can be held criminally responsible. dogs don’t have to be scary, just smart from there. With these kinds of numbers to back barkers. them up, insurance companies often ask questions about family dogs. When I Akita Alaskan malamute applied for my last homeowner’s policy, Chow I was asked about my dog’s breed, age Doberman pinscher and whether she had been spayed (she German shepherd had). I eagerly answered my insurance Pit bull agent’s questions, thinking that having Presa Canario a watchdog would reduce my risk of Rottweiler theft—and reduce my insurance pre- Welc h Br y an BY: PHOT Siberian husky miums. Not so, because nobody knows Dogs that bark at an unusual visitor or sound help deter potential prowlers and Staffordshire bull terrier how often property crimes are thwarted harmful animals. by barking dogs. The bottom line is that homesteading Dogs for Special Jobs

In addition to serving as watchdogs, some breeds can do other jobs around the homestead. These breeds are unusually good at multitasking: Livestock guardian dogs bond with sheep, goats or other livestock and protect them from coyotes and other predators. Some sheep producers in Colorado prefer the Akbash; other talented breeds include Great Pyrenees, komondors, Anato- lian shepherds and Maremmas. To be most effective, these dogs should live outdoors with their charges, rather than indoors as family pets.

Herding dogs do an amazing job working with livestock. The border collie is the top dog in this category, because it uses Komondor sharp eyes and agility, rather than nipping, to move herds. Australian shepherds, collies, Australian cattle dogs, Welsh corgis and several other breeds also can make fine herders. Herding dogs love their work and often will try to herd people if they are underemployed.

Border collie Terriers are outstanding at controlling vermin and can range in size from large Airedales to smaller Boston terriers. For centuries, terriers such as the West Highland and cairn terriers were bred to hunt and kill mice, rats and other small animals. For some ter- rier breeds, such as the schipperke, being a watchdog is part of the job. Good “rat dogs” tend to dig a lot of holes, because their passion for their work is nothing short of obsessive. They also make fine pets. Jack Russell terrier Assistance dogs, also called service dogs, can help people with disabilities. German shepherds, once the most popular guide dogs for the blind, now rank just behind Labradors and golden retrievers as assistance dogs. In Britain and , labradoodles (lab-poodle mixes) are increasingly popular as assistance dogs.

Hunting dogs come in a few different varieties. Sporting Golden retriever breeds, such as pointers, setters, vizslas and spaniels, work with human hunters. Hounds hunt on their own, using scent and sight. Some other hunting breeds work best when hunters handle them as a pack. The Weimaraner was bred to be both a hunter and a pet.

Vizsla Komondor: Joe Glickman; G.K. & Vikki Hart/Photodisc (4) Start a Self-Sufficient 1-acre homestead expert advice on how to establish self- sufficient production, including guidance on crop rotations, raising livestock and grazing management.

by John Seymour

veryone will have a different approach to keeping a self-sufficient homestead, and it’s unlikely that any two 1-acre homesteads Movable Ewill follow the same plan or methods. Some people like cows; pigpen other people are afraid of them. Some people like goats; other peo- ple cannot keep them out of the garden. Some people will not slaughter animals and have to sell their surplus stock off to people who will kill them; others will not sell surplus stock off at all be- Cow with calf cause they know that the animals will be killed; and still others will slaughter their own animals to provide their family with healthy meat. For myself, on an acre of good, well-drained land, I would keep a cow and a goat, a few pigs and maybe a dozen hens. The goat would provide me with milk when the cow was dry. I might keep two or more goats, in fact. I would have the dairy cow (a Jersey) to provide the pigs and me with milk. More importantly, I would keep her to provide heaps and heaps of lovely cow manure Hay Cabbage to increase my soil fertility, because in order to derive any sort of living from that 1 acre without the application of a lot of artificial fertilizer, it would have to be heavily manured. Kale Broccoli Raising a Dairy Cow Cow or no cow? The pros and cons are many and various for a self-sufficient homestead. In favor of raising a cow is the fact that nothing keeps the Rutabagas of a family—and a farm—at a high level better than a dairy cow. If you and your children have am- ple good, fresh, unpasteurized, unadulterated dairy products, you will be well-positioned Cauliflower Brussels sprouts to be a healthy family. If your pigs and poultry get their share of the milk byproducts, es- cow a worthwhile investment. But a serious counter-consider- pecially whey, they likely will be healthy, too. If your garden ation is that you will have to take on the responsibility of milk- gets plenty of cow manure, your soil fertility will continuously ing a cow. Milking a cow doesn’t take very long — perhaps eight increase, along with your yields. minutes — and it’s very pleasant if you know how to do it and if On the other hand, the food that you buy in for this family she is a quiet, docile cow — but you will have to do it. Buying cow will cost you hundreds of dollars each year. Compared a dairy cow is a very important step, and you shouldn’t do it with how much you would spend on dairy products unless you do not intend to go away very much, or unless you each year, the fresh milk supply from the cow plus the increased can make arrangements for somebody else to take over your value of the eggs, poultry and pig meat that you will get, along milking duties while you’re gone. So let’s plan our 1-acre farm with your ever-growing soil fertility, will quickly make a family on the assumption that we are going to keep a dairy cow.

Your 1-acre homestead can be divided into land for raising livestock and a garden for Beehives raising and Mobile chicken coop , plus some and trees forage crops. Dorling Kindersley

Toolshed

Compost piles Cowshed Greenhouse

Cold Grass frames Spinach Peas Runner (pole) beans

Lettuce

Herbs Parsnips Leeks Onions French beans

Celery Currants

Broad beans

Potatoes

Beets Fodder beets Rhubarb Raspberries A dairy cow can provide butter, cream, milk, yogurt and cheese, plus lots of manure to build soil fertility.

using electric fencing. A little Jersey cow quickly gets used to 1-Acre Farm With a Family Cow being tethered and this was, indeed, the system that the breed H alf of your land would be put down to grass, leaving half an was developed for on the island of Jersey (where they were first acre arable (not allowing for the land on which the house and bred). I so unequivocally recommend a Jersey cow to the 1-acre other buildings stand). The grass half could remain permanent farmer because I am convinced that, for this purpose, she is pasture and never be plowed up at all, or you could plan crop without any peer. Your half-acre of grass, when established, rotations by plowing it up, say, every four years. If you do the should provide your cow with nearly all the food she needs for latter, it is best done in strips of a quarter the summer months. You are unlikely of the half-acre so that each year you’re to get any hay from the half-acre as well, planting a grass, clover and herb mix- Good crop rotations but if the grass grows faster than the cow ture on an eighth of your acre of land. can eat it, then you could cut some of This crop rotation will result in some with careful grazing it for hay. freshly sown pasture every year, some 2-year-old field, some 3-year-old field management will give Intensive and some 4-year-old field, resulting in The remaining half of your home- more productive land. you rich soil. stead—the arable half—would be farmed as a highly intensive garden. Grazing Management It would be divided, ideally, into four At the first sign the grass patch is suffering from overgraz- plots, around which all the annual crops that you want to ing, take the cow away. The point of strip grazing (also called grow follow each other in a strict crop rotation. intensive rotational grazing) is that grass grows better and An ideal crop rotation might go something like this: produces more if it is allowed to grow for as long as possible — Grass (for four years) before being grazed or cut all the way down, and then allowed — Plot 1: Potatoes to rest again. In such intensive husbandry as we are envisaging — Plot 2: (pea and bean family) for this self-sufficient homestead, careful grazing management — Plot 3: Brassicas (cabbage family) will be essential. — Plot 4: Root vegetables (carrots, beets, and so on) Tether-grazing on such a small area may work better than — Grass again (for four years)

Get creative and make your own chicken coop: This ark can be made out of used fertilizer bags for nearly nothing. Chickens for eggs, meat and pest control are the top livestock choice on most homesteads.

Consider the advantages of this kind of crop rotation. A the winter indoors, only being turned out during the daytime quarter of your arable land will be a newly plowed-up, 4-year- in dry weather to get a little exercise and fresh air. Cows do old field every year, with intensely fertile soil because of the not really benefit from being out in winter weather. Your cow stored-up fertility of all the grass, clover and herbs that have would be, for the most part, better if kept inside where she just been plowed-in to rot with four summers’ worth of cow would make lovely manure while feeding on the crops you grew manure. Because your cow will be in-wintered, on bought- for her in the garden. In the summer you would let her out, in hay, and treading and dunging on bought-in straw, you night and day, for as long as you find the pasture is not being will have an enormous quantity of overgrazed. You would probably find marvelous muck and cow manure to that your cow did not need hay at all put on your arable land. All of the Heavily manured, intensely during the summer, but she would crop residues that you cannot con- be entirely dependent on it through- sume will help feed the cow, pigs or planted garden beds will out the winter, and you could plan poultry, and I would be surprised if, on having to buy her at least a ton. If sley (4) r after following this crop rotation and produce more per acre e you wanted to rear her yearly calf un- d grazing management plan for a few than most larger farms. til he reached some value, you would years, you didn’t find that your acre ling Kin likely need a further half-ton of hay. I r of land had increased enormously in Do have kept my cow on deep litter: The soil fertility, and that it was produc- layer of straw gets turned into good ing more food for humans than many a 10-acre farm run on manure, and I add more clean straw every day. I have milked a ordinary commercial lines. cow this way for years, and the perfect milk made good butter and cheese, and stored well. Although more labor-intensive, Half-Acre Crop Rotation you could keep your cow on a concrete floor instead (insulated Some might complain that by having half your acre down if possible), and give her a good bed of straw every day. You to grass, you confine your gardening activities to a mere half-acre. But actually, half an acre is quite a lot, and if you garden it well, it will grow more food for you than if you were to “scratch” over a whole acre. Being under grass (and grazed and dunged) for half of its life will enor- mously increase the half-acre’s soil fertility. I think you will actually grow more vegetables on this plot than you would on a whole acre if you had no cow or grass break. Tips for the Self-Sufficient Homestead A dairy cow will not be able to stay outdoors all year. She would horribly overgraze such a small acreage. She should spend most of

You can grow your own wheat and dry it on simple tripods made from poles. Omnivorous pigs will eat almost anything, and can convert your surplus crops into delicious meat and fertile . would remove the soiled straw daily, and carefully pile it into a keeping very many birds, as just a dozen hens should give you muck heap that would be your fount of fertility for everything enough eggs for a small family with a few to occasionally sell on your acre. or give away in summertime. You would have to buy a little Pigs would have to be confined in a house for at least part grain for them, and in the winter some protein supplement, of the year (and you would need to provide straw for them), unless you could grow enough beans. You could try growing because, on a 1-acre farm, you are unlikely to have enough sunflowers, buckwheat or other food especially for them. fresh land to keep them healthy. The best option would be a Goats, if kept instead of a dairy cow (or in addition to), movable house with a strong movable fence outside it, but you could be managed in much the same way, however you could have a permanent pigpen instead. would not have as much whey and skim The pigs would have a lot of outdoor milk to rear pigs and poultry on, and work to do: They would spend part of Just a dozen hens you would not build up the fertility of their time plowing up your eighth of an your land as quickly as you could with acre of grassland, and they could run over will lay enough eggs a cow. You would only get a fraction your cultivated land after you have har- of the manure from goats, but on the sley r vested your crops. They could only do for you to eat, and a e other hand you would not have to buy d this if you had time to let them do it, as few extra to sell. nearly as much hay and straw—perhaps sometimes you would be in too much of a ling Kin not any. For a farmer wanting to have a r hurry to get the next crop in. As for food, Do completely self-sufficient homestead on you would have to buy in some wheat, 1 acre, dairy goats are a good option. barley or corn. This, supplemented with the skim milk and whey Crops would be all of the ordinary garden crops (fruits you would have from your dairy cow, plus a share of the garden and vegetables), plus as much land as you could spare for produce and such specially grown fodder crops as you could fodder crops for animals. Bear in mind that practically any spare the land for, would keep them excellently. garden crop that you grew for yourself would be good for If you could find a neighbor who would let you use a boar, I the animals too, so any surplus crops would go to them. You recommend that you keep a sow and breed her. She could give would not need a compost pile—your animals could be your you 20 piglets a year, two or three of which you could keep to compost pile. fatten for your bacon and ham supply. The rest you could sell Half an acre, farmed as a garden with wheat grown in as weanlings (piglets eight to 12 the other half-acre, is worth a try weeks old), and they would prob- if you kept no animals at all, or ably bring in enough money to maybe only some poultry. You pay for the food you had to buy This article is an excerpt from The would then practice a crop ro- for all your other livestock. If you tation as described above, but could not get of a boar, Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live substitute wheat for the grass you could always buy weanlings It, written by the late John Seymour and clover field. If you are a yourself—just enough for your and first published by Dorling vegetarian, this may be quite a own use—and fatten them. Kindersley in Britain in 1976. The good solution. But you could Poultry could be kept in a per- book has become a treasured classic not hope to increase the soil fer- manent house in one corner of for back-to-the-landers and is now tility, and therefore the produc- your garden, or, preferably, in tiveness, of your land as much as available in a beautifully illustrated mobile coops on the land, so they with animals. could be moved over the grass- 400-page edition. land and improve soil fertility with their scratching and dung- ing. I would not recommend Live on Less and love it!

Try these 75 inspiring ideas and enjoy life more while spending and consuming less.

By Craig Idlebrook Illustrations by Brian Orr selfsufficiency 2. Buy in bulk from a local health food store, or place bulk orders directly with mail-order companies. If you can’t meet their minimum order size, go in on an or- der with another family, or organize a larger food buying club. 3. Avoid the middleman and buy directly from farmers. Look for farm stands, com- munity supported agriculture programs and farmers markets. 4. Eat fruits and vegetables in season, when they are least expensive. (Once, we found organic watermelon for three cents a pound!) Stock up when they’re cheap and freeze or can any excess for later use. 5. Keep up with what’s in your refriger- ator and make sure nothing spoils. Once a week, make soup or casseroles to use up vegetables and other leftovers. If you live in a forested area, cut 6. Calculate the price of food per your energy costs by heating with wood. And wherever you my wife nor I will ever pound when you visit supermarkets. live, never skimp on insulation— be confused for financial wizards; Doing the math will help you spot good you’ll save money and energy. there’s nothing we’ve done that you can’t deals. do if you’re serious about saving money. 7. Don’t overeat. When you do, you’re Here are 75 money-saving tips to consider, flushing money down the drain. drawn from our own experiences. Find n paper, my wife what works for you and enjoy living on less! How to Avoid Rent and I are poor. 8. Find a live-in elder care position and How poor? In Good Cheap Food help someone stay out of a nursing home. 2005 Owe made $4,303.84 com- 1. Buy raw ingredients instead of pre- There’s always someone desperate for reli- bined; in 2004 we made half that. packaged . If you don’t know how to able help, and often there are no qualifica- We’re in such a low bracket that I have cook, learn. You’ll save on food bills, and tions needed other than compassion. trouble convincing the government of our your body will thank you for it in the long 9. Help renovate a house in exchange tax return’s accuracy; they simply can’t be- run. for lodging. This is how we came into our lieve Americans can live on that kind of current home. money. 10. For short-term stays, become a Yet in many ways, we’re better off than housesitter or pet sitter. a Wall Street banker: We’ve saved enough 11. For long-term stays, become a care- money to buy land without a mortgage, taker. A good place to find such caretak- we have no credit cards or monthly bills, I ing jobs is www.caretaker.org. work 20 flexible hours a week from home, and my daughter has two stay-at-home parents. Simply put, we never want for anything, and we have a lot of fun. We’ve arrived where we are now through a decade of daily financial deci- sions. Because we didn’t want to spend our time earning money at jobs we didn’t like, we instead focused on how to stretch our money. We found that by con- trolling our day-to-day expenses, we Stock up on produce when it’s in could save a lot of money without season and at its cheapest, then sacrificing our . Neither can or freeze it for later use. selfsufficiency

heating system. 20. Be efficient with your appliances. Find and Build Your Nest 16. for services with carpenters. Have a big baking night when you’re go- 12. Look beyond realtors’ listings to Some communities have organized time ing to use the oven. Let your woodstove find cheap property. Try local penny pa- banks, to make bartering these kinds of also be your dryer and water heater. pers. services easier. You can learn more about 21. Take advantage of natural weath- 13. Don’t be afraid to ask. If you see a them at www.timebanks.org. er patterns to heat and cool your piece of land you like, find the owner and 17. Buy into a piece of land with an- house. In the summer, open the win- ask if it’s for sale. It might be cheaper than other family. Be sure to check local zon- dows at night and close them again by you think. ing ordinances to be sure you can legally noon. 14. Salvage materials for your new subdivide a property before you buy it. 22. Place your refrigerator in the

Make a habit of eating at home: It’s almost always cheaper, healthier and better-tasting than eating at restaurants or fast food joints. coldest part of the house so it requires less energy to keep the temperature low. home. There are lots of possible sources: 18. Build with natural materials 23. Wash your clothes in cold water. It’s Look for someone who’s renovating a house found on-site. If you have wood, the the friction that does most of the cleaning, and might let you cart away old materials; equipment to mill it yourself is rela- not the heat. check the yellow pages for used building tively inexpensive, compared to buying 24. Switch off your water heater when materials; or look for online groups, such lumber. (You can resell the sawmill after you’re not going to use it for extended pe- as Freecycle, where people trade all kinds of you’re done with it.) Building with stone riods of time. unwanted items. or straw bales and using clay for plasters 25. Buy energy-efficient light bulbs. 15. Never skimp on insulation or good are other relatively inexpensive natural The savings on your electric bills add up windows. Build your home tight enough, building options. fast. and it will cost much less to heat. You may 26. Unplug any unused electric items even be able to get away with a woodstove Keep Home Upkeep costs Down with lights, clocks or timers. They use or other supplemental heating and avoid 19. Close off unused rooms to save on an amazing amount of power just sitting the cost of buying and running a central heat and air conditioning. there. You can plug multiple items into one selfsufficiency

If you build your own home, take full advantage of natural materials already on the property, such as timber, sand or clay.

power strip to make shutting them all off 33. Don’t go into stores unless you Buy clothing used whenever possible. faster. need something. Always carry a shop- You may have good luck finding clothes ping list. Remember, stores are designed at garage sales, or find a wider selection at Creative Transportation to get you to buy things you didn’t thrift stores, consignment shops and on 27. Carpool with friends or co-workers. know you needed. eBay. Some cities maintain online listings to help 34. Hit end-of-season sales for as many 40. Have a clothing exchange party to people connect with other carpoolers. items as possible, from kayaks to gar- trade unwanted clothing with friends. 28. Ask if your city has a carshare pro- dening supplies. 41. Try sewing. Look for cheap material gram or start one with people you trust. 35. Before you shop, try borrowing the in thrift stores, or try reincarnating your 29. Convert a diesel car to run on used items you need from family or friends. outfits into something new. oil. You’ll pay once for the con- Check out local Freecycle groups to find 42. Watch the clearance racks. It’s al- version or kit, but after that all your fuel out what people are giving away. Set up ways amazing how much stores are willing can be free. All you have to do is find a res- borrowing co-ops for tools. to mark down unsold clothing. taurant that wants to dispose of their used 36. Try to find it used before you buy oil and will let you cart it away. new. You can find a wide variety of items For Your Health 30. Keep track of your gas mileage and online, in the classifieds or penny papers, 43. Ask a doctor or dentist if they have look for ways to improve it—keep your and at garage sales, estate sales and thrift sliding-scale fees. tires properly inflated and don’t speed. stores. 44. Look for free or low-cost clinics and/ 31. Do as many errands as possible 37. When buying new, choose high- or medical schools for treatment. (But be with each car trip around town instead quality, durable items. It’s often cheaper to warned, sometimes you get what you pay of making multiple trips. You’ll save a lot spend more upfront if you won’t have to re- for. I have a couple of bad fillings from a of gas. place the item in the near future. new dentist.) 32. Book any airplane trips well in 38. Instead of shopping, scavenge. Watch 45. Do preventive maintenance on your advance to get the lowest possible fare. the curbs at the end of the semester in a col- body. Exercise and eat well. Try yoga to re- Then show up early and offer to be lege town. If you live near a high school, try duce stress. Quit smoking. bumped in exchange for free tickets if a talking to the janitor the last day of school 46. Campaign for a national health is overbooked. when they’re cleaning out the lockers. care system! When You Can’t Avoid Shopping Get Some Clothes On! Cutting Education costs selfsufficiency

See the World for Less 47. For the college bound, take some 60. Volunteer for organiza- general education classes at a state school tions such as Willing Workers on or community college where the tuition Organic Farms (WWOOF) that is low, even if you plan to take most of provide food and lodging in ex- your classes at a more expensive college. change for a reasonable amount of Just check carefully with your school of daily work. choice to make sure the classes will transfer. 61. Trade your home with 48. Attend an in-state college. Establish friends around the country and residency for a year or two beforehand, enjoy free lodging in a new loca- if need be. The money saved can be well tion. worth the time it takes to establish residency. 62. Go camping, or rent a cab- 49. Buy your college books used online. in. Don’t overlook state parks and Don’t give in to the monopoly of the col- national forests, they’re often less lege bookstore! expensive and less crowded than 50. Watch for unique scholarship op- national parks. Rediscover the radical notion of a public library: portunities, including those that involve 63. Try a local vacation. Chances Get books, music and movies for free! resources other than cash. (I once received are, there’s something great to see a case of organic macaroni and cheese for within a 100-mile radius of where where everyone brings unwanted items making the dean’s list.) you live. and other joke gifts. 51. Audit classes that you only want for 64. Ask hotels about discounted dis- 72. Invoke a gift giving spending cap. the learning, not the credit. tressed-traveler rates, especially if you 73. Give homemade gift certificates for a 52. For lessons, try bartering. For ex- hadn’t planned to stop but must because of home-cooked dinner, massage or babysit- ample, my wife is planning to do some inclement weather. ting time. photography in exchange for dance lessons. 65. There’s no law against haggling with 74. Donate to a good cause that a friend a hotel on the room rate! or family member supports instead of Cheap Entertainment 66. Make your vacations pay for you by buying a gift they don’t need. Not only do 53. Discontinue your service combining them with work. I once volun- you support a worthwhile organization, and utilize a wireless “hotspot” where teered for my school to check out an in- but you’ll save on sales tax and transporta- you can connect to the Internet for free. novative learning program in Vermont and tion costs. Even the smallest towns tend to have at got to stay in a bed and breakfast with my 75. Swallow your pride; accept your fam- least one. wife for free. ily’s help every now and then. It’ll make 54. Rediscover the radical notion of the 67. Buy food at local supermarkets them feel good. library. Imagine Internet access and thou- when traveling. It’s much cheaper than These suggestions are just a starting sands of books, CDs and DVDs for free! eating at restaurants. place. You’ll find lots of new ways to save 55. Volunteer to usher for concerts, plays 68. wChoose a vehicle with fold-down that work best for you. Make a game of it if and other events. (I haven’t paid for a play seats if you’re renting a car or truck. Find you can, and keep it fun. After all, it’s only in years.) a safe place to sleep for the night, and you money. Happy penny pinching! 56. Find low-cost fun in your local pa- have instant, snug lodging. per. Take full advantage of free concerts, events and movies. Happy Families for Cheap 57. When at a concert or movie, avoid 69. Definitely choose used clothes for buying anything to eat or drink. Some babies. They’re so cute, they don’t need to places even let you bring your own snacks. be stylish. 58. Take turns entertaining with friends 70. Trade babysitting time with other holding parties, potlucks or music nights. couples and have rotating playgroups with 59. Occasionally, go ahead and spend other families. ook the money. Saving money’s like going on 71. During the holidays, draw names r a diet: If you try to starve yourself, you’ll for gift giving with groups of family or end up consuming more in the long-run. If friends rather than buying a gift for ev- ances Idleb r there’s a form of entertainment you value, erybody. A fun variation or addition to The author and his family live F that’s a good place to consider splurging. this is the white elephant holiday party, happily and frugally in Maine.