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10 Skills To Help Beat a Bad Economy

02.22.2012 by Matt Jabs //

With the housing crisis, soaring unemployment, and crippling levels of debt the globe over, many people have nothing left to put away for “retirement;” but that doesn’t mean they’re out of options. Let’s take a look at a few skills that can pay off big regardless of economic decline.

Learn to think better

Before we get started, let’s correct a thinking problem developed over the last few decades: you don’t have to pay for schooling to learn, just go to the library and practice at home.

The first thing we need to do is learn to think better. For decades we have depended on others to provide things for us, now we need a return to doing more things ourselves, and that starts with our education. Go to the library and relearn the joy of reading and teaching yourself for free.

Making a habit of going to the library can help you build a better future, for little cost, and you can start right away.

1. Gardening

Read books and start practicing. Don’t be afraid to fail. Start small and polish your skill, knowledge, and experience every year. Check out SmartGarden.com, an awesome and free online tool to help you plan and execute your garden from seed to harvest.

Many communities offer gardening classes ranging from beginner to master; check into it for your area and take advantage. Some charge a fee but it is always minimal, usually less than $100.

Talk to your parents and grandparents about it, chances are they still have some of these skills and their experience will bless you.

2. Using knives and firearms

Knowing how to buy, sell, shoot, and clean firearms is a valuable skill. Being handy with firearms empowers you to defend yourself and provide for your family.

Get started with a 12 gauge (I recommend a Remington 870), a 22 rifle, a 270 or 30-06 rifle, and a handgun like a 38, 45, or even 9 mil.

It has also been proven that knives are a more effective personal safety device than hand guns, so I recommend getting yourself a good bowie knife too. This is the knife I have.

3. Hunting and fishing

Some people grow up learning to hunt and fish; I wasn’t one of them. My dad lived and breathed sports instead, so that’s what I learned.

As I grew older I desired the knowledge and skill of hunting and butchering large game, so I taught myself. Last winter I bagged my first deer and did all the dressing and processing myself. I learned to field dress (a.k.a. gut) it by watching YouTube videos, and processed and packaged the meat with the help of my friend Rodney.

We still have a few packages of the steaks left and have been eating on them all year. Because I processed it myself the cost was only the price of a hunting license ($15) and a few beers for Rodney’s dad.

4. Raising livestock

Growing up we raised around 16 beef cattle and 100 chickens. It was a lot of work, but it provided for us, earned us money on the side, and taught us the value of hard work.

  1. Chickens provide eggs and meat.
  2. Rabbits provide meat.
  3. Goats are great for dairy.
  4. Cattle are also good for meat and dairy.
Some places have ordinances restricting livestock, so check with your local taxing authority; but don’t be afraid to get the ordinance changed and/or removed, a lot of that is going on now that the economy is so poor.

5. Cooking

Learning to cook is a skill that can save you a ton of money. Eating out of our fridge and pantry saves me and Betsy hundreds of dollars every month; and it allows us to eat a lot healthier because we control what goes into the food.

Read the article saving money on groceries so you can build a good, healthy home food store for less.

If you are unfamiliar with cooking altogether, go to the library and get a few cookbooks and/or ask a friend or family member to come teach you.

6. Food preservation

Whether or not you know how to garden is irrelevant; “putting food by” is a skill that pays whether you grew the food or not. If you know how to garden you can put your own harvest away. If you purchase your produce you can still preserve it and save your family a lot of money. Betsy and I do a combination of the two by growing a garden and belonging to a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program.

Buy a good canner. We paid $200 for the one we use and it is well worth the investment. Remember that you need skills and tools, and a good canner is a priceless tool.

7. Sewing and knitting

Awhile back I posted “Real men know how to knit” on my Facebook page, the response was pretty interesting. It’s true, real men DO know how to knit.

Whatever your gender, knitting, sewing, darning, and the like are all valuable skills. I taught myself how to darn socks (by watching YouTube videos). My Aunt Patti taught me and Betsy how to knit. My mother-in-law Janice taught me how to run the 42 year old sewing machine she gave us. I still need to make some family cloth with that thing – but that’s a topic for a different day! (Google “family cloth.”)

Knowing how to make, maintain, and repair your own clothing is a valuable skill to have, especially in a bad economy. The socks I darned would’ve ended up in the trash over a year ago, instead – thanks to my new skills – they’re still going strong.

Oh, and thanks to Aunt Patti we now knit all our own dishcloths, and knit extras to give away as gifts.

8. Lumberjacking

Don’t laugh, Betsy calls me a lumberjack all the time because I was raised in a home heated primarily with a wood stove. A continual chore every year was harvesting, hauling, sawing, chopping, and stacking wood. Growing up I rather loathed the process, but the older I get the more thankful I am for having the skill.

If you don’t live on land with a good wood source, watch Craigslist; there are always posts offering free wood if you’re willing to cut it and haul it away. You can’t beat free!

I’m very thankful my dad taught me how to lumberjack. When friends would try I was always amazed at how few of them were adept at splitting wood. I used to take the skill for granted, but not any longer.

9. Home repair

Grab the honey-do-list and get to work. If you don’t know how to do something, go to the library and read a book about it.

Call your uncle/friend/neighbor who is handy with a tool belt and offer him pizza and drinks if he comes over to help you with the project. You’ll learn along the way and build up a great set of skills that you could use to earn money on the side or simply save your family money by completing projects yourself.

10. Auto repair

I have always done most all my own peripheral car repairs (everything but engine and transmission work); it’s another skill I’m thankful my dad taught me. He always worked on his own vehicles and I was his flashlight guy who could never quite hold the light in the right place. Despite my lack of lighting skills, I always paid attention and was able to pick up on a lot of the automotive skills he had.

I’m no expert, but you don’t have to be an expert to try. Invest in a Haynes manual and try your hand at repairing your own vehicles whenever possible. If you get into a job and find it’s beyond your skills, take it to your mechanic; at least you tried.

Think and live outside the box

Become a Renaissance (Wo)Man (a.k.a. Polymath) – a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. It’s not popular in our culture, but the concept is on the rise and it’s no wonder – knowing how to do your own work in a bad economy saves a lot of money and makes you feel better about yourself. It makes plain sense.

Think of your grandparents – they knew how to do a lot of these things and more… so why don’t we? It’s a great question to ask yourself.

It’s high time we started living outside the box and teaching ourselves a diverse set of self-reliant, money saving skills.

What skills are you learning that are saving you money and increasing your ability to take care of yourself and family?

*******

Categories // Earn Money, Money Management, Simplify Tags // learn, skills

Doing What You Want. With Purpose

02.20.2012 by Matt Jabs //

“Do what you love. Know your own bone; gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it, and gnaw it still.” – Henry David Thoreau

Hiking during the week

Now that Betsy and I write books and run websites full-time we’re able to work, serve, and leisure when we want. It’s a blessing from God and a result of hard work and preparation.

One key pursuit of Debt Free Adventure is living our mission and helping you learn to live yours. This means seeking purpose while doing what we love. I’m convinced the righteous desires of our hearts – no matter how frivolous they may seem – are part of a compass, bestowed by God, to help steer our lives. One of mine is hiking, I love it.

Having recently moved to Hendersonville, NC I’m endowed with enough hiking to make me sick. I joined a local hiking club and am going on my maiden hike this morning; I’m excited. It could be pure leisure, but could also present an opportunity to serve Christ, however small. Being sensitive to these opportunities is part of my purpose.

When I was first born-again I created my own opportunities. I would slam open doors and shove God in your face whether you liked it or not. No longer. Nowadays I aim to judge myself against His word and wait for Him to open the doors.

Long story short, regardless of what I’m doing I try to follow the righteous desires of my heart (like hiking), enjoy myself, and remain sensitive to any opportunity to share the glorious grace of my Lord Jesus.

With that always in mind, the topic of today’s article is being able to do what you want; in this case, me hiking during the week.

Forgive me as I take a minute to lose myself in the details of preparing for my hike, being prepared and going over my gear is something I enjoy almost as much as the hike itself!

Being prepared on the hike

When I hiked in Michigan it was hard to get lost; I carried little more than water and a snack. That’s not the case here; Western North Carolina is home to millions of acres of mountain wilderness that can easily confuse an unprepared hiker. It deserves the respect of proper gear and a well thought out pack.

Tomorrow’s hike is a moderate 6.4 mile day hike that should take approximately 3 hours. Here is a picture and list of the contents in my pack. Am I properly prepared? You be the judge.

Starting horizontally from the top left:

  • mini binoculars
  • bowie knife and multi-function tool
  • signal mirror
  • mini survival kit with all sorts of goodies
  • reflective emergency blanket
  • bible
  • flashlight
  • compass
  • first-aid kit
  • rope
  • whistle
  • flint and steel
  • lighter
  • trail and road map of the surrounding wilderness area

I will also carry plenty of water and food, and be properly dressed in layers.

Note: My kit should include a good quality water filter, which I intend to add soon.

Doing what you love with purpose

I love to hike, but I also love to help others.

We’re blessed to be able to earn a living writing about holistic stewardship, but it took a lot of hard work to get there. For years I built this business on the side while working a full-time job I didn’t care for. Now rather than working a job I don’t like and living for the weekend, I’m doing the work I love and living every day to the fullest. Are you?

“I’m an idealist. I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way.” – Carl Sandburg

It’s okay if you don’t know what you’re supposed to be doing, but it’s not okay if you’re not seeking. It took me the better part of 2 decades to find a road that feels right, so never stop searching.

Don’t be afraid to think – and live – outside the box, and don’t be afraid to go your own way.

Remember, if you’re always trying to fit in, you’ll never stand out.

*******

Categories // Earn Money, Spirituality Tags // dream, motivation, spiritual, Work

Start Living on One Income!

02.03.2012 by Matt Jabs //

I strongly urge you to do everything in your power to start living on one income, however and whenever possible.  If you are single, concentrate on living well below your means, paying off any debt you have, saving money, and giving generously.  If you are a two income family, please read on with a hopeful and open mind.  🙂

Why live on one income?

Living on one income does not necessarily mean you’re only earning one income.  Whether both spouses work, or only one works and the other stays home… there are many benefits to living on one income only.

When both spouses work

As it sits right now, me and Betsy have no children and are self-employed, but it wasn’t long ago that we were both working full-time jobs. There are benefits to having both spouses work, but if you do I still encourage you to live on only one income while you save the other.

Here are a few noteworthy benefits of a two income family living on one income:

  • A hedge against job loss. If both spouses work, yet they only require one income for their living expenses, then the other spouses job can be lost without an enormous family crisis taking place.
  • Pay off debt faster. Use the second income to get you out of debt in record time.
  • Save more money. Once you are out of debt, start packing away boatloads of cash.
  • Give more. Because you can, because it will make you happy, and because “…God loveth a cheerful giver.”  II Cor 9:7
  • Retire earlier. Once your emergency fund is established, begin fully funding your IRAs, 401(k)s, and other investments so you can retire earlier and spend more time doing what you love.

When only one spouse works

If you have been blessed with children then most of you will likely be forced to decide between having one spouse stay home and putting the children in some sort of day care.  Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of being able to skip the day care and enable mom or dad to stay home with the children while the other spouse brings home the bacon.

  • No day care. You raise your own kids… full-time.  You do not have to pay for day care, and no longer have to worry about whether or not your children are being properly raised 8-10 hours of the day.
  • Less stress and more quality time. When the working spouse comes home, many of the household duties, cares, and concerns can already be taken care of by the homemaker.  This affords the couple much more quality time with much less stress.
  • Enable one spouse to take care of the home, and everything in it. One spouse goes to work for pay, while the other stays home and works as the support system.  A homemaker taking seriously the job of caring for home and family may just be the most honorable and rewarding position there is – and I think we, as a society, are in dire need of more of this type of thing.

I hold to the belief that a woman will feel more fulfilled in the role of staying home and caring for the home and family while the man goes outside the home to earn.  I am not a chauvinist, and I do not think “stay-at-home-moms/wives” have it “easy,” that couldn’t be farther from the truth.  What I do believe in are the gender differences ordained and given us by God Almighty.  Don’t get me wrong… either spouse can provide, and either can stay home… but we are most interested in how intrinsically fulfilled each of us feel in either given role.

In conclusion…

Living on one income while both spouses earn gives you increased security, speedier debt repayment, more capability to save, give, and retire early.  Living on one income and raising a family will afford you less costs and outsourcing in regard to raising children, lowered levels of household stress, and more time together as a family!

Whichever route suits your family best… don’t the benefits of living on one income sound appealing?  So what are we waiting for?  Let’s start tweaking our budget so we can live on one income and start reaping some of these benefits!

Do you (or can you) live on one income?

We want to be there as soon as possible… so we’re working to get rid of all our debt (and a lot of our possessions.)  We cut costs drastically, are living far below our means, and would probably be fine if we were forced to trim down and live on one income only.

What about you?  🙂

Categories // Earn Money, Money Management Tags // career, Children, home, income, Money Management

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