It’s A Long And Winding Road

Learning something new can never be a time waster. You may find you’ve learned a new skill which gives you a great deal of enjoyment. However, you may find what you’ve learned to be useful, save money or down-right necessary at some time in your life. For example, learning just basic sewing skills can save money even if you are just making reusable grocery tote bags. Learning to garden, of course, will save money and offer you fresher, organic vegetables.

Learn to Crochet and/or Knit: Many people find knitting or crocheting relaxing and a way to use their creativity. However, it does same money and if times get really tough, you can pull apart an unused sweater for the yarn to make a new one. Lion Brand has an excellent knit and crochet learning section.

Learn to Sew: Start with simple projects once you learn the basics. Tote bags are a great first sewing project. Check out the free sewing lessons and tutorials at this site.

Learn to Quilt: In the last depression, unusable clothing was formed into beautiful quilts. Women made extra money selling these quilts. However, now it is a form of art and creativity that many people enjoy. If this interests you, try this site to learn how.

Learn to Garden: Growing your own food is not as hard as you might think. After all, people have been doing it for quite some time. See this website for a host of videos that will get you going from start to finish.

Learn to Cook: You’ll find instructions for basic cooking to elegant and complicated dishes. The videos make it easy to follow step by step and actually see how it’s done.

Learn About Herbs for Health: Add some herbs to your garden. Use them for culinary purposes, teas and for health remedies. Check out this site for information on herbs and how to use them.

200 Free Online Classes: Learn the fundamentals of physics, quantum Mechanics, calculus, basic French, modern poetry, first year Chinese, dance skills, intro to biology, intro to economics and more.

There are certain food staples you can purchase in bulk when they are on sale or just because they are cheaper in larger quantities. In other words, some food items last longer than others. It’s not a bad idea to have a store of food that you can count on being there if you suddenly loose income or if the weather becomes too harsh to get out of your house.

1. Canned Beans - There are a large variety of canned beans to choose from. Always choose types of beans that you enjoy eating, not ones just because they are on sale. Shelf life for canned beans is 1 year. In fact, any kind of canned goods store for a long time.

2. Stock/broth - Canned chicken, beef or vegetable stock also has a shelf life of 1 year. You can throw in a lot of leftover meat and vegetables into broth and make stews and soup, which is always good on a cold day.

3. Rice - A basic staple, rice is great to throw into that soup you were making from the broth. It’s shelf life is 1 year.

4. Water - No matter where you live, it’s a good practice to keep bottled water on hand. Rotate it so you are using the oldest bottle.

Keep your stored foods in tightly sealed containers in a cool location for the longest shelf life.

There are job openings for the 2010 U.S. Census. This is an opportunity to pick up some extra cash on a limited, part-time basis. The hours are flexible, so it’s great for after work or for seniors to pick up some much needed income supplement. There is paid training and most of the 2010 census hiring will be during the spring months. Pay is between $10 and $22 and hour (paid weekly), depending on the location. Mileage and expenses are reimbursed.

Every ten years the U.S. government takes a census. The findings are used for area government representation and federal fund spending. Call the toll free number, 1-866-861-2010, to make an appointment for employee testing. For more information check out their website.

In wake of the new economic times we are all facing, future posts on this blog will share information on how to soften the blow. I’ll discuss ways to make extra income, how to save, reuse and recycle, and so much more. This blog will no long be about nutrition, alternative medicine and health issues. However, I will, on occasion, still hit upon those topics at my other site, http://gardendiva.today.com/. So, I hope you’ll stop by for a visit and leave a comment - please, if you so feel inspired.

I look forward to scouring the internet as well as other reference and news material to bring you the best and latest ideas.