Grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days.

There was a phrase that was frequently used in years past. It became a motto of sorts for pioneers and those who survived the depression and even into World War II. It highlighted the need to be frugal in all that you do it went like this:

Use it up,

Wear it out,

Make it do,

Or do without

You do not need to wear a tin-foil hat, or be a "survivalist" to be preapredness minded. Was your Grandma viewed as a wacko because she canned tomatos, and beans, and jams? Was your Grandpa a little off kilter because he planted a garden, and built his own home?

About ten years ago, we bought a brand new iron for my wife's grandparents. Theirs was a bit old and dated, so we thought they needed a new one. But they grew up during the depression, and volunteered to serve when World War II occured. So it even though it has been ten years since we bought them the iron, it still is sitting on the laundry room shelf unopened, because the one they have still works fine. They know what it is like to not have things. And using things up is ingrained and is a part of who they are. When their iron finally does break, I'm sure they will open the one we bought them, but until it does, they are just fine using the one they have.

Being self sufficient isn't so about buying a bunch or wheat and then thinking that you will change your lifestyle when the situation demands it. It is changing it now, so when things get really bad, the shift will not be quite so dramitic. It means going back to the way your grandparents lived.

I think often of my Grandpa, who built his home with his own hands; Who built his own car; Grew a 2 acre garden; Was self employed his entire life; Fed and housed countless hungry and homeless people; Served faithfully in his Church to his dying day. He worked hard and lived a hard life, but he was always happy. He knew that whatever hardship came his way, he would figure a way out of it.

Living providently means getting back to the basics. It means throwing off the disposable society we live in. It means go back to the basics. One way you can do this would be to go to your grandparents, or some other "seasoned" person, and ask them to show you how to:

• Sew, and make and repair clothes.


• Crochet


• Prepare and cook a meal with basic food.


• Plant a garden.


• Raise chickens or rabbits or bees.


• Wash your laundry without using the machine, then hang it outside to dry.


• Fix your broken washing machine (or research how to do it on the internet).


• Can food and put it away for the future.


• Play games that don't require electronics


• Skin and field dress a deer/elk/cow/fish etc.


• Frame and build a fence or shed.


• Make soap


• Change the brakes or the oil on your car.

Learning the skills and gaining the knowledge that your grandparents posses is not about being extreme or becoming a survivalist. It is simply getting back to the basics. But the skills and knowledge you gain may save you and your family at some time in the future.