I have to admit, when I took Home Economics classes in middle and high school my thought on the matter was not one of "Oh gee, I better pay attention. This is really necessary information." I was probably cracking jokes and goofing on the teacher, all-the-while hoping, that at the end, I got the biggest slice of cheese toast. 
If you are like me perhaps you have started to become aware that what-a-surprise..prices are rising! OK, see...that is home economics. I will refrain from the political aspects of these economies, but there is no doubt we are paying more for food, energy and just about everything else.
First it started with my husband telling me that his friend paid $4.09 for heating oil! I could not believe it. We locked in this year at $2.79 so we are obviously living like it is 2007 :). I know that when our rate resets will will be in for a whole lot of hurt which is probably happening those of you without a locked rate. I read in this old house magazine about home energy inspections. They recommended that interested folks find an inspector through The Residential Energy Services Network's (RESNET) We decided to have one before the big pain is on, and we are hoping he can tell us ways to save big on our energy costs. All of those little leaks and insulation creep can have a large negative impact upon the efficiency of a house. While this makes economic sense, of course saving energy makes environmental sense. I will keep you posted on the outcomes.
So energy up...the home economics fairy tells me that you probably will have less money to spend on items like food. Since our modern food production relies so heavily on petroleum and natural gas based agriculture (fertilizer, delivery, etc) it is only natural for food costs to rise and rise they do. Crops being devoted to ethanol and increase in global demand has raised food costs dramatically. We ar
e fortunate: we still have the availability we have always received, but what about in the future? We are lucky that Massachusetts has a very good farmer to market delivery system in place, but I really think that it would make sense to start to grow our own. Perhaps it is not a necessity now, but practice makes perfect. I have no idea how to grow potatoes, but grow potatoes this year I will do (or at least make a grand attempt)! I have recently decided to expand on my tiny garden space by using a raised garden bed. A Massachusetts small business called the Farmstead makes non-toxic cedar beds http://www.gardenraisedbeds.com/ from a 17th century design. How cool is that! This makes my idea of expansion so much easier. No digging up sod, I will just place it right on top of my unused lawn space. This is something you can do too! Well, I talk big now, but I guess time will tell how far my peasant genes and good intentions will take me!
e fortunate: we still have the availability we have always received, but what about in the future? We are lucky that Massachusetts has a very good farmer to market delivery system in place, but I really think that it would make sense to start to grow our own. Perhaps it is not a necessity now, but practice makes perfect. I have no idea how to grow potatoes, but grow potatoes this year I will do (or at least make a grand attempt)! I have recently decided to expand on my tiny garden space by using a raised garden bed. A Massachusetts small business called the Farmstead makes non-toxic cedar beds http://www.gardenraisedbeds.com/ from a 17th century design. How cool is that! This makes my idea of expansion so much easier. No digging up sod, I will just place it right on top of my unused lawn space. This is something you can do too! Well, I talk big now, but I guess time will tell how far my peasant genes and good intentions will take me!So I bring these things up now since there is some time left to get thinking of spring-time occupations...even though it is still in the 30's and there is again talk of snow. Just think about
it. Digg it?
P.S. I talk a good game of econ class-clown, but I did always get an A:)
