Almost done with the month with no spending and a henhouse full of roosters

I haven't gone "shopping" in a while now.  October 20th was the last day I went to a grocery store.  I didn't really go shopping, just picked up some stuff that I know always goes well in the pantry.  I haven't completely stayed away from the stores.  I haven't shopped since the last time I wrote stating that I shopped.  This past month I purchased lunch on the day I was out of town, sticky trays to catch mice, and the extra 2x4s for the hidden room.  I also ended up buying another box of wood screws - just in case.  Turns out I didn't need them after all.  But, they will go into the storage.  This has been all I've purchased. 

My tank of gas is getting a bit low for my tastes.  I have some gas stored at home and will use it to fill up the truck when it comes time to finally fill the truck.  (I rotate the gas that I store - I usually buy gas twice a month and once a month I will first fill with the stored gas, then fill the stored gas and the rest of my tank)

The chickens food is running rather low.  I didn't buy new food for them before I started this so it's been two months since I've  bought food.  I'm surprised it's lasted this long.

We've had a couple of things break in the house that I haven't been able to fix yet.  First is the light in the laundry room.  I'm going to have to replace the entire fixture since I don't like the type of bulb that's up there now.  The entire house needs to be put onto regular standard sized light bulbs.  The kitchen however, does have under cabinet lights that are the long fluorescent bulbs.  I don't have any spares for those.  I should get some because I do like those lights. 

Girl broke part of the coffee pot filter basket.  Rather, she lost the washer that fits on it so the coffee stops dripping when you pull the coffee pot out before the entire pot has brewed.  I don't have a replacement washer.  I do have an entire second set of coffee pot parts.  I like the type of pot that I have.  It wore out many years ago so I bought a new brewer exactly like the old one.  I got rid of the main contraption but kept the pot, baskets, grinder, etc.  So, while girl broke one item, I do have another to use until I am able to get a replacement washer. 

We are going to run out of the cheese.  I have some more in the freezer but I'm not going into the freezer to take it out.  During this exercise I learned how to can cheese and will buy cheese in bulk once the month is over and can it. 

Milk.  Since it's getting cool out each night (in the 40s or high 30s) I've been making a quart jar of milk each night before I go to bed.  It's going outside in the pot cooler.  No, I haven't unplugged the refrigerator!  I gave the kids powdered milk for dinner last night.  No chocolate or strawberry Quik, just plain.  They didn't even blink.  Perhaps they didn't notice since it's been three weeks since they drank real nonfat milk out of a gallon jug? 

Meat.  I have gotten into the freezer for some meat.  We have been eating very little, with meat not being the main dish but as part of a combination of foods.  A couple of times we did eat the meat plain.  The other night we had a deer roast.  It was probably a pound and a half and it lasted three meals.  Tonight we had antelope.  It was the first of the antelope that we were given.  This package weighed a little over a pound.  We ate half the package.  We would have consumed less but I nibbled (a lot) while I was cooking.  So much for this making three dinners.  Two will be all.  I used the package of dehydrated chicken, which I thought was great.  We've also used canned beef and canned chicken.  I even used flavored TVP in  the split pea soup.  All in all, we have probably consumed half our normal meat allotment, which is probably less than most people eat anyway.

Last spring my sister gave us nine baby chickens.  Three drowned in the water container.  Chickens are stupid.  The other six are doing great except five of the six are roosters.  This is not good.  They are starting to crow and just yesterday two of them got into a bit of a cockfight.  Sister is coming over this week with her little one.  He's going to get to see his chickens from preschool but after they leave I think those are going into the freezer!  We butchered chickens and ducks when my kids were younger.  That was over 20 years ago.  I guess it's time for me to remember and then teach the grand kids the fine art of chicken butchering. 

Normally, when I have old chickens I put them on Craigslist and can sell them for more money then it would cost to get stew hens from the grocery store.  Of course, I'd sell the hens and buy already processed ones.  I'd make a little money and I wouldn't have to spend the time or make the mess of slaughtering chickens.  I think we need to get back into chicken processing here at home.  It's a skill that I no longer have but would be very important in a SHTF scenario.