In this 247th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Tom and Adam discuss origins, tips and guidelines for the February No-Spend Challenge (or Frugal February Challenge) on Small Scale Life. Can you survive the No-Spend Challenge for 28 days?

Unfortunately, this is the season....to pay the piper. December is usually expensive and gets us in trouble. The holidays bring us expenses with presents, gatherings, parties, events and vacations.

January brings us the cold hard reality: we have bills to pay and usually don't have enough money to cover the rest of the month. It can be stressful: there were times where Jules and I had $50 in the account to get us through the month!

Fortunately, February isn't usually as cold as January. We have an opportunity to catch our breath and dig ourselves out of a financial hole (provided that we don't blow it all out on Valentine's Day). We can literally thaw the deep freeze on our wallets and bank accounts if we take control of our budgets and cut spending.

How is your bank account looking right now?

Maybe it is a pocket full of sunshine and you are smiling.

Whatever situation you might be in right now, events and decisions in far off places are going to hurt our accounts. The fact is that tariffs on goods and energy are going to hurt the American consumer.

We need to acknowledge that fact and prepare accordingly, so even if you have a fat wallet and happy bank account, we need to prepare for what is coming at the stores and at the pump.  It doesn't matter what you believe politically, there will be repercussions from policy decisions and actions in the far off Heart of the American Empire.  Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.  This is a hard reality, and I hope you understand that as we move forward and prepare accordingly.

If you are struggling financially, there are a few ways to get out of it. One way is to make more money (side hustles, extra jobs, etc.). Another way is to dramatically cut back on expenses, especially the ones that are not necessary.  We are going to focus on cutting expenses dramatically in No-Spend Challenge or Frugal February.

Remember: February is the shortest month of the year. You can do this; we can help!

For more resources including tips, guidelines and budgeting tools, check out the post at Small Scale Life!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

In this 245th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Tom discusses the 24-Hour Fast Results and provides a Tommy Cakes Suet Update. Tom will also show off some of the feathered and furry friends visiting the feeders at The Landing this week including Sam the Squirrel, the Blue Jay Cabal, Elvis the Cardinal and Wanda and Woody (male and female pileated woodpeckers).

Julie has been a world traveler this week as she has been on a much-needed vacation to the Dominican Republic. When she is away, Tommy Cakes will play! Tom has been focused on processing 2024 tomatoes and making salsa and tomato sauce, a 5"x5" mold for suet cakes, making some kombucha and completing some home improvement projects.

On Ant Live 14, Adam challenged Tom to do a 24-Hour fast. After thinking about it during the show, Tom agreed to run a fast from Wednesday to Thursday. Having just completed the fast, Tom describes how he was feeling and how he pushed through the headaches and hunger during the 24-hour period. To be honest, it wasn't that bad!

Tom completed a 36 hour fast on Friday to Sunday that week, but that was after he recorded this show.

For more information and links, head over to Small Scale Life. Remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday!

By now, most people have let the New Year's goals, initiatives, mantras and plans fall by the wayside. Change is hard, and it is easier to slide back into old programming and old habits, especially when you cannot SEE progress on the scale, in you bank account or in the way you feel.

To make progress on goals, it helps to have an accountability partner. In this episode, Tom and Adam discuss progress on small business and wellness goals at the end of January 2025.

Adam discusses what has been happening on Modern Frontier Farms and some recent successful events he had. Tom discusses his recent canning project using an All American Canner. He canned 18 pints of homemade salsa and 10 quarts of tomato sauce.

For more links and show notes, head over to the Small Scale Life for more. Remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

Happy MLK Day! It is a day of new starts: it's still early in the New Year, the new Administration has peacefully taken power and there is a new cease fire in the Middle East. So far, so good (but really super cold!

Several of us are planning to start new things in 2025. New workout plans, new diets, book clubs, neighborhood gatherings, garden plans, new businesses, new side hustles...the list is endless.

Some people decide to go "all in" on their new thing or endeavor. Is it an obsession or just intense focus over time? Some folks in the self-improvement world have coined the term "Monk Mode" to describe this process of going all in. There are benefits and drawbacks to Monk Mode, and Adam and I are talking about them in ANT Live 14.

Here are our show topics:

Catching Up

It should be a great show!

Catch ANT LIVE on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel at 7:30 PM Central on Monday evenings. Adam and I talk about mindset, small business, wellness, gardening, homesteading and other topics that come up.

Remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that, my friends, is a good thing!

~ Tom

LINKS:

🌱A Modern Frontier Website: https://www.amodernfrontier.com

🌱Small Scale Life Website: https://www.smallscalelife.com

🌱Small Scale Life Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/4raJ4B...

🌱Small Scale Gardening Group on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/share/dua9Po...

🌱Small Scale Life Wellness Club Group on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/rd2j...

DISCLAIMER

At Small Scale Life, we are not medical professionals, doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, or therapists. We are not in or connected to the medical community. Always consult a professional before trying any of these activities or any practice. Create and live your Small Scale Life as you choose, but do it carefully. Any actions you participate in are voluntary and at your own risk.

To see more about gardening, connecting with nature, wellness, mindset, and interviews with some cool people, check out the Small Scale Life Podcast and our site at https://smallscalelife.com

Learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that, my friends, is a good thing!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

In this 243rd Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, your host Tommy Cakes takes the helm for a Just Tommy Cakes Show. Adam is sick, so Tom is going to take the time to dive into the following topics:

It has been a while since Tommy has done a solo Live Stream, but he ended up covering a lot of topics in an hour! For show notes and more information, check out https://smallscalelife.com.

Catch ANT LIVE on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel at 7:30 PM Central on Monday evenings. Adam and I talk about mindset, small business, wellness, gardening, homesteading and other topics that come up.

Remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that, my friends, is a good thing!

~ Tom

LINKS:

🌱A Modern Frontier Website: https://www.amodernfrontier.com

🌱Small Scale Life Website: https://www.smallscalelife.com

🌱Small Scale Life Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/4raJ4BdYYnqSspeV/?mibextid=K35XfP

🌱Small Scale Gardening Group on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/share/dua9PobD1A82ANXC/?mibextid=K35XfP

🌱Small Scale Life Wellness Club Group on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/rd2j5aR2TBPgchy7/?mibextid=K35XfP

DISCLAIMER

At Small Scale Life, we are not medical professionals, doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, or therapists. We are not in or connected to the medical community. Always consult a professional before trying any of these activities or any practice. Create and live your Small Scale Life as you choose, but do it carefully. Any actions you participate in are voluntary and at your own risk.

To see more about gardening, connecting with nature, wellness, mindset, and interviews with some cool people, check out the Small Scale Life Podcast and our site at https://smallscalelife.com

Learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that, my friends, is a good thing!

In this 242nd Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Adam and Tom put the icing on the cake by talking about 2024 Wins, Losses and Lessons Learned. It is an interesting blend of small business and gardening. Speaking of interesting blends, Tom shows off a new creation from the kitchen and takes a bite on the air!

Catch ANT LIVE on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel at 7:30 PM Central on Monday evenings. Adam and I talk about small business, gardening, connecting with nature, mindset, homesteading and other topics that come up.

Remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that, my friends, is a good thing!

~ Tom

LINKS:

🌱A Modern Frontier Website: https://www.amodernfrontier.com

🌱Small Scale Life Website: https://www.smallscalelife.com

🌱Small Scale Life Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/4raJ4BdYYnqSspeV/?mibextid=K35XfP

🌱Small Scale Gardening Group on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/share/dua9PobD1A82ANXC/?mibextid=K35XfP

🌱Small Scale Life Wellness Club Group on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/rd2j5aR2TBPgchy7/?mibextid=K35XfP

DISCLAIMER

At Small Scale Life, we are not medical professionals, doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, or therapists. We are not in or connected to the medical community. Always consult a professional before trying any of these activities or any practice. Create and live your Small Scale Life as you choose, but do it carefully. Any actions you participate in are voluntary and at your own risk.

To see more about gardening, connecting with nature, wellness, mindset, and interviews with some cool people, check out the Small Scale Life Podcast and our site at https://smallscalelife.com

Learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that, my friends, is a good thing!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas, friends! Glad Jul! Happy Winter Solstice! In this 241st Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Adam and I are going to be discussing how we are getting ready for 2025 and setting the stage for success.

We have 9 days left of 2024, and then this chapter of our lives closes and becomes a memory. It has been an interesting year: we started this livestream, Adam attended a lot of farmer's markets, and I built a new garden. Things are moving along on a number of fronts, and now it is time to take a deep breath and think about this year and what we would like to accomplish in 2025.

Catch ANT LIVE on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel at 7:30 PM Central on Monday evenings. Adam and I talk about mindset, small business, wellness, homesteading and other topics that come up.

Remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that’s a good thing!

~ Tom

LINKS:

🌱A Modern Frontier Website: https://www.amodernfrontier.com

🌱Small Scale Life Website: https://www.smallscalelife.com

🌱Small Scale Life Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/4raJ4BdYYnqSspeV/?mibextid=K35XfP

🌱Small Scale Gardening Group on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/share/dua9PobD1A82ANXC/?mibextid=K35XfP

🌱Small Scale Life Wellness Club Group on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/rd2j5aR2TBPgchy7/?mibextid=K35XfP

DISCLAIMER:

I am not a doctor, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or a therapist. I am not in or connected to the medical community. Always consult a professional before trying any of these activities or any practice.

Create and live your Small Scale Life at your own risk, but do it carefully and at your own risk. All actions you participate in are voluntary and at your own risk.

To see more about mindset, homesteading, adventures and interviews with some cool people, check out the Small Scale Life Podcast and our site at https://smallscalelife.com

Learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that’s a good thing!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

In this 240th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Adam and Tom discuss watching drones, surviving Christmas gatherings and closing out 2024. Besides the conspiracies and parody songs, Adam and Tom discuss 9 Tips for Surviving Christmas Gatherings, which Tom admits he will be putting into play this week! From drones flying around our county to our Christmas/Yule Plans to Closing our 2024, Adam and Tom (the ANT Squad) covering a lot of ground tonight.

Maybe it was the full moon, maybe it was the winter solstice energy, maybe it was the old Yule traditions...whatever it is, we are covering it tonight. We look forward to our awesome audience providing input and questions as usual,. and I am sure we will dive down some strange rabbit holes with these topics.

Oh come, all ye faithful

The ANT Live Show is every Monday at 7:30 PM Central on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel. We then post the audio on the Small Scale Life Podcast as soon as we can....barring any reindeer, aliens or drones!

Ho Ho Ho! Drink your drinks with your pinky out, and let's go!

Catch ANT LIVE on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel at 7:30 PM Central on Monday evenings. Adam and I talk about mindset, small business, wellness, homesteading and other topics that come up.

Remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that’s a good thing! See you tonight!

~ Tom

LINKS:

🌱A Modern Frontier Website: https://www.amodernfrontier.com

🌱Small Scale Life Website: https://www.smallscalelife.com

🌱Small Scale Life Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/4raJ4BdYYnqSspeV/?mibextid=K35XfP

🌱Small Scale Gardening Group on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/share/dua9PobD1A82ANXC/?mibextid=K35XfP

🌱Small Scale Life Wellness Club Group on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/rd2j5aR2TBPgchy7/?mibextid=K35XfP

DISCLAIMER:

I am not a doctor, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or a therapist. I am not in or connected to the medical community. Always consult a professional before trying any of these activities or any practice.

Create and live your Small Scale Life at your own risk, but do it carefully and at your own risk. All actions you participate in are voluntary and at your own risk.

To see more about mindset, homesteading, adventures and interviews with some cool people, check out the Small Scale Life Podcast and our site at https://smallscalelife.com

Learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that’s a good thing!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

In this 239th episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Adam and I discuss attending small town tree lighting ceremonies and building new barrel garden planters. We also discuss the 2024 Acres USA Eco-Ag Conference including new trends in Regenerative Agriculture and homestead and small farm business ideas.

Adam attended all four days of the conference, and he had a chance to attend presentations from Gabe Brown, Mark Shepard, and even Joel Salatin. He got to shake hands and rub elbows with a lot of leaders in the Regenerative Agriculture world Adam will lead the way and give us a recap of what he learned and what interesting things are coming down the pike in the Regenerative Agriculture space. I am curious if Joel Salatin talked about his new position as an advisor in the new administration and ant new policies he will be pushing.

At the same time, our audience provided some good feedback and interaction with us, and Adam and I had a chance to brainstorm about what we would do to start a small business on a 8-agre homestead. Adam has an 8-acre homestead and has had a lot of irons in the fire, and I had a 10-acre homestead before moving to The Landing. We come up with some interesting ideas, and our listeners appreciated the brainstorming session.

For links, support and other information, check out the Small Scale Life website at https://smallscalelife.com.

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

In this 238th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, my friend Adam and I discuss how to cook a turkey including brining the turkey, spatchcocking the bird vs. cooking it whole and how we serve the turkey to family and guests. We discuss our favorite side dishes and a couple failures in our Thanksgiving dinners (homemade stuffing).

This podcast will be connected to a much more in-depth guide on Small Scale Life titled "How to Cook a Turkey for Thanksgiving." In that guide, I walk you through thawing a frozen turkey to brining the turkey (with three different brine recipes), spatchcocking the turkey, quartering the turkey, and cooking the turkey.

Check out the article on Small SCale Life, and let me know what you think at [email protected]. If you have any tips or recipes, let me know!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.