I consider myself very fortunate, to owe my own home and to have my own solar system, that provides me with all of the electricity that me and my girls need. As I continue, to hear people talk about the huge rise in their electricity bills.
I have certainly noticed, how much the cost of food has increased, as that has affected me directly. As a mother of 3 growing girls, whose needs are changing all of the time, I have seen an increase in the amount of money I need in order to feed them. Then on top of that is the rise in food prices.
One way that I have helped to deal with that, is to grow my own food, but I am not growing so much at the moment, for reasons I will not go into here. But I do have plans to get a garden going again soon as it does make a huge difference.
I am also lucky that I live in an area where I can help people out n exchange for fresh veg and fruit and olive oil if I need to. For the last 7 years I have always harvested my own lives and had enough to turn into oil, to last me the whole year. But I didn't have the opportunity this year, so now I will have to source it from others.
I must say, I have missed the physical work that goes into harvesting the olives. The harvest was at a low for many this year. Hopefully next year, I can help others in their harvest, when they yield increases, it is quite normal to have a lull after a year of abundance, allowing the trees to rest.
But like I said, I can work in exchange for oil, so that is what I am planning on doing for the time being.
With the way that things are going, I really believe that we need to begin trading directly with growers and be open to trading skills, so that we are not just relying on money, as a way in which to get what we need. And also, so we can begin to think about what we can offer. Because we all have a lot to offer, even if it may not seem like it.
I am part of a skills sharing group within my community, which has been working successfully over the last 2 and a half years. We also have our own currency, which we have been using successfully within markets and in order to receive services from people within the community and it continues to grow.
Therefore, one of the most important things that we should be focusing on is creating and maintaining community. Coming together with others to share our needs and also our skills and discussing the importance of supporting one another. That is something that I have been very active in these last 3 years.
Being part of a collective, that has been focused on creating independent infrastructure, which is vital in maintaining our abundance and freedom. We identified our needs and created the groups, necessary so that we could met those needs. We have a Health and Ecology group, an Law and Sovereignty group, a Counter Economy group and a Arts and Culture group, which includes educational needs. Where we all come together and focus on how we can empower one another and our community as a whole.
We have created our own currency, our own bulk buying group, our own gardening groups where we come and help one another in our gardens and if someone doesn't have access to one, they can still help out and get fresh produce in return. We have put on workshops, everything from Law to Homeopathy.
This is where we can create change, by creating projects that help us all continue to thrive and grow. Where we empower one another.
We are the solution.
This is my response to the latest Ladies Of Hive Contest, which each week offers two questions, I choose to answer the following one this week ......
With Inflation hitting most countries, what plans have you made to keep within budgets? Are you armed with information before doing your grocery shopping, paying insurance bills, and utility bills? All is ever increasing, except earnings, where many obtain no inflationary increase — or worst still, not earning an income.
