Frugal living isn’t about giving up the "good life" it’s about living smarter so that you can stretch your dollar. Then you will have some extra resources to put toward those special things you would like to do. It can include do-it-yourself skills, maintaining your home and car, gardening, preserving food, using coupons, and a multitude of other things. It is a matter of becoming aware of what you can do to save a dollar or reuse a resource. 

Learning to sew or grow your own vegetables, or any one of these suggested things can be a creative, rewarding, and fun experience. The feeling of self-reliance that comes with doing things can be a great reward in and of itself. So get started! You may find a new hobby as well as some extra satisfaction along the way.

There are great resources for home maintenance, production & storage at The Milwaukee South Stake Resource Center

September:
Tips to get your home ready for winter.

October:
Pumpkin Carving 101

November:
Getting your car ready for winter-Video tutorial

December:
Christmas Tree Safety
Here is a video encouraging you to keep your tree watered.

January 2012:
Best Time To Buy Calendar- Print out this calendar to find out what are the best buys for each month.

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Being resilient means to be able to “spring back into shape after being bent, stretched or compressed”. To be emotionally resilient means to be able to spring back emotionally after experiencing difficult and stressful times in one's life. In hard times it is easy to let emotions run high and take over but this can lead to strained relationships, causing loss of support in the greatest time of need.

Skills for becoming emotionally resilient can be learned but it is best to start practicing before the need arises. Learning and practicing exercises for stress reduction can also help to reduce the damage not only to relationships but also to one’s physical health. This includes proper nutrition, staying fit, and getting enough sleep. In trying times it is important to be healthy in all areas of life. 

Another part of staying emotionally strong and stress free is building hope. Hope can dispel fear and despair. It is like a breath of fresh air when one feels choked. With it one can face the daunting task of solving  difficult problems, knowing all is not lost.

Hope and faith go hand in hand. When these things are active in your life, it doesn't matter what trials come along. Come what may, you can face it with faith, hope and a little love thrown in for good measure.

April:

Learn what to expect during pregnancy.

Real Families Real Answers...Parenting Teens

Dealing with empty nest syndrome- A video with adjustment tips.

May:

Two things for new Moms-Comforting Your Crying Baby and Establishing Sleep Habits

How Can I Stay Safe From Bad Things In The World?- Richard G. Scott has some words of advice for children.

Find Mormon Ads by topic.

Church resources for single members.

Caring.com has information on caring for your aging parents or spouse.

10 Ways to Feel Young Again - Tips on healthy aging. Staying emotionally healthy and keeping a sense of purpose and zest for life.

June:

A video series about what to expect as new parents.

Ideas for parents of five to 10 year olds.

Things to do with your grandkids at grandparents.com

July:

Are your children showing self-reliance at school and at home?

August:

Summer Fun Ideas for Families

September:

Steps to solving problems that come up in families.

October:

The 5000 Days Project:Two Brothers-Meet Luke and Sam Nelson, two brothers who struggled to develop a positive relationship in childhood. The Nelson boys are just two of 60 kids documented over a 5,000-day period by filmmaker Rick Stevenson.

November:

Parenting In Cyberspace-Discuss the risks of technology with BYU computer science professor Charles Knutson and learn how to protect your children from the dangers of cyberspace.

December:

Learn to make your relationships better with the 5 Love Languages.

January 2012:

Happiness in Family Life-Explore ideas for finding happiness in family life.

To find resources for Family Relations and Stress Management click here.

If you have any resources or ideas you would like to share please add a comment below.

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Employment is a person’s trade or profession. It is the means to providing for the needs and wants of a person or family. The loss of employment can be devastating with great uncertainty overcoming the one who has lost a job. Oftentimes the future looks bleak and hope seems to fail for a time. The remedy is to plan for, attempt to obtain and work toward finding employment again. This could include retraining or improving one’s skills.

Being under-employed can be difficult as well since this situation doesn’t provide adequately for the needs of the family or individual. In this situation seeking to increase skills or education would be advantageous. It takes dedication, sacrifice, and hard work to accomplish such goals. However, the rewards are worth the effort in the long run.

You can view Employment Resources at:

The Milwaukee South Stake Resource Center 

ldsjobs.org

or 

LDS Employment Resource Services.

December:

Returning to the Workforce- Information from LDS Employment Services

January 2012: 

How Do I Find A Job?-More information from LDS Employment Services

If you have any resources or ideas you would like to share please add a comment below.

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Our community is the group of people living close around us. It should be a major aim of people in communities to get to know one another, helping to work together to provide for common goals, and providing support in times of need. People working together can accomplish much in improving the health and happiness of friends, neighbors and others living near by. Working in the community can give opportunity for service and friendship. Look for opportunities to be active in your community.

April:
The Church is responding to the current disaster in Japan. Learn how to be of help through the Humanitarian Fund.

May:

Find ways to serve 

in the local or world-wide community here.

June: 
Find your local Cooperative Extension office.
These offices are staffed by one or more experts who provide useful, practical, and research-based information to agricultural producers, small business owners, youth, consumers, and others in rural areas and communities of all sizes."


July: 
Lawn and Garden Resources from the UW Extension Cooperative


August:
Community Resources For The Elderly


September:
A 4-H list of 366 service project ideas from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln


October:
Turning Point- The Clarks are making a difference. Meet a family with 21 adopted children. Also Dr. James and Eagle Eyes technologies.

November:
Godparents for Youth Organization & Dogwood Restaurant-Tanya Walters runs Godparents for Youth Organization to help kids raise their grades; Galen and Bridget Sampson run an apprenticeship program at the Dogwood Restaurant in Baltimore to help get struggling people back on their feet.


December:
The Hallelujah Chorus to share.

January 2012:
Fulmer Brothers Boxing Gym & The Erin Kimball Foundation-This presentation is about three brothers that keep young men off the streets and out of gangs and a couple that provide support for women and children trying to escape abuse and domestic violence situations.

For more information 

and links to resources click here.

If you have any resources or ideas you would like to share please add a comment below.

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Our financial resources are those assets and reserves that we have acquired. To manage these assets it is important that they be organized to function effectively. That means that we should learn to budget and live within our means, avoid going into debt, and put away something for a “rainy day”. This takes discipline and planning. When we manage our resources wisely, we will be able to prepare for future needs, be prepared for unforeseen events, and be able to have the security that we can provide for our wants and needs.






April:
Wise Financial Management During Tough Economic Times

May:

Grandparents can help teach children about money.-5 Ways to Teach Kids the Value of Money

June:

What documents do you need in a disaster?

July:

 Debt Settlement vs Debt Management -This is a video helping the consumer to understand the difference between debt settlement and debt management.

August:

 How To Start An Emergency Fund

September:

Meeting Your Insurance Needs

October:

Biz Kids-Explore the dramatic potential of early financial literacy with the founders and beneficiaries of Biz Kid$. Learn the philosophies that drove the organization into existence and meet several children who have started their own businesses.

November:

12 Things I'm Thankful For-When times get tough, count your financial blessings.

December:

Some homemade gift ideas to help you save money this Christmas season.

January 2012:

Constancy Amid Change- Financial principles for good times and challenging times.

For more information and links to resources click here.

If you have any resources or ideas you would like to share please add a comment below.

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It is important to work toward gaining adequate education so that we are prepared to supply ourselves with a means of subsistence. However, that is not the only kind of education we should aim to receive. Education involves not only one’s intellect but also should include moral, social, and emotional intelligence as well. Becoming educated can become a life long goal that is filled with wonder and joy in the world that surrounds us.

Although education often brings thoughts of attending school or classes of some sort, we are actually being educated everyday of our lives. It is not just in the classroom that lessons are learned. Actually the bulk of our education comes as life is experienced day by day. Experience is gained as we progress through life. It can bring wisdom and understanding if we choose to process it in a positive way. Skills improve with repetition and knowledge results as questions arise and answers are discovered. When challenges are greeted with determination to meet and solve the problems at hand, confidence grows and solutions will come. Indeed education should be a life long pursuit. One that brings happiness, wisdom and fulfillment.

April:

Learn more about education and literacy and watch a video about learning in the home.

May:

A fun video of BYU's Vocal Point, singing "Jump, Jive and Wail"

Learn about the Perpetual Education Fund.


Teaching Values to Kids-Adventures from the Book of Virtues (Videos on BYU TV)


June:
Ideas for making learning fun.

July: 

Degree Programs supported by Continuing Education, Outreach & E-Learning-Earn your degree at home from University of Wisconsin programs.

August:

Do It Now! Tips To Get Ready For Back-To-School

September:

The ABC's of Staying Healthy At School


October:
Helping Public Schools-Learn the importance of parent involvement in public schools. Meet National PTA President Chuck Saylors and hear his perspective on practical ways to get involved.


November:
Street Views: Education- 

Women interviewed on the street talk about the importance of education.


December:
Want to Go to School? Here you will find information on going to school from LDS Employment Services.


January 2012:
Education- Explore a variety of ideas about education.

For more information and links to resources click here.


If you have any resources or ideas you would like to share please add a comment below.

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Please feel free to contact us anytime either by leaving comments on this site or by emailing msprovidentliving@gmail.com.

The Stake Family Service Committee:

Family Services

Employment

Provident Living and Family Finances

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