Hey there! 
 
I know you are probably thinking about just growing seeds right now or possibly even planting your garden depending on where you are in the world, but I just wanted to give you this tip to save money so you can get started preserving your own food on a lower budget.  
Over the years, I have gathered a large amount of canning jars, but when I first started preserving food, I couldn’t afford to buy jars.  Thankfully I knew several people who canned in the past and they were happy to get rid of their jars as they didn’t preserve their food anymore, I would find them at garage sales and thrift stores too, but you have to make sure to feel the glass rim to make sure there aren’t any chips or they may not seal. 
I started gathering my jars before the pandemic, so it was a little easier then, but when I started making kombucha last year, I needed large gallon glass jars and I got all of those jars for free and if you are looking for gallon jars, you could get as many as you want for free.  At first, I went and bought a gallon jar of pickles from the store because that was actually cheaper than ordering a plain jar-of course my family couldn’t eat those pickles because they have been so spoiled with our homemade crispy dill pickles, but the chickens enjoyed them!  My husband then found many jars from restaurants that were super happy to have someone take them off their hands, so if you are looking for jars, start there and you may find more than you dreamed of. 
If you know anyone that  buys Aldi alfredo or spaghetti sauce, those jars have measurement on the outside of them, so even though I don’t use them to preserve food, they do come in handy when making my own sour cream, mayonnaise and items like that.
Another things I like to do in the off season is get my lids.  There is no reason why you have to wait until canning season to get your lids because most stores do supply them year round.  It will be less likely that you have any shortage and when you want to can, you will hopefully have everything you need already ready! 
I have not tried the reusable lids, but I have heard that people are enjoying them as well, so if you have the extra money and are just getting started, you may want to invest in them as it could also save you hundreds of dollars over the years and reduce expenses in the long run…..depending on how much you preserve.
If you know anyone else that wants to learn how to save money, reduce expenses, and grow their own food, please share this podcast with them!  Thanks for being here and if there are any specific topics you want to learn about, please go to my website at claimingsimplicity.com and send me a message!  I would love to hear from you!
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Blessings friend!  See ya next time!
Monica