How To Be Self Sufficient
One of the biggest mistakes that people make when they first start thinking about how to be self sufficient is focusing on the big stuff first.
Are you making the same mistake?
Steps toward self sufficiency don’t start with solar panels and wind turbines that cost many thousands of dollars/pounds or euros to install.
Nor should the first item on your list be purchasing a piece of farmland.
The road to self sufficiency begins with making lifestyle changes and cutbacks.
And you’re only going to continue the journey if the lifestyle is one that you truly want.
How To Be Self Sufficient – Why Frugal Living Matters
At the heart of self sufficient living, is the desire to provide for your own basic needs without having to rely on a job that you dislike, for the income to fund them.
Now, if you consider basic needs to include vacations, dining out, lots of new clothes, the latest gadgets or even regular trips to get your hair done, then you will have a very hard time providing for any of those things, unless you hold down a full time job.
The more excesses that you can cut out of your life, the easier your transition to self sufficiency will be.
How To Be Self Sufficient – Strength Of Mind
You have spent your entire life surrounded by a culture, that at every turn reinforces the unhealthy message that more, more, more of everything will make for a happy life. It’s no easy thing to go against that tide.
First you have to realise that you can be perfectly happy with a lot less than mother culture demands you have.
This takes time, you have to unlearn a lifetimes propaganda, whose aim was to turn you from a unique individual into an easy to manage, cash cow consumer.
You can watch some great documentaries that will help you understand what this propaganda is, so that you can become immune to it’s effects. Seeing how we’ve been so effortlessly manipulated, might strengthen your resolve to no longer play the game.
When you decide to cut back on the trappings of modern life and seek a new way to live, friends and colleagues may poke fun or even become angry with you, ridiculing your efforts.
Don’t worry or take any of it personally. Their reactions are their problem not yours.
How To Be Self Sufficient – Making A plan…The Ultimate To Do List
Winging it works for some people but most people work better and feel more secure if they have a plan to follow.
Your plan should set out your self sufficiency goals and the steps that you need to take to reach them.
For example one of your goals might be to be 75% self sufficient in food in 2 years time.
Your steps to reach that goal will include growing a garden. You will need to learn the best ways to grow, store and cook food. You’ll need to purchase equipment and supplies and set aside time for actually doing the physical work.
Planning things out gives you a clear path to follow and can help to propel you forward. Seeing things ticked off on a list provides a huge motivation boost. It’s why “to do” lists are such an essential tool no matter what your project may be.
How To Be Self Sufficient – Choosing The Right Resources
Self sufficiency involves a fair amount of work so it’s important to utilize strategies that give you the biggest return on your energy investment.
You want to be able to do a job once and have it keep on working for you. You want access to the right knowledge so that you don’t waste time and make mistakes.
For example, sinking a well and pumping water is an expensive option. Can a simple, low cost rainwater system meet your household needs? Will modifying your usage make rainwater a viable choice? What are the best ways to cut back on water use?
If you’ve got a garden bed to clear of weeds before you can plant it up, it makes sense to let the chickens loose to do the work for you and as a bonus they get fed!
Whatever you need to do always ask yourself how can I get this done with the least amount of effort and still get desired outcome.
Self sufficency boils down to two things. Knowledge and experience. It’s not too hard to aquire the neccesary knowledge, especially if you have access to good books and the internet. Once you put that knowledge into practice, eventually, after mistakes and frustrations you’ll gain experience.
It takes time, patience and peristance, to forge a lifestyle that isn’t 100% dependant on the fragile global economy.
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