So, You Want to Be More Self Sufficient?

Self sufficiency. What is it, exactly? Dictionary.com defines self sufficient as “Able to supply one’s own or its own needs without external assistance,” and, “Having extreme confidence in one’s own resources, powers, etc.” Personally, I think it is a half and half mix of both of those definitions. Lately though, it’s mostly just a buzzword for the media to chew on, fling around for attention, and then toss aside when the flavor is gone. What does it really mean to be self sufficient, though – let alone more self sufficient?

Guess what? I cannot answer that question. The fact is, we can look all day long in dictionaries and Wikis and old encyclopedias to get various definitions but it will still not quite ‘get’ it. A much better question to ask is “What is self sufficiency to you?” Some people may say that “So and so isn’t really self sufficient because they shop at Safeway for XX items,” or “They only pretend they are self sufficient and don’t need anyone but they use electricity the same as anyone else!” The days of “Little House on the Prairie” are long gone and the definition of self sufficiency has morphed as technology progresses and the population booms.

So, toss out what other people think self sufficiency, or homesteading, or preparedness is and insert your own definition. This is largely the first step to relying less on the systems around us (and caring what other people think) and more on yourself and your own skills. You need to have a definition in your own head before you can move forward. Some people want to be self sufficient when it comes to food, others would prefer to start with something else. There is no right answer here but there is a wrong way to go about it: procrastination. The bane of the self sufficient, prepper, and homesteading lifestyles. What you don’t get done now can affect you later. Thinking ahead and pre-planning are vitally important, as is researching. I would say 90% of what I have learned over the last couple of years has come from the internet followed by practice. I cannot stress to you enough about how important it is to PRACTICE what you are researching and learning about.

For us, I wanted to grow as much food of our own as possible and started with some cold frames. That is where I started and built upon it from there. I know it will never end and I am OK with that. More than OK with that. It is a lifestyle, a process. Shortly after planting my first garden with onions, carrots, lettuce, and several other veggies; I decided I wanted to expand it to herbs and spices. Prices for food are higher here than most places but spices are astronomical! I started with basil (who doesn’t love a good pesto, eh?) and in that one herb alone, I have saved well over $15 from growing it myself. Yes, that includes the cost of the dirt, seeds, and pot to grow them in. Add in parsley, oregano, cilantro, and other ‘green’ spices and the savings really begin to add up! Plus, it kind of makes you feel like a rockstar when you are cooking a meal and simply turn around to the window to pick fresh herbs for flavoring the food. Out of all the food we have grown to date though, it was potatoes that made me feel the most proud and accomplished. There are stages to self sufficiency or preparedness if you prefer the term.

Remember: NO ONE can do it all alone. That is not how humans, nor nature, and certainly not the planet functions! Each bit has its own part to play that weaves into the larger whole.

On the non-food side of things, we work toward being able to rely on ourselves as much as possible should all the trappings of this modern world fail us. Take laundry soap for example. I decided that I wanted to learn about making our own and went researching. I researched on many sites and read some books before forming a game plan. Then, I bought the stuff to make the soap and practiced the skill. Some may judge because I bought the items – that is fine! Their definition is not the same as mine. Yes, I needed to buy items to make my laundry soap but there is more to it than that. I have an understanding of what is required to make it myself. Then on to making our own body soaps: I learned about the ingredients such as lye and then I researched how to make my own lye.

Self sufficiency is a process that never, ever ends. You start with a small project and master that. Then, you look into how to produce the supplies yourself. If you cannot, it is NOT a failure – it is another challenge. Because we rent, we are extremely limited on what we are able to do.

The upside is that gives us time to research and test out theories and methods of self-reliance to get an idea of what we will implement when the land and a home of our own comes. Now, some of you may be thinking “She talks about self-sufficiency but rents?” This is where balance comes into play. You do what you can, when you can, within reason. Self-sufficiency doesn’t mean you are an island that needs no one and nothing from the ‘outside.’ That is purely unrealistic!  An example is we cannot heat our home with wood (which we prefer) because we do not have a wood stove nor the ability to install one.

What we have done, though, is to learn about various types of wood burning stoves, research heat output, energy ratings, and check for features like the capability of cooking on top of it should the power go out. We have learned about setting solar systems up to provide light off-grid including looking at a few set ups that people have for their greenhouse. Many people have water catch systems for their water needs instead of being hooked up to the system. While we grew up with it being a normal thing, we didn’t know much about the installation, maintenance, and how the system works overall. Self-sufficiency is a mindset followed by action. So long as you are moving forward and doing the best you can, you are winning! You are doing the stuff!

It really is more of a mentality than what you have or don’t have. Creating and providing what you need is the key to being more self sufficient and takes many forms!

Stop waiting. Start looking around at what you can do right now. What is something you are tired of buying but use often? Can you make it yourself? Start small and EXPECT frustration because that is part of it. Get out of your comfort zone, it is a requirement! Look for others around you that you might be able to trade and barter with to get the items you need. Wood chips, for example is very useful in many ways. By contacting tree removal companies, you can usually get wood chips delivered for free because it is a waste product to them and they would rather give it to you than pay for the space to dump it. Use the internet to your advantage. Being self sufficient does not mean you need to live in the woods and wear buckskin, it means you rely on yourself to get what you need.

If you cannot produce it, you procure it through your network. You are trading convenience for time. It takes time to make your own laundry soap but the money you saved doing it is well worth it. It takes time to grow carrots, harvest them, and then pressure can them up. When it is February and freezing cold out, you can take that jar of bright, organic carrots out to cook with. You notice that your cupboards have less boxed and prepackaged food in them. You might puff up with some pride as you pop open that jar and serve it to your family. YOU made that jar of food happen, not Big Food. YOU learned to make lye and then made soaps at a fraction of the cost for a superior product. YOU provided for yourself and that is powerful!

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