Mapping A Road To Self-Sufficiency

The number one question I am asked by new readers is “where do I  start?”.  This is followed by a meek comment indicating “I have a job and a  family and can not afford to move to a farm in the outback.”

Well first of all, let me say that no apologies are needed.   None.  Moving to a farm or even to the remote boonies is not for everyone,  myself included.   On the other hand, with some time, perseverance and  a bit of hard work, we all can take steps to be self sufficient. And isn’t that  what prepping is all about: being self sufficient so we can take care of our own  needs no matter what?

In an idealized world, we would be 100% self-sufficient.   Alas, that is unrealistic for most of us and is something that is simply is not  going to happen for most of us, desire notwithstanding.  I am just being  honest and pragmatic here because honestly, that is the truth,

That does not mean that we can not have the ability to get by  nicely on our own and satisfy 80% or more of our needs without outside  help.  I am just saying that to set a goal of 100% self sufficiency is  defeatist and a goal that is so difficult that giving up is likely.

Going back to that idealized world, if everything were perfect, we  would have enough food, water, power, fuel, and money to live a well-rounded,  healthy and comfortable life.  Hard work would be the norm but at the end  of the day we would have the satisfaction of  being able to take care of  ourselves without selling out to greedsters or taking a handout from the  government.

Alas, everywhere you look there are roadblocks to achieving this  state.  Not the least of these roadblocks is our dependency on  transportation systems and the power infrastructure to deliver goods and energy  products to our homes.  We depend on the government and insurance companies  to rescue us if there is a natural disaster and we depend on organized medicine  to keep us healthy.

The issue with these dependencies, of course, is that they may be  unreliable, out of control or so fragile that a strong wind(or hurricane or  earthquake) will shut them down, perhaps with dire consequences.  If you  are smart enough to recognize this, you will strive for self sufficiency of one  type or another.

Mapping a Road to Self-Sufficiency

Luckily, self-sufficiency is not an all or nothing  proposition.  At one end of the spectrum is a total, off grid, agrarian  lifestyle and at the other is a moderately self-sufficient lifestyle where steps  are taken to move toward 20% to 50% self sufficiency.

Today I will share some easy steps you can take to to start  becoming self-sufficient.  These are steps that do not require a farm, do not require acreage and  do not require a lot of money.  They are practical steps that you can  select from and embrace as your needs and desire for independence evolve over  time.

Some are easy and  others take a bit of skill and practice.  Some can be done for little or no  cost and others will require an investment in time, labor, money or all  three.  The good news is that there are lots of choices and the journey  toward self sufficiency does not have to be done in a day, a month, a year or  even a decade.

19 Baby Steps Toward a Self Sufficient Lifestyle

1.  Build up a emergency food supply

Stuff happens but you still have to eat.  Start by building up  a cupboard full of food.  Although my method is a bit unconventional, I  endorse filling up a cupboard or pantry with essentials that are hearty enough  to fill bellies for a week, a month or longer without regard to the exact number  of meals and the precise number of calories.  Trust me, by following the  guidelines in 20 Items to Kick Start Your Food Storage Plan, you  will have more emergency food than 95% of your friends and neighbors.

2.  Learn to cook without electricity or gas

There are numerous options to cooking on a traditional stove.   Build or buy a rocket stove that only requires biomass for  fuel.  Learn to use it while cooking a variety of food items.  Also  consider a propane stove; just make sure that you also stockpile extra propane  tanks.

3.  Know how to build and start a fire

Just because you live in the city and have electricity does not  mean you will never have to build a fire.  Learn how to build a fire and  keep it lit for an extended period.  Collect biomass, dryer lint and other  materials that can be used as tinder to help get a fire going then practice  starting a fire without the benefit of matches or a lighter.  A good  resource for learning how to build a fire is  Catching  Fire: 21 Failsafe Fire-starting Methods.

4.  Install an alternate fuel source

You might be surprised by how little power you need to get  by.  Start with an inexpensive portable generator or some solar  panels.  Also think about those items that must have power when the grid is  down, such as a well, medical devices and refrigeration.   Take care  of providing power to those things and let the rest go for now.

5.  Grow a vegetable garden

This is a great first step to take toward taking care of yourself  and some of your food needs.  There are some books to help you such as the All New Square Foot Gardening plus you can get tons of  help from seed suppliers, Master Gardeners and friendly neighbors that will be  glad to give you some regionally appropriate advice.

6.  Start a compost pile

Something many gardeners do not think about is that to be  successful, they are going to need fertilizer for their crops.  Instead of  creating a dependency on the garden center and chemical fertilizers (which also  cost money), create your own fertilizer from food scraps and yard waste.   The end result will be a nutrient rich fertilizer that is not only free, but a  form of “black gold” for your garden vegetables.

7.  Grow fruit trees and berries

Imagine growing hundreds of pounds of fruit each year literally for  free and for very little work?  This can be done if you take the time, by  asking around, to seek out native fruit trees that are natural to your  area.  Once established, these trees will not require fertilizer or water  (but if you want to feed them some of that compost, they will love it).

8.  Learn to preserve your bounty

Canning, freezing, drying and smoking are some of the ways your can  preserve your bounty so that you will have it to feed your family during the  off-season.  It does take time, yes, but the results in terms of  food-saving costs are worth it.  As with gardening, once you get the hang  of it, preserving your food can be fun as well.

9.  Take a first aid course and create a well-stocked first  aid kit

Whether you take a course or not, you will need a well-stocked  first aid kit.  In addition, you should have at least one printed medical  reference such as The Survival Medicine Handbook or The Merck  Manual Home Health Handbook.

10.  Take charge of your health

Do not wait until you are sick and desperate before learning how to  take care of your own health needs.  Study how healing herbs and essential oils can resolve minor first aid and  health annoyances (such as scrapes, insect bites, chest congestion due to a cold  or the flu) and practice using these methods in daily life.  See Nine Healing Herbs You  Can Grow Yourself in a Healing Garden.

11.  Acquire warm clothing and blankets to keep you warm  without heat

To me this seems basic so it always  surprises me to learn when folks freak out when there is no heat.  Granted,  I live in a moderate climate but if there is no heat, the indoor temperature can  drop into the 30s.  Down shirts, fleece vests, woolen socks, gloves.  comforters and even sleeping bags will keep you warm if not toasty.  The  best thing is that most of these items can be found for a reasonable price at  thrift stores and second hand shops.  Keep your eyes peeled – especially in  winter – and strike a bargain.

12.  Learn how to use weapons to hunt and for personal  projection

When the SHTF, each man (or woman) will be on his or her own to  find food and to defend what is theirs.  The weapon of choice is really up  to you.  Whatever you choose, learn how to use it and be sure to stockpile  ammunition (bullets, arrows, ball bearings or whatever).

13.  Start an emergency fund

It is a fact of life that emergencies happen.  I know people  who have the means (and high paying jobs) yet still live paycheck to  paycheck.  These are the people that scramble when their automobile needs  major repairs or a family member gets sick and incurs a large medical  bill.  Start an emergency fund and pay yourself each week.  Whether  you put $5 or $50 a week into the fund, put something in the fund, even if it  means you eat beans and rice two nights a week so that you have the money to do  so.

14.  Learn to barter

Bartering your skills or excess goods is an easy way to become less  dependent on others.  Need help?  Go back and read 40 Items to Barter in  a Post-Collapse World and get yourself a copy of the  book “Bartering With Desperate People”.

15.  Make your own cleaning supplies

This is one of my favorites.  Most of my own cleaning supplies  are of the DIY type.  Get yourself some vinegar, baking soda, castile soap,  alcohol, borax, washing soda and liquid Dawn and you can pretty much clean  anything and everything, including your clothes and other laundry items.   Creating your own cleaners will  bring out the inner chemist in you, and  save you a ton of money.

See Prepper Checklist: DIY Cleaning Supplies  for some ideas to get you started.  Better yet, see my article in The Preparedness Review  which is a free download.

16.  Cook from scratch and bake your own bread

Cooking tasty meals from the ingredients at hand will set you   free of processed foods and unpronounceable food additives.  By cooking  from your pantry and your garden, you will save a ton of money and will begin to  savor the real taste of various foods and not a taste manufactured in some food  producer (or Monsanto’s) lab.

And then there is baking bread.  Baking is one of those fun  things that will not only save you money, but will provide you delicious and  wholesome results.  A loaf of homemade bread will cost you 50 cents versus  upwards of $4.00 or more at the supermarket.  Plus, the basic ingredients  of flour, yeast, salt and water are all things you can pronounce and  spell.  No chemicals, no preservatives.  See Baking bread and why  you should do it and just for kicks The Secret Art of  Making Pizza At Home.

17.  Be a MacGyver and fix your stuff

Simple plumbing and electrical repairs can easily be learned (or  bartered – see above).  Painting, deck building and other handyman  activities will save you a ton of money and give you the satisfaction of knowing  that you can, indeed, do it yourself.

18.  Become self-entertaining

Learn to play cards, work crosswords, or become an expert at  Scrabble.  Learn to dance or play the harmonica.  Volunteer as an  actor or singer at your local community the theater.  The point here is to  become self-entertaining which means being able to relax and enjoy yourself  without the computer, the television, the DVD player or other amusements that  rely on electronic gizmos.

19.  Get to know your neighbors

We are not talking bosom buddies but a friendly hello from time to  time.  Share your excess bounty or trade something you have for something  they need.  There is a reason why borrowing a cup of sugar was so popular  in the 50s.  The simple exchange of goods fostered trust and feeling of  kinship that paid real dividends during times of need.  Need help opening  that door?  How about a plate of brownies or a fresh load of bread when  someone moves in or a pot of soup when someone is ill?

Part of self-sufficiency is knowing who you can trust and who you  can call when you need some help.  What better time to start than  now?  See 9  Simple Ways for Preppers to Be a Good Neighbor.

The Final Word

My own experience tells me that there is a special inner peace that  comes from being mostly self-sufficient.  Not 100%, but mostly.  I  have experienced that peace and calm myself when the power went out for an  extended period and more recently, when we had no phone or internet service for  days.  Then there is the joy in doing things that involve my hands and my  mind rather than a shopping trip into town.  Others that I talk to also  tell me that they too find great joy in the simple things in life that do not  rely on excessive consumerism.

Take a look at the 19 items on this list.  What is your  goal?  If it is 20% self-sufficiency, pick 3 or 4 and tackle them until you  are satisfied you have done the best you can.  After that, pick another  item or two and keep going as time, interest and budget allows.  You will  find that taking these  steps toward self sufficiency while doing things  that you enjoy will help you get closer to an independent lifestyle more quickly  than you can imagine.  Cows and goats and chickens are not required.

Enjoy your next  adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!