Creating a more self sufficient home and life has never been a more “front and center” topic than right now.
Every day, out of pure necessity, more and more people from all walks of life and all corners of the world are having to do more for themselves and their family.
Many are learning to cook almost all of their meals at home. Many more are now making their own bread. And some are even learning to cut their own hair and growing their first garden ever.
But perhaps most interesting of all is that many people are finding out a self sufficient life really is a better way to live! Even more, that it is a great way to save money and have fun too.
Creating a more self-sufficient home and life not only makes great economic sense, it makes great life sense.
It is something we discovered as well some 10 years ago when starting down our own path to self-sufficiency. And we both can honestly that it turned out to be the best decision we ever made.
Creating A Self Sufficient Home
Our goal back in 2010 was simple. To create a well-balanced, self-sufficient lifestyle on a small plot of land. And, (this point is extremely important!) to find happiness and fun in both the process, and the results.
We wanted to become responsible for most of our own food through growing and preserving. At the same time, we also wanted to take an active role in creating everything we could with our own four hands.
But all through the process, no matter what happened, we wanted to have fun doing it. Because quite simply, if you are not enjoying what you are doing, why are you doing it in the first place?
It’s simple. The more you do for yourself and your family, the less you have to spend out of your budget, and the more you can save for your future and your peace of mind. The first key to self-sufficiency is learning to save. When you choose a good savings account and start saving more of your hard-earned money, good things begin to happen.
At the same time, when you begin to do more for yourself and your family, the less you need to rely on others And with a bit more savings on hand, you are more you are prepared to handle any future crisis or issue on your own.
To get that point, it’s easier than you think. Here are 5 simple secrets that can help anyone create a more self sufficient life and home:
5 Simple Secrets To Create A More Self Sufficient Home & Life
#1 Grow Your Food
Want a more self-sufficient life and a healthier you? Then start growing some of your own food!
It is amazing how many people who struggle with finances or healthy living let the wide open space in their backyard sit empty. Food is expensive. And growing your own goes a long way in closing any family budget shortfall.
Feeding a family can easily cost hundreds of dollars per week. But imagine how much more self-sufficient you can become by simply growing your own food!
And nothing is more satisfying. When you grow something for yourself or your family, your entire outlook changes. It is also incredibly great exercise.
Our garden has always been the centerpiece of our home. It not only feeds us, but serves as our own personal work-out space and mental rehab lounge as well.
And even though you might not have a big yard or a yard at all – you can still find a way to grow.
If you have a bit of land out back, plant a garden. If you have a patio or small yard, create planters and grow potted veggies. Perhaps even look to lease or rent a small space of land. But whatever you do – grow food! See : How To Create A Self-Sufficient Raised Row Garden
#2 Learn To Preserve Food
Nothing will stretch your hard-earned dollars more than learning to preserve food. Freezing, drying and canning are all excellent methods to preserve food. And all are quite simple to learn and master.
It’s one thing to have fresh fruit and vegetables in season. But if you really want to have a more self sufficient life, you need to learn to preserve those big summer harvests to have easy access to inexpensive, healthy food the whole year around.
We love making and preserving all of our own salsa, pasta sauce, pizza sauce, pickles and more. In addition, freezing green beans, soups, corn and many other vegetables keeps a long-term food supply on hand.
And for those that can’t grow their own, preserving still makes big sense and saves cents. Buy in bulk, at farmer’s markets, or from a local grower. Then preserve it to have your own stockpile of delicious food.
Beyond the financial benefits, preserving your own food also keeps preservatives and commercial additives out of your diet.
#3 Learn To Work With Basic Tools
Living a more self-sufficient life starts with the obvious – doing more things for yourself! And one of the best ways to do more for yourself is to learn to work with basic tools. But it is not as hard as many think.
In this day and age, if you truly want to learn how to make a kitchen table, fix a door, or build a patio, there are plenty of resources on-line to help you.
All it takes is a little time, a little patience, and the willingness to work. They are the real keys to creating a self-sufficient life.
We have built hundred of things on the farm – from chicken coops, to our barn, garden shed, compost bins, tables, chairs, fire pit, pizza oven and more. And if we didn’t do them ourselves, quite honestly we could never have afforded to purchase them.
It’s amazing when you start to do more and more things yourself how self-reliant you can be. And how much more you want to learn to do more! See : The Essential DIY Tools To A Great Home Workshop On A Budget
#4 Learn To Fail, And Try Again
Maybe the best secret of all five of today’s simple tips is this one. Never stop trying, never stop failing, and never stop trying again.
We learned what we have learned because we tried, and honestly – usually failed at whatever it was we were building or creating the first time. And most likely the second and third time too!
But we kept at it until we learned it and eventually got it to work. It really is that simple approach that makes all the difference between success and failure.
It is no accident that the single biggest chapter in our first book on creating the farm was about our failures. See : Growing Simple – The Story of Old World Garden Farms
One of the best ways to have a self-sufficient life is to learn to embrace failure. Remember that you never really fail at anything until you give up. So don’t give up!
#5 Stop Wasting Time!
For years, people have said “If I only had the time”, or “I need to take a week’s vacation” and get things done. Well, the truth is, you already have that time.
If you woke up one hour earlier each day and worked on your dream. And cut out just one hour of television, social media or “couch time” at night to work on your dream – it is the equivalent of 56 hours per month.
That is like having nearly a week and a half of vacation time to do everything you have always wanted to accomplish. Every single month!
But unfortunately, so much of that precious time is wasted on sleeping in, hours of hours of TV binge watching, or simply hanging out on the couch.
The whole term self-sufficiency revolves around doing more for yourself and your family. That means making it a priority to get up off that couch, and make things happen!
Doing, learning, discovering, trying, failing and succeeding – all powerful words and tools to become more self-sufficient.
Here is to embracing your future, and creating a more self sufficient home, life and you! Happy Living – Jim and Mary.
Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.
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