Have you ever wondered how to be self sufficient?
Halloween is quickly approaching and I have the perfect idea for some quarantine fun. Dress up in your scariest, mix up a fun cocktail, and gather your friends and family for a “Could I Survive a Zombie Apocalypse?” Zoom party.
What if the things you rely on were suddenly not available anymore? What if the grocery stores and gas stations shut down? What if there was not just a shortage, but (gasp!) no TP at all? Could you all survive? This is a bit of a doom and gloom game, but also one of grit and survival and that definitely deserves some attention right now. Go through my list of how to be self sufficient and figure out who in your group has mad skills. Those are the ones you want on your team in a crisis!
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What is self sufficiency?
My definition of self sufficiency means that you rely on yourself and your local community to survive. It is a process that takes time and constant learning. I don’t think I’m there yet, but every year I know more and more.
My desire to become self sufficient started with my passion for a cleaner environment. As you peruse the list below you will notice that a lot of these suggestions will have positive impacts on the world in the form of using less resources and creating less waste.
Although I started out making changes because I wanted to, it quickly became evident that self sufficiency is actually a necessity. This hit hard when there was widespread flooding in my town. Our basement was completely under water. We lost our water heater, gas fireplace, and many possessions. Businesses in town were shut down and the roads in and out were impassable for a brief time. It was that flooding event that really highlighted to me that I wasn’t prepared. Now more recently with food and supply shortages, I’ve doubled my efforts towards self sufficiency.
Your reason to strive for self sufficiency may be different than mine. Maybe it is the COVID-19 pandemic. Maybe you want to rely less on big corporations and their idea of how you should live in order to line their pockets. Perhaps you want to secure your food chain. Or maybe you just want to feel in control. Well, I hear you! Here are 20 ways you can learn how to be self sufficient.
20 Ways to be Self Sufficient
1 – Live a simple life
If you go camping or lose power at your home for a few days, you quickly realize what is essential and what is not. Most of our houses are stuffed from top to bottom with electronics, toys, decorations, and other non-essential items. Stop wasting your time organizing stuff. Instead, reclaim your time in order to take more productive actions like those listed below. The easiest way to do this is to spend 10 to 15 minutes every day decluttering and then donate things that are not essential. Over time, useful things like herbs and kitchen tools become your “decorations”. Learning to live with less is really quite freeing.
2 – Make a plan to get out of debt
I think it goes without saying that if you are in debt than you are beholden to someone else and not yourself. In other words, you are not self-sufficient. Take a couple of hours (or a weekend) and hash out your finances. Who do you owe and how much? Make a budget based on your income and set small goals to pay off your debts. You definitely have to get your other household members on board with this one. The awesome thing about becoming self sufficient is that you actually will save quite a bit of money which can help you reach your goals.
3 – Eat with the seasons
Our current food system is completely unsustainable. As the coronavirus pandemic has shown, even small disruptions can lead to large ripple effects throughout the entire nation. We are too dependent on food grown thousands of miles away. A self sufficient solution is to get your food locally and eat with the seasons. Instead of eating fresh blackberries in the winter and winter squash in the summer, gorge yourself on what is available at the normal time of the calendar year and then preserve the bounty to eat when it isn’t. Here is a complete guide on how to eat with the seasons. I’ve also created a Seasonal Food Guide to help remind myself and others what produce is available during each season.
4 – Know how to build a fire
In the long list of survival skills, this is probably number one. If you can’t build a fire then you will have trouble staying warm, boiling water, and cooking food when the power goes out. One way to learn together as a family is to get your kids signed up for Scouting and participate yourself as an adult volunteer. Then practice, practice, practice! Also check out this cool fire starter that lasts basically forever.
5 – Learn to bake bread from scratch
I am grateful to my mom for letting me help in the kitchen when I was young and encouraging me in my love for food. I want that for my kids too. Cooking from scratch is becoming a lost art. We used to learn from our elders how to bake and make soup. Now we learn how to preheat the oven to cook a frozen pizza. Cooking from scratch is a super important life skill that is absolutely necessary if you want to be self sufficient. Start by trying to bake your own bread. It is actually quite simple and can be made with just flour, yeast, and water. Once you master bread, move on to cooking your own meals from scratch.
6 – Forage
Gathering food from nature goes back to our primal roots and is up there on the list of survival skills. You can search for berries, nuts, mushrooms, roots, spices, medicinal plants, and more. Before you head out though, make sure you know what you are looking for. It helps to have a good field guide of what is edible.
7 – Stock up on basic tools and learn how to use them
Do you have a hammer, screwdriver, and some nails? If not, this is the time to find basic tools and tool box, then teach yourself how to use them. YouTube is great for this. The next time you have something that needs minor repairs you will be ready to DIY. You can find lots of secondhand tools or consider buying a basic tool kit.
8 – Clean with cloth and vinegar
This one is a super money saver. I’m not sure how companies have convinced us that we need buy single use paper products for everything. From tissues to paper towels, wipes to TP. Is it really necessary? Our society has been conditioned to believe that dirt is gross and we need to disinfect everything and throw it away immediately. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Some dirt is necessary to strengthen our immune systems. You don’t want everything sterile all of the time. When you do need to clean, plain vinegar is effective for just about every cleaning job in your home. Combine that with a cloth and you are ready to go. Get comfortable with using real fabric cloths and then wash and repeat. Simply cut up old towels, t-shirts, or sheets and make yourself a rag basket. You can even use old cloths for toilet paper in an emergency. Remember, if you are caught in an apocalypse there will not be any paper products in sight! Read more about what you really need to clean here.
9 – Grow food from seed
Whether you want to start an indoor herb garden or build a raised garden bed, you need to get the plants from somewhere. Of course you can buy seedlings from a nursery or garden supply store, but that wouldn’t be self-sufficient now would it? Take the time to learn how to grow plants from seed. Typically this means starting them inside and then transplanting outside when the weather is appropriate. I use a grow light indoors to start seeds in the spring and to also continue to grow herbs through the winter. Once you have that down, learn how to collect the seeds from mature plants to start your garden the following year. Check out my Garden Planning Guide for more information.
10 – Get or make a rain barrel
If you have a garden you are going to need a way to water the plants without needing to rely on city water. Collecting rain water is an economical and ecological way to be self sufficient. Look for a rain barrel that has a hose attachment or get a rainwater diverter kit to create your own collection system.
11 – Raise backyard chickens
Can you imagine having a good source of protein right in your backyard? Chickens are so much easier to care for than I expected. There is an initial learning curve and investment in the supplies. Once you get going it is a matter of feeding, watering, predator protection, and collecting eggs. Raising your own meat and eggs is totally self sufficient.
12 – Compost
If you are serious about gardening or raising chickens, composting is a must. Also, what if our society does breakdown and we no longer have trash collection? What are you going to do with all that food waste? Learn how to compost and you will have beautiful “black gold” to feed your plants, which in turn will feed you. Thermocomposting with a tumbler is a simple way to get started. You literally just collect your scraps (try this countertop bin), toss in the tumbler, turn the tumbler every once in a while, and make sure it is moist. Voila. In 3-6 months you will have wonderful fertilizer for your garden. You don’t have to buy anything though. Simply start throwing your food waste in a designated outdoor pile and it will eventually break down. Compost is the ultimate “set it and forget it”! Read more here: Composting 101.
13 – Learn how to sew on a button
Just like cooking, sewing is another lost art. My grandmother loved to sew and taught me the basics. I can’t tell you how many times this skill has come in handy. Start with buttons then work your way to patching holes. Someday you may even be able to make your own clothes!
14 – Look into alternative energy
Geothermal and solar are two options that are now pretty mainstream. If you are looking to get off the grid completely, you will need to make sure you have proper battery storage. Some states or municipalities have rules about this and may not let you get entirely off the grid. Spend some time researching options in your area. We had solar installed about a year a ago and are enjoying the significant reductions in our electric bills.
15 – Learn how to hunt, trap, or fish
This is one skill that I wish I had been taught when I was younger. We are blessed to live in a state where hunting and fishing are widely encouraged. My kids are learning to fish from their grandpa and my goal is to learn how to clean and cook the fish. Some day I would love to take a Hunter’s Safety course and learn how to bow hunt for wild turkeys. Goals!
16 – Take up canning and preserving
This is the ultimate way to ensure that you can eat through the whole year without relying on a broken food system. You need some equipment and a bit of knowledge to get the job done. Do your homework and start small. The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving is a good place to begin.
17 – Start a root cellar
Yet another way to preserve food, a root cellar is a cool, dark, place that will allow you to store fresh produce for months. This is one way that you can keep yourself fed through the winter without having to depend on imported or processed foods. Find a spot in your basement or use an old refrigerator to store apples, winter squash, beets, onions, garlic, potatoes, and more. Learn more about food preservation here.
18 – Hang dry your clothes
Save electricity and learn the old-fashioned way of drying your clothes. All you need is a line/clothespins or a drying rack. There is really nothing like fresh sun-dried clothes. The sun can also help to keep your whites whiter. Take this one step further and learn how to dry your clothes in winter too by utilizing the drier air.
19 – Barter
Who will be in your inner circle in a zombie apocalypse? It is nearly impossible to take on every skill yourself so knowing how to negotiate will take you far. Perhaps you already know how to do some of the things on this list, but you have no clue in other areas. I’m pretty good at gardening, cooking, and I raise backyard chickens. In a crisis I would use these skills to trade for others such as venison and repair work. What are your strengths? If you can’t think of anything, pick something from this list and work to get really good at it. In the meantime work on your bartering skills as you navigate Craigslist for secondhand items.
20 – Get used to failure
Trying and failing is the best way to prepare yourself for a crisis. This is how you learn to problem solve, especially when the stakes aren’t very high. So keep trying and don’t be afraid to fail. It is bound to happen when you are learning new things.
Now that you know how to be self sufficient, what is your game plan? Can you check any of these skills off of the list? If not, no worries. Identify one or two areas that you’re interested in and get to work! Over the years, continue to add more new skills and you will be much better prepared for that zombie apocalypse!
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