Happy to be Me
Power Conserver
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2012
- Messages
- 78
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 29
Hello! I've been lurking on this forum for a long time now and feel like it's finally time to more actively participate. First of all, thank you all for the wonderful advice you give. This has been so helpful as we work toward being more self-sufficient and plan for our new place. We have been looking for some land for about three years now off and on and we finally found 80 acres that we are in the process of purchasing. If all goes well, we will have the process completed by mid-August. I'm terribly excited and scared to death all at the same time.
1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like?
Southeast Alabama. Very hot in summer, mild most of the rest of the year.
2. How many people are in your family? Marital status? Married with just my husband and me at home now. Have two grown daughters who are married and live in the same area. We also have two cats, one dog, 9 hens and a rooster.
3. How would you define self sufficiency?Being able to provide a large portion of what we need and doing as much as possible for ourselves.
4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed? Well, I like to travel, but right now if I had any resources I needed, we would be spending it to get our new place set up faster.
5. Have you ever built a house , or other types of building? Do you want to? No, but my husband is pretty handy and I did help him (a little bit) build our chicken coop. We will build more in the future.
6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet? No
7. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient? the rising cost of living and the desire to spend time doing things I enjoy rather than working 9-5.
8 Cloth or paper? Mostly paper for now although I am working to eliminate some of that. But there are some things I will only give up if forced!
9. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more? Right now I am in the learning/gathering information phase. (this forum has been MOST helpful!)
10. In what way(s) will you never choose to become self sufficient? I don't imagine that we will ever be off the grid completely
11. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs? Yes, but it is going to have to wait until we get moved.
12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world? On a homestead several miles outside of town--but in my dream it is completed!
[b]13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi? No, but I want to eventually learn to drive a small farm tractor when we have one.
14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these?I embroider and crochet and have started to learn to make rag-rugs. I can sew decently enough to make simple things for us--pillows, curtains, etc. I did used to sew dresses for the girls. Not sure about teaching someone other than my children.
15. Can you have legally livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds?Legally on our current 3 acres, we could have two "farm" animals--cows, horses or goats. We only actually have chickens which are not included in the list we are allowed. But the neighbors haven't complained and several of them have chickens too. (we live just barely inside the city limits)
16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood? No
17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing? Right now I just have some flowerbeds. Have tried growing a few vegetables in the past and not had a lot of luck. But that is the first project on my list when we get living quarters set up at the new place. I plan to start fairly small and expand as I get better at it. I do enjoy it and it really reminds me of my dad.
18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives? No
19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country? Currently 3 acres in the city, working on buying 80 acres in the country.
20. Are you a Novice, Technician, General, Advanced? ARRL? No
21. What is your self sufficient specialty? Or what one would you like to learn?I want to learn everything! Right now, I'm pretty good with the chickens, am learning to can and preserve food.
22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take? not really sure
23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet? No
24. Are you interested in herbal medicine? Yes. I think all the prescription drugs now are more a problem than a solution.
25. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be? I'm blessed enough to be working toward the place I want to spend the rest of my life right now.
26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking? No, but would be interested in using one for heating eventually.
27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be? Not into super heros or villians.
28. Are your family or friends also interested in self sufficiency? Our oldest daughter and her husband are. (they will buy 40 of the acres from us.) I think everyone else we know will think we are having a mid-life crisis! We haven't really talked about it to others much.
29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs? Yes. I love having fresh eggs and am looking forward to providing more of our own fresh, wholesome foods.
30. What was your MOS? Hubby is retired Army and was a 67T and then a 15T. (Helicopter mechanic)
31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs? No, but might be willing to.
32. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient? Willingness to learn and to keep trying until I succeed.
33. In which fictional universe would you most like to live? I'm happy in this one!
34. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy? Not at this time, but in several years? Who knows!
35 What is the mass/weight ratio of a European swallow carrying a coconut from the tropics to England? not something I even care to look up.
36. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to? No and I don't think so.
37. In what do you trust? God
38. Do you make things yourself to save money? When I can. Lately I have done laundry soap, homemade cleaners, body wash, face soap and moisturizer.
39. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending? It makes me look harder at things I think I want to buy and I am finding it is getting easier and easier to pass things up that aren't going to help us reach our goals.
1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like?
Southeast Alabama. Very hot in summer, mild most of the rest of the year.
2. How many people are in your family? Marital status? Married with just my husband and me at home now. Have two grown daughters who are married and live in the same area. We also have two cats, one dog, 9 hens and a rooster.
3. How would you define self sufficiency?Being able to provide a large portion of what we need and doing as much as possible for ourselves.
4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed? Well, I like to travel, but right now if I had any resources I needed, we would be spending it to get our new place set up faster.
5. Have you ever built a house , or other types of building? Do you want to? No, but my husband is pretty handy and I did help him (a little bit) build our chicken coop. We will build more in the future.
6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet? No
7. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient? the rising cost of living and the desire to spend time doing things I enjoy rather than working 9-5.
8 Cloth or paper? Mostly paper for now although I am working to eliminate some of that. But there are some things I will only give up if forced!
9. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more? Right now I am in the learning/gathering information phase. (this forum has been MOST helpful!)
10. In what way(s) will you never choose to become self sufficient? I don't imagine that we will ever be off the grid completely
11. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs? Yes, but it is going to have to wait until we get moved.
12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world? On a homestead several miles outside of town--but in my dream it is completed!
[b]13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi? No, but I want to eventually learn to drive a small farm tractor when we have one.
14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these?I embroider and crochet and have started to learn to make rag-rugs. I can sew decently enough to make simple things for us--pillows, curtains, etc. I did used to sew dresses for the girls. Not sure about teaching someone other than my children.
15. Can you have legally livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds?Legally on our current 3 acres, we could have two "farm" animals--cows, horses or goats. We only actually have chickens which are not included in the list we are allowed. But the neighbors haven't complained and several of them have chickens too. (we live just barely inside the city limits)
16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood? No
17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing? Right now I just have some flowerbeds. Have tried growing a few vegetables in the past and not had a lot of luck. But that is the first project on my list when we get living quarters set up at the new place. I plan to start fairly small and expand as I get better at it. I do enjoy it and it really reminds me of my dad.
18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives? No
19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country? Currently 3 acres in the city, working on buying 80 acres in the country.
20. Are you a Novice, Technician, General, Advanced? ARRL? No
21. What is your self sufficient specialty? Or what one would you like to learn?I want to learn everything! Right now, I'm pretty good with the chickens, am learning to can and preserve food.
22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take? not really sure
23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet? No
24. Are you interested in herbal medicine? Yes. I think all the prescription drugs now are more a problem than a solution.
25. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be? I'm blessed enough to be working toward the place I want to spend the rest of my life right now.
26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking? No, but would be interested in using one for heating eventually.
27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be? Not into super heros or villians.
28. Are your family or friends also interested in self sufficiency? Our oldest daughter and her husband are. (they will buy 40 of the acres from us.) I think everyone else we know will think we are having a mid-life crisis! We haven't really talked about it to others much.
29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs? Yes. I love having fresh eggs and am looking forward to providing more of our own fresh, wholesome foods.
30. What was your MOS? Hubby is retired Army and was a 67T and then a 15T. (Helicopter mechanic)
31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs? No, but might be willing to.
32. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient? Willingness to learn and to keep trying until I succeed.
33. In which fictional universe would you most like to live? I'm happy in this one!
34. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy? Not at this time, but in several years? Who knows!
35 What is the mass/weight ratio of a European swallow carrying a coconut from the tropics to England? not something I even care to look up.
36. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to? No and I don't think so.
37. In what do you trust? God
38. Do you make things yourself to save money? When I can. Lately I have done laundry soap, homemade cleaners, body wash, face soap and moisturizer.
39. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending? It makes me look harder at things I think I want to buy and I am finding it is getting easier and easier to pass things up that aren't going to help us reach our goals.
Pull up a chair and stay a while!
