Is becoming Self Sufficient the new fad?

[jambunny]

I think my motivation started (very long ago!) because I always wanted to know HOW something was made. The Little House on the Prarie books were my first inspiration. My mother and grandmother were convenience all the way. I taught my grandmother how to crochet! I started my fiber obsession in 3rd grade. So, as far as SS- I can keep us warm

Then, I was always into horses, as was my mother- who bought us a pony when we moved to the "suburbs" in 3rd grade. That fueled my desire to live where I could keep my horse at home (well, that morphed into horsES). My father gardened every year probably as a cost saving measure, so it is something I just do every year. Whether it is successful or not every year, I still put something in the ground. It's just what I grew up doing.

When we moved to VT, a friend needed to get rid of her chickens to put her house on the market and we got them and started the fresh egg obsession- I can't envision ever not having chickens! We also started tapping our own maple trees. I learned how to make jams. I started making soap because my SO can go through a bar of soap every 4 days or so (I have NO idea how!) and it made sense to make it myself. With what I sell at work to people I have recouped my initial investment and make enough to keep me in oils pretty much. I am now making my own pasta because we have eggs to use up and it is a good thing to eat your own food as opposed to corporate food.

So, although I am not really SS in terms of needing to do it to live, it adds to my life to live this way.

(and I, too, find Prius drivers very holier than thou!)

I actually got a lot of stuff out of those books too. I also learned some stuff from my grandparents. They saved everything, canned, and my grandfather did ranch work primarily. There was no way I would ever be able to afford a ranch so bought a small acrege and made it a farm. I now strive to be self sufficient because it is a lifestyle that I love. I think most everyone has their own reason and it is bound to fluctuate up and down periodically.

 

[ORChick]

I guess it is a fad for my part ... but a fad I have been following for 30+ years .
When I was first married I lived in the middle of a large city in Germany. Now, my mother had a beautiful garden, but no veggies. Flowers were her thing, and herbs. And helping her garden had never been anything I was interested in. So there I was, in an apartment in a large city, cooking for my new hubby ... and I found that I had to buy parsley (and chives, and other things that had been in my mother's garden)! It had never before occurred to me that it was even possible, or necessary, to buy parsley. Right then I promised myself that someday I would have a herb garden. And eventually I did. And then, of course, a tomato plant (or 8 ); and then other veggies. And then DH said that "a few flowers might be nice". So I got into gardening.
And I am inherently cheap (er ... frugal), so I prefer to make things myself rather than buy them; I'm talking about cooking and sewing here, but then it ran over into other things. And I came of age in the 60's/70's, so there is a certain "hippie/back to the land" element there too, though I never was a hippie . A number of things I do stem from a desire not to waste the earth's resources; thinking *Green*.
Our financial situation is such that I don't *have* to garden, sew, knit, preserve, keep chickens, etc., etc., but we aren't rich by any means. And I prefer to do things as I do. But I dabble - I have no desire to be a farmer, nor do I yearn for a goat, but it feels good to do what I can for myself and by myself ... well, and DH too

 

[FarmerChick]

I have a problem when defining self sufficient. I am 'kinda' more frugal than saying I am SS......to me SS means truly buying NO storebought that you can do yourself, or living off grid, wood heat ONLY....etc.

so my SS definition is more severe than others.

my "SS" interest came from being frugal to save cash.

I am far from "self" sufficient in this life LOL

 

[chickenone]

If everyone here were truly 100% self sufficient, none of us would be on this site. I don't think there is any way to generate your own internet connection- yet.

 

[Boogity]

I guess I'll join in this discussion too. FarmerChick, you say you have a problem defining self sufficient. Well I think there are many different levels of self sufficiency and each of us fit into our own unique niche.

My mother was a farm girl from the hills of W. Virginia and my father was a coppersmith from Ohio. When my brother, sister and I were growing up we always had chickens and large vegetable gardens. Sometimes a pig or two, sometimes a goat or two, sometimes some ducks. My dad was a very strict disciplinarian and the three kids always had a chores list a mile long. We lived about a 45 minute drive east of Cincinnati so trips to the stores were few and far between. By today's standards we were very self-sufficient. I learned to fish (for table food) at 6, trap and snare at the age of 8, hunt at 12, and all the while I was learning how to DO things. We ate everything my brother and I brought home.

For some very strange reason I was very good at math and science in school. Toward the end of my junior year of high school I told my folks that I wanted to go to college to be a mechanical engineer. I can remember my father's words like it was yesterday . . . "that's nice, let us know how it turns out". I made it all by myself. Due to a 4 year military time-out from '67 through '70 I finally got my degree 11 years later.

After 14 years working in an engineering office in Cincinnati I started my own engineering company and by the time I had to give it all up I had 17 employees. All the while we always had gardens, chickens, sometimes a pig, and sometimes a goat.

In 1999 I had a serious stroke and could only do about 50% of the things I used to do. I slowly allowed my employees to take over the business and after a second stroke in 2002 I had to take an early retirement. In 2003 my wife was in a car wreck and broke her neck and back. Even with medical insurance we were financially devastated. Since 2004 I have taken odd part time jobs here and there to pay off the enormous bills. It has been 8 years in debt but we just made our last medical payment last December. We're finally debt free.

We struggled for many years and we are finally settled into a small (very small) farm in rural Indiana and we enjoy being as self sufficient as possible.

So self sufficiency has been a way of life for me since very early in childhood. No fad here.

Holy cow, I didn't intend to bore y'all with my story. Sorry.

 

[lighthawk]

Boogity... Ever wonder what your life would have been like had you stayed on the farm?
I too served Vietnam era. I really didn't settle down until the mid nineteys got my own place (30 acres) and started building. Little by little it is taking shape.
IMO if becoming self sufficient is a "fad" it is a life saving one. The hand writing is on the wall and it has been there for years. We are running out of time.
Funny how awareness is finally mainstream and people are beginning to learn to provide for themselves at a time when there is no money left after the monthly bills to prepare with.
I have been called a "nutcase" for years, funny how some of those name callers are now asking advice.
Congrats on being Debt Free, step one complete.

 

[savingdogs]

I thought your story was fascinating, Boogity. How is your wife doing now, do you mind if I ask?

It seems like for some of us, being SS is a "fad" we have been participating in a lot of our lives.....

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day gang,thought i would offer a comment on this one

Free says
"I certainly hope it grows and doesn't fade because it is so difficult sometimes to get supplies needed. Try finding canning jars/lids around here other than late summer/early fall. Try to make jelly in March when you run out....can't find pectin. Try to buy lye for soap making."

Jenny started years ago saving all her Pasta jars(the ones with a heavy lid,Dolmio).She puts all her relishes,pickles and chutneys into these and they work really well ,you just have to check that when they are cold the lid has "popped"down...Some company's use a light lid which tends to leave a little "nick" in it when you open them ,they usually will not re-seal airtight.......................

..........................................................T.O.R.................................

 

[Neko-chan]

...

 

[Boogity]

I thought your story was fascinating, Boogity. How is your wife doing now, do you mind if I ask? <snip>

She does quite well considering the damage she sustained. Arthritis has set in where the vertebrae were fused and she walks with a walker these days. The nerve damage has left her with strange sensations and much pain in her legs. Thanks for asking.