Self-sufficient/preparedness living--Where to start?

[BeccaJoVon]

I'm still trying to get what I have organized and easy to manage! So, don't feel bad. After promising me for 2 years that he was going to build me a coop and a run for my chickens, hubby finally got enough of it done over the weekend that I was able to get my birds in it today!

You'll also find that your plans can change as time goes on. As much as I'd like to do more w/the chickens, for right now, I don't have the room to do what I'd like, so I've had to change. Of course, we ever move, the plan will get changed again!

I understand! We bought fencing at the end of last year and it's just now starting to go up. We are having to wait on other people to do things they are supposed to do, so it's taking even longer waiting on them. Again, I am not a patient person, so it confuses me when things don't happen like I think they should.

 

[BarredBuff]

We have been trying to get a pantry built for almost a year

 

[hqueen13]

Again, I am not a patient person, so it confuses me when things don't happen like I think they should.

Well, whether you figure it out the easy way or the hard way, patience is a requirement for this lifestyle! LOL Plants won't grow overnight, and in the same way so many things don't happen in the time line we plan for them. This lifestyle will teach focus on what is important, and not worry about the other things; to recognize that sometimes things happen in their own time, and that's perfectly fine. Everything happens exactly as it was meant to be anyway. The universe will keep attempting to teach the lessons, and if they are ignored, then they will be brought to us again and again with a little more intensity each time. The sooner we can each figure it out for ourselves, the easier the journey gets!

 

[moolie]

Definitely life in the slow lane, with lots of time to smell the roses in between burst of busy time like harvesting and canning season

 

[Beekissed]

Lot's of great advice in this thread, especially from the young Jedi/SS master~ BB!

Just from my own personal experience, what I've seen from most of the people I know who say they desire this lifestyle and often discuss it, is that they talk more than they actually DO anything.

I have family that have been waiting for over 20 years to become "more self-sufficient" but their materialistic lifestyle and habits hinder their forward progression. Unfortunately, they also approach all the skills and acquisitions that help with SS in the same way they have approached their whole life and they want only the best and best looking barns and structures, the best of fencing, the best systems that money can buy for all their husbandry goals and they want the best that money can buy for livestock and accoutrements.

They are so concerned with "doing it right" and how it all looks to their peers that they have wished their lives away and the plans and dreams stay only in their heads. They seem to really look down upon people who are actually doing it but not doing it "right" in their eyes. The upshot of it all is that they never will be what they dream of being and the people they look down upon got to live their dreams, fulfill their needs of living SS and they did it all on a shoestring.....but at least they DID it.

Dreams are just dreams unless they become plans and then are put into action~then you get to just call them living. Anyone can dream of living more SS but if you wait on someone to help you, until you can afford it, until you can "do it right", it is much more likely that you will never get there.

I also have family that have the land and before they erected one structure, put up a fence, bought farming equipment, etc., they went out and collected many pricey and useless animals. They have spent the last several years burying dead animals, chasing their animals out of their neighbor's yards, never producing an ounce of edible food or preserving it, and flushing tons and tons of money down the drain while going deeply into debt. Still no fences, no barns, no good equipment, no good livestock, no good food sources, no skills learned and no way in any shape or form could they be considered SS or even farmers.

It's imperative that you have a dream, make a plan, adjust your thinking and goals to your budget and grow from there. Don't wait until "one day when you get the right place" or "when you can afford" this or that big ticket farm dream.....start small, start today, read, read, read, experiment and try things that sound doable and in line with your goals but don't let it overwhelm your life. Anything that causes increased stress is decidedly NOT in line with a SS life...life is stressful enough without inviting more by having too large expectations, going into debt, or trying to have everything "perfect" or trying to have it all right NOW, today, all of it.

Short term goals, long term goals, be flexible, use your imagination, do not try to have a picture perfect farm life(if it's a real farm/homestead there ain't nothin' perfect about it...it just IS~and that works) and enjoy the journey. Be calm, work wisely~ instead of in excess motion and no real completion of goals~ and before you know it you will look around one day and marvel over how different your life has become and just how much you really enjoy it now. It's no sudden thing...more like the change of the seasons.

 

[BarredBuff]

Short term goals, long term goals, be flexible, use your imagination, do not try to have a picture perfect farm life(if it's a real farm/homestead there ain't nothin' perfect about it...it just IS~and that works) and enjoy the journey. Be calm, work wisely~ instead of in excess motion and no real completion of goals~ and before you know it you will look around one day and marvel over how different your life has become and just how much you really enjoy it now. It's no sudden thing...more like the change of the seasons.

Thanks Bee

I particularily like this statement. It is so true in the appearance department...

 

[Bettacreek]

Beautifully written, Bee. I know I started small, still am going small, lol. I put a lot into it all in one go here though, and it's harder, that's for sure. I started out with making some of my own stuff in the house... Soap, laundry soap, handsoap, etc. Most of my plans involve making stuff for myself and selling the excess, like many people. Of course, I've started making extra soaps and such specifically for sales. But, if you make stuff for your household and sell the excess, you can generally cover your own costs, thus basically making the costs for your items FREE. The laundry soap I make doesn't make much money, but it certainly makes enough to cover the costs of my own use so far. Since I just added it to my "line" of products, it's doing pretty well. Usually it's easier to start in the house than it is to start outside, at least that's how I feel. Start small, use the money you save to put towards another small project that saves you money, maybe sell the excess from the projects, etc, etc, until you save and make enough to cover a slightly larger project.

 

[moolie]

Beekissed, reading all of that makes me sad. There are too many whacked priorities out there, and far too much waste--both of food/commodities and of life.

I hope that your life will somehow someday speak to your relatives as a good and responsible way to live, rather than looking down on it because it doesn't fit their ideals.

 

[hqueen13]

Beautifully written, Bee. I know I started small, still am going small, lol. I put a lot into it all in one go here though, and it's harder, that's for sure. I started out with making some of my own stuff in the house... Soap, laundry soap, handsoap, etc. Most of my plans involve making stuff for myself and selling the excess, like many people. Of course, I've started making extra soaps and such specifically for sales. But, if you make stuff for your household and sell the excess, you can generally cover your own costs, thus basically making the costs for your items FREE. The laundry soap I make doesn't make much money, but it certainly makes enough to cover the costs of my own use so far. Since I just added it to my "line" of products, it's doing pretty well. Usually it's easier to start in the house than it is to start outside, at least that's how I feel. Start small, use the money you save to put towards another small project that saves you money, maybe sell the excess from the projects, etc, etc, until you save and make enough to cover a slightly larger project.

Well said, Betta. That's where we have started since we aren't able to completely do "outside" work at the moment. I don't sell things yet, but I suppose that I could relatively easily. I make my own laundry soap (going on 2 years now, just switched to the "powdered" version rather than liquid because liquid takes up a crazy amount of space!) and have saved a LOT in that alone. I just made up a recipe today for dish washer soap, which, again, if it works well will also save a lot of money. I don't use shampoo or conditioner anymore, and have not looked back (again, about 2 years). These things take very little time and effort, and I get a great deal of satisfaction out of knowing that we've made our own things, saved money, and are not supporting big brands with ingredients in them that I can't pronounce.

We've got easy access to the farm stands up the road, so I can get good prices on quantities of veggies to can since we can't grow our own. They aren't organic, but they're FRESH, and they'll can up just fine. That'll give me plenty of time to experiment without using my own produce should I mess things up

Since we can't do much outside, I work with smaller techniques to experiment with little things that I can do here until we can move on to bigger and better things. I work with using a vinegar based weed killer, and will soon be using ashes to help control weeds as well (gotta burn stuff first! ). Its a slow process, but with our limited abilities here, we do what we can.

Especially if you weren't raised in this kind of life (and so many of us weren't), the learning curve is long, and takes time and patience. But it can be done, to suit each person's needs and skills. It just takes a bit of determination, grit, elbow grease, and perseverance!

 

[Denim Deb]

I know this isn't really SS, but it goes along w/what Bee said about not waiting.

For as long as I can remember, I've wanted land. And 1 reason I wanted the land was because I wanted a horse. Yes, I wanted to grow all my own food, raise animals, etc, but I wanted a horse. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to lease a horse and went for it. I figured this would be a good way for me to learn about the practical side of horse ownership. After all, I knew NOTHING about the daily care of a horse. I could groom a horse, I could saddle one up. I could get on, and ride w/out falling off, but that was it. That led to getting my own horse. I now own 3 horses and still don't have my own land. But if I had waited until I had everything in place, I don't know when I would have ever gotten one. And, the set up I have out at the farm isn't what I want, but it's better than nothing.