The idea of a self-sufficient lifestyle has been getting popular for the past few years due to changing global living conditions. It refers to the ability to rely on your own resources for meeting your needs without taking assistance from external resources. One thing to keep in mind is that a self-sufficient lifestyle has nothing to do with the size of resources. Instead, it is concerned with managing the available resources efficiently to meet personal needs. Despite aspiring self-sufficient lifestyles, many find it quite difficult to achieve as they have no idea of how to get started. Here is a simple guide for those who are attracted to this lifestyle and want to adopt it.
Practice Frugality
The first step to switching to self-sufficient living is practicing frugality. Being able to avoid the wastage of resources and eliminate lavishness from spending and consuming behaviors is halfway done towards your goal. It is a known fact that the resources available to us are limited whether you are a millionaire or an averagely earning salaried person. It is always better to maintain a good balance between earning and spending. You cannot be self-sufficient while spending extravagantly and owing money to others. Be frugal with all your resources, whether it is money, food, clothing, housing or any other resource. Once you get used to it, you will realize how less is always more and how much you have been wasting throughout your life.
Have Long-Term Planning
Having short-term planning or no planning at all usually results in the wastage of valuable resources. To enhance self-sufficient in your life, learn to have a broader perspective while planning and prefer value over luxury. Many people buy a house, then sell to buy a bigger and more luxurious house, and this does not stop until they are out of resources to do so. It is better to plan well at first and then make a decision that would have long-term value for you and fulfill your needs whether you are deciding about housing, business, traveling or any other activity. It would help you save resources for more profitable and valuable investments.
Grow Your Own Food
Growing food for yourself and your family is not only a fun and satisfying activity; rather, it has amazing benefits for your health and economic well-being. It might seem challenging, but you will get comfortable with it once you get your hand on it. It is quite easy to establish a small kitchen garden in the backyard or plant fruit-bearing trees in your garden. Growing your own food is the best way to get all the nutrients and delicious flavors that make your breakfast, lunch and dinner amazing. To make your food plantation more efficient, save seeds of vegetables and fruits instead of throwing them away and eliminate the expenses of buying seeds.
Learn To Compost
Composting is yet another way to make the most use of resources and eliminate wastage. Learn the simple tips to compost kitchen scraps, and you will have your own organic fertilizer for your garden. It is an efficient technique to add nutrients to your garden’s soil and make it more fertile to support healthy plant growth. Composting will help you have natural fertilizer at almost no cost and help you get rid of the trash in the most useful manner.
Preservation of Food
Once you get used to growing food, you are usually able to produce more than your need. In such a case, it is crucial to saving that food from wastage and preserving it properly to be used later. There are simple methods used for preserving food for a considerable amount of time. These methods include dehydrating, canning and freezing and require no specific skill. Anyone can learn and do it.
Raise Livestock
A healthy and balanced diet consists of the right combination of all nutrients, including proteins, vitamins, calcium, carbohydrates, minerals, fats, and fiber. For meeting some nutrients’ requirements, meat and dairy products are essential. A great way to self-sufficient living is raising livestock for meat, dairy and eggs. If it is not prohibited in your area, you should definitely get it. It is quite economical once you get used to it. The food you grow may also serve as a source of food for them also. Moreover, animal dung serves as a natural fertilizer to boost your land’s fertility and production.
Reduce Power Consumption
Power consumption is a significant element adding up to your expenses. It is important to review the power usage and cut off all the excess sources of consumption. Instead of light bulbs, use energy-saver bulbs to reduce electricity consumption. Promote sitting in one room with your family to save energy used in other rooms. If you have kids who use computers or laptops for their work, such as online classes, assignment writing service, doing projects, etc., instruct them to unplug the device when not in use. Also, teach them about the power-saving mode in digital devices to save energy consumption. Try to use a single phone, computer, laptop, or any other digital device if possible.
Reduce Unnecessary Expenses
We spend our money on excessive expenditures without even realizing it. We buy a lot of stuff that needs frequent replacement, such as paper towels, paper napkins, paper bags, etc. These things can be replaced with reusable items to get the most value in minimal expenses. Clothed towels, bags, napkins, handkerchiefs are all things that can be used for a long time. Similarly, a large amount of money is spent nowadays on Covid-related supplies, including masks and sanitizers. Masks can be easily made at home that are washable and way cheaper than surgical masks with no difference in fulfilling the need.
All these simple tips, besides others, help you achieve your desired goal of having a self-sufficient lifestyle. However, this must be kept in mind that it is a long process and requires consistent efforts. The most important step is not to stop and keep taking small yet steady steps. It may seem difficult initially, but the benefits you would get afterward will prove this whole process to be worth it.