Posts Tagged ‘green living’
Longing For Self Sufficient Living?
With pollution on the rise and economic troubles mounting, more and more people are becoming interested in self sufficient living. Let’s take a look at what it means to be self sufficient as well as things to keep in mind when considering transitioning to that lifestyle.
Self sufficient living means depending on sustainable resources to supply daily needs. This is in contrast to dependence upon utility and water companies. It also means we’ll learn to raise our own provisions and master the art of long term food storage. Many people even learn to make much of what they need for everyday life like soap, clothes, etc..
The hectic pace many people live is causing them to look for a better way. For many, that better way is found in self sufficient living. They’re concerned about their health – both physical and emotional. Others are concerned about being prepared for the unknown – things like natural or even man made disasters.
So what should we be thinking about when considering transitioning to a more sustainable way of life?
First, let’s consider our most basic need – food. Most people rely solely on the grocery store. Why not become your own supermarket by growing your own? You might not feel capable of such an undertaking, but there are plenty of good books on the subject to get you started. Even if you don’t have a garden area, start in pots for now – at least you’ll be getting started. The other important skill in providing for your food needs is learning to store that food. We’ll look more at methods to do this in future articles.
Food – There has been increased interest in gardening in recent years as evidenced by an increase in garden seed sales. This is truly a part of self sufficient living that anyone can start right away. While there are many helpful books on the subject, this is one area in which it largely comes down to experience. Thus, the sooner you get started, the better. Even if you only have a small patio, you can start gardening in pots, even during winter months, you can grow some things in the house. The other aspect of food involves learning to preserve and store food. This is something that people used to be better at, but with the convenience of supermarkets, many do not consider just how fragile a family’s food supply can be. Natural disasters remind us of this when interruptions in transport result in shelves being emptied in only a matter of hours. Methods for food preservation and storage include canning, dehydrating, air vacuum sealing, and use of air tight storage containers.
Finally, everybody needs energy to live and for most of us that come in the form of electricity. There are various ways of generating your own power these days such as wind or solar. While many think that a simple gas generator is sufficient for a back up, keep in mind that such a system still requires fuel which might be hard to come by one of these days. Thus something more sustainable is preferable. A small solar power system can cost as much as $10,000 but it’s an investment that will pay for itself over time.
Country Living – When considering what is involved in becoming more self sufficient, it becomes clear that living in a metropolitan area makes it more difficult for the average family to pursue a more sustainable way of life. While the subject of locating and purchasing country property is beyond the scope of this article, families are finding that with careful planning and perseverance, making such a transition is possible. Rural living is ideal in terms of becoming more independent.
In closing, if you’re interested in becoming more self sufficient, it is possible. It just requires a commitment in terms of time and energy to make it happen. Self sufficient living will position you and your family to be prepared to take care of yourselves and help others in a crisis. It’s really the best way to live.
self sufficient living can be your way of life. Learn more at http://www.selfsufficientlivingblog.com.
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