Coming Full Circle Back to Self-Sufficiency

Me (in the middle) with cousins on grandparent's farm
My family has always been proud that each generation has risen above our parents in terms of education, income, and standard of living. My grandparents, although very intelligent, were barely literate. Both of my grandfathers had been coalminers and subsistence farmers in Appalachia. My parents did not graduate from high school. They have always told stories about living without electricity, plumbing, taking care of the chickens, hogs, milk cow, big garden, preserving food, and sometimes going hungry.

They were proud that their children were not raised that way. My parents moved us to a northern industrial city where they worked in factories. We usually had a garden, but no chickens, hogs, or milk cow. My husband's background is similar. I went to college, eventually got an advanced degree and until recently lived in urban areas. Our daughter has her advanced degree and is a manager in NYC. She has gone to school and traveled in Europe--we haven't! She and her husband live in an apartment without even a window box. Each generation has become farther removed from self-sufficiency.

My husband and I retired and moved to NC in a mountainous, isolated, rural area with many acres. It reminds me of where I was born. We have become very serious about preparing for hard times, both short term and long term. You already know what I am going to say for you are probably experiencing the same thing. Now we are spending a great deal of time and energy trying to learn what my grandparents and parents always knew--how to survive on what you can grow, kill, preserve, and make yourself.

We initially focused on preparing our emergency kits, food storage, medical supplies, and water storage and treatment. We found that was actually the easy part. We knew from our efforts 30 years ago that to put away a year's worth of food and supplies is not enough. It was certainly more than most people did, but we could have been in a world of hurt if TEOTWAWKI happened. We found that our storage food was not easy to rotate. Everything was freeze-dried meals in #10 cans (not very tasty) or grain in large buckets packed in nitrogen that we weren't real sure what to do with. We made a few loaves of bread, but that was about it. We still have the #10 cans of freeze-dried food, but gave away the buckets of beans and grain to some LDS families when we were making one of our cross-country moves.

What are we doing different now? We are changing our lifestyle to become more self-sufficient. I have no doubt that our grandparents are in heaven laughing at our sometimes pitiful attempts, but would appreciate that we are trying. It breaks my heart that we lost the opportunity to learn all we could from them. Thank goodness for the APN preppers, and homesteaders who are willing to teach me.

Specifically, here are a few of the things we are doing to make ourselves more self-sufficient.

1. We have no debt--no car payments, no mortgage, no credit card balance. In playing a "what if" scenerio, we thought what if my retirement check stops or is significantly reduced? What if our 401K savings become worthless? What if Social Security is unavailable to us? We don't want to be in a situation where a bank or the government can take away our property and home.
   
2. We store what we eat, and eat what we store eating more unprocessed food. We grind our own wheat and other grains for bread, granola, oats, etc. We make our own hominy and corn meal from dry corn. We make soy milk, tofu, and tempeh from soy beans. We cook dry beans instead of from a can. We grow and eat sprouts. Unprocessed food bought in bulk costs much less than convenience food from the grocery store so we save a lot of money and can rotate our storage food. To become even more self-sufficient, we need to grow these items ourselves as some of our friends on the APN Forum do.
3. We are growing much of our food in a garden that is getting bigger each year. This includes freezing, drying, and canning what we grow.
4. One of our next big projects is to install an external, wood-burning furnace/hot water heater. We have an unlimited supply of wood for fuel. Our home is currently heated with electricity.
5. We also plan to install a solar system this year so that we can be independent from the electric company and electric bills. We consider this to be a good investment while our dollars still have some value. We would also like to be able to generate our own electric power in the event it becomes unavailable.
6. We are learning how to hunt and protect ourselves.
7. We plan on raising some animals such as rabbits, chickens, and/or goats for meat, eggs, milk and fiber.

8. We store over 200 gallons of rain water and are adding to that system. Our water source is well water, and we have a septic tank.















9. We are making and using our own laundry detergent, bar soap, soft soap, and shampoo.

10. I installed clothesline poles and hang my clothes outside rather than use my clothes dryer. I think this must have been the first solar-powered appliance!

My grandparents didn't have solar for electricity--they used oil lamps for much of their lives and a wood-burning kitchen stove. Water came from a bucket dipped into the well. An outhouse and slop jars were the substitute for plumbing. A washtub set up in the kitchen was used for a bathtub. I really don't want to have to go back to those times--but know I can if I have to.
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10 Ways to Afford Prepping

If you are considering prepping for the first time or have just started, the thought of trying to store one or two years’ worth of food can be daunting. Then you read you are also supposed to have a medical kit, water, emergency go bags, and on and on and on.

If you are like most of us, you feel that you can barely pay for what you are going to eat this week AND pay the electric bill. You somehow know that now is the time to start putting some emergency supplies away, but how can you afford it? Here are some suggestions that have worked for us. Pick and choose those that apply to your situation, and keep your eyes open for opportunities that I haven’t thought of!

1. Use one, buy two.

This is one of the easiest ways to ensure you are storing what your family will eat. For any non-perishable foods on your list that you need for your kitchen pantry, buy an extra to put into storage. Canned tuna, soup, pasta, and beans are all good candidates. It may seem piddly at first, but you will be surprised how quickly it will add up, and you may not even notice the extra expenditures.

2. Buy extra when things are on sale or you have coupons.

Start paying attention to what things cost. When you see that a store has a significant discount on something you use, buy extra. There are times when it may even pay to buy one or two cases of an item.

3. Try shopping at alternative stores and/or buy in bulk.

Check out discount stores in your area such as Aldi, Save-a-Lot, dollar stores, Costco, and Sam’s Club. In many communities you can find a co-op or other source for bulk items such as wheat and other grains, beans, rice, and corn. The LDS church has warehouses around the country that may be used by non-church members if you volunteer some time.

But here’s some advice—don’t buy bulk whole grains, dried beans, corn, etc. unless you use it regularly. For example, learn and practice how to grind grains and bake your own bread. Use dried beans with rice or corn as a meat substitute. You will save a lot of money by using unprocessed food you have bought in bulk; your storage items will be rotated; and you will be eating delicious, healthy food. Use what you buy, and buy what you use!

For prepping equipment and tools on your list, try Craig’s List, garage sales, and Goodwill. If you pay attention, you can get some great deals on dehydrators, canning supplies, gardening tools, clothes, etc.

4. Buy fresh food in season in bulk and dehydrate or can it.

You will love serving your family strawberries, apples, vegetables, and even meat that you have preserved. By buying it in season, it is cheaper and better quality. By preserving it yourself, you have more control over what additives, salt, sugar, etc. that your family is getting.

5. Stop eating out so much—pack a lunch!

Eat at home more often and enjoy your healthier, home-cooked meals. Make an extra piece of chicken or save some of the salad and pasta in plastic containers for your lunch. You will save enough from one meal out to pay for your weekly food storage items.

6. As a family, create a budget and live by it.

Use a computer program or a yellow tablet, but keep track of what you spend and write it down in categories. You will be surprised by what you find out about where your money is REALLY going!

7. Evaluate the REAL value of potential new purchases against what is on your list of prep supplies and equipment.

Do you really need another Blackberry or computer game? You could buy a good dehydrator for what a lot of shoes cost.

8. Start practicing a more self-sufficient lifestyle now.

Look for ways to start reducing your use of disposables and energy. For example, I put up clothesline poles and now hang all my laundry outside. I have reduced my electric bill, have a way to dry my clothes in the event I lose power (prepping), and my clothes smell wonderful! Use cloth instead of paper napkins or paper towels. You will save money now as well as not have to buy and store replacements for your preps.

Start cooking with whole grains and other unprocessed food. Your food costs will be lower now; you will learn how to prepare your storage food, and your family will be used to it in case of a crisis; and you will be eating healthier food.

9. Grow a garden.

Even if you have a small yard or just a patio, you can grow enough food to put a dent in your food budget. You can use raised beds or even containers for many vegetables and herbs. Use edible plants in your flower beds.

10. Put aside all or part of any “extra” money for use to buy high-priority prep items.

My husband and I used his annual bonus to buy many of the prepping supplies that we could not have afforded otherwise. Other sources of money may be tax refunds, Christmas or birthday gifts, and salary increases.

Start looking at ways you are spending money and not benefiting from it or could sacrifice a bit. Are you paying for a premium cable package for channels you never watch? Stay home and play a board game with friends and family instead of going to a movie and having to pay for a babysitter.

How many other money-saving, prep-building strategies can you think of?

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