Discussion #2 - the need to be more self-sufficient

**homesteadmamma** · 05-12-2004, 06:51 PM

Our second discussion will be on "the need to be more self-sufficient". As homesteaders, with prices going up on gas, food and the likes, do you feel the need to become even more self-sufficient.

If so, how do you plan on doing that?

What areas will you be working on the most?

What areas do you want to work on but feel you can't because of finances?

**ThriftyWife** · 05-12-2004, 11:15 PM

I sure feel the need to be more self-sufficient, I really hate feeling like I'm riding a roller coaster with the recent price jumps. I am expanding our vegetable garden this year, the climate is temperate where we live - I would like to figure out a year-round garden plan. I have gotten to the point now where I'm willing to do without a lot of things rather than pay what I see as an inflated price.
We have cut down our driving dramatically. I used to buy groceries every week, a 60 mile round trip. Now I go every 2 (and sometimes 3) weeks. I just stock up and try to focus on food that will keep or freeze well. I am clearing some shelves in the washroom to use as extra pantry space.
All around, I think I am more careful with the money we do have, knowing it needs to stretch a bit further ever day. I am constantly on the prowl for new ways to get more for less - whatever it is.

Vicky

**sunshine** · 05-13-2004, 12:06 AM

I certainly feel the need to be more self suficient. Health issues are also a big part of wanting to be free of the daily food/water stuff. I need to avoid the additives, salt, sugar and so forth.

We've expanded the garden, working much more diligently on forgaging, putting the foods up in some manner (canned, frozen, dehydrated, root cellared, etc).

We're also looking at more solar cooking, training our horse for pulling a cart as well as saddle riding, passive heating and cooling of our house.

Eventually, we'd like to be totally off grid, but that will be several years down the road.

**Heather** · 05-13-2004, 08:14 AM

I definitely feel the need to become more self sufficient. We are doing great is some areas but need improvement in others.

This time of year I am working on our garden which will bring in food for late summer, fall and in the freezer or canned for the winter. We have been trying to reduce our hydro bill and with our dryer breaking a few months ago we've cut it in half already and are still looking at more ways.

I would also say the day to day expenses.....seriously looking at those to see if we really NEED it.

Combining errands to save on gas is a biggie, it's so easy to jump in the van and go but considering the distance we have to travel to a bigger centre, it's at least $10.00 is gas.

I'll be thinking more and more about this thread......

**guest2** · 05-13-2004, 11:15 AM

Great thread CJ! We've been much more careful planning our garden this year and are planting things that we know we use lots of and are more expensive to buy at the store. We are hoping that our cherry trees do well this year along with our lettuce since we plan on selling them again as a cash crop to help pay for our gas for several trips to Montana this year. I'm trying to use the little car whenever I can for errands when it is just the boys and I and I don't have all the musical instruments to haul (they will not fit in the little car). We do plan on canning, freezing and dehydrating more of our surplus produce this year.

**SusieJD** · 05-13-2004, 11:32 AM

Yes, I do need to! I'm doing my list of how we could cut corners more around here. I'm planning my veggie garden and doing some canning this harvest.

Since we won't be able to afford the new gas heating stove I'd hoped for, we'll be cutting all the dead fall in the woods to help with the heating costs next winter.

Susie in MN

**Kindred-Spirit** · 05-13-2004, 12:04 PM

GREAT thread CJ!

I am debating, lol about buying the whisper mill. I really WANT it, but don't need it.........do I? Its 200 dollars.

We are getting ready in about 1 1/2 weeks to plant our garden.
It seems like some vegges don't grow well in a year. We dry to can enough for 2-3 years when we have a good crop. Our cukes did horrible last year, thankfully our planning we had enough pickles for this past year.

Having books that list HOW to do something is important to have on hand. I am one of those who believe that we could have a terrorist act, no electric. So we may not have a web to search out answers. I know we do have the resourses to help us get thorugh anything.

SKILLS are important, we need to all learn new skills.

**homesteadmamma** · 05-13-2004, 12:51 PM

Kindred, you won't regret purchasing a Whisper Mill. First off, the incredible health gain by using freshly ground wheat for your baking is amazing. Anything you read on it tells you how much healthier it is for your body.

When I looked into purchasing a grain mill, I wanted a hand crank one. The cost though was higher than the Whisper Mill and dh said no because of suffering from fibromyalgia. I'm so glad that we got the Whisper mill. We have a generator, so if our electricity went out for any length of time, we could use it so the whisper mill works.

As to being self-sufficient, dh and I are looking at every area in our lives to see how much more self-sufficient we can be. Its amazing the little amount of money one can live on when you do most of your own things. There are still areas where I wish we could do more, like grow our own meat. We can't because of living in a small town, but dh and the kids will be doing way more fishing this spring and he'll be hunting come fall.

Were looking at our garden and like Debbie, I want to plant veggies that cost more in the store. Carrots are great to eat right out of the garden, BUT they are also usually quite cheap at the grocery store. Potatoes on the other hand are at a ridiculous price most of the season, as are tomatoes. So we plan on planting more of those. I also want to plant more Swiss chard. It freezes well and continues to grow after each cut and long into the fall. One of the best vitamin C sources and one of the most economical veggies to grow.

Were looking at more ways to save on electricity and heat. And ways on saving water. Right now we have 2 barrels outside full of water from the snow.

Keep posting ladies, this is great there are so many looking at becoming more self-sufficient.

**simplemom** · 05-13-2004, 02:49 PM

CJ, what do you cook with your swiss chard?

I will be making a small garden, but we were thinking of making a second garden and bigger (not huge) but I am so out of shape and feel so often tired with everything I do, that I am wondering if I should make a bigger one....Pierre is even willing to help me....I'm just afriad that my garden will become full of weeds by mid summer....

I am thinking of buying a smaller fridge...since we do have a small/medium size freezer...at Canadian Tire, there is a small fridge, costing 250$ I think and it uses ONLY 30$ of electricity a year! Yes, Yes, you heard right!

I know that fridges takes alot of electricity....

I also read of closing the water heater at night right after the last shower and open it at 5 am for those who shower in the morning and closing it again after everyone has used the hot water and then open it at 6 pm, an hour before Patrick's bath....I read somewhere that this lady saved at least $25 a month on the electric bill.

I'm also planing to make crafts to sell at the *Marché au Puces* near our home, at the end of the summer and autumn...

**Jeanna** · 05-13-2004, 03:30 PM

I definately need to get back to making us more self sufficant. We have a good size garden started and are planting more all along. Since we moved I am without my herb garden but have plans for it this weekend. The main thing we have got to figure out is heating for next winter. The house we live in was built in 1927 and is very poorly insulated. This past winter it was running us almost $500 a month, that's right a month to stay somewhat warm. We do have a fireplace in the diningroom and a place for a stove in the living room. My husband was very weary of using them because of the age of the house. I am going to try to get him to get someone out to reline it and inspect it so that we will be able to use it this winter.
I also need to get my stockpile built up before prices go any higher.
We do have chickens so eggs should be in by fall. We also raise a beef cow every year so that helps. When we get goats and they are bred then I am planning on milking them.
But even with all that we still rely on the consumer world too much.

**guest2** · 05-13-2004, 03:44 PM

I was blessed to find an older model Whisper Mill at a garage sale for $7!!!! It is missing one part but we have found a way to improvise and it works fine. I'm just starting to learn how to grind grain in it. I've got a bunch of popcorn I want to grind into cornmeal and make into bread.

One of the things I have told hubby I would love to be able to afford is a battery back up pack for our pellet stove. When the power goes out, we have no heat since the blower to the stove is electric. I'm just praying that God iwll make a way for us to do that. Right now finances are stretched to the limit. With the rise in gas prices and food prices it's all we can do to afford to go anywhere and feed this family. Since we have to drive to Physical Therapy, our writing class, band practices, to go shopping, multiple doctor's appointments and a 3 hour round trip to church each weekend in our gas guzzling van, our budget has taken a huge hit. I need to cut costs anyway that I can at this point.

**homesteadmamma** · 05-13-2004, 04:50 PM

Lucie, Swiss chard can be boiled and then a little dab of butter, salt and pepper - yummie. BUT I also use it to make vegetarian lasagna. I just place it between the lasagna noodles, pour the sauce over it and layer another layer of noodles. It makes the absolute best vegetarian lasagna.

http://www.nikibone.com/recipe/sides/swisschard.html

http://www.spiralpathfarm.com/swisschard.htm

http://www.melissas.com/recipes/inde...Recipe_ID=1120

Jeanna, I know what you mean about no insulation. Our home is over 100 years old and we had absolutely NO insulation in it. First we insulated the upstairs bedrooms. We cut our heat bill in half that winter. Last year we insulated our large living room & part kitchen, cutting our heating bill once again. Then this past fall, we finished insulating our kitchen and our heating bills were once again cut in half. We only have our m/bedroom left to insulate. It made a huge difference.

Lucie, as to a large garden. You know me, baby steps. Making a huge garden can be overwhelming and if your not feeling up to it, weeds will overtake you before you know it. When I first started gardening, I started with a small plot with tomatoes. From there we added a couple rows each year. Last year, I didn't even have a garden because there were just so many things going on in my life. This year I feel comfortable having a larger one. Go slowly. There are always farmer's markets where you can get fresh veggies during the summer. Also, most stores have lower prices in the summer on veggies because so many people garden. Do what you feel comfortable with.

Since I posted this our gas is now 91.5¢ a litre. We now have to look even more at where we purchase our groceries. I'm going to need to sit down and see if I'm saving by going into the city. That is just under $4 per gallon.

**simplemom** · 05-13-2004, 06:46 PM

Thank-you CJ for the recipes for swiss chard.

I am definately going to plant some in my garden. It sounds like a good vegtable to eat!

Yes, you're right about baby steps...I better listen to my instinct that is telling me to have a smaller garden...next year will be better, I'm sure...

**forestdale** · 05-13-2004, 07:15 PM

Hello homesteaders,

I'm at our store so this will be fast.

Heather, how is your baby horse coming along. Any names yet?
Lucie, swiss chard is a favourite of mine too. It's so easy to grow and can be used in any recipe where you would use spinach - there are lots of recipes for spinach and feta pie on the internet. Howver, using it in vegetable lasagne is a great way of eating it. It's full of iron and other goodies.

Okay, I'm going to do my dusting now.

OOPHS!! wrong thread, sorry.

**QuilterMom** · 05-15-2004, 12:45 PM

We want to have a vegetable garden since we eat organics the prices on those are outrageous. I have never done that before though! I checked out a lot of books at the library yesterday and really like what I have read about raised bed gardening. I just need to get dh to take the time to get the lumber and build the beds and help me! (We've not even been here a week and I've got grand plans - LOL!). We'd also like to have fruit trees and maybe some other things.

I want to keep our electric bill down (especially since we're in debt way past our eyeballs now!) so I'll be using my Nesco more, my Vitamix, and we'll be using our propane grill. We have to buy a new one though - when dh started to move ours the other day he discovered it was just about to fall apart. Gotta love how the salt air here destroys everything so quickly.

We will also be putting up clotheslines. I'll still have to use the dryer to just run the clothes through quickly on low heat for a couple of minutes to get dog fur off of them (everything we have is covered in dog fur LOL) and then it'll be hung outside to dry.

I'll also be thinking out my errand trips more now and combining them even more than before since we're further away now from the main stores we shop.

One plus to the move was that dh can now have his work vehicle at home and drive it back and forth to work so we'll be saving on gas in his vehicle.