The Beginner’s Guide to Self-Reliance
Being able to provide the basic necessities of life for yourself and your family will give you great peace of mind.
And becoming more self-reliant means that you are less at the mercy of others.
You can make lifestyle changes that will help you be less reliant on others and less dependent grocery stores to increase your self-reliance.
What is Self-Reliance?
Self reliance is having the ability to do things for yourself and not having to rely on others.
It means being able to depend on yourself to provide your family’s basic needs.
It is essential not to have to rely on outside sources for your survival.
Anyone can begin to take the steps necessary to becoming more self reliant.
You don’t need to own any land or own a large home.
Even if you are living in a small apartment, you too can learn new skills that will help you be more self-reliant.
How You Can Start Being More Self-Reliant
You can start being more self-reliant by learning new skills that will help you do more things for yourself.
Here are some of the things you can learn to do to start being more self-reliant.
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Grow Your Own Food
If you start to grow just one thing that you eat, it will help you to be less reliant on the grocery store.
You don’t have to own any land to grow your own food.
You can use indoor garden kits or start your own indoor garden.
Without having any gardening skills you can grow things like:
- peppers
- tomatoes
- salad greens
- herbs
Indoor gardening will allow you to grow your own food all year round from anywhere you live.
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Learn How To Preserve Your Own Food
By learning how to preserve your own food you will be able to store food for a longer time and will be able to have a well stocked pantry.
Some ways you can preserve food are by:
- freeze drying – you can preserve food at home for up to 25 years with an at home freeze dryer
- dehydrating – food dehydrators use heat to remove moisture and extend shelf-life
- canning – this process kills bacteria and seals food in air-tight containers
- freezing – this method uses colder temperatures to help prevent bacteria from growing in your food
Build A Long Term Food Storage
Having your own home supply of well preserved food and water is essential.
Once you have a well stocked pantry you will not have to depend on grocery stores for your survival.
Be Prepared For Emergencies
You need to be prepared for when emergencies happen.
Being ready for events such as:
- power outages
- natural disasters
- pandemics
will make sure that you can take care of your family without outside help.
Learn How To Make Meals From The Food You Grow and Your Home Food Storage
Some things to learn are:
- cooking with freeze dried ingredients
- making meals with dehydrated foods
- grinding wheat to make your own flour
Learning how to make meals from your home food storage will keep you prepared.
Tips For Increasing Your Self-Reliance
- Start by making small changes. Starting small will prevent the overwhelm of trying make big changes all at once.
- Make a list of things you want grow that your family eats. Then start growing what you can.
- Never stop learning. There is always be something new to learn to help you on your journey to self reliance.
Common Questions About Self-Reliant Living
What are some examples of self-reliance?
One example of self-reliance is relying on yourself to provide basic necessities of life.
One way of doing this is by having your own supply of food.
You can grow and preserve your own food for long term storage to be less reliant on grocery stores.
Other examples of being self reliant are being able to cook your own meals and by making some of the products that you use.
Being able to take care of yourself in an emergency situation and not having to rely on anyone else for help is another example.
How can I teach myself self-reliance?
You can teach yourself self-reliance by learning:
- how to grow vegetables, fruits, and herbs
- the best ways to preserve your fresh produce
Read as much as you can about gardening and the best food preservation methods. Then try growing some of the foods you eat. And preserving any extra you have.
How do I become more self-reliant?
You can become more self reliant by learning as much as you can that will help you be less dependent on outside resources and people.
Growing your own food is one of the best things you can do to become more self reliant.
Final Thoughts On Being More Self-Reliant
No matter where you live, there are steps you can take to start living a more independent life.
Even if you live in a small apartment, you can start by growing some of your own food indoors and learning to make meals from what you grow.