What can an individual do to make themselves self-sufficient?

Question

And less reliant on money?

Answer 1

You can start by growing and raising a portion of your own food.   Plant a garden, raise chickens, and maybe a cow or pig if you have the land for it.   Of course the tradeoff is that you spend less money, but it consumes free time ... so nothing is ever really free ... there is a cost to eating cheaply ... the cost is just not money it's time.

Barter.  If you have skills or a trade ... like you're a mechanic or can sew, you can trade working on someone's car or repairing their clothes for other goods and services.

That's just two suggestions.

Answer 2

I am striving for a more sustainable life, that means I'm trying to take less from the earth and pollute less. Almost all of my efforts have saved me money.

I buy my most of my food from local farms and ranches. I grow a few items and in the process of using a large portion of my yard to grow more. I am using a method called squarefoot gardening, it allows you to grow more food crops in a smaller easy to manage area.

I have been eliminating debt. I don't have credit card debt, my Prius is paid for and we will be paying off our other hybrid. We plan on staying in our house forever and have less than 8 years to pay it off. I'm installing solar panels, we will be getting a second system in a few years to eliminate our electric bill. I'm installing a rain capture system for irregation, this will reduce the amount of water I have to buy from the city.

I have switched to non toxic cleaners. I use vinegar, baking soda and natural soap for almost all cleaning. I'm working on trying a few other recipies for the few things that need a little more cleaning power. I haven't used my clothes dryer in months.

I buy less and plan to use items untill they no longer work instead of replacing with the latest technology. All of these changes are easy and you don't have to move out into the woods to have an impact.

Answer 3

Get rid of all your debt. That's the most important thing. If you're in debt, concentrate on paying it all off and don't accumulate any more. Live within your means and buy things outright rather than use credit. Debt has a tendency to really limit people's choices in life. When you are in debt, you are forced to make money to pay it off, and you become overly dependent on an income of a certain size so that you can take care of those bills. If you default on loans or credit lines, it can really ruin you in the future.

Try to live simply and save money wherever you can ... get a roommate to share housing costs with, use public transportation instead of owning or leasing a vehicle (and having to pay insurance for it), and really think about and identify what makes you happy and spend your money only on that, and not on a bunch of material possessions that won't fulfill you. Too many times, people get themselves into hot water financially because they overspend on things they don't really need or want.