Methods of self-sufficiency are all around us – you just have to look and embrace them to use them!

Here are five easy ways that you probably are already doing to one extent or another.

Plant windowsill herbs

The first thing I recommend when anyone wants to save money or be more self-sufficient is to grow herbs – it is SO simple! Planting herbs is a total gateway drug…ha.

Find a few containers around your house, or buy some cheap ones from the thrift store or dollar store. Fill them with soil and either plant some seeds or herbs that have already sprouted. Well-maintained herb plants can last a while! And what is better than using fresh herbs?

Cook your meals from scratch

It seems our modern approach at living doesn’t include the art of homemade food.

However, the best way to avoid constantly going to the grocery store, eating fast food, and relying on other prepared meals is to learn to cook from scratch. It can be as easy as using those fresh herbs to season some oven-baked chicken breasts and steamed broccoli. Mixing together a few ingredients to create the same pancakes that come from a box only takes a few additional minutes! Homemade food doesn’t have to be complex or fancy.

Reuse and re-purpose

A large part of being self-sufficient is avoiding consumerism, making do with what you have, and reusing or re-purposing items. From using containers you already have to plant herbs like mentioned above, to saving used coffee grounds to use as fertilizer in your garden, to re-purposing pieces of wood or furniture for other projects…there are tons of ways to reuse and re-purpose common household items!

Stock your pantry with basic ingredients

When you look in my fridge pantry, you might think, “Wow, there is nothing to eat!” (My husband often does this…love him anyway.) That’s because my pantry is mostly stocked with ingredients to turn into meals – it’s not stocked with boxed meals or frozen meals.

I have to admit that this might take a little getting used to. Now, when I look in my pantry I see a world of possibilities. Some key items I keep in my pantry, fridge and freezer are: Flour, honey, frozen vegetables (like green beans, peas, and broccoli), tomato paste, quinoa, rice, chickpeas, butter, sesame oil, spices, yeast, etc. Keeping these basic ingredients on hand basically insures you can always make something for dinner.

Grow vegetables

You definitely don’t need a big, luscious plot of land to grow a garden. Utilize what lawn you do have. And if you don’t have a lawn, make do with some potted plants right on your porch! If you really don’t have any space outside to grow some vegetables, you can absolutely plant some indoors.

Moving in the direction of self-sufficiency requires an effort; you have to look for ways to make yourself less dependent on others or other organizations and embrace them in ways big and small!

Luckily, you can start small and work your way up! The more you do, the more you will be comfortable tackling larger projects that make you more self-sufficient.

To learn more about how to become self-sufficient, check out The Crunchy Chronicles.