My Self Sufficiency Journey

As the summer comes to a close, I’m taking this time to reflect on all the changes my family and I have gone through over the last year, and, more specifically, our journey to being more self-sufficient. I find that this time of the year is the best for reflection (even more than the New Year), because it is when we ground ourselves and prepare for winter. September means it’s time to wash the layers of carefree summer salt, sand, and dirt from my skin and get ready for the next chapter of the year - so join me in my journey and maybe take a moment to reflect on your goals and plans for this coming winter.

It Takes A Village

Self sufficiency is not the same as self reliance - I’m a firm believer in the “it takes a village” philosophy and I would not be where I am without my community. My village is diverse. It’s made up of people that are of a similar mindset to me and some that think completely differently. Having these differing opinions and input on situations has been an important factor in my life - now more than ever. I have grown from these experiences and raised independent children by offering them the diversity that comes from conversing with people that feeling strongly in their choices.

What Is Self Sufficiency?

Self sufficiency comes from a desire to rely less on the day to day conveniences our society has become dependent on, and more on the things you have direct control over. Here are some examples of areas I have chosen to become self sufficient in that have brought me and family a new type of convenience in the sense that we are no longer reliant on others to bring us joy and comfort.

1) Fixing / Repurposing

Before buying new I’ve started to ask myself ‘Can I fix or repurpose something I already have?’ This is especially relevant to clothing and is something I grew up doing. In fact, I quickly became the family seamstress after my mother had a bad run in with the sewing machine needle (to this day she refuses to sew anything)! Growing up travelling on a sailboat in a family of four kids meant we either didn't have the means to buy new or didn't have access to what we needed. We bartered, traded and worked for what we needed. This skill was lost through a short period of my life and has now returned since choosing a slower life. Passing this tradition of upcycling on to my girls has been an incredible process and it makes me so happy to see my girls take on sewing and DIY projects and let their imaginations run wild!

2) Making my own Snacks & Specialty Foods

Since choosing to eat more sustainably with no meat or dairy (I still eat fish and eggs), I’ve gone through a big learning curve where I taught myself how to make our own bread, oat milk, granola bars (I add in the Cocoa & Shea Butter as a binder!), veggie burgers and more in order to lower my plastic usage and my grocery bill! Often going vegetarian or vegan comes with environmental and heath issues due to the amount of processing and packaging involved. It is frustrating that making a healthier switch can actually end up being a worse choice if you rely on packaged, convenient products, so I challenge you to start finding the time to make your own when possible.

3) Join Your Local ‘Buy Nothing Group!’

This is where the community comes in! There are a whole lot of other people looking to share what they have to save you time and money, as well as saving the planet from excess stuff. I recently opened up a physical pop-up store and needed to furnish it with display cases and other shelving, so I took to my Buy Nothing Group and FB Marketplace. Not only did I meet some amazing people along the way, but I was also able to fill the space at a minimal cost. We are a fortunate community on the North Shore in that we have a Repurposing store (called Urban Repurpose in North Vancouver) which carries a whole selection of previously loved items that have been salvaged for a new life. I always make it my first stop before heading to a Home Depot or Canadian Tire for basic items. I'm no longer a fan of big department stores, I don't get dazzled by marketing schemes and bright lights, I'm not big on the latest trends and prefer timeless quality... I look at these as blessings and feel a sense of freedom for me and my family for not needing to fill our joy bucket with stuff.

4) Growing Food!

This is probably the one thing that you can try in your own home, right now! No need to go to the garden store, no need to buy big fancy grow lights or containers and dirt, just use what you have! I prefer to buy organic fruits and veggies and when I do I treat the seeds like gold (and literally as valuable during the start of COVID times as seeds were a hot commodity)! Sprouting is a great way to start and can be done using last season’s dried peas and kale seeds (more on sprouting to come in the Fall!). Choose butter lettuce with roots in the grocery store and plant it after you use the outer leaves, and save those pepper and apple seeds. Try your hat at some window sill gardening - even if you don't get to eat the results you will learn something and springtime gardening will be an exciting time for you and your family!

5) Buying Bulk and Making my Own Products

This has been the biggest blessing - I've made everything from my own soap, toothpaste and deodorant to bath bombs and body lotion, all with ingredients I sell at Bare Refillery. Not only is this a cost effective option, but it also allows you to cut out the extra ingredients that can cause serious harm to your system! Here is a quick recipe to create your own body lotion:

• 1 part cocao butter

• 1 part coconut oil

• 2 parts shea butter

Melt together and cool for 30 minutes, then beat on high with a mixer until light & fluffy! Add your favourite essential oils just prior to mixing to customize your lotion.

The journey to self sufficiency will be different for each of you, just like our goals and ambitions for life will differ. But one thing that being self sufficient will give each of us is a sense of pride in knowing we have what it takes to get by and thrive in a world that is ever changing. Have a hot tip from your own self sufficiency journey? Feel free to drop a comment below!