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The Value of Self-Sufficiency
March is MOO Month, but why bother MOOing when you can buy everything you need as soon as you need it?
If the last four years have taught us anything, it's that we can't buy everything we need when we need it.
Supermarket shelves emptied in a matter of hours every time a lockdown was declared. Then there were border closures, restricting imports, even vital imports such as medicines. There were blockades where shipping containers full of produce and goods destined for supermarkets and department stores were stuck at sea for months.
And those who didn't have a full pantry and a stockpile, who hadn't thought and planned ahead for clothing and shoes, household needs, even garden needs, discovered that relying on stores to supply even their most basic of needs was not reliable.
At the same time, there were thousands of Australians who went on living their lives, not going without their needs, because they planned ahead and practiced self-sufficiency.
They had a full pantry. They had clothes for their children for at least the next couple of seasons. They had seeds to grow food. And they had skills so that they could MOO things they needed.
Nothing much has changed. Right now there are shortages in supermarkets, even basic needs like milk and cheese, and I noticed this week at both Coles and Wooloworths that toilet paper stocks are down, so knowing how to MOO something means not going without.
If the last four years have taught us anything, it's that we can't buy everything we need when we need it.
Supermarket shelves emptied in a matter of hours every time a lockdown was declared. Then there were border closures, restricting imports, even vital imports such as medicines. There were blockades where shipping containers full of produce and goods destined for supermarkets and department stores were stuck at sea for months.
And those who didn't have a full pantry and a stockpile, who hadn't thought and planned ahead for clothing and shoes, household needs, even garden needs, discovered that relying on stores to supply even their most basic of needs was not reliable.
At the same time, there were thousands of Australians who went on living their lives, not going without their needs, because they planned ahead and practiced self-sufficiency.
They had a full pantry. They had clothes for their children for at least the next couple of seasons. They had seeds to grow food. And they had skills so that they could MOO things they needed.
Nothing much has changed. Right now there are shortages in supermarkets, even basic needs like milk and cheese, and I noticed this week at both Coles and Wooloworths that toilet paper stocks are down, so knowing how to MOO something means not going without.
I started my journey to self-sufficiency by making Cheapskates Washing Powder. Then I moved onto MOOing brown sugar.
The next major step towards self-sufficiency was learning to grow what we eat. That's an ongoing; every season I gain another skill: seed saving, making compost, pruning, when to plant, how much water is needed. Each skill improves our garden, and gives us a little more food security and self-sufficiency.
And each skill keeps a little more money in our bank account. The less we have to buy, the cheaper it is to live.
Being self-sufficient saves money but more than that, it builds an appreciation of the effort required to have what we need because self-sufficiency takes effort and work.
It takes work to grow our food although the return on the effort is priceless. Good food, truly fresh and organic, can't be bought at a supermarket. Freshly made pasta isn't only cheap, but it is fresh, and cheaper and tastier than any you can buy. And it's a simple MOO.
The next major step towards self-sufficiency was learning to grow what we eat. That's an ongoing; every season I gain another skill: seed saving, making compost, pruning, when to plant, how much water is needed. Each skill improves our garden, and gives us a little more food security and self-sufficiency.
And each skill keeps a little more money in our bank account. The less we have to buy, the cheaper it is to live.
Being self-sufficient saves money but more than that, it builds an appreciation of the effort required to have what we need because self-sufficiency takes effort and work.
It takes work to grow our food although the return on the effort is priceless. Good food, truly fresh and organic, can't be bought at a supermarket. Freshly made pasta isn't only cheap, but it is fresh, and cheaper and tastier than any you can buy. And it's a simple MOO.
The cost saving when we MOO what we need is considerable.
MOO taco seasoning costs 33 cents per 45g or 73 cents per 100g or $7.30 per kilo ; bought taco seasoning costs $3 per 30g (yes, the packets have suffered from shrinkflation) or $10 per 100g or $100 per kilo (and yes you read that right, $100 per kilo!). For under five minutes of hands on time, you can keep at least $2.67 in your budget and enjoy delicious, flavourful tacos.
A 700g loaf of bread costs $1.70 to make. The same size loaf at the supermarket costs $3.90 - $5.60. Making bread is easy, and a good skill to have. It also means that you are a little more self-sufficient and a little less reliant on supermarkets or bakeries. There's nothing like freshly baked bread, especially when it keeps at least $2.20 in your budget.
You may well be thinking that's OK, the savings are great, but how long does it take to MOO all these things? To learn all these skills?
No longer than it takes for you to drive to the shops, drive up and down looking for a parking spot, wander around, stand in line at the checkout, drive home, unpack it all and get it put away. In fact often it takes a lot less time and saves a lot of stress and frustration.
A batch of washing powder takes less than five minutes to MOO.
A batch of Miracle Spray takes less than five minutes to MOO.
A batch of taco seasoning takes less than five minutes to MOO.
A batch of 50:50 cordial takes less than 10 minutes to MOO.
A batch of brown sugar takes less than two minutes hands on time to MOO.
A batch of potato salad takes less than five minutes hands on time to MOO.
If you think you don't have time to be self-sufficient, think about how you spend your time.
We all have the same 24 hours in a day, it's how we use them that makes the difference.
How much time do you spend on social media? Watching YouTube videos? Watching TV? Playing games? More than 32 minutes? Because you can MOO everything in the list above in just 32 minutes!
Now do you have time to MOO?
MOO taco seasoning costs 33 cents per 45g or 73 cents per 100g or $7.30 per kilo ; bought taco seasoning costs $3 per 30g (yes, the packets have suffered from shrinkflation) or $10 per 100g or $100 per kilo (and yes you read that right, $100 per kilo!). For under five minutes of hands on time, you can keep at least $2.67 in your budget and enjoy delicious, flavourful tacos.
A 700g loaf of bread costs $1.70 to make. The same size loaf at the supermarket costs $3.90 - $5.60. Making bread is easy, and a good skill to have. It also means that you are a little more self-sufficient and a little less reliant on supermarkets or bakeries. There's nothing like freshly baked bread, especially when it keeps at least $2.20 in your budget.
You may well be thinking that's OK, the savings are great, but how long does it take to MOO all these things? To learn all these skills?
No longer than it takes for you to drive to the shops, drive up and down looking for a parking spot, wander around, stand in line at the checkout, drive home, unpack it all and get it put away. In fact often it takes a lot less time and saves a lot of stress and frustration.
A batch of washing powder takes less than five minutes to MOO.
A batch of Miracle Spray takes less than five minutes to MOO.
A batch of taco seasoning takes less than five minutes to MOO.
A batch of 50:50 cordial takes less than 10 minutes to MOO.
A batch of brown sugar takes less than two minutes hands on time to MOO.
A batch of potato salad takes less than five minutes hands on time to MOO.
If you think you don't have time to be self-sufficient, think about how you spend your time.
We all have the same 24 hours in a day, it's how we use them that makes the difference.
How much time do you spend on social media? Watching YouTube videos? Watching TV? Playing games? More than 32 minutes? Because you can MOO everything in the list above in just 32 minutes!
Now do you have time to MOO?
We all have choices to make. Buy the wedges or MOO them. Grow some salad veg or rely on the greengrocer to have what we need at a price we can afford. Learn to knit and sew or buy new clothes.
Self-sufficiency gives us more choice in what we eat, what we use, where we go. It gives us freedom, and that is the true value of being self-sufficient.
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