Breaking Free: 5 Ways to Become More Self-Sufficient

When the recession hit a few years ago, people everywhere started to think about whether or not they could actually survive in the midst of a crisis. Would you be able to feed your family if you didn’t have easy access to a grocery store? Do you know how to defend yourself in a dangerous situation? Here are four ways to become more self sufficient, so that you can be prepared for anything life throws at you:

Give Gardening A Try If the worst were to happen, you might wish you would have asked your neighbor how they grew all of those squash plants. Gardening is an incredible way to get outside, enjoy the sunlight, and save money. In fact, while the average gardener only invests about $70 per year into the hobby, they harvest around $600 worth of food—almost ten times the original investment. If you are a beginning gardener, start by planting a few things instead of filling your entire yard with new plants. As you develop your talent, you can build variety.

Make the Shift to Sustainable Energy These days, sustainable energy is all the rage. In addition to reducing your carbon footprint, sustainable energy sources like solar panels and small-scale windmills can reduce your dependency on the power company. By making an initial investment, you can rest assured that you would have access to power—no matter what happens with energy prices.

Get A Gun And Learn How To Use It
For the most part, Americans enjoy life in a peaceful society, but that wasn’t always the case. In the Wild West, landowners found themselves protecting their property and their family with a weapon, which should teach us all a lesson. If you want to be able to do the same thing, you should get a gun and learn how to use it. Invest in a low caliber rifle, and take some shooting classes. Having a gun can also enable you to hunt, a skill which might just save your life one day. Hunting can be an expensive hobby to pick up, but with Gander Mountain discounts and coupons you can save on the essentials you'll need to get started. Make sure you have all the licenses needed in your region before you start hunting and consider taking a few hunter safety courses before heading out into the woods.

Build Your Library
These days, people have access to loads of information with the swipe of a cell phone or the click of a mouse. But what would you do if you didn’t have Internet access? To become more self sufficient, build your library by investing in a few books . Consider bolstering your preparedness plan by buying books about survival tactics, organic gardening, and medical care. If your family ever has to go off the grid, you might have easy access to accurate, proven information.

Although your family and friends might tease you about your newfound skills, being self sufficient is a great way to help other people during emergency situations. By getting out there and trying to make it on your own, you might be able to protect your friends and family—no matter what happens.