The Bounty of Self Sustained living

Look at the eggs! Fresh laid this morning, great big'uns! There is no grocery store on earth that has eggs this fresh. Just one of the perks of the lifestyle.

We often will eat a dozen eggs for breakfast along with sausage or bacon, fresh bread with fresh home made butter or jam. Making breakfast often takes longer than tending all the livestock on the farm and collecting the eggs does. This part of living self sustained isn't that tough.

For supper today, it will be a mixture of what's left from the cow butcher and fresh from the garden items. Some new potatoes, onion, garlic, various fresh cut herbs, tomato, green and red peppers. The meal consists of food I grew right here. No cost to me other than my time. The true definition of a free meal as in absolutely no monetary cost.

I often try to explain to the people I talk to how much money they can save by growing their own food. How small spaces can produce more than enough food for their families. I often get the reply of " I don't have the time to garden". Of course you do! Tun off the TV and you've got plenty of time. You can do this, you can eat good, healthy, chemical free and cost free food.

Even in a suburban backyard, fresh eggs are something you can have. Hens are quiet, roosters are noisy. You do not need a rooster to have fresh eggs. A few hens and you have fresh eggs every day. Of course, living in a suburban area would eliminate your opportunity to have fresh sausage, I don't think you neighbors would go for a hog in the back yard! They are kind of smelly! But, you aren't defeated, rabbits are quiet and easy to handle. They produce wonderful high protein, low fat meat quickly and make a wonderful meal.

Think about the vegetables you buy from the store. Canned or fresh, doesn't matter because you can grow all of it for yourself. If you need it canned, you can easily do that for yourself in your own kitchen. Jams, jellies, fruit cocktails, corn, mixed veges, whatever you purchase and consume. How much garlic and onion do you buy thru the year? Both are easily grown, even in containers and keep well in storage.

Once you get growing food for yourself, you can put the money you would normally spend on groceries into a jar or some other form of savings and use that money to get out of debt. Don't use the money to eat out or buy a bigger TV, get completely out of debt. No credit card bills, no mortgage, no car payment.... once you get there you'll start feeling truly free. Then we'll start working on getting off the grid and really start the money savings!