Tuco's journey from "total-reliance" to "self-sufficient"

[Tuco]

1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like?
Omaha Nebraska
2. How many people are in your family? Marital status?
Just me and my son, but he lives with his mom in Lincoln NE
3. How would you define self sufficiency?
Providing for all your needs with no external help. All done by your own labor and skills. I, however, believe that probably no one can be completely self sufficient, can you? There's always someone you have to pay for something, or there's some sort of chore that you just can't do yourself. I'm just hoping to be MOSTLY self sufficient.
4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed?
Write music. Build custom vintage bicycles. Ride motorcycles. Create art. I'm really into learning as well.
5. Have you ever built a house , or other types of building? Do you want to?
I built a coffin once.
6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet?
I wish!!! that is one thing I would really really really like to know how to do!
7. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient?
I suppose it was when I was watching Doomsday Preppers, and I saw the episode with Rick Austin (author of Secret Garden Of Survival). It was my first exposure to permaculture and self sustainability. His setup blew my mind, so I started researching more and more and more...and now I'm totally hooked. Also, this came soon after I had to close up my business (antique store) because it was just getting me into a lot of debt...so, the idea of providing much of my needs myself sounded really appealing to me.
8 Cloth or paper?
?
9. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more?
At the moment, I am probably the opposite of self-sufficient. Broke, jobless, sleeping on my brothers couch... That's part of why I decided to write this journal. If all works out well, it should document my journey from "total reliance" to "self sufficient". I guess there are ways that I am self sufficient at the moment. I am educating myself on the subject of "self-sufficiency" and all things related. I am already quite resourceful and knowledgable on how to get things cheap/free. I do buy and sell stuff to earn money (like I said in an earlier question, I recently had my own antique store) And to answer the second part of the question...I really want to learn all there is to know, giving me the ability to weigh my options and decide what methods are going to work best for me.
10. In what way(s) will you never choose to become self sufficient?
I can't think of anything at the moment that I'm not willing to do
11. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs?
Yes. I'm not so much of a "prepper", but I do like the idea of being prepared. One example comes to mind...I went to an estate sale...they had about 10 unopened boxes of garbage bags (mostly lawn) for $1 each...so I bought them all.
12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world?
Hmmm, that's me most of the time. I'm a thinker. I'm often lost in deep thought. Most of the time I HAVE to watch TV or something just to turn off the mind for a while.
13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi?
I used to be a truck driver, so I can drive a semi like no one's business. I've never driven a tractor, but I'm sure I could figure it out. I haven't found anything I can't drive yet.
14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these?
I sometimes build things when I need them. I like creating art. I'm not into crafts like "Home Sweet Home" signs and such.
15. Can you have legally livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds?
Dunno. No. and N/A. I need to find out the regulations, however, because I plan on becoming an urban homesteader within the city. I'd like to have chickens and/or ducks, rabbits, catfish and bees. I'm not sure if anything else would be practical on a small plot in the city. I have no desire to raise larger animals.
16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood?
I did in high school, but that was many moons ago.
17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing?
Yes, but I haven't done it in years. I've been reasearching it quite a bit though and I know I can have a quite successful garden/food forrest.
18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives?
Not as much as I'd like. Bait and lures.
19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country?
0. I plan to purchase about a half acre in the city
20. Are you a Novice, Technician, General, Advanced? ARRL?
Nope. I'm guessing that I'm not an ARRL, because I have no idea what that is.
21. What is your self sufficient specialty? Or what one would you like to learn?
I guess providing my own income is what I know the most about, but providing my own food and energy are some things I've been researching.
22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take?
23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet?
I've never done any professional construction work...but I can build stuff all right. I've build lots of stuff with wood. I'm a very "logical" person, so, if I don't already know it, I can figure it out.
24. Are you interested in herbal medicine?
I am a very firm believer in natural healing. Have you ever heard of the Gerson Therapy? It's a natural cure for cancer (and most other diseases) It has much higher healing rates than chemo. Chemo kills more people than it cures. The Gerson Therapy basically is: reducing the amount of toxins you take into your body, breaking up and flushing out the toxins already in the body, and compensating for any difficiencies your body has. It strengthens your immune system allowing your body to do what it was designed to do.
25. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be?
I love the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. More specifically, the Keweenaw Peninsula of the U.P.
26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking?
No, but I plan to.
27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be?
28. Are your family or friends also interested in self sufficiency?
Not so much
29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs?
I don't really like to cook...but I'll do it. I'm very interested in whole/natural foods, but I have to admit, I basically eat a typical city-folk diet (not much fast food though). McDonald's meat isn't even real. Most everything from the store is genetically modified, or sprayed with chemicals, or raised with hormones. That's a big reason why I'd like to raise my own food.
30. What was your MOS?
31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs?
Nope. I've never been hunting, but I'd love to. I pick berries when I'm visiting my mom in Michigan. I'd rather raise my own food than have to search for it.
32. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient?
Pretty much what I said in question #9
33. In which fictional universe would you most like to live?
34. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy?
I definately plan to use solar panels and, perhaps passive solar techniques as well. I may build my own panels. I'll probably also have a windmill to generate energy.
35 What is the mass/weight ratio of a European swallow carrying a coconut from the tropics to England?
Are you suggesting that coconut migrate?
36. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to?
I would love to be 100% off the grid
37. In what do you trust?
38. Do you make things yourself to save money?
Yes
39. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending?
Yes, immensly

 

[Denim Deb]

Looking forward to reading about your adventures.

While you don't want large animals, some small goats (if permitted) can be doable in an urban setting. They can provide you w/milk and meat as well as eat weeds and provide fertilizer for your garden.

 

[sumi]

Subscribed

 

[Tuco]

To save myself a lot of typing, I'm cutting and pasting much of this introduction from my post in the “New Sufficient Self Member Introductions” section...but, I'm editing it to include much more information.

Hello, I'd just like to introduce myself. I'm Tuco from Omaha Nebraska. I'm pretty new to the whole “self-sufficiency/self sustainable” concept and way of life. Obviously I've known about alternative energy (solar, wind, etc), but I never really thought about it much. I'm a city boy and I'd never owned a home of my own, so, creating my own energy (and growing/raising my own food) was something that I never thought about. I'd never done much gardening besides growing a couple tomato plants in the back yard. Then, when watching TV, I discovered what I later found out was called permaculture. I was intrigued! I started researching it, which led me to many other related subjects; hugelkultur, rainwater collection, gray water systems, companion planting, alternative energy etc. Then I started researching, beekeeping, rabbits, chickens, ducks, catfish, etc. I was discovering the self-sufficient lifestyle. It all just seemed to make so much sense! Growing/raising most of your own food, providing most of your own energy via solar, wind, and other methods. Ever since I've discovered this, I've submerged myself in studying/researching the subject. Like I said, I'm a city boy and I really do enjoy much of the city lifestyle (I'm a musician and a music fanatic, so I can't do without all the concerts that a larger city provides, plus a “scene” where I can hold concerts of my own) so, what I really want to do is an urban homestead, implementing much of what I've learned.

I'm not a “save the planet” kind of guy, I just really like the idea of having more freedom. Relieving myself of some of the shackles that bind me, if you will. Reducing my dependency on (high priced) utilities, groceries, etc

A bit about me:
I have a 17yo son named Abram, but he lives with his mom in Lincoln. He is the joy of my life, and he'll be graduating high school this year.

Like I already mentioned, I'm a musician. I've played in bands since 1986 (metal and punk, so you probably won't like them, hehe. If you're into metal or punk and wish to know more about my bands, just message me, otherwise, I'll spare you). These bands played a lot of gigs in Omaha and a lot around the Midwest and are fairly well known in the international underground scene. I've done studio work for a couple of bands, and In 2006 I got a gig playing bass guitar for a legendary Canadian rocker Thor. I did 2 U.S. Tours with him. That was my first exposure to much of the country. I've also done a show playing bass for another well known artist, Kepi Ghoulie (formerly of the Groovie Ghoulies) and I'm about to do another show with him in a couple of weeks.

I like riding motorcycles (I've got 4). I have two 1975 Harley Davidson Sportsters (one is a chopper, the other is an incomplete project), a 1972 Yamaha XS2 (XS650) with a sidecar (my first bike), and a 1981 Yamaha XS650

I build custom vintage rat-rod bicycles. These are cool customs that I make out of vintage/antique bicycles. I don't restore bicycles. I love their natural patina (rust and flaking layers of paint).

I'm a Philadelphia Eagles fan (so that also means I am required to hate the Dallas Cowboys, lol).

I love playing Scrabble, Risk and many other games.

I'm the founder and organizer of the Omaha Zombie Walk that is a benefit for the local homeless shelter. We get roughly 3000 zombies participating each year, and a couple thousand more spectators. So far, we've raised nearly $10,000 for the homeless shelter.

I'm an artcar artist. An art car is a car or motor vehicle decorated as a work of art. I've created a few. One was a 1979 Lincoln Continental that I covered in pennies (roughly 45,000 pennies). It was named “Wealth & Hell-Being”. Then I covered a Plymouth Sundance (named "Triptosaurus") with toys. It had a large dinosaur spine running the length of the car. And the last one I did (I haven't done one in many years) was my 72 Yamaha (named "Boneshaker") which I also covered in pennies, added a coffin sidecar, made it a suicide shift (with a foot clutch). The shifter is a (fake) human spine, and all the lights on it are skulls. I've shown these vehicles at Art Car shows and motorcycle rallies, sometimes winning awards.

I was a school bus driver for 9 years. It's a wonder I have any sanity at all, hehe. Actually, I loved driving a school bus, but it certainly is not a job for everyone. It doesn't pay well either, so, it was time to take a step up. I went to school to learn how to drive a semi truck. I graduated the top of my class, so I was recruited by a very good company. For 3 years I worked for Crete Carrier Corporation (actually their refrigerated division Shaffer Trucking) as an over-the-road truck driver. For the first year and a half or so, I loved the job. Seeing the country was great! I went to every state except Alaska and Hawaii. I was making tons of money, the most I've ever made in my life (equivalent to $26/hr). But, after a while, after I'd seen everything over and over and over again, it sort of lost it's luster. But the thing I really hated most about the job was being away from home for such long periods of time. I was on the road for 30-45 days at a time, and only home for only 3-4 days. I had no life. Looking back, I'm now realizing that this is part of what drove me to self-sufficiency. I felt “trapped” in this job. Even though I was traveling all over the country, seeing many beautiful sights, I still felt as if I was in a cell. I was longing for freedom. It was time to move on. So, I left the road.

One of my all-time favorite things to do is shop at garage sales, thrift stores, auctions, estate sales, etc. So, I decided to turn my passion into a business. I took my 401K money and opened an antique/retro store. It was a lot of fun! However, it did not bring in enough money to make ends meet. I was going way into debt. So, after a year and a half, I had to close the doors. That was a couple of months ago. That brings us to where I am now: Jobless, penniless, sleeping on my brothers couch....now, there's no where to go but up.

And so my adventure begins.

 

[goatgurl]

welcome from arklahoma. wow, with all you've done you should be able to pick up and go on. you are going on a great adventure with your new life and it will be interesting to read as you go. there are a lot of good folks on this site who are more than willing to share their knowledge. i wish you God speed and good luck

 

[Tuco]

Looking forward to reading about your adventures.

While you don't want large animals, some small goats (if permitted) can be doable in an urban setting. They can provide you w/milk and meat as well as eat weeds and provide fertilizer for your garden.

Yeah, goats is one option that I'll be looking in to. I would really like to have animals that I can raise the food for myself. I don't know much about goats yet. What I really want to know about any of the livestock is which ones put out the most, but with the least amount of input (requiring the least amount of space, and least amount of money) so I get the best return on my money/space.

 

[Tuco]

welcome from arklahoma. wow, with all you've done you should be able to pick up and go on. you are going on a great adventure with your new life and it will be interesting to read as you go. there are a lot of good folks on this site who are more than willing to share their knowledge. i wish you God speed and good luck

Thank you. Yes, I'm sure I'll be back up and running, it'll just take a bit of time. Baby steps. Get job > get caught up on some bills > get an apartment (temporary) > Buy house/property > make it self sustainable....

 

[goatgurl]

going to take some time and patience but persistence pays off. like MsDeb said goats are a good option but take up a lot more time and energy than rabbits or chickens but you get fresh milk and red meat from them whereas you get eggs and meat form a chicken and meat from a rabbit. going to need to do a lot of book work before you decide.

 

[Tuco]

Good news! A step in the right direction. I'm selling my van tonight, so that's some much needed money that'll help me get caught up on some of my bills. Soon, I'll be selling my project Harley, so that'll be a lot more money.

Rabbits! I spent much of the day researching how to raise rabbits for meat. Rabbits are one source of meat that can be raised easily in an urban situation because they don't take up much space. They are also perhaps the most economical ways to raise your own meat because it takes much less time, space, effort, and money to raise a pound of rabbit than probably any other livestock. It looks very do-able! I was watching videos on youtube about how to raise rabbits for food, how to build rabbit cages, and how to grow your own rabbit food. I'm hoping to provide most of the rabbit food myself, but it also looks like I'll still need to purchase pellets too. I'm really hoping to provide ALL the food myself, but, on a small piece of property, that may not be possible. More research is needed.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Congrats on selling the van! Extra money is always nice.

Rabbits are good - but here's a thought for you. Have you considered quail?

They can supply both eggs and meat, plus they grow really fast. They're ready to harvest at 6 week and they start laying at 6 weeks too. They don't take up any more room than rabbits either. Only downside - kinda - is that you need an incubator to propagate them.