<ErinElizabeth>
Power Conserver
Well, this is my journal of my journey of turning frugal and self sufficient. I'll start with the questions...
1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like? -I live in Arkansas. We have 4 seasons with temperatures b/t 5 degrees and 112 degrees
2. How many people are in your family? Marital status? -I live in a family of four. I'm single.
3. How would you define self sufficiency? -Being able to produce what you need to survive yourself
4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed? -I would show chickens, raise milk goats, learn to sew, grow an orchard, and more
5. Have you ever built a house , or other types of building? Do you want to? -I've built chicken coops. Yes, I do like to build for animals
6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet? -No I can't. My dad can and I would like for him to teach me, though
7. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient? -No one really. This is just my nature I guess
8 Cloth or paper? -Cloth
9. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more? -I have my chickens to a point where they pretty much pay for themselves. I grow my own garden. I am planting fruit and nut trees. I can fruits and veggies as well as make jelly. I would love to learn to sew, to get milk goats and learn to make cheese, yogurt, etc. I really would love to try just about everything
10. In what way(s) will you never choose to become self sufficient? -I will probably never make my own shampoo or conditioner. I prefer buying shampoo+conditioner that an expert has made. (who isn't me)
12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world? -In my room
13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi? -No I can not but I will be driving a tractor eventually
14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these? -I blow out eggs to make egg baskets if that counts. I don't have much to teach.
15. Can you have legally livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds? -Yes, we have few restrictions. I have chickens.
16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood? -No
17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing? -Yes, I do. I'm a tomato fan and can grow some awesome humming-bird vines
18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives? -No, I don't like fish much. I do hunt, though
19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country? -I have 20 acres in the country
20. Are you a Novice, Technician, General, Advanced? ARRL? -Not yet
21. What is your self sufficient specialty? Or what one would you like to learn? -Chickens are my specialty. There are too many things that I would like to learn to list
22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take? -I would go to college to be a biological scientist
23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet? -I sometimes refinish furniture.
24. Are you interested in herbal medicine? -That depends on what it might do
25. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be? -Hmmm, I'm not sure on that one. I would choose a place with fertile farm land, not the beach or anywhere too cold
26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking? -No
27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be? -To me a super hero would be anyone who could magically make plants grow with a flick of his/her's hand
28. Are your family or friends also interested in self sufficiency? -Not really
29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs? -I am trying to learn to cook better. I am interested in whole + natural foods. Raw milk, yes. Farm fresh eggs, yes
30. What was your MOS? -I'm not sure what that stands for
31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs? -I pick wild garlic, pick berries+fruits to make jelly out of, and hunt deer, wild hogs, and turkey
32. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient? -I know how to raise and care for livestock. I can grow a garden. I know how to can and preserve food
33. In which fictional universe would you most like to live? -One with people that band together to take care of each other and no crime
34. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy? -I would like to eventually
35 What is the mass/weight ratio of a European swallow carrying a coconut from the tropics to England? -Ummm, I think that's impossible?
36. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to? -No I haven't. At this point I don't think it's practical and I wouldn't want to
37. In what do you trust? -In God I trust
38. Do you make things yourself to save money? -I do if it's possible but often times I don't have the knowledge required to do so
39. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending? -Definitely. I watch my money a bit closer now
1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like? -I live in Arkansas. We have 4 seasons with temperatures b/t 5 degrees and 112 degrees
2. How many people are in your family? Marital status? -I live in a family of four. I'm single.
3. How would you define self sufficiency? -Being able to produce what you need to survive yourself
4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed? -I would show chickens, raise milk goats, learn to sew, grow an orchard, and more
5. Have you ever built a house , or other types of building? Do you want to? -I've built chicken coops. Yes, I do like to build for animals
6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet? -No I can't. My dad can and I would like for him to teach me, though
7. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient? -No one really. This is just my nature I guess
8 Cloth or paper? -Cloth
9. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more? -I have my chickens to a point where they pretty much pay for themselves. I grow my own garden. I am planting fruit and nut trees. I can fruits and veggies as well as make jelly. I would love to learn to sew, to get milk goats and learn to make cheese, yogurt, etc. I really would love to try just about everything
10. In what way(s) will you never choose to become self sufficient? -I will probably never make my own shampoo or conditioner. I prefer buying shampoo+conditioner that an expert has made. (who isn't me)
12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world? -In my room
13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi? -No I can not but I will be driving a tractor eventually
14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these? -I blow out eggs to make egg baskets if that counts. I don't have much to teach.
15. Can you have legally livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds? -Yes, we have few restrictions. I have chickens.
16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood? -No
17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing? -Yes, I do. I'm a tomato fan and can grow some awesome humming-bird vines
18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives? -No, I don't like fish much. I do hunt, though
19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country? -I have 20 acres in the country
20. Are you a Novice, Technician, General, Advanced? ARRL? -Not yet
21. What is your self sufficient specialty? Or what one would you like to learn? -Chickens are my specialty. There are too many things that I would like to learn to list
22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take? -I would go to college to be a biological scientist
23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet? -I sometimes refinish furniture.
24. Are you interested in herbal medicine? -That depends on what it might do
25. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be? -Hmmm, I'm not sure on that one. I would choose a place with fertile farm land, not the beach or anywhere too cold
26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking? -No
27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be? -To me a super hero would be anyone who could magically make plants grow with a flick of his/her's hand
28. Are your family or friends also interested in self sufficiency? -Not really
29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs? -I am trying to learn to cook better. I am interested in whole + natural foods. Raw milk, yes. Farm fresh eggs, yes
30. What was your MOS? -I'm not sure what that stands for
31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs? -I pick wild garlic, pick berries+fruits to make jelly out of, and hunt deer, wild hogs, and turkey
32. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient? -I know how to raise and care for livestock. I can grow a garden. I know how to can and preserve food
33. In which fictional universe would you most like to live? -One with people that band together to take care of each other and no crime
34. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy? -I would like to eventually
35 What is the mass/weight ratio of a European swallow carrying a coconut from the tropics to England? -Ummm, I think that's impossible?
36. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to? -No I haven't. At this point I don't think it's practical and I wouldn't want to
37. In what do you trust? -In God I trust
38. Do you make things yourself to save money? -I do if it's possible but often times I don't have the knowledge required to do so
39. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending? -Definitely. I watch my money a bit closer now