Basic Skills for Self-Sufficiency

Do you know what self-sufficiency is? A lot has been said lately about this topic.

If you do not know its definition, when we look up its meaning we find: “It is the social and economic capacity of an individual, family, or community to meet their basic needs (including protection, food, water, housing, personal safety, health, and education) in a sustainable and dignified way.”

In other words, self-sufficiency means that an individual does not depend on other people to live. The first step toward becoming self-sufficient is wanting to be.

Know that the most valuable preparation tool for this is completely free and has no expiration date. I am referring to Knowledge.

The skills you acquire do not need storage space, do not spoil, and are much less at risk of being stolen or destroyed.

Now, if you have made it this far today, it is because you have certainly already taken the first step. Keep reading to learn basic skills for self-sufficiency. Come check it out!

Basic skills for self-sufficiency (Google source)

Self-sufficiency: learning to cook and prepare meals from scratch

Food is certainly a fundamental part of our lives. And to start becoming self-sufficient, a good step is learning to cook and prepare meals from scratch.

By acquiring this new skill, you will be able to make your own food, gaining more autonomy in your daily life and having a healthier diet. And do not worry, cooking can be easier than it seems.

First of all, you will need to observe how it is done before starting. Remember that the kitchen requires some basic techniques for handling tools and utensils. In addition, you do not need to have a lot of things in the kitchen, just the essential utensils, such as pots, knives, and bowls.

When you feel ready, start with simple recipes for beginners. Then, as you gain more practice, you can venture into more complex recipes.

Food preservation practices: dehydration, canning, and fermentation

Food preservation practices are strategies for storing food without it spoiling or becoming unfit for consumption. Certainly in your daily life you consume foods that have also gone through a preservation process, such as dried fruits, vegetable oils, canned orange juice, among others.

And you can do some of these food preservation practices at home. Check out some of them below:

Deep Dehydration
This practice is also known as drying. Dehydration is the removal of part of the liquid from foods, preventing the development of microorganisms. Likewise, it reduces the size of foods, making storage and transportation easier.

Canning
The main characteristics of this method are the sterilization of foods and preserves. To sterilize foods, they need to go through high temperatures to destroy microorganisms. Once this is done, they can be canned in airtight glass or metal containers.

Fermentation
Fermentation is based on the proliferation of some microorganisms that are not harmful to health, and that during their metabolism end up generating products (CO2, organic acids) that alter the pH, thus inhibiting the growth of microorganisms that decompose food. Example: yogurt and fermented milk.

Home construction and repairs: skills in carpentry, plumbing, and electricity

You can also be prepared to solve minor household repair problems. Keep in mind that if the issue is more serious, it is best to hire a specialized professional. Here are some repairs you can do easily, without depending on anyone:

Changing light bulbs: This is certainly one of the simplest things to do in a home, however it requires some care. First of all, turn off the breaker responsible for the electricity in the house, so you won’t be at any risk of getting shocked.

Then remove the burnt out bulb and put the new one in its place. Turn the circuit breaker back on and check that the lamp is working properly.

Installing faucets: First, close the water valve and release the water outlet plug (small piece with a square finish). This way you will have access to the place that must be threaded to remove the faucet. After removing it, apply thread sealing tape to the new faucet in the threaded part.

Then, screw it into the water outlet until it is well secured and in the correct position. Lastly, open the valve and see if it is working fine.

Unclogging sinks: This is a very common and very inconvenient problem. If this happens, you can use a regular plunger to clear the entire pipe. To unclog it, fill the sink with water and use pressure. Do this several times until the problem is resolved.

Hanging pictures or shelves: Yes, it is very simple to hang small pictures with a steel nail. However, if the frames or shelves are heavy, it is better to use wall anchors to make them more secure. Mark the spot, position the drill, and insert the anchor. Then place the screws and that is it!

Handmade production: how to make cleaning and personal care products

Many people do not know it, but it is not necessary to spend a lot of money to keep your home clean and spotless. You can save money by making your own natural cleaning products with ingredients that you can easily find in your kitchen.

Among the ingredients you will need are: vinegar, lemon, and baking soda. With just these three ingredients, it is possible to make several products to help clean your home, such as stain remover, disinfectant, multipurpose cleaner, among others.

Likewise, it is also possible to make sustainable personal care products, in addition to saving money, they are not harmful to the environment.

For example, in the case of homemade shampoo, it can be an excellent option to replace conventional ones that contain chemical components that are harmful to our health. Using simple ingredients like baking soda, cornstarch, almond oil, etc., you can make your own natural shampoo.