50 Ways to Become More Self-Reliant
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For me, being self-reliant is about personal responsibility and providing for my family. I am tired of corporations and government dictating my health and food choices.
We need, as a country, as communities, and as individuals to develop our own resources. I don’t want to be dependent on some foreign power that may pull the plug at any time.
When you can provide for yourself, even in a small way, it gives you a feeling of empowerment. You don’t have to rely on experts to make your decisions for you. We’re here to help you on your journey, though this website, and our mentorship program.
The Japanese concept of “kaizen” translates to “continuous improvement”. It involves taking small steps, every day, to make a process better. We’ve divided these self reliance tips by category to help you get started.
Self Reliant Mindset & Personal Development
- Take responsibility: Own up to your actions and decisions, and learn from your mistakes rather than blaming external factors or other people.
- Set goals: Define clear goals and create a plan to achieve them, relying on your own efforts and resources.
- Practice time management: Learn to prioritize tasks, maximize productivity, and achieve your goals efficiently without relying on external reminders or supervision.
- Practice self-discipline: Focus on your goals and follow through with your plans, even when faced with distractions or temptations.
- Cultivate self-reliant mindset: Foster a mindset of resilience, adaptability, and self-reliance by reframing challenges as opportunities for growth and learning.
- Practice self-reflection: Set aside time for introspection and self-reflection to clarify your values, goals, and priorities.
- Embrace failure: Failure is an inevitable part of growth and learning. Setbacks are opportunities to refine your skills. Keep records so you can learn from your mistakes.
- Practice gratitude: Cultivate a mindset of gratitude for the resources and opportunities available to you. Don’t wait for the world to tell you when to be happy.
Community and Relationships
- Develop a support network: No one person can do everything. Cultivate relationships with like-minded individuals who can offer advice or assistance when needed.
- Practice mindfulness: Cultivate self-awareness and mindfulness to understand your own needs and emotions better. Build relationships with people who compliment your strengths and weaknesses.
- Volunteer: Many hands make light work. Participating in volunteer opportunities can be a good way to meet like-minded people.
Skills & Knowledge Development for Self-Reliance
- Become knowledgeable: Stay informed about various topics, from current events to practical skills. This will help you to make well-informed decisions and rely less on others for guidance.
- Seek continuous self-improvement: Commit to lifelong learning and personal development. Small changes over time reap dramatic results.
- Learn to problem-solve: Develop problem-solving skills to tackle obstacles independently and find creative solutions.
- Embrace self-reliant hobbies: Engage in activities like woodworking, hunting, or fishing that encourage self-sufficiency and independence.
- Learn to fix things: Acquire basic repair skills for household items, electronics, and appliances to save money on repairs and become more self-reliant.
- Develop a personal library: Build a collection of books and resources on various topics of interest. This is more important than ever as online censorship increases.
Financial Independence
- Become financially literate: Educate yourself about personal finance, including budgeting, investing, and retirement planning, so you can make informed decisions.
- Develop financial independence: Save money, invest wisely, and live within your means.
- Learn to trade and barter: Swap with friends and neighbors so you can all have a little more.
- Shop used and let others know you are looking for certain items: Many times friends and relatives who are no longer using items are happy to pass them along.
- Learn basic car maintenance: Familiarize yourself with basic car maintenance tasks such as changing oil, topping off fluids, or replacing a flat tire.
- Invest in self-reliant infrastructure: Add elements like rainwater harvesting systems or permaculture gardens to increase self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on external resources.
- Explore alternative energy sources: Investigate renewable energy options such as solar panels or wind turbines to reduce reliance on traditional energy sources and lower utility bills.
- Start a side hustle: Generate additional income through a side business or freelancing gig, diversifying your income streams.
- Embrace minimalism: Clear out clutter and focus on useful items and meaningful experiences.
- Practice resourcefulness: Make the most of what you have by repurposing items, improvising solutions, and finding alternatives when necessary.
Self-Reliance in Daily Life
- Create a self-reliant homestead: Establish a self-reliant homestead by growing food, raising animals, and harnessing renewable resources, reducing dependency on external systems for sustenance.
- Develop DIY projects: Engage in do-it-yourself projects for home improvement, crafting, or repairs to gain hands-on experience and reduce reliance on professionals for minor tasks.
- Grow your own food: Start a vegetable garden or grow herbs indoors to produce your own food and reduce reliance on grocery stores.
- Test your soil: Use these simple soil tests to determine the easiest ways to improve your soil quality.
- Learn to cook: Master basic cooking techniques and prepare your own meals.Learn to make homemade substitutes for prepackaged items.
- Learn to preserve food: Acquire knowledge of food preservation techniques such as canning, pickling, or drying to extend the shelf life of produce and reduce dependency on store-bought goods.
- Learn to forage: Familiarize yourself with edible plants and wild foods in your area, enabling you to supplement your diet and connect with nature independently.
- Learn how to save seeds: Heirloom and open pollinated seeds will breed true, allowing you to save seeds that grow true to type.
- Add small livestock: Chickens and rabbits may be an option even for urban homesteaders.
- Learn to sew: Master basic sewing skills to repair clothing and household items, extending their lifespan and reducing reliance on purchasing new items.
- Reduce waste: Embrace sustainable practices such as composting, recycling, and reducing consumption to minimize your environmental footprint and promote self-sufficiency.
- Learn basic home repairs: Tackling small repair jobs can save a TON of money compared to hiring help.
- Become proficient in a trade: Acquire skills in a trade such as plumbing, carpentry, or electrical work to handle household repairs and projects independently.
Health and Wellbeing
- Stay active: If you rest, you rust. Regular movement, like daily walking, and the ability to get up off the floor independently improve your odds of living a longer, healthier life.
- Practice self-care: Prioritize self-care activities such as meditation, journaling, or hobbies that promote relaxation and well-being, nurturing your physical and mental health.
- Spend time in nature: Whether it’s working in your garden or taking a walk in the woods, outside time helps to lower stress levels and improve health.
- Master basic home healthcare: Learn basic healthcare skills such as administering first aid, monitoring vital signs, and managing common illnesses.
- Reduce dependency on technology: Limit your reliance on technology by practicing activities that don’t require screens, such as reading physical books, drawing, or hiking.
Preparedness
- Learn emergency preparedness: Create a comprehensive emergency plan for various scenarios, including natural disasters or power outages.
- Develop a survival kit: Prepare a survival kit with essential supplies and knowledge for emergencies, ensuring you can handle unexpected situations and sustain yourself without outside assistance.
- Learn basic first aid: Acquire basic first aid skills to handle minor injuries and emergencies, ensuring you can take care of yourself and others in unexpected situations.
- Learn a martial art: Study a martial art for self-defense skills, boosting confidence and self-reliance in potentially threatening situations.
- Practice self-defense: Take self-defense classes to learn techniques for protecting yourself physically, enhancing your confidence and independence in potentially dangerous situations.
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Start with One Thing
Pick one thing off the list and start there. Trying to do everything is a recipe for overload. Don’t delay getting started, waiting for the right conditions. There will always be a reason not to get started.
Here’s an example. To improve the quality of food your family eats, start by replacing a prepackaged food item with a homemade version. Continue until most things you eat are homemade or better quality pre-made.
Eat out less (or not at all). Source your ingredients closer to home, either via CSA, farmer’s market or growing your own. Add more veggies to your family’s meals. Ditch the highly processed snack foods.Buy in bulk and learn how to store foods, or experiment with fermenting or sprouting.
The most important step is getting started.
Become More Self-Reliant – Change The Rest of Your Life
Becoming more self reliant is a journey that can last a lifetime. It’s easier to tackle with the right mentors, which is why we created Bona Cresco. Bona Cresco is Latin for “Good Growth”, and is our private membership community.
In Bona Cresco, we have forums, courses, and live Q&A sessions to give you the support you need to live a more self reliant life. Save money, take charge of your health, and be more prepared for these turbulent times.
Online censorship, changing search algorithms, and AI generated content have made it harder to find information you can trust. Our core group of “village elders” is made up of friends with decades of real world experience who are ready to help others by sharing their knowledge. We’re building a unique community, and I hope you can be a part of it.
Learn more at Bona Cresco – Your Path to a More Resilient, Abundant Life.
This article is by Laurie Neverman. Laurie grew up on a small dairy farm in northwest Wisconsin, and now lives on a 35 acre homestead in northeast Wisconsin. Their family raises meat chickens, laying hens, and ducks. They use solar water heating and line drying, root cellaring and freeze drying, annual gardens and permaculture.
Originally published in 2012, last updated in 2024.
WOW…….I just got back from the U.P. I mean WOW…..Is it cold. I stayed with a friend and did not want to leave the house. We sat around the woodstove a lot. I did look at the property and though it was not represented well I still will consider it.
WOW…………………….Back in Florida.
LOL – that must have been a shock to the system compared to Florida. There’s a reason the land is cheap! It has been running colder than average this winter, too. We no snow cover, the ground will be freezing deep. Hope you had a good holiday weekend. Stay warm!
Can’t wait to get up there even with the snow. After living in Fl. it will be refreshing I’m sure. I won’t have to worry about the job market as I will be retired in a year or so. I’m going to try to buy something soon and take a year or two to pay off the property as well as other debts. I want to go into retirement debt free if possible.
I hope this isn’t just a pipe dream!
always good to hear from you. I look forward to your ” seminars ” or classes or whatever…..
Cheers, Jerry
If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen. It’s been very “refreshing” up here lately. I’m freezing!
Laurie, I might have just found “MY” property near Iron mtn. It is a beautiful area that I am familiar with. I’m considering an offer on 25 acres at the base of a very large hill. It has a pond on it and also has lake frontage. Over 20 acres consists of forest with 2 inches of soil on top of rock. Less than ideal for growing anything but there is a few acres (5-7) down near the lake where the soil is much deeper and richer. They are asking $18,900 so isn’t too bad I wouldn’t think. The electric is at the road . Taxes are $150.00 per year. There is an old copper mine on the property as well .
I am going to fly up to take a look next week and who knows……….
Cheers,Jerry
Hey- that’s a beautiful area! Cold, but beautiful, and very affordable. Jobs up there are scarce right now, so you should know that going in, but it’s peaceful and the layout sure sounds nice.
That’s what I meant “aquaponics “. You know you might be on to something with the crash course idea. You could line up all kinds of people ie; blacksmiths,farriers,cabin builders, economics of homesteading, hunting, etc. What a great week ? that would be. Count me in!
All it takes is an idea……
And time and money to make it happen. But you have to start somewhere…
I hope you do get “discovered ” ! It would be a wonderful show with different guest farmers or… every week,wow.
Have you looked at solar hydroponics with both fish and plants. Really unique I would say. Anyway, thanks for the info. I will continue to look for the “perfect” property.
They’ve got an aquaponics system down at Growing Power in Milwaukee that I’d like to visit but haven’t been able to make time for yet. Fish and plants year round in big greenhouses. I think a person could live two lifetimes and still not have enough time to get everything done.
I was thinking for a show we could have people who’d like to learn about homesteading come to the area and spend some time with different farmers each week – sort of a homesteading crash course. We’re a very agricultural area. There are big conventional dairy farms, smaller organic dairy farms, organic CSAs, a winery, an alpaca farm and much more, all within a half hour drive of my place. Of course, we do an assortment of things here, too.
Wow @ those prices I would have to grow my own “everything”. No offense meant as I’m sure it is beautiful land and I’m sure produces more than the U.P. ever thought of. I have spoken to a few nurserymen in the U.P. and they have some interesting growing ideas using aquaculture and something called hoops. Anyway, I will probably look at some properties this winter or spring. I also will hunt and fish and therefore I will save lots of money there. I am so excited to start learning how to be more self-reliant. I wish I had not waited until retirement to get into this. I am 60 yrs. old.
I really love your web site and look forward to learning.
Cheers,Jerry
The land prices have gotten so high it’s driving some farmers out of business. Even rental costs are sky high. We were lucky to find this parcel at the price we did when we did – now we just need to find my husband a local job again. Thought we had everything settled when we built the dream home, as he had been with the same business for nearly 16 years. Then he was “reorganized” out of his job. Life is never simple. Maybe I can solve our financial situation by getting “discovered” and getting our own reality series like Duck Dynasty. 😉
Thanks again,
I have been looking at property in the UP . I’ve found several parcels which appeal to me. It appears to be a little over $1,000 per acre . For example; 11 acres with a nice stream running through it for about $16,000. Does that compare with your area ? It is near Marquette and beautiful as it has a view of Lake Superior from one of the larger hills on the property.
I am homesick I guess!
That’s a steal compared to around here. Just checked the current listings at Town & Country (http://www.doorkewauneeproperties.com/) and vacant parcels of land are $6400 – $10,750 per acre.
I think I would like n. e. Wisconsin as well. I spent several days in Spread Eagle yrs. ago as my car broke down. That was back about 1975 I think. I don’t imagine the area has changed too much. Please tell me more about your area when you have time. Or anyone else have any ideas ?
Thanks so much,
Spread Eagle and the area way up north around US 2 is pretty quiet, although that may change if they get mining going again. We drove through there this summer and many of the small towns looked like they were about ready to dry up and blow away. This crappy economy has been hard on everyone. We’re in Kewaunee county, east of Green Bay – more cows than people here. The county board had been taking cues from Washington DC and spending money we don’t have, driving taxes sky high. Other than that, though, it’s a beautiful area. Of course, I’m partial to Wisconsin, having been born and raised here. Land prices are cheaper up north, away from the bigger population areas, but there are few jobs and a shorter growing season.
I too stumbled unto this web site and am very glad I did. I am making plans (slowly) to move back to a climate more agreeable to me. I’m from Michigan and am living in Florida. I plan to buy some property back home (northern Michigan ) where I can hunt,fish and grow all my own crops. I plan to work down here for a couple of years but wish to start by buying property. Suggestions on land purchase?
The U.P.? You have any friends or family in the area who could help you look? Land is expensive here compared to what it used to be, but houses are abundant. Generally folks who live in the area in question, especially old timers, can offer some of the best advice. I have learned a lot about our area since become closer friends with our elderly neighbors.
Thanks for the quick reply. I don’t know anyone in the UP anymore. I have always loved the area,however because of the feeling of wilderness almost anywhere you look. I am from just south of the bridge in the lower peninsula.
I know that gardening would be difficult at best but the area really appeals to me. I can improve the soil but I can’t do much about the weather .
Any suggestions as to where I might buy cheaper land preferably east of the Mississippi .
I am at the very first stages of a self reliant lifestyle and looking forward to diving in!!
Unfortunately, I don’t have much knowledge of land prices, except around here. You may some luck on full-blown homesteading forums.
Thanks I will try that….
So,where’s around here ?
Northeast Wisconsin – Go, Pack, Go!
Getting everyone in the family on board is important also. I often hear from the wife (mother) of the house asking how she can get her husband to understand the necessity of self-sufficiency. The best answer is not to force the issue. As CSH stated take small steps, those around you will get accustomed to the changes you are making and realize it is for their betterment as well. .
I agree. Forcing the issue leads to stress in the relationship.
Thank you everyone for sharing. I grew up working a garden, and canning with my parents, but there are many skills I don’t have though. Sharing information & meeting up with neighbors that garden is a wonderful concept that has been lost over time. I never even heard of interning on a farm, and I don’t know what CSA is, but I intend to find out:) My family is trying to move to the country so we can become more self reliant. And I want my kids to learn the art of feeding your family by your own means. Someday that may keep their families from starving. I need help:) It can be overwhelming to plan everything. I love the country & I miss it. But with people like you, that are willing to share your knowledge and tips, it makes it do-able for the rest of us. We do need to be less reliant on big brother and learn to take care of our own. Blessings to each of you for giving of yourselves to help others.
CSA = Community Supported Agriculture. You buy a share of the harvest from a local farmer/market gardener at the beginning of the season to help cover up front costs, and then get produce (and sometimes other items) delivered throughout the season.
Try not to get overwhelmed – just do what you can, where you are. Over time, the changes add up.
Welcome to “the family”.
I am very new ( 3 weeks old) on my path to change the way my family eats. I have been cooking everything from scratch with fresh ingredients and no preservatives, high fructose corn syrup,…. I have to admit that it is the most challenging thing I have ever undertaken. I live in the city so a vegetable garden is right now out of the realm of possibilities. My question is: is there a support group or an online community I could belong to that would keep my resolve from slacking? Thank you.
If you’re on Facebook, we keep an assortment of odds and ends posted to the CSH Facebook page each day, which leads to a fair amount of discussion. If you’d like more involved discussion, homestead.org has on online forum at http://forums.homestead.org/
I’m sure there are others, too.
Hi,
We thought you would like to know that after a lot of web surfing we stumbled upon your website and are happy we did. Recently I decided that my family needed a change in how we eat and what we eat. So, over last month no processed, artificial, high fructose corn syrup…. you get the idea, for my family. My 11 year old daughter made her first from scratch chocolate cake mostly by herself and is so proud and happy. She’s having a big sleepover in a week and found your Brownie recipe and let me know she’s making it for her friends. (as well as saved 5 other recipes for us to try) Thank you for impacting not just me but my kids as well.
Amanda – that’s wonderful to hear. It’s not about doing everything a certain way and only that way, it’s about making better choices one day at a time.
I try to keep my main goal as producing experience. That way, if I kill a plant, it is as valuable as if I got fruit from it. More valuable, if I learned what not to do again. 🙂 I set long term “visions” such as produce all our own veggies in five years, rather than specific goals. That lets me include a lot of things, like noticing what’s in the farmers market as progress.
Trina – that’s a good way to look at things. If you learn from an experience, even if it doesn’t turn out the way you hoped, you’ve gained something from it.
Hi. I love this post. It does me so much good to hear from Americans doing this sort of thing…The foreign power that seems like a threat for us is America or at least American corporations, so it’s always good to know that there is a great network of ‘grassroots’ people trying to live in sustainable ways.
A very good post. I find with building a chicken coop, the first thing you must do as you build a chicken house is take the time to plan the entire coop before you build. Many people make the mistake of building too early and then find out they have built too small because of all the additional pieces that have to go inside.
Dave – Looking at your URL, I’ll bet you have lots of experience building chicken coops. 🙂
Thanks, Connie.
Nancy – You can find my favorite seed sources here – https://commonsensehome.com/my-favorite-seeds-sources-seed-storage-and-germination/
Dave’s Garden Watchdog is another great resource for checking out mail order gardening companies: http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/
Laura – It’s made me very hopeful to see how many new gardens, farmer’s markets, CSAs and the like have been popping up.
Best wishes to anyone just getting started. It’s a fun ride, and it’s wonderful you don’t have to do everything at once!
As a beginner, how do I know what is a reputable company?
What an AWESOME post…so many things I knew…but so many new things I’ve learned just through this post.
Thank you for sharing.