What no longer matters? How self -sufficient have you become? What can you not do without?

B3 · May 2020

I've stopped ironing. I know many of you achieved this years ago.

Can't do without chocolate. You can't be self sufficient in chocolate😐

Over the years, my tastes have become too refined to enjoy beer made in the bath and I threw away my demijohns decades ago. I only ever made two drinkable wines. Mandarin orange and lychee. Admittedly, they were only sampled when the shop bought stuff had run out and the party hadn't finished. They never made it as far as the bottling process.

Used to make my own bread and will again come the strong flour

Apparently, people are washing less - no comment

I've found some seeds are viable for many years. Will ignore dates on seed packets ditto best before dates on food.

amancalledgeorge · May 2020

Self sufficiency is an illusion, if you don't have acres of land and good weather. My granny tried to make as much of her own food in her fifty years as a farmer and succeeded about 60% of the time...and that was in sunny Greece.

But at least this situation got me into making sourdough due to the initial shortages of yeast which has been a great change. So liberating to be able to make a beautiful loaf out of three ingredients and to experiment with different ratios and flours. Have also made some fantastic bagels...never going back to the underwhelming shop bought ones 😂

And probably will emerge from lockdown as big as a house...such is life.

Fire · May 2020

I've been happy to do without takeaways and buying many plants. Our growing groups has been doing way more cutting and seed swapping than we would normally have done, and it's been fine. I live as a semi-hermit anyway, so life has not been much different here; just much more social. Plus in North London nothing has been hard to get, except plants, perhaps, for a few weeks.

I find it odd that parts of the country has been having a hard time getting things like flour, paracetamol and yeast. There is no shortage of national supply - London is awash with those; our corner shop never ran out. Yet friends in York and Norwich are having problems over months. Seems all very odd to me. Everything is available on Ebay at cheap prices.

I have never ironed much (except craft projects); I never wore a bra much at home. I have had a lovely time now not wear shoes much. My kitchen/potting shed has degraded into pretty much a permanent bomb site. Having friends over to visit gave me a reason to clear up the cooking explosions of mess, but now the shrapnel lies hither and thither. I push the piles of stuff, potted cuttings, jars of hormone rooting powder, tom feed out of the way in order to cook. It's horrible kitchen practice, but wonderfully liberating to be hog-like for a while.

B3 · May 2020

You will if you can't get hold of flour and you will hate it @amancalledgeorge

My husband got some flour in Sainsbury's that claims to be suitable for pastry, pasta and bread. We'll see. But seeing as we've been making do with Waxbxxtxns sxxte for a fortnight. It can't be worse.

amancalledgeorge · May 2020

Keep an eye on the Shipton Mill websitetwebsite have an invite system that allows you to get four from them directly. They've been absolutely brilliant @B3

B3 · May 2020

Thanks @amancalledgeorge. Will have a look.

amancalledgeorge · May 2020

*website

Reminds me to change the settings of the keyboard on my phone 🙄

Fairygirl · May 2020

My life hasn't really changed much.
I deliver/collect oldest for work, because the buses are non existent just now, but she gets the shopping in return, so that saves me having to go in there. Result.
I have a routine - vital for me. Showering every day - absolutely!
The only difference is not getting to hills. They will still be there though

My main requirement - tea and milk. The kettle is on the blink so I've ordered one which I'll collect when I take daughter to work on Thursday.

You're right @amancalledgeorge - people kid themselves that The Good Life could be done in reality. Idealistic. It just isn't that simple, even if you have a vast acreage to play with, and the necessary funds to start.

Fire · May 2020

It's much easier to be more or less self-sufficient in a community of people doing the same thing and sharing. Or sourcing within a certain number of food miles. Also easier if you change your tastes to what you have available. I lived in a community that gets pretty close to self sufficient, on farm land. If you live in a basic way, and in a productive region, it's not that hard. You save the 10% for things like spices, coffee, sugar, chocolate and tea. You have to get to like apples, greens, herbal tea and potatoes. Easier for non-veggies or vegans, probably. Not a fantasy.

I think it's more useful to see these things on a spectrum - rather than having to go all or nothing. I have friends who went total self-sufficient, using only solar power (before the batteries were any good) and they were pretty miserable a fair amount of the time. Life was built around scarcity. I don't think being cold and full of longing is a very sustainable way to go. Joyful, excited and sated is always going to be more of an attractive option - growing and cooking great food. Enjoy what you do; share what you love.

B3 · May 2020

My house is tidier than usual. It's something to do. But it is quite liberating to know that no one is going to come in and notice your neglect of household duties.
Less washing when you think the t-shirt with a grease spot on it will go another day. Who's going to notice it while you're grubbing about in the garden.
Cosmetics,I haven't used for weeks.

josusa47 · May 2020

Cosmetics, I haven't used for 50 years. Waste of time and money; if people don't like my natural face, they can look the other way.

What no longer matters? How self -sufficient have you become? What can you not do without?

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