Graham The Builder
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Would you live a self sufficient life?Would you live a self sufficient life if you could, or would it be too impractical for reasonable living standards?
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donthre
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You can get close - on a "Food, Fruit & booze" Basis - even recycling old electricals & Cars, can get you closer.
But when you Pop in Housing, COuncil Tax, Health Care, Electricity - you might as well try to plait fog 
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LynneA
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Would love to, but you can't pay you council tax with courgettes!
And there's no way I could grow enough lemons in this country, let alone tea!
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Jonty
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Financially not a go-er. As well as the necessities, ther's always the little luxuries we can't all do without. I would certainly like to be 'part self sufficient', rear my own meat, chickens, grow veg etc.
Ironically though, spots round here where you can do that don't come cheap!!
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Graham The Builder
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I think the idea of being totally sustainable in this day and age is just folly really. It's an ideology that cannot be practically taken through to fruition unless you decide to live the life of something approaching neolithic man.
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pepperami
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| Graham The Builder wrote: | | I think the idea of being totally sustainable in this day and age is just folly really. It's an ideology that cannot be practically taken through to fruition unless you decide to live the life of something approaching neolithic man. |
i could`nt say it quick enough
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Graham The Builder
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Bazzer
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I think that all you can do is try to be as "Green" as you can within the confines of modern society.
To opt out totally would be impossible, we are all to interdependent.
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Calli
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It is all about degrees of and making every effort in the right direction.
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hillbilly
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you can live that way,if you could get some land to put a yurts (mongolian tent)on and live there ,you dont have to pay council tax,or bother the government for social benifits ,and you can work and earn money.i think we have all become to dependant on our houses.i for one found it a better life style when i lived in caravans.
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Issy
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We try to produce as much of our food as we can but total self sufficiency is a step too far for us. In all honesty I admire people who can do it but it would be too restricting for me - I mean a life with no chocolate  .
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donthre
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| hillbilly wrote: | | you can live that way,if you could get some land to put a yurts (mongolian tent)on and live there ,you dont have to pay council tax,or bother the government for social benifits ,and you can work and earn money.i think we have all become to dependant on our houses.i for one found it a better life style when i lived in caravans. |
It's not real HB - you're talking "Black Economy" "Ducking & Diving", "Fraud" (re council tax) - yes we can DO it & in some ways it "Feels" real - but Graham's Question implied a level of "Legality" - else it wouldn't be "Self-Sufficient" would it ? 
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hillbilly
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donthre,yes you can,in a tent you dont pay council tax,in a caravan if the wheel turns full circle in a week ,you dont pay council tax.i have done it,and its not about ducking and diving,i had a job scaffolding,paid my income tax,but they cant get anything else from you.
and my life style was free and simple.no worries. 
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donthre
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Wow Impressed HB - Now I can see that you could run with a diesel genny & LPG, Collect water in a 5 gallon drum.
Would you bathe ?
I suppose the killer would be foul drainage. Wouldn't you need Planning for a Klargestor - Or would you use a chemical toilet requiring emptying & chemicals ?
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Graham The Builder
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You could do it the organic way, Don and make a deposit in a hedge somewhere.
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fenlandfowl
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I think it would be nigh on impossible today to be totally self sufficient. For a start, people who have to work full time just wouldn't have the time. Then how could you produce your own cleaning stuff like washing powder, proper soap and shampoo and disinfectnats which keep a person alive and healthy after puggling about in soil, dealing with animal poo etc.
I would like to aim at producing as much of my own food as possible and if I had the money to invest, my own electricity too.
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fenlandfowl
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| Graham The Builder wrote: | | I think the idea of being totally sustainable in this day and age is just folly really. It's an ideology that cannot be practically taken through to fruition unless you decide to live the life of something approaching neolithic man. |
or woman
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fenlandfowl
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| Issy wrote: | | We try to produce as much of our food as we can but total self sufficiency is a step too far for us. In all honesty I admire people who can do it but it would be too restricting for me - I mean a life with no chocolate . |
Am I the only person on earth who dislikes chocolate?
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gruffy
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| fenlandfowl wrote: | | Am I the only person on earth who dislikes chocolate? |
no - I can't stand the stuff either
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spooks
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we started last year in growing are own veg .i could never raise meat and eat it.i have no problems eating meat but i couldnt care for something ,kill it then eat it.
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Calli
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| gruffy wrote: | | fenlandfowl wrote: | | Am I the only person on earth who dislikes chocolate? |
no - I can't stand the stuff either |
Nope me too can't see what all the fuss is about and certainly wouldn't miss it if we did have to be self sufficient
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Bazzer
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Wot 'bout EASTER EGGS?
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Quixote
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| Calli wrote: |
Nope me too can't see what all the fuss is about and certainly wouldn't miss it |
I love it! 
Mind you, I wouldn't miss it all that much if I had to go without.
As for self-sufficiency? I'm of the mind that merely knowing about the likes of fossil fuels, supermarkets, etc etc, in fact all the things that are deemed essential to modern life largely precludes the ability to revert back to living life with nothing but the bare essentials
I think the closest we can get to it today is to try & produce (as far as practical) as much of our own food as possible, reduce vehicle usage (again, as far as practical), buy local produce & try to recycle as much material as possible.
Unless, of course, you want to go & live naked in a swamp, eat mud, walk everywhere, & smell like a ferret? 
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Calli
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| Quixote wrote: |
Unless, of course, you want to go & live naked in a swamp, eat mud, walk everywhere, & smell like a ferret? |
Thats your idea of a fun Saturday night???
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Quixote
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I resent that!!!
I don't smell 
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Calli
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....I thought it was an invitation
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Quixote
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Where's that mud pool?
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Calli
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Oi!! You calling me a hippo??
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