8 Ways to Make a Living Striving for Self-Sufficiency

Photo by subhajit ganguly on Unsplash

Self-sufficiency is something that many people dream of, but it is just that, a dream. For most, it is something that is just not possible as ditching their current lifestyle and living is too complicated. 

However, just because some people cannot do it doesn't mean nobody can. Those who have the drive, the knowledge, and who know the rules for starting their own farm can succeed when shifting to a more sustainable and self-sufficient lifestyle. Despite this, there are still challenges you can expect to face, and one of the most prominent challenges is making money. If you are not acutely aware of how to make a living while living self-sufficiently, you can run into problems faster than anticipated. 

Get Rid of Your Debt

Being debt-free is the first thing you should do when deciding whether self-sufficient living is for you. It is impossible to survive on a self-sufficient and sustainable lifestyle if you need to keep paying off loans every month. 

Therefore, you will need to get rid of your debt as quickly as possible. This will bring you the freedom you need to spend your money differently. It will help you purchase the right type of equipment and make sound investments, rather than still paying off the TV you bought six years ago. 

Do What You Love 

The idea that doing what you love means you'll never work a day in your life isn't exactly right. Living a self-sufficient lifestyle comes with a lot of hard work, long days, and plenty of frustration. Despite this, working with something you love, whether this is growing fruit and veg, rearing animals, or something else, will help you look forward to every day. 

It's no secret that doing something you enjoy means you will put more passion into it, and this will ensure better success, allowing you to make more money. While you can get away with not caring about your job in an office environment, this isn't the same when working for yourself. So, make sure you know what you want to do and pursue it. 

Grow Your Own (And Sell) 

Fruit, veg, animals, and whatever else can all be in high demand, and this is one way of both earning and saving money. You can make money from selling your abundance of crops, and anything you don't sell you can keep for yourself. 

This means you don't need to visit the overpriced supermarket every other day so that you can save money on groceries and gas going to and from. While you might have a few issues, especially if you're unfamiliar with growing fruit and veg, you'll soon get the hang of it, and this will allow you to experiment with different techniques and crops to carve out a self-sufficient niche. 

Get Crafty 

If you've got a crafty streak, don't be afraid to indulge in this and create things. Homemade crafts are always popular, especially compared to the mass-produced (and often poor quality) alternatives you can find at department stores. 

You can try making clothes, furniture, or indeed anything else you feel good at. Of course, this isn't for everybody, as not everyone has the patience to make something beautiful that people will buy. However, if you have positive experiences of making things, this could be an excellent way to share your creations with the world and make some money along the way. 

Record Your Experience 

Living self-sufficiently is an experience that many people will never have, and this is what makes your experience so fascinating. People don't want to read about the everyday lifestyle where you go to work and come home. Instead, they need to hear about something unfamiliar to them.

If you create a blog, write a book, or share advice in a magazine, you can make money from your experiences. People will live vicariously through your experiences. This can help you develop an audience that will continue to come back for more, learning about your daily life and all the troubles and successes you have along the way. 

Use all the Land 

If you are lucky enough to have a significant amount of land, you might be unsure what to do with it. Not all land is suitable for growing and farming, so you'll need to find other uses for it. 

One option is to rent it out as a holiday destination. This approach is perfect for those who live in the city or the suburbs but still love to get away to the countryside whenever possible. You can develop a campground and invite happy campers to get started. The longer you offer this service, the more you can develop it, creating a place for everybody. 

Launch a Farm School 

While self-sufficient living is not something you would recommend to everybody, people will still want to try it out. If you are regularly inundated with requests to do what you're doing, a farm school can provide the education necessary to change their lifestyle completely. 

Even if people realize that self-sufficiency isn't for them, you can at least use this school to fill in knowledge gaps that have been lost over time. They may not start a farm themselves, but they can still learn how to be more sustainable at home, which is always a bonus. 

Cut Down on Living Expenses 

Being self-sufficient means you will need to live with greater frugality. Because of this, you'll need to audit your expenses and determine what you can and cannot live without. 

You may want to sell or rent out your HDB flat, which could also be an income source, whereas luxuries such as two cars, rather than one, TV packages, and other expensive household additions can all go for the time being. There may come a time where you can afford them again. But if you want to be successful in your self-sufficient journey, cutting down the costs is the best place to begin. 

Self-Sufficient, Still 

Self-sufficient living is not for everybody. But, those who have the knowledge and drive to make the most of it and succeed still need to make sure they can survive and thrive in a self-sufficient sphere. While you may need to cut down on spending and adjust your lifestyle, it can transform your life for the better.