It's been a while

[Helsbells]

Hello there,

My name is Helen and I used to frequent this forum daily about 10 years ago now come to think of it, I even made a real life friend in this forum (Hamster, if anyone recalls).

Back then I was working in an office as an accounts administrator with dreams of becoming self sufficient. Now I am a full time mum of three children and I am fast approaching the age Tom Good himself first embarked on his adventures into self-sufficiency.

My self sufficiency dream never really came true unfortunately, and now I am now even sure it's my dream any more, but my question to you all is, who has achieved their self sufficient dream in the last 10 years? Was it how you imagined?

The forum seems a lot quieter than when I came here all those years ago, but there are a few names I still recognise. I would love to hear from you.

[Flo]

Well hello again Helsbells! Nice to see you again. Yes it's a bit quieter nowadays. Possibly we've all found that the complete self sufficient dream is something we can't achieve. However some of us are plodding along doing as much as we can to be self sufficient. Sometimes doing as much as we can is all that we can achieve.

This social housing tenant is running two allotments at present, growing as much as she can, preserving and cooking it. There's the mending that can be done being done, as well as using things like Freecycle to swap items (both ways). No chance of solar panels or collecting rainwater at home - the landlord would die of fright! But you know how it is - some of us can do something.

Don't let three children wear you down - all the more reason to do for yourself what you can to make ends meet eh?

[Odsox]

My self sufficiency dream never really came true unfortunately

Welcome back Helsbells, it's nice to see past names reappearing.
That's the thing about this forum, it has "ish" on the end of Self Sufficient which means that anything you do is relevant.
Even just sprouting seeds on your kitchen windowsill counts.

Another thing, try to start again in a small way and make sure you involve your kids, that way you may well plant in their minds that growing stuff is a lifestyle worth following.
That's the reason I do what I do, because that's how we lived when I was a child.

[Green Aura]

Hi Helen, lovely to see you. Still struggling along here. Self-sufficientish in this house changes depending on what is needed. We've been doing a lot of renovating that had been on hold for a few years, so gardening etc has had to take a distinctly back seat (maybe that should be distantly!).

I'm still, pretty much living the dream though - certainly better than the 9-5 in Manchester. I couldn't imagine going back to anything like that lifestyle.

[Helsbells]

Thanks for replying Flo, Tony and Maggie,

I still do odd bits here and there, growing potatoes seems to have become a yearly tradition and we have an apple tree which meets our needs for a couple of months of the year. I do most cooking from scratch and try to get the children involved in everything, (we home educate so child involvements is unavoidable!)
I feel like I want to get back into being a bit more ish, but still feeling like I am drowning in the overwhelm of 3 small children, like you say you can just do what you can do.
x

[Flo]

Helen - the children will grow up one day. But yes I do remember the days of small children. Think they were easier small than teens mind

[Green Aura]

Sound to me like you're a lot more Ish than most folks, Helen, and you'll certainly be busy enough with 3 kids.