101 simple tips to be selfsufficientish

[Andy Hamilton]

1. Grow herbs on your kitchen windowsill.

[the.fee.fairy]

2. seed save from simple things like peppers/chillis/squash and grow them.
3. re-use things like margarine tubs/loo rolls/bottles for the above.

[Jerseymum]

4 - Wash out milk cartons/orange juice cartons and use to freeze soup.
Sarah

[Annpan]

5. Borrow books from your local library to learn new talents
6. learn how to sew, and renovate old clothes or fabric
7. learn how to knit, and renovate old clothes.
8. Pick some wild berries and make a pie
9. Pick wild berries and make some Jam

[Wombat]

10. Make (and use) a "no-tech" solar oven.

nev

[Millymollymandy]

11. Don't leave electric appliances on standby
12. Have a shower instead of a bath
13. Buy or make as many water butts as you can
14. Join Freecycle
15. Never say no to a pallet because they come in sooooooo useful for a multitude of things!

[Wombat]

15. Never say no to a pallet

How can you tell when they're listening?

Nev

[Karen_D]

16. Compost - whether you have a high tech bin, a pretty one disguised as a bee hive or just pile stuff up and wait.
17. Start a list of which foods are in season - be it to buy, grow or forage. Why buy out of season strawberries when blackberries are free in the lane?
18 Cancel junk mail via http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/ cut down on the waste paper and fuel used to transport it.

[Thomzo]

19. Learn to cook. Then you can cook healthy meals using the herbs you are growing on your windowsill. Going to an cookery evening class is a great way to meet new people.

20. Only fill the kettle with just enough water for your needs. Boiling too much water wastes electricity.

21. If you use a dishwasher don't put it on until it's completely full. Running a half empty dishwasher wastes water and electricity.

22. Use the smallest pots and pans possible so that they take up less space in your dishwasher. Consider whisking eggs or mixing sauces in a mug instead of a bowl.

23. Use white vinegar instead of fabric conditioner.

24. If you have a sunny south facing window then you can grow citrus fruits.

25. Grow tomatoes in a pot on the windowsill.

26. Use olive oil as a hair treatment instead of expensive chemical-filled conditioners.

27. Make your own greetings cards from recycled junk mail.

Zoe

[Cornelian]

28. Experience that simple (but life changing) epiphany that you don't actually need to depend on others (i.e. stores) for your food.

[Shirley]

29. Buy local
30. share the load - get together with like minded friends and swap excess seedlings etc

[Shirley]

31. Join that fantastic forum www.selfsufficientish.com and make that first post.... come out of lurkdom and say hello :)

[red]

32 take bags with you when you go to the shops, and say no to their offer of (yet another) plastic bag

33 don't use bin bags

34 get changed out of your smart/office clothes and into gardening/work clothes when you get home, wear your scruffy clothes as long as you can, and save on laundry

[pskipper]

35 Apply for an allotment.

36 Check your local college prospectus for courses (wiltshire college does a small-holders course)

37 Do it one step at a time, breaking habits and changing the way you live can't be done in one day.

[the.fee.fairy]

38. Go to boot sales/Charity shops to look for things that you need/books to help you.