Category Archives: Self-Reliance

Articles, commentary, and information on becoming more self reliant.

Be a good neighbor

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I read about this situation on the American Preppers Network site. A woman is growing an organic garden in her front yard and has run afoul of her HOA. I know I should be shocked, upset, outraged, etc., but you see, I’m the president of my HOA and have a different perspective.

HOA’s have rules, and everyone is supposed to receive a copy of those rules when they move in. They are responsible for reading and obeying the rules. The HOA is responsible for enforcing them. If you find the rules prohibitive, don’t buy a house there.

Now don’t get me wrong. My HOA is not nearly so restrictive. And I’m in the process of working to change the rules where they are. For example, when our neighborhood was built nearly twenty years ago they had rules against xeriscaping. Times have changed, and I think we need to allow xeric landscaping now.

But in changing the rules I have to consider all the angles. Let’s face it, some xeriscaping can look pretty trashy if not done correctly or maintained well. I don’t want someone saying “Hey, weeds are natural and drought-resistant. I’ll just let my yard go to weeds.” When we do change the rule we have to make a clear, enforceable standard about what we will accept.

I, obviously, am all in favor of self reliance and making your own property produce as much as you can. As HOA president I do my best to be supportive of that. I haven’t clamped down on the people who are keeping chickens, though the CC&Rs clearly forbid it, because they are out of sight, and are not causing a nuisance.

But at the same time, if you live in an HOA it’s your responsibility to know what the rules are and to live by them. If you don’t like the rules then let your HOA know. See if they can be changed. Work with your HOA to find ways to satisfy the rules (screening things with strategic landscaping can go a long way) and still make things work for you.

But in the end, if you can’t, perhaps you should move to someplace more accommodating of your lifestyle. If I were to decide that I needed to raise a few sheep as part of my self reliance program I wouldn’t dream of just getting them and waiting for the HOA to complain. It’s clearly against the rules. I would move someplace where it’s okay.

You see, I’ve seen the other side of things, too. We used to live in a neighborhood where there was no HOA. The duplex across the street was a rental, and the landlord lived in another town and didn’t care. The weeds and grass were seldom less than a foot high, and usually brown. Those weeds would blow seeds into our yard, and it was a constant battle to keep them out.

Down the street lived a man who kept his Vegas-style Christmas light display up and turned on year-round. Down the other way was a house where they hung a 6-foot inflatable pterodactyl from a tree branch hanging over the road. The last time I drove through the old neighborhood I saw they had also added a metal rocket as tall as the house to the front yard.

Certainly there are worse neighborhoods, but when people see that sort of thing they can be hesitant to move in. Would-be sellers have to drop their asking price to entice someone to buy, and the lower it goes the more likely the buyer will also be someone who doesn’t care about how their own property looks. Pretty soon property values in the entire neighborhood are dropping.

Yes, I’m probably venting a bit here. The attitudes expressed in the comments on the APN site were rather frustrating, and decidedly anti-HOA. I know some HOAs are over the top. But as the volunteer president of an HOA who continually feels caught between the “let it all rot” crowd and the “not one inch out of line” crowd, I see a definite need for balance–and for some external pressures to put in at least a minimal effort to keep one’s place looking acceptable.

So go ahead and use your land to the fullest, but please be aware of the rules and do your best to operate within them. You never know when you’ll need your neighbors. It’s best to be a good neighbor yourself. If more people would be, we wouldn’t need HOAs.

Building professional networks.

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My brother Dan has begun writing a series of posts about developing professional networks, starting with making a case for building networks.

I started with my closest friends, because I knew they wouldn’t say ‘no’ to helping me. I then followed up with their friends. Slowly, over the course of three months, I built the network I should have been building all along. After 125+ networking interviews, I was offered a job that was created for me and for which I was the only applicant.

My brother is one of the friendliest, most outgoing people I know, and even he finds networking difficult. I look forward to his tips for making networking manageable.

Where have I been?

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It’s been awhile since I posted. I’ve meant to post more often, but between being very busy trying to get a business off the ground and feeling as if I have very little to add on the subject or self reliance, I’ve not been able to do it.

You see, last autumn a wonderful thing happened. My business partner and I found a third partner who had a brother-in-law willing to invest in us. After putting together a business plan and projections, we decided to go ahead with opening a store–something we had not thought possible for many more years yet. We’ve been open for coming up on five months now, and we’re starting to break even.

The trouble is, none of us are making very much yet. Meanwhile I’ve been watching the balance in my bank account drop with growing concern. I’ve come to the conclusion that I may have to leave the business for at least a time and go find a job that can stop the bank account hemorrhage, perhaps even start it building up again. Since jobs are still not easy to come by, I’d better start now before we really get in a tight spot.

Meanwhile, given my current circumstances, I’ve not felt very self reliant. I’ve had a hard time convincing myself that I have anything to teach others right now when I’m largely just fighting to pay the bills. Yes, our fiscal discipline back when I had a good job as served us well and allowed us to go nearly two years without any significant income. But I can’t really lecture others on building up their food storage when I’m using up mine.

Or perhaps I’m just being too hard on myself. Certainly I’m verifying the truth of what I’ve been promoting. Had we not been somewhat self reliant things would have been worse–much worse.

But in any case, I need to get back to writing this blog. I was recently approached by someone wanting to do some guest posting, and I’m currently negotiating with them as to what form that will take. But I can’t exactly ask them to post when I’m not doing anything, can I? So I’m coming back. It just may take me a little while to figure out what I can say.

Emergency preparedness for your pet

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Many people know about 72-hour kits and have them for themselves and their family in case of an emergency evacuation. But what about your pet? Are you prepared to take care of your pet if you are forced to leave your home for several days? They need an emergency evacuation kit as well. Some things to consider:

– Food: This is most obvious, and easily arranged. Ziploc bags with enough food for several days can be prepared quite easily.
– Bathroom: This can be a little more difficult to manage, but there are a few options.
– Dogs: Keep a good supply of plastic bags (grocery bags or smaller-size garbage bags) handy to serve as “pooper scoopers”. Additionally or alternately, a stack of old newspapers can also come in handy.
– Cats: A low box with the top removed, or a plastic paint roller tray, filled with an inch or two of litter can work in a pinch. Keep the litter in a ziplock bag right along with the container and you’re ready to go.
– Medicine: If you pet takes any regular medicine or other treatments, keep a small supply set aside for emergencies.
– Comfort items: Retired toys or blankets that they are familiar with can help them feel more at home in unfamiliar surroundings and give them something to do.
– Shelter: Keep a pet carrier of the appropriate (or larger) size handy to grab if you need to evacuate. Most pets deal better with unfamiliar situations or places when confined in a familiar carrier. Other people where you evacuate will also appreciate you keeping your pet controlled.
– Spare leash: Keep a leash handy for taking your pet for walks when permitted.

Your pet is like one of your family, yet can far too often be overlooked when making emergency preparedness plans. Take some time to make sure their needs are accounted for as well, and everyone will be much happier.

Survival gardening

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Our local garden columnist recently recommended a new book by writer, gardener, and scientist Carol Deppe, entitled “The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times”. I have not had a chance to read this book yet (its a bit more than I can afford both money- and time-wise right now), but the review raises some rather interesting points.

The book makes mention of five specific crops needed for health and survival: potatoes, corn, beans, squash, and eggs. These foods are not included in the current “super-food” craze, but there is a reason they are considered staples. You can eat quite well for quite a long time on just these foods.

More importantly, the book discusses how to collect and use seeds, as it won’t be easy to obtain new seeds during a long-term period of economic instability. Most seeds used today are hybrids, and will not likely continue to breed true under uncontrolled garden conditions. Any experienced gardener knows that seeds will only keep reliably for a few years, so new sources of seeds are necessary for long-term sustainability. The book covers other survival contingencies as well, such as what foods store well in the absence of refrigeration.

I plan to get a copy of this book someday, as it sounds like a good source of information and should give one lots to think about. In the mean time, has anyone else out there read this book? Would you be willing to do a guest post book review on it? Contact me in the comments or by email at thom@thomstratton.com.

Break goals down to make them manageable

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Every new year many of us make resolutions for the year. You may even be considering some self reliance related resolutions. May I recommend one simple trick for increasing your chances of success?

I find it helps to break goals down. If, for example, my resolution or goal for the year is to add to my food storage I may want to break it down into smaller components, such as:

  • January: Store 50 gallons of drinking water
  • February: Store 200 lbs. of wheat
  • March: Buy wheat grinder
  • April: Store 200 lbs. of oats

…and so on. This is certainly much more detailed–and therefore more achievable–than “Add to my food storage”. But we can–and should–take it farther. For example, just taking January’s goal, we can break it down further into steps:

  1. Research water storage containers
  2. Select container(s) to hold 50 gallons
  3. Designate and clear a storage location
  4. Place and fill containers
  5. Research rotation schedules for water
  6. Implement rotation plan

Now we’ve got a series of steps, most of which could be accomplished in an hour or less. When you find yourself with some time during January you know what you need to do and where to start instead of fumbling around thinking, “Okay, I need to add to my food storage. Should I go buy some flour? Or do I need honey first?” In the latter circumstance you’ll likely talk yourself out of doing anything, but instead you can look at your goal sheet and decide, “I’ve got half an hour. Let’s go research water storage containers online”. Boom! You’re off, and when you’re done you will have accomplished something important.

Of course it could be that you need to break your steps down further. In step 2, for example, you may decide you need to first take a look at potential storage sites in your house to see if you can get by with one large container or if you’ll need a number of smaller containers that can fit into smaller spaces. You may decide you need to do research to see if 50 gallons will be sufficient. Break down each task on your list until you feel comfortable that the step is small enough and clear enough so that you can do it in an hour or less without first fumbling around trying to figure out what you need to do.

If you’re anything like me, ambiguity is the bane of productivity. If I don’t know exactly what to do next toward a given goal I’ll put it off or skip over it to pursue something else that I can accomplish more easily. A little planning up front can make all the difference in reaching your goals. Try it! Today!

Practical Christmas gifts

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When I moved out on my own my parents gave me a going-away present; a basic tool kit, with a small hammer, tape measure, pliers, box knife, and a adjustable screwdriver. Those simple tools saw a lot of use. Though in the years since then my tool collection has grown considerably and I’ve gone through several larger toolboxes (and still don’t have one big enough), I still have some of those original tools. They were a godsend on many occasions.

I also picked up for myself a basic car safety kit. It’s contents have long since been scattered to the four winds, but I believe it included jumper cables, a tire pressure gauge, a small first aid kit, and some reflective hazard markers. I know the jumper cables at least came in handy–until I loaned them to someone and never saw them again.

I believe parents should consider giving one or both of these simple kits to their grown or near-grown kids. More importantly, they should make sure they know how to use each item in them.

I remember a time in college (stop me if I’ve told this story before) when our church group was heading from one activity to another. Along the way I noticed my tire had gone flat, so I pulled off into a nearby parking lot to change it. Pretty soon a fair number of girls from the group had stopped–initially to see if I was okay, and before long to watch me work. None of them had ever seen someone change a tire before and wanted to see how it was done.

As ego-boosting as that was for me, I can’t help but think that some fathers had been negligent in their duty. Possibly even more important than teaching their sons to change a tire would be teaching their daughters. The last thing I’ve ever want for my daughter, at any age, is for her to be stuck on the side of the road somewhere, all alone, unable to change a flat tire. As soon as she’s old enough to drive I intend to teach her that and a few other basic car repair/maintenance tasks.

And yes, I’ll teach my sons, too. If they’re anything like their dad, the automotive tinkering gene is recessive, and such things won’t just come naturally. They’ll need to know how to check the oil, jump the battery, check air pressure, etc. And they’ll need to know where the tool and emergency kits are in each vehicle. And when they do leave home, it’ll be with tool kits of their own.

Emergency dental care

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Does your dentist always send you home with a free toothbrush, a sample tube of toothpaste, and a sample spool of dental floss after each checkup like mine? What do you do with them? If you’re just throwing them away, make I recommend you put them into your emergency evacuation (72-hour) kit? If you ever need to evacuate for a time you’ll have brand new items, usually with more than enough of each to get you through the crisis. And it’s free (sort of)!

The lure of "bulk"

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As a general rule, buying bulk is a good way to save money. But one has to be careful. Take for example my recent toilet paper shopping for my business. We have a regular catalog for a business supplies, so I first looked there. We could buy TP by the case, getting a case of 96 rolls for about $50. Sounds good.

But then I compared it with our household brand. We get that stuff in packs of 24 rolls for about $4.80. That’s about 20 cents compared to about 50 cents in the bulk case. Not so great. But then I remembered that there are different sizes of rolls. I quickly checked the stuff we use at home, and it worked out to 88 square feet per roll. Armed with that information I checked the bulk stuff again. They didn’t give any figures on square footage.

Comparing apples and oranges–the bane of bargain shopping.

Fortunately they did list sheets per roll, and so did our household brand. It turns out the bulk stuff has about 500 sheets per roll, whereas the household stuff only has about 175. Simple math reveals that with the bulk stuff you’re paying about .112 cents per sheet, where the household TP comes in at .114 cents per sheet. Woo. Big difference. You’re not really saving much going bulk in this case.

Now the supply catalog gives even bigger discounts the more cases you buy, but we’re a small business. It’ll probably take us a year to use up the entire case. It’s worth it to always have some on hand–we can’t exactly close the shop while we run to the store for more TP–but really, it’s not that much of a savings.

Far too often that’s how it is buying bulk. Rather than really providing savings, they will mask information to make it only look like you’re getting more for your money. They make it as hard to compare with the “regular” quantities as they can. You may save some money, but you have to buy a lot before you really start to see any significant savings.

Do your homework and your math. There are real deals out there. But now that bulk is big business, it’s still very much “Let the buyer beware.”

Friends don’t let friends retire broke

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The title of this post is the slogan of my financial adviser. I’ve had a financial adviser for close to ten years now, and for me it’s a good thing. I won’t go so far as to say everyone needs a financial adviser, though. Like most things, that really depends. But what you can’t afford to do is not plan for your financial future at all. Even if you can’t currently afford to save, you really should have a plan to get to where you can.

With that in mind, you have two options in planning for your financial future. You can work with a financial adviser, or you can do it yourself. Doing it yourself is possible, if you’re willing to do the legwork and homework. I tried it for about a year while my first financial adviser forgot I was still a client. I went to MotleyFool.com like my brother recommended and read up on their approach. And I tried it for awhile using fake money.

What I found is that I lack both the patience and cool-headed-ness necessary to be my own financial adviser. I manage my money pretty well, but I don’t do so well at researching stocks and funds (which is unusual for me–I’m a professional researcher), and I do terribly at thinking long-term in my investing. If something starts to do poorly I start to panic.

So in my case a financial adviser is necessary. And I found him. Or rather he found me. Paul was going door to door, as required by the company he works for, and spoke with my wife. Knowing that I’m interested in such things she recommended he call sometime when I was home. He called, but it was a bad time and I put him off. It was bad timing the next two or three times as well. But he persisted and that alone, if nothing else, convinced me he might be a good replacement for my previous adviser, who I hadn’t heard from in over a year. Anyone willing to try that many times for a chance to talk with me would probably not let me sit so long without contact once a customer.

And Paul has been great. His company’s investing style matches my own. He knows his stuff, and has been conscientious about not racking up unnecessary fees. He took time to find out what my life goals are and, without being judgmental, devised a strategy to help us get there. He encouraged us to save as much as we could, while leaving money for financial difficulties.

During my extended unemployment is where he has shown the most. I’ve not been able to save anything during this time, obviously. I can’t be making him much money. But he’s been there, regularly checking in to keep tabs on our situation, help us find the best way to draw on our savings when necessary, and to offer suggestions and encouragement. He’s even offered to put in a recommendation for me if I decided to apply with his company–which I have seriously considered, seeing as I love their approach, products, and personnel so much.

I can’t wait to get back into the black income-wise and start saving again. But in the mean time, I rest a little more comfortably knowing that I’ve got Paul on my side. Any money he’s made off me he’s earned in spades.

As I’ve said, not everyone needs a financial adviser. But unless you have the discipline and the know-how, you may want to consider it.