Easy steps to become more self-sufficient

Before getting on with this post I would like to mention that today is our cockatiel Ira's 6th birthday! So, happy birthday Ira-bird!

Self sufficiency is a great way to save money, be happier and help the environment. Many think it's not possible to follow this lifestyle because they don't have several acres of land. However, anyone can follow this lifestyle to some extent... Here are my tips!

Radiator foil- Wrap cardboard in tin foil and place behind your radiator to reflect heat into a room.
Turn your heating down- Even turning your heating down one degree can result in significant energy savings. And a colder house is healthier for you!
Save electricity- Turn lights and devices off when you are not using them.
Green cosmetics and cleaners- common cosmetics and cleaners are full of hazardous substances that harm you and the planet. You can substitute most of these things for Castile soap (naissance is palm oil free and organic). It's totally natural and actually quite cheap! I am planning to write more about homemade cosmetics and cleaners on this blog, so keep an eye out!
Cleaning cloths- Rather than using single-use paper towels, why not make yourself some reusable cleaning cloths? I like to make cleaning cloths from the Greenfibres hemp pique fabric; all you do is cut a square and hem the edges. Yes this fabric is expensive but bear in mind it could last for 10-30 years! To clean, simply pop the dirty cloths in with your normal washing. There are some instances where you will still need to use paper but this reduces your consumption.
Hand-me-down clothes- If you have several children, why not pass your older children's clothes down to your younger children?
Ditch the makeup- makeup is really expensive, time-consuming and full of creepy ingredients like carbon black (coal tar) and micro plastics. You look prettier as your natural self!
Eat out less- Eating out costs lots of money, is usually not very heathy and you use fuel driving there. Takeaways have the same impact. Why not have a home-cooked meal instead?
Composting- Compost your fruit and vegetable scraps so you can reduce waste in landfills and save money on bagged compost!
Grow mushrooms- Mushrooms are a great crop that tolerates lots of shade. You can grow them on fresh logs in the spring with plug spawn (they're not a plant). Gourmet woodland mushrooms sell a range of spawn.
Grow herbs- herbs are very easy plants to grow but very expensive to buy from a supermarket. Growing herbs at home means you can flavour your food for less and benefit from their medicinal properties.
Grow perennial vegetables- see below.
Grow an edible butler sink- Butler sinks can be easily found second-hand. Their large size, glazing and pale colour make these sinks perfect for retaining moisture as a planter. And being a planter, you can put them over paving. Plus, edible plants can still be beautiful!
Plant a fruit or nut tree- You can buy bare-root organic fruit or nut trees. plant them in the winter and they should be fairly established come springtime.
Forage- This one can be a little risky but very handy once you know what you're doing. Start with easy to identify plants and maybe take a course.
Get some poultry- This one is not an 'easy step' but worth mentioning. Poultry are by far the best livestock to keep as you do not need a licence for them and you can keep them in a smaller space. For beginners I recommend ducks as they are very hardy and simpler to look after than chickens (but they do get everything wet!). A medium sized garden is enough space for around 3 standard sized chickens, 6 bantam chickens, 2 ducks or around 10-15 quails (in a secure movable pen) to live without turning everything to mud. You can make a coop out of upcycled materials (chickens need a roost). However make sure everything is predator secure. What's better than having pets that make you breakfast?