Here's a sneak preview from next week's Dollar Stretcher of an article that I found interesting: Self Sufficiency

I had a hard time getting past the first paragraph, because I found some things to disagree with. Bet you can't figure out what they were!  

Past that, he makes three suggestions that we kick around here often, but the first part of the article is... well, it's interesting. 

Pat:

I had a hard time getting past the first paragraph, because I found some things to disagree with

You believe people should put some funds into savings then take care of the expenses?

You disagree on how many times the average person shops and eats out?

Brandy:

You believe people should put some funds into savings then take care of the expenses?

You disagree on how many times the average person shops and eats out?

Good guesses.

Toni B.:

That's quite a food budget to start with. I think its written for a narrow audience of folks who've never thought about the cost behind things.

It seemed like an awful lot to spend on food for one person to me, too. 

 I have to agree,  it seems to be written for those who have not had to or desired to cut back on expenses.  

I know I don't spend that much - I buy $125/month in King Sooper's gift cards (a fundraiser that is a good budget system), and spend perhaps another $75/month at Costco - but those numbers include toiletries and paper goods.   And I definitely don't eat out that often.

Pat:

It seemed like an awful lot to spend on food for one person to me, too. 

It did say average person. I took that to mean, not very frugal person.  

I have shopped with some not entirely frugal people and they do spend that much for one or two people if not more actually. It's a bit frightening to see what they toss into the cart with little regard for pricing or thought to more frugal options.

 I think the gardening suggestion is extremely oversimplified also.  Sure you can turn over a shovelful of dirt and throw in some seeds, but if you really want to get a good yielding garden you have to put more effort into than that. 

His food expense is way out of line for one person, unless he regularly shops at a high end market.  If you demand for yourself only the very best of groceries, like expensive imported beef and expensive organic products, for example, you are going to have a high grocery bill.

Home canning takes alot of work, requires special, though not necessarily expensive equipment, and the room to store the canned food and the equipment when it is not being used. Pressure canners are large and don't always fit on a stove. My stove would not accomodate one because it has a microwave attached above. If you can get a good yield from a home garden or can find good produce cheap enough, and you enjoy spending your spare time in the kitchen, then canning is a good endeavor.

Edey 

I have to agree. That's an awful lot to spend. And his few suggestions - garden, skip Starbucks, make your own bread, seem a bit off, since we have to do so much more than that. And yes, a garden is not just dirt and seeds, it's planning, work, care of plants and soil.

I don't see skipping Starbucks as an important part of self-sufficiency. Nor would I define self-sufficency as not having others do for you what you could do yourself. No one in this world can be entirely self-sufficent, I think., unless she leads a Thoreau existence.

II think the writer could perhaps use some education on this subject.