The Power of "Self-Sufficiency"

The title of this post probably makes it sound a lot different than my intent.

First and foremost, I believe that depending on God is the best way to live and will result in a better quality of life.

I also believe that people should not be afraid to ask others for help when it is appropriate.  Too many suffer in silence because they can't let go of their pride.

What I want to discuss is the power of learning to do things yourself.  Learning new skills, sometimes doing things the "hard way" rather than taking shortcuts, etc.  In many cases, doing things yourself (and I don't mean the typical "DIY" trend necessarily) will help you:
1. save money
2.cause you to appreciate technology and those who came before us and
3. can help you lead a healthier lifestyle as well.

Take cooking, for instance. Some of my most favorite recipes call for ingredients I define as "the easy way out".  They might be convenience foods, but often times they are a less healthy option and perhaps also more expensive.  Some examples are "a frozen bag of onion/bell pepper mix" or a "block of cheese product".  So, my three points above applied to the bell pepper/onion example:

1. I can save money by buying fresh bell peppers and onions and chop and freeze them myself, or modify the recipe slightly to accommodate the use of the fresh ingredients versus frozen.  A small bag of this mix can cost anywhere from a dollar to two or three dollars depending on size and brand, and if it's on sale.  Green bell peppers can be found anywhere from 50 cents to a dollar, other colors at $1-1.50, and yellow onions are usually no more than $1/lb.  For a green and a red pepper and one onion, that's an estimated cost of $3. That seems to match the high-end cost of the frozen bag BUT--You won't need 100% of those ingredients for one meal usually (and if you do, you'd likely need 2 of those frozen bags) so you can save them for another meal.

2. If I use the frozen bag, all I have to do is grab it from the freezer and dump it in. Quick and easy.  While I definitely appreciate the opportunity to take a short cut, I place more value in hard work and the skills I learn in the kitchen by using fresh vegetables.  I've learned how to cut onions and peppers efficiently, that's for sure. Although I still struggle with those darn watering eyes! :/ Mine are stubborn and resilient to efforts against it.  When I have kids, I want to be able to teach them how to chop up veggies, rather than display the "lazy" way of frozen, bagged-everything being thrown into a pot.  I think it's valuable for skills to be transferred across generations--even when there's an easier alternative available (here's lookin' at you, graphing calculators!)

3. When you buy a bag of frozen-something, you don't necessarily know what might be added, what the process of freezing/bagging did to the vegetables, etc.  I would say it's generally always healthier to use fresh produce over frozen or canned.  This gives you a bit more control over what you put in your body and can help you live a healthier, happier, longer life. :)

Perhaps I can write more descriptive blog posts about other ways this applies, otherwise this post will be 10 chapters long. :P  Other applications include making your own home cleaners/stain removers/etc, more cooking like making your own cheese sauce etc, taking care of your own vehicle, on and on and on.

Readers, let me know if these type of posts might interest you!