Grocery prices have risen sharply in 2022 due to inflation, and this upwards price trend doesn’t look to be stopping any time soon. Compounded by shortages due to the pandemic and localised extreme weather events, fresh produce prices in particular are higher than ever. We’ve all seen the $12 lettuces headline, but luckily as gardeners
The rapidly rising price of food, especially fresh produce, isn’t news to any of us these days. Basic living is getting tougher everywhere: inflation is up, interest rates are higher, and supply chains are stretched to breaking point. Being scared won’t help, because it doesn’t lead us to safety or rational thought. But there are
3 days ago, on 18th February at 6 pm, I got a text message from Origin Energy our electricity provider/retailer notifying me that our meter would be read two days either side of 20th February. Simple mathematics shows that this message was at least 12 hours late, to begin with… Anyway, the reason energy companies
Like many Australians, I was shocked to hear the news about the Australian Cricket Team being caught redhanded tampering with the red ball. One can excuse a sledging incident that got a little out of hand or a rash outburst done in frustration in the moment of battle on the cricket ground; however, to unnecessarily
As Labor and Liberal Parties shadow-box between themselves like the worst fake WWE show imagined, Australia's energy woes are growing on steroids with prices for electricity doubling in just the past decade. Australians now pay 4 times more than households in the USA for electricity. The rising cost of energy has reached a point where
Introduction I know this save money by growing your own food subject has been covered ad nauseam over the past two decades; however, I have never written about the subject and mixed it with politics and today with the squeeze on peoples incomes all around the world becoming alarming I think both subjects could mix
Here I go getting political again… Protest movements around the world are rising like a phoenix song from the sixties. The times they are a changing – I can feel it too. Recently, groups like Occupy LA http://occupylosangeles.org/ have been camping out and “occupying” locations around Los Angeles associated with the wealthy, big corporations and stock
I have a black hen who loves to come and visit me. She's a smart girl and definitely the smartest chicken out of all my hens and I say this because she's the only one (out of 15) that deliberately finds a way under my temporary fencing only to navigate 60 metres up to the
Time-poor Many of us now live in a “time-poor” society and freeing up time or not wasting it is a business in itself these days with entrepreneurs cashing in on providing services and gadgets to save us a miserable minute. And, it isn't cheap either to free-up time but don't despair, because I've found a
Introduction This article was edited in April 2015 In this post, I want to introduce the readers of SSM to a tennis mate of mine Brett Adams who is the Queensland State Manager of Green and Gold Solar, which is an Australian national solar installation company. Brett has been kind enough to answer a number of
In my last solar article: 20 Solar Questions Answered (when I asked 20 questions from Brett the QLD State Manager of Green and Gold Solar here in Australia), I concluded by stating not to be surprised if in 6 months to read about my own solar installation. Well, I’m pleased to announce that’s exactly what
Whether you're looking to install your own PV system or just interested in solar energy and systems then this article is for you. From start to finish I have detailed my whole solar installation experience including selecting an installer; equipment used; step-by-step installation coverage (with images); and any problems I, or the installation crew came across. So my previous
Often people who grow their own produce, whether plants or animals, are considered to be doing so to save money, eat chemical free food, grow what they can’t buy, or as a hobby to help stay fit and healthy. However, few consider home grown food production (like a backyard vegetable garden) as a way to
I like to try and keep Self Sufficient Me global if I can but please entertain me as I talk domestic for most of this post (what's happening here may well happen in your part of the world too – I'd be interested to know if it is…). In Australia, specifically in Queensland, the rising
Modern society has many ways to make us feel economically inadequate. There are pressures arising from numerous sectors demanding more and more slices of our income pie. Most people could be forgiven for thinking the days of fair wages and a reasonable cost of living are over – and they may well be correct (for
Often the construction of a new supermarket in an area is perceived to be a sign of progress and opportunity but this is not always the case, in fact, a new retail giant in an area can mean pure evil and the death of a community as we know it. Supermarkets are handy for the
One of the biggest scams to hit modern society is the introduction of self-service checkouts at our major retail supermarkets. Supermarkets would rather pay theft and shoplifting costs than wages and that’s the bottom line! Today, I lined up behind one of only two manned checkouts (out of about 20) at my local Woolworths supermarket;
Lots of people complain about the cost of living (I’m one of them) but many don’t do much about it (I’m not one of them). The media says that grocery prices have actually reduced over the past 12 months or so; however, I don’t see much evidence to back this claim up. And, the media
Tim’s the boy from the bush and he not back in town because he hates it… Well, maybe not town but he definitely hates the city and every one of those Claytons greenie, soft skinned, whinging, people who live in it (especially the politicians). Nup, Tim has time on his hands but none for those
Incumbent governments worldwide are under increasing threat of becoming one term wonders due to the desperation and anger of struggling families trying to meet their ever rising household bills. People are venting their frustration at the ballot box and this in turn is making the overall situation worse economically due to the instability constantly changing
Self Sufficient Me is a blog about self-sustainment by growing our own produce (plant/animal), and self-fulfilment by looking after our health (physical/mental) through exercise and slowing life down a little.
