Category: self-sufficiency
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Survivalist practice: Life without running water
On Monday a thin sheet of paper was shoved through the letterbox. It said the council were doing work on our street’s fire hydrants and the water to the street would be turned off from 9:30am to 4pm Wednesday. At first I was irritated but then I thought, I have all these systems in place […]
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How self-sufficient are you? Skills check
Food, water, shelter, clothing and hygiene are our basic needs. Some people say “sleep” or “warmth” instead of shelter but I’d argue both are met by a shelter. I mean, even clothing is debatable, especially if you’re a naturist! To be self-sufficient in SHTF or in life as it is at the moment, where we […]
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Misadventure: How I became a chemistry teacher
I have no science A-levels, no science degree and, until 2011, no real interest in, or understanding of science. I scraped 2 Cs in GCSE Double Science at school. I am also a qualified chemistry teacher. Legally, in England, I can teach up to A-level science. And I don’t, because I really shouldn’t. The fact […]
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How to slash your energy bill: 30 easy ideas to save money on electricity and gas
Electricity and gas prices are soaring but there are ways to reduce your electric and gas bills. Today, energy prices went up in the UK. In May, the same is happening in Ireland. Many families who are living on or close to the poverty line face being thrown into destitution. Here are some ways you […]
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Dishwasher full of weird red stuff? Fix it!
Two years ago, I was staying with some friends who, incidentally, had our old dishwasher. It was a cheap slimline model which perfectly suited my husband and I as a couple with no kids (I think these days I’d go for a full-size model as we now cook with more plates and bigger pans). I […]
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40 things you can clean in a dishwasher
Got a dishwasher? Did you ever think its powerful cleaning capabilities could be used on other things than plates, cups and pots? Here are 40 things you can clean in a dishwasher: Bin lids Put them on the bottom shelf at the highest temperature for maximum cleaning. Small plastic rubbish bins If you have those […]
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A beautiful peacock butterfly came to visit
Following on from my posts about attracting pollinators to the garden and which plants are good for pollinators, my buddleja has been sitting outside the patio doors for the last couple of weeks waiting to be placed in its final spot (once the flowerbed has actually been laid) and we’ve had two lovely flying visitors! […]