Our ancestors survived without all the modern conveniences that we have today. While they are nice to have could you survive without them? Most of them are pretty easy to learn with a little patience and knowledge, while some are more time-consuming, they are all good skills to have even if you only learn a few you will be surprised at how much you will start to use them in everyday life and how much money they can save you. Find someone to learn from or go to u-tube.

Cooking from scratch– (and no Hamburger helper is not considered from scratch ) learn to make your own bread, pasta, cheese, Sauces, etc. all those frozen meals had to made by someone.

Canning– Can your own food including your meat that way you are not dependant on freezers or the grocery stores. You can also can your own dog and cat food.

Dehydrating Food– dried foods will keep a very long time and are easy to transport. .They also take up less room to store.

Sewing– Can you make your own clothes or at least mend what you have. Kids’ clothes are easy to make and can save you a ton. Being able to mend and alter your clothes not only saves money but extends the life of your clothes.

Soap making-Make your own soap (bath, shampoo, laundry, and dish soap.). Have you seen how expensive it is to buy homemade soaps? They are easy to make and you can make them with the scents that you like plus you can make your laundry, dish, bath, shampoo soap out of your homemade soap.

How to Butcher your own meat – Beef, pigs, chickens, deer, and rabbits. Knowing how to dress out your meat means you can utilize all your meat.and reduce the waste ( there is meat wasted when having someone else process your meat).

Tan your own hides -be able to utilize the skins of the animals you butcher. This is one thing we do not know how to do that I really want to learn We do have a book that explains in detail how to do this though.

Repairs in your home- know how to make minor repairs to your home. Also, try to have books on hand that show step by step instructions to help with things you are not sure about.

Spin your own yarn-make your own yarn for sweaters, rugs, and blankets. You can make yarn out of a lot of different things besides sheep wool, such as dog hair, dryer lint, cotton, you can even spin your own hair. 

Crocheting or knitting– You can make your own socks, sweaters, blankets, hats, etc.

Grow a Garden-Learn how to grow your own food. Be sure to grow enough to can. Maybe even grow extra to sell or use as barter. Try to add a few new things every year.

Forging-Know how to forage for things in the wild (Herbs, Berries, fruit etc.) Know what grows in your area and where to find it.

Herbal Remedies-know your local plant and herbs and how to use them for medical uses. Grow what you can in your garden. You may not be able to get to a doctor or get over the counter meds.

Smoking your own meat– learn to smoke your meat (Bacon ham pork roast).

Make Cheese- We eat a lot of cheese I can’t imagine not having any. There are a lot of cheeses you can make with store-bought milk. Learn how it is cheaper to make your own than to buy from the store.

How to cook on a wood stove– If you have a wood stove learn to cook on it( We don’t have a wood cookstove but I do cook on my wood stove as I’m heating the house.

Candle Making– Be able to make your own candles out of beeswax, or plain wax, meltdown leftovers from old candles. You can also make candles from lard or tallow using the strings from cotton mops Go here to see how. Also, learn how to make oil lamps from vegetable oil.

Basic Machnicing -Be able to work on your small engines so you don’t have to replace or pay someone to fix them for you. Know how to do upkeep on them to make them last longer

Basic Electrical– Know how to change a switch or just some of the basic household repairs.

Quilting -Be able to make blankets from your fabric scraps and old clothing.

Wine and Beer Making-Great barter item

Hunting & fishing-Know how to hunt deer, rabbit, elk, and whatever your area offers and be able to fish if you have a lake or river nearby. Also, know how to dress out and take care of the meat yourself.

Cut Hair– Learn how to cut your kid’s and your husband’s hair.

Reloading– being able to reload your own ammo and having the supplies to do so.

Whatever you do, do something. If you only do a few of these things at least you will be ahead of the game. This may give you a skill that you can use to barter with. I don’t know what is going to happen to our country I wish it would pick up and get back to normal but all the indicators are pointing in the other way. We don’t know what lies ahead and we cannot trust the mainstream media. We have to be prepared to be able to take care of ourselves and our families should the hard times hit. Don’t be caught unprepared.

If you have any other ideas that I didn’t mention please share them.

How many of these can you do and how many would you like to learn?