I’ve been trying to reduce my expenses and rely less on store-bought stuff, so I experimented with building a simple self-sufficient setup over the past 3 months.
I thought it would be complicated, but honestly, it’s way more doable than I expected, even in a small space.
Here are a few things that made the biggest difference:
• Start small. I only began with 2–3 crops and a basic compost setup
• Grow high-return plants like leafy greens and herbs (fast + low maintenance)
• Use kitchen waste for compost instead of throwing it away
• Simple rainwater setup (just a container + gutter) saved more water than I expected
• Build systems step-by-step instead of trying to do everything at once
The biggest mindset shift for me was realizing that you don’t need a farm or a big budget. You just need to start.
I’m still improving things, but even this small setup already helped cut some costs and made me more mindful about how I use resources.
If anyone here is trying something similar, I’d love to hear what worked for you too.