Some people don’t like guns. It’s not that they want to make it illegal to own a gun or abolish the Second Amendment; they are just uncomfortable with things that go bang and kill people. However, if you live alone in the city or in the country, you really should have some sort of self-protection plan. How would you fight off an armed intruder if you absolutely had to? Let’s face it, the reports of home invasions, even in rural areas, are increasing, and if you live alone or are a woman with children, you are perceived as an “easy” target. Here are a few tips to help you protect yourself and your property:

• Keep a can of wasp spray handy. This product is designed to spray a stream of harsh chemicals up to 15ft. It’s less expensive than pepper spray, and just as effective if aimed at the intruder’s face.
• Buy a cattle prod. Stun guns are illegal in some states. Cattle prods aren’t. Granted, you have to get closer to use it than with a stun gun, but if you have to use it, I promise it will incapacitate the intruder.
• Buy a cordless staple gun. You don’t need a license. Keep it charged and keep it loaded. If you start shooting nails or staples at an intruder, they’ll get the message in a hurry.
• Get an air horn. When used in a closed environment, this device can disorient an intruder, giving you time to wallop him/her with your cast-iron frying pan.
• Keep a loaded paintball gun handy. It won’t kill anyone, but those little balls of paint fired at close range can put a real hurting on an unsuspecting intruder.

Regardless of how you choose to protect yourself, your family, and your property, have a plan. Run through the worst-case scenario in your head a couple of times so you know where your “weapon” is. If you have children, and they are old enough to participate in a safety drill without becoming terrified, practice with them so they know what they can use as a weapon and how to properly use it.  Be safe out there people.

We get the same question over and over again at here Countryside—how do I become self-reliant? Readers write in to tell us how hard they’ve tried to build a sustainable, self-reliant lifestyle, only to fall short of their goals and give up. To a person, they make the exact same mistakes, repeating the failures of the teaming masses time after time. Here are the five biggest obstacles that trip folks up.

1. The Hollywood Habit. Someone told me they paid upwards of $10 a head to see the latest mind-numbing “hit” from Hollywood. I can’t imagine parting with my hard-earned money to see anything Hollywood puts out. Ever. All commercial entertainment in this country comes with an agenda. Why pay a bunch of millionaire ideologues for the privilege of being dumbed down? Instead, learn to appreciate the value free activities offer.
2. Going Out to Eat. Why? Anyone who has any respect for themselves at all will avoid commercial eateries at all cost. The food, if that’s a term you’re comfortable using, is contaminated with chemicals and has been handled by hordes of people, many of whom have questionable hygiene routines. Why would you pay good money for nasty food? Instead, learn to cook for yourself. You won’t catch me dropping money at places like Red Lobster or McDonald’s. I don’t do chemical-laden food that comes from China and Mexico. Ick.
3. Buying pre-packaged food. I can’t tell you how many of my “green” friends throw their money away by buying pre-packaged organic food. Sure it’s trendy, and for many of these folks it gives them an opportunity for moral self-licensing, but packaging is still packaging, processing is still processing, and politically correct food is way more expensive than it needs to be. Instead, buy in bulk, grow what you can of your own, and learn to eat sustainably—you’ll find it’s cheaper, and much better tasting. Packaging of any sort makes the food taste funny.
4. Sending your kids to public school. The average family spends $600 per child to get ready for the school year. Add to that all the “fundraisers” that nickle and dime tax-paying parents to death, and the number triples or quadruples. Instead of buying cheap, foreign made clothes and supplies at the big box store, and throwing money down the fundraiser black hole, consider homeschooling or parochial school. These options allow you, the parent, to make sure you’re not paying a public employee to indoctrinate your children. Not only do public schools cost and arm and a leg, they co-opt your values and supplant them with the liberal sectarian doctrine that passes as morality in this country. And in the end, there’s no guarantee your child won’t be killed, bullied, raped, or otherwise assaulted in a public school.
5. Discount stores. Stay out of them. Rarely if ever do they offer any real value. What can you get for a dollar? Nothing that is well-built or useful. Instead, find a couple of second-hand stores and shop there. Besides being much less expensive, buying previously owned items is the one thing everyone can do to save the environment. Recycle and reuse. You’ll get a better value, and you’ll feel better about yourself knowing that soon, you’ll be debt-free.

It can be hard to change your lifestyle from going along with the crowd, dropping a ton of cash on movies and video games, and trying to live like everyone else. When the going gets tough, and it will, remember, your neighbors are in debt up to their teeth. They keep running around the debt wheel, spending money like crazy for the privilege of fitting in. Ask yourself, who wants to fit in with a bunch of people who don’t have the good sense to get out of debt and stay out? Don’t try to keep up with the Jones. They’re going nowhere, and fast.

I was reading an article from the BBC that reminds me of why Countryside Magazine is such a valuable resource, and why our readers don’t find themselves in the position of the two families profiled in the article. While I admit I’m biased, there just isn’t another resource like Countryside. Each issue is part of a conversation that has been going for nearly 92 years. It’s not a conversation about political philosophy. Rather, it’s a dynamic narrative about how to live sustainably, gratefully, and fully. While other  eco-rags purport to help you make more money in the “green” economy, Countryside readers have long known that it’s not about about making more money. How much you make is completely irrelevant. What truly matters is how much you keep.

I’m particularly struck by the plight of the Hess family, who according to the BBC, had a ten-acre piece of land and a home and a $320,000 mortgage. I wonder if they had read just one issue of Countryside if they would have decided that maybe they could live well for less. What if they had built a yurt, like JoAnn Skywatcher whose hand-built yurt has stood for 30+years? And what if, instead of depending on the government to feed them, they belonged to an intentional homesteading community?

As the economy sputters toward recovery, people don’t need charity—they need knowledge, the kind of knowledge that readers of Countryside share in each issue. Instead of contributing to a charity to help the Hess family and others like them, perhaps we should all buy a subscription to Countryside Magazine for them. A subscription to to Countryside will help show the recipient that it’s more important to be resourceful and sustainable than rich. You don’t need a six-figure income to have an exciting and interesting life. You only need to recognize and use the resources available to you. When you give the gift of a Countryside subscription, you give the recipient more than just a gift. You give them a chance to achieve, to believe in themselves, and to be a part of the oldest homesteading community in the country. An $18.00 subscription to Countryside is a far better gift than pity or charity.