On Saturday morning, we drove up to Stebbing for our lesson on chicken keeping, and to pick up the first three members of our little home flock: Margot, Gerry and Barbara.

A trip away helps us understand that true self-sufficiency requires the help of a good set of neighbours and friends.

As energy prices rocket, anything that simplifies cutting down on waste is a boon. Bye Bye Standby does just that, by putting control of every plug in your home in the palm of your hand.

In a rather exciting turn of events, we’re off to a chicken-keeping lesson on Saturday morning. We’re taking our wellies, as it takes place on a farm just north of Chelmsford.

The weather is doing a pretty good impression of winter right now, so I’m glad I was able to pick the first tomatoes this morning. The first tomatoes always feel a bit summery.

A good lettuce is so much more than just limp green leaves. This year’s specimens have been a particular success, which we’re putting down to the fact that they’ve been grown under glass, rather than out in the garden.

The cat is turning out to be a first-class mouser, which is having benefits we hadn’t initially considered. Could he be the ultimate self-sufficient accessory?

Headline figures rarely tell the whole story when it comes to working out how much prices have really increased. Sometimes it’s not how much you’re paying but what you’re actually getting that really matters.

As inflation takes a hold, there are better reasons than ever to move towards self-sufficiency.