Video: Budget-Saving Tips for New Homesteaders

This short video offers a number of helpful tips for beginning homesteaders - particularly ways to save money when you are starting out, as well as some tips for making sure you are focusing on the areas of homesteading that you enjoy and can be successful at.

We hope you've enjoyed our series on beginning homesteading! For more helpful green living resources, be sure to visit our website, and also "Like" us on Facebook for weekly green living tips.

Check out the video below, and for more great homesteading resources, also see Self-Sufficient-Life.com.

How to start homesteading (the smart way)
Homesteading can be so exciting at first that you can get ahead of yourself. Here are a few tips to help you save money, energy, time, and sanity.

3 Steps Every Homesteader Must Take Before they Get Started

Before you start digging in your yard or shopping for chickens, stop. Take a step back and put down the shovel. There are three important steps to take before you dive into homesteading. These three steps will help you create the homesteading lifestyle you desire.

1. Set Priorities

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What are your homesteading priorities? Do you want to conserve energy, produce most of your vegetables, or raise animals? Make a list of all of the homesteading projects you’re interested in and why you’re interested in them. For example, maybe you’re interested in raising goats because they’re adorable and you would like goat milk and goat cheese. Or maybe you’re interested in growing all of your own vegetables so you can raise a healthier family. Establish your priorities. When you get started with homesteading you can start with the most important item on your list first and go from there.

2. Make A Plan

Once you’ve established your priorities, the next step is to create a plan. This plan can and should include everything from materials to systems and a timeline. For example, if you’re going to start raising chickens then how and when are you going to build a coop? Where will you buy your chickens from and what type of chickens are you going to buy? Plan ahead so you don’t miss any steps.

3. Assess Your Space

The final component of your new homesteading lifestyle is to identify the place and space. For example, if you’re going to build a chicken coop where are you going to put it? Is that the best place for a coop and do you have enough space? Also, if you build the coop and you want to build a garden next year, do you have the space for them both? Thinking about these considerations beforehand will save you costly mistakes down the road.

Homesteading is a rewarding and fun lifestyle. It’s not an easy lifestyle but for tens of thousands of people, it’s a lifestyle they wouldn’t change for anything. The homesteading movement is growing in popularity and it might just be the best change you can make for yourself if this is something you're interested in pursuing.

More more helpful information on getting started with homesteading, check out the excellent resources at Self-Sufficient-Life. 

What You Need to Know About Homesteading In the City (Urban Homesteading)

Are you interested in homesteading but worried that you don’t have enough room? Gardening, raising animals, and alternative energy systems can take up some space. However, even people living in the middle of the city can take advantage of the space they have and embrace a kind of homesteading lifestyle. It’s called Urban Homesteading and it may be just the thing you’ve been looking for.

Gardening in Small Spaces

You don’t need acres to grow produce. What you do need, whether you have a small space or not, is a plan. Think about maximizing the space you have. For example, climbing plants like beans can be placed at the back or edge of your garden space where they can use the fence or wall to climb. Steer clear of plants that require lots of space like pumpkins or watermelon and instead look for plants that produce a lot of fruits or vegetables without requiring too much space. Tomatoes are a great example of a plant that has a high yield without taking up a ton of space and soil. Herbs can be grown in windowsills and on elevated planters too.

Doubling Up

An aquaponic system that involves tilapia or perch, watercress and tomatoes. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are some opportunities to double up your homesteading activities. For example, you might farm fish and embrace hydroponic or aquaponic gardening. This is something you can place either inside or outside your home. Both greens and herbs grow quite successfully this way and what’s better than fish and a salad for dinner?

Get Creative with Your Space

Take a look at the space you have. Roof tops, window sills, fencing and patios and porches all provide a perfect space for gardening and more. In fact, many urban dwellers keep chickens in their back yard. All you need is space for a small coop.

Whether you’re in the city or in the country, homesteading is an acquired skill. You’ll learn as you go. Next time we’ll take a look at a few fun ways to improve your homesteading skills, so be sure to check back Thursday!

5 Questions to Answer Before You Get Started Homesteading

Are you ready to get started with your homesteading lifestyle? It’s true, it offers numerous benefits including reduced monthly expenses, sustainable living, and a rewarding lifestyle. But before you get started there are five questions you need to answer.

1. How much space do you  have? – Homesteading doesn’t have to take up much space. Many urban homesteaders garden on their patio, roof, or in a small back yard. Take a look around you and evaluate how much space you have. Do you have enough room for what you want to grow?

2. Are animals allowed? If you’re interested in raising or keeping animals, it’s important to check your local zoning and ordinances first. Some communities don’t allow livestock to be kept. And some cities restrict the number or type of animal that you can keep. Even if you’re only interested in beekeeping, it’s important to know whether you will be able to do this where you live.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3. Sustainability and systems – How will you make the most of your resources? For example, you might install a rain barrel to collect water for your garden. Can you use lumber and items you already have to build container gardens or a chicken coop?

4. What will you grow? The best advice is to grow what you eat. Make a list of the produce you buy most often at the supermarket. Cross off the items that don’t grow well in your area and review the list. Prioritize the list according to your available space.

5. What's the most important to you to start with? The best advice is to start small – There’s no need to run out and buy a hundred acres. You can start small with a few containers or a backyard garden. You can start a small bee colony or get a few chickens. Think about where you want to start and how quickly you want to grow your homesteading lifestyle. Think about what’s most important to you and what you can reasonably manage.

Starting homesteading is a fun and exciting project, but it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Taking the time to answer the 5 questions above, and prioritize, will make all the difference to your success.

Be sure to stay tuned, as next week, we’ll take a look at urban homesteading and offer some tips and ideas for bringing homesteading into your neighborhood - even if you don't live in the country.

Why Homesteading Is So Fulfilling

Is homesteading really considered the “simple life?” It’s certainly not an easy lifestyle. Many homesteaders spend long days tending to their garden, feeding and caring for their animals, and then they have to cook meals, prepare and preserve produce, and tend to the other 99 details in a regular day. Easy, no. Simple? Perhaps. But there is one common denominator, one phrase you’ll hear from homesteaders around the world, homesteading is rewarding.

Results from Hard Work

Your mother and father were right. You do get satisfaction from hard work. There really is nothing quite like eating a vegetable that you grew in your garden and tended to with your own two hands. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as wearing a sweater that you made yourself from yarn that you sheared off of your sheep. There are many tasks in life that are just plain tedious or difficult and there are no real tangible results. With homesteading you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor and that is incredibly rewarding - maybe more than anything else you can do in life.

You’re Making a Difference

A home-made chicken coop. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The homesteading lifestyle does make a difference. It impacts the environment in a positive way. It also can change the economic conditions in your neighborhood. This is particularly true for urban homesteaders who build community gardens, chicken coops and more. They band together to create a better lifestyle for themselves and others. Even simply by sharing some of the produce you grow in your garden or sharing the strawberry preserves you made yourself you make a positive difference in the lives of those you share with.

It’s Empowering

We’ve become so dependent on commercial establishments to survive that when you cut the cord and realize that you can be self-reliant, it’s quite empowering. Some homesteaders dive right in. They get off the utility grid and provide their own energy. They begin growing most of the food they need for themselves and they quite literally live off the land. However, even if you don’t go to these homesteading lengths, you’ll find that homesteading makes you feel much more powerful and capable.

Ready to enjoy the positive experience that homesteading provides? Next time we’ll talk about how to get started.

4 Reasons Why Homesteading Is Better for the Environment

You’re probably well aware of the financial benefits of homesteading. You may also be familiar with the positive lifestyle benefits. However, there are also numerous environmental benefits. Simply by planting a garden and growing your own food, you’re helping conserve the environment.

1. Conserving water – It’s true that gardening requires water. Your fruits and vegetables actually need quite a bit of water to survive. However, most homesteaders quickly realize that irrigation systems work best.

For example, you can install rainwater collection barrels and create a drip irrigation system that comes directly from the rainwater. Other people create grey water systems and hydroponic systems which reuse the water to keep the plant’s roots moist. It uses far less water than industrial farming and you know you’re eating clean and healthy plants.

The carbon footprint. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. Smaller carbon footprint – When you grow your own fruits and veggies, you don’t have to drive to the supermarket to buy food that was shipped from another country. All of those transportation costs add up to a weighty carbon footprint. Homesteading means your produce department is in your back yard.

3. Alternative and sustainable energy – Many homesteaders embrace sustainable energy practices. For example, they might install a wind turbine or solar panels to help reduce some of their energy costs. And living off the grid also conserves fossil fuels and reduces emissions.

4. Biodiversity – Industrial farms plant fields and fields of the same genetically modified crop. From New England to southern California you’ll find the same soybeans, corn, and wheat. When you plant your own garden you’re helping to sustain plant diversity. You’re also helping keep the bees and other pollinators alive and healthy. Their survival is critical to biodiversity.

Homesteading can save money and it is a powerful way to reduce your carbon footprint and help improve our environment. It’s also a fulfilling and rewarding lifestyle. You might also be interested to learn that you can make money as a homesteader. Next time we’ll take a look at three ways you can make money homesteading.

Sustainable Living - Homesteading 101: Getting Started On the Path to Self-Reliance

We're back!  Many apologies for the lack of posts last week - after moving into our new house, we discovered our new internet service did not work, so we've had a couple of frustrating weeks, but we're finally back in action!

A popular topic that some readers have asked about lately is sustainable living, and the idea of homesteading is very trendy lately. Over the next couple of weeks, we will address this topic, so for those of you who have been interested in exploring homesteading, now is your chance to learn more! Our own attempt at homesteading begins now, as my husband and I settle into our new home on 5 acres, and try to figure out what we want to do with it all! I will keep you posted on our progress here and on our main New Holistic Living blog, as we install a geothermal system, water collection system, orchard, garden, chicken coop, and more over our first few years here on our little homestead.  :-)

So let's get started....

Do you have what it takes to live a life that is sustainable? Are you interested in becoming self-sufficient and relying on your own two hands to grow food and essentially live off the land? If that sounds intriguing, you might be a future homesteader.

What Is Homesteading and Why Is It Growing In Popularity?

Home farming: harvesting beans by hand.  Wikipedia)

Homesteading is the practice of growing your own food, raising animals for produce, and even providing your own energy. Some homesteaders also make their own clothing and strive to live completely dependent upon their own resources.

It’s a lifestyle choice. You don’t have to live in the country to be a homesteader. You also don’t need tons of land. You can grow some of your own food and provide your own energy even living in the city.  In fact, many urbanites raise chickens and grow food.

Why Do People Homestead?

Many people have made this lifestyle choice for a number of reasons. Raising your own food and practicing environmentally friendly farming is good for the planet. It’s sustainable. In fact, homesteaders often use rainwater and other water conservation practices to irrigate their crops.

Homesteading is also financially friendly. Imagine if you could get your eggs, dairy, and even some of your meat and produce from your own labors. You’d save money. You can also take advantage of renewable energy tax credits.

Finally, many people embrace homesteading because they find it to be a rewarding lifestyle. It’s true that food tastes better when you grow it yourself. And there’s tremendous pride in learning how to take care of yourself and live off the land.

Of course homesteading isn’t an all or nothing lifestyle. You can choose the pieces that appeal to you. You can start small or buy a farm and dive right in. Next time we’ll take a look at the three primary components of homesteading, so be sure to check back on Thursday.