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Homesteading Before Having a Homestead

You might be wondering about the title. How is it possible to start becoming a homesteader before you have land and an actual homestead? It is easier than you might think and it is actually a good idea to do this before you buy a large plot of land. This simply means that you are starting to learn some of the skills you will need as a homesteader, if you do not already know them. It also means that you will be implementing some of these elements into your current lifestyle. You need to start thinking about the different ways […]

DIY Home Energy Independence

One of the biggest draws towards homesteading is trying to achieve energy independence. It sure is rough out there today. Electricity costs are soaring and you probably know the feeling of dread that comes over you each time you open up an energy bill. Well, it actually is possible to be completely energy-independent, and never pay an electric bill again. I’m not even kidding. This incredible video explains how, and really blew my mind! If you’re sick of being beholden to big energy corporations that fleece you monthly, and tired of shivering through winter and sweating through summer just to […]

A Simple Guide to Starting a Beehive (Video)

Last week, we shared the very cool idea to make a beehive using mason jars, so since it did not come with instructions as to how to actually start a hive, I thought I’d go ahead and follow up with that one. Bees are a wonderful thing to do on the homestead, or even in your backyard, if you’re able to. Raw honey is one of the most valuable and nutritious substances on the planet, so raising bees is a space and time efficient way to produce food on a small scale, and a wonderful addition to any homestead or self-sufficiency […]

How to Reduce Waste in Your Kitchen

Our kitchens can produce tons of waste. Food scraps, packing, plastic bags, used napkins, and paper towels. Unfortunately, all this waste just ends up in a landfill somewhere, after being hauled away, of course. If you have any kind of desire to be more self-reliant, off-the-grid, and self-sustainable, waste removal is going to be an issue. So reducing waste in the kitchen is a great way to get started addressing this issue, and get you thinking about long-term waste solutions for your home or homestead. Here are some ideas for quick and simple ways you can reduce waste in your […]

Homestead (and Life) Lessons From the Great Depression

The Great Depression was one of the most harrowing periods of history in our country, and there are many lessons we can take from it. It dramatically changed our economy, our government, our agriculture and our people. We made it through the recent Great Recession with far less damage than the Great Depression, but the possibility of something far worse seems to be constantly looming on the horizon and it’s hard to imagine we’d be prepared the way our resourceful ancestors were. The thing is, life has changed so much since the 20’s and 30’s, and we have become far […]

The Benefits of Solar Water Heaters

As the cost of energy rises, more and more people are looking toward solar power. One of the areas that interest them the most is solar water heating. While it can seem more expensive in the beginning, utilizing a solar water heater has the potential to provide you with a substantial amount of saved money in the long run. In addition, this will help to get you entirely off the grid. There are two different types of solar water heaters available – active and passive. The active systems use cells, pumps, and controllers as they move fluid through the system. […]

Simple Steps Towards Self-Reliance

If you’re homesteading, you’re probably already pretty self-reliant. But if you’re not and you wish you were, there are still many ways you can become more self-reliant, no matter where you’re living. Every little thing you can do counts, and also will help you assess just how much you rely on “the system” and what you can do to change that. Here are a few simple ideas to reduce your dependence on, say, multi-national corporations or globalized trade, and more on yourself and the resources that are available in your community. It might be called “self” reliance, but really, relying […]

The Cost-Effectiveness of Homestead Pigs

A lot of people don’t like pigs because they’re stinky, dirty and loud. But most people won’t object to bacon, ribs or pork chops. And this is a pretty good reason to have pigs, and why most people raise them! Not only are pigs delicious, however, they are also very cost-effective sources of meat, especially if you are looking to be more or totally self-sufficient. Larger meat animals like cows need a lot of space, and smaller meat animals don’t yield anywhere near as much meat. But pigs are just perfect! Here are some reasons why they are economical choices […]

5 Tips for Storing Food in Harsh Conditions

Storing dry foods can be tricky. Ideally, you want to store your food at about 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit, with low humidity (less than 15%). Of course, that just isn’t possible for a lot of people, especially those who live in exceedingly warm or cold climates, floodplains, etc. So how can you improve your food’s longevity, even if you’re storing it in harsh conditions? Follow these tips. Be selective with expiration dates – Canned goods can usually last years past their expiration dates, but it’s a good idea to choose the ones with the longest dates to be sure that […]

Top 3 Reasons You Should Be Growing Your Own Food

Whether or not you’re a homesteader, there’s no arguing that vegetables fresh from the garden just taste better than the ones you buy at the store. Even organic store-bought veggies just don’t have that same delicious taste that you get from vegetables that you grew yourself. If that isn’t enough to convince you to grow your own food, let’s take a look at just a few of the top reasons you might want to start a garden today: No Fear of Food Recalls Every year, we hear about different food recalls in different areas. People get sick from eating tomatoes, […]

Soap Making Basics

Making soap is a wonderful skill to gain, and given the amount of harsh toxins and chemicals in commercially-available soap, it’s also a great way to guarantee you’re getting wholesome, natural ingredients. Speaking of chemicals, one reason a lot of people are intimidated by soap-making is the use of the ingredient lye (remember that scene in Fight Club, right?). It can be very dangerous when not handled properly, and burn the skin. However, you simply can’t make soap without it. All soap contains it, the thing is, once the reaction that creates the soap has taken place, the lye has changed forms and […]

Skills to Build While You Wish You Could Homestead

Whether you’re stuck in a cramped apartment in the city or living in a suburban starter home while you save up to buy land, there’s no reason you can’t start building your homesteader skills now, as you dream of more self-reliant times ahead. You can check out our guide to how to homestead in a city if you can’t wait to free yourself from the grid, and also start developing the following skills to be ready when the time comes to fully escape the plugged in life: Bake your own bread: We tend to take our packaged, fluffy white supermarket loaves for […]

How to Homestead in a City

Many of us would like to be able to afford a plot of land in the middle of nowhere and set up an amazing homestead, but that’s not always an option for everyone. One of the big appeals of homesteading is becoming self-reliant. So while you may be tethered to an urban lifestyle for now, there’s plenty you can do to become more self-reliant and homestead right where you are. Grow Your Food: This one is definitely obvious, but many people aren’t aware of how much they can really do in a small space. Tower gardens, box gardens, window gardens […]

5 Survival Foods That Virtually Last Forever

When stocking up a survival stash, it’s important to maximize your space with items that will last the longest. Below is a list of items that will virtually last forever… 1.Dried Beans Dried beans are probably one of the most common items to stock up on and for good reason. When kept away from moisture and light, they can last for decades. Vacuum sealing is a great option for storing beans, as they keep best in an absence of oxygen. 2. Vinegar Due to its high acidity, vinegar will last essentially forever. Vinegar is a great item to stock up […]

Camp More Comfortably

Whether you just want to make your weekend camping trip a little more comfortable, or you want to prepare for a homey camping experience in case of a disaster situation, there are many ways that you can make camping feel more like home. These methods don’t involve spending thousands of dollars on luxury camping items, or carrying far too much weight as you pack everything and the kitchen sink. But just a few simple touches around your campsite can make a huge difference. Soft… When you can, and when it doesn’t add too much weight to your gear, try to […]

Books To Teach Your Kids Self-Reliance

It’s often much easier for adults to embrace the homesteading lifestyle, because they are able to look at their life as a whole picture and consider the benefits. But children don’t have the same perspective, and their point of view tends to be more immediate. In order to help kids learn to love a self-reliant lifestyle, there are many ways that homesteading families include them in their decisions and dreams for the future. One of those is to give kids survivalist role models to look up to, and there are many classic children’s books that can offer just that. From […]

Simply Homegrown [eBook]

Click the link below to download Simply Homegrown: Tips for growing your own food Inside You’ll Learn: Why Growing Your Own Food Will Always Be Better Than Store Bought… Growing Food Indoors… The 1 Weird Food That Will Give You More Protein Per Square Foot Than Any Other… Utilizing The Limited Space You Have For Gardening And Much, Much, More Download – Simply Homegrown: Tips for Growing Your Own Food Having problems downloading or printing? First make sure you have adobe .pdf reader. You can download that free here: get.adobe.com/reader/ Try “Right-Click, Save Link As” to download. To print, you can […]