“Homesteading” is a term that has been around for centuries, but it has evolved to mean different things throughout time. Nowadays, it is mostly referred to as a lifestyle. A homesteader is somebody who creatively provides for themselves whatever they need to live, such as food and electricity.

Homesteading essentially makes your household self-sufficient without the need for outside sources. Of course, this task sounds impossible. But, homesteading comes in many forms. The smallest task of growing some herbs in your kitchen window counts as homesteading, just as the large task of providing all of your own food does. Homesteading can be as much or as little as you want it to be.

Wondering how to get started? Keep reading!

The History of Homesteading

Historically, homesteading was a movement that was meant to encourage farming and gardening. In the 1800s, The Homestead Act was put in place that granted public land to citizens who paid a small fee so that they could build, farm and live on their own land. This essentially loosened the grip of the consumer economy on citizens. People were making their own food and clothes instead of buying them and doing whatever was necessary to live off the land.

Since then, homesteading has morphed into a modern lifestyle in which people reject the consumer economy to some degree and opt to make their own living supplies. This movement comes right along with movements encouraging people to go green and eat clean.  

What It Means to Homestead

To be a full blown homesteader, you would have to cut off completely from companies and industries that provide you with anything. You would raise livestock for food, make your own clothes, build your own buildings, use solar panels for electricity, make your own medicines and even fetch your own water. In today’s society, this is a little extreme for most people.

The good news is that homesteading can take whatever shape you want it to take. Any act that makes you self-sufficient in just one area of your material needs makes you a homesteader. Do you bake your own bread? You’re a homesteader. Grow your own veggies? Homebrew your own beer? These small acts that many people are already doing count as homesteading.

In sum, homesteading is just living as naturally as possible and being as self-sufficient as you can in the space you live. You don’t need 20 acres of land or 24 hours a day to become a homesteader. It only takes a little bit of creativity and passion to live this type of lifestyle.

How to Get Started

To begin homesteading, take a look around. How much space do you have? Determining how much space you have and how much you are willing to dedicate to homesteading is the first step. Think about much time you are able to commit to homesteading. Once you have an idea of how much space and time you have, you can choose the homesteading lifestyle you want to adopt.

The best way to get into homesteading is taking baby steps. Begin by planting a small vegetable or herb garden. Or, get a few chickens to care for. Chances are, the act of growing and eating your own food will begin a snowball effect and you’ll begin to love living off the land. You’ll start widening your homesteading horizons and trying new things.

Eventually, if you expand enough, you can build your own barn to house your assortment of animals. If you choose to go this route, keep in mind that you should opt for a steel structure instead of a wooden one. While wood provides the traditional look of a barn, steel structures have a 40 year lifespan and often at less expensive to install and maintain. But that’s way down the road, one of the main benefits of homesteading is the community you enter as a homesteader.

In your neighborhood, there may be other homesteaders who would love to share stories and take the journey with you. If your neighborhood doesn’t have any aspiring homesteaders, there are plenty of online communities of homestead bloggers who have endless tips for beginning the homesteading life.

You can also form relationships with local farmers and gardeners who can provide you with locally grown food. Soon after you begin, you’ll notice a financial benefit as well as an emotional one. For instance, growing your own food takes some more time and effort than going to the grocery store, but you’ll be saving so much money on groceries! The money you save can go towards other homesteading projects.

There is even a homestead exemption in many states that protects homeowners from creditors and reduces property taxes. This financial benefit can save you thousands of dollars on top of what you’ll be saving from your new lifestyle.

Homesteading is a lifestyle that many have stumbled into and enjoy greatly. It doesn’t take much to begin your journey towards becoming self-sufficient. Simply decide how you want to begin and get started taking small steps that will add up over time!