Homesteading

What is homesteading?

Far from the idyllic notion many have, you don’t have to live on a farm to homestead. Homesteading is just about being more self-reliant. So, you could just as easily live in an apartment in the city or in a house in the suburbs. The point is you do what you can with what you have to be more self-sufficient. This generally means growing your own fruit and veg and pickling and preserving for winter.

Why homestead?

Obviously, there is no one size fits all answer to this question. People homestead for a number of reasons. Some do it to save money. Others do it to avoid commercial products. Most people do it because they’re passionate about the lifestyle in general and find it fulfilling.

Homesteading Made Easy

You don’t need to have a lot of space to homestead. Actually, one of the great things about homesteading is it exists on a spectrum so you can find ways to make it work for you. Here are some easy ways to get started even if you live in a tiny apartment.

Window Gardens

If you’re short on space, why not consider starting out growing your own herbs on a sunny windowsill or in hanging planters. If you have a balcony, even better! You’d be surprised what you can do with a small amount of space. Microgreens are a good starting place. They don’t require a lot of space, can be grown indoors and are high-yield plants.

Make Your Own Cleaning Supplies

Making your own cleaning products is cheap, easy and better for you and the environment. Mix equal parts water to distilled white vinegar to make a simple yet effective all-purpose cleaning spray. Want to get fancy? Add some essential oils like lavender or lemon to freshen things up.

Learn how to Preserve and Pickle

Back in the day when winter hit, you couldn’t just head to the supermarket and pick up whatever fruit and veg you wanted. Nowadays we have access to fruit and veggies all year round from all over the world. If you really want to get into the homesteading spirit, learn how to make your own pickles and preserve fruit.