The Mentality of Homesteading
(Finding the money to get started)
This was the Mantra of the Great Depression. They HAD to live by this, there wasn't any other choice. To make things easier, it seemed the entire nation was living this way also. But we in the 21st Century do haved the choice and choose life differently and what we think is an absolute necessity is really a luxury.
25% of the working people were actually unemployed. But this was WITHOUT Unemployment checks, or Food stamps or any other government help. To think about having all your money in the bank, except enough to get through that week, and the banks closing and losing all of it and no NET...well actually that is totally unfathomable to us. We have been raised not to think "self" sufficient because there are so many government nets in place. So we are swimming upstream from the very beginning. But for a moment...just stop...and really try to grasp where would you be if you had enough cash for a week and that was the end of it. What would you do? Take a look around you are you watching Cable TV, lap top or tablet on while you are purusing News, Facebook at the same time with high speed internet and under that is XBOX ONE, Bluray player and who knows what else? or there unnecessary lights on in the house, in rooms that there isn't anyone even in? Can you hear a fan blowing in a room or exhaust in the bathroom that has been on for hours? As you are looking around did your cell phone just beep for a text or snap chat?
See what I mean? We have to think about our lives &
What do we need? Really?
Our excesses can help finance our kick off to Homesteading. Our NOT spending money on unnecessaries is the key to get us to where we want to be. It isn't just about finding a place out in the woods and getting chickens and start gardening...it won't work if we have one foot in the way that we have always thought about how to live. Try one Week of not spending one cent on anything...not even food. 7 days! That isn't that long. And that doesn't mean that the day before you start you go out and spend twice as much on food etc. Allow yourself $10 to get milk, eggs - Absolute necessities...like if toilet paper won't last for 7 days! No Starbuck's, no dinner or lunch out or calling out for Pizza. What is in your cabinets, fridge and freezer will be your 3 meals and snacks. No new clothes or the myriad of other things that leak out every week. Most people will save a few hundred dollars just doing this.
Homesteading is HARD WORK! Doing things that are physical even on days you just don't feel like it. The Chickens do not care that it is raining, or sleeting or below zero. They have to be checked on and fed along with other livestock. When there is a frost warning and you just put in your garden a few weeks ago...ugh...time to get out every sheet from the linen closet and cover every row. Every fruit bearing tree, vine and bush. (or whatever you plan on using).
Being Self Sufficient means you are cooking without any convenience foods because you are using what you have raised and grown, so that takes more time then most are used to. But it is ALL worth it!!
I watched a PBS show called "Frontier House" - Highly recommend it...if you can get past the personality flaws with the people, there is a wealth to learn from what these 3 families went through adjusting. They all mentioned back breaking work...sun up to sun down, constant chores...I actually ended up buying the DVDs and watched them numerous times gleaning what life would be like if I went totally off grid...and as self sufficient as possible. I am just scratching the surface but already I have done more than I ever thought possible. And you can too! Everything I have done has been very rewarding. I am looking forward to sharing it all.
See what I mean? We have to think about our lives &
What do we need? Really?Our excesses can help finance our kick off to Homesteading. Our NOT spending money on unnecessaries is the key to get us to where we want to be. It isn't just about finding a place out in the woods and getting chickens and start gardening...it won't work if we have one foot in the way that we have always thought about how to live. Try one Week of not spending one cent on anything...not even food. 7 days! That isn't that long. And that doesn't mean that the day before you start you go out and spend twice as much on food etc. Allow yourself $10 to get milk, eggs - Absolute necessities...like if toilet paper won't last for 7 days! No Starbuck's, no dinner or lunch out or calling out for Pizza. What is in your cabinets, fridge and freezer will be your 3 meals and snacks. No new clothes or the myriad of other things that leak out every week. Most people will save a few hundred dollars just doing this.
Homesteading is HARD WORK! Doing things that are physical even on days you just don't feel like it. The Chickens do not care that it is raining, or sleeting or below zero. They have to be checked on and fed along with other livestock. When there is a frost warning and you just put in your garden a few weeks ago...ugh...time to get out every sheet from the linen closet and cover every row. Every fruit bearing tree, vine and bush. (or whatever you plan on using).
Being Self Sufficient means you are cooking without any convenience foods because you are using what you have raised and grown, so that takes more time then most are used to. But it is ALL worth it!!
I watched a PBS show called "Frontier House" - Highly recommend it...if you can get past the personality flaws with the people, there is a wealth to learn from what these 3 families went through adjusting. They all mentioned back breaking work...sun up to sun down, constant chores...I actually ended up buying the DVDs and watched them numerous times gleaning what life would be like if I went totally off grid...and as self sufficient as possible. I am just scratching the surface but already I have done more than I ever thought possible. And you can too! Everything I have done has been very rewarding. I am looking forward to sharing it all.
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