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Tips to Homesteading
Tips to homesteading wouldn't be complete without some pointers on how to keep from getting burned out.
Recently I got an email from a reader who said, "I know you can homestead to any degree all the way to going off the grid completely but what does your family do?
I know the degree of it is our choice but I want to make good decisions by reading about what others have done successfully.
Could you share your own story on these subjects."
Tips to Homesteading
Know Your Limits
First, let me make this clear right here, right now. You cannot do it all. You just can't.
There aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done, and if you go into homesteading (or any other vocation) with the expectation of being able to do everything successfully, you are setting yourself up for burnout and failure.
It just can't be done. (But you can learn to manage your time more effectively, getting more accomplished in less time. Learn how).
Tips to Homesteading
Making Priorities
So you will have to prioritize.
You have to decide what you can realistically accomplish with the time you have and then make a priority of which things are the most important to you.
With that in mind, I thought I would share what I generally accomplish at the Merriam Homestead.
Here are my important activities:
Regular Prayer and Bible Study
This is an absolute priority in these stressful times and one of the crucial tips to homesteading successfully.
Spending time with God keeps my mind and focus on the important things in life.
If I spend time with God first, everything else falls into place.
Otherwise my day is chaotic.
Time Budgeting
Successful tips to homesteading also include time budgeting.
It only takes about ten minutes, but it's well worth the effort.
First thing in the morning, I always sit down with a pad of paper and pen and list all the things I would like to accomplish that day.
Then I make an estimate of the amount of time it would take and budget time for it. For example:
- 6:30 to 7 a.m. - Bible study
- 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. - Write article
And so on. Sounds anal, I know, but it really works for me.
Otherwise an entire day can go by, and I get nothing done.
Raising My Three Children
One of the successful tips to homesteading is to enjoy what you have.
I have an eleven year old, a five year old and a three year old.
I get a lot of interruptions during the day, but on the plus side they are getting to the age where they play with each other and no longer put everything into their mouths, like bugs, rocks and cleansers.
I can't play with them all day; there are other things I have to get done, but my husband and I waited a long time for these children, so I like to spend time with them throughout the day.
Homeschooling My Children
This includes preparing a weekly curriculum for my homeschool co-op and doing individual lessons with my eleven year old and five year old.
It takes up about an hour and a half each weekday and six hours on co-op day.
Cooking Everything From Scratch
This is important to me because I suffer from hypothyroidism and good nutrition helps my body run better.
Plus, I certainly don't want my children to suffer health issues later in life.
This takes up about an hour each day.
Tending Critters
These days we only have dogs, cats, chickens and bees.
My husband feeds the dogs and cats and my son helps me feed the chickens.
I move their tractors on a daily basis. I work with the bees about once a month.
This takes up about half an hour a day.
Running an Online Business
A little over two years ago, I stumbled across Site Build It, a program that changed my life and helped me build this website and a few others.
My online work takes up a good-sized chunk of my budgeted time.
I probably spend about three to four hours a day on this, and a good ten hours on the weekends.
Exercise
I try to do this for half an hour daily. I either take a long walk or jog on a mini trampoline.
It gives me energy and helps relieve stress. It also keeps me out of the doctor's office.
It's well worth the investment of time.
Sleep
True, it does take up about seven hours of my allotted twenty four, but I need it to stay sane.
Tips to Homesteading
Learning to Say No
All of these activities are enough to make my day pretty full.
Plus I found that for me, adding on any extra activities made my life too stressful, so I had to let some things go, at least partially.
Tips to Homesteading
Getting Help
In the Garden
I made the mistake of planting my garden in the garden area that came with the house.
It's huge and gets too much sun in the afternoons.
This past summer was unusually hot, and my plants literally burned alive.
I could have constructed a sheet tent to block the afternoon sun, but I just didn't have time.
Next spring, my husband and I are going to put in a much smaller garden that gets shade in the afternoons.
In the meantime, I'm going to let my eleven year old son - who currently has more free time than I do - have my huge garden with the large raised beds.
I've told him if he can grow tomatoes, we'll buy them from him, and he can sell the surplus at our homeschool co-op.
(By the way, there's an excellent resource for gardening here).
Goats
I miss having goats, but I'm going to wait until my daughter is old enough to help me.
She loves animals, and I think she would enjoy caring for and milking a good-sized milk goat.
I plan on buying the milk from her, providing her with a little income.
Tips to Homesteading
Buying Good Quality
I liked having pigs, but again we just don't have the extra time.
We have decided that for us, it's much more efficient to buy bacon from our local meat processor.
The bacon is from pigs raised locally in humane conditions, which means a better quality pork.
The same goes for raising cattle.
I would love to keep a cow on our back acreage, but just don't have the time right yet.
My husband is hoping to retire in about three more years, so we may try it then.
In the meantime, grass-fed beef is important to us, so we buy our beef from the same processor who sells us bacon.
More Helpful Information on Homesteading
Do you feel alone in your zest for homesteading? Find others who share your passion for self reliance.
Learn how.
Can you work on your homestead full time, and still earn a living?
It may take a little creativity, but it can be done.
Here's how.
Is it still possible to earn your land just by living on it? It is if you're willing to living in a more remote area.
Learn more here.
Have you ever been curious as to what the term homesteading means?
Learn what homesteading means today.
Learn lifesaving tips to survive a global crisis. Click here to view more details
Worried about a financial meltdown? You're not alone, and there are steps you can take to protect yourself.
Click here to learn more.
Learn how past generations have been successfully pursuing self sufficiency, and what you can learn from them by
reading these books.
Read one man's story of what he learned from his grandfather about harvesting wild plants by clicking here
Growing your own food is a crucial part of self reliance. But how do you keep it fresh? There is a way if you build a cellar to store your food.
Learn how.
By building your own hown in the country, you save tons of money, and there are a variety of ways you can build your home.
Learn more.
Ready to learn how to be more self sufficient? Learn fourteen ways to live off the land by
clicking here.
Learn crucial tips to survive any emergency with this helpful resource.
Learn why so many people, including me, are turning to homesteading by
clicking here.
Think you need a large plot of land to pursue the homesteading life? Think again!
Learn why you should start homesteading now by clicking here.
The self reliant life is great for the individual, but is it good for the nation as well? And what happens when self reliance is destroyed?
Learn more by clicking here.
Feel guilty because you can't do it all? Homesteading is a life skill that has to be done in degrees to prevent burnout.
Learn more.
A great, low-cost alternative to traditional building methods is cordwood construction, using split wood and mortar to build your home.
Learn more.
Agritourism is a fast-growing industry that allows you to earn money off your land while pursuing the self-reliant lifestyle.
Want to find out if it's right for you? click here.
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