5 Ways to Start Homesteading (& Tips to Help)

Homesteading has quickly become a popular lifestyle choice, offering more than a few benefits. It’s easy to see why so many people want to start homesteading, especially when they have the time and space to dedicate to it. It isn’t exactly the easiest thing to get into, though.

It’s worth noting that it is actually a lifestyle choice, and it takes a decent bit of work. You can’t just take it up and not put much effort into it.

This doesn’t have to mean it’s overwhelming, though. Instead, it could be a lot easier than you’d think. You’ll just need to take the right steps going forward, and you’ll end up in a better position than you would’ve thought.

Start Homesteading: 5 Steps to Take

1. Become a Constant Learner

There’s a lot involved in homesteading, and you’ll need to learn as much as you can from the start. Take the time to learn what you can, and actually put some effort into it. There are more than a few resources you can use for this, like Cribsteady. Find these as soon as you can.

That doesn’t mean just learning a bit and leaving it at that. There’ll always be new ways of doing things, and they could always be worth looking at. By being a constant learner, you’ll have no problem doing better and better in time.

2. Get Familiar with Growing Season

Homesteading naturally involves growing quite a bit of food. Fruits and vegetables will be the most common of these. That doesn’t mean you can grow the same foods all year-round, though. It’ll be much more complicated to grow them during certain parts of the year. Make sure you know that.

This depends somewhat on your homestead and where it is. Get familiar with the growing season where you live, and it’ll be much easier to plan everything out. You’ll avoid making the mistake of trying to grow something when it wouldn’t thrive. Plan out what you’ll grow and when to make sure you have a functional homestead.

3. Don’t Start Too Big

It’s natural to dream big with your homestead. You’ll want to have quite a few things, and it’s easy to see why. They’ll all serve a purpose and contribute to the homestead itself. That doesn’t mean you should take on too much too soon. You’re much better off with a smaller approach.

That way, you can learn the intricacies of homesteading without taking on too much work and stress. You’ll avoid feeling overwhelmed from the start. As you learn more and more, you can start expanding your homestead and taking off more. It’s a much less stressful approach to take.

4. Make Your Kitchen a Working Kitchen

You’ll end up growing quite a bit of food and using it. That’s why it’s always worth investing in your kitchen as much as you can. You wouldn’t want storing, cooking, and eating your freshly grown food to be a hassle. Put the time and effort into avoiding that.

Make your kitchen as functional as possible. While that could mean making a few upgrades, it’ll be more than worth it. You’ll end up enjoying cooking your food a whole lot more. With how much food you could go through, there’s no reason not to put the effort in.

5. Look After Your Finances

Starting a homestead takes a decent bit of money. You’ll need to invest in your home and quite a bit of equipment. Then there’s the seeds and other essentials you’ll need to start off with. Make sure you have the money set aside for all of this, and that you know how much it actually costs.

Then there’ll be the costs associated with running your homestead. While these mightn’t be as large as your starting costs, they can still be relatively high. Look after your finances from the start so you can pay for these.

Tips to Start Homesteading the Right Way

Each of these steps can help you start homesteading relatively easily. You’ll still need to put a bit of time and work into it, though. Thankfully, there are more than a few homesteading tips you can help you start off.

While there’s no way around putting the effort into it, it shouldn’t have to be nearly as difficult as you’d think. Some of the more notable of these are:

1. Be Realistic – When you’re starting off with homesteading, it’s natural to have a big dream. As much as you might want this, it’s worth being realistic at the start. Getting to where you want to be takes time and effort. Keep that in mind and be realistic about what comes next.
2. Pick the Perfect Property – You can’t homestead in any property you can find. With some properties, it just wouldn’t be feasible. That’s why it’s worth taking the time to find the perfect property for you. While that could mean putting extra time into your property hunt, it’s worth it.
3. Have an End Goal – It’s always worth having an end goal for your homestead. This is what you’ll be working toward and how you want your homestead to be. Decide on what this end goal will be from the start. That way, you’ll end up being able to put everything in place to get there.

Between the right homesteading tips and the right steps, you shouldn’t have a problem starting off. It’s just a matter of putting the time and effort into it.

Wrapping Up

It’s easy to see why so many people want to start homesteading. It helps you become more self-reliant and even healthier. It’s a lifestyle choice you could want to make, but you’ll need to be prepared for it. It’ll take a decent bit of time and effort, especially as you’re starting off.

This doesn’t mean it has to be overwhelmingly complicated. By knowing what you’re doing, you shouldn’t have much to worry about. It’s just a matter of taking the right steps and using a few tips while you’re at it.