Do you want to be a homesteader? Do you dream of taking care of the livestock and tending the garden? Yep, you might be a homesteader! That could be a line of jokes. If this is you and you live in the city, then urban homesteading may be for you. If so, then our 5 tips to successful urban homesteading can help you get on the right path.
Do you have the desire to be self reliant, yet you are surrounded by acres of concrete rather than acres of open land? How do you fulfill that desire without moving to the country? Urban Homesteading is the answer!
Here are 5 Tips to Successful Urban Homesteading
There are things you can do to while living in a city to develop the skills of being self reliant, and in the process save money to help get out of debt and/or buy a place in the country if that’s what you really want.
Tip 1 – Unclutter your life.
We live in a world of excess and so much of it is unnecessary. Learning to make do with what you have and being creative with what you have keeps you from spending more than you need to, and selling off things you realize you don’t use or need will help you either pay debt or save money for the future.
Tip 2 – You can make things yourself.
You can make your own soaps and make your own candles with readily available ingredients. Find a source for grains locally or online and store them for use. If you have a grain mill you can use it to make your own breads from start to finish. Being able to do these things for yourself will bring a certain satisfaction not otherwise achieved, and also you’ll be pleasantly surprised to save a good amount of money in the process.
Tip 3 – Grow a garden
Many people assume that unless you have even a little patch of land, you cannot have a garden. This is not true, because you can create an edible garden that is made up of plants that are only grown in containers. The container size and shape can vary from pots to barrels or some large container and you can grow tomatoes, lettuce, squash and many other things in containers. You have the benefit of not having to do as much weeding and maintenance other than watering. If you have planned well, you can grow a lot in a small amount of space. Be creative with your use of that space and use all of it that you can.
Tip 4 – Keep a small amount of livestock.
Yes, really. You can have chickens or ducks and/or rabbits, all of which will provide with manure to use in your garden as compost. Chickens or ducks can keep you supplied in eggs, and you don’t need to have a rooster. Rabbits can be another meat source. They are quiet and reproduce very quickly. All of these animals will benefit your homestead, and again, save you money at the grocery store.
Tip 5 – Finally utilize the sun.
Make or buy a solar oven. Here is the one that we use and recommend: Sun oven. It is a great way to save on energy costs and will do a great job of cooking for you. You can also add a one hundred foot black hose onto your hot water heater for solar hot water. Attach one end to your water input, coil the hose on the roof and attach the other end to your hot water heater. All the water that goes through the hose will be warmed by the sun when it’s shining.
These are only 5 tips to successful urban homesteading will help you save money, and move you into the homesteading lifestyle.
If you like this article on 5 Tips to Successful Urban Homesteading, please share it on social media and with friends. For all the latest recipes, container gardening tips and growing guides subscribe to our newsletter in sidebar.
Also, check out our article on 5 Ways to be Frugal with your container garden or How to start your very own vegetable garden!
Be sure to Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest!