Matt Riley - Beginning Homesteading: Your Path to a Self-Sufficient Lifestyle

Beginning Homesteading

Your Path to a Self-Sufficient Lifestyle

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I n modern society it seems that we have everything that we need at a push of a button. We have light when we hit a switch; we have water when we turn a knob, we have food delivered to our homes with a phone call and can walk up to machines to get cash whenever we need it.

With all of these conveniences it can easily be overlooked that it can all be taken away from us as quickly as we received it. If you look at the trends our society is going through you will see that we have many people out of work, losing their homes, scams being propagated around every corner and the conveniences that we enjoy being threatened to be taken away from us in just a matter of moments.

As a result people are looking to go back to their roots or to a simpler form of life. Many people are looking to live a simplistic lifestyle where they fend for themselves and remove themselves from the day to day goings on of modern society. These people have been referred to as homesteaders.

In this book we will explore the homesteaders lifestyle. We will see why people are drawn to this lifestyle as well as give you tips, tricks and techniques that you can use in order to start living a homestead lifestyle either on a temporary basis or a long term lifestyle. This book is an introduction which means that we will only be touching on the foundation. At the end of the book I will give you some additional resources that you can use in order to learn more about the homesteaders lifestyle and perhaps integrate it into your lifestyle.

Before you continue though just understand that you should not jump into a lifestyle or make a life altering decision overnight. All the information on this specific topic cannot be put into this book. If you find the information in this book useful please use the resources to conduct your own research and investigation.

Before I begin I wish to thank you for reading this book and it is my goal to make this information both useful and entertaining. To your success in everything you do.

S o you have finally gotten tired of getting those spam e-mails, the computer crashing on you as well as all those bills coming to your house day after day. You have finally decided to unplug your IPhone for good and take on the simplistic lifestyle of a homesteader.

Well that is good and all but do you really know what a homesteader is and exactly what that lifestyle entails? In this chapter we will talk about homesteading, what is required of you to become a homesteader and why it is not for everybody? At the end of this chapter you will have the foundation to move forward. Then in future chapters we will go into greater detail about everything discussed here so you can make your decision with informed eyes.

H omesteading in its simplest terms is the act in which one learns to become self-reliant and can solve or come to a solution to a problem without assistance or outside help.

Those most likely to live the homesteaders lifestyle are individuals who live in an isolated area where there are not a lot of modern tools or technology or where the population is so scarce that one needs to rely on their own ingenuity in order to survive.

Others who may wish to live the homestead lifestyle are those who have turned their back on the world. These are people who feel that we rely too much on technology and the assistance of our local and state governments. These are people that want to instill a sense of moral values and teach ethics to newer generations. They can also just be people who want to live alone and not be bothered.

No matter on what level of homesteading you fall into the bottom line is that to be a homesteader you need to learn new skills and teach yourself to solve your own problems and develop new and creative solutions.

Gardening

Gardening is a large aspect when it comes to living the homesteaders lifestyle. You will need to learn how to care for the land, know what will grow, how it will grow and find solutions that rely on natural pesticides and other insect prevention.

Canning and Food Preservation

After you grow your food you will need to learn how to preserve and store your food. This is where drying; canning and other food preservation techniques will come in. We will talk about how to preserve and store your food so that it will last for years.

Clothing and Other Textiles

In some homestead situations people will learn to make their own clothes, shoes, detergents, preservatives and much more. We will briefly touch on this but it is not required to live the homestead lifestyle.

Education and Bartering

When living the homesteaders lifestyle you will need to acquire items that you need without the use of money. Bartering is a great way to accomplish this. Also, education on how to develop skills such as plumbing, electrical and other skills is also a great plus. We will discuss this topic and many others throughout this book.

Medical Treatment

Many homesteaders dont have medical insurance or wish to visit hospitals. Also, there are some homesteaders that live too far from medical resources that they need to be their own doctors in many situations. In this book we will discuss some medical tips and tricks you can use to keep yourself happy, healthy and wise.

T he first step in living the homesteader lifestyle is to make a list of reasons why you want to live this lifestyle. Developing your mindset towards the issue is very important. If you dont go into this with a positive mindset you will not last in this lifestyle for long.

Making Your List

Making a list should be quick and simple. Dont put all your effort into it at one time. Just write down five to ten reasons and build from there.

Why I want to be a homesteader

• I dont want to eat processed foods anymore
• I want to live in a quiet community where I am not bothered by neighbors
• I like gardening and want to have a large garden
• There are too many additives and harsh chemicals in my detergents so I will make my own

This is a simple list of reasons why you would want to be a homesteader. Start with this list and add or remove items as needed. When making your list you will want to look deep within yourself and find the reasons you want to change. After creating your list you will want to start taking action. Pick one item on the list and accomplish it every day or every couple of days.

You dont want to overwhelm yourself by trying to change overnight. The more gradual you work on this process the more likely you will accomplish your goal. After working on these items in your list they will become habit or second nature for you.