Frugal homesteading is about so much more than just living off of the land and a frugal lifestyle. The homesteading journey has taken off in popularity recently because so many of us are craving a more simple life. According to this news article, “Homesteading…has increased significantly during the pandemic and not just with rural landowners. Homesteading…is being practiced, in many cases, in the middle of major cities.”
If you are craving a simpler life this post will help you to have the homesteading lifestyle you seek. You can use these frugal living tips regardless of if you live in an apartment in the city or a rural area. Homesteading and homesteading skills are for everyone.
In this post I will also be sharing a few of my favorite frugal homesteading blogs. Each homesteading blog that I have included is a great resource no matter what part of your journey you are on. These awesome blogs are treasure troves of great information. If you are serious about simple living, frugal practices, and a variety of ways you can take small steps toward self reliance then I recommend you check out these blog posts that I share. Sign up for their email lists and subscribe to their youtube channel.
Frugal Tips For Homesteading
I have shared on my website about budgeting and how important that is as a homemaker. Budgeting and saving money is also important for homesteaders. You do not need to live on several acres of land in the middle of nowhere in order to reap the rewards of homesteading.
For example, we live in town on just over a quarter of an acre. Now we are not raising farm animals or living out my best Little House On The Prairie dreams but we are making extra efforts towards more natural living. Every small step that we can take is a step in the right direction. I do not have much money, or let’s be honest even much time, to invest into this. And as my husband likes to remind me Rome was not built in a day. So we are taking our time and slowly adapting to different practices.
Homesteading is about a lifestyle of self-sufficiency. Homesteading is not defined by where you live but it is about the choices that you make. So if I can use what I have, this quarter acre of land, to live a more sustainable and natural life then I am living out the definition of a new homesteader. Frugal homesteading is for you too even if you live in an apartment with a small patio or no patio at all.
How Do I Start Homesteading With No Money?
Bake your own bread.
If you have never made your own bread before then you will be surprised at just how easy it can be. With the ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry you can produce a delicious loaf of bread that is free from all the preservatives that you will find in a store bought loaf.
This recipe from Melissa K Norris, one of my all time favorite homestead bloggers, is so easy and only requires five ingredients.
Make your own cleaning supplies
Almost every thing in your home could be cleaned with a mixture of vinegar and water. It is incredibly cost-efficient and insanely easy to make. Cleaning your house does not require a lot of chemicals or store bought items. In fact, not only is using vinegar better for the environment but it is much nicer to your wallet as well.
Stop using paper towels and napkins
Paper products ultimately just go to live in landfills and create more waste. However, if you use (and reuse) cloth rags you will be making a choice that is considerate to nature. Again, you will also be saving so much money in the long run because you are not going out to purchase paper towels.
You do not need to immediately run out and purchase the perfect rags. Cut up an old towel or use that t-shirt from college that is full of holes. Using what you have on hand is a huge part of the homesteading life. Not to mention with your focus on frugal homesteading you will want to avoid extra purchases as much as possible.
Recycle and reuse everything possible
Plastic bags from the store make great liners for your waste basket. Plastic containers and glass bottles are good for storing everything from leftovers and seeds to buttons and crayons. Get creative. Never go out and purchase a bin or container without shopping your home first.
We live in an age where we are constantly being bombarded with marketing and social media that tells us we need the newest, latest, and greatest. Go against the norm and decide that your values are worth more than the opinions of others. Whether you want to organize your pantry, start a garden, or clean up the toy room. You do not need to run to the store first. I believe one of the best tips I can give you to save money is to stop shopping. It sounds obvious but how often do we pull up that Amazon app?
Eat real food you make yourself
Gardening is a topic that goes hand and hand with homesteading but even when you are limited by space constraints you can still find ways to include healthy food into your normal life. Going to a local farmer’s market or just saying no to the processed foods at the grocery store are excellent ways to move towards more frugal and healthy living. Eat delicious food and stay away from the junk.
How Can I Homestead For Cheap?
Grow your own food
A backyard garden is one of the best ways to start your journey toward frugal homesteading. For very little investment you can provide your family with delicious, healthy, and affordable produce.
If you are new to gardening I recommend checking out this post, Planning Your Backyard Garden, by Jane and Sonja. These two sisters grew up learning about gardening and homesteading from their parents and are now sharing that wisdom with us.
This photo of their lovely parents showing off an amazing tomato plant is inspiration enough to get you playing in the dirt and growing food of your own.
Container Gardening
If you are ready to start gardening there are a few different routes you can take. Container gardening is growing in popularity and by using containers and vertical space you will be amazed at how much food you can produce on even a small patio. If you have a bit more space gardening in raised beds or directly into the ground are tried and true methods loved by many.
Container gardening does not require you to go out and purchase a lot of new fancy grow bags. You can upcycle tons of things and turn them into pots for your plants. Kelly Taylor from Urban Garden Gal has a wonderful resource on her website where she shares 10 Upcycled Plant Pot Alternatives.
I especially like her idea of using a wheelbarrow! It looks so beautiful and the added benefit of being able to move the planter around fairly easily is a big plus for me.
Grow your own medicine
Using herbs medicinally and not just in the kitchen is new to me and I am excited to learn more about this. Garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, ginger root, and oregano are all kitchen herbs that have medicinal benefits. Many of them can be grown year-round on your windowsill. Learning about the medicinal benefits of different herbs is a wonderful skill for self-sufficiency as well as very useful and helpful information to have when western medicine is not readily available.
Make your own broth or stock
Bone broth is another thing that has gained popularity recently as more people are looking towards more natural ways to heal and take care of their bodies. Bone broth is highly nutritious and this post from Our Gabled Home will walk you through the process step by step on how to make your own. You can find lots of frugal homesteading blogs on Anja’s website in addition to that recipe.
Making your own broth is not only about including it into your diet. It also about using every part of the animal and preventing waste. Using the bones that you already have left over from dinner plus some water and even veggie scraps makes a super healthy and free food.
Frugal Homesteading Blogs
Growing up my family had a small vegetable garden but when I was ready to start gardening myself I realized that I have so much to learn. I have leaned heavily on the wisdom of others and the resources they have generously provided in order to increase my knowledge around all things homesteading.
Here I would like to share with you a few frugal homesteading blogs that I enjoy and have found to be especially helpful to me.
The Bluebonnet Homestead
Jennifer has an adorable website and the Texas girl in me is a huge fan of the name Bluebonnet Homestead. On her site you can find content about their farmhouse, gardening, chickens, and more.
I would love for you to check out this post where Jennifer is talking about chickens!! I am on somewhat of a mission to get my husband to agree to getting a few chickens so this is a fantastic post. I will definitely be sneaking it into his email and I know that you will want to read it as well.
Kowalski Mountain
Barbra-Sue and her husband Philip live on 40 acres of land and share about their progress toward becoming more self-sufficient and living off of the land. On her website you can find great resources on beekeeping, gardening, food preservation, livestock, and even hunting. Truly this is one of my favorite frugal homesteading blogs and has a treasure trove of great information.
I recommend that you take a look at this post where Barbra-Sue is sharing all things meat birds. Raising meat birds is one area of homesteading where I definitely have a lot to learn but this post is full of wonderful information. Even if you are not interested in raising your own meat birds everything on Barbra-Sue’s website is so fun and interesting. You’ll be glad you spent some time with her.
Cultivating Nurse
My friend Alicia from Cultivating Nurse has a great perspective on homesteading, healthy living, and a handmade home. As a registered nurse she brings a lot of great wisdom and information to her healthy homestead that I really appreciate.
Be sure to check out this post from Alicia where she is talking about how to start homesteading in an apartment. Honesty, this is the perfect post for anyone who is brand new to homesteading and looking to get started. Whether you live in an apartment or a big farmhouse these tips for how to get started on a smaller scale are a must read.
Capturing Wonderland
Julie Anne from the blog Capturing Wonderland is quickly becoming one of my favorite people. She is such a sweet and lovely person. Julie Ann blogs about homemaking, handmade skills, and is a huge DIY junkie.
Take a look at this post where Julie Ann is sharing seven must have skills for every homesteader. This post is packed to the tippy top with tons of great advice and practical wisdom for every beginner homesteader. I learned a great deal from her and I know that you will also.
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