The Homesteading Lifestyle

My husband, Larry and I live a simple life to the outside world. But to us, it is anything but simple. We have chores to do in the morning, centered around our three Thoroughbred horses, woodstoves and getting water for the day. But wait don't stop reading there! We do not live old fashioned at all. It may appear as if we do, but we are really modern homesteaders.

That means we incorporate old ways of doing things, as it suits with new ways. In many ways, our lifestyle is more high tech than the average couple. We live off the grid and heat and cook with wood. We have lived this way for close to eleven years now. It isn't as hard as everyone thinks. Gets to be just routine. We both have laptop computers which are on over 12 hours a day. We can watch dvds on them or else we do have a home theatre system, but rarely use it. Don't watch regular tv at all,but we can, we just choose not to. The best part is that when our area is having a power outage, I don't know about it, unless someone calls me and lets me know.

We live with a growing solar system, 5 panels giving us 355 watts of power. Our system started out simple, we added to as we could afford to. We had 4 fork-lift truck batteries but have changed them over to 24 locomotive batteries that are two volt each. We also have a Xantrex charge controller, a meter that tells how much is coming in and going out, a voltage regulator, and of course, our generator. Our generator is the kind that charges dc only. So it's more efficient for our system than the other type of generators.

Our needs are quite small compared to most. The only things we really need the power for, is, 2 laptop computers (use way less power than a desktop & we like them so much better!) and 2 electric lamps. We only started using the lamps last year since we were using kerosene lamps. When the price of fuels went way up we stopped using all but one, I can use a electric mixer or small appliance with no problem most of the time. Soon our panels will be on our barn roof and the batteries will be downstairs in our new battery room. This move will bring in much more power. Our barn roof we have observed in all seasons, and that is where the sun shines the most hours in all seasons.

Since we live in the forest, during the hot summer our home is relatively cool. We use wood for heat and cooking. I have a propane cooking range (with no electrical parts at all!) that we bought new a few years ago. Our house has never had plumbing, which we are in the process of bringing inside right now. You get used to using solar after a few years, so it mostly seems routine now.

We have been making some major changes by adding a room in our cellar for our battery system, the generator, the water pump and the water tank. Once that is completed we can hook up our brand new washing machine that I have not been able to use yet. It is computer driven and VERY energy efficient so it will not be much of a draw on our system. After that is in, I am hoping to order the SunDanzer refrigerator and freezer, two separate units. They are like chest freezers, which are the most efficient design for anyone generating their own power. I am so looking forward to adding them to my household! It is no fun not having refrigeration!

I would like to touch a little on the subject of homesteading, and what it really means. People ask me if it costs much to do thinking they can live cheaper or just move into a house and start living off their land. There are always things that you need, or run out of, and then there are things that you really need to fix, or to do, that take that money. But When you start homesteading, you are trying to be independent, self sufficient or, self reliant. So let's see what that covers, food, shelter and heat (especially in the winter!). If we grow our own food, and basically eat only that, then you are on the right track. Shelter, would have to be your home, so the best thing you could do, is to pay off your mortgage as soon as possible. And for heat, you would need to provide it yourself. So you would need a woodstove for heat, and maybe a wood cookstove for cooking, plus, a forest of trees, needing to be pruned. And that takes care of your basic needs.

Your next basic needs, would be clothing and that would include shoes too. So now, this is when you start using that money. Thrift stores, garage sales, rummage sales, free cycle are all good places to start looking for some used clothing. Make a list, with the sizes you are looking for and spend a day shopping. But under no circumstances, should you purchase your clothing at a new store! Issue yourself a challenge to go a whole year without buying one piece of new clothing, with the exception of shoes, sock or underclothes. What I plan on doing, is to check the newspapers for garage sales in the rich areas of your next closest city and spend the day there. What a fun idea! You could probably get some great clothes.

Now for transportation. I can't do much on that. I already have a vehicle with a payment, and even though I hate having a payment, I love driving a vehicle that I don't have to worry constantly about. I hated those clunkers, that you didn't know if you'd get home or not. Plus, with a decent vehicle, it seems like your gas lasts longer. I'm not sure if that is true or not. I just know that I love my Dodge Dakota pick up! But if something happened, I do have three strong horses who could, and would, travel many miles if they had to. I even have a doctor's buggy for them to drive!

Living the good life. It is not what it seems. To most people who are into homesteading they think you have to raise livestock and a majority think you have to kill them and eat them. But that is not the way I see it. Nor would I ever consider that as an option. Scott and Helen Nearing, thought of as the leaders of the homesteading or back to the land movement did not raise any animals at all. They were able to leave their homestead during the winter months and travel in Europe with no regard to livestock or animals on the homestead.

They raised in their gardens the foods that they consumed. No animals. No meat. I can't live without meat for I follow a low carb way of eating. Meat, fish, eggs and cheeses are a major part of that diet. Though I can buy it from local farmers and farmers' markets. There is a lot more farmers selling pasture raised beef, poultry, pork and other meats than ever before. I plan on raising my own laying flock of hens as soon as I get a chicken house built that is safe.

So if you grow most of your food and only buy the supplies that you just can't grow, that saves you a bunch of money right there. Then the next thing is to can or preserve all your food that you harvest so you will have it through out the winter. I liked to make mixes for things like cakes, biscuits, cocoa, salad dressings, puddings, etc. to have on hand for when you want something quick. That way you aren't buying them in the store or using products that are questionable. But, I do not eat sugar or white flour products anymore. So I am finding alternatives to those mixes. That is what I used to do so I thought I would inform you so you could make your own if that is what you like to eat. My choice to stop sugar came from reading a book called Sugar Blues by William Dufty. Very enlightening and if you have children and are feeding them those products you will really NEED to read that book!

I am also weeding out my dishes, utensils and cookware to only have the things I absolutely need and use. The Nearings had only one bowl, one cup and a set of silverware each. They both cleaned their own dishes. Kept it very simple. One person was not stuck washing dishes or cleaning up after the other one all night.