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9 Affordable ways to Grow your Homestead

Homesteading has made a come back. Once upon a time people were eager to leave the farm life behind for the cities. Now, the tables have turned. People are eager to leave the city behind for an idyllic life on the farm.

However, what’s changed is that most of us don’t have a family farm to inherit anymore. Many of us who want to homestead don’t have any recent generations in our family who farmed. Sure, some do (and what a blessing if that is you!) but for a good portion of people that just isn’t the story anymore.

So, what does that mean? Well, more than likely it means you are building your homestead from scratch. Maybe you buy a country home with some old run-down outbuildings on it. You might feel pretty confident there was a big garden on your property at one time, but there’s no evidence of one now.

Heck, you might not even have a clothesline on your newly acquired homestead.

When you start dreaming and then add up the numbers of all it is going to cost to get what you need to build up your homestead to something that resembles SOME self-sufficiency, well, you might get discouraged.

It’s no secret that homesteading projects can add up fast.

But, I’ve got good news for you! There are affordable ways you can build up your homestead. If you put money into your land little by little, it’ll eventually add up to a beautiful working homestead like you’ve always dreamed.

So, let’s talk about cheap ways you can grow your homestead!

9 AFFORDABLE WAYS TO GROW A HOMESTEAD

  1. Use Cheap or Free Used Materials

When looking to build a chicken coop, animal pens, or garden beds, look at ways to acquire free or cheap used materials. When we build a pig pen we used pallets. Our most recent raised garden beds were made out of wood slabs that the local Amish give away for free.

My husband is a carpenter and sometimes brings materials home from work that were destined for the landfill.

You can also look on Facebook Marketplace, or other used sites for materials that may come in handy for your homestead.

2. Try Bartering

We once were able to acquire a little piglet we raised for meat by trading some old scrap metal on our property for it. It’s what the guy was looking for, and we were looking for a pig so it worked out!

Consider if there is anything you have that you might be able to barter in exchange for what you need on your homestead. It might be a tangible item like we had, or it might be a service you can offer.

3. Start Small

In a previous post I shared how we just recently moved into our second homestead we’ve ever owned. As it’s the middle of winter we are in dream mode. We’ve got lots of big ideas for our home, but because we’ve already homesteaded once we know how quickly it can add up. Therefore, we are looking at just a few projects a year.

That means our first summer won’t consist of all the farm animals and building projects at once. Our plan is to start out with chickens (the most affordable animal on the homestead in my opinion) and revisit our finances before we move on to the next animal (goats, anyone??)

4. Plan a cheap garden

Look, I get it. Pinterest and Instagram is full of gorgeous garden photos. Gardens that make you drool. The raised beds with the stone walkways. The Iron rod fences. The twinkling hanging lights.

And maybe that’s your long-term dream. That’s a dream worth having if that’s the vision for your homestead. However, when every penny counts it makes sense to build a garden that is functional and maybe not as pretty as you want it.

Raised beds are great, but can be expensive (unless you can acquire the materials, including the soil to fill them all, for free or extremely cheap.) Also, while you are at it, stick to cheaper varieties of vegetable seeds to plant for your first few years.

If you want more ideas on building a cheap garden, you can find out here how to grow a garden from scratch on a budget.

5. Rent bigger equipment instead of buying

I’m usually a “buy it right out” kind of girl. I don’t like to owe anyone anything. However, in this case, sometimes it makes sense to rent instead of buying.

When we started our first homestead we didn’t have very much money. Purchasing a rototiller wasn’t in the budget. I found out there are stores you can rent that kind of equipment.

Maybe you can buy a rototiller but really feel you need a tractor. If you only need a tractor a couple times a year, it may make sense to rent one if you aren’t ready to foot the bill.

We recently looked at the possibility of buying a tractor and were floored at how expensive they are. We decided we needed to pass on it for now since we know we can rent one if needed.

6. DIY instead of Buy

You can buy a chicken coop, but you’ll most likely save money building one yourself. You can buy a chicken plucker, but many people make their own.

A great way to build up your homestead on a budget is to do a lot of DIY.

7. Repurpose any buildings or structures on your property

Maybe you have a run-down outbuilding, or small barn or shed on your property. Can you repurpose that for shelter for your animals?

In our first homestead we were able to build a couple of goat stalls in a little shed. As well, the previous owners made a chicken coop out of one of those 10 x 10 metal sheds that many people have in their yards. It was a great coop that never had any predator issues!

8. Pick small animals to begin with

When it comes to a homestead, it’s the dream the own a horse or a cow, or both, am I right? However, the bigger the animal, the higher the price tag. A horse especially won’t give you anything in return (aside from a lot of fun, maybe!)

Feeding animals such as goats, lambs, and chickens are a lot more affordable.

9. Shop the Thrift Stores for Homestead Tools

Okay, so you probably won’t find a nice used and affordable rototiller at the thrift store, but you may find things like canning supplies, a dehydrator, or bread-making tools there. Homesteading isn’t just about what’s going on outside, but also what you are doing inside, like cooking more from scratch. Save on this side of homesteading by looking for used equipment.

Building a homestead takes time and money. But, it isn’t something that is done overnight. Put a little money into your homestead each year, and eventually you’ll have built your dream property, hopefully without debt. Maybe one day it’ll be a place your kids want to inherit and carry on your homesteading legacy.

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