Posted by Annie | | General Homesteading | |

Most people work a job that requires being up at a certain time, driving to the place of employment, working about 8 or so hours with a lunch break in between and returning home.

They work the hours that are assigned to them by someone else and receive a paycheck every week or two weeks on the same day and for roughly the same amount.

They get a vacation once they are at their place of employment for a certain amount of time, and if they are sick they must “call off” and miss a day of work. That’s not me at all and it is why I am thankful to be homesteading.

 

 

My homesteading journey so far has changed my life and the way I see and feel about the things that before I never really paid attention to because I was so busy in my fast-paced “rat-race” world.

I have an appreciation for things that never mattered before. It has helped me in many ways and even made me a better mother and overall person.

 

 

Why I Am Thankful To Be Homesteading

 

 

1. I work my own hours.

 

I don’t punch a clock nor do I  have to be anywhere at a certain time or do any certain task or assignment because someone else needs me to. Only I decide when I work, how I work, what I need to do and where I want to do it because I am my own boss.

Homesteading gives me the ability to do all that. It allows me to make all the decisions. I can determine my future and how far I will go, I determine how successful I will be, and I get all the credit for all the hard work I put into my homestead and the things that surround it.

No job on earth, working for someone else can do that and it is one of the biggest reasons why I am thankful to be homesteading.

 

 

2. I am healthier.

Because I grow my own food and eat grain fed beef and free range chickens my health has improved drastically. I eat plenty of fruits and veggies straight from my own homestead. There are no chemicals like pesticides when I grow my own food.

I cook more from scratch instead of eating those awful boxed meals and processed foods that most people eat. It is common to find me in the kitchen making homemade bread or making fresh butter in my Kitchen Aid mixer. You can get my method and recipe right here.

 

I make my own spice mixes and you need to try this recipe for Split Pea Soup mix in a Jar. I blend my own spices and grow my own herbs. Read Growing Herbs: An Introduction or Preserving Herbs. You can also read Herbs That You Can Grow in the Shade.

Because I eat better and healthier food I am never sick even when most people around me are suffering from colds and the flu. I only visit the doctor for a checkup now and that saves me a lot of money yearly.

 

 

3. I am less materialistic.

 

At one time I can remember wanting a newer tv, new clothes, jewelry, and shoes. I used to spend money on purses and home decor things to only use them once or twice. Oh, the stuff I collected or maybe hoarded. I basically bought things because everyone else did.

Now that I am a homesteader I buy what I need and only if I know I will use it. For me to spend money on anything it must have a definitive purpose or I pass it by.

My clothes I wear, my shoes I wear. I have a couple of hoodies and a coat and I wear them all. I downsized in every area that I could within my home from clothing to nic-knacks to dishes and extra kitchen utensils. Now I have what I need and use only. See my post on Downsizing for a little guidance on where to start.

 

 

4. I am learning valuable skills.

There is no job on earth that allows you and almost forces you to learn the number of skills you do other than homesteading. I am not talking about the skills you learn in an educational facility. I mean life skills, like sewing, canning, making homemade bread, gardening, and even budgeting and living frugally.

Homesteading has taught me how to feed 8 people for a month without spending a thousand dollars on groceries at the store. I have learned to can vegetables and fruit, how to freezer cook and stock my pantry and I can start a fire without matches and gasoline.

I learn new skills daily and no regular job can do that, just another major reason why I am thankful to be homesteading.

 

 

5. I am prepared.

Another one of the biggest reasons why I am thankful to be homesteading is because I am prepared for emergencies. I recently survived through Hurricane Irma. We went 8 days with no running water and no electricity.

Because I homestead and I am prepared, no one here went without. We had water bottled up way before the storm hit. We had generators that provided the power we needed and we had a portable shower for bathing, a grill and gas stove to cook on, enough dried goods and canned goods to keep our stomachs full and other than it being in the 90’s and humid we survived just fine.

I don’t think I would have been as prepared if I wasn’t homesteading. 24 chickens, 2 turkeys, 3 rabbits, a pig, 3 cats, a pregnant dog, and 4 other dogs fed and watered daily.

I keep an emergency kit on hand. If you want to make your own DIY emergency kit click here.

 

 

6. I can return to my roots.

 

Our country was started by brave and willing people who gave up a life they were used to, to come to a new land and fend for themselves.

They had no one to depend on but themselves, they figured out how to grow food and raise animals. They raised children, hunted and fished and they built their own homes and even figured out how to stay warm in winter and cool in summer.

I can relate to those roots of our nation because when homesteading you do those very same things. You learn the old-fashioned way of doing things, cheaper, more efficiently, and with pride.

I thank no one but myself for the food on my table each night. The ability to that is enough by itself and another reason why I am thankful to be homesteading.

 

 

7. It instilled better morals and values in my children.

Because my children saw me work hard and grow our food and provide a life for them they appreciate me and our lifestyle in a way that you don’t often see in children nowadays.

My children still, now that they are married with their own children teach their children to say “please” and “thank you”. They sit at the dinner table and eat together as a family and have a “no cell phone” rule.

My children read to their children at night and not just any books, but the classic books. They are well-mannered and have morals and ethics that you just don’t see anymore, and they don’t waste food or leave trash laying around.

All that is because of a homesteading lifestyle.

 

 

8. I have an appreciation for nature and all living things.

I plant flowers for the local bees and I have birdhouses to provide safe places for the wild birds to bring their young into the world. The squirrels are fed corn, and I allow for wildlife on my property with woodpiles and some meadow areas. I don’t spray chemicals and pesticides to rid my property of insects, instead, I work around them.

I don’t just clear all the trees off, I have them trimmed up to allow for better growth. No commercial fertilizers are used and I make my own compost. The natural habitats plants and flowers are encouraged to continue to grow. I appreciate and respect nature and I welcome the sun as much as the rain as both are equally beneficial. I love the sunrise and the sunset.

 

 

9. I save money.

 

Because I live a simple life, grow my own food and keep animals that provide a healthy lifestyle I don’t spend hundreds of dollars at the grocery store. Since I live a minimalist lifestyle I don’t purchase clothes frivolously. I have what I need and everything I own has a specific purpose. If I really need something I budget for it until I can afford it.

I am debt free other than a cell phone bill and electric. Any money I make I therefore save. I was never able to save like I can now when I had a regular job and lived the average lifestyle. Homesteading saves me money.

 

 

10. I am self-sufficient.

 

The greatest reason why I am thankful to be homesteading is that it allows me to be self-sufficient. I don’t depend on a grocery store so I can eat and I don’t look to the government for assistance and I don’t apply for bank loans, I don’t need to do any of those things.

I am able to provide a wonderful lifestyle that takes care of me and allows me to depend on myself. Because of my ability and because I think ahead I am prepared. Homesteading provides that self-sufficiency for me in a way no other lifestyle possibly could.

These are the top 10 reasons why I am thankful to be homesteading. Homesteading has made me self-sufficient. It allows me to budget for the things I need and how to save money. It has instilled morals and values in both my children and myself that we may not have acquired otherwise.

I appreciate nature and all it has to offer and I have a respect for nature like no other. I am prepared for just about any emergency, and I can survive in almost any condition. All of these things combined in a wonderful lifestyle that I chose is why I am thankful to be homesteading.

 

To learn more homesteading skills you may need to check out Homesteading.com’s post 145 Homesteading Skills Every Homesteader Must Be Well Equipped.