There are tons of reasons why you should go into homesteading. First and foremost, you want to be self-sufficient. Aside from staying clear of outside help, there are other homesteading benefits that should sway you to adapt the lifestyle.
Save Money
Homesteading lessens your expenses. Instead of buying expensive food from the grocery store, you grow or raise your own. Homesteaders do most of the work on their property so they don’t need to hire and pay professionals.
Homesteaders also avoid buying new furniture. This is where wooden pallets come in. Pallets are cheap, lightweight and sturdy enough to be repurposed and turned into pieces of furniture.
Wooden pallets can be used to build tables, desks, chairs, and benches. It is also used for beds, headboards, shelves, cabinets, and plant boxes for you herb garden. Pallets can also be used to fence in your property or to build a gate. They are used to make boring walls and ceilings look more rustic, too.
Homesteaders need new structures such as a shed for tools or produce. If you’re raising animals, you need to build a chicken coop, a chicken run, and other similar structures. Wooden pallets are perfect for these kinds of projects. Of course, they can still be used for storage purposes.
Independence and Self-Reliance
Are you dying of hunger? Simply dial some numbers to have pizza or Chinese food delivered to your doorstep. Do you need something? You can order it online. Is there a leak under your sink? Call the plumber. These are just a few examples of how dependent we are on other people. We’ve become so used to having everything at our disposal that many of us have forgotten basic skills.
Homesteading teaches you to be self-reliant so you won’t become best friends with the delivery guy. One good way to be self-sufficient and self-reliant is to produce your own food.
Raising chickens is popular among homesteaders who have ample space in their property. Chickens can provide for you in a number of ways. If you’re raising layers, you’ll have fresh eggs at your disposal. You can also raise chickens for meat as long as you’re willing to kill them yourself. Aside from being a source of food, chickens can be a source of income. You can sell or barter some of the eggs that you don’t need.
Appreciation for Life
Some people may not be too keen on slaughtering animals, especially those they raised themselves. This brings us to another one of the many homesteading benefits – appreciation for life.
As a homesteader, you have to accept that butchering is one of the skills you need to learn. If you insist on buying meat from the grocery store, then that defeats the purpose of homesteading.
Killing livestock yourself will give you a new found sense of appreciation for life. As such, you will need to learn more humane and quicker ways of bringing food to the table from your very own yard.
If slaughtering chickens and other animals is not you’re thing, then this is as good time as any to go vegan.
Homesteading Benefits on Health
A couple of reasons why people decide on homesteading are their love of food and to stay healthy. Since homesteaders make their own food from scratch, it’s guaranteed to be free from any chemicals and other not-so-healthy ingredients.
Homesteading benefits vegans and vegetarians since the food they consume is healthier than usual. Though eating nothing but fruits and vegetables is not popular with many people, those thinking of becoming vegan homesteaders will at least be delighted to know that the food they’ll be eating is healthier. Plus, you don’t need to get your hands bloody.
Gain New Knowledge, Develop Skills
By going into homesteading, you will learn a variety of skills and gain more knowledge. As mentioned, some of the skills you’ll learn are growing plants, raising and slaughtering livestock, home repair, and carpentry skills.
It’s not all about work for homesteaders, however. They can also have a little bit of fun and help themselves to beer they brewed themselves. Yep, it’s still possible to enjoy a bottle or ten of your favorite drink even if you’re trying to be self-sufficient. In fact, making homemade alcoholic beverages is one skill every beer-loving homesteader should learn.
If homesteading seems to be a lot of work, that’s because it is. In fact, another of the many homesteading benefits is developing work ethic. Homesteaders are motivated to do the work necessary to become truly self-sufficient. Discipline also plays a part as you have to stick to your schedule, especially with raising animals and growing crops, vegetables and herbs.
Remember the old saying “no pain, no gain?” This applies on a homesteading. The more work you put in, the more rewards you’ll get. The more determined you are to become self-sufficient, the more likely you’ll succeed in homesteading.
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