7 Ways to Homestead in an Apartment

It is a common misconception that you need a big piece of land and a dream home to begin homesteading. Homesteading is all about self-sufficiency. There are many skills and techniques that you can learn while you are renting. In fact, it is never too early to begin practicing these self-sufficiency skills!

When I first discovered homesteading, I was so eager to have land to care for, space for animals, and a home to work on all of my projects. Yet, financially, we are not quite able to afford a piece of land and a home. If you find yourself in a similar situation, here are a some ways to get started with your homesteading dream.

1.Make food from scratch.

This is the easiest and quickest way to start your homesteading journey. Learning to make your own home-cooked meals is a great way to become more self-sufficient. The average American eats out 4-5 times per week. Imagine the money you could be saving but cutting back on eating out. This includes trips to the local coffee shop or going out for drinks. I’m not saying never go out, but finding ways to cut back and make your own food will both save you money. Plus, there is an added bonus of preparing more nutritious meals.

2.Find local food sources.

Finding local food not only supports local businesses and farmers but is also a great way to get food packed with nutrients that cannot be found in supermarkets where the food has been shipped from hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles away. Local food hunting has become a fun weekend routine for my husband and I. We head to our local farmer’s market on Saturday mornings for fresh produce, meat, and honey and then stop in to a farmer where we get our eggs and dairy products. Even if you don’t have a local farmer’s market, there are still ways to find local foods. The Weston A. Price foundation has chapters all over the country dedicated to helping you find local farmers near you. If you can shake your farmers hand, you will know exactly what kind of food you are getting.

3.Reuse and recycle.

Reuse old glass jars from sauces, condiments, spices, jams, and jellies. Find a way to fix or repurpose old clothing, boxes, plastic grocery bags, or items around the house rather than simply throwing things away. This, along with buying food locally, has really cut back on the amount of garbage we produce. We used to go through a bag of garbage every 5-7 days. Now we could easily go 2 weeks without needing to change the garbage bag.

4.Start a garden or find a community garden.

You don’t need a large plot of land to have a garden. You can grow many herbs and veggies in pots and containers from the porch of your rental. Don’t have a porch? Window planter are a great solution. Talk with your landlord about options. Our landlord allows us to have a raised garden bed outside our building. Another option is to search for community gardens. Many are free or low cost. Some even provide tools, organic composting materials, water, and tips for successful gardening in your region.

5.Learn a new skill.

Learn how to sow, how to work with wood, how to successfully grow things in your climate, how to can, how to ferment or preserve food. Pick a skill that you might find useful for becoming more self-sufficient. When something breaks, try to figure out how to fix it on your own rather than paying someone else to do it. Being able to figure how to solve problems, fix things, and provide for yourself are valuable self-sufficiency skills.

6.Make your own cleaning and hygiene products.

There is no shortage of options for cleaning and hygiene products. A closet full of cleaning products can get pricy fast. I have found that a vinegar and water solution makes a great all-purpose cleaner and does the trick for just about any cleaning job around the house. Cleaning and hygiene products also tend to contain a lot of toxic chemicals that are coming into contact with our skin and being breathed into our lungs. Learning how to make your own lotions, soaps, toothpaste, and cleaning products will save you money and ensure that you know exactly what ingredients they contain.

7.Volunteer or work on a farm.

There is no better way to learn farming and homesteading skills than to immerse yourself in it and learn from someone who is already doing it. Very few farmers would turn down an extra hand. You will have the chance to learn how to grow things, take care of animals, and care for buildings and equipment. Take a few minutes of your time to get to know the people behind your local food sources. You now have someone to learn from. Take advantage of these relationships and volunteer to help a farmer or see if he is searching for a hired hand.

Homesteading can be done by anyone, anywhere. The best advice I can give you is to jump in and start researching. Pick one or two things and learn them really well before moving on to the next thing. There are always more skills to be learned and information to be gained on a homestead, so there is no time like to present to get started!