How to Make Money Homesteading (Instead of Emptying Your Wallet)
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“How to Make Money Homesteading So You Can Enjoy a Secure, Self-Sufficient Life” is a new book by Tim Young, author of The Accidental Farmers: An urban couple, a rural calling and a dream of farming in harmony with nature. Tim and his wife, Liz, farmed at Nature’s Harmony Farm in Elberton, Georgia.
One of the most memorable passages in the book (to me) is where Tim discusses the role of money in our lives:
I suspect what we really want is not money. Rather, we simply desire increased freedom…the ability to do more of what we want, when we want, without our time (labor) being controlled by someone else. And since most of use were born into a world centered on money, we seem to believe the path to this increased freedom is having more of it.
He goes on to discuss ways to reduce our expenses, which to my mind is a common sense choice for most of us who wish to have greater financial freedom.
Pros About How to Make Money Homesteading
- Suggestions for Reducing Expenses and Eliminating Debt
- Many, many ideas for income streams – from those that require larger acreage to those that can be done in a small home or apartment
- Interviews with real homesteaders are various stages in their homesteading journeys
- Personalized Homestead Entrepreneurial Life Plan Template to help your organize your homestead income making ideas
Each of the 18 interviews includes the following questions/information:
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- Name
- Location
- If you left a “real job” prior to breaking away to become more self-sufficient, what was it?
- Homestead/Farm Highlights
- What inspired (or scared) you into pursuing a more self-sufficient lifestyle?
- What were your criteria when looking for land? how did you make your choice?
- What are your income streams now?
- Why did you choose these income streams?
- How did you acquire the knowledge/skill to generate income this way?
- If starting over again on the path to self-sufficiency, what would you do differently?
- If relevant, what do you miss about city/urban life…you know, the “real” world?
- Finally, what advice do you have for someone considering leaving a “real job” to become more self-sufficient?
This information can help readers to see if a similar option may work for them in their area/circumstances.
Cons About How to Make Money Homesteading
I’m always a fan of photos, so I would love to see the small black and white images replaced by color, but that doesn’t significantly impact the utility of the book. I was also hoping to see more interviewees who were making a full time income off their homesteads. Instead, most are still working full time away from home. Hard numbers would be great, too, although I realize most people would be uncomfortable sharing that information. There’s a better breakdown of potential hourly wages from various homesteading income sources in The Weekend Homesteader.
To Summarize: If you’re stumped for ideas for possible revenue streams to fund your homesteading dreams, this book is chock full of possibilities.
You may also enjoy:
- Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less)
- The Weekend Homesteader
- The Encyclopedia of Country Living – Endless Homestead Inspiration
Originally published in 2014, updated n 2017. This post originally included a giveaway, which has now expired.
We currently have a small horse boarding operation in Northeast, Kansas. I am a beekeeper and blogger and make honey based skin care products for sale. I grow herbs and can fruits and vegetables. We lease ground to local farmers for crops and summer cattle grazing. My husband will retire next year and we will expand our garden so that I can become a regular fixure at our local farmers market. It’s hard work but pleasure more than outweighs the pain of a sore back and callused hands. Loving what you do is the best reward!
This book would make a great addition to my others like back to basics. Sure hope I win.
My husband and I have been focusing on becoming debt free. We have a ways to go but it’s close enough now that I’m also focusing on homesteading and how to make money doing it. It’s all so exciting!
We sell excess food to make more money.
This is just what I am looking for to spark ideas this winter for one or two Homesteading Projects to jump into this Spring!!! I cannot wait to plan!
The book’s quote:
“I suspect what we really want is not money. Rather, we simply desire increased freedom…the ability to do more of what we want, when we want, without our time (labor) being controlled by someone else. And since most of use were born into a world centered on money, we seem to believe the path to this increased freedom is having more of it.” …
is the best draw that I have read in a while; it really made a lot of sense to me and it would be interesting to note what else the book has to say.
In the process of selling our current home and getting ready to move a little further south. Looking to purchase a few acres of property and a house on our way to becoming a little more self reliant. Being able to make some extra income would help make this a reality. Thanks for offering this great giveaway.
We are trying to plan our future in which we would love to have kids. The only thing holding us back in our financial situation. We both have college degrees and respectable full-time jobs. We would love to raise our kids ourselves (which mean I would quit my job to stay home). However, we don’t believe we could manage with just one income. We currently live comfortably and already try and minimize unnecessary “wants.” We have no cable/satellite, no smart phones, and I still drive the car I bought in high school (granted that was only 7 years ago). I would love to learn of ways I could have a steady income from home. We are ready for kids, but we just want to make sure we are able to provide everything that is needed.
Can’t imagine that, at our age, we might sell more than a few eggs. We use all else we produce. I can sew, but don’t care to. Thanks for the opportunity to win this reference.
We are a family of 7 (5’kids- 8, 6, 4, 2, 6 months)… We are planning a large garden, have chickens, ducks , and turkeys, and plan to get pigs, a cow and goats next spring. I also bake from scratch
Looks like a book that’s very interesting as Im always looking for ways to improve my gardens as well as my flower beds and such… I grow a lot of my own food and either cann it or freeze it. I never sell anything from my gardens I just simply give away everything extra… Help those in need know what I mean !
Would love to have more ideas on how to make our 43 acres be self-sustaining at least.
Wish I lived outside the city with a bit more land, but making do with what we have. Doing pretty well, too! Would love to hear what others have done.
I currently have goats and chickens and would love to find ways to make money from them, or other/more animals! Especially since my husband would be much happier if they didn’t cost us so much! I find difficulty in the fact that I live in the Arizona desert and have to outsource all my feed as it is difficult to keep vegetation growing all the time to lower my feed costs! This would be a great book to at least give me some ideas!
We are very interested in changing our lives and homesteading. Cannot wait to continue reading now that I’ve found your blog!
Sounds like a great book!
This would be an interesting read. And I’ll share. 🙂
I’m a somewhat recent high school grad, still living on the family farm, and in need of some ideas/help for getting this place on track to be even marginally self-sufficient. My dream is to one day have a totally off-grid homestead of my own! … but I kinda need some help planning my trajectory 😉
I’m going to be finishing up graduate school this spring and will be looking to slowly start a homestead of my own, but don’t even know where to start in terms of how to make it a little profitable down the road, so I’d love to read this book.
We bought 31 acres and a dilapdated old house last year. We have not had time to put into the homestead until we get our home in better condition. Next summer we should be able to shift gears to our land. Still remains to be seen what we decide to try and what sticks.
Our 8 year old son is planning to grow and sell potatoes next year – Peters Potatoes. Good start, I think. I plan on setting up bee hives and preparing more garden area. Am also interested in goats but down the line. Would love the book to help us factor the pros and cons of some of the possibilities. Thanks!