Are you ready? This is either the beginning of your homesteading journey or the beginning of a new approach to your homesteading journey.
Twenty years of homesteading have taught me the importance of intention and planning. No matter where you are right now, you can improve upon your journey by taking small steps closer to your goals every day.
A question I am often asked is, “How do I get started?” This checklist will put you on a sustainable path toward your homesteading dreams. If you are already a few years into your journey, use this checklist to fill in any holes you may have missed along the way.
This checklist will give you actionable steps to help you start and maintain a healthy homestead, so get started on it today! Get a pdf version of the Homesteading for Beginners Checklist here.
✅ GET CONNECTED
Find a Local Homesteading Community.
Search Facebook or Nextdoor for a homesteading community in your area. join the group and introduce yourself. If you can’t find a community or you don’t feel welcomed, start your own community. Give it a name and invite friends.
Find an online homesteading Community.
Both local and online communities are important to have. Search Facebook for some active communities. free information can be found on Facebook if you are willing to search for it.
Visit a local farm or homestead.
Reach out to a local farm or homestead that is willing to let you tour their operation. start by reaching out to someone in your local community. try to befriend the person before asking to visit their homestead or visit a farm that offers educational tours.
✅ INVEST IN YOUR EDUCATION
Purchase at least one homesteading or gardening book.
Book knowledge can be very valuable in the beginning stages of your journey. Find a few books to read and study. There are many ways to do homesteading things, but a good book will be an excellent way for you to feel familiar with a topic.
Decide on one new homesteading skill to start learning.
you can start learning homesteading skills even if you don’t have any land. cooking from scratch, baking, fermenting, canning and woodworking are all very useful homesteading skills. There are “farm” skills you can learn by connecting with your local community. Many homesteaders are in need of help and will often trade for produce and other goods.
✅ TAKE TIME FOR DREAMING
Start a homesteading journal.
Journaling can offer so many benefits. It can provide immediate reflection and release frustrations. Journaling also has long-term benefits. Each season you can write down the things you have learned and then make time during the slow seasons (usually winter) to reflect on the past year to help you plan for the coming year.
Start a dream board.
dream boards can offer you the visual motivation you will need to keep your dreams alive. don’t hold back when creating a dream board. Include all the things you hope to have on your dream homestead. include things that are easier to attain as well. Example: Dinners in the garden with family and friends.
✅ SAVE FOR YOUR GOALS
Start a savings account or savings envelopes.
It is ideal if you can start your homesteading journey with little savings. Projects, animals, and unforeseen events can all catch you off guard. Having a little buffer will help tremendously. First, Decide which projects are most important to you and then create savings envelopes for those projects.
✅ CREATE AN INCOME PLAN
Start a 3 Income Stream Plan
Lack of income is one of the biggest pain points new homesteaders experience. Having three income streams will give you a prepared and sustainable plan. Write down some ideas based on your interests first, then start researching those ideas to see if they will generate the income you need to live a comfortable life. Download the free 101 Homestead Income Ideas list to help you with this task.
✅ GET COACHING
Contact Mona for coaching.
DM MONA ON INSTAGRAM (@FARMER_MONA )
HELPFUL TOOLS
CLICK THE LINKS BELOW OR VISIT MY AMAZON STOREFRONT
www.amazon.com/shop/farmer_mona
MONA’S SUGGESTED HOMESTEADING & GARDENING BOOKS
HOMESTEADING AND GARDEN JOURNALS/NOTEBOOKS
SAVINGS ENVELOPES AND BUDGET NOTEBOOKS
You can download a pdf version of the Homesteading for Beginners Checklist
MORE WAYS TO CONNECT WITH MONA
- LISTEN TO THE HOMESTEADING FOR BEGINNERS PODCAST Episodes 1-5 are about this checklist. Listen on Apple or Spotify.
- MONA’S INSTAGRAM @FARMER_MONA
