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Homestead Preparation – 7 Ways to Personal Security

Are you trying to live a more homespun seasonal life, maybe thinking about homesteading?  Maybe you’ve already begun taking steps to live a life that is built from your own hands.  It doesn’t matter if you’re living in the city or in the country, there are some things everyone can do to get and stayed prepared for a life that can sometimes be unpredictable.  There are ways we can accomplish a little personal security and homestead preparation through small things and steps.  It is not about having a large savings account or an entire year’s supply stored in the food pantry, though those are good things, its more about having a small supply and the necessary skills and attitude to make it work.  Here are my 7 ways to personal security:

Homestead Preparation - 7 Ways for Personal Security from Homespun Seasonal Living

1. Stay out of debt 

If you are currently using credit cards to make ends meet or for splurges and only making the minimum payments, stop that now.  I strongly suggest getting out of debt, as well.  It seems owning things free and clear is the only way to ensure they will remain your property.  Avoiding debt means no money spent on interest, finance charges, late fees, etc., meaning more money stays in your home economy not the economy of some bank that has the right to change terms at will.  Try to think in terms of living below your means, not just within them whenever possible.

2. Start Building a Savings 

Save whatever you can pull together.  Look for ways to build yourself a reserve that will help see you through unemployment and/or unexpected expenses.  Start small and find a local bank with a good reputation and a high interest rate and let your money grow.  I do recommend keeping some money on hand for those times when the bank is closed, as well.

3. Build your Supply Reserves

Start stocking your food pantry when you find good sales, are offered surplus from someone’s garden, and/or find some wild foods worth keeping.  Learn to can, freeze, and dehydrate and do so whenever possible to keep your pantry and your stomach full.  A well-stocked pantry may be more valuable than money in the bank, so do keep yourself and your family well prepared for any emergencies with nutritious food in the pantry.  It goes beyond food items, however; think candles, blankets, wood for heating, first aid items, batteries, and other items you feel necessary (toilet paper?).

4. Get to Know Your Neighbors / Community

Let’s face in times of emergency, whether natural disaster or economic difficulties, it’s our neighbors who, we’ll need to rely on and who will rely on us.  These are the folks we can turn to for bartering goods and services, who can teach us skills, and much more.  This doesn’t mean you have to best friends, it just means you have to know them and know who has what skills if at all possible.  It sure makes it easier to borrow a cup of sugar or a wheelbarrow if you’ve actually talked to your neighbors previously.

5. Learn Useful Skills

I’m talking about skills that you can use to barter and/or sell if times get really tough.  If you already know how to repair a roof, mend torn pants, bake bread, can, etc. you have something other folks might want and they might know how to darn a sock, hunt for venison, make sausage or do something else valuable in return.  Its also much easier to do some of these things yourself than have to find someone in an emergency.  Get good first aid skills in place too, these are invaluable.

6. Adopt an Attitude of Gratitude

I know its corny, but it is true.  If you have a positive attitude life is just plain easier.  Life is much more pleasant if we are grateful for what we have versus pining over what we don’t.  In most cases it is our state of mind that determines how bad things really are, take a moment to realize how many people have lived through horrible levels of poverty only to say “we were poor but never felt that way.”

7. Simplify

It’s much easier to simplify your daily life now and adjust slowly versus adapting to a giant change.  Think of ways to simplify now, whether its turning off the TV and computer and spending more time reading or cutting out the lattes in favor of adding to your reserves.

How about you?  How are you managing your home economy and keeping your homestead prepared?  What would you add to the above list? 

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Rebecca | LettersFromSunnybrook

Wednesday 11th of June 2014

Nicely written! I especially like that you included the part about attitude. I grew up in a third-world country and saw people that were such giving, loving, happy and CONTENT people, and they had nothing to their name.

Yanic

Wednesday 11th of June 2014

Loved your post! We are on a 3 year plan and it was very comforting to see that some of the points you mentioned are things we have already started doing. I've just started a class in herbalism and my husband is learning how to work wood. We've been learning how to grow food, planted fruit, I've been sewing again, my husband has been learning about mechanics, irrigation, keeping chickens and such. It will be a wild ride, but we are ready to turn our 1/3 acre plot into something pretty amazing. Thank you for all the great info!

Kathie

Wednesday 11th of June 2014

What an amazing plan you have in place! Best of luck to you and I can tell already that your place is something amazing.