Homestead living is unlike any other kind of lifestyle. Whether you are a beginning or a well seasoned homesteader you can always find more tips on how to live the simple life better! Here at Little House Living we are a homesteading blog, that means we believe in simple, frugal, and natural living! These are tips that we use to save money on our homestead, make life easier, or just figure out what’s going on!
Are you working on moving towards a simpler life? You may really enjoy my 31 Days to Simpler Living Workbook!
Raising Backyard Chickens
Chicken Feed Prices
Setting Hens
Backyard Chicken Breeds
Chickens Egg Production
Cleaning Chicken Eggs
How to Increase Egg Production
Clabber Definition
How to Build a Chicken Coop
How to Build a Chicken Coop
Raising Baby Chickens – A Beginner’s Guide
DIY Chicken Feeder
How to Keep Your Chickens Full & Healthy
Saving Money on the Homestead
A Homesteaders Holiday Budget
A Homesteaders Health and Beauty Budget
Why Certain Purchases Are Worth It
Buying a Tractor
Homesteading Supplies
Simple Living
Living a More Simple Life
Simple Christmas Family Gift Exchange Ideas
Managing Stress in a Simple Life
Christmas on the Homestead
Is it Possible to Live Simple in Today’s World?
How Walks in the Country Can Do the Body (and Soul) Good
Organizing My Craft Room on a Budget
14 Steps Towards Living a Simpler Lifestyle
How Homesteading Can Benefit a Special Needs Family
A Day in the Life of a Modern Homesteader
Our Daily Routine – Winter
How to Start Homesteading Wherever You Are
5 Ways to Begin Switching to Solar Today
Talking to Friends and Family About Gifts (Reducing Gift Clutter)
Frugality vs Minimalism
Slow Living Year Series
Living Simpler in January
Living Simpler in February
What to Buy, Grow, and Eat in August
What to Buy, Grow, and Eat in September
What to Buy, Grow, and Eat in October
Homestead Household Tips
Dealing Without Electricity
8 Ways Anyone Can Prepare for a Power Outage
Winter Preparedness
Advantages and Disadvantages to Having Land
How to Stock Up
5 Reasons to Not Live Simply
What Does Simple Living Mean?
Alternative Lighting and Heating Sources
The Homemaker’s Creed
Simple Button Lamp
How We Keep it Together (and Free Weekly Planner Templates)
How to Survive Temporarily Without Running Water
Finding and Buying a Homestead
Finding and Buying a Homestead (Q & A)
Cooking with What You Have: Challenging Yourself to Eat Down the Pantry
Other Homestead Animals
Be Your Own Vet
Homemade Fly Spray
Homemade Equine Treats
Growing and Feeding Fodder
DIY Animal Mineral Feeder
Why You Should Raise Goats
Prepping
Prepare for a Tornado
Winter Weather Preparedness Tips
Prepping on a Budget
Best Emergency Preparedness Books
Survival Prepping
Prepping Supplies
Disaster Preparedness for Children
Best Weather Radios
Winter Preparedness
Food to Stockpile
Winter Emergency Survival Kit
Self Sufficient Living
Learning Basic Skills
Stockpiling Items for Basic Skills
Old Fashioned Ways to Predict the Weather
Ways Anyone Can Be More Self Sufficient
Preparing for Alternative Sustainable Energy
Self Sufficiency Goals 2014
Self Sufficiency Goals 2015
Self Sufficient Living
A Quick Start Guide to Foraging
Farmhouse Renovation
Moving on with Life – Homestead Living
Our Journey to Homestead Living – Getting Started
Renovating the Farmhouse Bathroom – Before Pictures
Renovating the Farmhouse Bathroom – After Pictures
Discovering History
Discovering History Part 2
Renovating the Farmhouse Landing – Before Pictures
Renovating the Farmhouse Landing – After Pictures
Renovating the Farmhouse Kitchen – Before Pictures
Renovating the Farmhouse Kitchen – After Pictures
Renovating the Farmhouse Dining Room – Before Pictures
Renovating the Farmhouse Dining Room – After Pictures
Renovating the Farmhouse Bedroom – Before Pictures
Renovating the Farmhouse Bedroom – After Pictures
Making the Most With What We Have Series
Missy Rakes’ Family Story
Megan Schlueter’s Family Story
Patty’s Family Story
Lisa’s Family Story
Sarah’s Family Story
Joanie’s Family Story
The Garza Family Story
Alissa’s Family Story
Billie’s Family Story
God’s Wilderness Homestead
The Carew Family
Looking for fun DIY projects and recipes that you can make quickly and easily? My book, Little House Living: The Make Your Own Guide to a Frugal, Simple, and Self Sufficient Life has over 130 recipes, money saving ideas, and simple living tips.
Nicki says
November 11, 2013 at 8:19 amMy husband and I have thought about homesteading many of times but one thing we could not figure out was how do homesteaders make money to buy curtain item, how do they make enough income to survive
Merissa says
November 11, 2013 at 9:09 amWe still work regular jobs to maintain our homesteading lifestyle. Eventually we’d love to be able to live off the land and work just from our homestead but that will be a long ways in the future, all debts would need to be gone first. 🙂
Tara says
November 19, 2013 at 12:55 pmI’m so glad I found your blog! I’m currently still in the brainstorming stage of a homestead. I’m still working 40 hours a week as a nurse in CA. My goal is to purchase a big chunk of land and slowly build on it until I can retire and do it full time…thank you so much for sharing your tips and experience!
Long Time Ago Farm says
March 18, 2014 at 9:31 amWe know several people who have done that, bought property and built slowly. One family (cousins) built the basement and lived in it as a mini-apartment for years before building the house. Later, they said their best memories are of living in the smaller space, with less distractions they played more games together, talked more and became closer as a family. After the house was built, the kids stayed in their own bedrooms, as parents they had more to do and they all ‘dispersed’. ENJOY the time ‘building slowly’.
Charlie Boring says
November 29, 2013 at 11:59 amI realy am glad I found your website; I find it very interesting. Could you consider articles concerning: 1) Water conservation (catching, storing, and using rainwater; 2) Alternative energy production (consider using the attic heat to generate wind turbine created energy through attic vents that are closed during the winter) 3) Garden; 4) Fruit trees.
Merissa says
November 29, 2013 at 12:00 pmYes on all of those! I actually hope to have articles on all by this summer since we plan on collecting rainwater, using alternative energy (since ours doesn’t seem reliable), more on gardening, and I’m planting a small orchard! 🙂
Theresa says
December 22, 2013 at 5:51 pmMarissa I am so glad that I have found your blog xxx ooo 🙂 yay I have been researching and looking for land like crazy 🙂 I must say that I cannot wait 🙂 your blog is awesome tons of useful information. we are four females ready to love nature 🙂 I am sure we will have tons of stuff to share soon. Thanks again
Valorie says
January 2, 2014 at 3:58 pmLove, love, LOVE your blog!!! I found it through pinterest during one of my many searches on being prepared for certain situations. I’m a lover of the Little House series & have always longed to live like they did. Thank you for sharing all of this valuable information:)
Linda Grant-Trottier says
January 3, 2014 at 3:41 pmI saw a post on how to make rag rugs but the link was not provided. I am really enjoying other ideas on here but would really like to save the rag rug article can you provide a direct link… if not I am sure I will come across it while enjoying the rest of your wonderful site… I dream of this, as do many I am sure.
Linda
Merissa says
January 3, 2014 at 3:42 pmHi Linda, you can find the post on How to Make Rag Rugs here.
Jen says
January 5, 2014 at 10:19 amMerissa. Your website is an answer to prayer!! We will be moving to our little 3 acre homestead in a few months. What have you found to be the best option for rural internet service. It all looks so pricey.
Merissa says
January 5, 2014 at 10:31 amWe use Millenicom. As long as you have ok cell reception it should work, I believe they have a coverage map on their website. It is $70 a month but we’ve found it to be the most reliable and it’s enough data to even get me through the month (we are on the 20 GB plan). We’ve tried Wildblue/Excede and I wouldn’t recommend them to anyone. The service is horrible, expensive, and the customer service is the worst I’ve ever seen from any company. Our old neighbors had Hughes Net and said it was similar to Wildblue.
Matt says
December 30, 2014 at 2:55 pmWe are currently using Dish Network. When our contract is up in September 2015 we are going to try creating a “hotspot” through our cellphone for $10.00 a month added to our bill and scrap Dish Network altogether. We are hoping this will save us $100.00 per month. I agree stay away from Wildblue.
Kimberly-Betsch says
January 7, 2014 at 9:38 pmI just found your site on FB And I Love it ,have plans his weekend to make sugarscrub,The gardeners hand scrub and the lotion bars.This is a amazing site so many projects I want to do .Thank you
George Schichtel says
January 21, 2014 at 3:30 pmAs far as water conservation goes, we learned the hard way. I was a city boy and knew nothing about wells so when we bought our place I used water like there was no end. After the second year the well almost went dry and we were told to stop using it for a while. I have three large sheds on the property and decided to buy, (from a pickle factory) 55 gallon barrels that we put under the eaves of the sheds. We found that the horses drink about 100 gallons a week, and we store the rest with lids on the barrels. We use the rainwater for all outside things and have not had any problems with our well since
Tonya says
January 29, 2014 at 1:05 pmMarissa,
You keep referring to your co op when you talk about buying in bulk. How would I go about finding a similar co op in my area?
Thanks
Merissa says
January 29, 2014 at 2:22 pmCheck out http://www.azurestandard.com and see if they come to your area. They are really expanding so it’s worth checking! We’ve ordered with them for over 6 years 🙂
Jessica says
February 14, 2014 at 11:31 pmI haven’t had much time to try many of your awesome and inspiring things you post about, but I hope one day soon to find some time. Have you thought about adding in some animal related home remedies and the like? Like how to make your own healthy dog/cat food. Or suggestions for alternative medications like using olive oil to sooth dry or irritated skin and pads. I own a farm full of animals and run ASHA and as a pet parent in always looking for cheap and healthy alternatives.
Merissa says
February 15, 2014 at 6:41 amMy sister has just started writing articles for the site and she has been going to school to be a vet tech so she will be adding more animal articles into our mix 🙂
Maria says
February 18, 2014 at 1:08 pmI’m so happy I found you and I can’t wait to read more!
Thanks so much!
Jennifer says
April 8, 2014 at 11:19 pmHi There! I am really enjoying your website and many wonderful tips. I am a Yankton, South Dakota country girl living on an 1868 farm/homestead myself as well as my family. We have much in common! Just wanted to say I am happy I have found this site. Great job, clever and creative!!!
Jennifer
Ashley says
July 31, 2014 at 2:39 pmI am so glad that I found your website! My husband and I would love to have some land some and homestead. I was a country girl and miss it so much. Some day–hopefully only 2-3 years from now. Need to pay off some debt first!
I keep thinking we should get a few chickens. There is nothing in our CCR’s that says we can’t have them but they wouldn’t be able to be free range at least all the time. I know free range eggs are better, but if you are controlling the feed and they have a fair amount of room to roam would it make that big of a difference?
Shelley wedesky says
January 6, 2015 at 9:10 pmI’m really looking for a printable list of what to do to prepare for our transition from military life to homestead living. We have one year to get ready. Please guide me:)
Merissa says
January 7, 2015 at 7:24 amI don’t have anything like that yet Shelley, but hopefully you can find plenty of other tips on this page that will help. Good luck with everything!
Teresa says
February 13, 2015 at 10:14 amMerissa, thank you for having such a wonderful and informative website! We have just purchased a small farm and are looking forward to raising our herd of Alpacas, along with chickens, a donkey and our current brood of three dogs, three parrots and five fish aquariums!
Your ideas are fun and inspirational! I can’t wait to put some of it to good use.
Warm Hugs,
Teresa
P.S. Loved your before and after renovations stories!!
PaqtsyMac says
March 17, 2015 at 11:00 pmI’m very interested in homesteading, but I fear I was born too soon. I’m 71 and divorced and must do everything myself or hire it out. Arthritis makes the first choice difficult, and living on a fixed income makes the second one expensive.
I would love to have a garden and keep bees, so I’m studying hay bale gardening and top bar beehives. Do you have any information you can share about these subjects, or anything else an old single lady could benefit from?
Jon A. says
June 20, 2015 at 4:01 pmHello Merissa, I am still in the research stage but my heart is telling homesteading is where I should be. My mom has 37 acres in north eastern Arizona. We are not sure where to start there is noting on the land at this time so we know we need to start with a well and a house for our family could you help with where we need to start to lessen some of the stresses on our family of city folk.
Merissa says
July 6, 2015 at 7:58 amStarting with just land is very difficult. I would recommend looking for a small place that could be fixed up a bit. You could do a camper or a small house on the land to start as well but don’t forget about digging a well, building a driveway, and making any outbuildings you might need. Good luck with everything!
FBOSTELMAN says
November 28, 2015 at 8:18 amENJOY THE INFORMATION/RECEIPES WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE GETTING MORE IDEAS FROM YOU
kaedmama says
January 16, 2017 at 11:41 amThank you for writing your book “Little House Living.” I’ve already utilized some of your recipes, such as biscuits, lotion (except I used tea tree oil instead of vitamin E,) and plan on using more! My boyfriend and I are planning on getting into the simple life in a couple of years. Keep up the good work!