peterk123
NES Member
i watch a lot of youtube channels about homesteading and living off the land. sustaining the family seems to be a full time job for these people. just simple stuff like making soap is a chore, never mind keeping bees and making syrup, planting and tending a garden and keeping animals. that's why they call it farming.
No doubt. I am not a homesteader, but I find more and more enjoyment out of living the life as it was done "in the old days". There is just something that triggers my senses when I hunt, fish, cook from scratch, make bread, grow veggies, can food, etc. I do it in moderation so it is manageable. My goal is to learn each chore little by little. Take gardening as an example. I only started it last year. Two tomato plants, two pepper plants; that was it. This year I am adding garlic, potato, cucumbers and beans, but only a couple of each.
Every day I spend hours cooking or prepping food. It has helped me realize though what is truly important in life, and it ain't things like my big screen TV. I am self employed. Many years were focused on growing the business and trying to make a bunch of money so we can have stuff. My wannabe homesteading has brought me closer to my wife, my kids and honestly, even myself. This pandemic has been an interesting experiment for the family. Other than hardly working, our life has not changed at all. I am actually doing much more of the above because time allows. I also have realized that my consumption of cash is way below than I thought it would be, making me rethink this whole retirement thing.
I am not sure I am ready to start making soap because I think I can purchase it for less than a buck, but I will not rule it out I think there is a balance of work/income and a simpler way of life that would make many of us that are of a more conservative nature much happier.
One more thing. The animal thing adds a whole new element because it really ties you to your home. Going away becomes even more trickier. Now I realize why farmers back a couple of generations ago had a pile of kids. You needed them.