Guest post from Valerie of Our Healthy Foodie Life
First things first: You may be asking, “What on earth is suburban/urban homesteading?”
To put it simply, suburban or urban homesteading is using practical, self-sufficiency skills to create what you consume at home. This can include growing your own food, making your own shampoo and body wash, sewing your own clothes, and much more.
I first began suburban homesteading last year when my husband and I bought our house. As new homeowners, we needed to save money wherever we could.
I started by growing our fruits and vegetables, and since then, I’ve started making our own cleaning supplies, bath and beauty products, and the list continues to grow.
As a result of my efforts over the past year, we have saved hundreds of dollars, and I’ve acquired new skills and hobbies in the process. Suburban homesteading has become a hobby and money-saving technique two-in-one.
If you’re thinking of trying suburban/urban homesteading yourself, here are five ways homesteading can save you hundreds every year:
1. Grow your own garden
Whether you live in a 600 sq. foot apartment in the city, or a 2200 sq. foot home in the suburbs with a large backyard, anyone can have a garden. You will obviously be able to plant more or less depending on size limitations, but everyone can have at least a small garden.
To get the most money-saving potential out of your garden, focus on growing high-value items. For example, herbs such as mint and basil can cost $3+ for one small clamshell container at the store. When grown at home, these herbs only cost pennies for the same quantity.
2. Make your own cleaning supplies
If you haven’t already made DIY cleaning products, you might be surprised to find how inexpensive and easy it is to make almost any cleaner you need. A quick search on Google or Pinterest will lead you to plenty of DIY cleaning product “recipes.”
Another added benefit? Nearly all DIY cleaning supplies are made with all-natural ingredients. That means in addition to saving money, you’ll avoid bringing harsh chemicals in to your home.
3. Mix your own bath and beauty products
Again, one quick search online and you’ll find ideas for nearly every bath or beauty product you could want to create! Body scrub, facial toner, moisturizers, and more.
Much like I mentioned with DIY cleaning supply “recipes,” you’ll find that DIY bath and beauty products are almost always free of harsh chemicals, and they are incredibly inexpensive to make.
4. Make simple home health remedies
While there is obviously no replacement for going to the doctor, there are a lot of wonderful DIY home health remedies that you can make. One example is elderberry syrup (my favorite DIY health remedy), which is said to help support the immune system.
If you buy pre-made elderberry syrup at the health store, prepare yourself to spend upwards of $15/bottle. When I make elderberry syrup at home, I spend about $3 per batch.
5. Create your own DIY home decor items
Even if you’re not super creative, there are plenty of easy, step-by-step instructional articles on how to create DIY home decor items. This can be as simple as assembling your own picture frame, or as complicated as building your own dining room table and beyond.
No matter what you decide to make, putting together your own home decor items can save you $10’s – $100’s per project.
Suburban/urban homesteading is NOT a radical, inconvenient, all-or-nothing way of life. You can make this concept your own, and do what works best for you and your life.
Do you practice any urban or suburban homesteading techniques?
Valerie Jacobsen is the creator and writer for Our Healthy Foodie Life. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina with her husband and two dogs.
Angel says
We have chickens because we can. A lot of cities actually allow it. We have fresh eggs from our chickens who are loved and well cared for.
Rosanna says
You know, I’ve never thought of myself as a homesteader. I live in a small town, but grew up on an acreage in the country. All I ever think of, are the things that I can’t do in town. However, I do grow a small garden, make cleaning supplies and some beauty products, etc. I am also very good with using what I have, as there are very few stores close by. Thanks for your post.
Keelie Reason says
I do a lot of making my own cleaning supplies. I’m really not able to grow much here, but I’m going to try again this year.
[email protected] says
Great tips! I love making my own cleaning supplies. It is amazing how much money I save, especially on my granite cleaner. We don’t have a lot of space outside for a garden, but I do grow green onions and basil inside. I am hoping to plant a couple of things outside this year. Thanks for the tips.