There are certain skills every survivalist or homesteader has to possess in order to truly have a realistic chance of reaching their goals.
Here are few.
Gardening
Most people think of gardens or farms when they hear the word homesteading. You more than likely will not have room for a farm in suburban homesteading so you need to concentrate on gardening. The simple act of starting a garden can do so many things for you. First and foremost, you will provide food for your family at reduced cost to what you would pay at the supermarket. Second, the food you will be providing will be fresher and healthier than what you are buying. Even if you buy GMO-free organic vegetables and fruits, they will not taste as fresh and vibrant as something you pull out of the ground or harvest moments before eating. Third, and probably most important, you’ll be developing a functional skill that will make you more self-sufficient. And, to top it all off, gardening is a great family activity that everyone can take part in.
Get your garden going today!
Composting
The ability to produce your own compost is paramount to a healthy garden. Your soil’s health is an investment in your garden and, in turn, an investment in your family’s health. And, truth be told, composting is not that hard. Take your table scraps, yard waste and whatever other organic matter you can find and throw it in a pile. Keep turning it every so often as you continue to add to it. Before long, you’ll have thick, dark compost that your vegetables will love you for.
We have been feeding our compost pile here on the Suburban Steader Homestead for about a year and we probably have 2-3 cubic yards of compost at this point. It can be done and is easy to do. Don’t worry about perfecting the balance of greens and browns. Just go at it and you’ll learn what works best!
Handyman Capability
By definition, you live in the suburbs if you’re a suburban homesteader. And that means ‘fix-it’ folks are very prevalent. Plumbers, electricians, contractors, gardeners, mechanics and appliance repairmen are all willing to take your hard-earned money. Most of these folks are quite skilled at what they do and will probably do the job quicker than you. But, will they do it better than you? The answer is probably not. You can can find out how to fix just about anything on YouTube if you’re willing to spend a little time learning. You might need some new tools and extra material for when you mess up the first time, but you can develop yourself into a pretty proficient handyman if you want to.
I don’t want you to get me wrong here – being the son of a plumber, I can absolutely tell you there are times when you should call in the professionals. But most of the fixes around your house can be completed with a little learning, trial, failure and elbow grease. There’s so many benefits to improving your handyman skills: saving money, developing a talent and having the confidence to know that you can conquer almost any problem your home throws at you!
These are pretty basic skills.
Even the handyman capability is easy to master if you use online resources to help you through whatever needs fixing.
Best of all, you do not need to kill yourself financially in order to move yourself towards a survivalist lifestyle or mindset.
To learn other urban or suburban survival skills you should master, for life and survival, please visit Suburban Homesteader.