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custom a frame chicken tractor in suburban backyard

Custom A-Frame Chicken Tractor For (Almost) Free

by From Scratch Farmstead February 4, 2023

When we wanted to expand our backyard chicken flock beyond our small stationary coop without spending a fortune, it was time to get creative. So, we picked up a used, wooden kids playset for free and transformed it into a mobile A-frame chicken tractor.

This post talks about the benefits of mobile chicken coops and how to build your own custom A-frame chicken tractor for around $150.

What is a Chicken Tractor?

A chicken tractor is simply a mobile chicken coop that is regularly moved to patches of fresh grass. They come in all shapes and sizes (A-frame, rounded, rectangular) and can be constructed using a variety of materials and methods.

The typical chicken tractor design sits on rails (or skids) at the base with an attached rope, bar, or handles used to pull and maneuver the tractor. Sometimes they have the addition of wheels on one or both ends to make this task easier.

Mobile chicken coops have long been used. Here, Laura Ingalls Wilder recounts the moveable coop that Pa had built from Little Town On the Prairie:

“She carried the chicks in her apron, to set them one by one into the coop that Pa had already made. It had a front of laths, to let in air and sun, and a little door with a wooden button to fasten it. It had no floor, but was set on clean grass that the chicks could eat, and when the grass grew trampled and dirty, the coop could be moved to fresh grass.”

Beyond moving chickens regularly onto fresh grass, chicken tractors offer many benefits. Let’s look at those.

Benefits of a Mobile vs. Stationary Chicken Coop

Our homesteading journey began with 6 laying hens in our suburban backyard. We kept them in a stationary coop that was a kit from Costco. It was bare bones. But it worked and allowed us to easily get started as backyard chicken keepers.

A couple years in, we started to see some of the challenges and limitations of that stationary coop:

It was tight (for us and chickens!)
Needed frequent cleaning.
Increased predator pressure while free ranging.
Trouble keeping free ranging chickens contained to only our yard.
And then the difficulty of trying to wrangle the chickens back into the coop during the day when we needed to run out somewhere.

Our video on stationary vs. mobile coops gives a more thorough breakdown of the pros and cons of each and what we ran up against.

But, because of some of those cons of the stationary coop, we decided to venture into the world of mobile coops, or chicken tractors.

Here’s a quick list of the benefits a chicken tractor can offer:

Fresh grass! Chicken tractors are typically moved onto fresh grass each day giving your gals new forage opportunities.

Large run. Tractors come in all shapes and sizes, but often have a larger footprint offering space for chickens to move about.

Easy access. A-frame chicken tractors are tall making maneuvering inside them for daily chores like food and water more manageable.

a frame chicken tractor with backyard chickens

Safe & secure. Your chickens have many of the benefits of free ranging with less risk of predators getting to them.

Urban friendly. Whether you’re often on the go or have close proximity neighbors, your chickens stay in one place and keep your mind at ease.

Less mowing. My personal favorite—when appropriately moved and managed your chickens will mow down your lawn for you while also fertilizing it!

A-Frame Chicken Tractor FAQ’s

Before we get into how to build your own custom A-frame chicken tractor, you’ll want to make sure it’s the right fit for you, your lot, and your flock. Here are some frequently asked questions:

How much land do I need for a mobile chicken coop?

There are several factors that will play into this including the size of your tractor, how many chickens you have, and your yard space. We had our tractor on our 1/3 acre lot, which felt plenty spacious. The minimum time for grass to regrow is 30 days. And it is typically best to move your tractor onto a fresh patch of grass every day. Based on this, my recommendation would be to size your tractor to allow at least 30 moves through your yard before being brought back to its starting point.

suburban backyard chickens with moveable coop

How many chickens can I fit in my chicken tractor?

Chickens need anywhere between 4-8 square feet of run space per bird to be happy, healthy layers that aren’t cramped. So, step one is deciding the appropriate size of your backyard flock and then building a chicken tractor to suit. We recommend getting a lesser quantity of chickens to start and increasing as able over time as opposed to maxing out your space right away.

Can I let my chickens free range with a chicken tractor?

Yes, you certainly can! Just because the coop is designed to move while still keeping your chickens contained doesn’t mean the door needs to stay shut. If you’re comfortable with them free ranging and have a good setup to do so, then have at it! We would still let ours free range as much as possible if we were at home and keeping watch on them. But, for many of the reasons already mentioned, keeping the chickens in the tractor most of the time was the perfect option to keep our chickens safe and happy in our suburban backyard.

What about predators?

We never lost a chicken to a predator in our chicken tractor or our stationary coop. With the stationary coop, we were able to dig down and run hardware cloth underneath it to keep predators from digging under the coop. However, the bottom is obviously exposed in a mobile coop. But, most predator pressure comes at night when the chickens have retreated to the enclosed area of the tractor. This means, if you design the enclosed area to keep predators out and make sure they are securely locked up each night, then your flock will likely stay well protected.

How To Build an A-Frame Chicken Tractor From a Kids Playset

Many stationary coops come as a kit or prebuilt. Mobile chicken tractors, however, are much less common to come by and few plans for them exist. Therefore, you will likely end up building your own custom tractor—like we did!

This post is not an exact A-frame chicken tractor plan to follow. Rather, it can give you the inspiration and general guidance to build your own custom A-frame chicken tractor. And do so at a very low cost.

Here’s what you’ll need to start.

Materials

Kids Playset – This project gives you the added bonus of up-cycling lumber from a used children’s playset to give it a second life. If you search for playsets on Craigslist or FB Marketplace there are usually TONS of options. And many are free! Look for something simple with an A-frame design for swings and other playset accessories. This will give you enough lumber for the majority of your chicken tractor.

Roofing – If the playset doesn’t already have roofing, you’ll need to come up with a material option for roofing. We found used cedar fencing that someone had listed for free, removed the pickets, and lapped them as roofing. You can also use metal or PVC panels, asphalt shingles, or any other waterproof material that will stand up to outdoor use.

fence panel pickets used for roofing on chicken coop

Siding – Some playsets may give you the siding you need for the enclosed coop section and nesting boxes. Ours did not. So, I picked up a 4×8 sheet of 3/4” exterior plywood that I used for the enclosed coop area and laying boxes.

After tracking down those main materials, you’ll need a few other things.

Here’s a more complete materials list:

Lumber from playset
Roofing
Siding
Chicken wire
Wire cutters
Hinges & latches
Wheels (optional)
Rope
Various sizes of exterior grade construction screws

Tools

Most playsets will be made with 4×4 posts. These are beefy and will be too heavy to construct a mobile coop out of. Therefore, I took those 4×4’s and cut them lengthwise, or ripped them down to smaller sizes. A table saw makes this task so much quicker and easier. But, you can also do it with a circular saw if that is what you have. Likewise, a miter saw will makes some angled cuts easier. But they can also be achieved simply with a circular saw.

Here’s the tools to have on hand:

Circular Saw
Table Saw (optional)
Miter Saw (optional)
Drill
Impact driver (or drill if that’s what you have)
Stapler
Tape measurer
Speed square
Pencil
Quick clamps (if you have them)
Safety glasses

How To Build a Custom A-Frame Chicken Tractor

Step 1 – Build A-frame

As mentioned above, the 4×4 posts from your playset will need to ripped down to smaller dimensions. I ripped one in half to provide 2×4’s for the two bottom rails or skids the tractor will be pulled on. The rest of the 4×4’s I ripped into quarters (2×2’s) for the remainder of the tractor framing. The top spine of the A-frame was another 2×4 I had ripped down from the original 2×6 atop the playset.

Once the materials were cut to size, I laid out the dimension and footprint of the tractor size I wanted, cut the pieces to the appropriate sizes and angles, and screwed the frame of the tractor together. My tractor was roughly 7’x7’.

To tie a tow rope or add wheels (optional) on the tractor, it’s best to have the bottom rails of the tractor extend 4-8” out from the tractor. You can see I didn’t do this initially and just screwed on some shorter pieces of wood on the front and back. They held up fine.

The front of the tractor will need a door. I built a simple door and door frame out of extra 2×2’s that fit on the front A-section of the tractor.

I also added diagonal 2×2’s spanning the A-frame sections laterally so the tractor had more stability when being pulled.

Step 2 – Construct Enclosed Coop Area

The goal here is to create a triangle shaped, fully enclosed area where your chickens can roost, sleep, be protected from cold and rain, and go to lay eggs.

Here I was able to repurpose the bridge, or deck, from the playset I found. I spaced the upright A-frame sections from the previous step so the deck would fit between them. This will give your enclosed area a solid base.

adding laying box to a frame chicken tractor

Next, cut your siding to fit on the horizontal sections of your enclosed area and install with screws

building enclosed area on chicken tractor

adding siding to a frame chicken tractor

On the side facing the interior run, you will need to cut out a door that can be closed up tight at night. The easiest way I have found to do this is to make my own vertical rails out of 2×4’s for a door to slide up and down in. Simply notch out one of the corners lengthwise of a 2×4 section, mount them next to your door cutout, and slide a rectangular section of siding into those tracks as a door.

sliding door to keep chickens safe in tractor

The backside of your tractor will fit a nesting box (or laying box). I used spare 2×2’s to build a nesting box frame and then used more of the siding board for the floor and walls of the nesting box. I then built a cover on hinges that can be easily lifted up to check for eggs or access the enclosed portion for cleaning.

And don’t forget ventilation! This is critical to provide airflow on warmer days. A the top of the triangle enclosed areas, I cut off the top of the triangle, put it on hinges, then lined the opening with hardware cloth so I could open and close it for ventilation as needed.

Note, the top of your enclosed area will still be open until roofing is added!

Step 3 – Install Chicken Wire (or Hardware Cloth)

Next, the run of your tractor will be ready for chicken wire! There is no easy way to install chicken wire. I recommend you wear long sleeves, pants, gloves, and eye protection to avoid getting cut up. Also, having a second set of hands makes it much easier.

I bought 4’ wide chicken wire and spaced the A-frame sections appropriately to accommodate. Cut the length you need with wire cutters (leaving a little extra never hurts and can always be cut off at the end). Fasten one side in place with your stapler. Stretch the chicken wire across to the other side and staple in place.

You want the staples to be continuous and spaced every 4-6” so the run is secure and nothing can get in or out. The door will also need to be backed with chicken wire. Working with chicken wire can be frustrating and require patience. But stick with it and you’ll get there!

Hardware cloth is chicken wires much stronger and more secure cousin. It’s also more expensive. My theory was that ground predators that could to tear through chicken wire are usually only out in the evening. Therefore, I built the enclosed area to be impenetrable from predators and made sure all our chickens were closed up there securely each night. This allowed me to use chicken wire on the run and save some cost. After a couple years of use, that theory proved true and nothing ever got to the chickens in the run or the enclosed area.

Step 4 – Add Roof

At this point, the only area still open on your A-frame chicken tractor is the top of your enclosed area where roofing needs to be added.

I discussed roofing materials above. The simplest and most commonly found solution is probably to use metal roofing sheets and fasten them with roofing screws. Often you can find these tin panels used for cheap or free. I found some cedar fencing that someone had removed and lapped the pickets like shingles.

The bottom line is that whatever you use for roofing, it needs to be fully enclosed and secure so nothing can pry into the enclosed area of your coop at night.

Step 5 – Install Wheels (optional)

I never installed wheels on our A-frame chicken tractor and got by alright. However, they would not be that hard to install and would likely make it significantly easier to move the tractor.

We’ve since built a couple of John Suscovich chicken tractors for raising meat chickens that have wheels and they do pull very nicely. His design involved using lawnmower wheels, 1/2” carriage bolts, locking nuts, and washers to get the spacing of the wheel right.

chicken tractor and three sisters garden

This is where extending the bottom rails comes into play. Drill a 1/2” hole in the rails on the back of the tractor, install your carriage bolts, washers, lock nuts, and wheels, and you’re all set.

Step 6 – Add Finishing Touches

There’s a few extra steps needed to finish off your tractor.

First, drill 1/2” holes where the bottom rails overhang on the front side of your tractor. Tie a section of heavy duty rope through each end. Adjust the rope as needed to get the right fit for pulling your tractor. The thicker rope you buy, the less it will bite into your hands. Note, you might also consider adding a pull rope on the backside of the tractor. I did this, and it helps with maneuvering, especially if space is tight.

a frame chicken tractor made from playset

Second, build a ladder to the entrance of your enclosed area. I used a 2×4 and added small steps for traction. I also put this ladder on a hinge so I could lift it off the ground, tie it up, and keep it out of the way when moving the tractor.

You’ll also want to set them up for food and water. I bought a hanging feeder and waterer, added hooks below the enclosed area, and hung both in the tractor. Having them hanging also makes moving your tractor much simpler.

feeder and waterer in a frame chicken tractor

And finally, add any hinges or latches needed. This includes the doors, nesting box, vent holes, ladder, or anywhere else. Make sure any and all points of entry fasten securely and close up tight!

At this point, you’ve probably got yourself the coolest custom chicken tractor on the block 🙂

Moving and Managing Your A-Frame Chicken Tractor

Managing your chicken tractor will vary a lot based on:

The size of your tractor.
How many chickens you have.
How much land you have.
The health of your soil and grass.

Moving your tractor

Most chicken tractors are moved once a day. But you can do this more, or less, depending on your needs. For instance, if you only have a couple chickens, they might be able to stay in one spot for multiple days. If you have lots of chickens, they’ll really appreciate being moved more frequently and will tear up your lawn less. With our Suscovich chicken tractors that we raise 25 birds at a time in, that many chickens will tear through a patch of grass in no time, so I move them twice a day.

chickens mowing down lawn in moveable coop

Chicken tractors in the winter

The question also comes up of what to do with your chickens in the wintertime. Grass stops growing, so is it really necessary to keep moving your tractor?

Our solution has been to park our chicken tractor over our garden area for the winter. We’ll typically utilize the “deep litter method” where we’ll continue to add layers of dry straw as manure builds up. The straw and manure will compost down and give your soil tons of natural fertilizer to plant into for next growing season. Plus, come spring as the ground begins to thaw, your chickens will scratch, dig, and help prep your garden areas for planting!

chicken tractor in suburban backyard during winter

We would move the tractor during the winter to a new spot every couple of weeks to avoid too much buildup in any one area. But it was much less moving than during the growing season.

Dust bathing

Something else that comes up is that chicken tractors generally limit a chickens innate desire to dust bathe, which they use to clean themselves. If not given access to loose soil or sand to dig into and dust bathe in, chickens will get stressed out over time. Or, they’ll start digging holes in your lawn!

To resolve this, we found a bin and filled it with some dirt and sand. The chickens in the tractor took to it instantly and were happy campers afterward! The only tricky part of the bin system was moving it around with the tractor.

Roosting

Another quick fix for the tractor was figuring out how to best give the chickens roosting space in the enclosed area. I didn’t want anything permanently fixed in there because it would make cleaning out the coop tricky. So I made some really simple portable roosting bars out of 2×4’s and those worked great!

Another A-Frame Option – The Suscovich Chicken Tractor

I’ve referenced the John Suscovich chicken tractor multiple times. It is another great A-frame chicken tractor option. His book, Stress Free Chicken Tractor Plans, gives you the full step-by-step instructions of how to build one. And we also made a supplemental post about how to add a metal roof on top of it.

suscovich chicken tractor with metal roof

Keep in mind this is a big chicken tractor. The footprint is 6’x10’. And it’s designed for raising pastured meat chickens, so some of the elements necessary for laying hens are missing. But, others have gotten creative with the design and figured out to retrofit it for laying hens.

The A-Frame Advantage

Both mobile and stationary chicken coops have their pros and cons. You need to weigh out which chicken coop style is right for you. But hopefully this post has given you an idea of the advantages of a mobile A-frame chicken coop and how they can benefit your chickens, yard, and ultimately you through healthy pastured eggs.

free ranging chickens in a frame chicken tractor

And, we hope you also have the inspiration and guidance you need to build your own chicken tractor—on a shoestring budget at that!

We’d love to hear how your own chicken tractor adventures go and any questions you have in the comments!

Some of the above links are affiliate links. This means we earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. We are so appreciative of your support!

Looking for more on backyard chickens? Check out these posts:

How To Care For Baby Chicks
Simple Outdoor Chicken Brooder Ideas
How To Care For Chickens In The Winter Basics
Chicken Roost Designs | Two Simple DIY Ladder Perch Ideas
Farm Fresh Eggs | What’s the Difference and How to Use Them Safely

February 4, 2023 2 comments

Chickens Natural Living Skin Care

How To Make Eggshell Powder

by From Scratch Farmstead January 21, 2023

We are always looking for ways to reduce waste and save money on our homestead. Using eggshells for both of these purposes may be one of the best kept secrets out there. Let’s dive into how to make eggshell powder and how to use it!

Jump To Recipe

Eggshells are a great source of calcium and the uses of egg shell powder are plentiful. From homemade tooth paste, to a calcium boosted smoothie, or a supplement for your chickens or family dog, learning to make your own eggshell powder has so much to offer.

Benefits of Eggshells

We talk a lot about chickens and eggs around here, but what about eggshells? Eggshells are made up primarily of calcium carbonate (around 90%). Calcium carbonate is the same material that makes up our bones, teeth, and nails.

Calcium is an essential mineral and contributes to several key functions of health. Specifically, as one ages, calcium deficiency can be responsible for issues like loss of bone density and osteoporosis. It’s important to consume calcium in balance with other vitamins and minerals.

make your own finely ground eggshell powder

But the beauty of eggshell powder is that, because it’s food based, it has been found to be just as easily absorbed by the body, if not more easily absorbed than calcium supplements.

If you are looking to add some extra calcium to your diet and especially if you aren’t able to consume dairy, making eggshell powder may be just what you need!

How To Make Eggshell Powder

Thankfully the process to make eggshell powder at home is so easy. All you need are eggs shells, along with a pot of water, a pan, and something to mash or blend your dried eggshells. This could be a mortar and pestle, coffee grinder, food processor, or blender.

To make eggshell powder, first you need to collect eggshells. If you are storing them over the course of many days, you will want to store in the refrigerator or even freezer. Because we use unwashed chicken eggs from our pastured chickens, we have stored them in a bowl on the counter for a few days without any problems.

collected eggshells for making eggshell powder

To sanitize your eggshells, bring a pot of water to boiling on the stove and immerse your egg shells in the boiling water for 5-10 minutes.

Next, strain out your eggshells and place the strained shells on a cookie sheet.

Place baking sheet with cleaned eggshells in the oven. Cook at around 200 degrees for 20-25 minutes until eggshells are completely dry.

To use your dried egg shells, mash or blend until a powder is formed. I use a mortar and pestle to mash by hand if I need a coarser egg shell powder for giving as a supplement to our chickens. If I need a finer powder, a coffee grinder, food processor, or good blender will be better options.

How to Use Eggshell Powder

We first started making eggshell powder ourselves as a calcium supplement for our laying hens. In the past, we’d given our hens a free choice ration of oyster shells. But when that recently ran out, we thought, “Why are we buying something from the store when we have a perfectly good source of calcium right here?”

However, there are several other great uses for eggshell powder as well!

Eggshell Powder as a Nutritional Supplement

If you are looking to add a natural source of calcium into your diet, eggshell powder is a great option. A ½ tsp of eggshell powder contributes roughly 400-500 grams of calcium.

The most common way I’ve seen to include egg shell powder is in smoothies but you could also sneak it into other prepared dishes. Especially when ground into a finely ground powder, a little added in will likely go unnoticed.

Eggshell Powder for Natural Skincare

I was recently talking to a friend who was telling me how eggshell powder is a staple ingredient in their homemade toothpaste. While making our own toothpaste is still on my list of diy skincare products to tackle, adding eggshell powder is a common ingredient in many homemade, natural toothpastes as well as other skincare products.

two ways to make eggshell powder at home

Eggshell powder & Apple cider vinegar can help with irritated skin and bug bites. Simply mix eggshell powder in some apple cider vinegar and apply to the irritated skin area for quick relief.

Eggshells mixed with honey has been known to help exfoliate skin and eliminate dark spots. You can check out this article for more.

Eggshells mixed with sugar as a natural sugar scrub to exfoliate skin, remove dead skin cells, and keep skin moist.

And as we discussed above, making your own eggshell powder is a key ingredient in homemade mineralizing toothpaste.

Eggshell Powder for the Garden

Calcium is an important part of the soil and can be a great amendment to your garden. A finer eggshell powder is best for this application so that it can be more quickly absorbed and used.

Plants need calcium. So, making sure to amend your soil in the early spring will help ensure it has time to be absorbed and used. Eggshell powder can also be a helpful resource for starting robust seedlings.

starting seeds indoors in trays and pots

Eggshell powder can even act as a pest deterrent in the garden. The smell of eggshells is known to keep deer, as well as pesky slugs, snails, and cutworms out of your garden!

Eggshell Powder for Chickens

We learned from our post—Can Chickens Eat Cheese?—that egg laying hens need a sufficient amount of calcium in order to produce healthy eggs. However, they aren’t able to produce that calcium on their own. Normally they would have gotten it from scratching, pecking, and foraging in the ground but we also like to give them a supplementation option in case they aren’t able to get what they need.

When giving eggshell powder to chickens, it’s best to do it as part of a free choice system. Give it to them apart from their regular feed in a separate bowl or pile in their coop. That way, if they need it, they can have it. If they don’t, they will leave it alone.

It’s better to give a coarse ground egg shell powder to chickens as this form will pass through their body less quickly and actually be absorbed better this way. Also, they will likely waste less when there are bigger egg shell particles. For this, we just do a quick grind with a mortar and pestle and away we go.

Will giving eggshells to chickens cause them to eat their eggs? Actually, we find the opposite. A chicken pecking at an egg is often a sign of calcium deficiency. Giving this extra source of calcium can be beneficial in preventing them from pecking at eggs.

Eggshell Powder for Dogs

Eggshell powder can be a helpful calcium supplement for dogs as well. To give it to them, simply sprinkle a bit of eggshell powder over their food. Check with your vet to see if this would be helpful for your specific dog and how much.

How Long Will Egg Shell Powder Store?

As long as the eggshells are completely dried in the drying step and remain free of moisture, eggshell powder will last for a year or even longer!

How to Make Eggshell Powder

Ingredients:

Eggshells

Directions:

1. Place collected eggshells in a pot of boiling water. Boil for 5-10 minutes to let sterilize.

2. Drain eggshells from water and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet.

3. Cook in a 200-degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until eggs are completely dried.

4. To turn into a powder, either run through a coffee grinder, food processor, or high quality blender. For a coarser eggshell powder, use a mortar and pestle and mash to desired texture.

Have you tried making eggshell powder? What are your favorite uses?

How To Make Eggshell Powder

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

Eggshells

Instructions

Place collected eggshells in a pot of boiling water. Boil for 5-10 minutes to let sterilize.
Drain eggshells from water and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
Cook in a 200-degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until eggs are completely dried.
To turn into a powder, either run through a coffee grinder, food processor, or high quality blender. For a coarser eggshell powder, use a mortar and pestle and mash to desired texture.

January 21, 2023 0 comment

Living On A Budget Natural Living

Living Without A TV | The Best Move Our Family Made

by From Scratch Farmstead December 6, 2022

We’ll share our experience as a family with young kids living without a TV, the benefits we’ve seen, and TV alternatives you can turn to for entertainment, information, and education.

The Case For Living Without A TV

Back in 2016 I came across this statistic:

The average American watches nearly 10 YEARS of television over the course of their lifetime.

That’s a decade!

Both Joelle and I were already well into that statistic before reading it. We both grew up on TV. Catching all the shows and sporting events. Meal times. Before school. After school. For hours each day, TV was the norm.

Since getting married in 2009, we’ve made some unconventional decisions to question, and ultimately abandon, many of the ‘systems’ we had been a part of our whole lives. As our name, From Scratch Farmstead, might give away, the food system was one of the biggest changes for us, exchanging a diet of processed, convenience foods for nourishing, whole foods.

Other systems followed – healthcare, education, finances, consumerism, and more. What we’ve found on the other side, in rethinking these systems, was freedom. Freedom to carve out our own path and not just follow cultural expectations. Freedom to build a lifestyle that aligns with our own values, beliefs, and goals.

Giving up TV has been no different for our family. Television isn’t so much a system in and of itself. But, it’s a conduit that so many societal systems are pushed through. News, agendas, commercials, societal norms and pressures.

The more we became aware of this reality the more we wanted to keep our distance.

The process of living without a TV has been gradual for us. We never had a defining moment or conversation where we gave it up altogether.

But, we are so grateful to now be breaking the habit of daily TV consumption and be redefining those 10 valuable years of life – for us and for our children.

Do we have a TV?

Technically, yes. I know, shocker, right?!

Early in our marriage we took our tax refund to Best Buy and purchased a schnazzy 32” flat panel TV. In those early years we had it prominently displayed in our living room, streamed a couple weekly shows, and caught whatever live TV we could through an antenna.

By the time our first child came along we were already finding less and less time to watch TV. Plus we were fairly aware of the detrimental effects screens can have on children, especially during those developmental years. So, we kept the TV but tucked it away in a wardrobe in our living room. It only got used for the occasional show or movie after kids were in bed.

Now, in our current home, the same 32” TV is still around. It just lives full-time on top of a freezer in our unfinished basement and gets brought upstairs maybe once a month (or less) for a family movie night.

So, besides movies from time to time, we essentially function as a family living without a TV.

Call it old fashioned. Call it countercultural. Maybe it’s even extreme. For us, it’s normal.

People ask often when they come over where the TV is?

We don’t catch the sports games we adored growing up.

Our daughter called the TV a computer until the age of 5 and we “listened” to movies, because those are the only categories she had.

Believe us, growing up how we did, we fully understand that these things seem strange. But we’re completely OK with that. The many benefits we’ve seen make their own case for why a TV needs no place in our home.

Benefits of Living Without a TV

Parting ways with your TV might seem impossible. It felt that way for years for us. But as we’ve gradually weaned ourselves away from TV watching, the benefits have only become more and more apparent in our lives. Some of these benefits are for our children. Some are for us. Rather than distinguish between the two, we decided to just keep it as one list since there is so much overlap.

Imaginative Play

Watching TV by nature is a passive activity that leaves you wanting further stimulation. We’ve rarely, if ever, heard the words, “I’m bored” from our kids. They can stay actively engaged in their play for hours. There’s no need for some other input beyond what their own imaginations can create.

Huge Attention Span

We’ve had countless adults come up to us and compliment our children for how well behaved and attentive they are. They can sit through meals, hold a conversation, wait patiently, and have fun independently. By no means are they perfect and they do have their moments. But we attribute much of their attention span to having pretty much zero screen exposure in their early years.

Reduced Outside Influence

In high school and college I remember hearing youth group leaders make the analogy of TV being the equivalent of inviting complete strangers into your home and allowing them to teach your family anything and everything, even if you don’t agree with it. I didn’t get it then, but boy do I get it now. We should hold high standards for the voices and messages that influence us. This goes for children and adults.

Less Drive to Consume

With TV comes a constant barrage of the most strategic and powerful marketing efforts imaginable. We are so grateful that our kids haven’t been told the latest toy, candy, or experience they ‘need’ to have. And we’re thankful to not be caught up in that bombardment ourselves. We’re most vulnerable to reciprocate passive consumption in other areas of life when we’re already passively consuming in front of the TV.

More Time Outside

TV is an inside activity. Instead of sinking down into that chair or couch, we get out and go for walks. Or ride bikes. Or work in the garden together. The outdoor possibilities are endless and the health benefits are endless. Fresh air, vitamin D from the sun, moving your body, experiencing the beauty of nature. These are the things that doctors used to prescribe a century ago when someone was sick or sad. Things we can all use a regular dose of.

Greater Connection

Even when multiple people are watching the same screen, TV is mostly and individual experience. Here are a couple examples of what we do instead of watching TV: reading books aloud together, eating meals and engaging in conversation, family music sessions, and making food in the kitchen, among other things. Each of these activities draw us together and provide meaningful, shared connection and memories.

Expanded Education

You’ll likely learn things whether you’re watching TV or sitting down and reading the encyclopedia. But again, it comes down to passive vs. active consumption. Our minds are best capable of learning when we are actively doing so. We’ve gotten numerous comments on the vocabulary our young children have. Even if they were exposed to those words through watching TV, they likely wouldn’t have stuck like they did from actively engaging their minds through imaginative activities like reading aloud, conversation, or listening to audio books.

Saves Money

Television can be an expensive hobby. The one-time cost of a TV and maybe some accessories like speakers and a streaming device aren’t my main concerns. But the ongoing costs of cable or streaming services can really add up over time. We’re grateful as a family that our TV watching costs have been minimal to date. Even the $7.99/mo. subscription fee we’re happy to allocate toward other areas or goals in our life.

Better Sleep

Without firm boundaries, television watching can play a role in many bad habits. I can’t begin to count the number of nights in my younger years I stayed up way later than I should have to keep watching “just one more” show. Most TV shows are designed to leave you in suspense and spike your heart rate. Before bed especially, that’s a recipe for disaster. We’ve found it so beneficial for a good nights rest to instead engage in calming activities as we approach bedtime; both for us and for our littles.

Alternatives When Living Without a TV

Saying sayonara to your TV can leave some gaping holes. What do you do for news or the big game? We’ve found some helpful alternatives that our family regularly partakes in that are free and deliver great value to our world.

The World and Everything in It (news podcast)

For a long while we felt like we were missing out on the larger happenings of the world. That is until we found The World and Everything in It podcast. This approximately 30 minute, Monday through Friday, news podcast has been the perfect addition to our daily routines to keep us informed on current issues and events. There are many independent news outlets out there, but this is the one we’ve gravitated towards.

Music streaming

Filling our home with quality music is a daily occurrence. Whether you use Pandora, Spotify, or any of the other streaming services out there, this is a great way to intake media that’s less intrusive and attention grabbing than TV. For us, music in the background is a fun accompaniment while working on a task or during other family activities.

Audiobooks

Audiobooks have kept our family captivated for hours. Whether during afternoon quiet rest times or the occasional long car ride, this has become a go-to for our children especially to listen to quality literature. Find a good book with a good narrator from the library and your kids’ imaginations will run wild.

Podcasts

We love podcasts. Much of the learning we’ve done in our adult years has been through quality podcasts from trusted sources. It might take some digging, but there’s sure to be a podcast out there that can take you deeper in any hobby, interest, career or lifestyle goal you have. There are so many good ones out there but some of our favorites have been Radical Personal Finance, Old Fashioned on Purpose, and the 1,000 Hours Outside Podcast.

Renting movies

We won’t count hanging onto your TV for the occasional movie night as cheating if you won’t toward us :). Movies, in our opinion can provide a healthy level of beauty, inspiration, and cultural engagement when done intentionally and in moderation. We love finding good films for free from the library or occasionally renting one at Redbox. Of course streaming is also an option.

What about sports?

Sports are probably the trickiest part of living without a TV. Catching games daily is certainly not practical unless you stream through your phone or computer, which is an option. We’ve more loosely kept up with our favorite teams by checking scores and watching highlights from games. For “must see” games, like the Super Bowl or when the Cubs made it to the World Series, we’ve always found a way to either stream it for free, sign up for a free trial of something, or go to a restaurant, sports bar, or friend or family members house to catch the action.

Should I ditch my TV?

Honestly, we can’t tell you one way or the other.

But hopefully you’ve gotten a taste of how transformational living without a TV has been for our family.

Our recommendation is that whatever you decide, don’t just make a decision based on the societal norms and pressures around you. Think through your goals and values and let that guide your decision.

Initially, you might feel like you’re missing out not having a TV. That’s normal. It will get easier with time. Life still goes on even when you didn’t catch that latest episode. You might have missed the sports game, but think about the time you save watching the two minute highlight reel on your phone versus being fixed to the couch for three hours the night before.

What will that decade of your life look like? The choice is yours.

December 6, 2022 2 comments

Living On A Budget Natural Living

25 Free Things To Do With Kids To Create Fun Family Memories

by From Scratch Farmstead November 3, 2022

Our family of 5 lives on a bare bones budget. But, we feel like we live richly and make fun memories together every day! We’ll share 25 free things to do with kids to create a meaningful and memorable experience for the whole family.

Budgeting for FUN

Our budget categories have evolved over the years, and FUN (or entertainment) is no exception.

When we got married over a decade ago we deposited $100 each month into our FUN envelope. This is what we had allocated for things like dining out, movies, or other experiences.

You might expect that number to increase over the years – especially after adding one, two, then three kids to the picture. Well, several years ago, our FUN budget got chopped to $50, then $40. This past year, with some very specific financial goals in mind, we cut that budget category down to an all time low; $25 per month.

Did having FUN cease all together in our lives? Not in the least!

Do we intend to keep it that low forever? Hopefully not.

To our delight, this reduction got our creative juices flowing like never before as a family and opened our eyes to some profound truths.

We explain more about our budgeting journey and how to setup your own budget in our post – Setting Up A Homestead Budget For One Small Income.

The shift from consuming to creating

What are children REALLY after? What is it that fills their cup and gives them a sense of security?

In our experience, the answer has been CONNECTION. Good old fashioned, unplugged, focused, fully present connection as a family – especially with Mom and Dad.

The more we’ve realized this reality, the clearer it’s become that the activity really isn’t what matters. It’s the intentional and engaged time that you create as their parent, cheerleader, and friend.

So, instead of constantly chasing the next bigger and better paid form of entertainment, we’ve found it so empowering to instead focus on CREATING our own entertainment as a family.

The point we’re making isn’t to NOT spend money. We enjoy an occasional outing at the ballgame, trip to the museum, or tickets to the show in town. But, this shift from passively consuming to actively creating has caused us to pause and rethink what our time together should look like as a family.

That spending money and making memories don’t need to correlate. That simple and unplanned can be just as good as extravagant and booked in advance. And that being, just being – together – can captivate little hearts and unify a family like nothing else.

Here are several of the benefits we’ve seen as we’ve adopted this approach:

Togetherness

Most passive consumption is an individual activity. When we as a family shift from just simply consuming to creating our own entertainment it almost always leads to a deep and satisfying togetherness. We’re all involved, engaging our thinking and creativity, interacting with each other, and moving toward a common goal and experience.

Learned skills

Any time you create you learn and develop skills. For us, this has been things like playing an instrument or learning to forage. The more you do on your own the more you’ll discover new hobbies, interests, and skills that you can pursue together as a family.

Lowered Expectations

If you spend good money on something you expect a payout, right? But those free or inexpensive outings come with no strings attached! These low key, maybe even unplanned or spontaneous, activities free you up to just enjoy the simplicity of being together without any grand expectations of something needing to be a jaw dropping experience every time.

Increased Consistency

Children thrive in a stable routine. We’ve found that big and stimulating events can really throw those rhythms and routines that our children depend on out of whack. Simple activities – reading a book, going for a walk, playing a game – are things we can easily fit into our daily routines to keep life predictable for our little ones.

More Imagination

Passively consuming entertainment rarely leads to inspiration. But when you put yourself in the drivers seat, the sky’s the limit to what your brain can create and achieve. This is immeasurably true for children when you allow their imagination to run wild and create fun out of nothing. But we’ve also been surprised how refreshing it is as adults to engage our imaginative muscles that might have gone dormant years earlier.

Simple Living

Let’s face it, paid entertainment has multiple layers of marketing. Once you’re in the door there’s the merchandise, the apparel, the food all trying to lure more of your dollars. The less you place yourself in these environments the less likely you are to spend. Work toward accumulating more memories, not more stuff.

Overall Freedom

You work hard for your dollars. So make them count! Committing to spending less on entertainment as a family can really free you up to pursue and prioritize other practical and purposeful goals. Consume wisely and consciously and spend money as a family on the goods, services, and causes you and your family really stand behind. That’s freedom!

25 Free Things To Do With Kids

Whatever age your children are, this list of free things to do with kids can help create those connections and memories you’ve all been longing for.

1. Go tent camping

“This is the night of my dreams!” exclaimed our daughter. We had pitched a tent in our backyard, started a bonfire, and were roasting hotdogs we had thawed out only an hour prior. This unplanned backyard camping adventure was one of a few we all had a blast with this past summer. The tent was a Christmas gift from years earlier, we needed to eat a meal anyways, and we had plenty of branches to throw in the fire pit. Whether in your backyard, or at a local campground, tent camping is a free or inexpensive way to make significant memories. And just saying, if you’ve got littles, shadow puppets in the tent will really fire up their imaginations 🙂

2. Tell stories

Story telling has won over all of our hearts. It engages so much creativity and imagination, both for the teller and listener. Stories don’t need to be extravagant or complex. Sometimes we tell stories from our childhood or memories we have with our families. Or we’ve enjoyed making up stories (pirates are commonly requested!) that keep the same characters with different exciting adventures every time. Our kids hang on every word as they envision the adventure unfolding in their own minds.

3. Take advantage of free admission days

Many zoos, museums, or other attractions offer free admission days. We took advantage of an early spring free admission day to a nearby zoo this past year. One of our budgeting tips when going on these excursions to bring your own food! It happened to start raining while we were in the giraffe house. So, we parked on bench, pulled out our lunch, and had lunch right there with the giraffes. How cool is that! Yes, it takes some planning ahead and they may fall on obscure days. But when you’re able to, free admission days can be a beautiful thing.

4. Read aloud

Reading aloud together as a family is one of the most basic things you can do with some of the greatest benefits. Studies has proven how incredible of a tool reading aloud can be in your child’s development. Check out Read About Revival for tons of great resources and book lists. Find high quality books and carve out time each day to read together as a family. Let everyone participate and take turns. Mommy, daddy, and children when they’re able. These routine times will be some of the most impactful and fond memories your children will have.

5. Make ice cream

Ok, so you may not have an ice cream maker. But chances are you can borrow one from someone who does. Or, investing in one will likely pay for itself after just a couple uses versus going out for ice cream. There is no more fun and delicious way to spend time together as a family than making ice cream and then making sundaes together at home. This vanilla ice cream recipe is super simple and you can throw in whatever mix-ins the whole family wants!

raw milk vanilla ice cream with toppings

6. Have a picnic

The classic picnic is one of the best ways to enjoy a slow and enjoyable meal together in the great outdoors. Find a spot with some scenery. Bring a soccer ball, frisbee or other yard game. You’ve got to eat meals anyways, so why not make them a fun excursion to burn off some energy and enjoy time together outside!

7. Draw or do art

Anyone else have kids that love to draw? Perhaps the only thing more fun than drawing or making art is doing it with mommy and daddy. Slow down, be present, and just have fun creating something together. While you can totally use your imagination and do this for free, lately we’ve enjoyed this Learn To Draw book that we gave as a gift to our children.

8. Cook up a meal together

Getting your kids involved in the kitchen is a powerful thing. They are so much more capable than we give them credit for. Adding ingredients, stirring a pot, chopping produce. Our 6 and 4 year olds are chomping at the bit any time we invite them into the food prep process. And OH the joy and pride they take in the finished product and getting to share about the specific steps they helped out with!

9. Go on a bike ride

Bike rides through the neighborhood or on a local bike path are one of the most exciting things you can do together as a family. While living in the suburbs our neighborhood attached to a bike path that took us all over – into town, through scenic forest preserves, further out into more rural areas. We were on that path every chance we got. At first with a tow behind trailer while our kids were young and then we eventually all had our own set of two wheels. We were even able to travel to destinations like church or the local ice cream shop!

10. Free library movie night

You can spend an arm and a leg going to see the latest movie in a theater. Or, you can wait a few months and get it for free from your library! Opting for the later option has saved us tons of money and we all look forward to those fun occasions! Better yet, find a source of old fashioned popcorn that you can pop on your stovetop and brace yourself for squeals of exuberance every time a kernel pops!

11. Plant, tend to, and harvest a garden

Time together in the garden is golden. Our kids have shared how some of their favorite memories every summer are when we all go out to harvest together. Everyone has the chance to learn, be outside, connect with their food, and work hard together. And, at the end of it all you get to enjoy the delicious fruits of your labor and appreciate the food on your plate all the more. Our local library does a free seed bank every year. Pick up some seeds, throw them in the ground, and see together what mother nature produces!

12. Amish night

We don’t mean for this to be demeaning in any way. We have a lot of respect for the time-honored way of life our Amish friends choose to uphold. But there is something powerful about unplugging and being less dependent on our modern conveniences. A while back we had a weekly time we called Amish night. The goals was to use little or no electricity and enjoy time together. So, we’d turn off the lights, read a book by candlelight, have intentional conversation, or maybe play a game. Simple, no frills, fun.

13. Go foraging

Nature is bursting with free all around you! We were intimidated by foraging wild plants early on, but once we learned a few simple ones that grow just about anywhere, we’ve had so much fun gathering them up. Dandelions, mint, nettle. All things that are edible and you can likely find growing in the wild. Our kids now harvest tons of dandelions on their own each spring just so we can make this dandelion ice cream and dandelion cake!

foraging for elderberries together as a family

14. Volunteer

There’s no shortage of ways to volunteer. Seek out a local farm that you can attend a work day at. Help out behind the scenes at church or with another group you’re a part of. Rake leaves for the widow down the street. Volunteer at a soup kitchen together around the holidays. Making volunteer opportunities a regular part of your family life will help everyone develop a sense of gratitude for what they have and compassion for those in need.

15. Go apple picking

I know, you’re thinking – but what orchard is free? As an alternative to a paid orchard, many homeowners either inherit fruit trees, or plant them and then have more than they know what to do with! Check places like Facebook Marketplace or “eat local” or farming groups in your area for people posting for free picking at their place. We replied to a post from someone in our area, had a fun family harvesting session, came home with 6 buckets of apples, and very full and satisfied bellies 🙂

16. Free local story times

We’ve been frequenters of free story times in our area over the years and our kids absolutely love them. When we were in the suburbs our local library and Whole Foods hosted really neat story times – sometimes even involving song and music! Our nearby farmers market runs a great children’s story time run by a small family owned bookstore. They’re even better when you meet up with other family and friends there!

17. Dates with grandparents

Is there a grandparent out there that doesn’t love to spoil their grandkids? Even though it may not be in the budget right now to go out to meals or a favorite restaurant often, this is an opportunity where grandparents can step in and plan out a special meal out for a holiday or special occasion. We’ve let our parents know that these special dates with Grandma and Grandpa would be much preferred over more toys and the kids always have a blast!

grandparent date at the local auto museum

18. Ask for experience gifts

Sometimes things are just not in the budget. That’s when we put them on our kids Christmas or birthday wishlist! They’ve received year long passes to local childrens museums, gift cards for the zoo, pool passes, and even swim lessons! These are fantastic opportunities to expand kids minds and skills while having a good time. There’s joy all around to be able to give and receive these experience gifts.

family trip to museum of natural history

19. Rake leaves

Mary Poppins said it best, “In every job that must be done there is an element of fun. You find the fun and – SNAP – the job’s a game!” Well, when raking leaves with little ones, you don’t have to search hard for the fun! This fall activity is a go-to family fun session for us every year. Yes, they may not actually help the efficiency factor until they’re a bit older. But set aside a couple hours, bring a camera, let your kids jump in the giant leaf piles, rain down those leaves, and you’re sure to light up your kids faces the rest of the day and have some hard sleepers that night.

20. Go sledding

Can sledding ever go out of style? This seasonal activity is what winters were made for! Track down that local sled hill and pack in as many trips as your kiddos can handle. Even just a small hill in your yard or neighborhood works great for younger ones. And asking for sleds for your kids for Christmas or searching for them second hand are other great ways to cut back on spending.

21. Go to the beach

Not all beaches are free but many are! Chances are you can locate one in your area and frequent it in those warm summer months. Put on those swim suits, find the beach towels, pack a lunch, bring a shovel and some buckets for building sand castles and you’re all set for a sunny and sensational time.

22. Bake something delicious

We’ve found baking to be one of the best entry points to helping in the kitchen. Measuring out ingredients, cracking eggs, mixing the bowl – all tasks our 4 and 6 year olds eagerly jump on when asked. You end up with something really delicious in the end and don’t forget – let them lick the bowl 🙂 Some of our favorite recipes that are easy for kids to help with is this Gluten Free Apple Bread and Fresh Mint Brownies.

23. Go fishing

What about fishing poles and equipment? Borrow some from a family member or friend! Don’t you need a license? Yes, most states require a license. But most kids can fish without one. And as we found out this past year in our state, certain calendar days (like Fathers Day weekend) are free with no license required! But you need worms? Ah, this just adds to the fun! Give your kids a shovel and container and they’ll happily dig up a hole in your garden or yard and provide the bait!

24. Play a game

Family game nights are a blast! This can be anything from Go Fish to other board games sitting on the shelf. A couple favorites for our kiddos are Count Your Chickens and Wildcraft (great to ask for as gifts!). And there are endless free games to partake in outside. If you have older kids, give disc golf a try! All you need are one or two discs to get started and any course I’ve ever come across is completely free. This is a fantastic alternative to a sport like golf that has some significant expenses attached to it. You’ll have fun together, be outside, and get great exercise!

25. Make music

Playing an instrument, or singing together, is an excellent way to create versus consume. Our daughter started playing the violin. She is one determined child, so I wouldn’t put anything past her. But deep down I knew the odds of her sticking with it long term were slim if no one else in our household played an instrument and it wasn’t modeled to her. So, I dusted off my guitar that sat mostly unused since college and relearned the semi-lost art. We now enjoy weekly times of playing music and singing songs together that our kids happily request.

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FUN Can Be FREE!

As you can see, there’s no shortage of ways to enjoy quality time together for free.

One of the challenging things we’ve learned along the way is that, unfortunately, sometimes this means saying “no” to opportunities.

The local wild schooling group we are a part of plans all sorts of outings and events throughout the year – some paid, some unpaid. We just opt for the unpaid ones and stick to those right now.

Never feel forced to say “yes” to something if it’s not in the budget. Explain your situation and people will understand. And then you have the awesome chance to share with them some of the ways your family is able to have a good time at little or no cost!

Speaking of that, what would be on your list of free things to do with kids? I know we didn’t cover it all, so we’d love to hear from you!

Remember that the most valuable thing you can give your kids is focused, undistracted, fully engaged time of togetherness. They’ll cherish that above all.

You’re doing a great job parent. Keep it up!

November 3, 2022 0 comment

DIY Living On A Budget Natural Living

How to Create Your Dream Kitchen Remodel on a Budget | 5 DIY Ideas to Save Thousands

by From Scratch Farmstead September 18, 2022

The kitchen is the heartbeat of your home. So don’t settle for anything other than making it your dream space! These 5 big picture DIY ideas will bring your dream kitchen remodel on a budget within reach.

Our Kitchen Remodel on a Budget Story

We spent A LOT of time in the kitchen. Hence, From Scratch Farmstead.

We’ve also owned three different houses in the past several years. If we were going to invest time and money into remodeling any part of those homes, the kitchen was the obvious winner. So, all three got a major kitchen remodel!

farmhouse kitchen before remodel on a budget — BEFORE pictures of our current farmhouse kitchen

foreclosed farm kitchen before remodel — BEFORE pictures of our current farmhouse kitchen

Yes, they were all DIY projects that took a fair amount of work. But we were also able to tackle all three on very tight budgets. All while adding thousands of dollars in value to our home and creating a kitchen space that we loved.

Why Remodel Your Kitchen on a Budget?

When it comes to remodeling your kitchen, there are two streams of logic: Consumer Logic & Values Logic.

Consumer Logic

Consumerism is deeply engrained into our culture. Companies spend thousands, even millions of dollars implementing the best tactics and strategies to get you to believe you can’t live without their product. Buy new. Buy now. Buy more.

Values Logic

Values based thinking and decision making moves you from passive consumption to active and intentional results. This mentality allows you to get creative, scrappy, frugal, and unleash your inner DIY spirit to create a beautiful and functional space while living within your means.

Am I saying to never buy anything new? Not in the least. But don’t just buy something new because that’s what the cultural message and expectations around you are. We looked around for alternative kitchen sink options, but in the end decided that the farmhouse kitchen sink from Home Depot was the right purchase.

So, you mean everything I end up with is going to be cheap and low quality? Again, not at all. Spending less doesn’t need to equate to cheap. In our experience we often end up with significantly higher quality purchases when buying used or secondhand items than we could have afforded new.

We’ll break down our 5 kitchen remodel on a budget tips below. But in order to be successful at it you need to adopt values-based logic. This can take some rewiring of our brains to not believe that everything needs to be spotless and new.

But if you can “see through” the marketing and sales ads vying for your dollars, there’s a whole new world of options and opportunities out there that can fit within any budget.

5 DIY Ideas to Remodel Your Kitchen On A Budget

1. Appliances

Like clockwork, you can bank on every box store near you having a “big” appliance sale around just about every holiday. But so many other appliance options exist other than buying new!

Here’s something to think about. My wife’s parents have had the same appliances in their house for her entire life. Fridge, oven, washer & dryer. They’ve worked with only minor repair needed for over 30 years!

Compare that to modern appliances. I can point to handfuls of examples of friends and family who have purchased new appliances with high price tags only to have them fail within a couple years just outside the warranty period. Yes, it’s new. But are you really buying something “better” and getting your money’s worth?

We have only ever bought used appliances. Even if they don’t last long, you’re not out very much money. But most have worked just fine and been higher quality than we could have afforded new.

underside of farmhouse shelf hanging cast irons — Our used Aga Stove. The find of the century! New: ~$18,000. We paid $1,200.

Here’s some ways to save on appliances:

Look Used on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist

Plenty of people sell their slightly outdated, yet perfectly functional appliances when updating their home. We scored a matching fridge, range, dishwasher set for $150 that really wasn’t that old and has worked out great. Check listings regularly, be patient, and have a plan in place to pick something up right away when the right option comes up.

Buy Scratch and Dent

Many brand-new appliances never make it to the showroom because of minor cosmetic flaws in manufacturing or shipping. Some retailers have outlet stores, or even some larger secondhand stores like a Habitat for Humanity Resale Store, stock many scratch and dent appliance options. Yes, you may forgo the warranty and be taking that risk. But you’ll end up with a brand-new appliance and save hundreds.

Keep what you have!

Sometimes adopting the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” mindset is the best and most budget friendly option. We did a complete remodel on our first kitchen and assumed at the start that the appliances would be replaced. But once we cleaned them up a bit and fit them into the updated space, suddenly they looked great and even fit the classic farmhouse theme we had going on!

remodeled farmhouse kitchen with used appliances

2. Cabinets

New kitchen cabinets can easily cost as much or even more than you would spend on the entire rest of your kitchen. So, avoid new cabinets!

On all 3 kitchens we remodeled we’ve been able to give the space an entirely new and vibrant feel with spending little money on cabinets. Here are some ideas:

Buy used cabinets. Entire kitchen makeovers are frequent. Often in nice homes with lightly used cabinets. To avoid the landfill, many of these complete kitchen cabinet sets end up on resale sites. In our first home, we bought used cabinets from a HUGE kitchen for a few hundred dollars. We installed them, painted them, and in the end sold the leftover cabinets we didn’t use and made some of the money back!

Paint your cabinets. The construction and style of cabinets really doesn’t change all that much. But the finish and color options are endless! Painting your existing cabinets or “new” used cabinets can make them feel fresh and new and fit perfectly within any kitchen design.

farmhouse kitchen with painted used cabinets

Update cabinet doors or hardware. One strategy is to leave your existing cabinet boxes and just update the cabinet doors. Or even simpler is to just add new hardware. This can save money, reduce the scope of the project, and give your space an entirely new look and feel.

Buy Showroom cabinets. We purchased cabinets that came from the showroom of a cabinet retailer for our current kitchen. To give the full story, we actually bought them at a garage sale where the seller bought them from a showroom and never ended up using them. They were practically brand new, very high quality, and we estimate we spent about 1/5 of what they would have cost us new.

Kitchen Layout and Design with Used Cabinets

A quick note on used cabinets. When buying cabinets new, you first design your kitchen space and then fill it with the exact right size of cabinets. It doesn’t always work that seamlessly when buying used cabinets.

We’ve found that it’s most helpful to have a general idea of your cabinet layout ahead of time, while keeping an open mind to adapt the layout based on what you find. You want to be patient and find the right cabinets in sizes you can work with. But you’ll likely end up modifying your plan to get them to work.

3. Countertops

The initial cost per lineal foot of new countertops may not send you into shock, but the total cost for your whole kitchen just might! Even for lower-end options, custom countertops can run you thousands of dollars.

We have fallen in love with butcher block countertops! They look great, make for an easy DIY project, and are durable and forgiving. If anything ever does happen to them, just give them a light sanding, refinish, and they’re as good as new!

wondermill junior deluxe clamped to countertop

Large hardware stores carry standard butcher block sizes that will fit most kitchens and only cost a few hundred dollars. You can typically find them in 8’ and 4’ lengths, or a 4’ x 36” option for an island or breakfast bar. We have fit these into two kitchens and they have looked great!

What if you need a custom butcherblock countertop size?

I built a custom island in our current kitchen that is very large. We looked into getting a custom butcherblock countertop made and requested quotes from a couple local lumber stores. The numbers we received made us gasp, beginning in the 3-5k range at a minimum.

laminating wood flooring to make custom countertops

custom wood floor countertop ready to be sanded

Instead, I was able to make a quality looking custom island countertop utilizing leftover unfinished wood flooring and a sheet of ¾” plywood. I laminated the wood flooring pieces onto the plywood with wood glue and nails, and then ripped down some of the wood flooring to 1-1/2” trim pieces along the edge. Aside from time, it didn’t cost me a thing since all the pieces were leftover!

custom butcherblock for kitchen island made with wood flooring — Custom butcher block countertops made from leftover wood flooring pieces

What do you use to finish butcherblock countertops?

We used a beeswax finish on the butcherblocks in our first home. This worked fine. But in our current home we switched to pure tung oil from Real Milk Paint Co. Their Half n Half oil (half tung oil, half citric solvent) works great for butcherblock. We used Dark Half, which adds a beautiful dark pigment to your countertops and helped contrast our cream-colored cabinets.

Butcherblock countertops for farmhouse kitchen

butcherblock countertops finished with dark tung oil

4. Reclaimed or Repurposed Materials

Using reclaimed or repurposed materials in your kitchen can add lots of character and help keep that budget minimal.

We have found reclaimed or repurposed materials several ways:

Searching on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist
Salvaging from old homes before they are demolished
Utilizing scraps from another project
And yes, dumpster diving or pulling items off a curb

There are hundreds of ways to be creative when repurposing materials. To offer inspiration, here are some of the ways we’ve incorporated reclaimed or repurposed materials into our kitchen.

aintique sliding barn door in farmhouse kitchen

Reusing antique doors for a sliding barn door between our kitchen and mudroom.
Finding scrap pieces of tongue and groove beadboard wood on FB Marketplace that fit perfectly on the half wall behind our sink.
Using another antique door, along with other salvaged trim pieces to finish out our kitchen island.

custom kitchen island in farmhouse kitchen remodel

Finding hand hewn barn beams from an old barn that span our kitchen and dining space, which give an authentic farmhouse feel and pull the whole space together.
Using boards salvaged off a rotting hay feeder to build our farmhouse kitchen shelving where we store our cast iron pots and pans on.
Instead of tossing the hideous purple cabinet pulls that came with our kitchen cabinets, we decided to paint them the gold color we were wanting giving them an entirely new life!

5. Second Hand Furnishings

Once your space is mostly complete, those few final furnishings can really bring it all together. But again, don’t default to new! Second hand options can add a lot of character and function to your space at a fraction of the cost.

Here’s some examples of second hand finds we came across and absolutely love.

Lighting. Three separate light fixtures in our kitchen/dining space we bought used. They were really affordable. We get compliments on the chandelier above our dining room table all the time and it literally cost us $15!

Hutch/Buffet. New furniture pieces can be expensive. But we found that perfect hutch on FB Marketplace, picked it up locally, and we couldn’t be happier with how it fits our space.

second hand chandalier over dining room table

second hand kitchen hutch with antique finish

Barstools. Our custom kitchen island had a breakfast bar built in needing 4 barstools. Again, FB Marketplace came through and we found a set of 4 that looks great and were $10 apiece.

Just like when buying used cabinets, the key to second hand furnishings is to be patient and flexible. The right thing for the right price will almost always pop up. It might just take some time and searching.

Your Dream Kitchen Remodel on a Budget

The tips, tricks and tactics above can bring the kitchen remodel you’ve always dreamed of within reach. But it will take a different mindset and approach than you may be used to.

Remember:

Adopt values logic over consumer logic.
Don’t make buying new your default and see what other options exist.
Focus on quality, new or used, above cost.

So set your budget. Take your time. Assemble the right pieces. Be flexible. And create the kitchen space you’ve always wanted while staying within your means.

Happy kitchen remodeling!

September 18, 2022 0 comment

Homestead How-to's Homestead Living Living On A Budget Natural Living

Setting Up A Homestead Budget For One Small Income

by From Scratch Farmstead May 22, 2022

We get it – you want to live a simple, low cost, and resourceful life as a homesteader or frugal minded person. Or, you simply don’t make much. This homestead budget guide will give you the practical examples and tools you need for living off one small income.

Why Keep a Budget?

Often when I’ve brought up budgeting in conversation, the thing that immediately comes to people’s mind is restraint. “I won’t be able to spend money the way I want to anymore.”

In college, a mentor sat down with me and explained his family’s simple method of keeping a budget and tracking their month-to-month finances.

“It’s not about restraint,” he explained, “It’s about freedom!” Not growing up with a framework for keeping a budget, this turned my perception of what it meant to have a budget on its head.

There’s the saying, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.”

A budget is simply a plan for your money. Without that plan, how do you know if you are moving toward your goals? How do you know if you have overspent? How do you know if you are being the best steward of your money?

We have experienced that “freedom” first hand in our life through keeping a budget. It has allowed us to spend in alignment with our goals and values, save when we needed to save, and live the life we want to live even on low income.

Our Budgeting Success Story

We have not had high paying jobs since getting married out of college 13 years ago.

The first 5 years were spent as campus missionaries making around $30,000/yr. The middle years were spent primarily with one of us working various low-middle income jobs while our family grew.

These last couple years we left what was our best paying job to pursue different opportunities in agriculture, start homesteading, and ultimately build our home-based business. Yep, still not making much!

Our key ingredient to success – BUDGETING!

We have kept a budget all 13 years of our marriage and our expenses have not exceeded our income. Even when income was low.

We set our budget around that $30,000/yr amount and held it there even when we were making more and during the season when both of us were working.

This allowed us to save, pay off debt aggressively, and move toward the financial freedom in our life that we were after. And our budget kept us unified in our personal finances – even during the hard times.

This unity and freedom is within reach! It might take some scrappiness and sacrifice. It might take rethinking some habits or expenses. But it’s totally worth it and totally possible with a well-planned budget.

Step By Step Guide to Set Up Your Budget

1. Know Your Goals and Values

A budget is simply a reflection of where you want to be and what defines you. Your goals and values.

If your goals and values are not currently clear, then it will require some processing with yourself, a spouse, partner, relative, or friend. A good goal would be to come up with either a list of the things that are most important to you, or some sentences or paragraphs that describe what characteristics define you and the short-term or long-term goals you want to achieve.

This acts as your mission statement. You can then use your mission statement as a filter or lens through which to view your personal finances.

Successful budgets start with this big picture in mind. Here’s a list of questions that you can use to bring clarity to your goals and values:

How would others describe what is important to me?
What is unique or significant about my past that I want to continue to be a part of my future?
Are there areas of my life am I not currently satisfied with?
What were my family’s top values growing up? Do I agree or disagree with those values?
What gets me out of bed in the morning?
Where do I see myself in 5 years? 10 years? Beyond that?
What achievable goals will be most helpful to get me there?

2. Track Your Current Expenses

The next step is to understand your current spending per month. On a piece of paper or in a spreadsheet, record every dollar you spend and what the expense was.

Track those expenses for at least a month. A three-month period will give you a better understanding of your overall expenses. Whatever period you decide, make sure your expenses are tracked monthly so you gain a firm understanding of your month-to-month spending.

At the end of each week or month, use your list of current expenses as an opportunity to learn about yourself and your spending. The goal of doing this is not to feel guilty or ashamed. However, reviewing your spending will likely bring up areas to improve your habits or develop self-control.

Some questions to ask as you review your expense are:

Was this purchase necessary?
Are there ways I can purchase this item less often?
Can I be more resourceful to reduce my need for this item?
Could I have bought this second hand?
Could I have bought a higher quality option that would cost more upfront but save money in the long run?
Did that purchase meet my expectations? Could I make a better purchase next time?
Do my purchases bring me long term joy, meaning, and value?
Could I have cut back to reduce that cost?
Was this an impulse buy or was it planned?

3. Establish Your Income Amount

Your monthly income will either be a set amount, or fluctuate month-by-month.

If a set amount, simply total up your paychecks per month and you have your income. Keep in mind, you may want to challenge yourself to set your budgeted income below what you are making. This can allow you to, A) save a percentage of your income toward a goal or forecasted expense, or B) not be caught off guard in the event of an unexpected expense, job transition, or reduction in pay.

Your pay may also be variable. One month you might have $4,000 of income, and the next month $6,000. In this case, I would encourage you consider setting your budgeted income at the lower end amount. In the above example, if you set your monthly income at $5,000 and have three months in a row of bringing in only $4,000, you will feel the strain on your wallet. If your budget is set at $4,000 of income and you bring in more than that, you have freedom in your finances to save or be ready for the unexpected.

Living off one small income can mean getting scrappy and challenging yourself to cut back. You need to cover your base expenses at a minimum. But setting your budgeted income level below your actual income is a great way to slim up your budget and save toward long-term goals.

4. Estimate Your Monthly/Annual Expenses

The current expenses you tracked from Step 2 will give you a head start in this step. But there are likely expenses you need to account for that did not pop up during your tracking period – insurance bills, property taxes, car registration fees. All of these expenses need to captured in your budget.

On an annual or monthly basis, you will have both fixed and variable costs.

Fixed costs will include expenses like:

Rent/mortgage
Phone/internet bills
Health insurance premiums

Variable costs will include expense like:

Gas
Groceries
Utilities

To build an effective budget that meets your needs and allows you to live off a small income, you will need to dial in your fixed costs and do your best to estimate your variable costs.

I recommend two things here:

1) Start somewhat conservative on estimating your expenses. Or, allow for wiggle room. For example, if your monthly gas expenses are regularly coming in around $250/mo., consider setting the gas category in your budget at $300/mo. so you are not caught off guard if your gas is higher in a given month.

2) Treat your variable costs like a fixed cost. If you regularly go out to eat and have a budget category for dining out set at $100/mo. then commit to yourself ahead of time stick to those parameters. Once you reach that $100/mo. limit for the month, you are done eating out that month.

This spreadsheet shows an example budget template with basic expense categories to use as a starting point. Your budget will be unique to your life situation, so add and subtract categories where needed.

5. Create Your Budgeting System

In the end, your overall budget will be your budgeted income minus your total expenses. Tracking your income and expenses month-to-month will be crucial.

Your budgeting system will need to be reliable. But that doesn’t mean it needs to be complex. You can use a sheet of paper, a spreadsheet, a budgeting app, or some combination.

The important thing is that every dollar is being tracked; every dollar in and every dollar out. These accurate records of your personal finances will be invaluable month to month to track the progress you are making to stick to your budget and move toward your goals.

Our Low Income Budget Example

The system we use to budget is commonly called the envelope system. Categories like food, entertainment, gift, and miscellaneous household expenses each have their own envelopes that we fill with the budgeted amount of cash at the beginning of each month.

We don’t have an envelope for other categories we commonly pay by check, debit, or credit card. That money is kept in our checking account and we track it monthly in a spreadsheet.

The envelopes have worked great for us. We stretch our dollars to last the full month and know that when the money runs out, we are done spending in those categories. This has allowed us keep our cost of living very low and make sure our dollars are going toward purchases that are thought through and match with our values.

In the video below, we break down our full budget and how our family of 5 currently lives off of just over $30,000/yr.

Tips to Make Your Budget A Success

1. Everyone NEEDS To Be On Board

Your budget will only succeed if your spouse, partner, family are fully committed. This is why Step 1 is defining your goals and values and making sure everyone’s needs and concerns are addressed.

A budget is much more than numbers and a spreadsheet. It represents your hopes, dreams, and overall vision for your life. When someone steps outside the parameters a budget sets, not only can that crumble the budget, but also the trust between those committed to it.

If you are single, you don’t need to worry about anyone else not holding up to their end of the bargain. Except, yourself! The benefit of a spouse or partner is that there is built in accountability that someone who is single does not have. Consider asking someone trusted in your life to provide that accountability and check in regularly on the progress you are making.

2. Monthly Budget Reviews Are A MUST

At a minimum, you will need to sit down and balance out your budget once a month. Depending on the complexity of your life and spending, you may need to do this twice a month or even weekly.

The goal is to record each expense and make sure it is accounted for in your budget and income.

If unexpected expenses came up, you will need to figure out where that money is coming from. This can be difficult. It may mean taking from savings or an emergency fund. Or reducing budget categories in following months to make up for it.

This is why I recommend being conservative in your budget categories to start, which can give some wiggle room for areas you might overspend in occasionally. As your budgeting confidence and experience grows, then you can start dialing in categories to be more precise.

3. PLAN For An Annual Big Picture Budget Retreat

Tracking the month-to-month is huge. But sometimes, it takes a bit deeper dive to really grasp how your budget is going and how to improve it.

We have made a habit of scheduling a day or two each December to get away, free from distractions, and take a close look at how our budget did last year and what needs changing. Where did we overspend? Where did we underspend? Are there new categories we need for the upcoming year? Have our goals changed or are we wanting to save toward something? Were there areas of spending we felt didn’t align with our values?

These questions can be SO critical to making sure you are remaining committed to, and excited about your budget, and not just keeping it all on auto-pilot.

4. Have An Emergency Fund Or Savings ON HAND

A slim budget means margins can be tight. When unexpected things come up – car issues, trips to the ER, home repairs – you want to be prepared to go above and beyond what is budgeted.

The recommended amount for an emergency fund is typically 3-6 months of your income saved up. It is crucial this money be readily available for when emergencies do arise.

If you are new to budgeting and don’t have additional savings on hand for emergencies, I would recommend setting aside as much of your income as you can afford each month until that reserve savings is at an amount you feel comfortable with.

5. Invite OTHERS In

One of the biggest influences in our spending can come from those close to us – family, friends, neighbors. “Hey, we’re going to see that new movie – want to come with?” “We didn’t have anything planned for dinner tonight so we’re going out – want to join?” “What, you don’t have this latest subscription – you got to see this new show!”

I’m not making an argument for or against any of these things. But if they’re not planned for in your budget, these expenses quickly add up.

Have a conversation about your budget with the family and friends you spend the most time with ahead of time. Let them know your goals and that what you can afford to do might look different. The hope is that they will rally around you and encourage you along the way. Plus, it will take the pressure off to say “yes” to everything and give them context when you do turn something down.

6. Have FUN With It!

Setting a homestead budget will take some time to dial in and there will no doubt be difficulties that pop up. But have fun with it and celebrate when goals are reached along the way!

We often view our monthly budget reviews as somewhat of a date night. Each month you stick to your budget is worth celebrating and moves you toward where you want to be. And the annual retreat can be so much fun to really think back on the year and see all that you were able to achieve and dream big for the upcoming year.

Final Budget Thoughts

If I can leave you with a few final thoughts, they’d be:

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to be happy and live richly.
Living within your means is not about restraint, but freedom.
Your budget is a reflection of your goals and values.

Keeping to any budget takes grit and determination. Let alone one that is based on a small income. But the end result is worth it.

We’ve seen this to be true in our lives and know it can be true in yours!

But what questions do you still have or what help do you need to get your budget off the ground? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

And if you’re looking for more helpful tips on living a low-cost lifestyle, check out our post 14 Frugal Homestead Ideas gives our best tips for reducing costs while still maintaining a high quality of life.

14 Frugal Homestead Ideas

March 27, 2022

May 22, 2022 0 comment

Homestead How-to's Homestead Living Living On A Budget Natural Living

14 Frugal Homestead Ideas

by From Scratch Farmstead March 27, 2022

Many homestead to live a more resourceful and simple life. However, keeping monthly expenses from creeping up can still be a significant challenge. Our homesteading family of five has lived off one small income for over a decade and here we share our 14 frugal homestead ideas to thrive on any budget.

Fun frugal fact about us – we’ve never paid for a babysitter! The picture above is of us sneaking off to our car sitting in our driveway during nap time for a romantic date. With the best homemade local ice cream of course – an area we never skimp on 🙂

Our story of not much income and keeping a budget

This year we will celebrate 13 years of marriage. There’s been plenty of bumps for us along the way, but surprisingly one area we almost never have spats about is finances.

We were married young out of college and our first several years together we worked as missionaries with a local campus ministry. As you might imagine, that income was pretty minimal and it didn’t go up because there were two of us and not just one.

We earned around $30,000 annually and figured out ways to cut our costs and live on one small income. From that point on, through many job changes, moves, having three children, and now homesteading on top of it all, we’ve made it a goal to keep our cost of living right around that same $30,000 per year mark.

This has ebbed and flowed some, but we have never strayed above $1000-2000 above that number, and currently sit right around $30,000/yr.

Maintaining that budget amount has been no small task, but we are so excited to share many of the ideas and strategies that have helped us not just live, but thrive, on a small budget these many years. These are the things that have helped us to not just have a frugal homestead, but create the homestead of our dreams.

farmhouse kitchen with aga stove

Do we live cheaply to have a frugal homestead?

Not in the least! We never want you to get the impression that we interchange frugal living with cheap living.

Cheap prioritizes cost above all else. Little or no regard is given to how something was made, where it comes from, and what is a fair value for it.

You’ll see in our 14 frugal homestead ideas below that cheap is not our jam. Even on a shoestring budget we manage to buy quality and often locally sourced products. Regardless of income, we feel like we live richly.

So here’s our top tips to minimize your budget and still create the frugal homestead (or home) of your dreams.

Our 14 frugal homestead ideas to help you thrive on any budget

1. Budget

Don’t overlook this step! A budget, in its simplest form, is having a plan for your money. Without a budget how do you know or track what your dollars are going toward. Or how do you save strategically and effectively toward something in the future?

We have kept a budget every year of our marriage and that has brought so much freedom to our world. You don’t need anything complex. We use envelopes that get a designated amount of cash each month for different categories of our spending, along with a simple spreadsheet to track things annually.

It’s basic but it works. We even nerd out and look forward to our budget ‘date’ night each month where we reconcile our budget, talk through our spending, and make sure we’re on the same page.

Cash envelopes used for budget categories.

2. Barter

Bartering allows for an equal exchange of goods or services. What do you produce on your farm that you have extra of? Or what skills or knowledge do you have that you can trade with others? For instance, our milk cow produces more milk than our family can keep up with. So, we have opportunities there to barter with neighbors and locals for things like hay, meat, and other farm products. We even exchanged fresh milk for a family photo shoot before!

The key here is to work out a fair price or arrangement for what you offer. For instance, if web design is a skill of yours and you want to exchange for say a veggie CSA share, discuss your typical rates up front. Don’t mistake bartering with giving away.

fresh cow milk

3. Purchase intentionally

We’ve recently been reading We Are What We Eat by Alice Waters – highly recommend it! In the book, she makes the case that fast food culture has permeated far deeper into our lives and values than just food. Her take is that fast food culture has trickled into an attitude of entitlement for instant, cheap convenience in our lives at all times.

Our family tries to combat this mentality by thoughtfully choosing what we do or do not bring into our home. Seek out companies, products, and services that align with your personal values and standards for living. We’ve found it helps shift our mindset from chasing deals to chasing the items that truly bring you the most value and joy.

It’s less about chasing the deal and more about being wise and selective in your purchasing.

4. Buy used or second hand

No joke, this is just about our whole homestead. It’s not exclusive, but buying used is how we afford the bulk of the quality items we possess. This list includes kitchen cabinets, appliances, our AGA stove, couches, rugs, hutch, and a whole host of other furniture and kitchen items. Not to mention a good chunk of our wardrobe! This has been key in our frugal homestead journey.

Sweet garage sale cabinet score!

When you move outside to the farm it’s much the same. Used fencing, tools, trailers, BCS tractor, and so much more. I literally got all of our Premier 1 electro netting fencing and solar fencers used that we use to rotationally graze our animals and protect our chickens and garden areas. We’ve saved thousands of dollars going this route.

Our primary strategy for finding used items is through Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. But you can also find a lot at local garage sales, barn sales, and thrift stores.

5. Ask for things as gifts

When a need comes up for a practical item we need, we try to resist the urge to just jump online or head to the store and purchase it. Instead, we think, “Are there opportunities coming up to ask for them as gifts instead?” The beauty is that birthdays, Christmas, and other holidays keep coming up year after year, and people want to buy you things!

On the farm, we actually received our first chicken coop as a gift, along with beekeeping equipment and other gardening tools. A practical example in the home is that when we decided it was time to upgrade our kids water bottles, we put it on their Christmas lists, waited a couple months, and everyone’s rockin’ with new water bottles now.

backyard beehive frame

6. Invest in skills

There are strategic skills you can learn along the way in your homesteading journey that can greatly reduce cost in your life. For instance, learning to sew can open up countless doors of cost savings – making your own clothes, reusable diapers and wipes, gifts for others like cloth napkins or table runners.

This is a super basic example, but we purchased a $30 hair trimmer over a decade ago and all the boys in our home get regular free-of-charge mommy trims! Those savings add up fast over that span of time.

Our ancestors excelled at do-it-yourself everything, and we often think of how much of a bummer it is that those skills are no longer being handed down. BUT, tools like YouTube, books, blogs, and other educational resources have made learning new skills more obtainable than ever before!

freedom ranger chicken butchering

7. Reuse things

This can be as simple as washing out a plastic Ziploc bags to reuse them many, many times. Yep, that’s us! We try eliminate the word “disposable” from our vocabulary. Why keep buying something over and over again?

For example, instead of buying Ziploc bags in the first place just get a set of glass snap lid containers that can be used over and over again. Or, we bought a set of reusable produce bags a few years back and use them ALL THE TIME.

I built us a custom kitchen island with a couple of our used cabinets, some vintage hardwood trim pieces and an old door we salvaged, along with some scraps leftover from our kitchen remodel. We wanted a butcher block countertop but the custom size was bringing quotes back in the thousands of dollars. Instead, I took some leftover pieces of wood flooring and laminated them to a piece of plywood. It looks great, has held up, and was entirely built with leftover materials we had lying around.

custom counter made with wood flooring

8. Eat what you have

On our homestead we have a rule – no food goes to waste! It’s not easy and we’re not perfect with it. But we’ve found that this mindset, (1) allows us to be really cost effective in our grocery shopping, and (2) helps us to honor and appreciate both the food itself and those who grew it.

We do this by meal planning around what we have BEFORE things go bad. No new food is bought until you finish what’s in your fridge or pantry.

It’s a mindset as much as it is a strategy. Cheap food allows us to believe food is disposable in our world. That’s simply not true. When we go through the effort of growing our own food, or buy from other local growers, we honor those efforts by consuming what was grown and allowing it to nourish our bodies – not sending food (and your money) to the landfill.

winter storage squash just harvested

9. No-cost or low-cost entertainment

Contrary to what marketing tactics want you to believe, entertainment does not need to be a significant expense. One more subscription is not going to make your life complete. That 30 second trailer aimed at bringing you into the theater can wait until your local library has it for free. Entertainment is expensive and we’ve found it so much more freeing and fun to just come up with our own.

Like renting things from the library, going on hikes or bike rides, having a family fishing or forage session, doing a craft or project with scraps and materials you already have on hand. The possibilities are endless!

We still go out on adventures but even then, you can plan ahead and save costs! Like our recent trip to the zoo on one of their early spring free entry days where we brought our own lunch and didn’t pay a dime besides gas money.

daddy daughter bike ride

10. Eat seasonally

Buying in season items allows you to stock up when it matters most. For example, when strawberries are in season, we go to the local you-pick strawberry farm, pick in bulk, eat some fresh, and then freeze the rest for a supply of the best strawberries year-round. Then you can avoid the out-of-season mark ups and also preserve foods at peak nutrition.

A common grocery shopping strategy is finding some recipes and buying whatever ingredients are needed. But when the ingredients aren’t in season or abundant, you’ll likely pay more. Instead, we have seen a lot of success buying what’s in season and low cost and building a meal plan around those items. Then you get the double benefit of saving money and eating what’s fresh.

picking strawberries

11. Buy only what you need

We live in a “stock up and save” culture. Retail is notorious for trying to get you to throw something in your cart that was never on your list in the first place. Are you really saving anything if you never use that item? Or is it really something you couldn’t live without?

We try and put everything through the filter of living with our basic needs being met. The abundance we want is not an over-abundance, but a just right abundance of quality and necessary possessions. That stockpile of spontaneous and inexpensive “just in case” things will clutter up your world fast.

12. Forage

We don’t have grow your own food on this list because we assume that’s a strategy you’re already doing on some level as a homesteader. But one area that isn’t always obvious when it comes to food is using what nature produces freely through foraging. We are trying to implement this more in our world.

All around you are edible and medicinal plants that can be harvested or preserved for eating, or turning into helpful concoctions like salves and tinctures. We have big nettle patch on our property. Most people try to get rid of nettle, but the more we researched the more we discovered that nettle is packed with more nutrition than other greens and can be cooked and added to dishes just like spinach. We also dry nettle to preserve it and have greens available all year round for soups or a garnish.

foraging for nettle

13. Share resources

Sharing resources with other small farms means sharing costs. Every farm or homestead within a couple mile radius does not need to own all the same tools and equipment. Livestock trailers, processing equipment, fencing tools, machinery. Get to know people around you doing similar things and explore ways to share.

We loaned out our BCS tractor to another farmer we know locally and they were nice enough to have the engine tuned up for us. That’s a win-win for both sides. We’ve also gone in on seed and tree orders with neighbors to reduce shipping and get bulk discounts.

14. Love your space

Many of us feel the need to leave our homes often. We build lives around activities and errands that keep us constantly on the move. There’s nothing wrong with getting out of the house and for many that’s a good thing.

But the more time we spend away from home the more expenses creep in. The miscellaneous sale item that grabbed your attention. Needing to pick up something to eat on the go. Extra monthly gas fill-ups. It all adds up over time.

farmhouse kitchen hutch

Make your home your sanctuary. Prioritize the undone tasks that have been stressing you out and make time to accomplish them. Declutter that ever-looming closet that’s been annoying you since you moved in! Simplify your home. Find joy, and beauty, and value in all that’s around you. Keep costs low by keeping close to home.

A word of caution on frugal homesteading

Too much frugality can be extremely inefficient and sometimes even cost more in the end. Having a frugal homestead does not mean that you should never pay full price for something along the way. For example, every used purchase you make has an inherent risk that it might not work as promised or last long enough to pay for itself.

Most purchases have worked out for us after doing our researching and making sure we’ve felt good about the history of an item. But sometimes you get a dud. That will happen.

The other side is that sometimes the best way to be a frugal homestead is to use your dollars to hire a professional for a job that you might just not be able to do adequately or efficiently on your own. But you can also use that as a learning experience to gain confidence and consider tackling it yourself next time!

All this to say, don’t strive for perfection in your frugal homestead journey. Do your best and give yourself grace.

planting a paw paw tree

What’s your money saving strategy?

These frugal homestead ideas have worked well for our family. But we know that not all of them will translate perfectly to your world. That’s where it’s up to you to adopt what seems practical for your life and develop your own cost-conscious strategies along the way.

What habits and routines have helped you create a frugal homestead? What ideas resonated with you from our list? Are there any you would like more clarification on?

We’d love to hear from you in the comments and you can also check out our post about how we went about buying our dream homestead on a budget.

Some of the above links are affiliate links. This means we earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. We are so appreciative of your support!

March 27, 2022 3 comments

Buying A Homestead Homestead How-to's

Buying a Homestead on a Budget

by From Scratch Farmstead March 13, 2022

As an aspiring homesteader do these words resonate with you: frugal, resourceful, unconventional? If so, we get you! Those things defined our homestead search and we ended up with not only the perfect homestead, but our dream lifestyle! Here’s our story and tips for buying a homestead on a budget.

A values-based approach to searching for a homestead

Searching for a homestead isn’t quite as clear cut as searching for a home in the suburbs or city. You don’t just punch in how many bedrooms and bathrooms you want and pull up 20 different options, all on 1/4 acre lots, within a 3-mile radius.

Homesteads have way more factors beyond the home – acreage, layouts, barns, water access, natural water features, fencing, and a whole host of other land and infrastructure considerations. No two homestead properties will be anywhere near alike.

So, we chose a different approach.

We decided to NOT make a house the driving factor in our search. Even though we had our 3^rd child on the way, we figured our young family could adapt, and even thrive, in almost any arrangement. So, when it came to a living space, we knew we could be resourceful. Finding the right land and location, however, was a high priority. After all, we weren’t searching for a home, we were searching for a homestead! This is our story of buying a homestead on a budget and what we learned along the way.

dilapidated fence and gate

Our homestead search became a lifestyle search

Above all, we focused on the lifestyle we wanted to be living day-in and day-out. And we knew, above the nice home and the pristine pastures, we wanted simplicity and freedom. For us, this looked like:

Meeting our needs on one small income
Flexibility to homeschool our children
Time together as a family
Working toward a self-sufficient lifestyle
Pursuing a home business
Living debt free

Our search shifted from, “What do we want?” to, “What homestead property will allow us to live out those things?” It was a big mentality shift for sure. We had to be OK with maybe less bedrooms than what we thought was ideal. Or maybe less land.

We did still have search criteria. Like we knew we wanted to be in a certain location. We needed a property that could house our milk cow, Thimble, that we owned. And we did need at least a livable home for our family.

But we were able to focus on finding a property that was simple, low cost, and could move us toward the freedom of time and finances we ultimately desired.

We wanted a homestead that we owned, not that owned us!

walking our new homestead property

What did we learn from buying a homestead on a budget?

We learned it’s hard to always put values and lifestyle goals above the opportunities that come your way. For instance, the first property we put an offer on was almost twice the cost of our current homestead, with 20 acres, more house, and more buildings.

Was it a great value with tons of potential? Yes. But we could have noticed the red flags with all the spreadsheets and number crunching we did to try and make this homestead work out financially. We could have made it work. It was technically within our means. However, it would have meant either, A) we invest all we had in the property with nothing left to invest in getting our homestead off the ground, or B) we take out a significant mortgage and need to rethink our work situation to pay for it.

The more we pondered those options, the yuckier the situation felt. Yes, we’d have a sweet 20 acre property. But we’d forgo much of the list of values we mentioned above. Ultimately, it became a multiple offer situation that, looking back, we are so grateful didn’t fall in our favor.

20 acre farm

How we ended up on our 5 acre homestead

The night before we had a trip planned to make the trek from our home in west-central Wisconsin to northern Illinois to look at a couple properties, a small foreclosed home on 5 acres popped up. It was outdated, ugly, and the pictures and description seemed to communicate, “STAY AWAY FROM THIS ONE!”

But it was in a great location and, most importantly, the cost was low. Lower than anything else we had looked at. It could have easily been one we wrote off and didn’t see, but we reached out to our realtor and had him add it to the lineup for viewing the next day.

The other properties we viewed that seemed promising on paper – weren’t. Not that they weren’t decent options, but they seemed underwhelming and just weren’t the right fit.

With low expectations, we arrived at the 5-acre, foreclosed property that popped up the night before. Within minutes of stepping foot on the property and gazing out over the back field, we exchanged several glances that said, “This. Is. It.” The land was exactly what we were looking for and we hadn’t even stepped foot in the house yet.

outdated farmhouse kitchen

When we did, we were pleasantly surprised. Though there were no floors, wallpaper from before we were born covered every square inch, and a lot of updating would be needed, we knew this would be more than substantial enough of a space for our growing family. It was a simple home with good bones that was primed and ready for us to make it our own.

We put in an offer that night, worked through the scare of multiple offers once again, but this time it fell in our favor. We found it! And “IT” was more than just a homestead.

kids running free

What buying below our means meant for our family

While we had many months of hard work and temporary living arrangements ahead of us while we transformed the house and made it our own, we knew buying at this price point put our lifestyle goals within reach.

For starters, we were able to furnish our home exactly how we wanted. Buying at the low end of our price range meant we had money left to invest in our homestead. We are frugal people and almost everything we bought to remodel our home was second hand. But, when we wanted a more natural or specific, quality item, we were able to afford it. Like our AGA oven (which was still used) or the white oak wood floors from the Amish sawmill we installed throughout the whole house.

farmhouse kitchen and table

This also translated outside to our land. We had finances freed up to do things like invest in a livestock trailer when the right opportunity came up. Or, purchase a system of used moveable electric fencing so we could rotationally graze our cows on pasture. It’s easy to overlook the farm expenses that come up the first few years of homesteading, but you will want a fair amount of accessible funds on hand to purchase supplies, equipment, and infrastructure when needed.

Most importantly, we felt and experienced the freedom we were after.

We began to shape the simple lifestyle we were after. Our cost of living is low. We are producing food in abundance and striving toward self-sufficiency. We remained debt free. And we are able to share the joys of homesteading together as a family, connected with our land, animals, and food.

cornish cross chickens on our homestead

What you need to consider when buying a homestead on a budget

Searching for a homestead is something you don’t want to rush, especially when buying a homestead on a budget. It will involve lots of family discussions around the things you value and the lifestyle you desire. Above cost, above bedrooms, above land size, that is what matters. Be on the same page and let your values drive your search.

And those values may involve having a home big enough to host a certain group size. Or having enough acres to have a small milking herd of cows or a you-pick orchard. Those are great things! Or, as in our case, less can sometimes be more.

Develop your dream homestead scenario to the point that you feel confident in it, then go full-fledged into your search. Visit different areas. Learn your preferences. Refine your criteria. And then when the right opportunity does come your way, you can have your own, “THIS IS IT!” moment.

carrying the milk pale

Where are you at in your homestead journey? Does our story resonate? Are you still developing the values and lifestyle you are after? Wherever you’re at, there’s a beautiful narrative unfolding in your life and we’d love to hear from you!

March 13, 2022 4 comments