homestead.

I am becoming enthralled with the idea of homesteading. Until two days ago I had no idea what the term meant nor implied. If asked I would have come up with some partially correct, but mostly incorrect answer about going out west and staking claim of a plot of land. I am an absolute moron when it comes to history. Homesteading today in fact has nothing to do with claiming land from the government, but rather the idea of living in a simpler fashion and more self sufficiently. People have varying ideas about the subject, but that is okay generalization I think.

When we moved into the country a year ago, I had no idea that this idea of homesteading was exactly what we were drawn to. Little by little we have simplified our existence. We have tried to become more green. Nothing drastic mind you, just little things to slowly erase our footsteps. Out went the 409 and in came the vinegar. We took a stand against the usage of paper towels and started using cloth. We do much of our clothes drying by line. Tiny changes that will hopefully lead to bigger ones later. We now of course have the two goats. They are useless really but quite cute. The chickens will do us a lot of good. Eggs, meat, fertilizer and entertainment. I have more dreams of adding other small animals to our growing hobby farm to provide us with additional food and fiber. We have to stay pretty small scale due to the cost of housing and enclosure for our animals. At this time, we rent and therefore do not wish to spend a lot of money on fences and barns on someone else's property. Hopefully one day, after much scrimping and saving, we will be able to buy some land of our own and develop it the way we wish.

Here is the huge gaping, red flag waving, hole in my beautiful dream: I love stuff. I am ashamed to report this, but sadly it is true. Ebay is one of my best friends. Target and I are old chums. Take a look in my crafting hutch and you will witness my deepest shame. Stuff, oddly enough, costs money - which we need to be saving. Being thrifty just does not seem like as much fun as shopping does. But alas... I am going to change this around. Here I make a pledge to put as much effort into saving every extra penny and working towards a larger goal and a better purpose as I now do in finding the latest and greatest (insert needless item here). This is going to be a real struggle for me I am sure, but I am sure I can do it. I have saved at least twenty bucks yesterday and today by making Troy fast with me. Maybe we could stay on it for the next five years.