Does Homesteading Save Money?

The million dollar question that every potential homesteader wants to know is, does homesteading save money. We are going to explore and analyze that question because the answer isn’t a simple yes or no. There is a lot of gray area in the answer.

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And No Eggs to Show For It

This year we added chickens to our homestead. My husband spent many weekends and evenings building a chicken tractor. We spent over $1000 on the supplies to build the tractor, $40 on fertilized eggs, $150 on an incubator, plus feed and bedding. And so far we don’t have a single egg to show for it. I think we only got 2 hens out of 8 birds anyways. If you asked my husband if we have saved any money he would tell you absolutely not. If you asked him if it was worth the future eggs, he would still say absolutely not. Not worth the work or the money. I, on the other hand, would disagree. Which is probably why nobody asks me if the chickens are worth it.

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Does Homesteading Save Money?

Does homesteading save money? Well it depends on how you look at it. Unfortunately there is not an easy way to compare apples to apples when it comes to the fruits of the homestead. You can’t buy food equal in quality at the store. If you compared the price of the closest available products at the store then no, it would be safe to say that homesteading does not save money.

By the time you buy the feed, build a shelter, put up a fence, purchase the equipment, and then buy the animals you’ve spent more than you ever would have at the store. Even if you purchased the highest quality available. The same goes for produce. You must buy the soil, the compost, the seeds, the sprinkler, the hose, the tools, the pest control, and possibly the lumber for the raised beds. That hardly seems worth it when you can get a 5 pound bag of potatoes for $3.

But you see that’s not a fair comparison. This is where the gray area comes into play. The eggs from the store aren’t from birds that were fed organic and non GMO feed. The birds aren’t moved to new grass everyday. They may have been given antibiotics. There likely wasn’t enough room for them to move around freely. The packages have tricky marketing to make you believe such things, but they simply aren’t true. Commercial farming does not produce the same quality of products as a homestead.

Commercial farming is meant to produce as much food for as little time and money as possible. Homesteaders try to produce as much high quality food as they need to feed their family with maybe a little extra.

Does Homesteading Pay in Other Ways?

Does homesteading save money? Not really as far as your bank account is concerned. But it will pay out in other ways.

Homesteading will improve your health. Good food, spending time outdoors, a lessened toxic load, and a slower lifestyle will all help you maintain good health for longer. That means you will save money on medical care.

Homesteading will have you spending more time at home with family than out shopping at the mall. So I guess in that way, homesteading does save money.

Once you have the infrastructure and systems in place, homesteading might actually save you money on groceries. But it will take many years and a lot of food for you to see that savings.

Your quality of life will be enriched by the experience of homesteading. When you work hard for your food it will taste better. There will be stories and wisdom to share with your grandchildren that wouldn’t never come from living the norm.

So no, homesteading does not save you money if that’s all you really care about. But it will save you in many other ways.