Are you like me and have been daydreaming of homesteading? Do you feel limited because you live in an apartment? In this post, you and I both will change our mindset by implementing the actions below. Today we’re going to learn to homestead in an apartment!
Ok, confession time first. I don’t actually live in an apartment right now! My fiance and I lived in an apartment for the past 4 years. During that time I spent every single day daydreaming, researching, and watching videos about homesteading out in the countryside.
When the pandemic hit we moved out and in with family, to save money to finally buy some property. While renting out one room, I realized how much I could have done in that space we were in. Now I don’t have a kitchen, or outside space or much room at all.
You really do realize what you have when it’s missing.
The good news is my fiance and I are now on track to buying our first home! Since we don’t want to rush the home buying process and we already saved more than we thought we would. PLUS paid off some student loans, we decided to move back to an apartment while looking for a house to buy!
I’m calling this around two, or my second chance to make it better, and I’m so excited! Before I did dabble in a few things but would give up soon after I got the hang of it. I would think to myself “I’ll take it more seriously when we get our farm.”
Now I realize if I want to actually be implementing the things that I see are necessary to live a more healthy life, why not start now? Why not start getting used to doing things while also perfecting skills?
I came up with a list of 5 things I would consider a person to be a homesteader. No matter where they live. These tasks will help get not only me but you too, into living a self-sufficient lifestyle we all strive to have.
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How to homestead in an apartment
- Do your research
- Bake your daily bread
- Compost in a 5-gallon bucket
- Start an indoor herb garden
- Make your own products
Do your research
As I mentioned before, I did A LOT of research. Things like reading blogs or books and watching YouTube videos about all the different topics of homesteading can really help out.
It’s important to learn and realize what types of tasks you will have to be doing around your future farm. As well as seeing what you might and might not be comfortable with.
Even if you just watch a couple of videos of someone processing their own chickens. It could help you realize it might be something you think you can jump right into. (With an experienced person there to guide you). Or the opposite, you might have to pay a butcher to do it for you until you feel ready.
One different thing I’m going to implement this time around is building my homestead library.
I read a couple of books I got from the public library. I realized it would be a good idea to start my own stash of books that can cover every topic of farm life specific to my wants.
This is good because you never know if you’re going to live in the country and have bad internet. Your goat could be bloated and you can’t remember what that one article said you should do.
Or there’s a pandemic shut down and now the library is closed today when there usually not.
Bake your daily bread
Baking the bread you use daily will not only make you feel self-sufficient, it can also teach you a lot about baking in general.
This doesn’t mean you have to be baking every day but about once a week should be good. Whatever extra you make, you can freeze!
Why would you spend hours baking instead of buying a loaf for .88 cents (prices for here in texas at HEB)? Homesteading life has a way that turns you into a person that cares about ingredients that go into your food. (shocker I know)
So you should know about all the preservatives they put into bread. These preservatives make them last a lot longer than they naturally would.
So when you bake your own bread you know what’s in it and how old it is. Plus the options of different kinds you can make are limitless.
What I plan on doing differently this time is keeping up with a sourdough starter. This is one of those things I was talking about when I said I would start but not keep at it. I’ll be using this sourdough book to help me along the way.
Well, this time I’m hoping to make our daily bread, Saturday pancakes, and any extra goodies were craving!
Compost in a 5-gallon bucket
When in an apartment you don’t have much outdoor space to work with. If you have a balcony your 5-gallon bucket can slide under one of your seating chairs. If you don’t have outdoor space try leaving it by your front door and place a nice plant on top. Then disguise it as a planter stand.
Keeping a compost can help with cutting down on your waste going into the landfill. Think why would you send a banana peel to a landfill to stay forever. It will not be able to break down properly and release CO2 emissions into our atmosphere.
When you can toss it into your compost, have it break down in 6 months or less. Now you can reuse it in your next garden and save money! Easy!
When I lived in an apartment this was the one thing I kept up with. It was my first compost and I learned a lot. However, that being said there are changes I would like to make. I feel they’ll make it a better system and give nicer compost for the end result.
One thing is I re-purposed my cat’s yellow litter tub, which was square-shaped. I had to shake the bin in order to turn the compost.
If I have a round bucket I could just roll it a few times on its side. I would have probably turned my compost more often this way.
I will be making a post all about the whole process so stay tuned for that.
Start an indoor herb garden
When you start a homestead life you most likely will be cooking from scratch more. As well as be preserving your own food and ingredients. Starting with an herb garden can allow you to do them all.
You will need a basic set of herbs so you can cook with fresh ingredients. The excess amount that grows can be cut and hung on the walls to dry for later use.
I will be growing 6 different types at our new apartment. Basil, Parsley, Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme, and Cumin.
With these plants, I can start preserving and building my stockpile of spices. Plus have a good range of cooking different types of meals every night.
I’ll be creating a space indoors for my herb garden. So I will need grow lights to get better results.
Make your own products
This was probably my favorite out of all of them. Because making your own products gives you an instant reward, unlike the others.
Making cleaning or beauty products can be quick and simple plus you will be using natural and simple ingredients.
A bonus is how they look so much better than those store-bought products. They use all kinds of colors and graphics to get in your face.
I use simple amber glass bottles with a label maker. With just a few ingredients you can make everything you need to clean your house.
I think I made everything under the sun I needed to clean my house or wash my hair ha. You learn what works, what does not, and what can be multi-purpose.
Buying the stuff to make what you need instead of the product, can cut down on your spending. Making some items cost just pennies to make. (WOW)
Living on a farm you want to spend your hard-earned money on important things. (Like maybe it’s time to upgrade to pigs this year). So having to spend money on simple things like cleaning products can be dreadful.
Feel ready to homestead in an apartment yet?
I hope after all this I have given you the confidence to be able to homestead in an apartment.
If you can think of anything else that you can do to homestead in an apartment coment them down below.
I know I’m ready to make changes and perfect the skills I’ll need when we finally buy our property.
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I love this so much! We live in a rental house and I always get down seeing everyone’s beautiful homesteads but there’s so much you can do at home.
Yes! Seeing everyone’s beautiful homesteads would get me down too. So I decided I’m joining in with yall.
Great ideas for condos, too!
You’re right! I never even thought about condos.
Love your post! We don’t have our country home yet but garden, bake bread and enjoy our little homestead in the city. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome. I hope you get it soon! I know how impatient it can be waiting.
I love this! I found you on YouTube.
At 64 years, I have homesteaded everywhere I have lived–in apartments, houses, trailers, and up in the mountains on a ten acre tract. I am in the process of planning and putting in my garden right now. Homesteading is about making the most of everything that you have, and you are doing just that. Too many people think they have to live in the country to reach homesteading goals, but there are so many ways to begin right where they are. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it where you are with what you have.
I look forward to seeing more of your efforts. BTW–I LOVE the name of the blog and channel–it’s adorable!
Thank you Evelyn, I after putting in the work and changing my mindset for about 3 months I really feel like a homesteader. My fiance even bought me a t-shirt for my birthday that says a farmer on it and I just love it and feel like it fits me despite us living in an apartment.
I love these ideas! My husband and I live in a small rental house in town so far and I’m trying my best to “homestead” as much as possible while we’re in this house and learn for when we can eventually move out to the country. I love the idea of composting in a 5 gallon bucket. I hate throwing fruit and vegetable scraps away when I could be turning them into compost instead!
Yes, I hate throwing them away too! I feel so guilty lol.