Does Homesteading Save Money? Yes — If You Do These Things Right

Does homesteading save money? For our family, the answer has always been yes.

When we first started our homesteading journey, it wasn’t because we wanted a picture-perfect farm or an Instagram-worthy chicken coop. It was because we needed to make ends meet — plain and simple.

Feeding a big family on one income was tough. But we both grew up gardening and canning, so we knew that’s what we had to do.

But does homesteading really save money? Yes — and it doesn’t have to be complicated!

A homestead can be as simple as planting a garden, cooking from scratch, or learning to rely less on the store. Somewhere along the way, society turned it into this big, expensive project.

But at its heart, it’s just getting back to your roots and living a little more self-sufficiently.

In this post, I’ll break down how homesteading saves money, what it really costs to get started, and share plenty of frugal, beginner-friendly tips to help you build a homestead without breaking the bank.

So let’s dig in!

Why Homesteading Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive

A lot of people believe homesteading has to be all or nothing — that you need acres of land, a barn full of animals, and thousands of dollars to get started. But that couldn’t be further from the truth!

You don’t need a farm to homestead. You don’t even need much space.

Homesteading can happen anywhere — even in the city — and it can be done with little or no money if you’re willing to start small.

There are real benefits to starting frugally.

When you begin on a smaller scale, you’re less likely to get overwhelmed or make costly mistakes. And you can test what works for your lifestyle and budget without draining your savings.

For example, growing a few herbs in your kitchen window or starting a backyard garden teaches you skills you’ll use for years — and costs almost nothing.

Homesteading when you’re broke just means focusing on the basics: growing what you can, cooking from scratch, and making do with what you already have. That’s exactly where Scott and I started.

It’s not about buying the latest tools or building a Pinterest-worthy coop.

At its heart, homesteading is about becoming more self-sufficient and less dependent on stores, not about spending more money. So don’t wait until you can afford land or livestock!

Start where you are, with what you have, and let your homestead grow – along with your skills and confidence.

Even if all you have is a balcony or a small yard, you can still live a more affordable, intentional lifestyle. That’s what makes homesteading so approachable — and so rewarding.

How Homesteading Saves You Money

One of the biggest benefits of homesteading is how much it can save you — if you’re intentional about it. Every skill you pick up and every habit you change helps you depend less on the store and more on yourself. Over time, those small savings really start to add up.

Here are some of the main ways homesteading saves you money:

Food

Growing your own vegetables, raising a few chickens, and preserving food when it’s in season can save you hundreds — even thousands — of dollars a year. A simple backyard garden can replace a big chunk of your grocery bill, especially if you focus on high-yield, expensive-to-buy crops.

Scott and I rarely buy vegetables anymore — just enough fresh ones to get us through those cold Minnesota winters. We preserve most of what we grow.

When we do go to the grocery store, the only meat we buy is chicken. We get our eggs from our own hens (though we haven’t raised meat birds yet), and we buy our beef and pork from local farmers.

This really cuts down on our monthly grocery bill.

Utilities

Homesteading can help you cut utility bills too — sometimes in big ways. Heating with wood instead of propane or fuel oil, line-drying your clothes, and even small-scale solar panels can all save money over time. Even little changes, like turning down the thermostat or baking more at home, can make a difference.

In our old house, we relied mostly on wood heat. The older boys still talk about cutting and stacking firewood — they hated it at the time, but now they laugh and tell stories about it.

There were some really lean years when that wood heat was a lifesaver for our budget. These days, one of our big goals is to install an outdoor wood boiler here at our new place.

Household Goods

When you homestead, you naturally start fixing, mending, reusing, and making more things yourself — and this is where we really shine.

Simple changes, like switching to homemade cleaning products, using cloths instead of paper towels, or building your own furniture and decor, save money and feel so much more meaningful than buying everything from the store.

Scott is incredibly skilled with his hands. There’s almost nothing he can’t fix, and over the years he’s built so much of our furniture — tables, beds, bunk beds, coffee tables, and even outdoor lounge chairs.

Entertainment

Homesteading also changes how you spend your time. Evenings spent gardening, canning, sitting around the fire, or playing games at home cost a lot less than constant trips to town, paid activities, or streaming subscriptions.

In the summer, our favorite way to spend an evening is gathered around the fire pit or playing yard games with the boys. In the winter, it’s board games at the kitchen table or curling up by the fireplace.

The beauty of homesteading is that these savings don’t feel like sacrifices. They come from simple, intentional choices that make life more rewarding — and a lot less stressful.

How Much Does Homesteading Really Cost?

This is the question everyone wants answered — and the truth is, it really depends on how you approach it. Homesteading can cost as much or as little as you choose to spend.

Some years, the only money we spent on our homestead was for seeds for the garden. Back then, seeds were cheaper, and I’d guess we spent maybe $30 total for the whole season. That was it.

Other years — like this one — we decided to invest more. Between seeds, plants, fencing, watering, and birds, we’ve spent closer to $1,500 this year. To me, that still feels affordable, especially compared to what I know others spend.

I couldn’t find an official statistic on what homesteading costs — no government agency seems to track it — but many in the homesteading community report spending anywhere from $500 to $10,000 or more in their first year, depending on how much they take on and how frugally they approach it.

If you’d like to see what others have shared, here are some helpful examples:

• Mother Earth News
• Our Simple Homestead
• The Prairie Homestead

One thing that helped Scott and me tremendously was starting on the land we already had. We didn’t go out and buy property “to homestead,” like many people feel they have to. That decision cut our costs significantly — and made it feel much more doable.

We also started with just a garden. Later, we tried pigs. It didn’t work for us at the time, so we scratched that and added chickens years later. That has worked out beautifully — and now Scott dreams of adding pigs again. 😆

He eventually wants a cow; I do not. LOL. But that’s the beauty of homesteading: there’s no one set way to do this. Everyone’s journey looks a little different.

If you want to figure out what your homestead might cost, this guide from Penn State Extension is a helpful tool. It walks you through creating a realistic budget for your own situation, so you can plan without surprises.

We always recommend starting small. Focus on one or two things — like a garden and maybe a few chickens — and add to it over time. It’s easier on your budget, and you’ll enjoy the process more without feeling overwhelmed.

Plus, homesteading is work. And what if you find out you don’t even like it? 🤣😂 It’s better to dip your toe in and see if it’s a good fit before you invest too much time or money.

Of course, there are always ongoing costs as well — like animal feed, repairs, and utilities — but those become just part of the rhythm of homesteading. With a little creativity and resourcefulness, you can keep them manageable while still making steady progress toward a more self-sufficient life.

How to Start Homesteading on a Budget

If you think about how our grandparents lived, you’ll see they didn’t rush out to buy acres of land or build big, beautiful barns to “start a homestead.” They simply worked with what they had — because they had to.

Homesteading was about survival, not appearances.

You can take the same approach today. Start small. Start where you are. And start with what you already have.

When you begin this way, you can learn at your own pace, avoid costly mistakes, and keep your homestead affordable, while still making steady progress.

Here are some budget-friendly ways to get started:

• Start with one or two projects: A simple garden and maybe a few chickens are great first steps. These are beginner-friendly, affordable, and they’ll teach you so much.
• Learn one easy skill at a time: One of the easiest ways to begin is by learning to make jam or can green beans. Both are inexpensive and build confidence fast.
• Use what you already have: Our grandparents were masters at this — and you can be too. Look around before you buy. You might already have tools, fencing, or containers that work just fine.
• Repurpose materials instead of buying new: Scott turned an old shed into our chicken coop and used pallets to build the run — all for much less than buying new materials or a ready-made coop.
• Buy used whenever possible: Check Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, auctions, and garage sales for tools, supplies, and even animals. My son got a steal on his first tiller! Used gear often works just as well at a fraction of the cost.
• Barter or trade with neighbors: Over the years, we’ve shared eggs, garden produce, and tools. Many homesteaders are happy to swap instead of sell.
• Focus on skills, not stuff: Every skill you learn — baking bread, sewing, canning, repairing — saves you money and builds independence.

Homesteading doesn’t have to wait for the “perfect” property or a huge investment. You can homestead anywhere — even on a balcony or in a small backyard — by growing a few herbs, cooking from scratch, and making intentional choices.

If you’d like even more ideas on getting started, here’s a helpful guide from Life at Cobble Hill Farm, full of inspiration and practical tips.

Remember, homesteading isn’t about spending money. It’s about building a simpler, more self-sufficient life — one small step at a time.

Frugal Homesteading Tips — From Start to Growth

Homesteading doesn’t have to drain your bank account — in fact, it shouldn’t. Whether you’re planting your first seeds or expanding your homestead, there are plenty of ways to save money without cutting corners.

These frugal homesteading tips will help you keep costs low and make the most of what you already have, no matter where you are on your journey.

Cheap & Free Ways to Start Homesteading

You don’t have to jump all-in from day one. The most budget-friendly way to start homesteading is to take it one step at a time — building skills and habits as you go.

Here’s a simple progression to help you get started without overspending:

Level 1 — Free & Right Now

Begin with habits you can change today. Start cooking and baking from scratch.

Shop at your local farmers’ market or farm stands for locally grown (and often healthier) options. Plus, they will give you plenty of motivation and inspiration to start your own journey!

Grow a pot of herbs on your kitchen windowsill and lettuce in a pot. Join a local community garden. Start with growing simply for fresh eating.

You can visit U-Pick farms or let your family and friends know you’ll take extra produce when you’re ready to start canning and preserving. Find canning jars in Grandma’s basement or at garage sales. 😊

Check out the local library, YouTube, and blog posts to learn more!

None of these require land, fancy tools, or much money — just a little intention and motivation.

Level 2 — Low Cost & Beginner-Friendly

When you’re ready to do a little more, expand what you’ve already started. Build a small backyard garden with raised beds or even straight into the ground if you have space. You can grow plenty of vegetables without spending much — just focus on high-yield, easy-to-grow crops.

Start composting your kitchen scraps and yard waste to improve your soil for free.

And try your hand at preserving what you grow: make a few jars of jam, can some green beans, or freeze vegetables for later.

If you’ve got space, add a clothesline to save on energy and enjoy the smell of sun-dried laundry.
Look for secondhand tools, garden hoses, and even seeds at yard sales or online marketplaces.

Level 3 — Still Affordable but Next Level

Once you’re confident with the basics, you can start adding bigger projects — still on a budget. Start raising small animals like chickens for eggs. Trust me, you don’t need a fancy coop — the chickens don’t know the difference!

Build larger garden beds or add perennial plants, like asparagus, berry bushes, or fruit trees. It takes a bit to get them started, but the payout is huge.

Look for bulk deals on seeds, feed, and fencing to save as you expand. And barter with neighbors or friends for livestock, equipment, or help building things.

Start learning more advanced skills — like fermenting, making soap, or repairing tools — that save even more money and make you even more self-sufficient.

Keeping Costs in Check as You Expand Your Homestead

It’s easy to start small and frugal — but as your homestead grows, the temptation to “buy more” can sneak in. It helps to stay intentional about where your money goes, even when you’re ready to take on bigger projects.

One of the best ways we’ve kept costs manageable is by continuing to reuse and repurpose as much as possible — old fencing, jars, and scrap wood always seem to find a use. Buying in bulk for things like seeds, animal feed, and pantry staples also saves a lot over time.

We also try to grow or raise what makes the biggest impact first — for us, that’s always been vegetables and chickens, long before adding more expensive animals or infrastructure.

And finally, we keep an eye on our spending. Homesteading should save you money in the long run, but it’s easy to let little purchases add up. Tracking your expenses helps you stay on track and make smarter choices.

For many people, expanding their homestead also means buying land — and that can be a wonderful decision if it fits your goals and your budget. You don’t have to rush into it, though.

You can learn so much and even produce quite a bit on the land you already have. But if your dream is to move out of the city and put down roots on your own property, that’s a beautiful part of the journey too — just go into it with a plan, and don’t feel pressured to take on more than you’re ready for.

By keeping a frugal mindset as you grow, you can continue building your homestead without breaking your budget — and enjoy the process even more.

Is Homesteading Worth It Financially?

So — is homesteading worth it?

For us, the answer is a resounding yes.

We started homesteading because feeding our big family on one income was tough, and we needed to stretch every dollar. It worked.

There were times when all we had to eat were the vegetables we’d canned and eggs from my aunt — before we even had our own chickens. That’s actually where our famous “egg lasagna” came from — born out of necessity and creativity.

Homesteading saved us money when we needed it most, and it still does. But the truth is, it’s not just about the money you save.

It’s also about knowing you can feed your family no matter what — even if the grocery shelves are empty, because some pandemic or other financial crisis hit again.

It’s about eating real, healthy food and knowing exactly where it came from.

And for us, it nourishes more than just our bodies — it nourishes our minds and souls too. There’s something deeply satisfying about planting a seed, watching it grow, and knowing your hard work is what’s feeding your family.

So yes — homesteading is worth it. Not only for the money you save, but for the peace of mind, the self-sufficiency, and the sense of purpose it brings.

Slow Down and Savor It: Why Homesteading is the Ultimate Frugal Living Strategy

Homesteading isn’t just about pinching pennies — it’s about creating a life that feels more intentional, more connected, and yes, more affordable.

It saves money in meaningful ways, especially when you focus on the basics and avoid the temptation to overcomplicate things.
It builds self-sufficiency and resilience — skills and habits that carry you through tough times, whether that’s a tight budget, a pandemic, or just the unpredictability of life.
And it does take effort and smart choices to stay frugal. But that effort pays off — not just in dollars saved, but in confidence gained and a simpler, more satisfying way of living.

If you’re ready to slow down, save money, and live simply, homesteading might be exactly what you’re looking for. ❤️

If you have questions about getting started, or want to share your own homesteading story, I’d love to hear from you — leave a comment below!

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