Is the recent fascination with homesteading a fad or a movement that will continue gaining momentum?
Once we were nation of homesteaders. In the mid to late 19th century in America however we saw a population shift away from the family farm to population centers. People traded away the hard work of the farm in favor of working 10 to 12 hour days in factories. They traded away the crowing of roosters for the shouts of people. They traded away the open fields for sprawling cityscapes. And why? The cities offered a standard wage and more convenience. It promised an easier life. People traded away the freedom of the small land holder for the shackles of the wager earner all in an attempt to escape the “drudgery” of the farm.
Homesteading, or a back to the land type of movement, is not new. The 1970s saw something similar. Since 2020 and the lockdowns, we have seen an increasing number of people leaving the 9 to 5 life in favor of remote work or dropping out of the rat race altogether. Is this movement sustainable or will it fade out in time?
You’ve heard me say before that true homesteading is a lifestyle choice. It is a change that one must make in every aspect of one’s life. This life is not for the faint of heart. It is not for the person who still wants to hang onto debt in any form. Homesteading consists of finding a simpler life, a simpler approach, and being self sustainable in all or most aspects. And debt simply does not make one self sustainable. Since 2020 we have seen individual household debt increased by 13%. The average American household currently has over $100,000 of debt according to one study. That does not equate to a simpler lifestyle. So while Americans may claim that they wish to return to simpler times and are embracing “homesteading”, the debt numbers do not support that.
Convenience typical comes with a price tag. How many are willing to give up their dryers for the clothesline, the grocery store for the garden, the restaurant for the hours in the kitchen? How many of us are willing to give up a yearly vacation in order to tend to animals, milk the goat, make the cheese, and so many other things that it takes to truly be a homesteader? How many are willing to trade in the newer vehicle they currently drive for an older model that can easily be repaired by the backyard mechanic? How many are willing to trade away a standard wage in order to make a living so often based on the whims of mother nature and a strong dose of good luck?
Homesteading in its nature is not overly profitable. So where does the money come from if you’re not working at a 9 to 5? The truth is most true homesteaders on a few acres are never going to make enough money to be fully self funding and break out of poverty level incomes. Sacrifices must be made. A change in lifestyle is absolute and here in my opinion, is where people will crumble. The vast majority of us have grown accustomed to our conveniences. We will forgo them for a few years, but eventually, we will cave and desire them back. How shall we get them? Most will do just as our ancestors did. They will return to the cities, and turn their backs on the open fields. They will trade away the songbirds for the honking of horns.
In the end, no matter what you decide to do, all of life is a trade-off. We either trade off our time for money or we trade off money for time. What is more important to you? The hourglass of our lives is only filled once and once that sand runs out, no man can refill it.