How To Avoid Deadly Homesteading Failures

Homesteading can be a great lifestyle. It has so many benefits. However, homesteading is also challenging. With this in mind, taking some simple steps to prevent some deadly homesteading failures is important. By knowing ahead of time what to avoid, you will be many steps ahead before you even start.

Take it from someone who has tried just about everything. You will have failures. It’s inevitable. Your human. We make mistakes and we learn from them. In this post, we will talk about the 7 main homesteading failures and how you can avoid them.

How To Avoid Deadly Homesteading Failures

Homesteading Failures 1: No Plan

Planning is the most important thing you can do to avoid an epic fail at homesteading! Without a plan for your homestead, you are going through your days aimlessly. You will have no direction. Planning will help you avoid many of the homesteading failures in the future. But do you know how to plan?

In my post, Making A Vision Board for Your Homestead, I explain the importance of first knowing what you want for your homestead. Once you know what you want it is time to Write Your Homestead Goals. Once you have your vision board and your goals are written down, make a plan with a planner of some sort.

By doing these simple tasks, your homestead will have structure and a solid plan. That plan may change but you will have direction and can make changes as needed.

Homesteading Failures 2: No Plan B or C:

As I said above, things change. Whether it is a climate and weather issue, a money issue or an issue with your resources, things change. You have to learn to adapt to the change. That’s where plan B and plan C come in.

The greatest plans in the world are only as great as their ability to be carried through. That isn’t always possible. Figure out your plan then think ahead and make a secondary plan if the original doesn’t work out. Did you plan a large vegetable garden? Maybe the soil isn’t the best where you planned to put it. Maybe the seeds were back ordered. Maybe the storms came in and washed out the area. That’s okay. Have a backup plan.

Your backup plan doesn’t have to be super detailed. However, think about a backup plan each time you set a goal. Have a general idea of what you can do differently if things don’t work out as planned.

Homesteading Failures 3: Not Doing Enough Research

No matter what your plans are, you need to learn all you can ahead of time. Whether it be certain homesteading skills, or learning how something works or what the requirements are. Learn everything you can about whatever it is you want to accomplish.

There are so many homesteading resources available to new homesteaders everywhere. You can learn just about anything you want to and mostly for no cost at all. Do you want chickens on your homestead? Learn everything you can before you buy them.

By doing the research ahead of time you will have the knowledge and skill sets necessary to complete your goals successfully.

Homesteading Failures 4: Poor Budgeting or Saving:

One of the biggest issues of homesteading seems to be based on money. If you don’t know how to live off a budget or if you don’t save money, now is the time to learn. Although many homesteaders work outside the home in a traditional job, many do not. Those of us that depend on our homesteads to provide our income and our means of living, budget and save.

Of course it is possible to homestead with no money, however, most of us like to have at least some money to work with. Budgeting is a skill, one you should definitely make a priority to learn. A budget allows you to see what you spend compared to what you make. It gives you the big picture. Once you have a budget you know how much and where you can save money.

Homesteaders save money in various ways:

• Conserving electricity
• Making their own cleaning products
• Making their own laundry soap
• Growing their own food (eliminates some grocery store trips)
• Preserving herbs
• Saving water with drought-tolerant plants
• Raising their own chickens, pigs, or cows for meat

Homesteading Failures 5: Too Many Projects At Once

One of the biggest ways to become overwhelmed and fail is to take on too much at one time. Almost everyone wants to do everything they can when they start homesteading, however, know that you can’t. You do not have superpowers. You are not invincible. Trust me. Man, I learned some hard lessons in the beginning! Read about my mistakes and you will see what I mean.

Trust me, do one thing at a time. If you are building a chicken coop, just build the coop. Don’t try building a coop and putting in a vegetable garden at the same time. Do one or the other until it is done. Then and only then can you move on to the next thing. By doing too much you will get burned out. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither will your homestead. So take your time and do one project at a time.

Homesteading Failures 6: Having No Support/Community

Having no support or anyone to talk with you and ask questions to is setting yourself up for failure before you even start! Yes, you can probably figure it out. You are capable, however, having support is so important. This is especially true for new homesteaders.

There are many homesteading Facebook groups available on the internet. Some towns have local “meetups” for homesteaders. Other towns and cities offer support through their agricultural centers and local farmers groups. Do the research and find a group or someone that you can utilize for help and support. Ask questions, get opinions, just network.

I am always available at reasonable times, of course, to answer questions and provide guidance. You can contact me on my contact page here on the site. You can also find my Facebook page and send me a message there. I also have Facebook messenger and accept chats from 10 am thru 6 pm Monday thru Saturday. Regardless of what route you take, get some support.

Homesteading Failures 7: Not Believing In Yourself

Having doubts about your abilities can be very harmful to your homesteading success. If you have doubts about yourself it will be hard to accomplish your goals. Crush those doubts and prove to yourself that you can do it.

By having a plan in place, setting realistic goals, doing the research and having support, you can accomplish anything you set your mind too. Keep telling yourself you can do it. Complete small tasks to help gain your own confidence. Once your confidence level is raised you will accomplish more.

Don’t be sidetracked because of simple, fixable problems. Are you homesteading alone? That’s okay, just know your limitations so you don’t set yourself up to fail. Again, ask for help when you need it.

Where To Go From Here…

Now you are armed with the knowledge of 7 homesteading failures and how to avoid them. Take this knowledge and start your homesteading journey with the know-how and the confidence that you can start successfully homesteading now.  Remember, do your research, learn all you can, get support, budget and save, set goals, have a plan, and most of all believe you can do it!

Have you started your homesteading journey? What are your fears and/or doubts you may have? Does this post help relieve your mind? Let me know your thoughts in the comment box below.