If you’ve been to the supermarket recently within the past year or so, you’ve probably noticed the rising prices on just about every shelf. 

It’s not fake news that prices are rising, and this has a lot to do with the COVID-19 pandemic causing supply shortages and interrupting the transportation chain worldwide. As such, prices are growing because demand is also high. 

Due to these rising prices, many Americans have found a bit of financial relief by homesteading and relying on their own efforts to grow food and raise livestock.

You might think that to have a homestead you need a wide swath of land, but this actually isn’t the case. You can homestead simply by utilizing the space that you already have in most cases.

If you’re interested in gaining a little financial freedom and reducing your grocery expenses, here are a few simple homesteading ideas to get you started. 

Raising Chickens 

Many people are unaware, but chickens are actually much more affordable than you might realize. And not only can you raise several chickens in a relatively small area, but they can also help you make money as well.

If you choose to raise chickens, you’ll be able to harvest the eggs and slaughter the chickens for meat. And since you’re likely not going to eat a dozen eggs every day or chicken for every meal, you can also sell the excess at farmers’ markets or to your local grocer.

But if you’re going to raise chickens, you’ll need to build a chicken coop because they’ll need somewhere to roost and lay their eggs. 

If you’re unsure of how to build a chicken coop you’ll want to check with the professionals who build the best chicken coops in your area. 

Goats

If you have a fair amount of space on your property, you may consider raising goats. And even with just an average-sized backyard, you could easily raise a couple of goats.

Goats are great animals to begin homesteading with. Not only are they relatively cheap, but they’re also not considered a high-maintenance animal. And though these fun-loving creatures might be curious and try to eat anything they see sometimes, with raising goats, you’ll be able to collect milk and meat.

Additionally, goats are grazing animals and they’ll happily tend to your grass regularly, eliminating the need for a lawnmower in most cases. And goats have also been known to be great play friends for small children. Just don’t leave your youngsters around your goats unattended because this can be dangerous. 

Quail

For those who love the taste of gamey meat, quail is a perfect choice to have on your homestead. 

Quail are much smaller than chickens, so you can build ground-nesting coops and allow them to roost. And in addition, just like chickens, quail produce both eggs and meat.

The great thing about quail coops is that they can be made of anything, even a cheap child’s swimming pool and a net. And quail eggs are becoming much more popular in today’s market for their nutritional value as well.

Vegetable Gardens

Last but not least, you can’t have a complete homestead without building a vegetable garden. And the great thing about a vegetable garden is that you can build one in a controlled environment such as in a greenhouse, or outside on your property.

Vegetable gardens are a great way to supplement your supply of produce that you’d regularly purchase at the grocery store, and you can plant seeds of all kinds for very little upfront cost.

Homesteading is a great way to get back in touch with nature, to give back to the local community in some cases, and to save significant money on groceries. The life of a homesteader requires a fair amount of work, but you never know, you might even enjoy it once you get used to the process!