Self-Sufficiency vs. Homesteading

[Diavolicchio]

I'm curious how the folks on here would compare the concepts of Self-Sufficiency to Homesteading, as well as the personalities of the folks who tend to identify with one term over the other. I know some people would equate these two terms, but others will probably see distinct differences between the two.

Any thoughts?

 

[dacjohns]

I feel that self reliance is a more realistic term than self sufficiency.

How many people produce their own sugar, salt, grain, and spices? That is just part of what it takes to be truly self sufficient.

I think of homesteading as in the now defunct homestead act. I imagine most others think of homesteading as going out in the woods and starting from scratch. Somewhere along the line those homesteaders might eventually connect to the electrical and telephone grid.

Which brings up another thing. Living off the grid is something completely different all together. You can be off the grid and yet be surrounded by the grid. It isn't the same as self sufficiency, self reliance, or homesteading.

But with everything there are different degrees and different comfort levels on the that broad continuum of working towards whichever term you want to use. And you are also going to find some narrow mindedness in that if you don't adhere to the proper "flavor" then you are wrong.

 

[freemotion]

When I do a google search, either of those terms brings up lots of ideas and intructions for new projects! So although I have no desire to be completely self-sufficient, and my little plot in the suburbs is not a true homestead, I feel connected to both terms. I like having one foot in "self-sufficency and homesteading" and one foot in the "real world."

 

[deb4o]

I agree with Free we live and like living with a foot in both worlds. We are not and never will be totally SS, but we try to live as SS as we can.Raising as much of our own food a possible,and re-useing, re-cycling,and making do,but we also love our cable t.v. and other modern conveniences.WE live 20 miles out of town, but seem to get there most days. We are not homesteaders.To old for all the hard work that would take lol.

 

[Diavolicchio]

I agree with Free we live and like living with a foot in both worlds. We are not and never will be totally SS, but we try to live as SS as we can.Raising as much of our own food a possible,and re-useing, re-cycling,and making do,but we also love our cable t.v. and other modern conveniences.WE live 20 miles out of town, but seem to get there most days. We are not homesteaders.To old for all the hard work that would take lol.

I totally understand what you mean. I was a member of one of the Homesteading forums briefly and there seemed to be (and I don't mean this disparagingly in the least) a sense that being a homesteader was about deprivation; conveniences and comforts are frowned upon. It seemed bad for someone to allow themselves any indulgences. I also very much felt an outsider because my actions weren't all predicated on scripture.

I love the idea of being as sustainable as possible and leaving as little a footprint on this planet as one can. I'm also very much drawn to living a life in the direction of self-sufficiency, although I do understand that it's near impossible nowadays to be truly self-sufficient. I can't however see the benefit of living the life of an ascetic and consciously denying myself pleasures or simple conveniences because they're perceived as being inherently hedonistic and sinful. Life is way too short.

Am I unique in this view of things?

 

[deb4o]

You are not wrong in wanting things that make you happy, sometimes these pleasures come in the form of a job well done and sometimes it is a Starbucks latte
I dont feel that homesteading is the act of a"hard life" but that it is when one starts out on bare land and builds up from there.This is the hard work I wrote of.
'We love our little 2 acres and enjoy working it,but will never be able to go without trip to the grocery store, hardware store and feed store.
We do what we can to leave a smaller foot print, and try not to feel guilty about the rest.
You my friend are waaaaay up the SS ladder compared to us.
your cottage is surely a work of SS art and I look farward to reading many post about your journeyl.

 

[dacjohns]

. . .
I love the idea of being as sustainable as possible and leaving as little a footprint on this planet as one can. I'm also very much drawn to living a life in the direction of self-sufficiency, although I do understand that it's near impossible nowadays to be truly self-sufficient. I can't however see the benefit of living the life of an ascetic and consciously denying myself pleasures or simple conveniences because they're perceived as being inherently hedonistic and sinful. Life is way too short.

Am I unique in this view of things?

I don't think you're unique in this. I think most of us here are like that.

 

[freemotion]

Deny myself pleasures???? Have you seen my reaction when the power goes out and the tv doesn't work???? I mean....er....the canner doesn't work? Nor doth thine dehydrator?

 

[Diavolicchio]

You my friend are waaaaay up the SS ladder compared to us.
your cottage is surely a work of SS art and I look farward to reading many post about your journeyl.

I appreciate the kind words, but I'm actually quite a distance from the Self-Sufficient Life I aspire to have someday. I've also been blessed with a talented, Ecological Architect to thank for the cottage design.

Check out his page on Sustainability and how he employs this within his design. It's linked at the bottom of the main page of his site.

 

[Beekissed]

My folks referred to my upbringing as "homesteading", for lack of a better term back then. It's used quite a bit now, but I'm not sure why.... Webster defines a homestead as a family dwelling with its lands and buildings. That cuts a pretty wide swath, as this could be either in the suburbs or on a farm.

I don't even like to refer to my lifestyle in any kind of definition or term. I don't like to be pigeon-holed...never did. I also like to have more....how do I put this....."flow" in my life.

To me this means a certain degree of adaptability, or versatility, if you will. This encompasses doing without luxuries when needed or when I don't see the common sense in working extra hours at a job to finance them~ or diving right in and enjoying a massage, hot tub, cruise, fine dining or anything else I feel like I deserve at the moment!

I like to live on little, leave a smaller footprint on the earth, need less, spend less time working for more and more and spend more time working on the things that enrich my soul~like gardening, raising livestock, putting by foods, fuel and necessities for a rainy day.

I would dearly love to live off-grid in a haybale/cob home, use only horse powered machinery on a nice little farmstead, grow everything I eat, spin and loom my own cloth goods, and live my life by the seasons, by the daylight hours and by the moon cycles. It would seem like heaven to me to spend my days doing real things for once, instead of hurrying here and there and not being able to see what I've done at the end of the day.

Until that miracle should happen, I try not to define what I am doing with words....if I had to I would probably say I was trying to live more on the Earth while dreaming of living even more on the land and closer to nature than I am now.