My family has been homesteading since 1892, so it only made sense for me to leave the city and get back to my roots.
I loved traveling, eating at amazing restaurants, and experiencing life, but I couldn’t do that while carrying a $500K house, car notes, and endless debt.
This is how I started creating a different kind of freedom:
1. I stopped believing in building a bigger house just to downsize later on in life.
Four years ago, I didn’t know how to build, but I had YouTube University, the right tools, and help from friends and family. Homesteading isn’t about building some expensive dream home. It’s about getting out of the rat race and creating a life that feels less chaotic and more peaceful.
2. I stopped giving all my money away to car notes.
I’ve had car notes before, but I’d rather buy used cars in cash than pay banks interest every month. Cars depreciate too fast, and I’m not trying to impress anybody. Warren Buffett drives a 2014 Cadillac XTS, and he’s worth over $140 billion. 😂
3. I learned how to provide for myself.
I’m a survivalist and a die-hard outdoorsman. I grow and catch a lot of my own food, which saves money and helps me know exactly what’s going into my body.
4. I made water a priority.
Having a well and a creek on the property is like sitting on a diamond mine. If I’m looking at land, I want to know where the water is first.
5. I used my land in a way that fits my lifestyle.
I could’ve gone the full farm animal route, but I grew up raising animals and know how tough that life can be. I still wanted to travel, so I used part of the land for seasonal short-term rentals instead.
6 I paid attention to what was already growing around me.
Goldenrod grows all over my land, and it’s one of the best medicinal plants out here. I harvested pounds of it, turned it into tea, and sold out within months.
There are so many things sitting right in your backyard that people will buy. You just have to slow down and pay attention.
This is my idea of freedom.
What’s your version of freedom?