Living Life in Rural Iowa

  Have you wondered why you should get started homesteading and being independent? I went on that journey myself over the last fourteen years and I have learned quite a few things. I put all those things together and wrote a book!  I truly believe in these uncertain times of food shortages and global insecurities that the best thing you can do is being self-sufficient. However, to be self-sufficient, you must take control of your food supply and learn new skills. That is where this book comes in.  I am giving you everything I know. Most of the information in this book I have never written about because I knew one blog post would never cover all the information you needed to have in one place to start homesteading and further your independence.  The Dirty Truth About How To Start Homesteading is the guide to get you started on your journey towards self-sufficiency. 2020 taught us many lessons and still is teaching us lessons, but the most important lesson that the supply chain is extre

A somewhat hypothetical situation has always been in the back of my mind when prepping. However, this hypothetical situation is not becoming so hypothetical anymore. With past and pending shortages on everything from food to vehicle parts plus unfolding global events, this situation bears much consideration for anyone who needs to consider being prepared at home.  The question bearing consideration is this: How long could you stay at home without leaving for anything?  A week? A month? Six weeks? Two months? Three months? Six months? A year? This is a question that requires some hard, honest thinking. Now is not the time to be brash or bold about how long you could reasonably stay at home without leaving. You know the person who would be saying they could do a year at home without leaving when, in reality, they wouldn't last a week. This needs a hard, honest assessment about how long you could last without leaving for needed items. This is also not addressing how long you could go

There is this idea that most of our global systems are infallible. Because we have always had food at our disposal, we don't like to think that our food systems will collapse. However, food supply systems rely on a few factors to keep moving.  Transportation is the most important factor in keeping a food supply system going. If there is a breakdown in transportation, food supply systems will either be delivered late or not at all. That creates problems for everyone after the point of breakdown. For example, docks and customs offices on the west coast are undermanned due to the pandemic and can not process the ships fast enough. Many food ingredients, packaging materials, and other goods have sat on ships for weeks (if not months) until they could be processed due to overwhelming demand, online ordering, and workers' shortages.  The shipping industry makes the global supply happen, so when something happens, delays happen. When a ship was stuck in the Suez Canel for six days, t

Food can be one of the spendiest areas in your budget if you don't have a handle on your spending. While there are several reasons that your money just disappears while at the grocery store, you are still ultimately in control of how is being spent. You can save a lot of money by just making a few adjustments to your shopping list and routine. You can save even more money by taking charge of your food supply and shopping around a bit.  While I have always been fairly frugal in my grocery shopping, I have easily blown my budget too. I started taking charge of my grocery spending and finding creative ways to lower my costs while increasing my output. These are also ways that I have used to not only save money but to get my food storage started and become more self-sufficient. However, if you are just looking for ways to save money at the store, these tips will help you immensely.  25 Ways To Save Money on Food and Groceries 1. Shop at home. Many people just go to the grocery store o

For those of you who get my emails, you know I focus more on preparedness than any other subject. While I believe strongly in the other topics I write about, preparedness is where my heart is at home. I still strongly believe in self-sufficiency. I believe that personal responsibility and taking care of yourself is the way to live. Preparedness, though, is how I feel the most secure when events happen.  I'm sure you have felt some alarm and that deep down gut feeling that tells you that you need to prepare. Things are not right. They are definitely not right now. Shutdowns and lockdowns were just a taste of what most preppers have been preparing for and were anticipating. This "pandemic" has been a guessing game since the beginning with the powers that be changing the narrative when the "facts" didn't suit them anymore. You can see the encroachment on our freedoms, rights, and liberties. You wonder how far the government can and will take us down the road to