If you are looking for ways on how to make money on the homestead you are in the right place. And to be honest I am sure you already have a few ideas in your head. Selling products being at the top of the list. Eggs, herbs, produce, livestock, milk, cheese, butter, soap….
I could on and on.
And although those are all good and respectful was to make money they are not going to pay the big bills in the long run.
So, let’s get crazy and think outside of the box on this and see if we can find some unique ways to bring in cash so you can stay out of the city and live your dream of homesteading full time.
Homesteading.
One of the most expensive hobbies…EVER.
That is what my Hubby loves to tell people. And he’s pretty much spot on.
Homesteading can be expensive. There are buildings to build. Gardens to create. Animals to feed. And equipment to buy.
And all those things cost money. So, it is no surprise that homesteaders are always trying to find creative ways to make money doing what they love.
Living a simple and self-sufficient life off of the land and close to home.
For me, I like to have several income streams that bring in money on our homestead. Some bring in a little and some bring in a lot. But when you add it all together I am able to make a full-time income with my homestead.
(UPDATE: As of January 202, I am making double what my first income goal was in 2018)
Yes, you totally just read that right!
I make a full-time income with my homestead.
How I Make Money on the Homestead
Money Making Option #1
On our homestead we raise about 25-35 chickens and to help compensate the feed costs, we sell the eggs to a local restaurant. This comes out to be about 10-12 dozen eggs sold each week at $2.00 a dozen.
Not a lot of money but enough to offset the feed costs.
Final possible gross income: $20-$24 a week or $80-$100 a month
SLCG PRO TIP: Before deciding to sell eggs on your homestead, be sure to read the rules and regulations regarding doing this for your particular state.
Money Making Option #2
We also raise a herd of Nubian and Boer goats.
Each year we breed our goats so we can keep our gals producing milk. We then sell the offspring to other families that want to add goat milk to their own family farm. Most goat kids can bring in anywhere from $100-$500 depending on the breed, quality of stock. We recently began breeding a meat/dairy mix so we can open up our market to other buyers. By doing so we are able to sell our whether or bucks to a larger market.
READ: CHOOSING THE BEST GOAT BREED FOR YOUR FAMILY
Final possible gross income: $100-$2,000 a year depending on the number of goat kids available for sale.
Money Making Option #3
We also sell goat milk to pet owners to feed to allergy stricken pets. This brings about $5-$7 a gallon and we are able to sell up to 10 gallons a week. We also sell goat milk to local soap makers as well. Goat milk soap is huge in our area and selling milk this way is fairly easy to do.
SLCG PRO TIP: Milk rules and regulations are very important and you will need to do your research before selling milk of any kind. Again, you will want to contact your state to get a printout of the rules and regulations in your area before selling goat milk to anyone.
Final gross income: $50-$70 a week or $200-$280 a month
As you can see, these options bring in a bit more money than the egg sales but it takes a much bigger investment getting started with goats than it does with chickens.
Money Making Option #4
I toyed around with this option but never actually did it 100%.
If you have a garden, especially a large one, you can offer a different take on community gardening. This is a great way to share produce in larger amounts to folks in your area that do not have the room or the time.
For a set price you can “lease” out a portion of your garden for folks to grow in. This is really not too much work on your end and a great way to bring in a bit of passive income.
SLCG PRO TIP: You will want to have a contract if you choose to go this route. This will allow you to be firm on times, rules, and warnings of accidents on your property. As with anything, do your homework completely before diving in.
For our take, we like to do a garden swap. What that means is to allow folks to pick from our gardens in exchange for us picking in there’s. This way you can put all of your focus growing one type of produce so you can sell a larger volume to produce auctions.
One year we had so many tomatoes it was crazy, but our peppers were not quite a success.
We swapped our tomatoes with our neighbor’s peppers. She picked for her own use and we picked for ours.
No, this was not a direct income source but it was a way to fill a need without costing us money up front.
Money Making Option #5
Most homesteaders have gardens and we are no exception. We love to sell produce to our neighbors and find this a great way to help out others that just do not have the time to grow a full garden.
This option is not quite as reliable since pests, disease, and mother nature all rule the amount of produce we are able to sell, but we find we always have at least a few things we can put out for sale each season.
Money Making Option #6
Finally, my biggest income generator is my homesteading blog. Yes, the one you are here reading right now.
After I had been homesteading for a little over 5 years and working two jobs besides, I knew I needed to find a way to make my homesteading dream a money-making reality.
I had this idea to teach other folks how to homestead and thought I could start a blog to do that very thing. You see when you have been raised in the suburbs starting a homestead from scratch can be a little daunting. To learn all that I could, I checked out book after book from the library and visited different farms in the area. It took a crazy amount of time and postponed my dream for several years.
I can’t help but think how helpful it would have been to get all that information from one website. One that covered the things I wanted to do in print, video, and pictures.
And that right there is how my homesteading blog, Simple Living Country Gal, was born.
After just 9 months I was able to quit both of my outside jobs and really dive into my homestead full-time.
After another 12 months, I was making more money than I ever had before.
No lie.
That small idea that I had one day in 2016 has now turned into a full-time business that employs 4 people.
Wait…WHAT?!
Yep, you totally read that right, I have people working for me!
Crazy how that happens.
You wake up with an “out there” idea and before you know it, it’s real and it’s AWESOME!
Now, I am not telling you to go out right now and start a blog. What I am telling you is to give it some thought to see if it might just be right for you.
If you love your life and love to help people at the same time, then blogging may be the answer you have been looking for.
Think about it, this could be your chance to help others start a homestead. A chance to walk people through the path to a more simple lifestyle.
A life away from chaos and stress and finally into a life they love.
Ask yourself this…..
How great would it be to work from home on your homestead full-time?
To do what you truly love every single day and actually make money at it?
To, in turn, help others live their own dream of homesteading?
Sometimes all you need is a little nudge and that is what this is for you. Your nudge to take your homestead to the next level and make money doing what you love.
Because sometimes selling eggs is not quite enough to make your homesteading dreams come true.
Starting a blog is NOT easy, I am the first one to tell you that. But once you gain your momentum and get things up and going it can be the most rewarding experience in the world.
Stop settling for little and reach for the stars.
Yes, you can create a successful blog teaching others how to garden and homestead. I am proof that you can. All you need to do is dip your toe in the water and try it out.
Get the step-by-step help to get started HERE.
Because homesteading does not have to be an expensive hobby. It can be a profitable business if you are willing to think outside of the box.
Do you make money on your homestead with a blog? If so, share the link in the comments below. I would love to check it out!
Hi there, my name is Tracy and I am a city girl gone country. I am a redneck frugal living goat owner and I am working everyday towards living a more simple life. Now I am teaching others how to do the same. From growing their own food, making their own cleaning supplies, cutting back, and paring down. It’s all about making more of what we need so we spend less, save oodles of money and live better!
What is option number 3? When I read thistle on my mobile device, I cannot see #3. Great article, though.
Thanks, Amy!
Yep totally forgot to put that one in! Thank you for pointing that out..it’s there now 🙂
Tracy Lynn
What’s the situation regarding tax ?? do you have to declare yourself a business and pay income tax ?
Yes, you do have to pay taxes as a self-employed business and also report any money paid to any help that you might employ listing them as subcontractors.