The Cost of this Life

Lately on the homesteading type forums there have been loads of questions about the cost of this life vs. the cost of continued consumerism. Many people want to know what they can do for themselves to save money. I am completely amazed at the responses that tell them that they are better off buying their groceries because they will spend more. The average answer is that buying groceries is cheaper, but think of the quality that you get from growing your own. While that is true, I find it hard to believe that I and a handful of others actually truly do save money. If I bought all that we eat I simply couldn't afford it. So how is it that I can save money while it seems that the rest of my homesteading friends spend more than they would at the grocery store. I think the answer can be as simple as KISS...keep it simple stupid. I saw an answer that detailed the list of things needed to have a garden. The list was a paragraph in and of itself. Here is my list...a shovel, a dirt fork, a hoe, a rake, open pollinated seeds, a hose, and a wheelbarrow. With those few things one can grow a tremendous amount of food year after year. If you buy those things used then you save even more money yet. I recently saw a craigslist add for about 60 hand gardening tools for 30.00. Yes, I called and they were already gone. Whoever got them got a great deal! People were also saying that chickens produced expensive eggs and that you can buy eggs much cheaper in the grocery store. Hmmm....maybe for some but my chickens cost me nothing. They free range and get kitchen or garden scraps. Even their housing can be built for free using reclaimed materials or pallets. If they must be confined because of predator issues they can still be fed scraps and garden trimmings/waste. my hens not only produce eggs for me but they raise little ones to replace themselves each year. So while I might have spent 75.00 or so on my initial flock, I have made that back over and over again. There are two ways to approach this life...1. is the willingness to put in the effort of using the resources available and the other is still with the consumer mindset of buying everything you think you need brand new. So this life can cost as much or more than the traditional consumer lifestyle if you want it too or it can cost much less with some effort and ingenuity. It is up to you. I just want to encourage those that don't have a lot of capital that this lifestyle is attainable and no you don't have to go broke maintaining it or even starting up. Blessings from the farm, Kat