The concept of "Homestead Living" , or "Homesteading", may be new to some survivalists. The exact definition of what "Homesteading" is may be a little hard to understand, but it has nothing to do with "The Homestead Act" ( which was a program to give land to anyone who would improve it and live on it, or the state laws that protect people from having their property seized by creditors, which is called "Homestead registering" the land.
For information on just what "Homestead living" is about and some good articles see "Countryside Magazine" or the online homesteading page at http://www.homestead.org/
Basically, "homesteading" means taking responsibility for providing for as much of your needs as is practical, Raising as much of your own food, doing your own repairs and often your own construction. "Homesteading" is also taking a real look at your life and seeing how many things that you do, that don't really add pleasure to your life and doing away with as many of these as possible. How does this relate to "survival" ? I feel that Having a "Homestead" for the "survival Retreat" is the most sensible answer to most survival plans. Instead of trying to store a year's supply of powdered milk(Not cheap), have a few milk goats or a milk cow (if you need a lot of milk). These will not only supply fresh, good tasting, milk, but also butter and cheese. They will reproduce and give some meat and hides for leather as well. Let's see your powdered milk do that. Powdered eggs ? (not my favorite) Why not raise a few chickens and have fresh eggs and some meat ? Are you starting to get my drift ? A garden can supply much of your food needs, save money and the extra can be canned, dried or frozen. For people stuck in a city, check out "urban Gardening in Portland,OR." for ideas.
Rural land is still relatively inexpensive in many parts of the country. Example; We have for sale, 5 acres in Northern Florida, with garden, fruit trees, septic, electricity, phone and unfinished structure for $25,000. This is not an unusual price for rural land. If this is still beyond your budget, perhaps you could buy some unimproved land and do the work yourself. There is usually some reasonably priced unimproved land within driving distance( not necessarily commuting distance) from most cities. You could do the improvements on week ends and vacations, until you were able to move to your land. Paying rent is a dead end. You can pay rent for 30 years and you will have absolutely nothing to show for it. As soon as possible you should stop paying rent. All you are accomplishing is to make the land payments for somebody else, with your rent payments. I have seen land for as little as $100 down and $100. per month.
Where you choose to buy the land can make a big difference. Some areas have strict building codes and local ordinances that make doing your own improvements very difficult. Other areas, perhaps just a county away, are much more lenient. At pays to do some research before buying any land. If you feel that you just have to rent, perhaps look for some place well out from the city. The rent will usually be much less and this will more than make up for the commuting costs. Usually there is far less crime in rural areas, partly because the rural folks won't put up with it.
Lastly, but perhaps the most important, is the sense of well being that "homestead living" can bring. In these times it is often necessary to have an "island of sanity" to retreat to. By living closer to nature, watching your garden flourish and feeling that your efforts are building something for yourself and your family, a real sense of peace can develop. It is pleasant to watch our goats browsing ( not powdered milk), our chickens chasing bugs (not powered eggs) and our pigs eating table scraps (Bacon-ham).
Yes. It is some work. But by doing things for yourself, you are stopping paying all the "middle men" that have their hands out, before a product ever reaches you. Consider a package of bacon. The farmer made his money from the pigs. The butcher made his. The truck driver got his. The warehouse got some and finally the store got theirs. Supporting all these people may be well and good, if you feel that you can afford it. In these times, where "downsizing" has become a household word, it makes sense to find ways to save money, while increasing your quality of life. After you have gotten used to the taste of garden-fresh vegetables and fresh whole milk, you may find that what is offered in the stores is just a pale imitation. We often have the water boiling, before we even pick the ears of corn. That is fresh! If you are serious about survival, please give "Homestead Living" some consideration. If you have any questions, we will try to answer them.