Suburban Homesteading – Frugal Living

I saw this list of 101 homesteading skills and thought it would be fun to see how many of them I already knew how to do. After reading it over and checking them off I was surprised at how many I already use or knew how to do. It also gave me a good list of new skills to learn. Not all of them will pertain to a suburban homestead, but the list would be a good stating point for anyone trying to improve their knowledge of homesteading. And, I’m sure if we put our minds to it we could come up with 1001 things a homesteader should know.

Just for fun see how many you already know then make plans to learn a few new ones in 2013!

1. to use a chainsaw safely
√ to grow a vegetables & herbs
√  to sharpen an edged tool – knife, axe, hoe, chisel etc.
√ to use and store firearms safety
√  to tan rabbit skins
6. to read the weather
7. to spin wool, cotton or angora into thread or yarn using a spinning wheel or drop spindle
√ to use long handles tools without hurting your back
√ to light a fire indoors or outdoors
√ to buy at an auction without paying too much

√ to mend clothes
√ to butcher rabbits or chickens
√ to hang clothes on a clothesline
√ to operate & maintain a tiller
15. the unique traits of different trees & their types of wood
√ to cook from scratch
17. to pasteurize milk
√ to conserve & save water
√ to recognize healthy plants & animals versus unhealthy

√ basic sewing skills
√ to ear tag or tattoo an animal
√ to tell an animal’s age by its teeth
23. to replace a broken window
√ to drive a stick shift

25. Learn how to thaw out frozen pipes without busting them

√ to graft a fruit tree
27. to hand thresh & winnow wheat or oats & other small grains
28. to train a working cattle or sheep dog
29. to read the moon and stars
√ to make cheese
√ to live within your means
√ to catch, clean & fillet a fish

33. to use a wash tub, hand-wringer and washboard
√ to make soap or detergent

√ to build a bunk planter
√ to can canning & preserve food
√ to save seeds
√ to de-horn livestock
√ basic leather work or repair
√ to plan for the future – orchard, livestock program, or energy sources
√ to repair with duct tape, baling twine or whatever is on hand
√ to read an almanac
√ to put down an animal
√ to cook on an open fire
√ entertain yourself without electronic media
√ to shear a sheep, electric & hand
√ to maintain shears
√ to swap, barter and network with like-minded people
√ to make candles
50. to dig & use a shallow well
√ to refinish furniture
52. to drive a draft animal
√  to realistically deal with life, death and failure
√ to use & maintain an oil lamp
√ to treat livestock injuries
√ to restrain large livestock
√  to use a sewing machine
√ to give an IM or Sub-Q injection
√ to properly use hand tools
√ to recognize your own physical and mental limits
√ how and when to prune grapes and fruit trees
√ to hatch out eggs
63. to use a scythe
64. to skin a furred animal & stretch the skin
65. to tell the time of day by the sun
√ to milk a goat, sheep or cow
√ to stomach tube a newborn animal
√  to butcher large livestock
√ to use a wood stove & to bank a fire
√ to make butter
71. to knit or crochet
√ to make & use a hot bed or cold frame
√ to deliver a piglet, calf, lamb or goat
74. to know when winter is over
√ to plant a tree
√ to brood day-old chicks
77. to dye yarn or cloth from plants
√ to haggle like a horse trader
√ to bake bread from scratch
80. to use a pressure tank garden sprayer
√ to halter break a horse, cow, sheep or goat
√ to graft baby animals onto a foster-mother
83. to weave cloth
√ to grow kitchen herbs
√ to make sausage
√ to set and bait traps for unwanted vermin and predators
√ to grind wheat into flour
88. to make paper and ink
89. to learn when it is more economical to buy ready-made or make it yourself
√ to castrate large livestock
√ to choose a location for a vegetable garden or orchard
92. to weave a basket
93. to use electric netting or fencing
√ to make fire starters

95. to use a pressure cooker
96. to correctly attach 3 point hitch implements to a tractor
√ to trim hooves of goats or sheep
√ to sew a quilt
99. to make wine or beer
√ basic plumbing & electrical
√ to shoot a rifle & handgun

73 down

28 to go!

Not bad. Not bad at all!!

1. Bonnie MS says:

   October 4, 2013 at 12:41 pm

   What a great list! I printed it off to put in my urban homesteading binder to see what I can learn on it 😀 I hope you don’t mind.

2. jenn says:

   October 4, 2013 at 10:41 pm

   I don’t mind at all Bonnie. That’s what the blog is here for…to teach, to encourage, to inspire. Feel free to make it your own by adding skills you are interested in. Treat the list like a jumping off point, and have fun with it.