Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Get inspired by the suburban homestead lifestyle. Find out why Karen Lynn and Eric are prepared for anything, with chickens, gardens, bees, and more.
Suburban Homestead, what is that?
- Chickens
- Gardening
- Homey Bees
- Survival preparation
I would love to have what you have, but we don’t want to deal with the hassle.
We will come to your place when things get bad because you are prepared….
We hear this a lot!
Hi, I’m Karen Lynn, and my husband, “The Viking in my life,” is Eric.
We are really the team behind Lil’ Suburban Homestead.
Our kids help when asked to be involved, but you have to understand we aren’t off-grid.
We are leading normal lives.
Eric and I both work full-time; we still go to football games and clubs, and we go fishing.
We love going to the mountains, and behind all the scenes, we raise bees and chickens, raise a nice supplemental portion of food in the garden, and prep for the future.
I am a Techie and love HBO and my Droid Razr, so some might say that’s not very frugal.
Even frugal people can be entertainment lovers, and I negotiated my cable bill down quite low.
- We make our laundry detergent.
- Also, we do many homemade furniture projects and do not frequent Starbucks.
- Canning and freezing our food is imperative.
- We mend our clothing, and we frequent thrift shops.
Everyone has their passions, and we will not give up the same things.
Our Lil Homestead Works For Us
Our kids know that my daughter recently had a friend who was having a baby shower, and I gave her two chicks from my recent flock of chickens.
She, of course, loved it because she wanted to be a backyard chicken momma like me!
Comments my kids often will make….
“Oh no, everyone, we will have to go back home. Mom forgot her coupon!”
“Mom won’t go out to eat there, … it’s not frugal enough!”
One of my son’s friends told us he could never live with us because all we eat is eggs, tomatoes, and peppers in the summer.
That’s not completely true, but we eat many omelets.
There is joy in being self-sufficient or at least more self-reliant than the average person.
I have felt guilty this year because I have not been hanging my clothes on the line as often, but I still hang them all over the house!
How Our Lil Homestead Began
Well, it really started way before 2009.
We always loved to garden, and we had kept a few flocks of chickens, but when I got thyroid cancer in 2009, we thought something had to give.
We will have to eat healthier, and the food industry will not protect us.
The more we eat and buy locally, the healthier we will be.
We do not eat a completely organic diet because we can’t afford it, but we strive to be as healthy as possible.
So once we made up our minds, the very first thing we did was build a greenhouse.
Then we put in raised beds and, of course, added more raised garden beds.
We also decided to keep chickens, then later added bees, then added more chickens and we have a huge composting system all on 1/3 of an acre.
For us, it’s the adventure of challenging ourselves, learning new skills (old-fashioned), and engaging in new challenges.
However, I have quit trying to knit and have forgotten about it.
I can’t figure it out.
We have done some of our favorite projects in the past couple of years….
My husband made humane animal box traps from wood and fashioned some trellises in our garden from our Bradford pear tree.
He made our headboard for our bedroom from historic scrap lumber.
My favorite project was the rotating upcycle strawberry planter he made from an old water tank.
The Bumper Crop
One of the most exciting things about gardening is you never know when you will have a bumper crop or, unfortunately, a horrible crop.
This year we had a bumper crop of tomatoes, last year we had a bumper crop of peppers and the year before we had a bumper crop of huge fat tomatillos.
The payoff is enormous for those sitting on the fence about gardening and don’t want to invest much work.
Over time, like my husband and myself, you will know what is worth investing seed-wise in your area.
This past year, we concentrated on lettuce, spinach, beets, Jerusalem artichokes, tomatoes, egg-plant, tomatillos, potatoes, and trombocino squash, which incidentally seems to be immune to squash borers, which is a huge problem for us.
Mistakes We’ve Made Along The Way
We put in underground rainwater storage tanks without a way to aerate the water.
After a particularly pollen-rich spring, the water fouled and dwarfed most of our seedlings.
This past year, in my overzealousness, I ordered too many chickens and thought I could sell them.
Let’s say I still have 16 new chicks, nine of which I am still trying to find homes for.
The first chicken coop we had enabled our chickens to utterly free-range our property, which was great for them.
However, one night, we forgot to lock the coop and lost one of our chickens to a raccoon.
I believe these mistakes have taught us to be more attentive to details on our Lil’ suburban homestead, and there is no better teacher than first-hand experience.
Success On The Homestead
This past year, we harvested approximately 100 lbs of honey from our bees and noticed increased yields in our vegetable garden production.
We have added another chicken coop, a chicken yurt, which will house our quail next year, and we plan to sell it.
We eat the eggs our gals produce year-round, and now and then, we even have enough to sell.
Eating local honey and more produce has made me healthier, and I lost 27lbs this past year.
This year, my husband has had a massive bounty of Habanero peppers, and he plans to make a pepper spray to protect our other plants from aphids and other such garden pests.
Lastly, we had many eggs, produce, and honey to share with our close friends and neighbors.
Homestead Finance
I must be completely truthful, but my husband and I have not always been the most financially savvy.
We are both impulsive people, and I guess you have to laugh because it takes an impulsive person to order 25 chickens.
The homestead lifestyle has been good for us in so many ways.
When you become a gardener, you start living by seasons, so you see the ebb and flow of things.
Truthfully, over time, you become so much more patient.
You begin talking differently.
For instance, I want to replace that tree with a peach tree next year, so let’s look for a peach tree sale.
There’s not as much time to shop; caring for the garden, chickens, and bees takes time.
By the time you get done, you might not even feel like going shopping, and slowly, over time, you become delighted with the little wonders in your garden.
Budgeting On The Homestead
We establish a yearly budget for our trips, and the money we make from our honey and plant business goes back into growing our hobby business.
Our monthly grocery bill was about $1200 for the four of us.
We finally got that down as low at one point to about $260.00 a month, including paper, pet, and cleaning products, but NOT personal hygiene products.
Our average grocery budget for 4 adult-sized people is about $600.00 a month.
It has increased over the past two years while we have concentrated on our hobby business.
You have to zero in on where you will invest your time.
Saving Money On The Homestead
We do not use a lot of highly processed foods in our house…chicken nuggets or frozen pizza is a big treat.
Our routine staples are oatmeal and other grains like barley and quinoa.
We grow our potatoes and purchase more as needed, fish we catch in the ocean, chicken breasts, non-fat Greek yogurt, fruit, and lots of produce from our garden!
Out-of-date produce and meat sales at our local grocery store are often found in our grocery cart and always taste great.
We also buy clearance items at our grocery store and close-outs.
I hardly ever buy pre-made meals at the grocery store and try to avoid MSG, sodium, and the like.
When we purchased our house, we made sure that we followed the guidelines that the financial professionals had recommended.
If we had listened to the realtor and the loan officer, we could have gotten much more house than our 1500-square-foot rancher.
Still, I wanted to live a comfortable lifestyle.
Financial Splurges- I would say our cable and cell phone bill- I’m a techie and an entertainment junkie, and my husband supports my passions!
I am not one to buy a new outfit or purse every week.
He likes his tools and bees, and I enjoy my gadgets and movies.
Cooking from scratch has made the most massive change to our budget – for example, if we get invited to a party, I make brownies from scratch or bring my homemade salsa and some chips.
Have you seen the price of salsa lately in the grocery store?
Menu Plan On The Homestead
A typical menu plan on any day in our house during the week would entail:
- Breakfast- oatmeal with berries made with fat-free milk and a teaspoon of our very own honey
- Snack- mozzarella cheese stick and a peach
- Lunch- Omelette and toast (If I’m at work) that would look like a leftover salad and a few pieces of meat on top
- Snack- A handful of nuts and an apple
- Dinner- 4 oz. chicken breast, 1 cup of peas, a baked potato
- Dessert- Homemade Fruit Ice Pops made with fruit on clearance!
Accept your non-negotiables and say, “Where can I trim the fat?”
I am currently shopping around for lower prices on my weekly trash service.
I never stop searching for ways to save money!
Thank you so much for letting us share our journey with you.
We hope most of all to inspire you to connect with other like-minded folks, and you know my motto: “If you have a home, you’re a homesteader!
Stop by our lil’ suburban homestead anytime; you are always welcome.
Post By: Karen at Lil Suburban Homestead
WOW! That certainly gives a person lots to chew on!!
I am planning to start my first garden next summer when hopefully I will be healthy enough to take on a new but exciting challenge. I am using this year to educate myself so that I have a plan to implement when I get there. I can only grow my project a little bit each year, due to financial constraints imposed by the fact that we are now a one income family, but I have long term plans for some fruit trees & berry bushes, lots of vegetables and potted herbs. This was so inspiring for me!! There is life after a major health set-back & for me you are a living example.
This year is all about recovery for me, but stepping out of the rat race and giving myself time to heal is my first step in a series of life’s little adjustments that move me away from all that was toxic to me and closer to a long and healthy life.
I had never considered chickens…I will have to check my local bylaws to see if they are even an option on my current piece of property. I grew up spending summers in a vegetarian, agrarian community every year until I was twelve… so a large garden, a few chickens and a cow are normal to me. Unfortunately I simply haven’t the land necessary to handle a cow at this point. We separated our own cream & churned our own butter – making both labor intensive goods a true luxury in the home.
Thank you so much for sharing your inspiring journey with us! I know if you can do it, so can I.
Hi Mary!
You are so funny… ‘lots to chew on”. I knew you would like this post and this blog. I wish we had more property than we do as we would be doing so much more. We do as much as we can right now and it saves us alot of money and it’s all organic. I think you are right that planning is very important when gearing up for a garden. I always enjoy reading how others live their lives and what they do so I can learn from them. Maybe one day Mrs.CBB and I can take a trip to the Lil Suburban Homestead for a tour!
Cheers
Mr.CBB
Wow! Thank you for sharing your story! I am now looking forward even more to starting my fruit/vegetable garden next year 🙂 It takes courage to do what you have done so good for you!
First of all Mr. CBB – Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I am so honored and excited to be featured at your fabulous and very well known blog 🙂
On a side note……
Mr. CBB if you come visit with the Mrs…..you guys have to come in May or June when everything still looks beautiful…right now the heat has made everything just look wretched!
Mary absolutely that is exactly why I started my blog was to let people know we are not alone and that we can do this …trust me we have good days and we have bad days but we keep the faith in having a more sustainable life most days! Thanks for the like by the way 😉
That is alot to think about. I live in a condo…wish I could move back to the country. Love the garden! My bro has his own little garden, even lives in the city:) Need to think more about this and make some changes! Great ideas here!
love the idea for the old water tank that’s a great idea to keep them to one area and they wont take over the garden….. I love having fresh strawberries from the garden but quiet a few yrs back they kinda took over the whole garden I have had to take them out because of that but I will looking for something like that now to do for next year 🙂
I wish i could garden but hey if you cant go out you can go up i hear eavestrough attached to a fence/balcony/ wall. is a good substitute for a garden just deep enough for the roots n the water is contained nicely..
What a fabulous read and very inspiring! I don’t have the ability to have a garden at this time, but would love to one day. We used to have a variety of fruit trees (at my parents), along with black currant bushes and rhubarb, but now only the rhubarb is left.
Barb I love rhubarb do you use it to cook? Jeffrey we actually have a blog post up at Lil’ Suburban Homestead about Vertical Gardening I agree! Thank you so much Jen! It does take courage in dealing with the neighbors sometimes…ha ha LOL! Luckily where we live we have no covenants and for now not a lot of restrictions about chickens. I love hearing everyone’s thoughts and comments! This is such a great opportunity to connect with Mr. CBB’s blog readers!
There’s nothing like fresh fruits and vegetables grown by your own hand. All the thing that use to be a way of life, is now coming back.
Thanks Allison, you know it should come back. We have gotten so lazy with convenience, fast food, drive thrus etc that we need to get back to basics. It’s not an easy fix but one we can all work towards. Cheers Mr.CBB
Great read! Thanks for posting! I wish we lived in a house with a yard because we would have a huge veggie garden! But unfortunatly we are in an apartment, but still grow a small amount of veggies and herbs!
Allison my husband and I have been living this way since 1989 when we first got married….the only thing is we didn’t have the know how….now thankfully due to the information age we can all figure out how to do this stuff even if we were not taught by our parents. I was not taught how to can etc…..I am self taught via the ball book before the information age really came on the scene but now its all so much easier thanks to blogs and you tube! 🙂
So inspiring! Makes me want me very own chicken coop with dozens of chicks 😉
Friends of ours did the chicken thing and they love it. If you are allowed to have them even 1 or 2 will suffice for fresh eggs. Cheers darlin, Thanks for stopping in! Mr.CBB
Nurse Frugal chickens are very low maintenance compared to the bees in my opinion. I met a lady the other day who bought three chicks from me she has one of those omelette coops online that can hold three chickens and well she said it was just the right amount of eggs for her now me on the other hand since eggs are one of my favorite foods and I eat an egg for breakfast almost every single morning except for my oatmeal days….well I just can’t have enough eggs around 🙂
Reblogged this on Lil' Suburban Homestead and commented:
I was so excited to be featured on Canadian Budget Binder a blog about “A Canadian Married Couple on a Financial Journey Using A Budget!” I have been following Mr. CBB’s blog for a while as the financial arena is not my strength and have been learning so much from his posts so when he approached me about being a guest blogger on his blog my husband and I were so excited about this opportunity and grateful to be featured on such a meaningful blog that is Canadian Budget Binder!
This was a really great post. It’s so helpful to see more of the little details about how people get their homesteads up and running—whether it’s in the country, suburbs, or cities. Thanks! Oh, you made mention of your “plant business”. Were you referring to your garden or an actual business that you’re running? I’m curious, as for a few years now I’ve been seriously thinking about starting a native seedling/plant business. Not big, just on the side for now.
This was a great read!! Very inspiring. Makes me want to look into local bylaws for chickens. I lived on a dairy farm for 3 months when i was younger and was reminded of those times. Thanks!
I can’t believe how many fans want chickens now. Our mate has chickens and loves them as well. If you can, go for it! Cheers Tara, Mr.CBB
Very appreciate you re-sharing this post! I enjoy reading it too it reminds me of the journey we have been on and new goals! I have already told Mr. CBB that he and the Mrs. can come take a tour I just need some notice to clean up a little ha ha 🙂
Might take you up on that offer one day as long as you keep me away from the bees. 🙂
Well that is getting to be a challenge these days just today I had to have my husband move a hive that was blocking my path to one of the chicken coops ha ha but we will definitely talk 🙂