Balancing Homestead Chores and Housekeeping Without Losing Your Mind

Running a homestead and a home is very challenging, especially if you work outside of the home or have active kids.

This is one reason many people are scared to take the plunge into homesteading. There’s fear that you won’t have time for the chores and commitment that comes with running a homestead.

The fact is, there is time for the things you want to do. It just takes some planning and prioritizing.

Here are a few tips on balancing your homestead chores and housekeeping without losing your mind.

Balancing Homesteading and Housekeeping with Meal Planning/Prepping

One of the biggest reasons people choose to homestead is the food. You can raise and grow quality, healthy food to feed your family.

However, many people find themselves continuing to eat fast or convenient foods to save time.

One way to save time on housekeeping is to meal plan or prep.

I’m not talking about spending a day stocking your freezer, although that is a great thought too. Instead, look over what you have stocked in your pantry or freezer and think about the meals you can prepare from that.

If you’re like us, you have a freezer full of meat. Go ahead and lay out the cuts you think you’ll need that week. I like to put them in a refrigerator drawer to thaw slowly.

Keep an ongoing note on your phone of the meals you can make for the week. Choose fast meals for busy nights.

A crock pot roast is a lifesaver in our house. It’s ready when we get home.

It’s also a good idea to add things that you need to keep your pantry stocked to the same list.

That way, you usually know what you have on hand and what you can pull together fast.

It’s also a great idea to have a few simple recipes on repeat. Nothing kills time more than trying to follow a new recipe on a busy weeknight. Save those for days when you have more time.

Another tip for putting a meal together fast is to can to preserve your harvest. This does take some time to complete, but I love having canned beans, peas, soups, and stews on hand.

Also, you’ll want to preserve all that hard work you’re doing outside on the homestead.

The canning process does most of the cooking for you. All you have to do is open the can and heat it on the stove. It’s so simple and fast!

If you’ve never tried canning before, check out the best canning and preserving books on canning.

Complete Small Tasks Daily to Balance Homesteading Chores and Housekeeping

Another tip for balancing homestead chores and housekeeping without losing your mind is to do small tasks daily.

Spend 20 minutes walking through and weeding your garden every day. This keeps things manageable so you’re not spending an entire day weeding.

Try to do a load of laundry every day as well. Stay on top of tasks that can get overwhelming if they’re not dealt with.

This method is great for animal care, too. Keep a brush near your animals to clean their waterers regularly. Try managing bedding on a regular basis so there isn’t so much to shovel later on.

Completing small tasks every day will help you feel less overwhelmed. It also helps you feel much more in control of your home and homestead.

Recognize That There are different Seasons with Homesteading and Housekeeping

Homesteading and housekeeping change with the seasons. The tasks that are required of you in the summer will not be the same in the winter.

In the winter, the days are shorter, so more time is spent inside in the evenings. Use this time to catch up on household chores that might get neglected in the summer.

Winter is a great time to move furniture and deep clean. It’s also a good time to declutter certain areas of your home since you are spending more time in it.

On the other hand, the summer is a great time to catch up on outside chores. Tending the garden, mending fences, and cutting hay are all tasks that don’t necessarily get done in the winter.

It’s important to realize that there are seasons when your home might feel neglected and other seasons when the outdoors might feel more neglected.

Changing and adapting to the seasons is part of the beauty of living a homestead lifestyle.

Let Go of Perfectionism

Trying to keep a perfect home and run a perfect homestead is a fast way to burn out. You have to let go of being perfect if you want to balance homestead and household chores.

As mentioned before, there are seasons to everything. There are going to be times when certain areas of your life feel messy.

It’s important to be okay with this.

Let go of the perfect ideals you are carrying about how your home and homestead should look. The truth is, homesteads are dirty, muddy, and often stinky.

There are areas where the junk you are holding on to because you might need it one day is kept.

Animals aren’t clean and can quickly destroy the ground, creating mud.

If your home is full of children and pets, there are going to be dishes in the sink and messy areas.

Try to embrace your life and romanticize the imperfect. Striving for perfection will quickly make you lose your mind.

Delegate Age-Appropriate Homesteading and Housekeeping Chores

One of the best ways to stay on top of your home and homestead is to assign certain chores to other members of your household.

When I was a young mom, I felt like I was the only one who could do things correctly. With time, I’ve realized that not only do children want to play an active role in the home, but they need it.

Giving kids age-appropriate responsibilities will help ensure that everything runs smoothly. Younger children can put dishes and laundry away. They can also collect eggs and refill water troughs.

Older children are so much more capable than we give them credit for. They can feed livestock, help with fencing, maintain a garden, cook, and clean.

Not only is it helpful for you, but it’s teaching them vital life skills they will need to be successful adults. Most schools don’t teach these very basic things anymore, so it’s up to us to ensure our children are prepared.

Realize When You’re Overwhelmed

The best method for balancing homesteading chores and household chores without losing your mind is to realize when you’re overwhelmed.

Feeling overwhelmed will keep you from successfully managing your life. This is why it’s important to add to your homestead slowly and build your skills over time.

Taking on too much at once will prevent you from truly mastering anything.

This happened to us recently. We’ve been successfully managing our homestead and household for years. It sounded like a great idea and a natural progression to start selling the meat we’re producing.

We quickly realized that raising more animals that required feeding our own family was too much. Especially with a full-time job.

The overwhelm almost made us want to take a giant step back. Luckily, after lots of prayer and discussion, we realized which part of our lives was making us feel overwhelmed.

When you are homesteading and maintaining your home, it’s important for you to constantly assess areas that are bringing you value and areas that are making you feel overwhelmed.

It’s okay to change course and routines to what works for your family. Like I mentioned before, life has seasons, and what works in one might not work in others.

Helpful Tips

Declutter your home

A cluttered home is so much harder to maintain. It doesn’t matter how hard you work at it; you will never stay on top of too much junk.

Declutter your home regularly. This is an ongoing process, as so much stuff comes into your home daily.

Get rid of the things that are no longer serving you or don’t have a home.

Also, be very mindful of the things you bring into your home. Staying on top of clutter will help you maintain your household.

Give yourself grace

Some days, the farm wins. Some day, the house wins. Most days, it’s just survival mode, and that’s still a win.

Wake up early

Waking up early is a great way to manage your time. You can get so much more done if you wake up an hour earlier.

The garden is cooler to work in, get ahead on dinner prep, do a load of laundry, or simply take a quiet moment for yourself.

Waking up early is a way to prepare for your day.

Download A Free Sanity Saver Weekly Homestead and Housekeeping Planner!

Tired of Choosing Between a Clean House and a Thriving Homestead? Download my free Sanity Saver Weekly Planner and take control of your week—without losing your mind (or your favorite coffee mug).

Final Thoughts

Balancing homestead chores and housekeeping is possible without losing your mind is another skill you will learn along with many others.

The truth is, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all plan. You need to assess your specific needs and family priorities and design a life that works best for you.

After all, that’s the beauty of the simple life.

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More From The Farm

Modern homesteading has seen a resurgence since the pandemic lockdown days. It’s a lifestyle that seems to draw people in. The lure of old-fashioned farming methods and homemaking is very romantic. However, can modern conveniences and homesteading share the same space? I certainly believe they can.

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