Make Do. Buy Less. Learn More.

In the age of Amazon and TikTok, a lot of us buy more than we need and learn less than we should. Who can blame us? The latest social media trends don't promote learning valuable skills, just dance routines. Amazon promises that the must-have Stanley cup will arrive at your doorstep in two days' time (for a small fee of $14.99 a month, of course). Am I the only one who's exhausted by this? The constant pull at your attention, the advertisements, the pressure to have more, buy more, do more?

Recently, I'm noticing (happily) that a lot of people just aren't satisfied with the status quo anymore. They want real life, the unaesthetic parts included. They want to get their hands dirty instead of scroll, create instead of buy, try new things, make mistakes, find purpose in the mundane. They just don't know where to start.

What this blog is... and what it isn't

The purpose of this blog isn't to get up on my soapbox and preach about our current society (Okay, I might do that a little, but never without an accompanying solution). I don't think living simply means we have to go back to the days of churning butter and no indoor plumbing. But there is something to be said for being less dependent on how much stuff you own and how many followers you have on social media.

And that's why I wanted to start writing: to help others who are tired of feeling like their worth is tied up in their belongings and status online. I want to share the things I've learned about making do, buying less, and learning more, not because I've figured it all out, but because I've learned a lot by trying.

In 2021, my family and I changed our lives for the better by beginning to reject the consumerist mindset that many people are plagued with today. We started our homestead and began exploring all of the ways that we could make do, buy less, and learn more. At first, we knew almost nothing about living simply. My husband and I had iPhones, spent way too much time on them, and thought very little about what was actually worth spending money on. Not to mention, we had almost no experience with livestock or gardening.

We had to spend a lot of time reading books and talking to people who have done it all before. Since then, we've made mistakes, but we've learned from them. We've failed, tried again, failed again, then succeeded, then failed again.

My goal is to help people who want to live simpler lives, to get away from the endless trends and find something that gives their lives texture without overcomplicating it. Because I don't think the answer to a life of overconsumption is to own nothing. I think it's to find something meaningful to fill it with instead.

What to expect

This blog exists to help you make do with what you have, buy less of what you don't need, and learn more (hence the name ;)). Therefore, you can expect to see articles on homesteading, including livestock care and gardening, homemaking, recipes, budgeting and frugality, wellness, and skills such as cooking, sewing, and crocheting. I also plan to offer detailed guides on various topics for those who want to take a deeper dive into a particular skill.

Considering that a main component of this blog is to buy less, you will not be bombarded with constant ads. In addition, if I provide a link to a product, it's because I would actually spend my money on it. For full transparency, I operate a business from our homestead and offer several kinds of products and services. I may reference these products and services, but I fully stand by them and would not offer them if I didn't think they would add real value to the conversation.

I don't have all the answers, and I'm certainly not an expert on everything you'll find here. I'm just learning, making things, figuring things out, and sharing what works (and what doesn't). If you're tired of the endless pressure to buy more, do more, and keep up, I hope you'll stick around.