Living Free in Tennessee - Nicole Sauce Homestead Development: If I Could Turn Back Time - EP 1049
Today, we talk about the hidden cost of constant distraction, as well as cover all of our usual Monday segments.
Featured Event: June 29 Meetup and Rabbit Processing Event. Join us for an in-person meetup and hands-on rabbit processing workshop right here at the Holler. Learn how to humanely dispatch, clean, and prepare rabbit for the freezer or dinner plate.
Sponsor 1: DiscountMylarBags.com Long-term food storage supplies that won’t break the bank.
Sponsor 2: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN Helping entrepreneurs, homesteaders, and freedom-minded folks handle taxes the smart way.
Tales from the Prepper Pantry
- Added more pickled beets to the pantry this week—trying to stay ahead of the beet wave
- Dried a fresh batch of lemon balm, thanks to a special visitor who brought me a beautiful harvest
- Testing a new approach to event food and premade meals—moving to stainless steel restaurant trays with lids for things like meatloaf. Easier to stack, serve, and clean
- Hoping to score cucumbers this weekend for the next round of pickling
Frugality Tip
A little weekly effort saves you tons of money in convenience food over time. I’ve been making 8 pounds of meatloaf at a time lately—when meatloaf is on the meal plan, I shape and freeze extras for future, easy-to-serve meals.
In fact, once a week, I pick something to batch like this—whether it’s blanching and freezing extra broccoli, or making carnivore pizza crusts. When life gets busy, I can just pull, cook, and serve—faster than driving into town or grabbing premade, low-quality food.
This habit saves money, improves nutrition, and helps prevent impulse spending. It also keeps us healthier, which could mean fewer medical bills later.
So here’s your challenge: Look at your meal plan this week and find one thing you can double and freeze. Future you will thank you.
Operation Independence
I finished my taxes! One more round to go and I’ll be fully caught up.
This process hasn’t just been about checking a box—it’s given me real insight into where money is flowing (and where it’s not). That clarity has helped me reprioritize how I spend my time and energy moving forward. Sometimes, independence means getting your financial house in order—even if it’s uncomfortable.
Main Topic of the Day: If I Were Starting a Homestead Today - a question from Ian who is about to buy his homestead from across the country and move…
FIRST THE BAD STUFF I DID
Make it fun more often and from the start -
Bulldoze the house and build new in a better location -
Emotional attachment to the goats
Maybe Not Get Goats
Moved the garden to zone 1
Retaining wall and French drain system - easy maintenance plan
1 animal or major change at a time until it is easy -
Hard reset on stuff
Infrastructure before animals (see above)
Time on the property to observe the seasons -
Overseen contractors and helpers more closely -
Build with profit in mind - 1 thing financing the next thing
Addressed the negative energy issue -
Better use of on-site resources - like junk trees - morel story -
Get good at compost first - grazing - soil
Water system - repair versus fix once and for all -
Learn from the local community regarding what grows well here, hydrology, local knowledge and dependable contractors
take classes
development relationships
talk to neighbors
Hydrology/water, access, then the rest is the order to plan in
I waited ten years to bring in a permaculture consultant and that was wrong
5 Things You Should Do When Starting a Homestead (From 18 Years of Hard Lessons)
- Start With a Big-Picture Plan, Not What’s Already There
Too many new homesteaders try to make existing structures or systems work—even when they don’t. That old house, random infrastructure, or legacy garden spot can lock you into years of wasted time and money. Don’t get emotionally attached to what’s there.
Design from scratch based on what works, not what exists.
- Build Soil and Observe Before You Build Anything Permanent
The smartest first year move is not to plant trees, build a barn, or install major systems - unless you just have to as part of your plan. It’s to study your land and build soil health. Hydrology, sun, wind, and microclimates matter more than what you think you want to do.
Compost, watch water flow, graze slowly, and improve soil.
- One System at a Time—Fully Functional Before You Add More
Piling on animals, gardens, or outbuildings without the infrastructure in place leads to burnout and chaos. If you’re chasing goats while digging fenceposts, you’re doing it wrong.
Add systems only when the current one runs easily.
- Tap Local Knowledge and Outside Experts Early
You don’t need to figure everything out yourself. Local growers, neighbors, county experts, and consultants can save you years of mistakes—if you listen.
The culvert story
Build relationships and take advice. Pay consultants when it counts.
- Manage the Energy—Spiritual, Emotional, and Environmental
Homesteading isn’t just physical work. There is a spiritual signature from before you were ever there and you may have attracted some haters over time - take control of the bad energy, get your property blessed or whatever you need to do to protect it, and yourself, from unnecessarily bad baggage. This is ongoing.
Clear bad energy, maintain spiritual health, and set firm boundaries.
The Holler Roast Prebuy is live! Support the shack, get coffee credit, and score digital goodies. HollerRoast.com
Self-Reliance Festival tickets—Only a few left at the $95 price point. Don’t miss it before the next price jump.
Make sure you’re on the newsletter list for updates, events, and all things Holler.
Make it a great week.
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.
Community
- Follow me on Nostr: npub1u2vu695j5wfnxsxpwpth2jnzwxx5fat7vc63eth07dez9arnrezsdeafsv
- Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn
- Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup
- Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b
Resources