4 Steps to our Aussie Homestead - How We Did It!

[@justpeace999]

Great homesteading advice but even better life advice. Keep chasing the dream guys!

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

Thankyou!

[@kimberly-mo5cp]

Love this so much. You are very inspiring. As a single mum of 5 I done this same thing years ago. Wrote down every cent I spent, figured out how to save and do everything cheaper. Bought a block of land and built a big house. The bills were ridiculously high maintaining a huge house so I moved out to the country, built a smaller house and was able to pay it off in cash. Gradually becoming more sustainable with solar, water tanks, fruit trees, veggie gardens and hothouse. Now working on buying more acres and a tiny house as the older kids have moved out.

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@kimberly-mo5cp what a journey! Thankyou for sharing 🙏❤️

[@debradelarue9717]

Those older kids maybe coming back as everything gets more difficult.

[@mandydriscoll2043]

Congratulations...we had a dream to move to Tasmania....it's taken 5yrs but we just purchased 2.5acres in Strahan tasmania....wow it's such a wonderful dream come true

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@mandydriscoll2043 congratulations 🙌 the adventure begins… enjoy every second ❤️

[@mywildholm]

Hey guys! Good to see you, catching up on your journey! 😊

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

Hey!!! How’re you two going?

[@sharonhoffer3599]

My partner and I left Sydney in 2007, and went travelling around Australia. We always thought we’d love to eventually buy some land and build our own home. Fast forward to today, after we found a great 3 acre block of land with a building entitlement and a dam, and a boundary fence back in 2012, we are now living in our own home mortgage free, with stand alone solar, rainwater tanks and reed bed system so we are not connected to any services. It took a lot of time to do, ran out of money many times, had help from some great neighbors and it was alllll worth it. Anything worth having is worth working hard for 🙂🙂🙂

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@sharonhoffer3599 so true! Great journey, Thankyou for sharing 🙏❤️

[@staffylover1950]

I'm 47 years old mother of 5. I've budgeted my entire life my grandmother taught me these skills. To date, I have zero debt, never had credit cards, own my vehicles and home. I do not buy into consumerism and am definitely in control of my money. Budgeting is a discipline and you can reach your goals. Work out your Income, expenses what it costs to run your house hold weekly, monthly etc. One important lesson my grandmother taught me and I swear by this today. Live within your means, and grow your own veges/fruit. I still do this, my kids do too. Shes been gone for 13 years, her wisdom lives on in me and passed on to her great grand children. Well done you guys all the best for your future! From Coffs Harbour NSW 🤠🤙🏼

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@staffylover1950 sadly it’s an critical every day skill that’s lost to several generations.

[@julesphillips1455]

Love this. Thanks Guys!!! x

[@michaelvanwest6262]

We are doing the same thing on 346 acres in Qld. Totally understand the ups and downs but we love it. We too had to change our perspective on life. 3 years now and loving it.

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@michaelvanwest6262 same mate, wouldn’t go back for anything

[@glentomkins8044]

Great to see you living your dream guys! A little bit of financial discipline can be the most liberating thing in the world. It's great to know that you are in control of your money and your lifestyle rather than vice versa! Enjoy!

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

Thankyou!

[@emeraldrose512]

Absolutely agree with shared vision being crucial to success. This lifestyle was always my dream, from when I first married in the 1980s. My ex husband agreed that being self sufficient was a goid idea, but didn't share the passion and didn't have the same drive as me. I was doing all the research and planning, driving to look at properties etc and in the end it didn't come to anything. You both have to be fully on board. I'm now 62, divorced and raising my grandchildren, but I haven't given up my dream. I'm planning for making my dream a reality next year! Thanks for the post.....truly inspiring 😊

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@emeraldrose512 Thankyou for sharing! And wishing you all the best with realising your dream 🙌❤️

[@chessman483]

On our Homestead property I have an average food bill including toiletries of under $30 per week. We have unlimited meat and fruit , eggs. Some vegetables. ( found they are a lot of work and many fail) where as there’s thousands of gd fruit everywhere. Passion fruit, bananas, raspberries, numerous citrus fruits. Then mangoes , grapes etc from Xmas. So can live very cheap. Great to hear about your debt reduction. My wife and I have always gone without so debt was never a problem. We paid cash for our place. But I know a lot of people aren’t like us and the way u did it is exactly how I tell people.

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@chessman483 it’s definitely a more secure way to move forward!! Thankyou for sharing your experience 🙏❤️

[@elbee607]

I love this thank you! What an achievement - well done! Will start looking at land in Qld soon. Im a single female in my 30s and i have to admit its a bit daunting doing it alone but Im up for it! 😅

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

Thanks for watching! Wishing you all the best for your own journey 🙏❤️

[@my2cworth4U]

Well done! I admire your commitment. We did this in the 80s in Queensland on 40 acres and thoroughly enjoyed the hard work, isolation and struggle. The pioneering life was great. Best years of my life and I'm now 77 with amazing memories. Looking forward to seeing your progress. ❤🇦🇺

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@my2cworth4U wow! Thats great. Thankyou

[@littlegriffoffgridalberta6837]

Great Inspiration for others ! Yes the biggest thing being 100% honest with yourself in every way before diving in & not being afraid to try things that are new to you, So guy's believe in yourself ! I've been 100% off grid for 11 years & love the FREEDOM ! Many changes along the way & I'm still building & changing but love every minute :)) Slowed down a bit with an injury but still getting a bit done, Life don't stop to wait for you if you have a DREAM don't pass it up ! 👍

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@littlegriffoffgridalberta6837 Thankyou, great insight! ❤️

[@theadventuresofzoomandbettie]

Great job guys! These kinds of videos always inspired us before we made the leap too, so the more of us talking about our journeys the better!

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@theadventuresofzoomandbettie absolutely 💯

[@permissiontoshine]

You are SO RIGHT about having and sticking to a budget being FREEING. As a person on a very low income, not by choice atm, making every single $1 work its hardest for me (not those making money off me) for a few years now, has been a very empowering experience, one I wish more people could realise. It makes you get very creative, look for all the ways you can get free stuff, stuff other people are giving away rather than putting in landfill, free community events, concerts, groups... it's all out there, especially here in Perth, Australia. Also learning to value, appreciate and treasure more the things you do have, including experiences with people you love, rather than waiting for the next dopamine hit of buying another thing, has been great. Not always easy, as you say, but great overall. Who knew that using both sides of every piece of paper, not just in your printer, not.buying more pens until the ones you have completely die etc,, can save you enough money in a year to pay for a woodwork course,.like it did for me. Keep sharing what you have and are learning in an AUS context. A revolution, significant change in how a society functions, happens just like this, one person,.one lesson, one inspiration at a time. Not to say we will all go off-grid, or could, but you never know how and with whom what you share will land.❤🎉❤

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

You are the inspiration! Honestly so many people don’t want to talk about being on a budget, they’re too proud and too much social pressure to show the right trappings of “success”. Success for us is happiness, peace and the time we spend with each other every day ❤️

[@permissiontoshine]

@@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead I'm not widely engaged with what is going on socially when it comes to what people have been conditioned to believe as success, other than mostly with my support team, many of whom are in their 20s. Some of what they have shared with me about this has been disturbing, because of how little control of what they earn they believe they can have, what they expect life to 'give them' because that is what the insidious nature of SM has done to them. I'm glad they are open to hearing about other ways of finding happiness and give it a go themselves. As an example, unless you pay for VIP tickets to a concert, you didn't get to enjoy it, are embarrassed by that. Or you NEED to have 30 'designer' perfumes otherwise you are someone to look down on, you have failed. I'm not overinflating these two examples. Tragic. I'll sign off being as I am showing my age on the internet, again.🤣🤣🤣

[@Tinachimneycreekfarm]

I love the part about rejecting consumerism, such an honest perspective on how emotionally difficult it can be to catch up with all your debts, facing the hard truth! Congratulations on all you have achieved so far!

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@Tinachimneycreekfarm Thankyou!

[@benh3828]

Thank you so much for the video guys, my fiance and I are in the stage you are talking about right now. We also live in Perth but are working on our finances to get us 5+ acres, day to day it feels like it'll never happen but month by month we are getting closer and it's by doing alot of what you talked about. I think we really needed to hear this today and you've given us another boost to achieve what we want thanks again guys... ps you guys are really cute together, we love how you have each other's back, never change.

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@benh3828 umm… I think that made me tear up a bit ❤️😭

[@e.h9359]

Congratulations you have worked hard and together helping each other along the way. Well done. I have loved watching your progress.

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@e.h9359 Thankyou so much 🙏❤️

[@WindwalkerHomestead]

Glad you put being on the same page as #1. Everything else becomes so much more difficult when you want to live this lifestyle and are with someone who doesn't. If you actually make the move to a homestead, you will end up doing 90% of the work

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@WindwalkerHomestead absolutely 👍 it’s a slow road to resentment and burnout otherwise

[@mathewbrisby6969]

No matter what your dream these principles will go along way to getting you there. Congratulations and good luck with future👍

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@mathewbrisby6969 agreed and Thankyou!

[@melisand8295]

You've just made me late for work!!!! Great video. 😊😊😊😊

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@melisand8295 haha! Thankyou 👍👍

[@Satya2btrue]

Lovely grounded no nonsense, un fluffy approach. All the best. PS. I know I couldn’t do it with my partner, he always feels he has to have some sort of another tool before he can do whatever. I’m the saver he’s the spender.

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@Satya2btrue Thankyou! Funnily… I love designing a good budget but I’m definitely the spender out of Corey and I (Amanda) 😂

[@Satya2btrue]

@@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead haha! I just watched another episode and gathered that was the case!

[@patmartin7907]

Hi guys my wife and I are going to take the plunge buy a property . it has been a shared dream of ours it’s time Appreciate your videos

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@patmartin7907 how exciting!! Goodluck 🙌❤️

[@deborahlee8135]

Great video, Amanda and Corey. Many important tips. I think each week there could be a fb post on homesteading group that everyone can link their current KZbin video to 😂 Tom and Sam just released a lovely video about just starting where you're at too.

[@plowestory]

Love this team, as a follower/sub from day 1 I really appreciate your insight and honesty, its been great getting tips and ideas as I embark on the same journey now, bit smaller but super exciting all the same - keep up the great work ! - Thank you.

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@plowestory Thankyou!! Appreciate you being one of our OGs and following our journey 🙏❤️

[@symenandsuebrinksma3670]

Rates and insurance are huge costs. Can't change those unfortunately. Hard life but so satisfying. Good luck for the future from aging couple, one truly committed and one along for the ride 😅

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

For sure! Can’t get away from those costs unfortunately. Thanks for your support 😁💪

[@leonsaquaponicsandhomegard6793]

Good on ya. Well done and all the best. Following your dreams 🤗

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@leonsaquaponicsandhomegard6793 Thankyou!

[@leonsaquaponicsandhomegard6793]

@@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead no worries. 😊😊😊

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

Lots of great tips from your journey 👌

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus Thankyou!

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead you REALLY need to share this one in the Aussie Homesteaders Community. It has so many wonderful learnings people ask about.

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus yeah I think I will… it’ll be a good discussion. Might wait till mid week and get a good convo happening to help people over hump day 😁

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

@@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead great plan 👍

[@shushywilson6351]

Love it.. you just appeared on my youtube. Have you heard of permaculture where they do a scan of the land to asceryain the rain fall and workout out how to catch water. Also, Jo Salatin USA teaches homesteading and how to nourish/nurture/ feed the land with animal manures. Canada Stefan...for growing fruit trees/ food forest..i wish you all the best, on your adventure to live your best life. I live in Vic. Ive subscribed. Shushy

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

Glad you found us and thankyou for your recommendations 🙏❤️

[@lindabonney6738]

Amazing. Good info thanks.

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@lindabonney6738 most welcome, glad you enjoyed!

[@TheUndisputedGodFather]

Working together as one!

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

Absolutely and always 🙌🙌

[@cheryesido364]

Beautiful

[@ZekaSkope]

Well done guys, great effort to get there and reach the place of your dreams! However, I gotta say it's been disheartening to watch so many of these videos and realise that everyone who does this has some experience and contacts in the building industry. I've worked in trees my whole life (pruning and removals for 20 years, consulting for the last 5) and wouldn't know how to put together a liveable shed to save my life. I'd be willing to learn as much as I can, but it seems like there are a lot of pitfalls for those who don't know what to look out for. I'd love to find a vid where someone has been successful in homesteading who doesn't have building experience or connections.

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@ZekaSkope totally understand. We’re aware it is a big advantage but those homesteaders we know who didn’t build from scratch bought established and learned the rest along the way. Not a solution but perhaps an option 🙏?

[@cyndyfabian7555]

Grannie Cyndy from South Australia here. One of my 6 sons and his family live fully off grid too. One of the things they use is networking and bartering. Build up a good knowledge of your neighbours and nearby townships. Often his skills will help them and then vice versa in return. Don't give up if you want to make it happen.

[@rebeccasnell2953]

​@@cyndyfabian7555are they in south Australia too? Are there good homesteading properties or pieces of land that are still affordable ?

[@kerristar7998]

😊’Little birdies’🦜🥰

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@kerristar7998 😂😂 we have to edit out so many times we get distracted by birds and wildlife

[@uppanadam]

Very sound advice guys!! I had dreams of living off grid!! I still want to do it!! But then I got public housing (cheap rent)!! They do everything for me and pay for it!! I really don't have to do anything!! It's a pretty sweet deal!! But yeah!! Its really put my off the grid idea out of whack!! Stay here where I'm all set up?? Or go off grid and do hard work!! Such a catch 22!! LOL!!

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@uppanadam a happy life is the end goal… starting over again, particularly offgrid might be more work than it’s worth!! There’s a lot to be said with being satisfied with a simple life 🙏❤️

[@uppanadam]

@@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead Well said!! I am within distance of shops and my local doctor without a car!! It's a tough choice!! LOL!!

[@ren8240]

It really depends on whether or not you're happy to be forever reliant on someone else & to be at the whim of decisions made for you, not by you.

[@naidoo307]

What does it look like In summer !😅

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@naidoo307 looks brown!! 😂 it’s an arid climate so summers are pretty rough here

[@kdegraa]

Finances would be the biggest barrier, especially real estate prices. Farms have greatly increased in price over the last ten years or so. Even marginal or isolated properties now command big prices. This is the biggest barrier to buying a property in 2024. It’s basically impossible for someone starting out to buy a property when the first step on the property ladder could be $350k, a debt that could take decades to pay off.

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@kdegraa very true. Increased so much even in five years!

[@terradoskangaroos8298]

Hey guys, I love the videos and quick question. How much it’s your living costing today today?

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@terradoskangaroos8298 we e had this question a few times. We might do a dedicated homesteading budget vid 👍

[@terradoskangaroos8298]

@@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead sounds good! I can’t wait

[@thebeautifulones5436]

It is hard to save in Perth where basic living standards require smashed avocado at the café for breakfast and long weekends in Bali.

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

😂😂

[@kdegraa]

It’s also hard to save when a huge mortgage is required to purchase a modest property and utility bill along with taxes keep going up and up.

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@kdegraa absolutely, it’s just getting harder and harder fur every day people 😓

[@paulinestevens9351]

🥰

[@cheryesido364]

Did you get much rain today? We got bucket loads.

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

We got a heap!!

[@ladylady6029]

I wanted ask people living of grid in Australia. Because of Australia has most dangerous snakes, are you afraid of encounter with them?

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@ladylady6029 we are cautious but respectful. Snakes are everywhere but you’d generally rarely see them… unless provoked or interfered with they won’t be aggressive (usually not). We’ve lived on acreage fur over 15yrs and can count the snakes we’ve seen on one hand. 3 of which were here at Rockpile.

[@kimwalter1269]

Hi Amanda Was wondering if you could point me in the direction of the course you started with to get into copywriting. I was a trained primary school teacher but can no longer work and need to find something from home. I am creative by nature and your story really spoke to me, I have been feeling lost since having to give up work. Can you recommend or share the course/s that got you started? Thank you for this video, its like it kickstarted my heart lol. Hubbyy and I agreed with eveeything you said. We are both where you were, waiting for our dream to happen in the next 12 months or so. I found everything you both said so helpful and enlightening ❤❤

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@kimwalter1269 that’s exactly what we wanted for the video!!! Look up Belinda Weaver from Copywrite Matters and her course the Inkubator. Tell her I sent you… I don’t get a kick back but she’s a good friend now after all these years.

[@kimwalter1269]

@@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead you are so wonderful thank you. Being 50 it feels so hard to start again but for some reason this really made me feel excited. I will absolutely mention you xx

[@kimwalter1269]

@@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead I just looked her up. Shes in California? Just wondering if the education is relevant for australian clientelle? I know nothing about copywriting lol. Would love to pick your brain about it all some more 😂

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@kimwalter1269 yes! She’s an Aussie living there and has got a great diverse and inclusive group. Super relevant material that’ll give anyone solid foundations. She often does free mini courses and challenges so you can try out her teaching style.

[@kimwalter1269]

@@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead fantastic!!! Thank you so very much. You are amazing xx

[@mindfestival]

You sold your property to buy the land I imagine?

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@mindfestival correct 👍 tho we did have both mortgages for a while. This is just our journey as middle aged tradies lucky enough to already have a foot in the property market. We realise this is not the reality for many, especially these days.

[@mindfestival]

@@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead Amazing! I have a property to sell that could unlock some equity. Did you also build a home etc Metricon type thing? Great content you have a new subscriber!

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@mindfestival thanks for joining us!

[@ROCKPILEOffgridHomestead]

@@mindfestival we owner built using using SIPs system on a steel frame subfloor

[@mindfestival]

SIPS system very interesting! Thanks!

[@brinhaerycammel3467]

Supplement your new lifestyle with a carnivore diet. Live healthy off the land!!