I know how you feel. Just take a deep breathe and compartmentalize.....it can be very overwhelming at first. That's one reason I found the easy open buckets for my home were because people were telling me that for a year's supply I had to vacuum pack and re-vacuum pack etc...It drove me nuts...

I always love to hear the trials and triumps of others who have that same pioneering spirit of a homesteader. Many people are overcoming the limits in which they live (financial, spacial, educational,etc) to find ways to improve their lives on a deeper level than monitarialy. That is the homesteader's...

It's kind of funny, but we have been living a 'homestead' style life for years. We even lived somewhat like that in FL and CA suburbs. Now, granted, while in CA, hubby was making more money than, well, sadly more than we knew what to do with, but I still washed ziplock baggies and aluminum...