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I wouldn't give up my life as a homesteader for anything. It's an amazing way to live a life, but it hasn't been easy. The struggle with homesteading can be very real. In fact, looking back on our journey, I would say there are certain kinds of people who actually might have a bit harder time with homesteading than others. Check out these 10 types of people who may struggle with homesteading or have issues dealing with the homesteading life. (Don't want to read all the words? This blog post is also a podcast—just press the triangle play button on the little black bar at the top of this post!) 1. Control freaks If there is one thing that you will very quickly learn on a homestead, it's that you're not in control. You can plan, you can have goals, you can have everything figured out to a T, and it can go the complete opposite way than what you thought it would. If you're someone who can't punt or be flexible, the struggle with homesteading will be a rough ride for you. 2. Clean freaks Let me just come out and say it, homesteading is dirty. It’s messy. You’re gonna get your hands in something you don’t necessarily want to have them in. Between the mess of animals and the dirt of gardening, you're gonna spend a lot of time in the shower! Those snazzy chicken coops you see on Pinterest? They're snazzy all right. If you want to put a chandelier or a love seat in your chicken coop, that's your choice. Just know it's going to be covered in dust and/or poop about 2 minutes after you snap that sweet picture for Instagram. 3. Can’t deal with death Homesteading isn't for the faint of heart. If you’ve got animals on the homestead, death will be part of your homesteading experience. This is a big part of the reason that some folks really struggle with homesteading. Sometimes death is sad, like when your favorite goat dies from old age. Sometimes death makes you angry, like when the neighbor's dog or a fox sneaks in to wipe out your entire flock of chickens. Sometimes death is what was planned to happen because it's part of the process of filling your freezer. No matter the reason, death is never pleasant to deal with. Some folks can handle it easier than others. If you already know that death is extremely difficult for you to handle, you may want to re-think homesteading (with animals). 4. Out-and-Abouters who are never home There are many homesteaders who work outside the home—in fact for most homesteaders, it's the only way they can afford to have the homestead. But you need to match your specific kind of homesteading with your real modern day life. If you work from home, you probably have a lot different options as a homesteader than someone who works a 9-5 with a two hour commute each way. Also understand that deciding to leave for the weekend to go to the lake is a little more difficult unless you have someone you can trust to take care of your homestead while you're gone. Part of your struggle with homesteading will be that your Ma Ingalls old-fashioned homesteading fantasy had one thing you don't have – Ma Ingalls at home. 5. Spendthrifts There will always be an argument about whether or not homesteading saves money. And really, it all depends on your perspective. For instance, some people will say that homesteading affords them quality food. Other people say it’s not really saving money, because if they weren’t on a homestead they just wouldn’t buy those foods. Another example is some folks look at the cost of homesteading as an investment in their health; for example: "have you compared homesteading with the cost of cancer?" Other folks will counteract that with, "yeah, I have. I still only have $35 left to get me through the week, though, so..." What is worth pointing out is this: regardless of whether your perspective identifies homesteading as a money saver in the long run, homesteading will cost you money at various points, and it has to come from somewhere.