Starting With The Household

by Eric Himelick

You can’t turn on a radio or computer—or be exposed to any form of media today—without noticing someone who wants to sell you something or do something for you. Some of the products offered are helpful, but many of them just fill closets, shelves, and eventually storage units.

We have become a nation of consumers. The average American has $14,000 of credit card debt. We no longer remember a time when we couldn’t buy it if we couldn’t afford it. Gone are the days when most households were self-supporting—places of enterprise and production. Now the national pastime is leisure. We live for the weekend and eventually retire.

Work-from-home commercials frequently open with this question, appealing to a simple (yet deep) desire that many share: “Do you want to spend more time with your family?” We could probably agree that most people have the ideal of “family first.” (I say “ideal” because they may say that family comes first, even if reality is something quite different.) They work to provide for their family. They work so that their family can take the money they make and spend it on products that others make. They trade their time for money. They take that money and buy products made on someone else’s time.

Economists tell us that consumer spending accounts for over 60% of economic activity. They want us to assume that this spending is essential to a strong economy. However, they have a vested interest in maintaining dependent consumers—they want us to keep spending!

What they don’t tell us is that the whole concept of economy stems from the principle of proper administration of a household. The English word economy can be traced back to the Greek word οἰκονόμος, which means “one who manages a household.” This is a composite word derived from οἴκος (house) and νέμω (manage; distribute). Likewise, economics is from the word οἰκονομία (household management). In other words, the economy (properly understood) begins with the household.

Most of us cannot quit our jobs and completely live the homesteader’s dream, but what if, instead of being consumers, we began to turn inward to think of ourselves as producers? What if we made it our goal to produce (as much as possible) the materials and products needed to sustain our own households? What if we began this endeavor—not to make money—but simply to craft the items we need to live? While we may not be able to permanently avoid Walmart, we might, by degrees, begin to have more time for the things that really matter.

Becoming producers would certainly require a radical shift in thinking—and eventually in lifestyle. To live this counter-culturally and embrace a life with this level of daily labor, some sacrifices would have to be made.

To many, a life without all of society’s stuff does not sound like much of a life, but I believe that the rewards of working side-by-side with your family, of learning new skills (skills of which you can be proud, skills which you can share with others)… the rewards of living richly and intentionally… are well worth the effort.

I am not suggesting that drastic changes would have to happen overnight. A family can start small; even the smallest steps move us in a healthier direction.

Here are a few practical ideas:

1. Grow a small garden. Start small, and eat and can what you produce.

2. Buy a wood-burning stove, collect your own firewood, and begin to supplement your heating bill.

3. Try planting 10 dwarf fruit trees in your backyard. It will take a while for them to produce, but when they do, you will reap the benefits. Think of each tree as an investment, representing X pounds of fruit you won’t be buying from the store.

4. Think twice before buying another thing to add to your home, wardrobe, or garage. Reduce, reuse, and recycle.

5. Do things for yourself: Change your own oil. Can your own jam. Repair your own appliances.

Recently, when I discovered that hiring a dishwasher repairman would cost $85 (service fee) plus an additional $60 per hour for any needed repairs, I decided to do the job myself. A five-hour project and a $10 part had me “paying myself” $400 for that day’s work. Don’t buy the lie that time is money. Time is NOT money.

6. Trade for help the old-fashioned way. Instead of hiring a professional, meet your neighbors, talk to your friends, barter, and trade goods as well as services.

Starting with the internal economy of the home (the household) means that you will (eventually) have something to share with others. When you start by buying from yourself, you save a lot more than money. Plus, you are developing enterprises that value everyone in the home. You are creating “employment opportunities” that are training grounds for children who will grow up to do the same in households of their own.

It’s not just about saving money. It’s about saving our families. It’s about questioning the way our culture dictates how we use our resources and interact with our environment. It’s about daring to break that cycle. It’s about getting back to a kinder, simpler way of life — a life that starts with the household.