<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Budget Homelab</title><description>Self-hosting guides, homelab builds, and budget-friendly infrastructure.</description><link>https://budgethomelab.com/</link><item><title>WireGuard vs Tailscale: Which Remote Access Solution for Your Homelab?</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/wireguard-vs-tailscale-homelab/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/wireguard-vs-tailscale-homelab/</guid><description>A direct comparison of WireGuard and Tailscale for homelab remote access. Which one to run based on your setup, your patience for configuration, and how often you actually need to get in.</description><pubDate>Wed, 13 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Best GPU for a Self-Hosted AI Homelab (Used 3060 vs 3090 vs P40 vs Arc)</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/best-gpu-self-hosted-ai-homelab/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/best-gpu-self-hosted-ai-homelab/</guid><description>A practical buyer&apos;s guide to GPU selection for local LLMs: the used 3060 12GB, 3090, P40, and Intel Arc compared on VRAM, noise, power draw, and real inference speed.</description><pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Best Mini PC for Home Assistant in 2026 (HAOS, Containers, and Heavy Add-ons)</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/best-mini-pc-home-assistant-2026/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/best-mini-pc-home-assistant-2026/</guid><description>The opinionated 2026 buyer&apos;s guide to mini PC hardware for Home Assistant: five picks across price tiers, real performance notes, and the accessories that make the whole thing work.</description><pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Running a Local AI with Ollama on Your Homelab</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/ollama-local-ai-setup/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/ollama-local-ai-setup/</guid><description>Set up Ollama on Docker to run large language models locally (Llama 3, Mistral, Gemma, and more), with a web UI for chatting and an API for integrations.</description><pubDate>Fri, 08 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Self-Host an LLM at Home in 2026 (Ollama + Open WebUI on a Mini PC)</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/self-host-llm-at-home/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/self-host-llm-at-home/</guid><description>Run a private, offline ChatGPT alternative on your own hardware for $0/month in ongoing subscription costs. No GPU required. Full setup from hardware selection through first conversation.</description><pubDate>Fri, 08 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Nginx Proxy Manager vs Caddy vs Traefik: Which Reverse Proxy for Your Homelab?</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/npm-vs-caddy-vs-traefik/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/npm-vs-caddy-vs-traefik/</guid><description>A direct comparison of the three most common reverse proxies for self-hosting. Which one to pick based on how you actually run your homelab.</description><pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Homelab Security Basics: What You Need to Lock Down</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/homelab-security-basics/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/homelab-security-basics/</guid><description>The practical security checklist for homelabs: what actually matters, what&apos;s overkill, and what most guides skip entirely.</description><pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Proxmox on a Mini PC: Complete Setup Walkthrough</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/proxmox-mini-pc-setup/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/proxmox-mini-pc-setup/</guid><description>Everything you need to run Proxmox on a budget mini PC -- hardware selection, BIOS prep, install, power management, and first VM. Built around the N100 machines that have become the homelab standard.</description><pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Mini PC vs Old Server vs Raspberry Pi: What to Buy for Your First Homelab</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/homelab-hardware-comparison/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/homelab-hardware-comparison/</guid><description>A direct comparison of the three hardware paths for a first homelab: mini PC, used enterprise server, and Raspberry Pi. Cost, power, noise, and what each one is actually good at.</description><pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Plex vs Jellyfin: Which Should You Self-Host?</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/plex-vs-jellyfin/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/plex-vs-jellyfin/</guid><description>An honest comparison of Plex and Jellyfin for self-hosted media: where each one wins, where each one loses, and which to pick for your homelab.</description><pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Proxmox Beginner&apos;s Guide: VMs, LXC, and Your First Self-Hosted Service</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/proxmox-beginner-guide/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/proxmox-beginner-guide/</guid><description>A plain-English walkthrough of how Proxmox actually works -- VMs vs. containers, the web UI, storage, networking, and how to run your first self-hosted service without breaking anything.</description><pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Build a Homelab for Under $300</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/build-homelab-under-300/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/build-homelab-under-300/</guid><description>A real budget homelab build covering hardware, setup, and what you can actually run on it, for under $300 total including storage.</description><pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Best Used Mini PCs for a Homelab Under $200</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/used-mini-pc-homelab-under-200/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/used-mini-pc-homelab-under-200/</guid><description>The best refurbished and used mini PCs for running Proxmox, Docker, and self-hosted services without spending new-hardware money. Real picks with current pricing.</description><pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Start a Homelab in 2026: Complete Beginner&apos;s Guide</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/how-to-start-a-homelab/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/how-to-start-a-homelab/</guid><description>A step-by-step guide to building your first homelab in 2026: what hardware to buy, what to install, and which services to run first, without overspending.</description><pubDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Nextcloud AIO: Self-Hosted Google Drive Alternative</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/nextcloud-aio-setup/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/nextcloud-aio-setup/</guid><description>Set up Nextcloud All-in-One on Docker for file sync, photo backup, calendar, contacts, and office document editing, all on your own server.</description><pubDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Set Up Pi-hole or AdGuard Home for Network-Wide Ad Blocking</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/pihole-adguard-homelab-setup/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/pihole-adguard-homelab-setup/</guid><description>Compare Pi-hole and AdGuard Home, then set up whichever fits your homelab. Full Docker Compose configs, DNS integration, and blocklist recommendations.</description><pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>WireGuard VPN Server: Self-Hosted Remote Access</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/wireguard-vpn-setup/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/wireguard-vpn-setup/</guid><description>Set up a WireGuard VPN server on Docker using wg-easy for a clean web UI, then connect your devices for secure remote access to your homelab.</description><pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Beelink vs MINISFORUM: Best Budget Mini PC for Self-Hosting</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/beelink-vs-minisforum/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/beelink-vs-minisforum/</guid><description>A direct comparison of Beelink and MINISFORUM mini PCs for homelab use. Which brand builds the better budget self-hosting machine in 2026?</description><pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Grafana + Prometheus Monitoring for Your Homelab</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/grafana-prometheus-homelab/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/grafana-prometheus-homelab/</guid><description>Set up Prometheus to collect metrics and Grafana to visualize them: CPU, memory, disk, and container stats across your entire homelab.</description><pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Cloudflare Tunnels for Your Homelab: Zero Port Forwarding, Free Tier</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/cloudflare-tunnel-homelab/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/cloudflare-tunnel-homelab/</guid><description>Expose homelab services to the internet without opening a single port using Cloudflare Tunnels. Free, easy to set up, and more secure than traditional port forwarding.</description><pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Self-Hosting Jellyfin: Complete Media Server Setup Guide</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/jellyfin-setup-guide/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/jellyfin-setup-guide/</guid><description>Set up Jellyfin on Docker with hardware transcoding, organize your library, and access it from any device. Full walkthrough with working Docker Compose config.</description><pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Portainer: Docker Management UI Setup Guide</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/portainer-setup-guide/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/portainer-setup-guide/</guid><description>Install Portainer to manage your Docker containers, stacks, volumes, and images through a web interface instead of the command line.</description><pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Tailscale Subnet Routing: Access Your Entire Home Network Remotely</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/tailscale-subnet-routing/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/tailscale-subnet-routing/</guid><description>Set up Tailscale subnet routing to expose your full home network to all your tailnet devices. No VPN server required, no port forwarding.</description><pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Wildcard SSL Certificates for Your Homelab (Let&apos;s Encrypt + Cloudflare)</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/wildcard-ssl-homelab/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/wildcard-ssl-homelab/</guid><description>Get a single wildcard SSL certificate that covers every subdomain in your homelab. No more per-service certificates, no more HTTPS warnings.</description><pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Homelab Backup Strategy: 3-2-1 Without the Hassle</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/homelab-backup-strategy/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/homelab-backup-strategy/</guid><description>A practical backup strategy for your homelab that actually gets done: what to back up, where to put it, and how to automate it without overcomplicating it.</description><pubDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Self-Hosting Vaultwarden: Your Own Password Manager</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/vaultwarden-setup-guide/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/vaultwarden-setup-guide/</guid><description>Set up Vaultwarden on Docker to self-host your Bitwarden-compatible password vault. Full walkthrough including HTTPS setup and mobile app configuration.</description><pubDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Best Self-Hosted Apps for Beginners: Start With These 5</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/best-self-hosted-apps-beginners/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/best-self-hosted-apps-beginners/</guid><description>The five best apps to self-host first, chosen for low complexity, high value, and real impact on your privacy and monthly bill.</description><pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Watchtower: Auto-Update Your Docker Containers</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/watchtower-auto-update-docker/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/watchtower-auto-update-docker/</guid><description>Use Watchtower to automatically keep your Docker containers updated to the latest image versions, with notifications and scheduling options.</description><pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Immich vs Google Photos: Self-Hosted Photo Backup That Actually Works</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/immich-setup-guide/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/immich-setup-guide/</guid><description>Set up Immich on Docker to replace Google Photos. Face recognition, mobile backup, timeline view, all on your own hardware. Full Docker Compose walkthrough.</description><pubDate>Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Pi-hole DNS Ad Blocking: Complete Setup Guide</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/pihole-setup-guide/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/pihole-setup-guide/</guid><description>Set up Pi-hole on Docker to block ads and tracking at the DNS level across your entire network. No browser extensions, no per-device setup.</description><pubDate>Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Wazuh in Your Homelab: A Real SIEM Without the Enterprise Price Tag</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/wazuh-homelab-siem-setup/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/wazuh-homelab-siem-setup/</guid><description>Deploy Wazuh as a dedicated Proxmox VM to get centralized security monitoring, file integrity alerts, and vulnerability scanning across your entire homelab, with agents on every Linux host and Windows coverage via Tailscale.</description><pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Why Your Homelab Needs a Reverse Proxy</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/reverse-proxy-homelab/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/reverse-proxy-homelab/</guid><description>A reverse proxy puts your services behind a single entry point with HTTPS and clean domain names. Here&apos;s why it matters and how to set one up with Nginx Proxy Manager or Caddy.</description><pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Proxmox Cluster: Running High Availability at Home</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/proxmox-cluster-high-availability/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/proxmox-cluster-high-availability/</guid><description>Proxmox clustering lets VMs migrate between nodes automatically if one goes down. Here&apos;s how it works, what you actually need to set it up, and whether it&apos;s worth the complexity.</description><pubDate>Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Home Network Setup for Homelabs: VLANs Without the Headache</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/homelab-network-setup-vlans/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/homelab-network-setup-vlans/</guid><description>Why VLANs matter for homelab security, the difference between managed and unmanaged switches, and how to set up basic network segmentation.</description><pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Setting Up a VPN Kill Switch for Your Homelab</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/vpn-kill-switch-homelab/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/vpn-kill-switch-homelab/</guid><description>A VPN kill switch blocks all traffic if the VPN connection drops. Here&apos;s how to implement one for specific containers or your whole server, and why it matters.</description><pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Take Proxmox Snapshots and Actually Restore From Them</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/proxmox-snapshots-backups/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/proxmox-snapshots-backups/</guid><description>The difference between Proxmox snapshots and backups, how to take both, and how to restore when something goes wrong.</description><pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Best Open-Source Alternatives to Google Workspace</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/open-source-google-workspace-alternatives/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/open-source-google-workspace-alternatives/</guid><description>Google Workspace costs $72-$216/user/year. These self-hosted alternatives cover email, docs, calendar, and storage, and they run on hardware you already own.</description><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Uptime Kuma: Dead-Simple Monitoring for Your Homelab</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/uptime-kuma-setup/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/uptime-kuma-setup/</guid><description>Set up Uptime Kuma on Docker to monitor every service in your homelab, get instant alerts when something goes down, and publish a status page.</description><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Best Mini PCs for a Budget Homelab in 2026</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/best-mini-pc-homelab-2026/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/best-mini-pc-homelab-2026/</guid><description>The complete 2026 guide to mini PC homelab hardware: every tier from $80 to $475, real idle power numbers, and the picks that actually run Proxmox and Docker well.</description><pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Homelab Power Usage: How to Measure and Reduce It</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/homelab-power-usage/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/homelab-power-usage/</guid><description>Your homelab runs 24/7, and that adds up on your electric bill. Here&apos;s how to actually measure what you&apos;re using and cut it without cutting your setup.</description><pubDate>Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Replacing Google One With a Home Server: Is It Actually Worth It?</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/replacing-google-one-self-hosted/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/replacing-google-one-self-hosted/</guid><description>Google One keeps raising prices. Here&apos;s what it actually takes to replace it with a self-hosted alternative, and whether the trade-offs make sense.</description><pubDate>Sat, 28 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Authelia on Docker: Add Two-Factor Auth to Every Service in Your Homelab</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/authelia-sso-setup/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/authelia-sso-setup/</guid><description>Set up Authelia as a forward-auth middleware in front of Nginx Proxy Manager to protect every homelab service with a single SSO portal and optional 2FA.</description><pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Netdata Setup: Real-Time System Monitoring in Minutes</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/netdata-setup-guide/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/netdata-setup-guide/</guid><description>Netdata gives you per-second system metrics, automatic anomaly detection, and 2,000+ pre-built charts, all without writing a single config file.</description><pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Set Up Paperless-ngx With Docker (Go Paperless in an Afternoon)</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/paperless-ngx-setup/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/paperless-ngx-setup/</guid><description>Install Paperless-ngx with Docker Compose, configure OCR and automatic tagging, and set up an inbox folder that processes documents automatically.</description><pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Running Kubernetes at Home: Is K3s Worth It?</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/k3s-kubernetes-at-home/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/k3s-kubernetes-at-home/</guid><description>K3s makes Kubernetes small enough to run on a Raspberry Pi. But should you? Here&apos;s an honest take on when home Kubernetes makes sense and when Docker Compose is the better call.</description><pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Duplicati Backup Setup: Encrypted, Automated Homelab Backups</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/duplicati-backup-setup/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/duplicati-backup-setup/</guid><description>Duplicati backs up your homelab data to local storage, a NAS, or cloud storage, encrypted and deduplicated. Here&apos;s how to set it up and what to actually back up.</description><pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Mealie Recipe Manager: Self-Host Your Recipes With This Docker Setup</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/mealie-setup-docker/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/mealie-setup-docker/</guid><description>Install Mealie with Docker Compose, import recipes from any URL, and set up meal planning with a self-hosted recipe manager that actually works.</description><pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Syncthing Docker Setup: Free File Sync Without the Cloud</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/syncthing-setup-docker/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/syncthing-setup-docker/</guid><description>Set up Syncthing in Docker in under 10 minutes. Sync files between your laptop, phone, and homelab server. No Dropbox, no subscription, no data on someone else&apos;s server.</description><pubDate>Sun, 22 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Set Up a Local DNS Server With Technitium (Ditch the Router DNS)</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/technitium-dns-setup/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/technitium-dns-setup/</guid><description>Run Technitium DNS in Docker to get internal hostnames, ad blocking, and split DNS for your homelab. No more IP addresses in your browser.</description><pubDate>Sat, 21 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>NAS vs. Direct-Attached Storage for Homelabs</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/nas-vs-das-homelab-storage/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/nas-vs-das-homelab-storage/</guid><description>A NAS isn&apos;t always the right answer for homelab storage. Here&apos;s when direct-attached storage wins, when it doesn&apos;t, and how to decide which one you actually need.</description><pubDate>Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Tailscale for Your Homelab: Remote Access Without Port Forwarding</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/tailscale-homelab-setup/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/tailscale-homelab-setup/</guid><description>Set up Tailscale on your homelab server and access every service securely from anywhere. No port forwarding, no public IP required.</description><pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Uptime Kuma Advanced Alerting: Notifications, Status Pages, and API Monitors</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/uptime-kuma-advanced-alerting/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/uptime-kuma-advanced-alerting/</guid><description>Go beyond basic HTTP checks. Configure Uptime Kuma to alert on response time, SSL expiry, keyword presence, and send notifications to Discord, Telegram, or email.</description><pubDate>Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Self-Hosting Your Password Manager: A Vaultwarden Deep-Dive</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/vaultwarden-self-hosted-password-manager/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/vaultwarden-self-hosted-password-manager/</guid><description>Vaultwarden is a self-hosted Bitwarden server that runs on almost nothing. Here&apos;s how to set it up, back it up, and actually trust it with your passwords.</description><pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Set Up Nginx Proxy Manager With Docker (Complete Guide)</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/nginx-proxy-manager-setup/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/nginx-proxy-manager-setup/</guid><description>Install Nginx Proxy Manager with Docker Compose, add your first proxy host, and get HTTPS working for every service on your homelab.</description><pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>The Hidden Costs of Homelab Nobody Tells You About</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/hidden-costs-of-homelab/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/hidden-costs-of-homelab/</guid><description>Electricity and hardware get all the attention. Here&apos;s the full list of what a homelab actually costs, including the things most guides skip.</description><pubDate>Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Homarr Dashboard Setup: Your Homelab&apos;s Front Page</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/homarr-dashboard-setup/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/homarr-dashboard-setup/</guid><description>Homarr is a clean, modern homelab dashboard that integrates with your services, shows real-time stats, and gives you a single page to launch everything from.</description><pubDate>Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Best Mini PC for a Homelab (2026): Why $150 Beats Old Servers</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/budget-mini-pc-homelab/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/budget-mini-pc-homelab/</guid><description>Best mini PC for a homelab in 2026: specific models from Beelink and MINISFORUM, the specs that actually matter (RAM slots, NVMe, TDP), and what to avoid at each price point.</description><pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Monitor Your Homelab with Prometheus and Grafana</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/homelab-monitoring-prometheus-grafana/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/homelab-monitoring-prometheus-grafana/</guid><description>Prometheus scrapes metrics. Grafana makes them pretty. Together they give you dashboards that actually tell you what&apos;s happening on your homelab.</description><pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Build a Complete Homelab for Under $500 in 2026</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/homelab-hardware-under-500-2026/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/homelab-hardware-under-500-2026/</guid><description>How to allocate a $500 homelab budget across compute, storage, and networking. Covers which mini PC to buy, what to skip, and what to add first when you have room to grow.</description><pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Docker Compose for Beginners: Organizing Your Home Server the Right Way</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/docker-compose-basics/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/docker-compose-basics/</guid><description>How to write Docker Compose files, organize your homelab services, manage environment variables, and keep everything maintainable long-term.</description><pubDate>Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>K3s on Proxmox: Kubernetes Cluster Setup Guide</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/k3s-proxmox-setup/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/k3s-proxmox-setup/</guid><description>Run a lightweight Kubernetes cluster on Proxmox VMs. This guide walks through VM prep, K3s installation, kubectl access, and your first deployment.</description><pubDate>Fri, 06 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Proxmox VM vs LXC: When to Use Each (With Real Examples)</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/proxmox-vm-vs-lxc/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/proxmox-vm-vs-lxc/</guid><description>The exact split I use: Pi-hole, DNS, and Nginx in LXC, Docker workloads and Windows in VMs. Includes a decision chart and the one mistake that breaks Docker in LXC.</description><pubDate>Thu, 05 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>The Homelab Subreddit Hardware Buying Guide</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/homelab-subreddit-hardware-guide/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/homelab-subreddit-hardware-guide/</guid><description>What r/homelab and r/selfhosted actually recommend for hardware, and what the forum consensus gets right and wrong for budget builds.</description><pubDate>Wed, 04 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Proxmox Post-Install Checklist: 10 Things to Do Right After Installing</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/proxmox-post-install-checklist/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/proxmox-post-install-checklist/</guid><description>A practical checklist of everything to configure after a fresh Proxmox VE install: repos, updates, email alerts, storage, and more.</description><pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Homelab Storage Options: NAS vs DAS vs Raw Drives</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/homelab-storage-options/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/homelab-storage-options/</guid><description>How to think about storage for your homelab: the tradeoffs between a NAS, direct-attached storage, and drives in your server, with real recommendations.</description><pubDate>Mon, 02 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Install Proxmox VE on a Mini PC (Step-by-Step, 2026)</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/proxmox-install-mini-pc/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/proxmox-install-mini-pc/</guid><description>A complete walkthrough for installing Proxmox VE 8 on an Intel N100 mini PC or similar budget hardware, including post-install configuration.</description><pubDate>Sat, 28 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Ghost: Self-Hosted Blogging Platform Setup</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/ghost-setup-docker/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/ghost-setup-docker/</guid><description>Deploy Ghost on Docker for a clean, fast self-hosted blog or newsletter platform with membership support, built-in SEO, and a polished editor.</description><pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How Much Does a Homelab Actually Cost Per Month? (Real Numbers)</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/homelab-monthly-cost-real-numbers/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/homelab-monthly-cost-real-numbers/</guid><description>The real monthly cost of running a homelab: power draw, hardware amortization, domain, and services. Based on what I actually pay, not estimates.</description><pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Self-Hosted Documents Workflow: Paperless-ngx + the Right Scanner</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/paperless-ngx-scanner-workflow/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/paperless-ngx-scanner-workflow/</guid><description>The &apos;now what?&apos; guide for Paperless-ngx. Pick a document scanner that actually works with it, set up your consume folder, and build a workflow that runs in under 30 seconds per document.</description><pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Gitea: Self-Hosted Git Server on Docker</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/gitea-setup-docker/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/gitea-setup-docker/</guid><description>Set up Gitea on Docker for a self-hosted GitHub alternative: code hosting, issue tracking, pull requests, and CI/CD pipelines on your own server.</description><pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Why I Run Proxmox Instead of Plain Docker</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/proxmox-vs-plain-docker/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/proxmox-vs-plain-docker/</guid><description>The case for adding a hypervisor layer to your homelab instead of running Docker directly on bare metal, and when it&apos;s not worth the trouble.</description><pubDate>Sun, 22 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Don&apos;t Use .local for Your Homelab Domain</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/why-not-dot-local/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/why-not-dot-local/</guid><description>Using .local for your homelab DNS zone conflicts with mDNS (Bonjour/Avahi). Here&apos;s why resolution breaks intermittently and what to use instead.</description><pubDate>Sat, 21 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Why I Don&apos;t Open Ports on My Router Anymore</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/why-i-dont-open-ports/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/why-i-dont-open-ports/</guid><description>Port forwarding used to be the standard way to access homelab services remotely. Here&apos;s why I stopped doing it and what I run instead.</description><pubDate>Fri, 20 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>FreshRSS: Self-Hosted RSS Reader Setup</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/freshrss-setup-docker/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/freshrss-setup-docker/</guid><description>Deploy FreshRSS on Docker to follow blogs, news, and podcasts through a single self-hosted feed reader, with multi-device sync and app support.</description><pubDate>Fri, 20 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Linkwarden: Self-Hosted Bookmark Manager Setup</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/linkwarden-setup-docker/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/linkwarden-setup-docker/</guid><description>Deploy Linkwarden on Docker to save, organize, and archive web pages, with full-page screenshots, PDF snapshots, and tag-based organization.</description><pubDate>Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>The Budget Homelab Starter Stack: 5 Services That Cover 90% of Your Needs</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/budget-homelab-starter-stack/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/budget-homelab-starter-stack/</guid><description>Skip the overwhelm. These five self-hosted services cover file sync, password management, reverse proxying, remote access, and document storage.</description><pubDate>Tue, 17 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Stirling PDF: Self-Hosted PDF Toolkit Setup</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/stirling-pdf-setup/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/stirling-pdf-setup/</guid><description>Deploy Stirling-PDF on Docker to merge, split, compress, convert, and edit PDFs without uploading files to third-party websites.</description><pubDate>Mon, 16 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Self-Hosting vs. the Cloud: When It Actually Makes Financial Sense</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/self-hosting-vs-cloud-cost/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/self-hosting-vs-cloud-cost/</guid><description>A clear-eyed breakeven analysis of self-hosting versus cloud subscriptions, with real costs, real trade-offs, and an honest answer for different situations.</description><pubDate>Sat, 14 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>What Is a Homelab? A Plain-English Intro for Beginners</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/what-is-a-homelab/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/what-is-a-homelab/</guid><description>A homelab is a server you run at home. Here&apos;s what that actually means, what people do with them, and how to figure out if you need one.</description><pubDate>Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Getting Started with Self-Hosting: A Beginner&apos;s Roadmap</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/guides/getting-started-with-self-hosting/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/guides/getting-started-with-self-hosting/</guid><description>Everything you need to know to start self-hosting services at home, from choosing hardware to running your first container.</description><pubDate>Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Why Self-Hosting Matters More Than Ever in 2026</title><link>https://budgethomelab.com/articles/why-self-host-in-2026/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://budgethomelab.com/articles/why-self-host-in-2026/</guid><description>Cloud services keep getting more expensive and less private. Here&apos;s why building your own homelab is the smartest move you can make this year.</description><pubDate>Sun, 08 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item></channel></rss>