Living Off the Grid
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- docpoz2
It's liberating but socially frustrating if you are into that sort of thing.
- jatrick2
I moved from a big city in the UK to a small mountain town in BC, Canada about 6 years ago. Lots of people living like that here, or very close to it. I live in a cabin, not off the grid, but on 6.5 acres, although just renting.
If you're actually serious (and to confirm, OP isn't talking about 'off-the-grid' if they intend to freelance from home- wifi?!), highly recommend going half-way first: move somewhere truly rural and rent – learn to live rurally, or on the land, before you commit to anything. Housesit on farms even, that'll give you a taste.
If you're from the city and yer all over that cabin porn website and own an axe and all that shit, great, good for you, you lumbersexual. But you better know your shit when it comes to gathering, splitting, drying and storing firewood, and which wood burns best. And you better know your way around engines and stoves. And basic plumbing/electrical shit. And rodents.
All these homesteading blog posts about a guy who built his dream home for $2000 – bullshit.
Let alone cost of the bare land (choice of which could fuck you from the start - flooding, natural light etc), and the basic structure of the house, what about amenities – solar panels aren't cheap, neither is bringing in power lines. Where's your water coming from? Water rights off creeks can be difficult/pricey to secure and need a bunch of maintenance, and digging a well could set you back an extra $50k easy. Sewage? Septics cost a ton to dig and maintain, and a composting toilet/grey water recycling system will take time and money to get by inspectors.
Either way, sounds to me like OP fancies some rural small-town living, not off-the-grid homesteading. From my 50% experience, I imagine real off-the-grid would be fucking tough, and mentally challenging. Cabin fever is a real thing. If you really want to work long physical hours sun-up to sun-down just to exist, then you're a better person than I.
Sweet cabin pictures doe.
- +10000
Don't be such a purist, he just meant having a bigger yard.ORAZAL - "You won't believe how this man built his dream bigger yard with only $5 and a tonka truck, click to find out how!"jatrick
- my 90 year old grandparents are 90% off the grid, and did it all themselvesmonospaced
- +10000
- pinkfloyd0
Watched this vid this morning. A bit too extreme
- how'd she have the babies? (i'm only 5min. in...)bklyndroobeki
- ideaist0
If it's viable, do it:
I live in a village of 1,300 and am having a go at it with my partner/wife; it's MUCH harder...
...The highs higher and the lows lower.
IF you can handle both good and growing days, then do it.
; )
- ...The goal is buy a few acres, grow our own food, live a manageable life, etc.ideaist
- A vegetarian diet?pinkfloyd
- An example of a home we just looked at: http://beta.realtor.…ideaist
- "grow our own food" = cattle (possibly), broilers (chickens), rabbits and yes vegetables.ideaist
- wow, that's awesomepinkfloyd
- 300k is too high as i'd rather pay everything at oncepinkfloyd
- Yeah, it will go for 200 - 225 (we're hoping to us). The goal is to be as far under the $200,000 mark as possible...ideaist
- props for going for it!scarabin
- GeorgesIV0
Just posting to provide some encouragment to people starting/scheming on off-grid style.
I started out living in a tent with tarps, propane stove, and oil lamps. I had to weed whack my kitchen weekly! Then I built a 16x16 cabin, and got a tiny solar system that would power lights and a little boom box. Since expanded the cabin to almost 600 sq ft, building slowly over time with recycled materials. Still got tarps hanging off the cabin for additional dry space - it rains A LOT here. 200+ inches per year.
The best thing about off-grid in my mind is learning how to do things for myself. I can now build a house, wire electricity, design and install solar PV, plumbing, grow a bunch of food, and live cheaply, working (for money) only a day or two per week. Still plenty of work on the homestead though!
The worst thing about off grid living, in my case at least, is that I have to be around. I can't take off on a voyage without stressing about finding someone who is capable of managing my homestead. And not many are...luckily I have good friends who are into it. My house is almost like a living being - it requires knowledgable care to stay functional. And animals are a blessing and a curse.
A very valuable lesson I've learned is that infrastructure is expensive, and very nessecary. I spent 4 years slogging through mud to reach my house from the road before I wised up and spent the money to bring in gravel for a driveway. I got a propane fridge two years back, and have since saved much more than the value of the fridge on spoiled food and ice blocks for the cooler...my whole neighborhood is off-grid and we all agree, cooler-patrol is lame.
Next on the list is plumbing an indoor toilet. That'll entail buying a keg of beer, making a bunch of pizzas, and invitiing all my friends over to dig a cesspool...which leads me to another point. Friends with skills have absolutely crucial to my off-grid experience. I'll trade work with my friends who live off-grid, and we all benefit, in money saved, skills learned, and good times had by all.
Any Hawaii Island off-grid folks can contact me, and maybe we can work together to make it easier.
- so you chop yourself off from the world to come back to the world - fantasizing that it's on your terms...pr2
- doggydoggdog0
Be rich and buy a house in the Hamptons. That's off the grid for NYC.
- doggydoggdog0
Go to North Dakota, everywhere is off the grid there.