Things To Consider When Off Grid Living

March 26, 2020April 27, 2023 WETSU Survival Division 971 Views 8 min read

Living off the grid is different for every individual. Some feel that living off the grid means to live outside of the human norm on land in a hand-built cabin without electricity, well water, sewer, and family. For others, it means to live by your own means of support and not have to depend on government help of any kind. Whatever living off the grid means to you, there are several options to get you started and help you find your own way to independent living.

Our country is in a severe economic depression right now and a lot of people are losing jobs and even their homes. This means living in a rental, living in a camper or RV, and for some, it means being homeless. Each has its own form of living off the grid and can become comfortable depending on your personal mindset for survival.

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It is difficult to lose everything you have. But a tough situation can turn into a good life change if you follow a path that will let you live in comfort with less than you are used to. Some of us will have to survive to live in our cars. Others will find better opportunities. If you have the means and way to find land, even a small lot, you can begin living off the grid right away.

Urban and city lifestyles off the grid are going to be the most common home choices of the moment. Everything from a small apartment to a large home in the city can support a certain amount of off-grid living.

There is help for those that are facing a situation that will force them into the lifestyle. But with careful planning and investment, they will survive and thrive. Begin with knowing where to look. Certain companies offer a great selection of solar kits for small homes and apartments.

This site, http://store.sundancesolar.com/plsoensy.html (not an affiliate) is a company that offers solar kits for RV’s, boats and small cabins. It is a plug and plays kit that is easy to install and use at any time in almost any location. If the sun is shining or you are getting a fair amount of sunlight, it will work.

The kit produces enough energy to run a laptop computer, iPad, iPhone, lights, small TV and more. You can charge your electronics and live off the grid while staying in touch with the outside world. Having the use of your computer while living without traditional power, you can earn a living by writing, educating or running a small online business.

The solar and wind energy kits run from as low as $90.00 to an average of $200.00 plus. They are worth every cent you spend and provide you with enough energy for off-grid living and entertainment at a touch.

Living in the country in a home with acreage provides a lot of opportunities for living off the grid when it comes to power sources. Solar panels and wind turbines are used in many places throughout the country year-round. It can power refrigeration for food storage and heat for warming a home in the wintertime.

City homes and many countryside homes can have wood stoves installed. If you live in an area that makes firewood purchase too expensive, consider the pellet stove or a multi-fuel burning stove for home warmth. Choose a design that provides enough flat top room on the stove for cooking or heating meals. This helps to save on appliance energy use during the winter months.

Food is the next issue you need to deal with. If you are tired of trying to beat inflation when it comes to shopping for groceries, you need to take advantage of the grow your own garden idea.

This can be done in many forms from a small balcony or windowsill garden to a larger garden of farm investment.

Inner-city farming of unused land has become popular in the last decade and many churches are replacing their lawns with gardens to help feed those in need. By growing a garden in a church plot, you can provide your family and other church members with fresh produce at a low cost. Take advantage of every program you can to increase food production from home or local community sites.

Windowsill gardening can include growing herbs for flavoring or for tea. You can grow leafy plants such as spinach, baby carrots and lettuce on a windowsill to provide a partial supplement to meals. Add a shelf in front of a well-lit window in your apartment to grow a larger garden.

Just cover the shelf with reflective foil and foil-covered blocks on the back and sides of the shelf for the maximum amount of sunlight. You can grow a selection of salad greens, onions, herbs, cherry tomatoes, and strawberries. As you increase your knowledge you can move on to producing more food by the use of window water gardens grown in special bottles that hang in front of the window making full use of available sunlight.

If you have land available for use, you can produce a garden that will feed a family of four all the produce they can use for a season. Learn to preserve produce for winter months by drying and canning everything that is not used while fresh.

With enough available land, you can grow enough produce to sell to neighbors, from a yard farm stand or at a local farmers market. This works to provide food for the family and create an income so you can continue your off the grid lifestyle without going hungry.

Meats are an option many people are willing to live without, but those of us that love meat we need to figure out a way to buy locally or produce our own. You can produce your own meat through raising rabbits within a small confined space of an apartment to livestock on a piece of land.

If you do not want to do the butchering yourself, you can reach out to local farmers and ranchers in the area. They are willing to butcher meat-producing animals for a small price or a portion of the meat. Local butcher shops will take in your live animal and butcher it into various cuts, wrapped and ready for the freezer.

Part of the off-grid lifestyle includes creating income or using a barter system to get what you need. With land and the problems of inflation, job loss, and hunger, the best idea is in food. If you can grow something of your own or provide a selection of meals or snacks, you will have yourself a part-time income.

A simple, cost-effective snack you can produce right in your own small kitchen is flavored popcorn. Use baggies filled with your creation to sell or trade for what you want. This type of snack goes well at flea markets and swap meets. Neighbors and friends will support your new business once they taste a couple of selections on your menu.

If you can grow only one kind of product such as cherry tomatoes, strawberries, or spinach you can sell the produce or trade for meat products. Every cent you earn now should go into a jar and when it comes time to pay bills use the money you have made to ease the pain in the wallet. You can also use this small amount of money during the last week of the month for gas in the car or for a treat to something special.

Anything you can do, produce or earn without standard methods is a part of living off the grid. You can ease your life from energy needs by using shade in the summer and wood heat in the winter. Grow your own food in small amounts or large quantities.

Living off the grid can happen for any reason. Your power may be turned off due to unpaid bills, you may lose your home, you might have to deal with rolling brownouts, or a section of the country may lose power during winter storms. Keep yourself prepared by learning to live off the grid in small amounts now and it will be easier when there is no power to rely on.

Earn income on a full time or part-time basis with your knowledge, abilities, and hobbies or skills to provide a buffer to the downward economy. It is all a part of learning to live off the grid.

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