# Off Grid?!



## CountryCrazy (Feb 28, 2013)

Does anyone on here live Off Grid?

I've been thinking about it for awhile. I love the idea of it but I'm not sure how to get to the point of not need all the things I have and use. I want to be as self-sufficient as possible. I want to raise my own meat, veggies, fruit, grain and maybe even make my own clothes. I want my husband to only have to work a few days a week to pay the bills. I want to raise my future children as natural as possible, away from the mess that is society today!! I got my goats and I've got a breeding plan and a milking/eating plan. I'm going to get chickens and start a garden. I'm thinking about sheep and spinning.

The problem is I don't have anyone to show/tell me what to do. I'm a visual learner. I learn very quick but I have to be shown. I've watch videos and have a million books, but it's slow going.

Also I don't want to live Off Grid in Indiana I want to move out west!! But I've never been out west. Very sheltered as a child. But hubby has and he loves it! He likes the winters the most But it seems like we would have to be loaded to move out west and buy property. And how would he change jobs? It's not like he can come in for a interview. 

Grrrrrr I'm just so confused. My parents didn't teach me how to live, just how to be alive. And now I don't even know how normal people live and move far away. 

Wow sorry for the rant! I feel better now tho. Hope I didn't scare anyone reading off lol. For those of you left I will take any advice, comments, and lectures you wanna give me!! Thanks


----------



## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

ok...first of all, take a really deep inhale...then a LOOONNNGGGGG exhale. calm down a bit?? lol

moving can be an anxiety inducing, I understand. I was born in China, immigrated to Canada, grew up outside of Toronto and then moved to Toronto after university. I met a boy, and he talked me into moving to Barbados, and I live here now. so all in all...LOTS of moving around! each time is scary, but exciting at the same time!

don't worry about interviews, people are willing to give interviews on phone or via Skype. 

out west is BEAUTIFUL! I've only been to California, but it's just amazing. especially northern cali. 

as for living off-grid, we now live in a house that's net-zero. we're in talks of moving somewhere where we can be almost completely off grid (can't give up my internet as I wouldn't know what to do without this forum!).

with regards to off-grid living, what are you hoping to learn about?


----------



## CountryCrazy (Feb 28, 2013)

Hehe ok breathing under control

No Cali for me!! Don't like the ocean or ocean weather. More like Colorado, the Dakota's, Wyoming, maybe a little south of there. 

Umm some of the ?s I have are:

Location? Acreage? 

Solar energy? How and how much?

Well digging?  What kinda pump? Do they do hand pumps anymore? For the house does the well pump run on solar?

Plumbing? How much? Reg toilet? Septic system? Incinerating toilet smell? Shower? Water heater? Sinks? 

Cabin or house? Size? Additions later? (Kids)

Cell phone signal? Home phone? Internet?

Appliances? Wood cook stove? Gas stove? Fridge and freezer? Solar powered?

Root cellar. Part of house or separate? 

How much can I grow myself? Wheat for bread? Fruits? 

Again I've read books but I'd like to hear good info from a real person I know what's possible or easiest but I want to know what's best!

Ok back to breathing. In out in out


----------



## lanafana (Apr 22, 2013)

I am sooooo with you on the off grid thing, as well as being confused as to where to start. I t would be a dream of mine to do ALL of that and more. I, like you just can't pick up and move right now, bit my goals for now are to prepare myself to live "off grid"". I am trying to make e everything I can from scratch, by hand, etc. You have to start somewhere and can't do it all at once (at least I can't). For now these are the things I am trying out or will be in near future (you may already be doing many of them)
1. Make my own bread ALWAYS. Working on getting a mill so I can mill my own grain. 
2. Growing veggies
3. Eggs and milk form backyard (chickens and goats)
4. Sewing
5. Dabbling in dehydrating and canning
6. Make my own laundry detergent, household cleaners, soap. 
7. Building as much as I can with my hands
8. Raising tilapia for food with aquaponics
9. Trying my hardest to just DOWNSIZE ON LIFE in general. 

My personality is such that I don't need much at all to be content, nor does my spouse or kids thank God. I could be in a mud hut and be perfectly content if I had my family and a few good neighbors. I actually looked into the dirt bag, cob, and straw bale homes. 

But I am overly excited about all this kind of stuff and want to do it like...yesterday!! But like the comment above, I am realizing patience goes a long way, and in the meantime there is so much I can do and learn. I am actually from northern california and the weather and people are so laid back and cool. What a perfect place to go off grid! But yeah, very expensive. Just search like crazy on Craigslist and the many land and farm websites and you never know something may turn up!!!

Let me know what kind of things you are doing now that I could maybe incorporate into my own schedule. I love learning new skills!!


----------



## lanafana (Apr 22, 2013)

I really think that if I were going off grid, I would like to implement a permaculture design. I think it's awesome and can't think of a better way to do things than that!


----------



## CountryCrazy (Feb 28, 2013)

lanafana, I like you

I'm trying to get into those things. Making everything from scratch by hand. Strait from garden, animal, or nature!!


----------



## lanafana (Apr 22, 2013)

I saw a YouTube video of a man (I think he was a musician or tv personality not sure) that documented his whole process of going off grid with his family. It was really an eye opener, and he documents a lot of the stuff you are asking about. It seemed so costly and like you would have to have a descent sized nest egg put away to do it though unless you live in like a yurt or trailer for a while to get things up and running. Or if you have two homes and use one as base camp until you get the off grid one together 

Sorry for all the comments. I am jus so excited to hear someone talking about this!!! I love it!


----------



## CountryCrazy (Feb 28, 2013)

YouTube is the bomb!! I watched a video on Off Grid and bought the guys Ebook. Very helpful. But not exactly what I'm wanting to do, it was more ******* I want more Eco Laura Ingals 

I'm thinking we would by property and park a solar camper/rv (?) and build everything from the ground up. From our own woods if possible. 

Dig a well, build a garage for hubby's stuff, build a barn and fences, till a huge garden, and then build a cabin or pole barn house.


----------



## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

aaah....ok! when someone says "out west" I automatically got to cali/Oregon/Washington. CO is more "central" to me.....lol

alright, below is what I can answer for now....

if you're curious to see our house, go to the pictures in the website www.ecostructurebb.com ...it's the first 5 pictures. or search Eco Structure Barbados in fb, and look for "treehouse" album.

Location? Acreage? - Barbados, one acre for now... looking for something bigger to fit everyone (i.e. goats, chickens, us, dogs, etc etc)

Solar energy? How and how much? - we have a 5kilowatt system. key to having solar energy is to make your house efficient, like if you're going to have AC or heating, make sure it's insulated and no leakages, finding energy efficient appliances, etc

Well digging?







What kinda pump? Do they do hand pumps anymore? For the house does the well pump run on solar? - we have city water to the house for now

Plumbing? How much? Reg toilet? Septic system? Incinerating toilet smell? Shower? Water heater? Sinks?  - solar water heater, low flush toilet with the small/large flush option, shower with water efficient shower head,

Cabin or house? Size? Additions later? (Kids) - house, what they call "wall house" down here....or just concrete. one bedroom, but my bf was thinking you can build a smaller structure for an extra bedroom.

Cell phone signal? Home phone? Internet? - yes

Appliances? Wood cook stove? Gas stove? Fridge and freezer? Solar powered? - gas stove, energy efficient fridge and freezer, LED tv, energy efficient washer. we don't have many appliances. if you needed a dryer, there are gas dryers available on the market.

Root cellar. Part of house or separate? - none

How much can I grow myself? Wheat for bread? Fruits? - someone else will have to answer this..... we currently have in ground growing and aquaponics system. not grown to capacity yet, but we're not really used to tropical growing conditions, so we're kind of playing around a bit with it. you can always see if you can find a farmer close by (maybe go to farmers markets and stuff) and see how much they yield on the land they have?

hope this helps!

and yes...just keep breathing! everything will be okay!


----------



## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

oh, you can build a log house from the trees from your lot...you can google how it's done.

I know in Bali there are a few architects (friends of friends) who can help you build a house from bamboo grown on your lot (takes about 3 years to grow all you need there apparently)


----------



## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

btw - *LOVING* this thread! we're kind of trying as many things as we can to be self sustainable!

oh, and the things we're trying:
1. aquaponics and gardening
2. bread making (sourdough) and other culinary conquests....no milling own flour yet (hope to soon!)
3. goats and chickens
4. fermenting - kefir, cheese, yogurt, sourdough, sauerkraut
5. making own cleaning agents
6. rudimentary knitting and sewing skills (scarves, hats, mittens and mostly anything with straight lines)

I can be happy with the little things in life, but i'm a creature of comfort, so I've told the bf NO dirt houses! I can probably stick my hand up the behind of a goat when needed, but I can also be a princess, and a dirt house is where I draw the line! lol


----------



## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

I would also like to live a mainly self-sufficient lifestyle but mostly I want to be noncommercial and buy from locals. I've moved allot in my 19 years of life. I was born in California and lived there a total of 8 years with breaks. I lived in Hawaii for 9 months, Louisiana for 1 year, Mississippi for 6 years, Arizona for 3 years, and North Carolina for 4 months. This does not count the days or weeks I have spent in other states. I have traveled through or briefly visited New Mexico, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. California is beautiful and if it wasn't so plagued with rules and regulations I would move back. It's expensive and so heavily regulated you can't fart without someone yelling at you for releasing too much methane gas.

If you want to move somewhere that you can be self-reliant remember the things you need to live. Water that can be accessed without power and enough forage to feed your animals. Even if you have a well with a solar powered pump what if it fails? You don't want to be without water while it's down. You don't need a huge amount of acreage if you properly maintain it and regulate pastures. *Caitlyn or Goat Song would be a good person to look up. Here is her blog. http://lifeatmennageriefarm.blogspot.com*

I'm moving to North Carolina in a couple of months for several reasons. #1 I feel I can be more self-reliant on land that can grow forage without assistance. Currently where I am in AZ it's desert. There is barely any forage for my goats save for a couple months in the winter when the grass grows and tumble weeds are green. I am entirely reliant on hay dealers for my animals feed. I hate being this way. #2 I have family there that also farm. My aunt owns a 2,000 head goat dairy that I will be working at; one of my cousins does allot of harvesting grain for other people and his own so he can help me get wholesale grains and seeds.

Don't rush anything. Breathe and really think before you jump into anything. Don't move and get yourself stranded somewhere with no support system. I don't plan on living in North Carolina forever. It is simply my starting point. I really want to move to Montana or Wyoming.


----------



## CountryCrazy (Feb 28, 2013)

Nchen7 your place is cool

I'm not rushing into anything, we have to live in our house for a min of a year before we sale. I'm planning on 4 or 5 years from now. 

I was thinking of doing the whole, build a log house out of our own trees. I ju


----------



## CountryCrazy (Feb 28, 2013)

Thanks everybody 

Keep the ideas and comments coming!!
I'm also looking for things y'all do to save money. Things that are Eco. Off Grid or just frugal.

Btw I'm thinking 4/5 years from now on the actual moving. But I want to start the preparations ASAP!! Including spending less and saving


----------



## lanafana (Apr 22, 2013)

CountryCrazy said:


> YouTube is the bomb!! I watched a video on Off Grid and bought the guys Ebook. Very helpful. But not exactly what I'm wanting to do, it was more ******* I want more Eco Laura Ingals
> .


I can't believe you mentioned Laura ingals!!! My kids and I sit around and take turns reading her books aloud to each other. This Is one of the many Inspirations for wanting to live this way. I can just see myself sitting in a log cabin with a fire going with fresh bread baking, salted meat and veggies being stored in the cellar. When We read those books we are always like "I wish we could live like that!!" Too funny...


----------



## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

I'd also like to note some things people might not think about. You can grow potatoes, onions, garlic and mushrooms in your house very easily. No need to start an elaborate garden for them just use them like a house plant or with the mushrooms just use an empty cabinet. The plus is you can have them year round instead of seasonally like foraged ones. You can buy a starter kit online easily.


----------



## Crystal (Jan 20, 2013)

I know several people in Arizona that live off the grid. They love it but it can be a little costly to start. Black Mesa is in Snow Flake Az. They are wind and solar. They raise goats and sell cheese. They have some blogs on cost and troubles they have had. I have a neighbor that has his well on solar and now his home. Schools in Arizona are also going solar. We are going to try doing solar on my land.


----------



## lanafana (Apr 22, 2013)

Crystal said:


> I know several people in Arizona that live off the grid. They love it but it can be a little costly to start. Black Mesa is in Snow Flake Az. They are wind and solar. They raise goats and sell cheese. They have some blogs on cost and troubles they have had. I have a neighbor that has his well on solar and now his home. Schools in Arizona are also going solar. We are going to try doing solar on my land.


That's the thing, the expensive start up. I wonder if there are ways or suggestions to get around it. It seems that you have to be pretty creative and sacrifice some things or just have a good amount of money to get going.


----------



## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

lanafana said:


> That's the thing, the expensive start up. I wonder if there are ways or suggestions to get around it. It seems that you have to be pretty creative and sacrifice some things or just have a good amount of money to get going.


a lot of times, depending on where you are, there are tax breaks and/or rebate incentives for putting in eco-friendly items in your house. For example, in Toronto, you can get cash rebate from the city for buying energy star appliances, low flow toilets, hybrid/electric cars. there were also grants for building green roof, but I think that was only for businesses. here in Barbados, you get a tax credit up to USD2500/year up to 5 years for setting up anything solar related on your house. There can also be grants that you can apply for (e.g. grant for green roof). it won't cover all the costs up front, but it can help.

You should check with the tax laws in your area to see if there are any such rebates/tax credits/grants available in your area. you can be surprised at what you maybe able to find out there, especially with everyone trying to "go green" these days, and governments putting up a front for wanting to be environmental.


----------



## lanafana (Apr 22, 2013)

nchen7 said:


> a lot of times, depending on where you are, there are tax breaks and/or rebate incentives for putting in eco-friendly items in your house. For example, in Toronto, you can get cash rebate from the city for buying energy star appliances, low flow toilets, hybrid/electric cars. there were also grants for building green roof, but I think that was only for businesses. here in Barbados, you get a tax credit up to USD2500/year up to 5 years for setting up anything solar related on your house. There can also be grants that you can apply for (e.g. grant for green roof). it won't cover all the costs up front, but it can help.
> 
> You should check with the tax laws in your area to see if there are any such rebates/tax credits/grants available in your area. you can be surprised at what you maybe able to find out there, especially with everyone trying to "go green" these days, and governments putting up a front for wanting to be environmental.


I know there are tax breaks here in Maryland like that also. Here's the thing though, you still need a good amount of money. The energy efficient stuff is very expensive even with the rebates. Yes, in the long run the hybrid or electric car and energy efficient appliances are cost effective and more energy efficient, but the up front cost just isn't feasible in my case. I don't do loans of any sort, I hate them. Thank God we own our house outright! Being "green" in this day and age is hard on the pocket if you go commercial. This goes for cars, appliances, food, etc. I would much rather have a cheaper car that I can fix to run on cooking oil, than to pay $25,000+ for an energy efficient Prius and be in debt. As long as you owe you don't really have money or freedom.

For me, off grid would mean simplicity on all levels and not just Eco friendly and energy efficient. I know everyone has a different way of looking at this off grid concept. And I know you can be off grid and live pretty large!! I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that. But I am really looking to live simply (with Internet )!!

And like you said, the government is putting up a front. They are interested in these things because the masses are becoming more interested and they don't want to lose money. If you look at a lot of the commercial organic brands of just about everything, they are owned be big corporations like coca cola. They are in it for the profit. Even with wind power and solar power, they don't mind you having things like this they just have to be in control of it somehow. When people stop consuming, everything they have set up will collapse. So for me, off grid would mean being completely independent of that and if there ever was a collapse I could still get along just fine.


----------

