Millions of people want to move off the grid and live a simpler life, but this doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. There are many challenges to living off the grid, and it will require money, hard work and dedication to build your new way of life. It’s not something you can just jump into and expect it to be a success.
It’s hard work to build a log cabin, install a solar power system with a battery backup, drill a well, run the plumbing and wiring, install your composting toilet or septic system, build your chicken coop and greenhouse, till the soil, plant your garden grow you food, keep the pests out of your garden, build a pole barn, and that’s just to build a foundation for your off grid homestead to get you started.
Living off grid requires a lot of time and effort and old fashioned hard work. You will pour your blood sweat and tears into your homestead. You will get blisters, and calluses and you may even get an injury or two. Hopefully not, and hopefully you’re careful and use proper safety equipment and gear like gloves and safety glasses and you won’t over exert yourself lifting the logs to build your off grid cabin.
The point of this article isn’t to deter or discourage you from achieving your off grid dream. It’s to put the fantastical romanticized version of off grid living to the side and focus on the reality of this new lifestyle choice. It will take time to make the transition from the hustle and bustle of city and suburban life to living on a farm. Because let’s be clear.
That’s what off grid living is. You’ll essentially be living on a farm or ranch style homestead, generating your own power and water, growing your own food, and maintaining all the buildings, electrical, water lines and plumbing, and doing all maintenance and repairs yourself.
You’re going to need the skills and knowledge to make this life easier on you and your family. You will get uncomfortable. You will go to bed tired and hungry and you will be sore and achy all over from a hard days work. It’s certainly not “easy” to build an off grid homestead.
You will be living the simpler life though. No more hustle and bustle of the city. No more grinding 60+ hours a week just to make ends meet only to be unhappy and in debt waiting for your check just to pay bills.
Living off grid is about becoming more self reliant so you are not dependent on the system to live your life and provide for your family. It’s a simpler life in that you’re not having to deal with all the negative stress that comes with city and suburban life. No more traffic and noisy roads. No more horns and sirens and people who don’t turn on their blinker, or cut you off in traffic. No more terrible boss that doesn’t care about you or your family.
Off grid living is about living a simpler life without all the baggage that comes with a life lived in the city. The city is fine for entertainment or travel or every now and then. But most people want to disconnect from that “Always On!” kind of stress.
It’s not just about disconnecting from the grid. It’s about disconnecting from all the things that stress you out in life. It’s about minimalism and simplifying your life and the way you live it.
It’s not “EASY”. If you’re looking for the easy life, off grid living is not easy. But it is simpler and will have less of the kinds of stresses that come with city life.
Does this mean off grid living is stress free?
No, absolutely not. There will be stress with off grid living too. If you build your own cabin and install your electrical and plumbing you will have to pull permits, get inspections, and go through the processes that comes with all that. But, it’s only temporary and once your through all that, you won’t usually have that stress again unless you build another building or structure of some kind that requires a permit.
You will have the stress of keeping and raising livestock and keeping them fed, healthy, and keeping them safe from predators. You will have stresses associated with keeping pests out of your garden and growing your food.
You will fail a lot in the beginning. There will be setbacks and it’s not always going to go smoothly. But this is where your willpower and dedication to the off grid life comes in.
This is where your character shines and your freedom and independence is realized. When you finally achieve your off grid dreams it will be because you worked hard for years to transition from the stressful life of society to a completely new lifestyle where you no longer depend on the system.
You will be self reliant and free. You will be living independently from the grid, producing your own power, water, food and shelter.
The off grid life is getting up in the morning and working on your homestead, not dealing with the daily 9-5 rat-race that is society now. It’s a “simple” life, but by no means will it be easy.
You can rest assured it will be more rewarding. You will have a greater sense of accomplishment and pride by building your own, growing your own, and being generally more free than you have ever been.
You will have fewer bills because you got rid of your electric bill, your water bill, your mortgage, and now you need less money to live on. You can live less expensively, save more money and live a more fulfilling life.
It will take hard work and dedication, knowledge and skill, and the drive to make it work for you and your family. Don’t be discouraged or disillusioned. Don’t think it will be easy. It won’t.
After you make the transition to living off the grid and you spend you first couple few years building your homestead and dialing it in, you will finally achieve your off grid dreams through sheer hard work and determination.
The simple life is not easy, but the reward is freedom.
I’d say that’s worth the hard work!