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Off-Grid Living – Is This Right for You?

Off Grid

You may have heard about moving off-grid and thought that it sounded interesting, but were not quite sure what it involved or if it would be right for you. If so then read on for a basic run-down on what off-grid living means and how to prepare for it.

What Does Off-Grid Living Mean?

The term grid is mainly used in connection with electricity. The poles and pylons with connecting wires bring mains electricity to our homes. In the same way water and gas are supplied by a grid of pipes. So off-grid living means that your house will not be connected to any of the utilities that you find in a town or city.

People who live off-grid have to create their own power supply using solar panels and wind turbines. For water they will have to rely on a spring or well. So living off-grid means giving up the convenience of public utilities in favor of a self-sufficient lifestyle.

Why Do People Choose To Live Off-Grid?

There are many reasons why people choose to live off-grid. It could be a case of necessity in that your house is in an area where there are no public utilities. Some people prefer to be fully self-sufficient and entirely reliant on their own resources. Others feel safer living alone and apart from society from a deep distrust of the government. Yet others yearn for a simpler back-to-nature form of existence.

What Does It Take To Move Off-Grid?

People who move off-grid with the idea of living a simple life away from the hustle and bustle of the big city are in for a shock. Living off-grid is not easy, rather it involves a lot of hard work.

Even if you are happy to forego the comforts of modern living, you will have to learn new skills to enable you to survive in this situation. All the tasks like building repairs, growing food and general maintenance for which you could find help in the city will now be down to you. So your first task would be to learn all you can about the lifestyle and how to cope on your own.

You would also need a considerable amount of money to to set up home off-grid. You would need to acquire some land with a house or cabin. Assuming you are able to work your income should cover the cost of food and supplies. If you were planning to become entirely self-sufficient you would still need some funds to pay for items that you could not provide for yourself.

One other thing to consider when you are thinking about moving off-grid is location. As the real estate agents say location is everything so if possible choose an area with a reasonable climate. An area with harsh cold winters and blazing hot summers would obviously make life more difficult. If you don’t have the choice then make sure you are prepared before you take the plunge into your off-grid lifestyle.

I’m Not Ready for Off-Grid Living. Is There Anything I Can Do In The Meantime?

Learn all you can about self-sufficient living. Pick up some bushcraft skills such as shelter building, hunting, fishing and foraging. Also essential is the ability to light a fire using natural materials. Other wilderness survival skills include wood carving to create items from trees and bushes.

One of the most important survival skills is first aid. Knowing what to do in the event of an accident and how to cope without modern medical equipment.

While you are learning these new skills you should also save money to build up a fund in readiness for your move. In the initial stages at least living off-grid is more expensive than you might expect.

Building up some savings now will mean that you are better prepared. As your savings grow you will start to see that you are making progress towards your goal of living off-grid.

Wrap Up

While living off-grid is not simple, it is perfectly achievable. If you have decided that the self-sufficient lifestyle is for you, then start taking the actions outlined above to realize your dream.

What started as a plan to prepare my family for survival in both the rural wilderness and the urban jungle has made me realize just how much there is to learn. After extensive research I am keen to pass on the knowledge I have acquired to save you the stress and worry of being caught out in unexpected circumstances.

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