living self-sustained/off the grid

[FaithfilledGranolaChick]

Just like a lot of you all are thinking about and planning on living self-sustained/off the grid, DH and I have been as well. I am just starting to wonder how realistic something like that would be for us.

Doesn't anyone who lives this way still HAVE to have some sort of income on regular basis (unless, of course you have the finances stored away and don't have to worry about it) for things like medical care, life insurance, what about home owners insurance? (I am sure there are several other things I am not thinking of)

To most of you does self-sustained/off the grid mean having no mortgage?

[ArmsOfLove]

It depends on where and how you live self sustained. You can turn a conventional home into an off the grid home and still have a mortgage, etc. You can grow a garden but still purchase some things from the store. You can live in the same house and work at the same job, and just not pay utilities. though in most cities it's illegal to drill for a well so I'm not sure if you can be *totally* off the grid in most places that way.

More often it means moving outside the city limits and setting up your own utilities. Solar, wind, or other means of electricity, growing your own food (though we intend to have stores of grains that will last us some time while we figure out how to grow other stuff).

We don't have to worry about medical insurance because dh is Army retired, but we have been researching (and need to do more) herbal and eo treatments for things.

anyway, I'm still learning about all of this so I hope others share :) But one thing dh and I did was, years ago when we first started researching all of this, got a subscription to Mother Earth News--lots of great articles on this stuff :)

[brandi]

I just told DH last night, that if things get bad enough, we'll just move to the mountains (or the beach) and live in a tent for a while untill we can get a sturdier home. I would love to be able to find a Christian settlement and live in commune with other Christians.

[StrangeTraveller]

we want to convert a home. I'm looking at pricing and practicality now, but i'm totally clueless...

[JoyGal]

This is something I would love to do :) In fact, right now we are starting to look into property and house plans for a super energy efficient home that could be completely self-reliant as well. I enjoy the research on it. Canadiyank has a great blog in her siggy with some good info :)

I think it is important to continue to have an income as well. Whether this means going in to an 8-5 job daily or having ways to support the family from home. Insurance is important of course and a must. I'm not sure how a lot of people handle that who live off the grid. I know that there are homesteading families who have one of the spouses go in to the city to work for periods of time. I want to keep learning more and more about it too :)

There are so many reasons to live off the grid and it seems like there are times for me that desire is stronger than others. But slowly we are trying for that to become reality :)

[FaithfilledGranolaChick]

Thank you!

Right now we have to pay for our medical insurance (but should be getting it through dh's work soon) and if he didn't work full time we would have to pay for an individual policy like we do now. The only reason I even feel like we even need medical insurance would be for some sort of unexpected serious illness or something tragic.

We live on 3 acres (not in city limits) now and could convert our home to another source of energy, and we have a well (but then you still need electric to pump it, right?) unless we do it manually (I think it would be possible?) that is if it's legal.

I've tried gardening and I cannot grow worth nothing. I am sure I could figure all my problems out... but that would take time and probably money.

I need to get some books with more information....but we are trying not to spend any money right now(b/c we don't have it!) but I feel like I need to spend money in order to save money right now, you know? :sigh

eta: forgot to add... dh would have to still work full time b/c we do have a mortgage (So that's something else that makes me think it might be better to move)

[brandi]

That's why I want to live in a small Christian community. We would be able to pool our resourses and combine our efforts. If someone couldn't sew, no biggie, there would be something else they could offer to the community.

[FaithfilledGranolaChick]

That's why I want to live in a small Christian community. We would be able to pool our resourses and combine our efforts. If someone couldn't sew, no biggie, there would be something else they could offer to the community.


That would be ideal :heart

I know dh and I would consider it if there was something like that around here..... I know what someone will tell me, then I should start one, right? Well, I don't know one person IRL who would be on board. If it wasn't for family we would move in a heartbeat.

[brandi]

That's why I want to live in a small Christian community. We would be able to pool our resourses and combine our efforts. If someone couldn't sew, no biggie, there would be something else they could offer to the community.


That would be ideal :heart

I know dh and I would consider it if there was something like that around here..... I know what someone will tell me, then I should start one, right? Well, I don't know one person IRL who would be on board. If it wasn't for family we would move in a heartbeat.


:raise I would. We don't live tooooo far from each other (we're in the same region) :kiss

[Herbwifemama]

I'm working on eventually ending up here: http://www.ruralvillage.org/

[FaithfilledGranolaChick]

That's why I want to live in a small Christian community. We would be able to pool our resourses and combine our efforts. If someone couldn't sew, no biggie, there would be something else they could offer to the community.


That would be ideal :heart

I know dh and I would consider it if there was something like that around here..... I know what someone will tell me, then I should start one, right? Well, I don't know one person IRL who would be on board. If it wasn't for family we would move in a heartbeat.


:raise I would. We don't live tooooo far from each other (we're in the same region) :kiss


Your right, how amazing would that be :) We can go as far as North Fl (Lake City area) my Grandparents own hundreds and hundreds of acres of beautiful land :heart

[hopeforchange]

well, living off grid doesn't really have anything to do with not having a mortgage. it just means that you have your own water/electricity/sewer so that you're not connected in with everyone else. i think being off grid comes first and then you can woek toward being self sustaining. if you live off grid you have no utilities to pay for...so that frees up some money.

building an earthship is a great way to live off grid :rockon that's what we plan to do :)

[hopeforchange]

well, living off grid doesn't really have anything to do with not having a mortgage. it just means that you have your own water/electricity/sewer so that you're not connected in with everyone else. i think being off grid comes first and then you can woek toward being self sustaining. if you live off grid you have no utilities to pay for...so that frees up some money.

building an earthship is a great way to live off grid :rockon that's what we plan to do :)

[FaithfilledGranolaChick]

well, living off grid doesn't really have anything to do with not having a mortgage. it just means that you have your own water/electricity/sewer so that you're not connected in with everyone else. i think being off grid comes first and then you can woek toward being self sustaining. if you live off grid you have no utilities to pay for...so that frees up some money.

building an earthship is a great way to live off grid :rockon that's what we plan to do :)


I was just looking at those! So you have to build it yourself?

[FaithfilledGranolaChick]

well, living off grid doesn't really have anything to do with not having a mortgage. it just means that you have your own water/electricity/sewer so that you're not connected in with everyone else. i think being off grid comes first and then you can woek toward being self sustaining. if you live off grid you have no utilities to pay for...so that frees up some money.

building an earthship is a great way to live off grid :rockon that's what we plan to do :)


I was just looking at those! So you have to build it yourself?

[thomer]

We're looking into full time RV living - so we'll come around and visit all of your yurts/tents/tipis/earthships/etc

:)

[thomer]

We're looking into full time RV living - so we'll come around and visit all of your yurts/tents/tipis/earthships/etc

:)

[brandi]

You know, it would be pretty awsome to have little communities of GCFamilies everywhere :heart

[brandi]

You know, it would be pretty awsome to have little communities of GCFamilies everywhere :heart

[FaithfilledGranolaChick]

We're looking into full time RV living - so we'll come around and visit all of your yurts/tents/tipis/earthships/etc

:)


That's awesome! I know my dh would love that... maybe someday we would be able to if we get in a better financial situation

[FaithfilledGranolaChick]

We're looking into full time RV living - so we'll come around and visit all of your yurts/tents/tipis/earthships/etc

:)


That's awesome! I know my dh would love that... maybe someday we would be able to if we get in a better financial situation

[Countrymama]

You know, it would be pretty awsome to have little communities of GCFamilies everywhere :heart


:heart Dh is totally wanting to do the self sustaining/off the grid life for as long as I have known him. At first I was actually a little put off by it....my mom had really raised me to think of such things as crazy and freakish. So I thought he was being a little strange and jumping the gun a little bit, but now I am all for it. We would both like to transition to that.
My personal fantasy is to wake up in an Amish community someday! :giggle My mom definitely thinks I am fully crazy now too!

[Countrymama]

You know, it would be pretty awsome to have little communities of GCFamilies everywhere :heart


:heart Dh is totally wanting to do the self sustaining/off the grid life for as long as I have known him. At first I was actually a little put off by it....my mom had really raised me to think of such things as crazy and freakish. So I thought he was being a little strange and jumping the gun a little bit, but now I am all for it. We would both like to transition to that.
My personal fantasy is to wake up in an Amish community someday! :giggle My mom definitely thinks I am fully crazy now too!

[brandi]

I have always wanted to live in an Amish community :giggle

[brandi]

I have always wanted to live in an Amish community :giggle

[thomer]

My MIL grew up Amish, and DH have always said we'll go and hide there if the poop hits the fan. :giggle

[thomer]

My MIL grew up Amish, and DH have always said we'll go and hide there if the poop hits the fan. :giggle

[hbmamma]

We sit on about 30 acres and would love to design it so our friends could come and live on the land with their own cottage/home and we all share in the gardening, childcare, cooking, sewing.... we'd make it so we had to all dine together once a week or so.... a real community....

(but since, IL's own the land, we'll have to wait till they're a bit more, well, you know :shifty) :giggle

[hbmamma]

We sit on about 30 acres and would love to design it so our friends could come and live on the land with their own cottage/home and we all share in the gardening, childcare, cooking, sewing.... we'd make it so we had to all dine together once a week or so.... a real community....

(but since, IL's own the land, we'll have to wait till they're a bit more, well, you know :shifty) :giggle

[hopeforchange]

well, living off grid doesn't really have anything to do with not having a mortgage. it just means that you have your own water/electricity/sewer so that you're not connected in with everyone else. i think being off grid comes first and then you can woek toward being self sustaining. if you live off grid you have no utilities to pay for...so that frees up some money.

building an earthship is a great way to live off grid :rockon that's what we plan to do :)


I was just looking at those! So you have to build it yourself?


no there are actually building companies that will build it for you :) or you can build it yourself. they actually cost about the same price as building a regular home (cheaper if you do it yourself) and yet they're completely off grid :rockon we're very excited about it!

[hopeforchange]

well, living off grid doesn't really have anything to do with not having a mortgage. it just means that you have your own water/electricity/sewer so that you're not connected in with everyone else. i think being off grid comes first and then you can woek toward being self sustaining. if you live off grid you have no utilities to pay for...so that frees up some money.

building an earthship is a great way to live off grid :rockon that's what we plan to do :)


I was just looking at those! So you have to build it yourself?


no there are actually building companies that will build it for you :) or you can build it yourself. they actually cost about the same price as building a regular home (cheaper if you do it yourself) and yet they're completely off grid :rockon we're very excited about it!

[FaithfilledGranolaChick]

well, living off grid doesn't really have anything to do with not having a mortgage. it just means that you have your own water/electricity/sewer so that you're not connected in with everyone else. i think being off grid comes first and then you can woek toward being self sustaining. if you live off grid you have no utilities to pay for...so that frees up some money.

building an earthship is a great way to live off grid :rockon that's what we plan to do :)


I was just looking at those! So you have to build it yourself?


no there are actually building companies that will build it for you :) or you can build it yourself. they actually cost about the same price as building a regular home (cheaper if you do it yourself) and yet they're completely off grid :rockon we're very excited about it!


neat!!

[FaithfilledGranolaChick]

well, living off grid doesn't really have anything to do with not having a mortgage. it just means that you have your own water/electricity/sewer so that you're not connected in with everyone else. i think being off grid comes first and then you can woek toward being self sustaining. if you live off grid you have no utilities to pay for...so that frees up some money.

building an earthship is a great way to live off grid :rockon that's what we plan to do :)


I was just looking at those! So you have to build it yourself?


no there are actually building companies that will build it for you :) or you can build it yourself. they actually cost about the same price as building a regular home (cheaper if you do it yourself) and yet they're completely off grid :rockon we're very excited about it!


neat!!

[Countrymama]

My MIL grew up Amish, and DH have always said we'll go and hide there if the poop hits the fan. :giggle


can I come too? :rockon

[Countrymama]

My MIL grew up Amish, and DH have always said we'll go and hide there if the poop hits the fan. :giggle


can I come too? :rockon

[canadiyank]

I love learning more about "off-the-grid" stuff. Our lot we plan to build on is in city limits, though (we're not much of country people, as much as I love to garden) so we won't be off the grid. My biggest "hope" is that we can do a geothermal-sourced heat/cooling system. We've looked into solar a wee bit since we live in a sunny location, but it's really going to depend...that's something we can always add later, too, whereas the geothermal is harder to retrofit.

[canadiyank]

I love learning more about "off-the-grid" stuff. Our lot we plan to build on is in city limits, though (we're not much of country people, as much as I love to garden) so we won't be off the grid. My biggest "hope" is that we can do a geothermal-sourced heat/cooling system. We've looked into solar a wee bit since we live in a sunny location, but it's really going to depend...that's something we can always add later, too, whereas the geothermal is harder to retrofit.

[Linnis]

My Grandparents, except for power are 'off-the-grid' and they only did that when they got too old to maintain the power systems themselves. They still chop their own wood for winter, raise ducks for eggs and my Grandmother takes care of a large garden. My cousins hunt and my Grandparents get meat that way. In the rural area they live there is no city water.

DH and I dream of living off the grid. We know we'll need to go the way of solar power in larger amounts since we can't burn wood [asthmatics] and have read about building a home for a lot less than a traditional house. I dream of a large garden to take care of, homeschooling DS and taking care of Chickens... :giggle

I guess to me it's more normal since I know people, who aren't radicals in anyway who simply don't see a need for a phone, cable, internet, hunt for their meat...It's not so common around here but my Grandparents town has maybe 300 people.

[Linnis]

My Grandparents, except for power are 'off-the-grid' and they only did that when they got too old to maintain the power systems themselves. They still chop their own wood for winter, raise ducks for eggs and my Grandmother takes care of a large garden. My cousins hunt and my Grandparents get meat that way. In the rural area they live there is no city water.

DH and I dream of living off the grid. We know we'll need to go the way of solar power in larger amounts since we can't burn wood [asthmatics] and have read about building a home for a lot less than a traditional house. I dream of a large garden to take care of, homeschooling DS and taking care of Chickens... :giggle

I guess to me it's more normal since I know people, who aren't radicals in anyway who simply don't see a need for a phone, cable, internet, hunt for their meat...It's not so common around here but my Grandparents town has maybe 300 people.

[brandi]

DH and I dream of living off the grid. We know we'll need to go the way of solar power in larger amounts since we can't burn wood [asthmatics] and have read about building a home for a lot less than a traditional house. I dream of a large garden to take care of, homeschooling DS and taking care of Chickens... :giggle



:heart :heart That sounds absolutly wonderful to me