Off Grid Living How to Guide: The 11 Fundamentals

There are several different ways one can live off the grid. This website highlights many of my tried and true methods. This off grid living how to guide will focus on the basic principles rather than going into immense detail about each step. This way you get a quick understand of the necessary steps for Off Grid Living. The steps are as follows:

5. Choose Power Method

6. Septic

7. Develop/Secure Water Source

8. Secure Property

9. Acquire Heirloom Seeds

10. Food

11. Establish way to make money

I know what your thinking, I usually have to wade through the entire article for that type of glorious intel, but we do it the easy way here. The details for off grid living how to guide: The 11 fundamentals can be found below.

Decide To Move Off Grid

I’m sure this seems like an easy step but believe me it is quite difficult for most people. Maybe even the hardest step on the list. The good thing about this decision is that once it is firmly made every step following is easier to accomplish, so keep that in mind. It should go without saying that in order to pursue off grid living one must of course live the grid.

Talk amongst your friends and family, or not, way the pro’s and cons and set your mind to the task if you believe this is the route you want to take. I doubt you will regret it if this is what you want but I implore you, don’t be rash. Don’t make emotional decisions and don’t rush.

Enter Planning Phase

Another integral early step. This may cause you to turn back and change your decision about moving off the grid. During this phase you will come to terms with all the things you will need in order to make your dream of going off grid a reality. These questions need to be answered:

Where do you want to live?
Type of Climate?
Do you want property?
Stationary, mobile or both?
How will you get power?
Will you store it?
What are the septic options?
Do you have the skills to do it? If not will you acquire them?
How will you acquire Food?
How will you acquire water?
How will you secure your property?
How will you make money?

These are just a few of the myriad of things that need to be figured out during the planning phase if you want optimal chances at succeeding with minimal hardship.

Save Enough Money For What Was Planned

During the planning phase you should have come up with some loose figures for what you need to get the job done the right way By loose I mean very detailed educated guesses. This stage is simple whatever that amount is add about 30% so you have a little financial shield.

This is important to limit your chances of failure although it does not need to be done. Save up whatever your required amount is and go to the next stage when you have the funds to bankroll your operation.

Purchase Home/ Build Home

You can return back to your regularly programmed life quite easily throughout all the previous steps, this one is a commitment. Don’t get me wrong, almost anything done can be undone. However, it is quite difficult after you purchase your home or build it. The market is in constant flux and who knows what can happen after folding money exchanges hands. This means be sure you are committed to see this thing through before proceeding to this step.

It is ok to change your mind. That is better than jumping into to something new with one foot. Make the best decision for yourself and don’t let your words bind you to a decision made under different circumstances.

Choose Power Method

You have a good deal of options for power. The ole hybrid method which uses a variety of different sources to power a home. Fossil fuels which would be a gas or diesel generator. Propane or natural gas if available. A hydroelectric system if you have running water on your property. Solar power which is harnessing the suns energy, Wind turbines that allow you to get your electricity from the wind and many more.

A decision should have been made in the planning stage or at least an idea of which would be best suited for you.

Septic

This may be difficult for some to come to terms with. You may not be zoned for septic or you may need to have septic on the parcel you choose. There are several other options, for you if you expand your horizons. You have of course old school composting toilets like those found a National Parks. This is essentially an outhouse, Newer age dry composting toilets. Standard toilets like the one in your home or apartment, mobile units you can take with you and many others

With this it will be less about what you are comfortable with and more about finding out what suites the situation best.

Develop/Secure Water Source

Does the property you purchased have water rights from a nearby source, Do you have a body of water on your land, a well? Regardless you will need to figure this out and make sure you a source of fresh water. This can mean hiring a service that delivers it, getting a couple wells dug, picking up water yourself from a local source maybe even collecting rain water.

Don’t overlook water, the importance of a clean and convenient source is paramount.

Secure Property

This will need to be done in some form at some point in time. The reality is the world of humans is a dangerous one. This doesn’t mean you have to be up a barbed wire fence and get attack dogs, but steps need to be made to secure your property. Whether that be flood lights, getting a weapon, a few pets, alarms, cameras etc. The key is protecting yourself and your creatures.

I hope this will never be necessary as a line of defense but if it is necessary it is there.

Acquire Heirloom Seeds

Being truly off the grid means providing food for yourself. The food of this world has been poisoned time and time again for the sake of higher profits, quicker growth cycles and genetic hardiness. This means that those franken seeds available at your home goods store won’t make viable seeds year after year.

Get some good organic plants and heirloom seeds for your garden. You will only need to purchase them once. Keep them safe and stored for future use.

Food

For me this mean planting plentiful gardens using subsistence farming methods to alleviate issues from pests and disease with high quality organic hydroponic starter plants or heirloom seeds.

For others that may mean live stock like pigs, cows, goats, meat rabbits etc. A combo of both would be the best of both worlds. What you need to ensure is that you are able to produce the food that you need.

Establish A Way To Make Money

If you are not rich and have a finite source of funds you will need to find a way to replenish those funds.

This could be a business you run off the grid or a job that you have in a brick and mortar setting the key is make sure you have enough money to pay for the things you need. That could mean repairs on the house, water filters, car maintenance, property taxes, mortgage, credit cards etc

The goal is always financial freedom but realistically it will take some time to reach that stage. Upfront cost of going off the grid is pricy but long term it is much cheaper than society life. This means you shouldn’t need as much yearly.