How to LIVE OFF-GRID

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By DandelionMom
eHow Community Member

Article Rating:

(7 Ratings)

If you want a simple life, one that is totally self-sufficient and self-sustaining, then I hope my article for living off-grid will get you going in the right direction.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Inquisitive mind

Step 1

Find some land. There are many areas in the country that still have awesome, sunny, grow-able acreage for fairly cheap. Many places have owner-financing and other options so that you do not need to go through a bank.
Step 2

Build a structure to live in. My favorites are:
1. YURTS. There are many reliable yurt companies out there which sell beautiful and sound yurts.
2. STRAWBALE. I LOVE strawbale homes. you can put up a simple load-bearing strawbale structure in a short period of time. It is solid, warm, and grounding.
3. LOG CABINS. Many companies offer log home kits. Some are good and some are not. I would recommend doing a little research to find out whether the company you are looking into has quality logs and quality designs. But, if you do decide to go with a log home, and can work on it yourself, you can put up and dry-in a log home in as little as 3 weeks. The kits are relatively inexpensive, and the look is rustic and beautiful!
Step 3

Invest in and install these three things:

1. SOLAR PANELS. This is a super way to get electricity without being tied down to the grid. They cost a little more up front, but deliver clean energy and pay themselves off very quickly. You can even hook into the grid and give energy back to the grid, earning a buck or two!

2. SAWDUST TOILET. Make a box our of wood, cut a hole in the top or put a toilet seat on top of it, put a large bucket inside and fill it with sawdust... voila! You have a sawdust toilet. Sawdust toilets are great because they are totally odorless, quick to make, and saves you thousands of dollars by not needing a septic system. You can even compost your own excrement! What you do is when you go to the bathroom, cover the remains with a new layer of sawdust. When the bucket is full, empty it out on a part of your land designated for a humanure compost.

3. DRILL A WELL. Well drilling can range from hundreds to thousands o dollars, but the quality of the water can be much greater than that of city or community water, plus you are off-grid from the governmental water supply.

FREEDOM!!!