What Going Off The Grid Completely (Or Just A Little Bit) Would Look Like

At some point or another, we’ve all imagined what living off the land - and going off the grid would be like. It might be argued more this year than ever before. But how easy would it actually be?

Technically speaking, it means the home would not be connected from the main power grid or even connected to any town or city water supply. It also would mean being unable to access standard community amenities such as waste disposal. In the past these things would prove to be incredibly challenging. But nowadays and with tech improvements, not to mention access to satellite and wireless technology to enable us to stay connected to the wider world, going off-grid has become quite a bit easier in many respects.

Even if you don’t go off the grid completely, considering how you might detach yourself slightly is never a bad idea and gives a sense of self-sufficient confidence.

Power Source

While going off-grid means there would not be any mains electricity supply, there is still access to solar, wind, and hydropower, which can be stored easily. Plus, a generator is always great for backup.

Water and Sewer System Alternatives

Water from wells can be made safe to drink by using well water treatment or water filtration systems, and stored in large tanks. Composting toilets are more sophisticated and less troublesome than their original counterparts and are fairly easy to use.

Help with Heating

When you are living off the grid, keeping warm is always a challenge, and no one likes to be cold. Solar power addresses most concerns, however, relying solely on solar panels and deep cell batteries will make it tough to heat a full house throughout the winter months. There are various things that you can do to create and contain heat a little better:

• Make sure that your home is well-insulated

• Consider where you will put windows - south-facing ones are best for maximum heat

• Wood fires in the main living areas

• Heavy drapes and curtains and thick carpeting to retain warmth

Reuse and recycle

When your garbage and recycling are not collected and you potentially live a long way from waste facilities, you will naturally want to reduce the amount of waste that you produce, and one way of doing this is to examine every item before disposing of it to make sure that it cannot be reused. For example, egg cartons can be seed boxes, tins can be intruder alarms, and so on. With a million tutorials online, it’s possible that almost all of our trash can become treasure with a little creativity.

Consider your available currency

Don’t forget we have a whole host of currencies available to us. From swapping trade services ,such as a haircut for an oil change, to objects themselves, such as fresh eggs or garden goods for new tools, thinking creatively means that cash is not the only currency that you can use. Even if you don’t go to this extreme of going off the grid, considering other forms of currency is also a great way to cut the budget and build wealth over time.

Learn to garden

When living off-grid, a spacious and fertile garden is essential, as are the gardening skills themselves. Of course, we can pick up things as you go along, but we should all ideally have a relatively good grasp of how to do the basics.

Step one, of course is to learn to grow some everyday fruits and vegetables - enough to feed a family, have some spare, and enough to barter with. Don’t forget herbs for both flavoring and medicinal uses! Once you get started gardening, it will get easier and easier over time. Promise!