Living off the grid has become an increasingly appealing idea for many, yet it presents significant challenges. Achieving a self-sufficient lifestyle requires a substantial amount of savings or discretionary income to cover the costs of purchasing land, installing a solar power system, setting up a septic system, buying batteries, gathering tools, and stocking up on gardening supplies. Recent data from a Bankrate survey indicates that only 46% of Americans have enough emergency savings to sustain themselves for three months, while 24% lack any emergency funds altogether.
This excerpt is adapted from Ryan Mitchell’s Living Off Grid: 50 Steps to Unplug, Become Self-Sufficient, and Build the Homestead of Your Dreams. Shared via Earth • Food • Life, an initiative by the Independent Media Institute.
You might wonder if living off-grid is truly worth the effort. If you had asked me several years ago, I might have hesitated to say yes. However, now that I’ve spent over a decade without a utility bill, I can confidently affirm it’s a rewarding choice. I share my experiences to help others understand that disconnecting from traditional systems—such as public utilities and housing developments—can be a more complex journey than most anticipate. But with the right planning and mindset, the rewards can certainly outweigh the challenges.
Today, I reside on 11 acres of land in a house I designed myself, powered entirely by solar energy. I draw water from my well, use a composting toilet paired with a septic system, harvest food from my garden, raise quail, and manage my own business. My living expenses have shrunk dramatically compared to when I was paying rent and utilities, granting me far more leisure time to pursue my passions.
I never envisioned living this way. Like many, I adhered to the conventional route: attending school, achieving good grades, enrolling in college, and later pursuing graduate studies. I secured my first professional job, convinced that with a degree and diligence, everything would align perfectly.
This encapsulates the American dream: toil and rise in your career, earn a respectable salary, and ultimately enjoy the fruits of your labor with a pleasant home, a family, and perhaps even a flashy car that symbolizes a midlife crisis.
My perspective shifted dramatically six months into my job when the Great Recession struck. One Friday, my employer unexpectedly shut its doors, leaving me and my colleagues stunned in the parking lot as we clutched boxes containing our belongings.
In that moment, I vowed never to find myself in such a vulnerable position again. I recognized that I had been following a predetermined script—one I hadn’t questioned much but had blindly accepted because it was considered the “norm.”
While I don’t entirely dismiss that lifestyle, which suits many, I advocate for individuality in making life choices. It’s crucial to be intentional about where you live, how you allocate your time and resources, and how you engage with the outside world. Otherwise, others may make those decisions for you, to their benefit.
This reflection does not require a loud defiance of societal standards; instead, it can be a quiet contemplation of what matters to you. For me, the profound realization of what I genuinely wanted for myself marked a significant turning point. After leaving the parking lot empty-handed, I began constructing my new reality.
This new life led me to build a home surrounded by nature, escaping the commotion of urban existence. I determined to create my own dwelling, eliminating the need for a mortgage altogether. After a year of introspection, I found I thrived in the tranquility of the countryside. Yet, I soon discovered that pursuing a simpler life brought its own intricacies.
Desiring seclusion in the countryside came with obstacles. I encountered resistance from the local authorities regarding my permit application for a septic system. Their insistence on connecting to the municipal sewer lines was accompanied by quotes reaching tens of thousands of dollars, plus an additional $11,000 fee for the privilege of utilizing their services.
Additionally, the power company demanded exorbitant fees to run electrical lines to my home. These financial challenges posed significant hurdles, as my savings were limited. This prompted a search for alternatives that ultimately led me to the concept of off-grid living.
Your motivations for disconnecting might differ from mine; perhaps you seek self-sufficiency, empowerment, ownership, deliberate living, or simply a slower pace of life. There are countless reasons to pursue an off-grid lifestyle, whether it’s to minimize expenses, acquire new skills, connect with nature, or reduce your environmental impact. However, remember that this path is a lifestyle choice.
It’s essential to understand that transitioning to this way of life won’t happen overnight and won’t be without trials. Yet, through determination and hard work, it’s entirely achievable. Off-grid living emphasizes cultivating self-sufficiency, and food production is central to this—producing both energy and sustenance is vital.
Taking the harder route is rarely a choice made without purpose. Everyone has their reasons for wanting this lifestyle, but several common motivations frequently emerge among those who embrace off-grid living.
Striving for an alternative existence is fraught with challenges, yet I’ve discovered that with enough grit and dedication, these aspirations can become reality, yielding tremendous rewards. When I transitioned to my off-grid home, my monthly expenses plummeted from $1,500 to just $15. Yes, that number is accurate.
By changing my life narrative, I’ve experienced numerous benefits that you too could enjoy. Here are some key advantages of living off the grid:
- Simplifying your life
- Embracing sustainability
- Building self-reliance
- Avoiding debt
- Eating healthier
- Living on your own terms
- Fostering community.
A primary reason people are drawn to off-grid living is its remedy for the relentless pace of modern life. Many feel tethered to their devices as the world speeds onward, boasting of busyness as if it were a mark of success. Yet this frenetic lifestyle often backfires.
Signs indicate a declining quality of life and dissatisfaction are increasingly common. We feel weighed down by debt, consume unhealthy foods, and are facing a growing mental health crisis affecting society. Such realities can create anxiety when we reflect on our world.
Nevertheless, the rising interest in this lifestyle reflects a fundamental optimism. After all, individuals do not embark on the arduous journey of establishing their own homesteads if they believe it will ultimately lead to failure. This hopeful outlook is encapsulated by the saying, “A society flourishes when the elderly plant trees whose shade they will never enjoy.”
Even if you find yourself skeptical, the most effective response is to strive for a better existence for yourself and your loved ones—no matter the surrounding circumstances. Individually, we may not hold the key to transforming governments or institutions, but we can actively work to improve our lives and those around us. Ironically, the simplest solution is that proactive engagement often yields the most tangible change. If enough individuals take charge and lead by example, transformation can emerge from the grassroots level.
Taking ownership involves a deliberate slowdown, as intentionality has become the hallmark of modern existence. In our information-rich age, pausing long enough to discern what truly serves us can enable us to use that knowledge to our greatest advantage.
For many, including myself, embracing intentionality offers a pathway to a more straightforward life. The notion of simplifying holds varying meanings for different individuals, yet for me, it centers on prioritizing what matters most to you and minimizing the less significant aspects. Identify what you wish to do more of and pursue it; discover what you want to reduce or leave behind, and refrain from engaging in it. The concept is simple.
Determining your true priorities can be challenging, particularly when life is racing by. I’ve found that it requires significant downtime for my mind to stabilize before I can engage in the deep reflection necessary to uncover what is meaningful to me. While your approach may differ, we will explore this process in greater detail in a future chapter.
Adjusting to a simpler lifestyle can be unsettling, particularly if those around you are still entrenched in the daily grind. After moving into my off-grid home, my expenses were reduced by more than half, allowing me to work less while saving more.
This newfound wealth of time presented its own challenge: how to fill it in ways that felt right to me. During this transition, I made the decision to work for myself, providing me the flexibility to operate from anywhere—long before remote work became the norm. This resulted in my spending leisurely hours reading in a cozy café, indulging in afternoon strolls, and grocery shopping when stores were less crowded.
This lifestyle marked a stark contrast to the lives of many friends, who continued to toil away 40, 50, or even 60 hours each week. I found myself conversing with retirees during my walks, taking month-long solo adventures when others were tied to their jobs or academic commitments, and immersing myself in books.
With more time to nurture my gardens, I could focus on growth rather than battling invasive weeds. I could tend to my chickens and quail each morning instead of rushing off to a cubicle. I spent greater time outdoors in nature, leading to increased happiness and well-being. Research indicates that gardening, for instance, exposes us to beneficial bacteria that enhance serotonin levels, alleviate stress, and contribute to overall health improvements improving mood and producing other positive health effects.
Ultimately, I found myself with the time to pursue activities that once felt unachievable. I penned my first published book, which set me on a trajectory I would never have predicted, and this moment marks my eighth publication. I also enjoyed more time with loved ones, a luxury I rarely had before due to work commitments.
This shift afforded me ample opportunity to reflect, especially as I learned to slow down sufficiently to consider my thoughts clearly. I started each day with renewed energy. I enjoyed brewing a cup of coffee and relishing it on my porch before venturing out for the day. I experienced restorative hikes that recalibrated my internal balance— all thanks to my decision to disconnect, escape conventional life pressures, and simplify my existence.
