# Homeless to Homesteader. Anyone here successfully make the transition?



## erisACAB

After years and years of traveling I'm finally at a point where I'm (kinda) ready to settle down and get a small piece of property. Hoping by the end of this year my partner and I will be able to afford to buy a few acres somewhere. A home base where we can still take off and travel a bit when desired, but have somewhere to come back to, and somewhere for our friends to come and chill when they need a break from the road. I know lots of my friends over the years have expressed the same kind of "retirement" plan. My question is has anyone here made the switch and are living off grid or have their own homestead? 

Couple questions on the off chance anyone here is doing this sort of thing-

What state did you settle down and why did you chose this area?
What were some of the biggest hurdles you had to jump?
What is your income source if any?


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## nivoldoog

I have seen a few people over the years do it on here.


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## paiche

This is an old post so did you ever do it? We made it, from homeless to homestead, helped that I had a place to stay for free so I could save money. We are willing to give that opportunity back to others. I hope you find it.


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## Deleted member 24782

Saved $21,000 in 9 months when me and my wife were both working at UP. Bought 20 acres, in Winnemucca, NV. Theres a lot of misconceptions when it comes to truly going off grid or living off the land. You can't just buy land, then say "ok done", the amount of skills, knowledge, and resources one must acquire to gain rent free independence without debt can be daunting, to say the least.


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## BradKajukenbo

I was 21(1997) and had to get me and my girlfriend off the streets and get a job before my twins were born. My first job was detailing cars at Crown Motors. When my sons were born I was still detailing cars and had another job working in a silkscreen shop. 

I opened a Martial Arts school in 2010 when I got my black belt. Saved up money. 3 years ago, me and my kids grandmother bought a little house here in South Redding. 

I do after school enrichment programs. After school every day I go to a different school and teach martial arts for 3 hours. On Sat and Sun I teach my adult students. 

I really don't know where I would have ended up if I didn't have kids. Its been over 20 years. I think about it a lot and I really don't know. When I was 15 I ran away from a group home. From that time until I was 21, it did not bother me being homeless. People called us street kids. The best pizza I ate came out of a dumpster. 

The hardest for me of becoming domesticated was on Payday. Couldn't go out and spend it all on weed or beer. My girlfriend wasn't into the idea of raising our kids in a tent so I had to adjust to paying rent. I am happy with how things turned out. No regrets.


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## Celeree

We are doing this now. Inherited some family land, 5 acres of unwanted earth in middle America. But hey, it was free and taxes are cheap in this state, like $100 a year for it. Have been working on it about 2 years now, slowly as funds allow. 

Didn't have a road or a house, but it did have well water. Spent some weekends renting equipment for the road work and making a spot for a house. Looked in to all kinds of things to put out there to live in when a free mobile home landed in our lap. Took a while, but we got it moved and have been slowly getting it repaired. Took some more time to save up funds to get electric to set poles up and will be connecting it soon. Would have loved to go solar but it was cheaper tying to the grid for now.

We live on a small single income so it's been really slow going, but no debt. Problem is, hubby (who worked full time) didn't have a lot of time to put into big projects, or we just didn't have the funds. What sucks is we are paying rent and higher bills where we live now and we could get by on so much less once we moved. So yesterday we went for it, went and got a small loan for the things needed to make it livable and turned around and hubby quit his job. So, have some funds and time to get shit done. Should be moving in a few weeks.

Hubby has some side jobs lined up once things get settled, and I'm hoping we stay that way, just doing side jobs for cash under the table. Would give us some freedom. We are hoping to homestead/get more self sufficient and get our expenses very low so a full time job isn't required.

Once everything settles down should have some land and a house debt free with cheap taxes. Already started a garden. There's wild game out there and want to add small animals in future. The place is about 10 miles from a smaller city with about anything we would need. Would eventually like to go solar. Weed is legal in our state and are looking in to getting licensed to grow for possible income, along with other income producing ideas.

We're hoping this all enables us to not be tied down to a slave job and have some freedom to get out and about when we want while also having a cheap place to live that's our home base. Already been working towards this for two years and still a lot more to do, but will be worth it.


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## wrkrsunite

After 12 years on the road, mostly hopping freight I've been working on settling down for past two. I get super restless at times and have had to make 3 short few week trips just to settle the urge. When I'm here stuck at home all I can think about is hopping out but as soon as I hop out get the wrong train, and up on a ride with a crew that died, lay my old ass on that hard steel or burn up in the middle of the day I'm like oh yeah that was why I quit. I just don't think I'll ever fully stop. It's kinda just a part of who I am at this point.


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## Deleted member 13433

Biodiesel710 really summed it all up right here: Saved $21,000 in 9 months when me and my wife were both working at UP. Bought 20 acres, in Winnemucca, NV. Theres a lot of misconceptions when it comes to truly going off grid or living off the land. You can't just buy land, then say "ok done", the amount of skills, knowledge, and resources one must acquire to gain rent free independence without debt can be daunting, to say the least. 

I've watched loads of stuff on youtube, and come to the conclusion that while it must be wonderful to live free in a really open space like south west Texas or out in Wyoming, boy does it come at a price because you will be working non-stop to make that dream a reality.

For a few years, as a retirement plan I had a solid vision with included moving out to the UP of Michigan which would enable me to canoe Lake Superior [which was a dream of mine...] but a blown out back has completely ended it for me regarding that kind of off the grid living, because I simply am at almost 55 years old not physically strong enough or able enough to do it, so now I am forced to re-invent myself.

Upon reflection, I then realized how good I really have it as things are, which has been sort of constant over the past 28 years or so, more or less... but also with many ups and downs as well...

i"ll always romanticize the idea of being a real legit homesteader out west, but recognize that for me this will not be possible, although I'm currently making a pretty good go of it here in the slums of East Derby CT.... which I have called home for many years now.

As for some insight on the OP's original questions, I am guessing out west would be best, where populations are sparse and land is open, this of course is kind of a broad answer but whether north or south would depend on one's ideal climate [this is why for me, I was thinking the L. Superior side of the U.P. of Michigan...]

Hurdles ?? Well, if you are not used to DIY doing things yourself, that's probably going to be the biggest hurdle because if you are looking to homestead in a remote place, you are going to be doing much of the work yourself, and this means one must be in very good physical shape, physical and mental/spiritual... because the hours you will be putting in will most likely be greater than if you were living in a small town/city, however the rewards/benefits which one would/could reap long term wold be far greater on a homestead.....

Income - that's always a good question, and some here on STP have mentioned some things such as simple hard work at a regular job, or if you are lucky inheritance.....

One thing I was told in 1981, maybe 1982... when I was working on a fishing boat out of Sheepshead Bay NY was you do not get into this line of work [owning a fishing boat...] unless you can go two solid years without a paycheck.

Today, I feel this is why so many businesses fail - because it is going to take a solid two years just to get established along with a good customer base, plus all your earnings if any have to go right back into the business - not into your pocket.

I would think that if one is homesteading - if one is setting up a small hobby farm [another dream of mine...] this would require about two years of solid work too, just to get things set up, and running properly with a well working routine in place.

I could go on, but it's breakfast time now.

So, yes.... lots and lots and lots of work but long term possibly the most rewarding way of living one could ever imagine, if they are indeed able to pull it off.

erisACAB ?? did you ever pull this off ???

Much blessings, 

Big George + Loki the Dog.....


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## obey no one

i don't think it would really be that hard for most of the people on here. yes normal people who are used to flipping a switch or turning a knob to get what they want will have a big adjustment. but for people who are used to traveling on the cheap, and doing without electric, water, warmth ( or cool), it should be relatively easy.

land is cheap, the biggest issue is zoning, and income. but why settle down, why cant i have both, traveling and a home base. my very rough idea is to have several parcels of land in several states, and i could just travel between them. i don't need water, i can buy that from the store for cheap, and i've been doing it for 5 years and can keep going forever. i dont need grid power, again i've been living without it for a long time just fine. and now there are so many relatively cheap easy to set up options for power, i think in another 10 years grid power may be a thing of the past in many places.

it is very slow progress, but i'm in no rush, i'm enjoying myself, and have a kind of freedom most people will never know. i do own 10 arces in nevada, might buy more, but in a different location, might do something with it or might not. in washoe county you can live on your land with few restrictions for about 6 months. i would have to double check the county zoning laws to be sure of the dates, but it is basically the summer months, they dont want you there over the winter. but i have stayed there during the winter months, no one to notice me or complain.

it doesn't have to cost a lot of money all at once, you can spread it out over a long period of time. buy each piece or upgrade when you have the money, and save slowly over time.

building income, or a business is kinda tricky, but it can be done, with the internet there is no real reason you have to have a physical location for your business, you can ship anywhere. i've been working slowly on this for a long time, and still am. maybe tomorrow i will do a separate post on building passive income, which is one thing i've been working on.


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## iamwhatiam

I think a lot of people have a romantic idea about going truly off grid...I know I do at times. But if you're trying to go really off grid or be as self-sustainable as possible, that shit is A LOT of fucking work. It's not a vacation. You've got to really love that way of life I think, to be able to commit to it. Like others on here have said. And you'd better have some serious skills/ knowledge for it and have the heavy machinery for it, have friends that do, or have the $$$ to pay someone to do it.

I live outside a pretty small town......far enough away from a lot of people, to have privacy and not be bothered, but close enough. Not offgrid or homestead per se, but rural. One neighbor is a carpenter, the other is an old salt of the earth guy who knows a lot about everything. One neighbor down the road is an ex-marine prepper who built a 2 story underground bunker house (he's building the 3rd level above ground portion of the house now)- has his own excavator, bulldozer, etc. milled all his own lumber, poured all his own concrete, etc over the course of several years. These are the kinds of people you need to make friends with!

One of the challenges you'd face as a traveler who still wants to travel part of the year and have a place to come back to is: Who is going to tend your gardens and livestock while you're away? If you want to grow your own food and raise your own chickens/goats/whatever, you can't just up and leave. Someones gotta be there to feed and water them, collect eggs and milk every day. Have a friend(s) that could live there while you're off traveling? Cool, hope they are dependable.


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## Deleted member 24782

obey no one said:


> i don't think it would really be that hard for most of the people on here. yes normal people who are used to flipping a switch or turning a knob to get what they want will have a big adjustment. but for people who are used to traveling on the cheap, and doing without electric, water, warmth ( or cool), it should be relatively easy.
> 
> land is cheap, the biggest issue is zoning, and income. but why settle down, why cant i have both, traveling and a home base. my very rough idea is to have several parcels of land in several states, and i could just travel between them. i don't need water, i can buy that from the store for cheap, and i've been doing it for 5 years and can keep going forever. i dont need grid power, again i've been living without it for a long time just fine. and now there are so many relatively cheap easy to set up options for power, i think in another 10 years grid power may be a thing of the past in many places.
> 
> it is very slow progress, but i'm in no rush, i'm enjoying myself, and have a kind of freedom most people will never know. i do own 10 arces in nevada, might buy more, but in a different location, might do something with it or might not. in washoe county you can live on your land with few restrictions for about 6 months. i would have to double check the county zoning laws to be sure of the dates, but it is basically the summer months, they dont want you there over the winter. but i have stayed there during the winter months, no one to notice me or complain.
> 
> it doesn't have to cost a lot of money all at once, you can spread it out over a long period of time. buy each piece or upgrade when you have the money, and save slowly over time.
> 
> building income, or a business is kinda tricky, but it can be done, with the internet there is no real reason you have to have a physical location for your business, you can ship anywhere. i've been working slowly on this for a long time, and still am. maybe tomorrow i will do a separate post on building passive income, which is one thing i've been working on.



That's great you got 10 acres! I suppose you may be onto something, but implying you don't need water, electrical, or warmth is absurd, living off grid and buying water for 5 years? ...hmm..could you elaborate on that? There is a big difference in actual "off grid/homesteading" and just basic subsistent living, anyone can survive day to day, get rations in town/mooch of retail centers then throw down a bedroll wherever. Successful homesteading is more about self-reliance, using actual skills to perform useful work, which in turn produces things like food, shelter, or other services that would provide for you, friends, family or community, wherever that may be. 

I agree on the passive income system, I've been doing eBay sales for 10 years. Though I couldn't imagine not having a physical address/home base to pack orders or receive returns. Not to mention if your any further than half hour from a post office or FedEx/UPS drop it's not that practical and you won't get orders out in time, consistently. 

Would like to hear about any other projects you got going on, I'm in Nevada, BTW.


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## obey no one

off the grid may have several different meanings. i take it to mean not relying on traditional sources of water / power, etc. not relying on government supplied solutions for you needs, and also not easily traceable or controllable by either government or other authoritarian individuals or organizations. being in one location reliant on the land you live on, does not make you off the grid in the sense of escaping or avoiding authority. although it might make you off the grid in the sense of not relying on government services.

homesteading might have a meaning more in line with what your talking about. but the conversation was making it seem like you had to make a choice between travel and having a home, either homeless or homesteader. i was saying you can find a way to be both if that is what you want.

i am off the grid in the sense that i do not rely on government services for anything, and am generally hard to find, unless i want someone to find me.

i get the growing your own food thing, but isn't the point of self reliance to be free to live your own way. if you are required to stay on your land make it produce all your own food, and that is what you want cool, but if not, if it means you cant travel, then you have just traded one job for another.

if i can find a way to produce an income without being in one fixed place, then i am self reliant in the sense that i dont need another person, or a boss to provide me with an income. i am free to move and do whatever i want to. and although i greatly respect the skills to grow, and raise food, i want to be able to move freely. i also have no desire to kill my own meat, although i respect the skill required to do so.

i buy what ever food or water i need because i have income, i feel it is a more efficient use of my time to work a job (preferably with alot of overtime) to produce the money i need, and also to produce a surplus of income, which gives me the money (working capital) to fund my lifestyle and other projects. i also use very little water / electric / heat. but enough for my needs. i do not feel like i am roughing it at all.

i think the passive income thing would maybe be better as a seperate post. but just briefly i get $300 a month without having to do anything. if i get hit by a car and sent into a coma it still gets deposited into my account, and will be there if i ever come out of the coma. it is only about enough to cover my gas at the moment, but i am working on making it bigger. and it will continue to exist and grow even after my death. at some point i will have to set it up as a trust fund, that pays out to projects i like, after i die, but i havent done that yet.

also working on setting up a mobile screen print operation, this is on hold a bit, because of recent expensive vehicle repair ( it took me a month to recoup this expense) by the end of next week i should be back in positive financial territory, and able to continue the research and development.

i will admit that setting up the mobile screen print operation is a bit of a challenge, but i am fairly certain it can be done. i already package up mail and ship it out for another project i do, the lost cd project. the podcast is just the online version, the main project is a physical cd that i both ship out, and give away free copies to cool people i meet on the road. I'm finishing up #6 now, and eventually will probably grow this into a full scale distro selling stickers, patches, pamphlets etc.

the ebay thing is interesting to me. i used to print before, and almost never had to deal with returns, and the items i will be producing are small. yeah i would need to be close to a town to ship out, but not the same town. the way i print stickers is much different then the way large printing operations would do it, it allows me to offer a lot of options and quantities that they just cant. that allows me to have a little more flexibility in time deadlines. if you want what i can do at the price i can do it at, then you have to to wait 5 business days for your order to ship, or pay a decent size rush fee. i have to make these things, its not something i already have that i can just ship out. also i have no interest in dealing with retail customers, i will be wholesaling to other businesses.

to make the ebay thing passive though, you would not even deal with the mail part. you would just make the listings, manage money maybe, and some other company would stock the inventory, and ship it out for you (for a fee of course). in that way you could do it on a laptop anywhere.

should be in your area in a month or two.


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## Deleted member 24782

obey no one said:


> off the grid may have several different meanings. i take it to mean not relying on traditional sources of water / power, etc. not relying on government supplied solutions for you needs, and also not easily traceable or controllable by either government or other authoritarian individuals or organizations. being in one location reliant on the land you live on, does not make you off the grid in the sense of escaping or avoiding authority. although it might make you off the grid in the sense of not relying on government services.
> 
> homesteading might have a meaning more in line with what your talking about. but the conversation was making it seem like you had to make a choice between travel and having a home, either homeless or homesteader. i was saying you can find a way to be both if that is what you want.
> 
> i am off the grid in the sense that i do not rely on government services for anything, and am generally hard to find, unless i want someone to find me.
> 
> i get the growing your own food thing, but isn't the point of self reliance to be free to live your own way. if you are required to stay on your land make it produce all your own food, and that is what you want cool, but if not, if it means you cant travel, then you have just traded one job for another.
> 
> if i can find a way to produce an income without being in one fixed place, then i am self reliant in the sense that i dont need another person, or a boss to provide me with an income. i am free to move and do whatever i want to. and although i greatly respect the skills to grow, and raise food, i want to be able to move freely. i also have no desire to kill my own meat, although i respect the skill required to do so.
> 
> i buy what ever food or water i need because i have income, i feel it is a more efficient use of my time to work a job (preferably with alot of overtime) to produce the money i need, and also to produce a surplus of income, which gives me the money (working capital) to fund my lifestyle and other projects. i also use very little water / electric / heat. but enough for my needs. i do not feel like i am roughing it at all.
> 
> i think the passive income thing would maybe be better as a seperate post. but just briefly i get $300 a month without having to do anything. if i get hit by a car and sent into a coma it still gets deposited into my account, and will be there if i ever come out of the coma. it is only about enough to cover my gas at the moment, but i am working on making it bigger. and it will continue to exist and grow even after my death. at some point i will have to set it up as a trust fund, that pays out to projects i like, after i die, but i havent done that yet.
> 
> also working on setting up a mobile screen print operation, this is on hold a bit, because of recent expensive vehicle repair ( it took me a month to recoup this expense) by the end of next week i should be back in positive financial territory, and able to continue the research and development.
> 
> i will admit that setting up the mobile screen print operation is a bit of a challenge, but i am fairly certain it can be done. i already package up mail and ship it out for another project i do, the lost cd project. the podcast is just the online version, the main project is a physical cd that i both ship out, and give away free copies to cool people i meet on the road. I'm finishing up #6 now, and eventually will probably grow this into a full scale distro selling stickers, patches, pamphlets etc.
> 
> the ebay thing is interesting to me. i used to print before, and almost never had to deal with returns, and the items i will be producing are small. yeah i would need to be close to a town to ship out, but not the same town. the way i print stickers is much different then the way large printing operations would do it, it allows me to offer a lot of options and quantities that they just cant. that allows me to have a little more flexibility in time deadlines. if you want what i can do at the price i can do it at, then you have to to wait 5 business days for your order to ship, or pay a decent size rush fee. i have to make these things, its not something i already have that i can just ship out. also i have no interest in dealing with retail customers, i will be wholesaling to other businesses.
> 
> to make the ebay thing passive though, you would not even deal with the mail part. you would just make the listings, manage money maybe, and some other company would stock the inventory, and ship it out for you (for a fee of course). in that way you could do it on a laptop anywhere.
> 
> should be in your area in a month or two.



You reminded me, theres a lot of people who make $$ as sales affiliates, ebay/amazon/best buy etc. Guess what they're doing is basically fulfilling orders, then the larger retailer ships out the product. It definitely sounds lucrative, and you wouldn't need to stock anything. It's all high volume based, your making small profits on a large amount of transactions. The work sounds very boring though, a lot of computer screen time.


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## obey no one

there used to be a website that sold shocking / offensive t shirts. i forget the name, anyway i heard about it in a screen print industry magazine. the guy sold some funny stuff like baby cloths with slogans "i'm why daddy drinks". the part that interested me was he did not do much of anything, he had the site, and made the slogans, all mostly just one color text (easy). but he just collected the money and sent the job to a printer who printed it and shipped it out for him. and he made tons of money. eventually he got too well known, and someone somehow fucked with his food at a restaurant and made him really sick. he said i'm done and sold the site and designs for around a millon.

at the time i was working my ass off, working part time as a screen printer for a traditional shop, and working nights & weekends printing shirts for punk bands. i was doing shirts for around $5 each, and this guy was selling them for $20 each, doing nothing, and still probably making more money than me per shirt, and obviously made a shit ton more money than me overall. I was doing it all wrong.

there are lots of ways to make money with out doing much, you just have to know about it, and set it up. every job i've ever had is boring, monotonous. if it was fun they wouldn't have to pay me, i would pay them to do it. even screen printing which i like doing was a huge pain in the ass to run as a business, customers were a constant pain in the ass, eventually i realized is was working too hard, for not enough money, said fuck it, and sold all my equipment for almost nothing, and left phx for pdx. but after thinking about it for a long time, i've decided i was just doing it all wrong. which makes sense since i had no experience running, or setting up a business. i wasn't even trying to set up a business when i started, it just evolved into that as it grew and took up more of my time.

now i am trying to find a way to do the things i want and make money in a way that is tolerable to me. it is all a big experiment, trial and error. maybe i will get it all worked out, or maybe not. it is as much about walking a new path, as the destination.


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## Deleted member 13433

This comment here, up above a bit kinda me thinking:

"i get the growing your own food thing, but isn't the point of self reliance to be free to live your own way. if you are required to stay on your land make it produce all your own food, and that is what you want cool, but if not, if it means you cant travel, then you have just traded one job for another."

There is certainly some truth to that.

Maybe 3 years ago, while I was finishing up grocery shopping in the late afternoon, I got approached by a traveler, a young man with his dog, both whom seems somewhat happy and healthy...

Turns out he was looking for a place to set up camp for a night, I think.... and while making some small talk he proceeded to kind of bash everyone who was living the straight life, the 9 to 5 job, etc.... and I was kind of just taking everything in.

Then, the conversation sort of shifted gears some, and not in a good way either.
I basically told him he made a huge mistake passing thru Connecticut, and it might not be a bad idea to head on out asap, because CT is not exactly a nice place for those on the fringe, especially these parts.

So, suddenly - and i was being honest and sincere with this person - suddenly he kind of turned on me, like I owed him something and that - that is the biggest mistake one can ever make upon first meeting me.

After getting this lecture on how I am trapped, how he is the only one that is truly free, I told him well then you don't need me then do ya !!

I'm pretty sure this was when he figured I'd be his free ride out of CT, but truth be told my rusted out Jeep was on her last legs, and the passenger door was broke - plus it was full of groceries.

So, because he turned on me, I had no obligation to help him out and I didn't.

I'm not proud of that, as he seemed pretty together and I did admire how he was just living his life on his own terms, but then towards the end his true colors came out and I saw he was not really all that happy after all.....

I myself am getting ready for a major change as i am sick of the daily never ending things always going wrong aspect of my life, and I need some serious positive interjection, and the first step will be eliminating alcohol for a while, probably for a good while - several months while I sort through which path I will take, because even I want to be not so much off the grid, but definately under the radar..... and free to live my life on my terms.

This is a real good thread here, I'll re-read it again tomorrow - after I get back from bringing my car to the shop


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## Deleted member 13433

....upon some further reflection, now I see what for me "off the grid" living would imply.

1. no town utilities, meaning no city water, sewers, electricity, or gas..... but yes to wells, septic systems, oil for fuel... and solar/wind for electricity.

2. I'm still on the fence with the internet.... in some ways I feel one should be detached from the internet as well, but on the other hand there is something to be said about the benefits of the internet, such as S.T.P.

3. Now for fuel, I know I listed oil, but I suppose if there are an abundance of trees then wood would work, since when done right that is a renewable resource....

I wonder now how personal transportation fits in with an off the grid way of living.............
Like some folks, they just disappear and are never seen again, and they survive on hunting and living off the land so to speak, but then others set up camp in like West Texas, where there is nothing but baron land around for miles and miles and miles.... and to me they seem to be living way off the grid even though they got cars, etc......

Like at the end of No County For Old Men, when the Sheriff drives way out to see the older man living by himself in that house with the old windmill, with all the cats and the two week old coffee... now that man is living off the grid , and he's in a wheel chair as I seem to recall !!!

The previous comment here I actually forgot I wrote, but that was a crazy episode, hence why I posted it here.

I hope he's alright, along with his dog - and that they both safe and sound made it to where they need to be in their path and journey through life.


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## Deleted member 24782

OTTERWOLF said:


> ....upon some further reflection, now I see what for me "off the grid" living would imply.
> 
> 1. no town utilities, meaning no city water, sewers, electricity, or gas..... but yes to wells, septic systems, oil for fuel... and solar/wind for electricity.
> 
> 2. I'm still on the fence with the internet.... in some ways I feel one should be detached from the internet as well, but on the other hand there is something to be said about the benefits of the internet, such as S.T.P.
> 
> 3. Now for fuel, I know I listed oil, but I suppose if there are an abundance of trees then wood would work, since when done right that is a renewable resource....
> 
> I wonder now how personal transportation fits in with an off the grid way of living.............
> Like some folks, they just disappear and are never seen again, and they survive on hunting and living off the land so to speak, but then others set up camp in like West Texas, where there is nothing but baron land around for miles and miles and miles.... and to me they seem to be living way off the grid even though they got cars, etc......
> 
> Like at the end of No County For Old Men, when the Sheriff drives way out to see the older man living by himself in that house with the old windmill, with all the cats and the two week old coffee... now that man is living off the grid , and he's in a wheel chair as I seem to recall !!!
> 
> The previous comment here I actually forgot I wrote, but that was a crazy episode, hence why I posted it here.
> 
> I hope he's alright, along with his dog - and that they both safe and sound made it to where they need to be in their path and journey through life.



Off grid living to me means you are not paying utility bills, i.e. gas, electric, water, sewage, garbage.


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## Larkspur




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## Deleted member 24782

crazy ADHD warrior woman said:


>




Nice SHENIS haha!!!


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## iamwhatiam

crazy ADHD warrior woman said:


>



Just watching the 1rst minute.....let's eat mushrooms and then start the chainsaw up!!! what could go wrong !!! lol


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## Celeree

Here it is nearly a year later since my response. We've moved out here. Grid tied, as it was cheaper to get electric ran than set up solar. Still hoping for solar some day. It's freakin cheap living. I guess technically we are squatting, since the land is not in our name yet, and the house isn't registered. 

Off-grid would be nice, but man it would take a lot of work. Am not sure I would want to be tied down with animals. The only utilities we have are power and internet. Plumbing still needs work, but the well works to fill up water jugs. No septic yet, compost toilet til then. Hey, it works, still have more amenities than I had while living in my van.


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## stove

So, I've got some land in Vermont. I'm not off-grid yet, but I plan to be this year (minus internet, b/c yeah). I have a 3bd 2ba double-wide with 0.8 acres ~4 mi out of town, with a well, septic, and oil heat.

This is still gonna take a year or more, and just the power storage (batteries) will cost a small car.

The biggest benefit of the area: *NO* zoning laws, I can build whatever I want.

The biggest downside: VERMONT. It gets COLD, and lots of SNOW. That means tons of energy spent HEATING everything, and material to INSULATE everywhere.

Oh, all that insulation? Rodents *LOVE* it.


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## Deleted member 24782

stove said:


> So, I've got some land in Vermont. I'm not off-grid yet, but I plan to be this year (minus internet, b/c yeah). I have a 3bd 2ba double-wide with 0.8 acres ~4 mi out of town, with a well, septic, and oil heat.
> 
> This is still gonna take a year or more, and just the power storage (batteries) will cost a small car.
> 
> The biggest benefit of the area: *NO* zoning laws, I can build whatever I want.
> 
> The biggest downside: VERMONT. It gets COLD, and lots of SNOW. That means tons of energy spent HEATING everything, and material to INSULATE everywhere.
> 
> Oh, all that insulation? Rodents *LOVE* it.



What town? I got a friend in Newfane.


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## Lamentations

stove said:


> So, I've got some land in Vermont. I'm not off-grid yet, but I plan to be this year (minus internet, b/c yeah). I have a 3bd 2ba double-wide with 0.8 acres ~4 mi out of town, with a well, septic, and oil heat.
> 
> This is still gonna take a year or more, and just the power storage (batteries) will cost a small car.
> 
> The biggest benefit of the area: *NO* zoning laws, I can build whatever I want.
> 
> The biggest downside: VERMONT. It gets COLD, and lots of SNOW. That means tons of energy spent HEATING everything, and material to INSULATE everywhere.
> 
> Oh, all that insulation? Rodents *LOVE* it.



It'd be cool if you could somehow rig free internet.


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## Darren Scout

I was traveling in my car in southern Missouri, when the rod in my engine blew out the oil pan. The junk car wasn't worth fixing.
Ended up living in the Mark Twain forest in a tent. I was just outside a small town and got a 3rd shift gas station job. I worked 4 days a week for 10 hours a day. I was saving all my cash. About 3 months later I came back to camp and a forest ranger was waiting for me, and told me to pack up and not return.
I went and bought a Astro van for $1000 and moved in. On my days off I would drive around and go fishing. I started noticing a lot of land for sale signs. I looked into it and 2 months later paid $500 down on a 1.3 acre parcel, $200 a month.
I lived on the property in a shed I threw together for a year and a half as I continued to save money. I was able to sell the land and shed for the amount I had in it to another guy that hired on at the gas station, when I left.


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## Darren Scout

I traveled to Eastern Oklahoma and purchased 10 acres of woods for a grand per acre. 660 feet by 660 feet square. Full of red and white oak, pecan, and black walnut. Also has a few persimmon, apricot, and plum trees. I planted some apple, pear, and berries.
No building codes or restrictions, so anything goes. I am off grid, without any utilities.
I built a funny (star plate) shed to live in. My area gets a lot of rainfall, so rain catchment works great. One harbor freight 100 watt solar panel system and a 100 amp hour battery, handle lights and a fan. I can also charge my trac phone and kindle. I cut firewood and have a small woodstove for heat. 
I raise a few chickens for eggs, rabbits for meat, and quail for meat and eggs. I plant a small garden for mainly root crops like taters, carrots, and onions. I go fishing almost everyday, there are 2 rivers close by and also 2 big lakes. 
The life is pretty laid back once you get everything working. I spend a few hours per day, feeding animals and chopping and splitting wood.
The only bills I have are $6 dollars a year for property tax, $80 for my phone, Around $80 for taxes and tags for the van, and $360 for auto insurance.


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## Omightydarkone

I would love to be truly off grid. To me that means nobody could find mem so far out I will never been seen again and just try to live. Build a cabin somewhere plant your seeds and away from people. Just ghost everyone. Nothing hut ya rifle fishing gear and a few tool and clothes. Idk if this is possible with the population. Canad and alaska are pretty much the only places I believe I could truly be free and not worry about being found.


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## Darren Scout

I don't think it is possible to go somewhere and never be found. But it is possible to have a place off the radar, where only a few people know of your location. I live in the woods and have two neighbors that I haven't seen in three months. I hunt and fish and live in a shack and nobody cares or bothers me.


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## Omightydarkone

Darren Scout said:


> I don't think it is possible to go somewhere and never be found. But it is possible to have a place off the radar, where only a few people know of your location. I live in the woods and have two neighbors that I haven't seen in three months. I hunt and fish and live in a shack and nobody cares or bothers me.


The only place I can think to completely disappear is deep in the canadian woods. Once you go deep enough there isn't anybody. I've been studying up to date maps of north america at night just because light shows up and that shows where the people are at and there are some pretty isolated spots out there. Eventually someone is going to see you if you are close enough but there are spots that nobody goes. Even the rangers- mounties*


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## iamwhatiam

Darren Scout said:


> I traveled to Eastern Oklahoma and purchased 10 acres of woods for a grand per acre. 660 feet by 660 feet square. Full of red and white oak, pecan, and black walnut. Also has a few persimmon, apricot, and plum trees. I planted some apple, pear, and berries.
> No building codes or restrictions, so anything goes. I am off grid, without any utilities.
> I built a funny (star plate) shed to live in. My area gets a lot of rainfall, so rain catchment works great. One harbor freight 100 watt solar panel system and a 100 amp hour battery, handle lights and a fan. I can also charge my trac phone and kindle. I cut firewood and have a small woodstove for heat.
> I raise a few chickens for eggs, rabbits for meat, and quail for meat and eggs. I plant a small garden for mainly root crops like taters, carrots, and onions. I go fishing almost everyday, there are 2 rivers close by and also 2 big lakes.
> The life is pretty laid back once you get everything working. I spend a few hours per day, feeding animals and chopping and splitting wood.
> The only bills I have are $6 dollars a year for property tax, $80 for my phone, Around $80 for taxes and tags for the van, and $360 for auto insurance.


What does it cost to feed your animals?


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## Deleted member 29963

erisACAB said:


> After years and years of traveling I'm finally at a point where I'm (kinda) ready to settle down and get a small piece of property. Hoping by the end of this year my partner and I will be able to afford to buy a few acres somewhere. A home base where we can still take off and travel a bit when desired, but have somewhere to come back to, and somewhere for our friends to come and chill when they need a break from the road. I know lots of my friends over the years have expressed the same kind of "retirement" plan. My question is has anyone here made the switch and are living off grid or have their own homestead?
> 
> Couple questions on the off chance anyone here is doing this sort of thing-
> 
> What state did you settle down and why did you chose this area?
> What were some of the biggest hurdles you had to jump?
> What is your income source if any?


Were you part of the land project meetings at Jank Haus last year? Half the reason I went back to Oly in July this year was to follow up on those.

Becoming a farm laborer is a large part of how I became homeless! I was a hobo in the hoe boy sense, going from land project to land project or collective urban project for eight midwestern farm seasons until I mostly gave up on farming... Though I still haven't exactly figured out what I want to do instead...


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## Darren Scout

iamwhatiam said:


> What does it cost to feed your animals?


Sorry, I didn't respond sooner but I have been slaving for the man, from Thanksgiving thru Christmas. Making my grubstake to get thru another year.

I let my chickens free range spring to fall and they get half rations during that time. Plus any kitchen scraps. About a half pound of feed a week per bird. I get chicken feed from the feed store for $25 for a 50 pound sack.

Quail eat about 25 to 30 grams per day and a 50 pound sack cost $15.

Rabbits get mostly hay. I sythe the area around my cabin and the rabbits get the cut grass and clover. Also a small amount of pellets. 50 pounds for $20. Also they will eat weeds from the garden.

I can or freeze every fall and only keep a couple of breeding pairs over winter and rebuild the flocks in spring.

I get almost all my meat grown fresh by myself. Add in a couple of deer and free fish from my pond or nearby lakes and rivers. Squirrels and sometimes a wild hog. With a garden I grow I spend less then $50 a month on food and any animal feed per month. Most of my spending is on tea, salt, pectin, sugar, and yeast.


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## super good boy

Got a pretty nice set up. Far from being self sufficient but doing some work is better than doing no work.

My friend bakes bread almost every day. We sell that to the neighborhood. She also grows about 200 square feet of vegetables, going to double that in a couple years. Agriculture & Food Systems | CALS (cornell.edu) I also make kimchi for selling and for us for storing in the winter.

Our neighbors also homestead, they have three human children of varying ages, three goats and thirty chickens. We barter and get their kids (both kinds) to work for us. Stack firewood and shit in a pile for compost. We give them bread and tutor the kids in school for trade.

We all have day jobs for at least half the year to make ends meet. It isn't perfect but it's a lot nicer than renting.


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