I don't really have carpentry skills, so I would have to start completely from scratch with books and instructional videos-- even then, I don't know if I'd be able to do it. Would you? How?

Written by Andrew McKay In the luxurious reality of today, living off-the grid might sound like a true scene of apocalypse, but the beauty of its self-sustenance makes one connect more with nature and natural living or perhaps just, living. Society, its inventions and discoveries have proved to handicap us more into dependency rather than enlightening us to use the same genius to be independent. Living off the grid refers to living without any dependence on the government, society and its products. For knowing how to live off the grid, one should be aware of being independent. Truly, we are mortals and hence are dependent on air, water and food as well as shelter, but does all these have to come at a cost of a 9-5 job or the bonus insomnia that comes with it, let alone endless stress? Living off the grid calls out to live a life sans any employment under anybody so that you work hard to eat what you need and sustain yourself, on your own. In this case, all the time in the world belongs to your dreams, hopes and interests. What does living off the grid mean? In our post-progressive era, we have too many definitions for anything and everything that living itself has branched out into the very antonyms that it should not be. Centuries ago, every family sustained on its own as that was the grid. The term off-grid refers to being, rid of any dependency for existence. Literally put, it means anyone living off the grid of government provided electricity. In brief, it refers to families that survive on their own without depending on the society, government or public for any means of survival. This is a cloud term to include that independent house, which has its own endless supply of water, electricity, gas, food and fabric. During an apocalyptic situation, such a house or family has no fluctuations in its energy supply, food or fabric production. To make your own unlimited electricity, fuel, water and food requires a long stretch of productive hard work. In the course of time, man has started to misinterpret the purpose of life with getting employment or doing a job. To be a cogwheel under another’s bums is what the world preaches each one to be alive, healthy. A steady 5-day week for 50 years and your insurances insure you to be cleverly, packaged before rotting! That, perhaps is the gist of such a life lived being dependent on someone else. True knowledge is free and true living comes without any shackles of knowledge, but with its omnipotence. Living off the grid follows an amalgam of the aforementioned philosophies is concise brief of what living off the grid sans any money means. Along with barter system, when you live off the grid, you tend to make enough money for any emergency you might have. With having a land on your own, backyard garden and computer in the garage, living-off the grid and making unnecessary few bucks en route is truly the right route to take. In order to understand how to live on your own, start with doing what you love the most. Philosophy of living off the grid with no money Re-wild is not just a fancy word but also an opportunity to resurrect our wild instincts and be one with the wild, which is the purpose of our life. Some philosophies of this lifestyle are Everything in the world is free For anyone who truly lives off the grid, the world is filled with freebies. If you are free, you will realize that to gain anything you will not need anything else. True freedom makes you see the whole world as opportunities or gift-wrap spread all around. Only the truly free can sense the free goodies that are all around us. In addition, the best things are free in the world. Avoid wastage absolutely The first lesson to engrave in your head if you want to continue living off the grid and not just a tiny bit of vacationing is that you must understand all wastage as a sin or crime. Avoid all wastage. Wastage of food, water, fuel and money should be, mandatorily avoided. Buy that which is necessary to your existence. Everything that is dependent on your whims and fancies should be, strictly prohibited. Each time you waste something it makes a cut from your chunk of peace in the future. Buying things because it rejoices your mood is not an excuse to spend money. Saving is your golden rule of existence. With wastage comes greed. When you do not waste, you attain satiation or lack of all greed. Adhere to doing, only the things that you really want, with your time Time is endless, infinite and lost. When you start living off the grid, this becomes an effect of your lifestyle. Time that you willingly and mindfully spend will be on a handful of chores, as you no longer have all the responsibilities and drudgery of being part of the gigantic world that ours is. With lack of responsibilities to trigger your daily routines, you gradually start to avoid all unnecessary wastage of time. En route, you will start to nurture yourself and be mindful about your potential skills. This way, your days will be, filled with just the things you really want. There shall be no halt to support that and you will live free. Time spent in real happiness is much sweeter than elixir itself. Communal anarchist life This is a way of living-off grid in a group like Ayn Rand’s group of intellectual real people in her book Atlas Shrugged. This communal taste of anarchy sustains itself on a barter system with each other, where the community as a whole can sustain itself, and lesser effectively when as an individual. Here, the community grows its own energy, food, fuel and fabric to sustain the entire populous. Nothing is externally, bought and everything is acquired through an internal barter system that fuels their own interests or skills on the side. A communal anarchist life does not compromise on growing its own fuel for sustenance unlike a capitalist society, where everything is in disarray or chaos. Don’t make your life just about the hunger games Nowadays, many people tend to consider life as the survivalist rant of a runt! Living is not equivalent to surviving. People pride upon claiming themselves to be survivors, which is great. Although, when the same people start to advocate that life is all about survival and that too, of the fittest, the message turns negative or toxic. Life is about living. There is no competition in life. There is, you; there is the universe; nature and everything around you. So, stop surviving so that you can delight yourself of starting to live! Wake up with sun and go to bed when it sets That is right. Learn to live without the artificial light. One strong stunning factor to amateur living off-the grid people is the difficult of having own electricity. Well the best solution to it is, want no electricity. Do with solar energy and sleep when it is dark. In the breezy twilight and nightfall, you will find much in the nature that will lull you to sleep! Who lives off the grid? En route to measuring the practicality of living of the grid, you might wonder who is it actually that lives off the grid. It is true that all it takes is the sparkle of a slightly strong will to make you plunge into living off the grid as well, but how many people do it anyway? As of a survey that was conducted two years back, 1.7 billion people all over the globe are living off the grid. Out of which, 180,000 people are from the United States of America. Being off-the grid refers to the refusal of partaking in public utilities to be self-sufficient. So who are these people anyway? Following are some people all around the world who live-off grid happily. Josh* (name changed for privacy) Josh is renowned in the papers for his notorious escapade from credit card loans. These days, many people have actually made off with disappearing into the wild. It is not strange that since recent years you have felt a strange reason to isolate yourself from the bustling noise of humanity and its township. Josh never paid his credit card loans, and opted to disappear out into the wild, off the grid. His story has a high criminal taste to the living, but it emphasizes the proof of the power of your anonymity or private firewall. It is not difficult for someone to erase their identity and sustain a beautiful and happy life on their own, today. Josh has a cabin in the words where no one comes. He has a few cabins on his land in the city where tourists come and go. The revenue pays off to keep his caretaker happy and shut. Josh never visits the city. He confesses that he has never felt to visit it, once in his two-decade long life of being an outcast. Island Community Lasqueti The second most noteworthy people who live off the grid are the 400 residents on the little island of Lasqueti. People live here, sustaining their life, fishing, hunting, camping and living on their own. The island is not crowded and residents live in peace and harmony with each other. This is not a communal anarchist society as every individual can sustain himself or herself and is not dependent on each other. However, for heavy tasks or living safe in the wild, people aid each other. The little island has many ex-townies who have evolved into the peace and calm of living in the wild, blissfully sans any complaint. There are many families on the island, one infamous for its St. Bernard Breeder tag! The island is definitely a place to check out if you are interested in practical way of living off the grid, that too, on a larger scale. How to live off the grid when you have no money Not as easy it sounds, living off the grid requires much hard work and genius to be successful infinitely. Following combines a list of necessities, techniques and practices you must be aware of in order to start living off the grid. Water The first and the foremost thing to check for when locating a plot to live off the grid, is water. Availability of water on your own land gives you the independence from municipal or government facilities of the base requirement human existence, water. Having a location where you have a couple of endless orifices underground will serve as the best wells. When you cut down your dependence of water use from the public, sustenance is halfway complete. One must assure that the plot has good water for drinking, washing, bathing and cleansing during all seasons. If not, you must locate a source that can provide you water during the summer or high winter. However, to make sure you get drinkable water, you should invest in a water purifier for the entire family. You can also learn how to make your own water filter with things you can easily find in the wild. Energy The next big thing in living off the grid is what energy or fuel do you need to sustain yourself healthy as well as safe. The basic options for your ingenious energy produce can be through water, wind or solar. Many of the off-the-grid state of the art houses are equipped with luxurious fridges and fancy blenders, all run on their expensive and efficient solar power. However, solar power is also easy to make with the help of a small solar panel. You can create fuel as biogas as well. One can create sufficient energy without relying on the public or government today. Cutting the dependence of energy, one becomes almost free. Check out our friends research for the best solar portable charger options. They found best products on today’s market for you. We also have some in-depth reviews of the best products on the market that may be worth a small investment before you go off the grid. Apart from that, the golden rule to save on lighting is not to have any light. Work during the day and sleep during the night. Initial needs and investment Initial transformation of moving off the grid relies on your investments. If you have money enough to buy sturdy and strong equipments for your stay in the wild, it will give you more throttles on your long path to peace. Some things to invest are location, set-ups, maintenance, construction, repair and installation as well as raw material for each. You must invest in strong portable beds, cabins and durable electronic good that can be multi-purpose. Wastage is a crime and one must always see multitudes of profits with each item that one decides to invest on. Make a checklist of everything you will need in the start so that you have a solid idea of making the complete transformation living off the resources you cultivate. To ripen those tomatoes, it sure will take some time. So take the leap confidently! Waste disposal One of the best results of living off the grid is becoming one with the nature. En route such a lifestyle you cultivate a way of preserving and conserving the nature around you. In every way, the lifestyle promotes Going Green or Being Environmental, on a whole-scale. With you, starting to live off the grid where there are no streetlights or municipal dust bins ‘round the corner, you must method a good waste disposal and management system. Along with the construction of septic tank and other drainage for your bathroom, you must also construct a good compost pit that helps you convert some part of the burning into fuel or energy. If you have an improper waste disposal, there are high chances that you will catch infectious diseases and sickness quite soon. A consistent and durable waste disposal is vital to your sustenance while living off the grid which is why we have a well-documented tutorial on how to build your own outhouse that we invite you to check out. Seasonal needs With every change in the season, your own demand for water and other necessities change. When you are starting anew, it is impossible to be ready for all drastic changes in the climate. Some essential seasonal needs include the winter wear (check out this jacket, great for when the weather gets cold), sunscreen lotions, raincoats, umbrella, muffler, cap, boots and accessories to suit each. You must also check in detail the availability of water in your area during all seasons. Lifestyle changes Another important practice prepping you for this grand feat is the willingness to accommodate and widen your eyes about life. Your life will undergo strictly drastic and overwhelming changes. It has proved to be effective on all people. So, prepare to be aware that your life will have many turns and curves on its route. When you live wholly in the nature, as a part of it, the dimensions that will open up to you will be farther than any overdosed synthetic buzz. Activities to do Make sure you have the accessories you need to indulge and engage in the activities or hobbies that you dearly like. Missing out your chessboard is a sad thought after shifting into the Amazons. Then, you can very well make your own game plays, props and grids while in the wild. Needs of communication This is one of the strictly optional needs of, living off the grid. If you have near or dear ones wanted to be, updated about your whereabouts, you must keep a mailbox at your post office or keep a postal address. As living off the grid refers to be self-sustainable enough to be cut-off from the world, this is truly optional. Since you can use the solar energy to charge your phone and other communication devices, it may be a good thing to keep an open line. Also, an emergency radio is a fantastic asset, so don’t hesitate to buy the best – you can read our reviews on best emergency radio to make an idea of the product you want. Hospital and medical care Another necessity to be, considered is your health. If you are a person who lives on a dozen tablet and regular health check-ups, the wild might truly be a wild option for you. If your passion is true, you pack up your medicines and proceed to the wild. In any case, you must have an idea about your nearest hospital as well as their number. Also, a complete first aid kit is absolutely necessary. We also have a few in-depth reviews of the best first aid kit that can be found on the market so don’t hesitate to take a look. Gardening and farming A vital part of living off the grid is learning the art of gardening and farming. Everything that you call food, chicken, asparagus or poppy seeds, have to be, grown yourself, on your land. So, while you make the checklist for right investments, try getting the best strains of seeds of the vegetables, fruits and herbs that you wish to grow. You can learn about choosing the right seeds and storing them in our in-depth article that can be found here. Farming is a natural talent that requires much skill and hard work. Fools say that work is in an office, because a farmer works the hardest and frolics much deeper than the office-goers. Farming is an experience from which you learn, gradually. Cooking Another skill that will determine your efficiency at being healthy and happy is your measure of culinary arts. If you can eat anything that does not bite back, you are in for the right game. Many a times when you live off the grid, you are, faced with mixed outcomes. You might have a feast for months and then it might just be drought and starvation for a few days. You must know how to cook your food from any plant or meat. You must be skilled to cook healthy and nutritious food without wasting any of your farm produces. Petting Out in the wild, it does not take much time to realize the burden of heavy loneliness. Having something to keep you busy and working will get you sleep at night. But, to vent out your emotional needs, you need something to communicate with. A faithful dog, a turtle, or rather any choice of pet is idea for this lifestyle. Thus, value of the pet upgrades onto companionship-level, almost instantly. In addition, the bond that grows between the pet and the master, in this case tends to be quite strong as well. Exploring Also, when you are tired of being at one place for too long, pack up your bags and move again. Backpacking through places will help you find the ideal place for your stay. It also teaches you great knowledge and wisdom. However, for this, you will need a durable backpack to carry everything around. Trading your skills or engaging in barter system Doing only what you love is the best way to be content with your life off the grid. One way to engage into proper barter system is to offer your skills and talent to someone who can return something of benefit to you. Make sure you do not indulge in drudgery when you are engaging in barter system. The essence rests in sufficiency. Be proud, independent and content by living the way you want With the aforementioned, it is not quite difficult to start living off the grid with no money. If you have many of those wild skills, you might end up on a good start, but your wagon won’t run for long. It is essential to know your options and use them to the fullest when you are planning to live off the grid. There is no pause or shortcut. It’s the whole way ‘round or nothing? So are you ready to live off the grid with no money?

by John Howard, MA Have you ever wanted to drop out of mainstream society and live differently? Have you dreamed of not having to work, taking it easy, and meeting great people while enjoying the fruits of the Earth? There are alternative lifestyles everywhere, just waiting for those who want in. Here’s a guide to the ten of the best: 1. Ashrams, Temples & Communes Hindu ashrams are known for offering a serene contemplative life while also engaging in healthy, active community work. You often don’t need any money to participate, assuming you can help out with chores, are an asset to the community and get along well with others. If you have a small donation to give at the beginning of your stay, your contribution will help offset community costs and help solidify a place for yourself in the community. Buddhist temples offer a similar lifestyle, as do some Sufi retreats. Modern Christian monasteries often allow one to live in total silence, which can be really nice if you’re dropping out to ‘get away from it all,’ including talking to people. If there is a local mystical Christian congregation in your area, they may have connections to continually operating monasteries that offer spots to folks on retreat. Life can be nice at spiritual communes, involving daily practice, working in the garden and kitchen, and countless spiritual and self-help conversations with others. 2. The Rainbow Family The Rainbow Family is a loose association of hippie tribes with their roots in the 1960s and ’70s. Many people of all ages have kept up the ideal hippie lifestyle by traveling from place to place, forming regional gatherings, and living outside mainstream society. Some of these tribes have permanent camps or are based in certain towns, while others are purely nomadic. Bartering is the primary means of obtaining necessary goods. One quickly learns how to camp, live outdoors, go a while without a shower, and be in the moment. There are lots of adventures to be had on the hippie trail, from listening to old stories about the counterculture, to singing great songs by the fire, to escaping bad weather and storms with minimal gear and shelter. If cleanliness is your thing, you may tire of this very outdoor lifestyle. But it you love the great outdoors and can imagine yourself dancing naked around a large campfire with 100 drums beating around you, then this may be a great way to live for a while. These folks travel to and camp in some of the prettiest country in the U.S. It’s hard to argue in favor of rent payments back home when your camp for two weeks has a view of the Tetons and overlooks a waterfall. You can visit a regional gathering or the big national gathering to get a taste, but I suggest you connect with the tribe closest to you and get to know some of the individuals involved. That way you’ll feel more at home and can camp with your peeps at the next gathering. If you get serious about the lifestyle, you’ll bump into many opportunities to join a wandering tribe. 3. Retreat Centers There are many educational retreat centers in the U.S. and abroad where the public can go for a week or a weekend to take self-help classes, learn to meditate, do art, dance, etc. While these are commercial operations that offer programs, there are typically opportunities to live on site if you join the staff. Positions may be paid, or volunteer in exchange for food and shelter. The work can vary from being on the cleaning staff, to helping with the grounds, to helping produce and set up for events. Some of these positions are seasonal. This is one of the nicest ways to drop out and do something different for a while, since you meet exceptional people (other staff, visiting teachers, and the visiting public), learn lots of new things, and the food is usually good. Who knows, it might even stimulate your next career! 4. Organic Farms Ready to work? Organic, sustainable farms across the world are often in need of skilled and unskilled physical labor, particularly during the growing and harvest seasons. If you have some farming or gardening skills, you’ll have a better shot at landing a position with a farm. If the farm is big enough, they may be happy to take on anyone willing to work hard, long hours, and learn quickly. In my experience, living on a farm is not a leisurely way to get out of your typical routine. Getting up early is the norm, as is the physical labor. But you learn the important skill of growing food naturally, you engage in a healthy activity that builds strength and stamina, and typically eat very healthily. You’ll meet great people as well. The farm circuit is full of intelligent, caring folks who like to work, have strong bodies and smile broadly as they greet the day. Working on the farm should be enough to offset any rent and food costs, and if you contribute enough you might even gain a paid position. 5. Yoga Centers Yoga centers are places where the public goes to do yoga retreats and where yoga teachers go for extended periods of training. They typically have a nice, balanced lifestyle with a mix of physical activity and downtime. Wonderful people are coming through on a regular basis and you have a chance to meet many sweet souls. There is usually a significant cost to living at a place like this, unless you have a skill they need (see #6). But if you have the dough, it’s a great lifestyle, especially if you’re into yoga. You’ll deepen your practice, eat well, and live in community with others. 6. The Wandering [Skilled Trade] There are skills that can take you places, making you an instant asset to many communities and organizations. If you enjoy what you do, it may be a pleasure to do it in a variety of settings, traveling and meeting new people along the way. Carpentry is skill that is in high demand everywhere a new center or building is being built. If you can prove your bona fides to the foreman, you will often be allowed to live on site and be fed in exchange for helping the crew. If you are a great massage therapist, there are many places you can set up shop in exchange for free room and board. Think retreat centers, communities, and spas (where they may even pay you some in addition). Are you a talented web designer? Many organizations need a better web presence, or better online marketing. Tech skills that would normally cost a community a fair amount of money can be bartered for a nice stay at a new location. As people get to know and trust you, you may develop more options to earn income on the side from your new place of retreat. 7. Co-ops Co-ops are groups of people who combine resources to share needed goods and services, such as food, shelter, health care, etc. There may be several in your local area. Cooperative housing provides a community feel while still allowing you to live in a town or urban area (maybe even the same town you’re already in!). Co-ops share chores such as cleaning and shopping, and often rotate meal duties, so you might have one night of the week to cook with a partner. Meals are often eaten together, although co-op members typically have more diverse individual schedules and activities as compared to living in a commune, and members are always free to do their own thing. Co-ops are a great way to reduce costs and live with a sense of community. Some co-ops have a focused sense of purpose as well, such as to recycle, or a charitable cause, which can make life more invigorating. You can create a different spin on life without changing the town or city you live in by joining a co-op! 8. Intentional Communities The mother of all alternative lifestyles! There is a community out there for everyone, just choose your interest. Some are stranger than others, and in some you may need to be on guard for funny behavior, but joining an intentional community can change your life quickly. Communities may be focused on permaculture, religion, nudity, living off the grid, survival skills, polyamory, extra-terrestrials, and many variations of counterculture beliefs. Caveat emptor! Go at your own risk, but have a blast! 9. Native Villages Native villages offer the ultimate in a change of pace and cultural experience. If you are accepted, you can live as many did centuries ago. Chop wood, carry water. Grind corn flour, build a fire. Have slow conversations, watch the sky, and the weather. People in these villages live on a different timeline than the rest of us. Probably a healthier one. Not to lump Indigenous peoples all together, but in my experience, there is more thinking before speaking in villages than in modern society. More listening than answering. And some responses come non-verbally, even through silence. Fishing, hunting, and cooking take up much of the day. As does sharing time with others, learning, telling stories, playing with children. It may seem at times there is nothing else to do on this planet but eat, tell stories and play. Ahhh, what a nice reminder. You may even learn a language and some neat tips about life while you’re there. 10. Foreign Countries Of course there’s always the big move. As they say, wherever you go, there you are. Why not be in Buenos Aires? Foreign destinations can offer inexpensive living with a very different lifestyle than what you’re used to. Malaysia, Indonesia, Berlin, Central America, and spots in Mexico and South America are popular. In some locales you’ll find an active ex-pat community if you want to be around those with a similar background and language to yourself. In others, you may need to blend in more with local culture. The idea here is to stretch your money as far as it will go while truly enjoying life. Want to live near a tropical beach? Own your own ranch? Not be burdened by a mortgage? If you can afford a plane ticket and can bring some savings with you, you might afford yourself several years in a wonderfully different culture. These ten ways of living offer those seeking change many options to experience life outside the mainstream. They can be great respites for a while, or become a permanent lifestyle. Always know that you have options in how you live. You don’t have to feel stuck by the parameters of modern society. You can choose a life that helps you be happy, have less stress, and fits with what you value and enjoy. Go out there and have an adventure! Featured photo credit: 123RF via 123rf.com