Living off grid REALLY is great!

OFF GRID: THE THEORETICALS
I would say about 40% of people I talk to out in the world about living off grid say the same thing.....'I want to live off grid someday too'.
They say this with a whimsical faraway look as if they never will, but the fantasy of it is soooo nice.

Living off-grid means a lot of things to different people. But basically to me it is about a simple, sustainable, independent, balanced, and impeccable lifestyle. And don't get me started on how honorable to the rest of the world I think living this way is!

On this journey I discovered what was best of all.... to lead a happier stress-less life!

MORE NITTIS GRITTIS
It is true there are limitations, set backs and learning to budget in most cases, but living off grid electrically, away from cities, growing one's own food, processing one's own waste, harvesting own water....it is truly fantastic. 
The sense of well being, of making your own way and being independent is unbeatable. When my friends down the road lose power....well I don't. When my friends lose their jobs and cannot support their $4000 mortgage....I can't have the same problem.
In addition I will toot my horn and boast a little more. These are a few of the accomplishments : 
- save 10,000 gallons of water a year from sewage treatment
- Eat more vegetables and be healthier.
- Work hard to save, found land no one wanted (so it was cheap) and thus could pay off my mortgage fast.
- Lots of Pre-planning: a small house with less tax, virtually free utilities and even less appliances= so less repair bills.
-Debt free- I decided to pay cash for everything added and to live simple, really simple in the meantime.
-Healthy: I take pleasure and pride in making sure my water and food is really clean of chemicals and non altered.

What else I have learned: When you do not have the money- yet- just don't spend it! WORK HARD, LIVE DEBT FREE....AND YOU DO NOT NEED A $3000 TV.

One can say it's impossible for them, but when a person decides and moves forward and doesn't give up, anything can happen. And when you get there-Hallelujah!! OFF GRID!!!! You have enough food without a supermarket, enough water without a big monthly charge, and enough energy without a skyrocketing bill, it all makes it worth it.

MONEY
Since we are a capitalist society lets talk money: I basically live well on $1200 a month. WHAT!!!??? impossible! incredible!. This is one third what the average North American lives on.
Yes I got my bills down to almost nothing. I use gas for a generator only 7 months of the year otherwise it's free power. I built small so heating, flooring, appliance, and well.... just about everything was cheaper to buy and cheaper to maintain- AND saves TIME.
I also researched the heck out of everything to purchase the best products for the best price. I hoarded materials along the way, and bartered for labor help I could not manage on my own. I am a moderately good farmer so I get about (averaged throughout year) 1/5 of my food intake from my land right now; This saves about 2000-3000 a year.

It took me from age 17 to 40 to get a financial base but after losing almost everything at about 40, it took 15 more years to change my mind about debt and relying on 'systems'. That is when the societal ideals really shifted;  it was all about how to get morgage free, debt free, and almost bill free. You have to be ready to work hard!
Just to be fair,  I didn't do it all alone, I had some help financially, about 60K from a small inheritance. This gave me about a 3 year head start to finish utilities and farm set ups.
This is just one way to do it. But if you want a simple life you can be proud of, it is a great option!
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