Hello,
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All the best,
Les and Jane
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Hello- I have started reading through your blog, and I am very interested in living completely off the grid, including financially. One question I have, but have not yet read about on your blog, is the necessity for banks. Honestly, I do not like the idea of my money being tired up in any financial institution, anywhere. I have only started researching this topic, and am finding it difficult to find honest information online. Do you have any suggestions or information on this topic?
Thank you!,
Trish
We like to live as completely off the grid as possible, but you will still find yourself in need of some financial accounts. You will still have to pay taxes, land and income. And a lot of other expenses can only be paid this way. Our solutions here are not to escape from our responsibilities,but to embrace them and lessen the impact of the world around us. In short, we want to be in as much control of our life here living off the grid as is possible.
Many solutions exist as alternatives to banks. Your investments could be in land, in silver, in gold. You may also want to keep a certain amount of liquid assets at home, hidden for a rainy day.
How often have you been to the store when the electricity is down and not been able to use your debit card? It happens a lot here, so we keep cash on hand too.
We have lessened our dependence on bought goods, by a significant amount but we do still need to buy stuff, even if its just cement or nuts and bolts.
The main thrust of your get rid of your bank accounts should be get out of debt ! Reduce the number of bank accounts you have, thereby lessening service charges, and simply use cash.
It is not, in most cases the banks fault (although we do not know your circumstances), we are in charge of our finances, always, our decisions affect whether we are happy and free and able to live off the grid. Or whether someone else is pulling the strings.
And, yes, I will address this question in further detail in my next blog post, thanks.
You can send us an email at alphasolarnews@gmail if you want further info.
My family and I are about to slowly start our life changing adventure. We are trying to move to Colorado and start a off the grid life. We are planning on utilizing hydroponic farming and well as traditional farming. Building a steel building utilizing solar and wind for electricity, wood burning stoves for heat and possibly cooking. I also have plans for trying to use a steam generator powered by wood burning. A technology used in the 1800′s that has fallen by the waste side. I’m a trauma nurse, and my wife is a corporate person. We are both hard core hikers and campers, I personally have military experience with living with nothing in the jungles, as well as living in the desert of Arizona. We still need help and are hoping that this site will be a place of knowledge and resource. As well as advice as we start and film this endeavor to possibly help others in fulfilling their dreams of living off the grid.
We are glad to help with your journey to living off the grid.
Hello….. is it Les?
I seldom see much about the sewage issues and options for it, considering the much of a part of life that it is.
I’m Alio and have been graduating toward off grid for about 10 years. I have an on grid energy efficient home that I lease out and I stay in a separate straw bale structure with solar electric, rain catch and filter, gardens, wild food both plants and animals, indoor BBQ in the winter to heat and cook. I still use some propane for other cooking which is moved outside in summer to keep the heat from gathering inside. We also put up a 20′ monolithic dome that we will be equipping to be independent.
I had been experimenting with soldier fly larvae for a composting toilet and had success compared to other so called compost toilets, tanks and “holes in the ground” which I don’t like for many disgusting reasons. but it’s still quite a risky business considering parasites and so on. (and yes I did contract a wormy parasite that I’m treating now) In the colder months the larvae don’t work and so I layered the “doo” with leaves in the center of a large compost pile but now I have concerns with leachate from the pile and will probably incinerate it since there’s not any way to 100% sure clear the area of pathogens. It’s a LOT of labor and attention to deal with poo responsibly and I chanced upon a solution that is as close to an idea as anything I’ve seen and I’ve seen a lot. And I see we must get away from the large amounts of water used conventionally.
I chanced upon this a few days ago. It’s a solar dehydrating toilet that dehydrates urine and solids, pasturizes, deposits the drying stuff into a handy dehydrating gathering bag for landfill, sewage disposal or burning. Of course there are probably some folk who would be fine with composting with the “cooked” dry product. I want 2. One for the straw bale and 1 for the dome….. and why not get the house off the septic tank that’s always needing pumps, cleaning at $200/pop and a field that’s slowly clogging up. Plus we get stinky potentially risky rivers when it rains heavy.
I was so turned on when I found out that the distributor and US manufacturer of the solar “ELoo” is 30 minutes from my house. I always said, “If you want more than 1 of something that you REALLY REALLY want…….. deal it. So I met with Geo and Jeri and now I’m spreading the word. I want to get this info all over the world since I believe in this as a step into the new and less insane paradigm for living.
I know this is a plug considering that you sell advertising of some sort (I just requested your publication) but even were I not making a commission I would think you will be thrilled to get this info into your community. You might and in my opinion, ought to have a “Potty Issues” blog. It’s pretty darned important stuff for the new frontier folk to be talking about and I am determined to help this old burning out insane world before my days are over.
I like reawakening talking with PEOPLE much more than typing to you.
Warmly,
Alio
Really enjoy living of the grid. I lost my job in 2008. It took 3 yrs landing another (good) one. Unemployment BARELY kept a roof over my head. Eviction and cutoff notices out the ying-yang. NEVER AGAIN! Truely a humbling experience. I ended up relocating to another State for work. Couldn’t see paying rent, electric, water, sewage, trash pickup…etc. That’s almost 1 check. Ended up living in my car. Got a gym membership for $10 a month (gotta wash), a storage bin (for clothes) $50, Coleman camper stove (for cooking), lawn chair, power supply that plugs into my cigarette lighter and a cooler. Wonderful experience. My only regret was telling a few friends/family members. Glad I never told people on the job..whewww. Gues my Army days finally came in handy GO ARMY! Anywho…now I’m really embracing the thought of living off the grid. Been saving my duckets.. Problem is locating land( on the East coast) 1-1.2hrs away from a urban city. P.S. just got my first solar power products book. EXCITED!