May 11
5
I remember the first time I discussed homesteading self sufficiency and living off the grid with my dad.
He looked at me kind of strange and said ‘ there’s no money in farming…’ That was about 1 year before we moved.
I was, in essence trying to explain a decision that was already made up for Jane and I. In retrospect I probably did not do a very good job.
The difference between farming and trying to make a profit at farming, and homesteading self sufficiency are like night and day. I did my best to explain about growing our own food and building our own home.
By definition what we had planned was homesteading, as no other family had ever occupied the land we moved onto.
‘But you won’t have any money?’ he said. Of course he was right, at least in the beginning. Without capital, except for our own land we had little money. But that was really the whole idea.
To provide for ourselves, to be self-sufficient.
And we did, from our own home, to our kitchen table (which we still use today).
When it was all boiled down to the core, what we wanted was control of our lives. To be able to control how much we spent on rent (or land taxes), how much we spent on food, how much we spent for heat, electricity and water.
To control your own resources was very liberating to say the least, we had building material, stone and wood, land to grow our food, fresh water and dead wood for heating our home in the winter.
Our basic resources we needed to start homesteading self sufficiency were all here. But how could I explain it to Dad? or the rest of the family?
The answer arrived only a short while later in a letter from Mom and Dad, stuffed inside a birthday card.
‘On our way home from our vacation we are going to stop in and visit for a few days, and you can show us your place.’
We were excited and filled with fear as well. How would they react to our homesteading self sufficiency lifestyle.
Thankfully it was late August and the garden was bursting at the seams, morning, noon and night providing us with all we could eat.
They were both gardeners, and grew up on farms so the fresh produce they would appreciate.
During their visit we were right in the middle of finishing up the root cellar where we were going to store our winter food, potatoes, carrots and root vegetables mostly. Dad pitched in and helped me with the last of the foundation, then we were free to explore what we had done.
We showed them both around, we made meals, had campfires and talked.
The important part was when Dad told us both, ‘obviously this has made you both happy, and the kids are happy too, that’s all we need to see.’
And he was right, we were happy (are happy)
This post is dedicated to Les’ Dad, who died just 2 years ago. We miss you. And thank you for loving Jane as though she was your own daughter. The two of you were much closer than I ever realized.
Homesteading self sufficiency may not be for everyone, and it is hard to explain but it certainly is worth it, none of the rest of our families has ever seen our living off the grid homestead, but for those who have they have seen ‘real happiness here.’
Free Guide to Living Off the Grid -
Over 100 pages of how to information -
18 years of experience-
Fill in your name and email to get your free copy now
Very encouraging, thanks for the help living off the grid…. I am looking hopefully soon to be explaining this to my in-laws…….
Hi Ken, it is never easy explaining something new like living off the grid to relatives, we had (and still have) a time relating to how our relatives now view us. Take your time and be patient, it is a lot better to explain little steps like building a home, growing a garden, or installing solar panels than explaining your overall initiative to live off the grid. let us know if you need any specific help
Les, you’ve been a huge inspiration to me for wanting to live off the grid, I have been looking in to it, and reading up on it as much as I can the last year. I think I just need to make sure my lady is 100% for it, I understand the whole concept and my reasons behind it, but if you had something that would really drive it home, I would appreciate it.
Hi Pete,
The needs and wants of men and women are very different, especially where living off the grid is concerned. If you have been married for any length of time and want to continue with that arrangement then listen up. Your lady (and thank you so much for calling her a lady, so many men do not respect their wives enough) will want security, and she will want promises from you that you are going to do what you say you are going to do. Make transition plans first. A simple plan to start slowly works best for most couples. Camp out on your property for a few days after you find it.
Don’t expect your lady to move into a home that is not finished or liveable, she may be more of a pioneer than most, as I was fortunate enough to find, but probably not.
Most important is this- talk to her first, a lot. Make plans, and bend your plans so she is happy. We look at this as a long term move only. Make it so she wants to be there. Make sure that she can see this is going to be her ‘home’ for the rest of her life, and her input is necessary.
And lastly, keep your promises, she may ask you for things you cannot promise, like nice weather, or a finished house right on schedule, be realistic with what you promise. You will have to work your ass off for a couple years (mine is out in the bush somewhere) to make this a reality, but after that living off the grid takes on a whole new meaning- tuesday afternoon sitting in lawn chairs together with your lady with a cold one in your hands, and a smile on her face. If you need motivation just look at her, is she smiling? If not, then make it so, you will be glad you did.
Living off the grid is not for everyone, there is a lot to do the first couple years, but after that the theory of build it once and profit for the rest of your life takes over.
Les