Off Grid Living

  • Hi guys! Just wondering if anyone had any links to sites they wanted to share... Looking for all kinds of off grid house building sites. I want to start a straw bale, and cob home this year. I'll be doing it all by myself... so any kinds of info would help. I need building ideas that would be manageable for one woman to build.


    Iv'e been trying to figure out how to find free, low cost, materials etc... all ideas welcome.


    Also has anyone heard of the Groasis? Trying to think of ways to grow trees in the desert... lol It's the only land I could afford by myself...


    Think outside Albuquerque... type area. :love

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    Hi Blahh! Good to see you.


    I don't, but I just watched that TV show where this family from Alaska goes around to help people who are trying to live off grid. One lady was in Arizona and she build an earth bag home. It was really interesting.


    The show is called Homestead Rescue. https://go.discovery.com/tv-shows/homestead-rescue


    I'm trying to find a video for the one they helped with in Tuscon Arizona. It was a cool house and it was build with dirt.

  • Okay... so I checked out that show. Thanks for recommending it! It's really interesting. My roommate, and I really got into it. I hope I never get into a situation where I'd need to be rescued though.


    Iv'e got my eye on 10 acre plots out here... I don't know how to do it, but I will find a way!


    I figured out that a construction school near me requires it's students to build a cottage as a class before they can get their degree... hmmmm... Maybe, I'll offer up my land as the site for said project... Never hurts to check I suppose.

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    That's a great Idea to offer your land for the school project! What state are you in? I would love to have a few acres of land some day. I would put my trailer on it while I figured out how to build something. I love that kind of thing. I'd love to be off grid, but I don't think I could do it by myself. I mean being totally self reliant. One person would not make it in the long run, in my opinion. You get sick or injured and you can't take care of your animals or much else. It would be hard, but I would love it if I had a partner.


    That show is something I just came across the other day. I love it. Even though it focuses on rescues, I think one can learn a lot from it. I love it.

  • I just moved outside of Albuquerque around September. I have found 10 acre plots for $2,500. Who can say no to that? I am partnerless... (I made up a new word!!! lol) at the moment... I figured I'd look for other people in similar situations... I mean 10 acres is a lot,,, I would love to let some gentle spirited people just join me, and build on the land... look out for each other etc. I know my situation almost killed me... there has to be other people who just want to live a simple life in peace... in balance with the land etc...

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    That's really a great price! You know, as long as you aren't too remote, you won't starve or anything. Even a small nothing town nearby would be great.


    For me, I'd need some kind of income, but not much. That's the tough part though... having an income in remote areas of small towns. Kind of a catch-22.


    It's great that there are SO many areas in America where land is cheap. I love Arizona and New Mexico. I lived in Arizona most of my life. Being away from bitter cold is good. Summer might get hot, but you can grow stuff year round. An earth home appeals to me because of how they maintain a pretty even temperature.


    Water is a big thing. Wells can be expensive to dig if you can dig them at all, but you can always buy a big tank and have water trucked in once a month. That's doable.


    I would like to start looking for a little land myself.

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    I watched an episode of that show last night, Blahhh . It's kind of an eye opener to me when I see how much work it is to actually pull off an off-grid life. You see these people really getting in way over their heads and wondering why they tired, it seems. If anything, I'm learning a lot. I think it's really interesting.


    I think what I'd like to find is a piece of land that has power, water and septic and out in a semi-remote area. I'd like maybe 5-10 acres and be within 20 miles or so of a small town at least. I'd just want to be on some land that is not regulated too much for what I could put on it or do with it.


    Stuff costs money to set up off grid though. I think the number one lesson I've taken away so far is that you have to have enough money to get yourself set up properly or you're going to be miserable... or not make it.


    You also REALLY need to research the land. Does it flood when you get a little rain? Does it have unbearable conditions in winter or summer? Bugs, snow, flooding, fires, etc. Does it have a water source?

  • Hi Blahhh, I will be glad to help with information. I have setup a place to live in the country and GG is right. Water is one of the basics you will need. I would start with an RV of some sort and not the land. When you have something you can live in, then you buy the land and park it there. There are a lot of women living the Van Life or RV Live full time. There are hundreds of Youtubes on the subject.


    The idea of setting up a colony of like minded people isn't a good one in my opinion. You will have trouble and you won't be able to escape it.


    Do you have some sort of income?

  • Water AND water rights. I'm blessed to live in Missouri, where I can do what I want. I have lived without electric for 10 years in a wood-heated shack. It was a learning experience to say the least, especially moving down here from Chicagoland, but upon reflection, was really the best time of my life.


    It was a big, big deal when we got a hulking old used propane refrigerator with a small freezer!

  • Water AND water rights. I'm blessed to live in Missouri, where I can do what I want. I have lived without electric for 10 years in a wood-heated shack. It was a learning experience to say the least, especially moving down here from Chicagoland, but upon reflection, was really the best time of my life.


    It was a big, big deal when we got a hulking old used propane refrigerator with a small freezer!

    You say the sexiest things katya, 10 years with no electric.....you are so cool!!

  • You all are so right. Iv'e really been trying to learn about all these things, but I won't make a purchase until I feel I know enough... to not die.. lol

    I heard groasis waterboxxes are awesome for growing trees in the desert-ish type areas. That would be fun!

  • I'll have to look up those water boxes. I'm from Arizona, and I'll tell you that lots of trees and plants can grow there year round.

    Since you're from Arizona... I have been reading about bamboo farms in Arizona. People were saying that you can make $60,000 a year if you have just a 1/4 acre... don't know if it's totality true or not. However, it seems like it might be. I was thinking about it too, but time will tell.

  • Okay... so I'm having a blonde moment. I know I posted a thread, because I'm on it now... I wanted to post another one (I forget what I wanted to post now) but I can't even find the button to do so. How in the heck did I make this one??? Bwahhhhhhhhhhhhhh... Grrrr.


    :doof

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    Okay... so I'm having a blonde moment. I know I posted a thread, because I'm on it now... I wanted to post another one (I forget what I wanted to post now) but I can't even find the button to do so. How in the heck did I make this one??? Bwahhhhhhhhhhhhhh... Grrrr.


    :doof

    haha


    You just have to be in one of the sub forums