Even after leaving school, every day is still a school day.
One 19-year-old with dreams of an off-grid life was concerned that it couldn’t be achieved if they didn’t have the practical skills to make it work.
After seeking advice on the r/OffGrid Reddit community, seasoned off-gridders pointed out that learning, building up skills, and finding areas of expertise takes time and that they would need patience and determination if they really wanted to make a go of it.
“How do I live off grid?” the original poster asked. “A dream of mine was to one day move off grid, hunt and fish my own food. However, I have a few issues. One, I don’t know how to build anything, let alone a cabin. And I’m not sure how much it would cost to do something like this.”
It’s understandable that going off-grid is appealing, especially for young people. The cost of conventional housing puts home ownership out of reach for many, so finding an affordable alternative makes a lot of sense.
An off-grid home can be a lot cheaper than a standard house or apartment. Among the major costs are land and whatever form of accommodation you choose, whether it’s a cabin, converted vehicle, or trailer home built from scratch — and the associated work to make these places habitable. Even then, the cost would likely be cheaper than most available properties.
Another major expense could be solar panels to provide electricity. But the technology will pay for itself after a few years thanks to money saved on energy bills. What’s more, you won’t rely on the energy grid, which protects your home against local power outages in extreme weather and is far better for the planet since most energy companies still rely on dirty fuels to generate electricity.
The OP was keen about one particular aspect of off-grid life. “I’ve watched a few videos on YouTube and it seems like a pretty peaceful lifestyle,” they said.
“It can be peaceful but also a ton of work,” one Redditor replied, and they offered a few pearls of wisdom.
🗣️ If you could build a home anywhere, where would you put it?
🔘 In the city 🏙️
🔘 In the mountains 🏞️
🔘 On the beach 🏖️
🔘 In the desert 🏜️
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
“You learn by doing,” they said. “Getting started in camping, backpacking, hunting, fishing as hobbies now and those will teach you a ton. You can learn building skills via a zillion YouTube videos as well, but you’ll learn a ton more by doing as well.
“Honestly I don’t know anybody who only survives on hunting and fishing — I would learn raising chicken/goats/sheep and permaculture farming as well as canning and preserving if you want to be more self sustaining.”
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