Living Off the Grid–What Does That Mean?
A week or so ago, someone commented to me publicly that I’d never make it living off the grid, that my idea of camping most likely involves a fully equipped recreational vehicle, and I have no clue what living off the grid means.
Oh.
Ok.
Mind you, I’ve never met this person, he has no idea whatsoever about me, and certainly not our life. He stated to me that living off the grid equals what you see when you watch Little House on the Prairie, so I should consult that and get a life.
Oh.
Ok.
AdI mean…
Honestly, now I can laugh at the sheer craziness of his statements. At the time, I was not so amused.
Why did he feel the need to tell me all this nonsense? Because I had the audacity, on a group entitled Off the Grid Living for Beginners, I asked for some input on washing machines. The kind that wash clothes when you insert clothes and turn them on. Not washboards or bucket plungers.
Imagine…I am so spoiled.
As an aside, we have not had a washing machine running for almost four years now. But that’s beside the point.
We are so close to getting our solar setup done that I’m looking at options for washing machines we can use off the grid power. So we don’t use too much energy, so the clothes get clean, etc. All the things most people want.
Anyway…all this led me to thinking: What does it mean to live off the grid?
Obviously, to some, it means copying the made-up television version of how life used to be. Where you don’t really see the behind the scenes work, where everyone happily pumps water from their hand pump, where somehow everything gets done but all you really see are the people visiting and laughing, and where the real farm chores happen off set. Sure, you see snippets, but there is a lot of town visiting that real life may not have actually afforded. Pretty dresses that actually had to be washed, dried, ironed, starched, and such. Anyway, they do a pretty good job of making the olden days seem golden, but it was hardly as romantic as a one hour show can capture.
Disclaimer here: I enjoyed watching Little House.and we’ve read all the books I just never thought to pattern real life after a fictional TV show. And I do know there was a real Ingalls family, but we all know the show was made up.
Off the grid life means different things to different folks.
I’ll say that again.
Off the grid living means different things to different folks.
We could all live like Grizzly Adams or Dick Proenneke (and if you haven’t heard of these men, you need to see their videos!). We could all live like Laura Ingalls Wilder. Or maybe like our grandparents. Or cavemen, or people in Bible times. All of those people lived off the grid. Some lived in tents, some lives in caves, some in nicer homes, others in the wilderness.
So many choices for Off the Grid Living
These days, many choose to live off the grid, and it’s not quite as burly of a life. Many use solar, wind power, or other alternative power sources, and they live quite comfortably.
Others live off the land, foraging, doing everything by hand, and live more like Indians or the early settlers. Hand tools, a simple way of life, and no frills.
The Amish live generally off the grid. Their life is hard, but the community spirit helps to get it all done. I applaud their lifestyle, but that’s not the life we are choosing. At the same time, we are edging more and more toward their philosophy and endeavoring to be less complicated, although we have not succeeded in that attempt.
There is a book I’m interested in reading that focuses on Living Like the Amish, without electricity. I’m very interested to learn more, and I do want to use glass oil lamps like these, if even just for the ambience.
Off the Grid Us
We technically have lived off the grid for pushing four years now. In September it’ll be four.
We live in our camper, use a gas powered generator to power lights, charge batteries, and have a propane fridge and stove. Notice I didn’t mention a washer, lol? That’s our current situation.
Sooner and sooner, we will live in our cabin. We have 16 solar panels to power the lights and appliances. We are choosing to use highly efficient conventional appliances, like an Energy Star fridge, washer, and propane dryer. We realize that we won’t be living like everyone else. We will wash when the sun shines and be happy to do it at home!
We heat with wood. We have for years and it’s no big deal, but it does require planning. Some nights it would be great to flip a switch! It’s a trade-off for being independent and off the grid.
Our well pump is on solar panels of its own, which is very nice. We gravity feed the water, and can pump the water to fill the tank on sunny days, or use the generator we also collect rainwater.
The generator will still be used, but praise the Lord not as much as we’ve used it the past 3 1/2 years! It’s getting super pricey with these gas prices!! Sheesh! We will just use it for back up. If I want to wash laundry on a cloudy day, I can crank it up!
Your Choice, Your Way
When you choose to go off the grid, you just have to do a lot of praying and considering. What you can live without and what is not negotiable. How much you can afford, and what’s reasonable.
We’ve never hooked up to the power grid. Why shell out money to get it hooked up, when we were going to be off grid? We actually considered it, but the price was more than we could do, and Greg didn’t really want a bunch of trees cut down to run wires. Underground was just gonna be way too hard, with all of our rock, so we went straight for the solar setup. Which has been a real process!
☀️ Almost Ready for Solar sun I
Within a week maybe, we hope to go live. This weekend we hope to do a trial run on the system and work out the bugs. We have old batteries which we have to determine whether they will serve us. But we are this close! 
Living off the grid means different things to different people.
We have friends who sell their power back to the electric company. That’s pretty cool.
Some friends use solar.
We know a family who lives in a straw bale house and uses a windmill, but not for all of their energy.
We know others who live in a car. Although that’s not quite the idea…it’s still off grid.
Some live like kings, others live like backwoods campers. You get to choose your life.
You can wash your clothes over a rock if that’s your thing. You can pull out the washtub! You can even load your laundry up in a wheelbarrow and push it to a creek or behind a boat in the Amazon! I’ve done that. I’ve washed jeans in a bucket and endured the bleeding knuckles. I’ve trucked loads into town and mooched off my parents or broken down and splurged on the laundromat. But when I have my off the grid house, I will certainly have a washer!
And, sorry Ma Ingalls–I will wear my own straw hat, but I won’t be wearing a sun bonnet on this off grid homestead!
Thank you very much!
Laurie
If you have questions about living off the grid, we’d be happy to share specifics. There’s so much more to life than this post entails.
What are your specific questions and observations when you consider living off the grid?
We are learning, and experience has always been the best teacher, so let us know if there’s anything g we can share.
Related posts:
Top 7 Benefits of Off Grid Living
Modern Farmhouse vs. Authentic Farmhouse
We have looked into getting solar panels but the trees around our home block the sun. 🙁 You have a ton of great information here…so interesting to think about!
Thanks. It’s been blood sweat and many tears that have brought us here, and I’m sure many more, but God is good.
Wow, Off the Grid, which grid? How did you get this posted without being on the grid?
Those who are selling their generated power back to the power company are connected to the grid. Fifty years ago, the Amish that were selling their milk to the milk marketing board had to have a way to keep the milk cool. and a telephone was also needed to do business. They were able to isolate those things to the barn so that their home life was less impacted.
Propane and gasoline powered devices still require a grid of suppliers to make the fuel available.
When I saw the performance of the ‘Blue Man Group” i was enlightened by the realization that the plumbing system was a grid; actually two grids, fresh water and waste water.
I am pretty dependent on the food grid too.
This is a great topic for discussion and I hope it is safer than discussing religion and politics. 😉
Oh, I don’t know…these days it’s all a challenge.
None of us can say we are not impacted by the grid.
We use our cell phones for all of our internet. Never claimed to be independent of all electricity, but we aren’t connected to the power company.
There’s a lot we could chat about.
Definitely an understanding what Off the Grid means to some people. To me, Off the Grid means being the most independent of the government as possible. I would love solar panels on our home, but alas, more outside control — we have to go through the HOA and all just to get approved. Love this post!
Hmm…glad we don’t have to do that. We are pretty much left alone.
Tee hee… Arguing over the internet that someone else isn’t primitive enough.
Sorry.
I just love 21st century irony.
Seriously! Crazy, right?
Oh well, some people like to stir when they have no idea of what you do and don’t. You know best what to do and what you can do, when and how, so continue living your life to the fullest at your own terms.
I visited you via the Linkup Party at Sunday Sunshine Blog Hop!
My entries this week = 6+7.. If you have not joined us at SSPS as yet, come and share your posts with us and you can be our next featured post.
We’re open Monday through Saturday every week.
You will find the linkup information (1) In the Top bar under Blogging: Weekly Senior Salon Pit Stop OR 2nd image In the sidebar
We hope to meet you there virtually
Thank you so much!!
I’ve got to say I really appreciated hearing and learning about how you live off the grid. That’s wonderful. In pausing and reflecting here, yes, I think living off the grid looks different for everyone. I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way, it just has to be what works and what the individual family sets out to pursue every family’s needs are different. I’m so sorry some people have scoffed at you, I feel bad. I love learning and I’m happy to have read this today.
Visiting from Sunday Sunshine 68 #10&11
Aww…it’s all good. We can’t all be Little House on the Prairie! We don’t even live on the prairie!
😉
I’m glad you could learn a little something.