Is Off Grid Living Worth It? Yes, and Here's Why

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Transitioning to an off the grid lifestyle may not be completely smooth and effortless, as you will need to make a few adjustments. However, is off grid living worth It?

Living off the grip is worth it. It provides you with freedom and quality of life compared to the city’s normal way. With proper preparation and execution, you feel healthier, stronger, relaxed, and so much happier by adopting an off the grid living than a “normal” way of living.

Let’s explore why going off the grid is worth it and discover resources and ways to start today with an off the grid living. You might also enjoy reading: Is Off The Grid Living Dangerous? Here’s What You Should Know

Why Do People Go Off the Grid?

Before discussing whether going off the grid is worth it or not, you must first define your “WHY” for going off the grid.

Imagine getting away from the consumption culture that drives so many of our decisions and living off the land, producing your own energy and food. For most people, off the grid is the answer. The reasons for going off the grid vary from one person to the next:

Some families go off the grid to be self-reliant or more in touch with nature and have more control over how they spend their days.
Some go off the grid for the idea of eating what they grow and living and working at home with their family and community.
Others go off-grid to seek independence, escape from the rat race of suburban life, and disconnect from society.
For some people, it is the most financially viable option available to them.
Some seek privacy to enjoy the simplest things in life instead of answering others.
While others might be compelled by a religious desire to remove impure temptation from their lives.

No matter your reason for going off the grid, it is crucial to know why you are going off the grid. Knowing your “WHY” will keep you motivated and help you decide if living off the grid is worth it.

Is Off-Grid Living Worth It?

Off-Grid living is totally worth it, and here’s how:

1- Financially, Going Off The Grid Makes Sense in The Long Run

If you decide to live off the grid, you will likely have some initial costs and investments to make sure you can live comfortably. You can recover your initial investment in solar panels within 3-5 years. The investment in the battery systems you will use to store solar energy will take a little longer to recover; it usually takes 10 years.

In the long run, an off-grid homeowner can save an average of around $20,000 over 20 years in the US.

Going off-grid means, you are responsible for the maintenance of your power system. Fortunately, solar panels need minimal maintenance.

And, as long as you don’t have too many maintenance costs, you can save money in the long run, but it’s the self-reliance and the clean energy aspect that make most people choose to go off the grid.

2- Growing Your Own Food Can be Extremely Rewarding

As every gardener will tell you, it is a gratifying activity. However, it also requires hard work and can be costly. It costs money to start a garden and buy seeds, soil, mulch, fertilizer, and garden tools.

Furthermore, when living off the grid, you ensure the security of your food by establishing reliable sources of safe, pesticide-free produce and antibiotic-free, humanely raised food and meat.

Eating food, you have grown yourself can be gratifying. While some initial costs upfront and some time investment are required to start growing your food, the process can be enriching.

Among the 52 percent of Australian households that grow their own food, 91 percent of these agree that growing their own food saves them money, according to a survey by The Australia Institute.

With off-the-grid living, you will grow healthy and tasty foods and save money by growing your own food.

3- You Build a House that Suits You

If you choose to go off the grid, you might need to construct your own home and often with your own hands. And this process can be very satisfying.

For most people, this huge DIY project can be an intimidating endeavor. However, it will give you the freedom of choice. You can choose to make your home out of non-toxic materials and renewable resources.

In other words, you will have the freedom to build your house the way you want. Most off the grid families and communities choose to make their homes based on the Earthship design; however, there are endless possibilities for creative design ideas.

You might also enjoy reading: Where Can You Live Off-Grid in Colorado? The 5 Best Places

4- Off-the-Grid Living Teaches You Crucial Skills

In the off-grid life, passivity and procrastination are not an option. Heating with wood means that you will spend your spring and summer splitting and stacking firewood.

Growing food for you and your family involves lugging mulch, plucking endless weeds, composting animal manure, and caring for goats and chickens.

Since you live off the grid, there will be no service coming in and emptying your composting toilet. You will need to learn to multitask. If you don’t complete your tasks, none is going to do them for you.

For example, when the clothes are dry, your clothesline isn’t going to sound like a buzzer, and if you want to enjoy homemade aged cheese, you would have to get your butt out the door to milk the cow.

It is also rewarding not to report to a boss, punch a timecard, or go to boring staff meetings. Instead, you will spend all your time and effort doing something you love and care about.

Off-grid living is a lot of work; however, the payoff is fulfillment, stability, consistency, and general hardiness that doesn’t fear instability and uncertainty. You will be ready for whatever mother nature throws at you.

5- The Weather

Once you decide to live off the grid, be aware of the weather. There will be many times of the year when the weather will not be as expected.

It might not be suitable in some places; it may rain a lot or be cold or even snow a lot, so moving around might not be easy. And it might also be dangerous not just for you and your family but also for your animals.

Just keep in mind that there will be times throughout the year when the weather will not cooperate and other times when the weather will be fantastic.

6- Everything Takes Longer and Labor-intensive

When living off the grid, everything will take longer, like growing your own food. Most ordinary tasks that you wouldn’t even think of in the city will take longer.

For instance, before taking a shower, you will need to heat the water first on the propane stove or over on the wintertime wood stove.

You will put water in a pot and wait until it hits 40 degrees, and then you know the water that is the perfect hot temperature for a shower, but you have to wait for the water to heat up and transfer it from your pot into a dispenser.

Contrary to living in the city, you don’t just throw your clothes off and jump in the shower and turn up the heat. With an off-the-grid life, everything will take longer, and everything is more labor-intensive such as cutting down trees and chopping logs. But I guess this is what you are looking for, right? Self-reliance and independence.

7- Living an Off-Grid Life is a Great Way to Live an Intentional and Minimalist Lifestyle

When you live on the grid, you have all kinds of electric devices, such as plasma TV, dishwashers, microwaves, electric heaters, and even curling irons and hair dryers. You can turn them on whenever you want.

All the things that, at the flip of a switch, you can turn on and run, and you don’t think twice about. Maybe when your power bill comes in, you might think about it.

However, when you move to an off-grid living, you will have to be conscious of what you are using and how you are using it. You need to be very careful about what you are using and how you are using it.

You also need to be very careful as to how you use water. It is not something that most people think about when living on the grid.

For example, how does that play out in your everyday life? Most people living off the grid take a navy shower or even a German shower where you turn the water to get wet, turn it off, soap up, and turn it back on to rinse off things.

Ways To Get You Started With an Off-the-Grid Living

You don’t need to quit your job today and move to a secluded area and start an off-the-grid living. However, if you want to be more independent and self-sufficient, start today with small changes in your lifestyle.

Small lifestyle changes will make your transition to going off the grid far smoother and more joyful.

1- Learn From People Who Are Already Doing It

By following and learning from people who are already living off the grid, you will find inspiration and encouragement. And it will make your transition less intimidating while you are learning the necessary skills.

2- Begin Learning Everything You Can About Off The Grid And Homestead Living

There are several books and Youtube channels that can teach you how to live off the grid.

You can read books on homesteading or research off-grid living online. Reading, learning, and searching will help you build up a valuable knowledge base that will come in handy when you adopt an active off-grid lifestyle.

Start Looking for a Land

You may want to purchase some rural land to live on, and it will be beneficial if your land has a river or stream running through it. If it doesn’t, that is okay, but you will need to build a well and/or rainwater catchment. You will also need to construct a simple, cabin-style house or purchase a tiny home.

When looking for land, try to get something with a beautiful view that you can look at every day. Because you always want to see a beautiful view of nature, wildlife such as birds and Beavers and the muskrats wandering around.

In Conclusion

Overall, it is worth it to go off the grid. You will learn with an attitude of a learner.

Most of the people who went off the grid are happy they did. Going off the grid will teach you so much and help you enjoy the life you always have been dreaming of.

Don’t be afraid to learn, adjust and readjust many things and skills you need to know to create an alternative lifestyle you’ve already got.

You don’t need to quit your job today and move to a secluded area and start an off-the-grid living. But you can start today with small changes in your lifestyle and learn as much as you can from other people living an off-the-grid lifestyle or read books or blog articles on starting an off-the-grid lifestyle.

Is Off Grid Living Worth It? Yes, and Here’s Why