How to earn a living off grid?

[miss_thenorth]

When we first moved out here, hubby did all the killing. He was (is) a hunter, so I relied on him to dispatch the animals. Fastforward two years, and I do all the killing and cleaning, although I have pawned some of it off on my son, who is 13, also a hunter. DD will help clean the animal but she won't kill yet. I think you just have to go gradually. Never did I think that I could kill an animal (other than hunting with a gun), but we all change when we discover our priorities. My priority is fresh, humanely raised, healthy, meat. Since hubby works full time, and I am at home, I can't sit around waiting for him to help me with the animals. All farmwork is my responsibility. As for hay, if you get 40-50 lb. bales, it's not really much different than slugging a bag of feed, your body gets used to it. I have arthritis, I'm almost 43, and my body can tolerate slugging the bales and bags of feed, because my body is used to it. My son also helps alot with this. And dd helps with cleaning of the stalls, and barn.

I guess what I am trying to say is you get used to certain things. And here, the bottle is reserved for a relaxing evening after a fulfilling day. I don't need it for slaughtering. Believe it or not, killing is not that difficult. It's a mindset. The hardest part for my first one was to make sure i did it right b/c I didn't want the animal to suffer. Now I know how to do it the most humane way, and I know they don't suffer.

Just my .02$. Don't underestimate yourself.

 

[freemotion]

And it is absolutely ok to pick and choose which ss things you want to do and which ones you don't want to do. You don't have to do it all. That is the beauty of it.

No cloth tp for me....but if I ever HAD to, I would. But not everyday. I try to eat local a lot, but....I am not willing to give up spices like cinnamon and fruit in the winter, and citrus fruits year-round, etc. JMO. So you might convince hubby more easily if you let him know that he doesn't have to give up all modern conveniences!

 

[Dace]

Thanks MTN....I know you are right. One just has to decide what they are going to do and do it.....just like any other difficult task in life. Good for you for managing it all while your hubby works!

Free....I love that and you are so right. I used to think that I had to either be all in or all out, but hanging out here I have learned that there are so many degrees of SS, you just have to find what works for you

 

[FarmerChick]

if anyone wants to go "off grid" and survive and afford life.....you best be in the mindset together or I can't see it working. Life is full of "great stuff"

hard to do without to the level of off grid and owning not much that requires money




I don't have this mindset. I am super duper frugal to have "what I want" and to save money and live easier......but honestly I love life and not willing to give up alot of what it offers. I am all for making my "footprint" in life smaller, but I am not going to ever give it "all" up. I am not that extreme.



so pick and choose "your importance" in life. When you know that you can move forward.

 

[TanksHill]

Oh heck, where do I start. Sorry if this is jumbled I have had to much coffee and a ton to say.

Dace , North County is beautiful, rural and city and HWY close all at the same time. Bonsall I would say is the most expensive and you will never find any land left there. Fallbrook is a possible choice. Maybe buying an older home with an incredibly cheap tax base and fixing it up. I don't know much about Escondido, haven't really been there. I was looking at some houses on line in Valley Center the other day. But it gets really hot there and the commute will be a killer because its on the other side of the mountains.

What I do know is Vista, I have done the move, buy land, build house thing. If I could do it again there would be some changes.

Maybe look into older homes with a bit of flat land. Most older homes here in NC have large lots. I am talking 1/2 to 2 acres. It is possible to find some modest price places here. Most areas have old and new all mixed together. I built my house in 2002, my next door neighbor still has the original from the mid 30's and on the other side I would say mid 50's.

I saw an article on the computer about how buying a house was a really bad investment. Maybe you could come up and rent a place for a while. See if you like the area.

I read through everyone's post about taking the leap and making more SS lifestyles work for them. Everyone has a bit of a different spin but I think most are just trying for security.

I think thats what I want.

For me I am on the diving board thinking about making the jump. As most of you know my fil sold off 80% of his business to investors. This is the same company my dh helped him build and worked for for 18 years. Now dh is a paid hourly employee working for people he hired in the past few years. Yes Murphy I have that 8k tax bill as well. And it sucks.

We have some stuff in the works and are trying to start our own company but I am not holding my breath. I continue to be as SS as I can. Our income has been drastically reduced and all of the things I have been practicing for several years are coming in handy. Laundry soap, chickens, economical cooking choices, veggie gardens, sewing, canning , etc....

Honestly I feel I was preparing for this exact moment in life.

Dace I have to tell you though, If life gets worse here. I am leaving Ca. I think it would be the only way to find enough land for that security I seek. I want a wood lot, a well, a pasture and land to garden. I don't know if it's the job issues, dh cancer issues or that I am just fed up, but I want out.

I think in the next couple months we will know where we stand. I told my dh I would not sit here digging us into a deeper hole of debt. I want to be able to sell our house and leave with my head held high. I just need to convince him it's ok to leave. Like so many others here he is still measuring his accomplishments materially. I don't fault him for that. It's how he was raised.

Yes Karen it would be hard if both people are not on board but sometimes I think one might just need a bit of a shove in the other direction.

uggg, I hope any of that made sense.

I like the commune idea as well. Maybe you should just come live with me.

gina

 

[old fashioned]

My dream has been along the total SS lines. Like raising all the hay, feed and grains. enough animals and produce of each kind to feed us, sell and replenish the stock, pretty much doing it all. And yes THAT is quite the undertaking, especially if we've never actually lived like that to know what all we'd be in for. Only because I seem to have some deep seated fear of a SHTF in a big way, and have thought only I (and family) would be able to get us thru cause nothing would be available.
Since joining this forum and realizing I'm NOT the only SS minded person in the world and learning others ideas, and maybe at my age, I'm beginning to understand that I'm not alone and I don't have to do it myself (lone wolf syndrom) and it's okay to need others, that if & when TSHTF I would be okay even in the city if I made the preperations/connections now. And hey, if I'm wrong I've still gained friends and skills I didn't have before.

Yes, I think the commune idea would really be the best way to go so that anyone is not shouldering the whole responsibility and trying to make something work that we're not cut out to do. Everyone has a skill or talent, everyone has things they should never try. With others atleast a person could focus more on the parts they were good at and trade for what they weren't. Which is really saying, even in the city-the barter system. So whether you move or not, atleast try to broaden your social circles to include others that have (or know someone who does) what you don't and find out if you have what they don't-for future reference if need be.

Does any of this make any sense? or am I just rambling in circles? If so, I'm sorry. Must be the bipolar kicking in-mind races with info and fingers can't type fast enough to keep up and make sense.

Chopping wood and fire tending isn't so bad, I do it all the time. Just imagine you and the wood are one , then CRACK! But sometimes of course the darn ax gets stuck and I gotta fight with it to get loose. I and the boys use axes. 10yo and I chop the smaller log pieces, 8yo does the small stuff for kindling. Hubby uses the chainsaw to cut to length and the splitting maul for the really big chunks &/or with knots (where limbs once grew & they don't cut easy). As for a fire, once it gets going ya just keep feeding it. Fill up the stove before bed or leaving, close the damper and it should last several hours, will usually still have some hot coals by morning to start all over again. Biggest problem with a wood stove is to regulate the heat output. There are (or were) some on the market that have a temp regulator and/or blower but I think these took electricity to work, which in my opinion was defeating the purpose of having the stove in the first place.

eta-okay Tanks (gina), scoot over so we all move in with ya!