⚡️Are You Ready to Live Without Electricity? |💰We Save THOUSANDS Living Off the Grid
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ย. 2024
- Increasing natural disasters. Rising electricity costs. 78% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck. It’s time to prepare and practice living without electricity. Whether for a short period of time or long-term, we can all expect to be without electricity at some point.
No matter how reliant we seem to be on electricity, the reality is, for most of us, electricity is a WANT and not a NEED.
Learn to thrive without electricity and have the freedom to choose and the power of self-reliance 💪
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I was wondering where you bought your power station from
Amazon! Here are the links to the battery pack and solar panel I use 😊
Solar Power Station Battery: amzn.to/43vb90Z
Portable Solar Panels amzn.to/3PvQrIK
@@raisingwildflowershow much would you say the power station weighs
@@ashleybosvik3031 It’s pretty heavy. At least 30 lbs. I would compare it to a car battery.
@@ashleybosvik3031there is a 42% of coupon as of May 24. Beware, the coupon will attach to the lowest priced item so buy the battery by itself.
I'm sorry for my ignorance on this, but I was wondering if that comes with the panels or bought separately?
We had an off grid cottage growing up. It had propane lights, oven/stove, a woodstove. We had an old insulated icebox fridge and would pick up a large block of ice for it...worked great. We would save the melted ice water for dishes, boiled. We also had large rain barrels, the lake and 2 ten gallon jugs of fresh water from home. We also had a BBQ and back up propane camp stove, coleman lanterns & mantles & flashlights. Portable radio for music. It had an outhouse. We always had a properly stored stash of non perishables.. WE raised a flag & vice versa when we arrived to let our Aunt/Uncle & cousins, across the lake, know we had arrived. WE read, swam, canoed, fished, played cards, did puzzles, foraged fruit/berries and hiked and had campfires for entertainment. Best memories ever.
This sounds so wonderful! 🥰
This sounds like heaven! ❤
What a wonderful and sustainable life ❤❤❤I am officially jealous of you
Well it's not my most desirable way to live.
@@DanaMay-r6q In your opinion!
The biggest problem is property taxes. You can save all you want but if you can't pay the property taxes you lose you home and your land. Property taxes are the most unfair and discriminating taxes of all.
This part. Income taxes and expenditure taxes are both arranged around the payer's ability to pay. Less income = less income tax. Less income also = less expenditure. It's fair.
But property taxes? You can inherit a gorgeous house in a good area and never have the sort of income people assume when they see where you live, but the property taxes are there to drive out the poor, the widowed, the disabled, and anyone else who isn't rich enough to earn the approval of a rich neighbourhood. It's actively cruel to the individual, and it contributes to the stratification of society whereby the rich only ever interact with other rich people and completely lose touch with what life is like for anyone who can't afford to live in their neighbourhood.
@@tealkerberus748ya know I never thought of that. As a disabled person who can no longer afford the house I had before my disability..... Yeah I kinda feel this one. 🙏 ✌️
@@tealkerberus748PA trys to help with property tax. Low income there is help. Maybe why called a Commonwealth State. PA does strange things how does things to other states. Still your point is valid Property tax. Fix up your home you get penalized in tax. People have things to say about low income people living off the system but government people get paid how much living off same system?
The government owns your house not your. You are renting from the government.
How do you get to your house? A street or road, do you have a sewer system, police department to protect you & your property? Etc, etc,etc, how do you think all that is paid?
I wash all our laundry with a wash board and manual wringer.. it cleans our clothes amazingly.. now it does take a little time but it’s so calming…
Yes, it is.
How do you get your clothes from getting hard and wrinkly after Bath towels and Tshirts.
I learned that if I start getting bored at night, I just expand the garden another 10 feet, Im too tired, & pass out at dark
I watched a video of a Van set up. She has a Fridge / Freezer Cooler she set up with 200 watt solar. She Freezes XL ice packs and Switches them out daily in Her Ice Cooler. It worked out for her. So I wanted to put out that idea out too you. So she had about 10 XL Ice packs and switched out 5 daily.
A suggestion from someone who has lived off grid about half the time the past 25 years. Over time expand your size of power station/solar array and get a small 110 volt fridge. It is well worth the cost and effort. Do NOT buy a propane fridge-----way too expensive. I currently run a 5 cu. ft. 2 door fridge freezer and use about 500 watts/day having 2000 watts of storage/battery with a 875 watt solar array of used dirt cheap residential solar panels.
You can usually buy a propane fridge for next to nothing when it comes out of a trailer that is about to be decommissioned. Usually, you can buy the trailer for 100 bucks and got the interior for the appliances.
Not in Portugal...
i think u meant watt hours in the first two.
I love my propane fridge. But if you have such a huge solar system I guess you can waste the power.
Add a small fan to a propane fridge system for the coils and propane usage is more minimal
Been living off grid solar and wind , 2000gal rain water tank for the last ten years , works for me.
My thing is, property taxes keeps us SLAVES to pay pay pay? I was so happy when I paid off my lil fixer upper house, because it's mine.. OH WAIT!! the property taxes keep going up, so did I EVER own anything?? The second I miss a payment, they can take the home I busted my ass for, taxes go up with Inflation.. we ALL NEED these skills, because our retirement checks can't run inflation... I got A LOT out of this video ❤
You are so positive and empowering. You don't get this capable without going through much struggle. You are a strong warrior mom. Love that you share all your knowledge so freely I really enjoy your "do it yourself as economically as possible videos" Love and light to you and the fam.
😊❤️
I feel one day every American might have to live this way! Say NO to wars!
Yup ONE DAY but only God knows when it will be.. the Amish been preparing for decades!
Say no to Biden!!!
@@domingue4god and Trump I don't like either one.
You say this as if we haven't been living like this for thousands of years. Cities to this degree, with the kinds of tech we have are a social experiment. This is not normal in the grand scheme of things.
Live that way for awhile now do if you have to live this way you know how.
I ditched my Keurig coffee maker switched to instant and I like it just the same and so much cheaper.
Changing to Mint mobile was the best thing I’ve done the savings on phone service is great!
You are so prepared to live off grid very impressive.
Living in the moment at its finest!!
I personally do not drink coffee or tea but use hot water for other food-related items. I use a "kettle" (like much that the UK uses) and it takes less than two minutes to heat up the water and the unit is usually less than $20.
My keurig caught on fire. I’m done with coffee makers.
@@Frannieville Yikes! As horrible as it was, it is really good you caught it before further damage.
I have collected 5-gallon jugs (10 so far) that are used at dispensers (like at an office). I fill them up at certain Walmart’s for $0.40 gal (purified) or local kiosks for $0.20 gal (natural spring). I use a 2-gallon jug with a spigot on the side (BPA free) in the refrigerator to have cold water. I only drink water, no alcohol, soda/pop, or anything else.
Wow! $0.20 to fill a 5 gallon jug is only $1, amazing! We had no water for about a week while our well pump was being repaired. I learned to use very little water to shower, cook and clean. To shower I needed just one gallon split into 2 containers, but then without hot water I didn’t want to linger.
I wish I had everyone else's prices. It's $1.89 for a 2 1/2 gallon jugs at my local grocery stores.
I fill a 270 gallon IBC water tank for $2
@@specmp341 who sells water that cheap?
@kenyonbissett3512 I get mine from a bulk tower water supplier, or a car wash that has clean bulk water supply fill up stations
Fascinating, I was a teenager when rural electrification came in the 1950s, Until then, we depended on kerosene lamps in the bedrooms and Coleman lamps in the kitchen and living room. A battery powered radio provided news and entertainment, but we also had a wind-up gramophone and books and games, And often neighbors would drop in for a visit, Our water was provided by a dug well and pumped and carried by hand. Cooking and heating was fueled by burning wood. We had an ice chest one year, but harvesting and storing ice was an effort. Instead, milk was usually stored in an extra bucket kept down another well. Laundry was boiled in a wash boiler on the stove and then scrubbed on a scrub board, until Dad bought a wringer washer powered by a little gasoline engine (Johnson Iron Horse 1/4 horsepower). When I was 12, my parents moved to a place that had electricity and running water, and other modern conveniences of the day.
There is a big difference between living with no air conditionering in Virginia versus Mississippi were I live. Our house only has five windows in the whole house. We would be miserable without electric.
Totally agree! Our house in FL needed electricity for a/c. But we did keep the thermostat at 80-85 🫠🤣 It’s definitely more challenging to stay cool without electricity than to stay warm. There are lots and lots of non-electric heating options.
Well, with Biden's new coal industries regulations, you WILL be paying much more on your electric bill. This is by design
@@raisingwildflowers look into passive house design, earth ships, partially underground homes, and more. The earths stable temperature mixed with facing your windows a certain way to the rising Sun will keep you cool.
You need electricity to make ice, if the grid is down then no ice=no refrigeration.
Our camp fridge runs off a single solar panel that we bought for $60 second hand and a deep cycle battery we bought from Aldi.
We have a 6.5kw solar panel array on our house which produces double the amount of power that we use. We sell the excess power back to grid which keeps us constantly in credit. We will eventually add storage batteries and disconnect from the grid.
You've done so much work on your land in such a short time! Truly inspiring!
I’ve been slowing buying things for off grid living. Sadly my parents (who have more money saved) aren’t on board but I’m still doing it for us. A wood burning oven will be my next big purchase. I’m excited for off grid living 🙌
Look into a Solar Oven.
@@lil_Marie_Red for the application I needed it for (bread making and large meals ) the wood oven was a better option. Solar ovens are super cool though
I spent 5 years in the Cascade mountains washing all socks, underwear,& T-shirts in a 5 gal bucket plunger wash bucket,
Hard part was wringing out and drying Inside a 3 season camping trailer, in Winter
Thats the season your Not supposed to stay in a 3 season
trailer...
I live in my summer version all year round, for the past 10 plus years.
I have been moving towards an offgrid lifestyle for a couple of years now- currently my electric bill is under 30$ a month year round- the only thing that i havent transitioned off grid are my refrigerator and a couple of lights- i solar lamps to use if needed and i could switch to nonperishables from my pantry if needed- i cook and bake exclusively on my woodstove 9-10 months a year and use a small charcoal grill or my outdoor fire pit atsummer
Many solar generators can power a simple refrigerator for 24+ hrs. Many will recharge with no problem for 5yrs. In Europe many people will recharge at night when rates are low in winter and in summer use the solar option. The unit RW recommends is on sale for $411/5yr=$82. Or $0.22 a day. Even after the full recharge period of 5 yrs, it does a partial charge so the cost per day could be substantially less than $0.22 a day.
This is yet ANOTHER reason EVERYONE should have a non-perishable food pantry. Canned goods have expiration dates now, so label them in big numbers and use first-in first-out FIFO. Build up your supply a little at a time I keep four big boxes, about sixty cans including canned meats. Tuna, ham, hash (potato-beef), and canned chicken all relatively cheap items they are cheaper than fresh meat anyway!
Try a solar cooker for additional savings on propane, well worth the investment. We use propane for hot water, cooking, baking and heat. It adds up.
For laundry, $40 buys you an industrial mop bucket. Use a clean plunger 🪠 for washing and the mop wringer gets most of the water out.
For two partially disabled adults in our 60’s, this would be too much for us to live this way. You are young and physically can do it. Go for it.😊
I'm 66 and retired. Hope you are able to continue to afford the comforts you need...
Get a solar array now.
@@lisescheiman5092 TU! My point exactly. Don't let age or disability stop you from gathering preps NOW!
@@nolagirlhomestead It is always "disability" that stops you from doing things, just often, it is not the disability you think it is that is the cause.
Listening to David Dubyne on his channel adapt 2030. He was talking about how infrastructure ( metals ) will be stripped because of the metal content price. He was showing that copper and tin are at all time highs in price.
He was giving an example of a California town recently that stopped repairing the street lights and put up stop signs because of theft of copper wires in the street lights.
David said what happens when copper, tin say go another 5x in price or 10x in price that all infrastructure is a risk of being stolen. Your lights and ac are at huge risk of never coming back on in that scenario.
They are ripped us off with electricity and gas here in the states.
You should come to Europe.... Gas and electricity are 3 times the price...... Thanks for the sanctions on Russia..... Now we have to buy gas from the US...... That's 3 times the price.
You are doing great! I've lived this life for 10 years plus. The best years of my life as an adult. I grew up on a multigenerational homestead. We had a 3 seater outhouse, and a windmill driven pump in the barn for water and wood cook stove and heating stove. Gardens and fruit trees, a hardwood "forest" and a pine tree grove, and all kinds of wild berries and other edibles. Best childhood any kid could have.
We grew our own meat and at first dairy, later we bought from a friends grandparents. Hunting & fishing was lots of fun competition between siblings. And later with my own kids and now they do it with their own kids and some with their grandkids too.
Yes, I want to see a water video!
I think you guys are smart for starting this venture when you’re young, because I will tell you when you get to be in your mid to late 50s. It’s a lot harder to do that kind of stuff. So congratulations. I hope over the years your Homestead grows, and you get more comfortable, and enjoy the off grid life.
I think too, that when you start earlier as you age you learn to adjust your way of life. You have the base knowledge and can invest and adjust more comfortably to new systems. It’s an advantage to generational living.
I've lived off grid in Portugal for 13 years, started in my 40's on a narrowboat in the UK, moved here in my 50's, 66 now and just updating our solar rig with lithium. We have had a 12/24v boat fridge for 12 years but with the lithium batteries we can get a proper one and run the washing machine...
Life is good :)
I'm just turning 70 this year. Started one of these ventures last year. Young, older makes no difference. Need the right frame of mind.
@@brucegeary6705 of course frame of mind is important, but when your bodies beat up, it is much harder to Homestead than when you’re younger.
We use a cold press coffe maker,no electricity, we also turn all the lights off at 5:00 pm. We have oil lamps that we use in the winter, and go to bed alot earlier 😊
5:49 Lighting
Did you know that the trigger voltage for a 25 foot LED ripe light is 3 volts?
That's 2 AA batteries in series. I cut in plastic junction boxes into existing walls, installed a wall switch & cover and have about 2 year's worth of light in every room. The little battery holder fits inside the junction box alongside the light switch.
The switches look like any other wall switch.
I was off grid in NM for 3 years. We did alot of things wrong. Now we're back on the grid in Alabama (where we're from). Definitely know how to deal with rough times from that experience. We used rechargeable fans, solar, alao had a few lights that ran off solar on their own, hauled water daily, went into town to do laundry, heated water on the stove top for washing dishes. We also occasionally went into town to take showers at the gym. Its all doable but hard at times. It was a pain going into yown to shower. We were building an outhouse for a shower shell at home but didnt finish it before we moved back.
10:20 Laundry
I've been mostly off grid about 12 years and through LOTS of trial & error, I broke down and bought a nice clothes washer and fire up my whole-house Honda emergency generator to run it a couple days a week. Soooo much easier than the gerzillion other ways I tried. I line dry.
Been off the grid 2 years in November. Can't say it's been easy but I still have all the usual microwave,espresso,deep freezer etc. In the summer solar power makes it cheap and easy. Winter means running a generator to charge our solar power stations
I live off grid with my 3 great grandchildren. We do have solar but rarely use it... mostly in winter for lights and to recharge tools...I love this life... no bills every month is fantastic! We have wood heat cook with a wood cook stove though I do have a small propane camp stove and a wood heater which heats the whole cabin really well in our -40c winters...I use ice from town in a non working mini freezer to keep things cool in summer..I use the porch that I have shelves in for colder months...no running water is the toughest but we capture rain water haul drinking water and use a swamp and dug out to water the gardens...the kids bath in a large Rubbermaid container or we use a shower I hooked up using a pump garden sprayer..I use a laundromat or my grandson's washing machine in town and I hang them to dry..
My grandpa and his wife didn't get electricity in their area until 1970. It was normal for them and there are definitely things I want now because of learning from them. They used a wood stove and had little squares of wood cut to put in the burners. They used the stove to bake in too, with wood squares. They got well water and heated it on the stove and poured the water in a big metal basin for baths. In the winter, they used their heating stove to cook on, kill 2 birds, 1 stone. I'm guessing they didn't do anything for the extreme heat in summer. A washboard, Fels Naptha bars and heated water did the laundry.
I’m interested in how the water works for you. My family laughs because I bought wall sconces and candles. But with all the storms, they are getting used a lot. Especially having a child that doesn’t like the dark
Look into the Lucci Solar Camp lights. They blow up like a small square beach ball. I keep them on my Windowsill. They stay on all night and you can carry around the house. They work better than landscaping solar. Save your candles.
I bought a solar shower bag at yard sale. I have dabbled with solar cooking a few times. Solar is so underrated and under utilized. I also use solar lighting inside at night. Next I want to get solar panels and power station. Never know what will happen in the future. Heat w Mr Buddy in winter but no fan in summer is rough at night.
Another solar option is solar skylights. When the sun shines on the solar panel, the light runs. It's energy independent and nice for daytime lighting for an extremely dark space.
I just pray we can actually live again. We have been in survival mode for the last three years.
You can say that again, these prices are nuttz🤯
You are so right on! I have been doing all I can to prepare for outages. We have them every summer.
Hey girl, you remind me of my parents they’ve been living off grid this way for 20 years they love it. They have their system. She has a solar panel that powers up a little mini fridge that she bought from tractor supply love what you’re doing keep it up girl.
You can put septic tanks under ground to circulate water through and use a DC pump to circulate it with. Use a small DC motor to pump the water through a heater core and use a small fan to transfer air across the core to cool the air in your house. The more tanks you have, the cooler the water will be. Rain water can be routed into the septic tanks to cool the reservoir during the summer.
Yes, I would love to see a water video! Thank you for sharing your journey! 😊
Y’all rock! Not everyone is cut out for this but y’all make it work.
Hi u can get a twin tub washer for under 200 dollars and u can run ur power station, with no problems, we did it with our Aviva m470. And we power our house with 300 watts of solar. Keep the videos coming 👋😊
You are wiser beyond your years. I could learn a lot from you.
Awesome! I live in Alaska and a lot of people here live off grid. It is my family’s plan over the next couple years
I'm a 70yo f and I live in a camper with my granddaughter and my great granddaughter. I was blessed to find one I am fixing up. We are parked in my daughter's yard. I've got a lot of dry food in case of emergency. I can read if we no longer have electricity.
I was raised without running water, 1 plug in light in the kitchen, still didn't have a bathroom at age 16 when I left. mom and dad moved out of the old house when I was in my 20s and got a trailer ,it was a big change.
And battery operated touch lights are awesome
8:53 Hot Water
I made a small rocket stove that sits next to a plastic 50-gallon barrel and uses thermosiphoning to heat it up. I have windmills that keep me supplied in comptessed air, so if I want a hot shower, I charge the drum with a blast of compressed air and can shower for half an hour or until the barrel has only about an inch of water left. The rocket stove burns wood sticks &/or pellets and it takes about 30 minutes to heat 55 gallons to around 115°F.
Tom from Quebec Canada .
( Just think)
( 1 ) make a compost heater
Compost will go up to 140f.
Put some pipes together and you will have heat you can have hot water and hot air
(2 )
Make a ice house and a ice fridge
How do you have water supplied to your hot water heater. Thanks for being real with everything.
Water - Gutters - Rain Barrels - Transfer pump (batt operated) - IBC Tote (food grade) - then take that water - for counter top filter, etc... There are many systems that can be put in place to collect and filter and use water safely.
7:45 Heat
I built a propane-fired rocket mass heater in my bedrooms. The exhaust runs through a narrow 3" x 3" labyrinth tube inside a poured-concrete bench. Once hot (having run 2 hours), that bench stays hot about 12 hours.
-thank you for reminding me to go check & pay on the electric bill! we pay 1/2 on 1 paycheck & other 1/2 on the next check.
Honestly the biggest struggle without power is food refrigeration and freezing. Freezing meat is so easy whereas all the other techniques are very time consuming.
Next I would say a simple flashlight is multiple times better than a candle or lantern - especially for emergencies.
And of course telephone- especially for emergencies.
After that, the rest of electricity is only slightly more convenient. Other than emergencies, the old style pioneer living works just fine.
A $1000ish dollar solar/wind setup gets you enough power for Fridge/freezer, lights, charging stuff, etc... And lasts a good 8+ years. So that's 96 months at $1000 = $10.50 per month. Then you might need new battery which is pricey and roll the dice for repairs on the fridge.
Propane is great and efficient for heat, but there is always lots of wood too.
Get an old wood cookstove and a good heating woodstove. You'll love it!
Yes, I would be interested in a water sourcing video. I also would love to follow your garden throughout the summer for status updates on pest control and harvesting.
Last time I used the laundromat here in Canada, it cost me $8 per load just to wash!
We have laundromats like that here too! But you can also find some super cheap ones if you get lucky 🤞
I have a hand manual washer that tosses the clothes back and forth and rings them out. It was about 90.00 dollars.
Ouch,😣!
$8 to $10 per wash load in Michigan. $1 to start the dryer. And it eats quarters!
Living off grid is illegal where i live. I just try to use as little power as possible, and I have always had alternate resources and skills available.
Where is that? I too see many great things on TH-cam that aren't possible where I am right now.
In 2009 we had an ice storm in Western Kentucky.My husband n I went eleven days n night without power.The temperature was 4 degrees.We had a gas grill so I cooked n heated water on it.I grew up without electricity.So kerosene lamps was nothing new for me .Our daughter lives in Georgia,I was so glad she didn’t have to go through this.We are now in our eighth I know we could not go through that at this age.
$2.50 per bag, every 3 days is $300 per year. You can buy and 12 volt ice chest from China for that. I bought a 32qt. Kohree dual controlled model for $250 two years ago and its still working surprisingly. The flimsy handle broke but otherwise its been solid for me. I run it off my solar, it pulls around 75 watts which adds up but better than my RV fridge on electric which is 330 watts 24/7 or on propane which is about 1.5 pounds per day which at my local price of propane is about $1 per day plus hassle.
Living in Houston we are familiar with doing without electricity for weeks at a time. 2024 has been wild
Would love to see a water video. Thanks 🤗
Yellow mop bucket will drain the water out of clothes when using a 5 gallon bucket for washing clothes.
Ice is ridiculously expensive now. $6 for 20 pounds.
We use Tubi and the hotspot off our phones, I have a Jackery and don’t forget u can charge your stuff in your vehicles too, I have a rain water catch too
I grew up in Massachusetts. Built my first home in 1981 a hour from work. But the land back then a hour out in the country was much cheaper then being close to businesses and companies that paid better. My house was beautiful very comfortable and allot bigger then I needed being alone. Had every modern convenance a home could have best stove tile everything and all wood no paint. I had 12 acres and all kinds of animals. Horses and turkeys and a pig and chickens but all pets I enjoyed. But in 1998 things changed the town got more crowded. People less friendly. More traffic. I was no longer happy. I decided to pack up and move. I ended up buying 60 acres on a mountain in Montana no power. But had a small cabin on it where the person used to go to for two weeks of the year from Chicago. I bought the property but having had all the comforts of my home and growing up with running water and power. I thought ok need to buy some solar panels and everything needed to have full power for things. And a wind generator. But it got late in year had bought a log splitter and chainsaw to cut wood for heat. Had a wood stove I connected. Figured in the spring will put the solar up and wind generator. But in the spring took long hikes in the National forest that connected to my property. Drove around to different places seeing things I never would in Massachusetts. And then I was cutting the wood but not using the log splitter . Made a game out of chopping the wood instead. Candles oil lamps flashlight and outhouse. And as time went on I got so used to living with no power of modern convenance I just sold the solar and deep cycle batteries. Only bill I get is my property tax once a year in my P.O box in town a hour away. No people no sounds of police cars driving on a street no nothing but a Elk calling out or a pack of coyotes or a owl that has landed on my roof at night saying something . Or the deer that just lay down on the side of my cabin like lawn ornaments who are so use to me that when I come outside they just lay there like oh it's him no big deal I am not moving. Some times the things you think you cannot live without. You find out you really did not need them as much as you thought.
We've had several significant power outages so I'm going offline but incrementally -- I'm sorta old & set in my ways. I've bought a 2-burner propane camp stove & also have a smaller stove I'll use to heat a room, powered by canned heat. Also several 1 Qt. paint cans, t/p & rubbing alcohol to turn into other heaters for smaller rooms. When it's hot I have several battery-powered fans (2-AA batteries). Also, a battery-powered radio & a stash of canned foods. I've several battery-powered camp lanterns. On my list to get: a drying rack for my clothes & a solar oven which I'll build. I can't live completely off-grid because I live in an apartment & can't set up solar or outdoor propane. They've lots of rules.
Definitely will be using the affiliate links and phone company next month so glad I discovered your channel today❤
13:22 Water
Water is Sooo easy. I installed gutters on all my roof eves (6) and let it flow through a first-flush thingy I designed and built, then store it in IBC totes and my swimming pool. I store 2,000 gallons and use it for drinking, cooking, bathing, washing, watering the animals . . . Really everything except the toilet. I don't have a flush toilet. I use a composting loo.
A lot of builders in the US put bitumen and other poisonous materials on house roofs. That needs to be banned. A good clean metal roof is ideal, and there are various types of roof tiles that will also provide clean roof run-off if the homeowner prefers them visually. It's one thing to have to filter out toxins the rain has picked up by falling through polluted air, but it's another to have your actual catchment surface polluting the water too.
@tealkerberus748
Corrrectomundo!
My roof is galvalum steel. I use a leaf guard and a first-flush method that pools collected water in a 2-gallon food-grade plastic bucket. There is a screaned center tube shorter than the bucket's rim, extending through bucket bottom. Debris swirls around as things fill up, but can't climb up the tube sides nor get through the screen. I collect in 275-gallon IBC totes, which further act as a settling pond and draw water by siphon, from the center of the tote. I further filter through both a carbon filter and a ceramic filter before consuming any. Been doing it that way going on 13 years and it hasn't killed me yet!
Although we have electricity it goes out often because of the number of storms. We have a Jackery and solar panels and a Honda generator. It really makes a difference even though expensive.
Be glad you thought ahead because you still bought them on sale compare to today's prices (the solar things). I want to go off the grid too but with a gas/electric stove and the fridge I cannot completely go off the grid.
And I'm planning on buying a washer/dryer too cuz I do live in a rental.
Next collect rain watter🌧build storage for it ,is the best for garden ,and shower to...In Europe we had out door shower, with a 30 gallon plastic jug above the shower....in some hot days we didn't need to heat the water,some days jast add 1/2 bucket of hot water...and ready to go😊.
Hi - I was wondering all throughout the video how you're getting water? Please, I would love to see a water video. Thank you, I'm really enjoying your off grid journey.
I don't know but if electricity gose off they may stop filling propane tanks. I am looking for wood burning alternatives.
Definitely agree. We will be putting a wood burning stove in the home we build. It’s a little too risky in our camper right now.
We have been off grid for 1.5 years and we love it, but we bought a DIY solar package from Signature solar in Texas, so we do have electricity.... Its crazy blasting the air conditioner during the summer and know we have no bill anymore!!!
I think you'd be happy with the air conditioners if you get solar and batteries at least 😀 it's a few thousand up front but less than a new car (if you go the diy route)
Getting prepared isn't something you have drop big $$ on all at once. Little bit by little bit, better than the year before. You can't ever be prepared for every situation, cuz each one is different.
So true!
You can also buy in camping shops solar water bags.
In my journey to self sustainability I decided to ditch the coffee maker. I now use a pour over and I just heat up water and pour it over the coffee. Love my Mr. Buddy. Has saved me on many occasions. I have seen the shower 5 gallon bucket that has a couple spray nozzles foe dishes or showering. I have several solar generators that will run all my stuff including my 18 cf fridge.
What about rain catchment? Is it illegal in VA?
You're probably already doing this; boil your water over the fire also, cook soups, bake bread in a dutch oven...it's fun, great food and saves on fuel...fast n convenient maybe not so much, but once the coals are built up the fire can last all day, just add to it now and then
We've actually had alot of practice. Its not that bad. It just takes a bit more effort getting the water and cooking/cleaning. It really does take alot more time.
Never knew about solar coolers, thanks!❤
Since 2021 the price of electricity has more than doubled in my area. They did introduce 2 tier, where if you use electricity from 10pm to 5am it is half price. This can make using a solar generator cost effective as well as a back up system.
The power station she recommends costs $709, there is a 42% off coupon as of today, May 24. The final cost with Prime is $411 + tax if your state has it.
You could try a percolator for your coffee. It tastes better than instant coffee.
Thank you so much for sharing this information.
God bless you!❤
Living paycheck to paycheck doesn't mean almost broke. Some people know hot to budget every penny and save quite a bit and live paycheck to paycheck. Supposedly 78% live "paycheck to paycheck" but only 40% claim they couldn't come up with the money for a $1,000 emergency without using their crrdit card or borrowing. That means the balance 38% is managing their paycheck to paycheck income very well. One could assume the other 22% is managing their finances to the penny as well.
I use a rubber coffee pour over. They are great. No pot needed
Silicone..actually
I have the camper shower setup which drops into a bucket of your fave temp water and uses a USB rechargeable battery. Works well enough for my long hair. I can shower with 5 or so gallons easily.
Maybe not the easiest but I also have the aluminum tubs and a wash board for laundry and hang stuff out to dry.
It works well enough. Maybe you could find a municipal water source and fill a tank? Water is the hardest for me too.
I lived off-grid 4.5 years in the 90s. Loved it. Hard but rewarding. You appreciate the finer things in life.
Still loving your channel. Thank you for sharing all the smart things you do.
Good video. With , basically, 4 adults and one baby and various pets how do you guys only do laundry twice a month? With that many people how do you handle shower needs etc.? Do your adult daughters still live with you ?
I thought you meant completely without electricity, but I got it, you mean grid power.
*Update* oh you do mean without electricity. Solar is so affordable that it's a no brainer for me. Battery storage is even getting cheaper too.
Dang my life is a piece of cake compared to your off grid living style, well done! God bless
try a pour over coffee method. Better than instant . We do this by the cup and its awesome
If you’re cooking with propane and buying ice ,off-grid solar will pay for itself quickly. You can start small and scale up paying cash.
It’s very informative living simple as you describe so you see what you really need. I have been down that road and enjoy the liberation that simple living brings. Thanks for sharing your experience. I hope others will benefit from it.
I got into solor 2 years ago no regrets here. I've been grid free for a year now... living without electric is possible of course. ...but I want electricity solor is my choice
Very useful information, especially with inflation ❤
A five gallon bucket and a punger and you ne wash your clothes.
I have been doing it for 2 years now
Very informative with very useful ideas! Please do a video on water!
You are off grid but you aren't living without electricity. (You use a power station & recharge electrical appliances) however you show an alternative lifestyle. Winter time would be much harder, especially if you get a lot of below zero weather etc.
What’s your monthly budget these days?
$70 for propane heat for 6 months? Mr heater buddy uses 1 # propane every 6 hours on low.
A trick I learned from the guy who filled up our tanks: Don’t turn your propane all the way on. I just BARELY open the valve on the tank. It will save you so much propane. Same if you have any connected to cooking devices.
I do like your portable shower idea thats me with one bathroom. So yeah it saves being smelly.