It’s one thing to reduce the number of possessions you have on display in your living room, but there are a growing number of people who are applying minimalism to their entire lives. Going ‘off the grid’ is about as streamlined a life as you can get, but it’s not a simple thing to achieve, and it’s not for everyone. It can be an extremely rewarding lifestyle, so if you’re thinking about taking your minimalism to the next level, here are some basic tips about getting started in your new off-grid life. If you’ve been thinking about ways to avoid the rat race and those frustrating monthly bulls, this could be the answer you’re looking for.
The Property
The first thing that you’re going to need is some land, preferably with some type of living structure already in place. On the other hand, you could be thinking about building your own home using locallysourced material. If so, make sure that your land and property has good access to sunlight, and preferably has some form of water supply available. Look at the size and shape of the land, and get advice from the online communities dedicated to off-grid living. You want to get every bit of space used efficiently, so consider exactly what you need, how much space you have to play with, and what you can live without.
Focus on the Necessities
There are some things that it’s very difficult to live without. Water, food, and electricity should be your priorities.
- Food – There’s a good chance that you are going to want to grow as much of your own food as possible, so get that started off before you move in. Make sure as well that you have a way of taking delivery of the food that you can’t grow: access roads are going to be vital. Don’t just think about growing vegetables. Chickens are easy to look after and a great source of eggs. Even bees can make a good addition to your food sourcing, with honey being a healthy part of your food stores.
- Water – If you do not have an existing water source, then look at boring for a well, and the latest technologies available for collecting and cleaning rainwater. You should also consider looking into ways to reduce water waste. Every drop is going to count when you can’t mindlessly turn on the tap and hope for the best.
- Power – Electricity is tricky to manage without, and if you’re not connected to the gridthen it used to be almost impossible to get the necessary power to run the average home. Now, there area huge range of options. If your property already has existing infrastructure in place, consider whether it’s worth changing to something more cutting-edge. Early off-grid enthusiasts opted for oil tanks for their energy needs, but these can be prone to a regular oil tank leak. Instead, consider changing your oil tank and switching from oil to gas. As well as the obvious benefits, it also reduces the need to call out specialists every time that you need some oil tank repair. Click here to find out everything you need to know about LPG gas.
Minimalism is generally seen as a way of simplifying life, and off-the-grid living is not simple. It is, however, very satisfying and a great way to curb your spending. While the convenience of modern life can be very gratifying, if you’re less concerned about having an Amazon delivery every thirty minutes and more focused on reducing your carbon footprint, then this could be the minimalist answer that you’ve been looking for.
