New to off grid but it seems to be the logical choice

Discussion in 'Off Grid Living' started by GhostX, Aug 27, 2016.


  1. GhostX

    GhostX Monkey

    Hello, brand new to the forums here.

    I've been thinking a lot about my future and the potential future for my unborn children. There are many things that I don't agree with about the way America has been doing things; things that have been going on since the dawning of this country and especially things that have happened in the last few years. I can faintly see the snare hidden beneath the leaves of technology that is set and ready to force us all into indentured servitude for all eternity. Frankly, that's not the kind of life I want for my kids no matter how many pretty lights they put up to try and hypnotize me. I'm seeking a way to get away from all that to declare natural sovereignty for my right to exist on this earth.

    I don't want to work to make money for some rich snob for the rest of my life. Instead I want to focus on raising my children and creating a comfortable way to live outside of mainstream society. I feel like I could make it on my own but there is still a need for a social element. I want to join an off grid community of people who feel the same way I do and have decided to do something about it. I believe that I would make a reliable asset to any community willing to have me. I believe that by doing this, we are taking back our natural sovereignty that should rightfully be granted to us. The same kind of natural sovereignty that was stolen from the native American people by the capitalists. I do not believe that I am bound to contribute to something I never agreed to be a part of or believe is to my benefit or that of the earth.
     
    Meat likes this.
  2. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    How many kids do you have? I swear your other post said you were having trouble finding a woman to be off grid. Are you a single Dad?
     
  3. Altoidfishfins

    Altoidfishfins Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    Love that Garand!

    Anyway, I would imagine that even an off-grid community would have it's internal conflicts. Someone will always try to take advantage and keep others in servitude, at least to a degree.

    If you're truly looking for independence, I'd forget any kind of a "community" and do things on your own, loosely connected to neighbors who help each other out from time to time.
     
    kemps and Oltymer like this.
  4. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    @Motomom34 .... He said "Future of my UNBorn children...." Just a Guy, thinking ahead.....
    Living your Dream, is all about Skillsets.... Do you have Marketable SkillSets, that can generate the Money required to live your Dream.... I spent 50+ years, learning & practicing, my many SkillSets. All the while, raising a Family, with my loving Wife, @alaskachick ..... We had to spend our earnings wisely, for many of those years, and work for others, for many of those years.... We worked, patiently, and bidding our time. I was able to reTIRE early, at 55, and took a very NICE Position, that allows us to live far out in the Alaskan Bush, and they PAY US, to live here... Totally Off-Grid... (Nearest Grid is 250 Miles away, as is the nearest Road, that connects to anywhere) Now we live our Dream.... All it takes is Hard Work, Frugal Living, Investing Wisely, and having a Good Woman, as a Companion/HelpMeet.... See, Not so hard....
     
  5. GhostX

    GhostX Monkey

    Oh I guess I did word that a little weird. No I don't have any children but I do look forward to the day I do. I grew up without a father and... I guess it's just something I take seriously because I want to prove I'm a better man than he was. So I've applied a personal philosophy to the way I live; I try to be the kind of person I hope my future children might become. It helps guide my own moral decisions and make choices that will positively impact my life. I have a code of honor and ethics that I live by, not because I have to or a book tells me to, because I want to. Because I know a part of me will become who they are and that's just a beautiful thing to me.

    Also, BTPost, I do have some considerable skill in carpentry which I think would come in handy in the long run. I'm hoping I can pick up on the rest of the skills I need. I could make money easily by making bamboo carvings. There are actually a lot of places in Texas you can find wild bamboo and it can be an incredibly versatile material to work with. It might not always be easy to carve but it will almost always turn out looking bad ass.

    So far I can make flutes, wind chimes, incense burners, pipes, bubblers, and a wide variety of walking sticks and weapons. I also like to remake old swords by giving th new handles.
     
    Motomom34 likes this.
  6. oil pan 4

    oil pan 4 Monkey+++

    All you have to do to avoid making other people rich is avoid the temptation of instant gratification.
    Don't finance a car, mainly do not buy a new car. You will be financially raped not only through compounding interest charges but by full coverage insurance. To elaborate on that don't let people barrow your vehicle, my wife had her S10 pickup ruined when she let a friend barrow it to move. This transisitions into the next point:
    Don't try to "help people". My wife got forclosed on and then 10 years later I did almost the exact same thing she did and I lost a small fortune when trying to help some one. People who always need help I find are beyond help don't let them drag you down too. If they tell you they need money to buy food for their kids its either a lie or its only true because they already blew what money they had on drugs, getting a tattoo, bought a huge flat screen TV or spent it on some other short term distraction and not on sht they actually need.
    Next do not buy a near hundred thousand dollar or higher priced house. That is the ultimate one way ticket to a life time of economic slavery. Nothing turns the filthy rich into disgustingly wealthy faster than a bunch of people giving up around half their take home pay for a generation.
    Last don't buy crap that rapidly devalues, resist the temptation to buy lots of designer goods like clothes and shoes. A little is ok if you must. If you really must have premium goods by them in the from durable goods such as home appliences or home finishes (not furnishings, new furnature is a waste of money if you have kids or dogs). My wife complained that fished our clothes dryer from the scrap yard in 2012 and she accused me of dressing like a homeless person one time. All of which was true. I have since tossed the homeless person attire, but we still have that dryer.
    If you pay cash for your vehicle and buy a house no one wants with cash or short term financing once its paid off and don't give money to losers to include your own family and dont by over priced crap you will have so much money you wont know what to do with it all. (driving an old car and having an old house no one really asks you for money usually) Before you know it you will get tired of having all that money laying around and you will fix up your old house so its nice at least on the inside, get a little bit newer vehicle that you can pay cash for and start buying stupid stuff like gold and silver bullion and looking for ways to hide money so the man cant get it.
     
    techsar and Motomom34 like this.
  7. Kingfish

    Kingfish Self Reliant

    First you need to find the right woman and that my friend is not easy. I was married and divorced three times before I stopped looking at bodies and started looking at what they did. Sexual attraction is a very small part of the game. My wife had all the right parts. Looked good,but more impressive was her resume of bow killed deer, trout and pan fishing expertise, and her conservative nature . By definition she is a country girl raised in the city. Her dad taught her to hunt and fish. Her mom sent her to Piano school. Im a guitar player. Me make music together and hunt and fish. We went fishing yesterday. I caught two Pike she caught two Bass. We both play in a classic rock band.

    The first thing you need to do is find a woman who shares the same things you love. Dont settle for almost. DO NOT MARRY A LIBERAL OR PROGRESSIVE. If you like shooting you need a gal who likes shooting not one who tolerates you shooting. To create this life you want you need a partner . Look at sporting goods stores, fishing shops, outdoor expos, and farming type shows for animals and things. 4-H shows, animal auctions, and Gun shows. Also look through your friends and ask questions.

    It took us a long time to get here and we are not debt free yet or even free from taxes and medical bills. Every day however we get one step closer to what is reachable today. Broker is very factual in regards to paying taxes on land. You can not avoid this sad but true. stop paying your property taxes and they take your land. SO?? DONT PLAY THE GAME. Dont keep up with the jones. dont manicure your lawn or build a fancy expensive home or you will be taxed accordingly. Our taxes just went down by 18,000 dollars (value) this lowered my property taxes by over 500 dollars for the next 12 months. This is because we have not put the siding on my garage and barn. Trying to figure out how to side it without raising those taxes back up. :) DONT PLAY THEIR GAME. good luck .
     
    techsar, Motomom34, BTPost and 2 others like this.
  8. GhostX

    GhostX Monkey

    I've never been a fan of the game but I've been forced to play it my whole life. I watched my mother work herself until she got sick trying to provide for me and supporting her deadbeat boyfriend. In the end she got brain cancer, they told her on her birthday that she was going to die... it was pretty fucked up. She was loyal to the system and I watched how it took everything from her even after she was gone. First mark credit union reposessed her car the day my brother and I went to probate to get it in our name. My brother made the mistake of telling them the day we were going to be able to start picking up payments where my mother left off. So since only a couple hundred dollars were left until it was free and clear, they decided to make their move on the game board. While we were at the court house in another county we got a call from our neighbors saying that the car was being towed.

    Believe me there is more but this would be a really long post if I decided to list off the fucked up ways the game has been turned over on top of me. So yeah, I've decided that I don't want to play anymore because there is no way to win at this game. There are only losers and the people who tell us all that we have to play. Well fuck all that. I'm here to learn about the best way to protest. I'm here to do my part in flipping over the game board and growing the biggest middle finger I can to shove in the face of the people who say that I have to play their game. I'm here to find others who feel the same as I do to stand with and have our voices grow louder as more and more of us break away from the system. One day I hope that our unified voices will be recognised by everyone as we scream "FUCK THIS GAME" in the face of our oppressors.
     
  9. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    I play the game and am slave to the system. For me it is okay. I think many people do but we are also aware of what is going on, every month getting wiser to what is really going on. I blend very well with the crowd and sometimes blending is better then being an oddity. Oddities to the rest of the crowd gets look at twice. That is my opinion.
     
    techsar, GOG and Ganado like this.
  10. oil pan 4

    oil pan 4 Monkey+++

    I didn't know the system was so into necrophilia.
    But this does not surprise me.

    The best way to protest the system is not to use it.
    The best way to fuck the system is to prevent and encourage others from using it.

    You don't have to join a hippie colony and eat grass and tree bark to be free from it. Live well with in your means and be extremely prejudice about who you share it with.
     
    BTPost likes this.
  11. GhostX

    GhostX Monkey

    Do you think it would be possible to break away from the economic system completely if people who thought as you do united and formed an off grid community? I mean, I wouldn't want anything like a cult because I don't believe people need to be governed by anything. People can have their religion but it shouldn't be forced on others. Instead a basic code could be established based on mutual respect for one another and a drive to protect the community.
     
    Ganado likes this.
  12. Kingfish

    Kingfish Self Reliant

    You can , The Amish in certain areas do it now. No matter what ??? you will pay property taxes. Keeping them low is a good start. Dont build a mansion and expect to pay low taxes. The more food you harvest and raise the less you spend. But you will work to do this. self reliance is just that relying on ones self to fill the bellies of the kids and mama. My wife loves her chickens and she is good with them. Rabbits are my expertise. both of us are awesome with fishing. Hunting is a plus for us as we kill deer every year. My wife and I average two deer per season . we always have venison in our freezer. I can take weeks at a time off and never spend a dime on anything. W e use our preps and we rotate them out . There are times when we spend nothing at all for weeks., Grid power is cheap so we use it until we dont. It costs more to burn Propane than to pay our local grid power. Soon Ill have solar and can give them the finger. BUY FOOD IN BULK WHEN YOU CAN SAVE MONEY DOING IT. Keeping a stocked pantry is not playing the grocery store game. Only buy when they give it away. Sales are your friend. Our Amish folks here trade/barter and they are pretty easy to work with. They are tough though when it comes to negotiation . WHY ??? They dont need what you have. That is the lesson to learn from them. TO NOT NEED WHAT THE GAME HAS.
     
    techsar, GOG, oil pan 4 and 2 others like this.
  13. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Yes, it is possible but it is unlikely to survive the first blush of existence. You are effectively looking for utopia, and those experiments have all failed for one reason or another. Some kind of governance is a requirement for anything other than a completely solitary existence.
     
    MountainMariner and BTPost like this.
  14. oil pan 4

    oil pan 4 Monkey+++

    Not needing any government sounds like Marxism.

    And kingfish beat me too it. I was thinking amish too.

    And kingfish for the win:
    I think hes got it figure out better than most of us.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 28, 2016
    GOG likes this.
  15. GhostX

    GhostX Monkey

    A solitary existence won't exist in the future if things keep going the way they are.
     
  16. Kingfish

    Kingfish Self Reliant

    I do have it figured out but to actually accomplish it ?? not there yet and doubt Ill reach the goal in my life time. This is why like minded people in groups are the way to go. Small towns or communities , lake associations, etc. The Amish show us every day how to take as little from the outside as possible but produce and sell. They are real good at lowering overhead, operating costs. I am a jack of all trades but not king in anything besides hunting and fishing and raising rabbits. My weaknesses are gardening, alternative power, and my age which is creeping up there and soon to become 60. My wife brings medical experience, sewing, and gardening to our table and combined we are are almost there. W e are learning the things we are weak at. The Amish run their communities like this. They go to church and the church is the law for them. They have one family making furniture, one making buggies, one making things like quilts and blankets etc. and on and on. They barter and sell what they make and between them they make pretty much everything they need. They all seem to grow food and raise animals. They depend on each other for survival. A barn burns the entire community is there to put up a new one. Horses are a huge part of their life style. You can raise the fuel for a horse . Making fuel for car or truck is not so easy. It can be done. I know a guy who makes his own bio diesel. Another weakness for me.

    Home heating is one of the largest nipples that suckle the people of the United States. You pay to stay warm in the northern regions. Natural Gas can be reasonable but you still have to pay every month or they shut you off. Electric heat is so expensive that anyone with half a brain would not choose this option. Where we live propane or oil are the two most used forms of home heating. Wood heat is a close third in Michigan. We chose wood heat for many reasons. I am surrounded by oak trees millions of them , tens of thousands of acres . A federal wood cutting permit cost me 20.00 per 5 cord. When I add in saw wear, gas and oil, chains etc. wood cost me about 130.00 per year. Propane would cost us over 3000.00 Oil about the same. No natural gas here. So every year we venture out and cut our wood bring it home stack it and burn it. Our stove does not require electric power so we can stay warm even with the grid down. I stay ahead with a three year supply and I stock pile treated gasoline in an underground storage cell I built in 2008. I can keep non ethanol mix marine gas with marine stabil for up to 4 years. Last year we burned 5 year old gas but it was starting to turn so I have decided that 4 years is max for us. Better to have gas that does not gum up my saws. I keep enough gas to cut 20 years worth of firewood before being forced to cut with hand saws and axes. I have nothing but quality saws. I do not need what the game has so I pay myself that 3000.00 heating money to cut my own wood. That savings alone allows us to live in a private lake association . That savings alone pays for 4 of my house payments every year. We harvest, grow and raise about 60% of our food. W e also save huge by buying in bulk when on sale. This pays for another 4 house payments. We do not travel much. In 12 years I have only put 110,000 miles on a 2004 Chevy Aveo and most of those miles were put on the car when we first got it in 2004 and used it pull our small boat all over the country fishing in Musky tournaments. We drive less than 3 thousand miles a year. This savings pays another couple house payments. My small business takes care of the rest. and right now we are shut down. We dont need any money right now as we have enough saved for the next couple years added to my wife's disability check. We do some bartering for beef but for the most part dont need any outside meat. I dont wake up worried about food or heat or water or shelter. I hate paying property taxes . I hate this because there is not much of anything I can do to avoid it. So we try and sell a few more things when they are due to pay them. W e dont do any more than we have to do. If we were rich?? we would be paying out the nose. Because were are not rich we dont pay much at all . We have 4 boats and a Quad, a 4 wheel drive truck and a car. a trailer and lots of guns and fishing tackle. W e have what we need to survive nothing less nothing more. But even with our current plan we are not completely self reliant. we still need medicine supplies and care, and some things like salt and sugar that we dont produce ourselves. However everything you can produce will reduce your need. Reducing your needs IS THE ROAD TO SELF RELIANCE. One step at a time.
     
  17. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    Kingfish ,your pretty smart for an old guy
     
  18. chimo

    chimo the few, the proud, the jarhead monkey crowd

    What humans touch, they will eventually corrupt. It's like a rule of nature, unfortunately. Helping to build a community is good...but sooner or later the lawyers, bankers and do-gooders will take it over...guaranteed, so after you help build it you need the discipline to loosen any ties or dependencies to it.
     
    Ganado likes this.
  19. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    doo gooders or hellions will take over, depends on what type of community it is... There are all kinds of different communities.
     
  20. chimo

    chimo the few, the proud, the jarhead monkey crowd

    ultimately the do-gooders, bankers and lawyers even drive out the hellions...twas how the west was won (or lost, depending upon your point of view). ;)
     
    Ganado likes this.
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