Hi there. My name is Chris, and I'm new here. I've been reading about going off-grid for years, but have so far only started with small projects, due to the lack of a budget. I have seen many blogs and websites over the years detailing how to go off-grid, but most of them seem to believe that the way to do it involves selling your home, breaking into the life-savings, and spending tens of thousands of dollars on a full off-grid system and life. I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't have a home to sell, or life savings to invest. So, I started doing research on low-budget projects that could be strung together to create a real off-grid homestead. I've found some things that are great, and others that aren't so great, and I'm always looking for new ideas. I've even thrown together a blog detailing my experiences so far, called Low-Budget Off-Grid. So, while I am introducing myself, I also would like to ask a question. What are the best off-grid projects you've seen or done that don't cost a fortune? Did you build a wind turbine for under 50 bucks, or a home in the woods for under $1000? Let me know =)
Welcome! This is my favorite current project: DIY: The Off Grid Ham 100 Watts For $300 Solar Energy Plant - Off Grid Ham
Welcome.. There are a lot of DYI projects being offered up, as well as some very knowledgable Monkeys hanging around this tree..
Stay and be welcome. You might start with an inexpensive ham radio and take your tech license test. It is not that difficult to get and is easy to study for with a phone app or study materials. Starter radio will cost you somewhere between 35 and $100 depending upon the model and type. (Such as a Baufeng handheld) . Quite a few monkeys are hams, and might be in your area.
Welcome! and to answer your question I have several things that are off grid, I have no intention of living without hot water! or food!
Hi Chris, welcome. For a variety of reasons a lot of people cannot go completely "off the grid". That does not mean you cannot adapt and work with the situation you are in and achieve some level of independence. Do not take an "all or nothing" attitude. There is plenty you can do right now. My advice is to take things in incremental steps. Break it down into a series of smaller tasks. For example, come up with a way to treat and filter rainwater to make it safe to drink. You do not necessarily have to use rainwater exclusively, but having the means to make your own will take you a long way towards independence when the municipal supply goes dead. As you read and get more ideas, you can add other off-grid options to your life without actually unplugging. Example: Home canning, dehydrated food, light & heat, first aid/medical skills...these are things you can do in a high rise apartment in the middle of Manhattan. I'd like to thank @Seepalaces for the unsolicited plug for my blog Off Grid Ham - Keeping amateur radio on when the grid is gone . Although I specialize in helping amateur radio operators interested in alternative power for their radio equipment, many of the topics I cover can be adapted for other uses. My blog is written with newcomers in mind and I go out of my way to offer ideas that are practical, easy to implement, and reasonably priced. I am not completely off the grid on an every day basis myself, but if things got bad, I have the resources to make the jump. I would not live like I normally do (with TV and AC and all the amenities), but I could produce enough juice to feed the radios, have lights at night, and keep the food cold for literally years. Anyway, once again welcome aboard. Don't feel overloaded. It's a ongoing process and if you are doing it right you will never reach a point where you feel done.
