# What kind of financial plan is required to live off the grid?



## bigfoot12 (Feb 24, 2014)

I see and hear about these self sufficient people all the time, but I have always questioned who these people are and what type of personality they might have-
Whether they looking to become free from working the 9 to 5 by reducing their consumption, and what motivates these people to do what they do.

-Are most people who choose to go off the grid retirees, only because they have the ample time and money to do so?

-Is it possible to go off the grid and become self sufficient working at a job for someone else your whole life? How would one dedicate their resources and time towards achieving these self sufficiency goals?

-Do most people who work toward self sufficiency eventually choose to make their income via passive income/business, or are most employed with a job?


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

Welcome to HT!
I think you'd get more answers if you PM'd Angie to move your questions to the Homesteading Questions forum. 
Lots of people there have and are walking that walk.

As far as being retired and living off the grid, have your set-up complete before you retire as it's costly.


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

bigfoot12 said:


> I see and hear about these self sufficient people all the time, but I have always questioned who these people are and what type of personality they might have-
> Whether they looking to become free from working the 9 to 5 by reducing their consumption, and what motivates these people to do what they do.
> 
> -Are most people who choose to go off the grid retirees, only because they have the ample time and money to do so?


'most'?

I do not know about 'most'.

I did it, because I have a pension [equal to flipping burgers], and we had amassed a portfolio enough to buy land and build a house.

Now that I am here, I sell produce at market, I am member of our regional Organic Certifying Agency, and BOD member of our cooperative extension office. I am a member of a much larger community of homesteaders here. From this perspective I see a lot of other new farmers who do not have the benefit of a pension. Or of an investment portfolio. We were just discussing this, with $18k/year income, we are decidedly a lot wealthier than any other subsistence farmer that we know.

I know a great many who got into it because they love the lifestyle.

I met a young lady this weekend, who is apprenticing on a farm. Starting with no more than a suitcase of clothes to her name. I bet within four years she will own a farm. It works like that. 





> ... -Is it possible to go off the grid and become self sufficient working at a job for someone else your whole life? How would one dedicate their resources and time towards achieving these self sufficiency goals?


I do know farmers who work in-town for a paycheck [More likely 5 or 6 paychecks because they are p/t jobs].

And I know farmers who do not, that just work on-farm.





> ... -Do most people who work toward self sufficiency eventually choose to make their income via passive income/business, or are most employed with a job?


I am not aware of any 'passive' income from farming.

Farming is work.


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## Guest (Feb 26, 2014)

You just have to know what you want in life, and keep focused.


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## notwyse (Feb 16, 2014)

Really I look at life as sort of a monopoly game. I lean now toward having less of a footprint on earth. My personal money desires are less as I have already got what I need to survive the rest of my life. I garden because it is interesting. It is a byproduct that it helps make me less dependent on a grocery store. Lots of things I do are like that. I look at solar and efficient design the same way. Its a game for me. I am frugal because it is fun.


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## homstdr74 (Jul 4, 2011)

bigfoot12 said:


> I see and hear about these self sufficient people all the time, but I have always questioned who these people are and what type of personality they might have-
> Whether they looking to become free from working the 9 to 5 by reducing their consumption, and what motivates these people to do what they do.
> 
> -Are most people who choose to go off the grid retirees, only because they have the ample time and money to do so?
> ...


Everyone is different, as you well know. I have known retirees, hippies, back-to-the-landers, wannabe farmers, displaced city dudes, etc., all of whom tried to relocate to a rural environment for some reason. Some had money, some were dirt poor. Most didn't make it. 

I don't know the reason why they didn't, but homestead author Gene Logsdon once wrote that those who he had known who had been the most successful at actual homesteading had tried to homestead, gave it up to go back to the city but after a while they decided that the rural life was actually the best for them and returned to homestead permanently.

Perhaps it could be said that those who weren't raised in a rural environment have to actually experience rural life, as *homesteading requires a lot of hard work*, before making the decision to live the rest of their lives on the land.


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## homstdr74 (Jul 4, 2011)

Deleted due to double posting.


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