The People Who Live Off the Grid

In other posts I have talked briefly about finding other people that live off the grid and forming friendships with them. Interactions with these folks can be helpful in order to get an idea if off grid living is really for you and your family.  But, you may be asking “Who are the people that live off the grid?”

I have also discussed looking at your personal relationships and making certain that your partner is in agreement about living off the grid. This type of lifestyle is not for everyone so you absolutely need to be in agreement concerning this matter.  Make sure that everyone involved truly wants to live off the grid. 

That being said, let’s take a look at the type of people who actually  live off the grid.

The People Who Live Off the Grid

Many people who live off the grid tend to like their privacy. This of course makes it difficult to gather a lot of information concerning specific demographics.  However, by doing some basic research, I did manage to put together some sort of “profile”.  

One thing that I’ve learned is that people live off the grid for a variety of reasons. Many times their reasons for going off grid reflects their personality

Here is a short list of the types of folks that I’ve found that live off the grid and some of their reasons for doing so:

• The part time off-gridders, those with off-grid second homes/cabins
• Off grid by choice
• Unable to pay their rent or mortgage. Their options were limited or undesirable
• People forced into foreclosure
• Environmentalists
• Anti-capitalists
• Young families
• Farmers
• Professionals
• Retirees
• Artists
• Travelers
• Young men and women seeking a simple life
• People looking for a means to live very inexpensively
• Survivalists that fear the collapse of society

Characteristics of People Who Live Off the Grid

It seems to me that when you speak of living off the grid, people sometimes view you as being anti-social or anti-capitalist. But the truth is that most people who choose this lifestyle aren’t anti-anything.

As you can see, there is a wide range of people that make the choice to go off grid. Their reasons for doing so are as varied as their personality types.  But, there are some underlying commonalities.  

Here is a short list of personality traits and motivations for the average person that lives off grid: 

• Pioneering spirit
• Different mindset
• Resistant to convention
• Loss of trust in the government to perform it’s most basic function: to take care of the people
• Want to lead a simpler life, voluntary simplicity
• Desire to get out of the city
• Intense desire for freedom
• Strong desire to live life on their own terms, make their own choices
• Fed up with the constraints of modern society and government intrusion
• Enjoys solitude
• Less materialistic, rejects consumerism
• Very ingenious and hard working
• Desire for financial freedom
• Trust their own instincts

Where do you find those who live off the grid?

The fact that we live in a very connected world makes it easier to find the folks that live off the grid, or have the desire to do so.  There are many online forums, websites, and social media groups dedicated to living off the grid, being self sufficient, and living a sustainable lifestyle.  

Consequently, in our connected world it is easy to step into a virtual “off grid” community and regularly interact and make new friends.  More often than not, people are willing to share ideas, give advice, and help each other work through problems. 

Being connected to such people can help gather information about living off the grid. You can also get somewhat of a glimpse into their daily lives and get a feel for whether or not you want to try this lifestyle. Knowing this, you and your partner and your family can decide is this is the right way for all of you to live. Additionally, if you are looking for an off grid partner, look for someone with the basic personality type described above. 

To learn more about what it means to live off the grid, go here.

How to Get Started

Obviously if you are interested in living off the grid, the first place to start is finding an appropriate property, whether that is vacant land or something with an existing dwelling. That process alone can be daunting. When I purchased my off grid property I truly got lucky in that it was exactly what I wanted, was rural, somewhat isolated and heavily forested.

Additionally there are a number of things to consider before purchasing any land especially if you want to live off the grid. I have outlined 35 things to think about when purchasing rural property and you can find that post here.

For most people the purchase of that property will be a significant up front investment. Rural property is going to be less expensive of course. However, in some cases you can actually find free land. Samantha Greene, founder of Homesteading Tips 101, has a fantastic post on this topic. It is very thorough and is called  "Unlocking the Potential of Free Land for Off Grid Living: A Comprehensive Guide" Samantha also has several other helpful guides to off grid living so it would be worth paying her a visit at Homesteading Tips 101. 

“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t have to escape from.” Seth Godin

Go off grid and live well, 

Patrick