Off-Grid Living For Beginners: 5 Tips to Get You Started

Many people go into off-grid living unprepared and end up coming across issues, blockers, and budget constraints. Living off-grid involves a lot of work, so be sure to prepare in advance to help things go as smoothly as possible.

Researching and preparation will save you time, money, and energy. Check out our top 5 tips on off-grid living for beginners to get started.

1. Prepare Off-Grid Living Supplies

Prepare a list of off-grid living supplies early on to make sure you’ll have everything you need. Your supply list will look different depending on your planned shelter. If you want to live in an RV or camper van, you may want to think about vehicle repair tools, but if you’re planning on living in a tiny house or cabin, those tools likely won’t be needed.

A way to prepare for this is to think about a day in the life of living in your planned shelter so you can get an idea of the essentials you will need. Off-grid living products for growing and preserving food, and tools for repairs are things you will want to prepare in advance.

2. Think About Water

It’s possible to have a shower, toilet, and easily accessible drinking water while living off-grid, but sourcing this water is definitely something to think about in the early stages of your planning.

Once you’ve planned where you intend to live, consider the cost and practicality of the options you have available. Learning to use less water will help too, and there are options like composting toilets that are completely water-free.

3. Choose Energy Sources for Off-Grid Living

There are many choices of energy sources for off-grid living to help you live comfortably. Wind turbines, micro-hydropower, diesel generators, and solar panels are some potential options you can research.

Solar panels are great for off-grid energy if your location gets enough sun exposure.

Find out more about the best solar panel for you here: https://blueravensolar.com/blog/what-is-the-best-solar-panel-for-residential-solar/

4. Be Financially Self-Sufficient

You likely won’t need much money if you live a more sustainable lifestyle. Growing your own food and being minimal with your spending means that you can probably live on a lot less than you might imagine.

However, there will still be some things to pay for no matter how simple your lifestyle is. There are plenty of ways that you can make money while living off-grid. If you live in a community, you can monetize your skills and help others. Alternatively, you can make money online by doing a wide variety of freelance work.

5. Study Sustainable Lifestyle

Something that you can start today as a first step is studying off-grid living for beginners. There are many books, courses, and online resources for learning about things like reducing your waste, gardening tips, and DIY advice.

Be mindful that your location and planned shelter has a big part to play in the preparation so be sure to look at content that is relevant for your plans. Living off the grid in a pre-built tiny house will require different preparation to building your own cabin.

A key thing to research from the beginning is your required budget — find out how much other people have spent who are living a similar lifestyle to your plans.