Why Should I Live Off the Grid?

For me, living off-grid started with a fascination for remote environments and communities who still live a traditional way of life. There are many different reasons to live off the grid; what finally gives someone the final push to make the change to their living situation is often unique to them.

Why should I live off the grid? Living off the grid will free you from energy bills, allow you to become self-sufficient, and help you to embrace sustainable practices. It could also provide you with an opportunity to be in tune with your environment and cause you to take charge of your health and happiness.

More people choose to go off-grid every day. Whether they want a change in lifestyle or want to secure their future in an uncertain world, they disconnect their utilities and gett back to the land. 

If the freedom of an off-grid lifestyle attracts you, it is essential to consider every aspect of your decision carefully. Here are some of the best reasons to pull the plug and get off the grid. Everyone has their reasons for becoming self-sufficient; here are some of the best.

1. You are free from energy bills

Rising energy prices are the biggest reason for people to turn to an off-grid lifestyle. While power infrastructures age and become unreliable, the cost we pay to power our houses continues to rise. Our nation’s reliance on poor-quality utility provision is a source of anger for many millions of Americans.

You may hear energy suppliers saying that alternative energy sources are unreliable and overpriced, but they are wrong. There are lots of great ways for you to power your lives, from clean, renewable sources that need little maintenance and can be more reliable than the grid.

To see my recommendations for the best power and electronics equipment you can visit my resource page here.

2. You Can Become Self-Sufficient 

You don’t have to be fully self-sufficient to be off-grid, but it is what many us aim for. Being able to provide all the food water and power that you and your family needs are understandably attractive. 

Self-sufficiency means you are no longer reliant on any other systems, organizations, or individuals. You can make your own choices without having to rely on work or produce from others. While you don’t need to cut yourself off entirely, it is immensely satisfying to know that your family can successfully meet their own needs.

If you’re not sure if you’ve got enough space to be self-sufficient, check out the article I wrote called: How much land do you need to be self-sufficient?

3. You Can Live Sustainably

Going off-grid doesn’t guarantee that you will be using sustainable methods, but they are essential for you to continue to get the best from your land and resources decade after decade. Governments and large corporations often continue to use fossil fuels and make us complicit in non-renewable practices. 

Going off-grid allows you to adopt sustainable methods that make the most of your surroundings. They also preserve your environment, and many even give back to the nature that surrounds us.

4. You Have the Opportunity to Tune in to Your Environment

Once you are using sustainable practices, you will notice that many of your routines begin to sync up with the natural world around you. Your power, food, and water is dependent on the weather and changing seasons. This can make you feel the link between your survival and the world around you. This is a powerful feeling that many off-grid enthusiasts live for.

5. It Can Provide Health and Happiness

Going off-grid affords a satisfaction that you will find in no other way of life. It comes from knowing that your growth and survival rests in the work of your own hands. The combination of hard practical work and becoming in tune with your surroundings creates a flow that you can only experience when you see your homestead flourish.

It is also the sense of wellbeing that you get when you learn new skills, become aware of your abilities, and smash through new challenges. What better challenge is there than mastering the elements and feeding your family from your land?

What Are Some of the Disadvantages of Living off the Grid?

There are many great reasons to live off the grid, but it is a huge decision and often comes with a substantial commitment of time and money. To get yourself ready, it is always worth considering what some of the challenges might be.

Start-up costs 

You can go off-grid on a budget, but if you want to go off-grid quickly, you will need to make some big purchases in a short space of time. You need to buy and install off-grid systems like solar panel systems, water filtration, and septic tanks. These can all be expensive. 

Related reading: How to develop your income off-grid.

The Cost of Maintenance 

Once you’ve bought and installed your new off-grid equipment, you will need to keep it in good working order. This takes time, skill, and money. One of the most frustrating things about living off-grid is your reliance on batteries. Maintaining them can be frustrating, and they have a short life expectancy than you think.

Energy Waste 

Even the most efficient power systems don’t manage to save or use all of the energy. It can be incredibly frustrating to waste it due to not having enough batteries to store it or though poor connections or damaged equipment.

It Can Be Isolating

Even if you decide to remain connected to the internet, living off-grid can be isolating. Because so much of your focus is on your home and your immediate surroundings, you may have fewer connections with friends, family, or your local community. While for some people, this may be the point of going off the grid, the reality of not seeing anyone other than your close family for weeks on end can be more draining than you’d think.

Unforeseen circumstances

While you may plan for every eventuality, there is likely to be some situations that you haven’t expected. These unplanned problems can be anything from batteries stopping charging to an illness in the family. This kind of situation can leave you feeling vulnerable if you don’t have access to modern conveniences or enough ready cash.

Less modern conveniences

As hard as it can be to admit, many aspects of modern life are fantastic. Once you’ve set up your alternative power system, you will likely be able to continue using many of them. However, off-grid power often is quite as abundant, which may mean that you have to leave the hot tub, wifi, microwave, and power shower in the past.

To see some of my solutions to these challenges visit my article called: 11 Challenges of going off-grid and how to overcome them.

Is living off-grid always achievable?

When you decide to live off-grid, you will have already thought about some of the challenges and barriers you may face. Some of them may be easy to overcome, but you may come across a situation that stops you in your tracks. 

Not having enough land, space for your vegetables, sun to power the solar panels, wind to spin the turbines, or money to buy the equipment may appear to make your off-grid goal completely impossible. However, if going off-grid is important to you, there is no reason why any of these issues should stand in your way.

Living off-grid isn’t always achievable, but if you are determined, you may find that previously unknown opportunities present themselves to help you achieve your goal.

Conclusion

Going off-grid is a life-changing decision that can bring beautiful experiences into your life. However, it isn’t without its challenges. When you are thinking about going off-grid, preparing for the challenges, and building your determination are great ways to help you to overcome any obstacle.

There are hundreds of great reasons to embrace this style of living. From preparing for disaster to getting back to your roots, every off-grid journey is intensely personal. If you don’t already live off-grid, hopefully, this list will inspire you to get prepared and start the process.