10 TIPS FOR LIVING OFF THE GRID

-----THE GARDEN GNOME

Here is someone else's ideas

Living Off the Grid
Number one, where do you start?

1-Getting started first requires a piece of land, whether it is rural or urban does not matter, although rural living offers a few special possibilities for you. Consider, if you were able to find a piece of property that had no power line access, only a road to it. Can you imagine how little it would cost? That is what we did and figured we saved over $20,000, and that was years ago, today the savings by investing in a piece of rural land for off grid living is substantial.

2-Build your own house even? That option is a great way to save money on your housing costs. After working for years in the contracting business as a sub contractor I know that building a house may seem like a big project, but just break it down into pieces.
Everyone needs at least one of these for their emergency kits:
pure-go filtering water bottles
It lasts for approximately 1 year. If a person drinks 3 bottles of water per day the cost of the bottle is equals less than 3 cents per fill up.

Grow your own:heirloom seeds

3-Living off the grid opens up all sorts of possibilities for food production too, from growing a few chickens to growing a bigger garden. This is one of the main ways we save money each year and grow healthier food for ourselves. You can too.

4-Don’t bother with spending thousands of dollars on expensive solar panels from the dealers either. You can build your own inexpensively and easily.

5-Ditto for wind generators, have you seen the price of these? Wow! Our own off grid living experience was greatly enhanced by learning how to build our own wind generator, producing free power for our home.

6-Work as a team, a family team that is…It is so important to have regular family meetings before and after you make your off grid move. It can get to be an overwhelming amount of work and confusion if you don’t assign regular duties for everyone. Remember you are your own power company and more, it doesn’t have to be a lot of work if you manage properly.

7-Set your power center, which includes your battery storage and monitoring equipment in a convenient place. This is a must. We have ours beside our main entry door in a little nook that we built and this way we can have a look every time we pass by.

8-Locate your renewable energy power sources in the most advantageous place. This means full sun for solar panels and the highest point on the property for your wind generator.

9-Always innovate with your system. There is constant improvement lately in technology and keeping up can be a real chore, so find a source of information you trust and stick with them.

10-Have fun. How good does it feel to take a Tuesday off and go shopping with your wife whenever you want? Living off the grid has given us freedom to do as we please in a World that sucks you into a system of debt and despair. What a relief to break the chains, there simply are no words for how good it feels to be finally free from the wage cycle.http://www.living-off-grid.com/lifestyle/living-off-the-grid-%E2%80%93-10-tips-for-off-grid-living

I would add that if you can find a sustainable income source like a home business it would really help
Everyone needs at least one of these for their emergency kits:
pure-go filtering water bottles
It lasts for approximately 1 year. If a person drinks 3 bottles of water per day the cost of the bottle is equals less than 3 cents per fill up.

Grow your own:heirloom seeds

USE YOUR SKILLS TO THRIVE

-----THE GARDEN GNOME


Do you have a skill? Are you good at some long ago kind of job, like being a farrier or a blacksmith? Are you a mechanic, carpenter, plumber or are you a hunter or fisherman [woman]? Can you trap game, can you live in a wooded setting and even thrive? Can you chop wood? Can you light a wood fire? These and more will be needed in the coming hard times. Barter will be the name of the game. Forget electronics, forget your cell phone, you will need to know how to do without what are in truth luxuries.

Small engine repair is anorther skill to develop, people will beat a path tyo your door for help fixing their lawnmowers generators etc.

Making things last, not throwing them away will be the order of the day. Want to take a bath? Maybe you'll have to heat the water first, but even before that you may need to go to a river or creek to get that water.
Buy new clothing because you got yours dirty or a seam is ripped? Learn to fix them, others will need your skills and you can trade for what you need too.

I'm trying to stockpile a number of blankets I make so I can trade. Saving seeds and gardening are two more important things we can do to thrive in hard times.

Learn every old time craft you can, from making a shelter to washing clothing on a washboard. Find out ways your special talents; from making clothing to tramping the woods finding game to fixing machines, can be fostered to make you sought after to help others when they are foundering.

Remember food, clothing and shelter are basic necessities do what you can to be able to provide at least one of these.
Everyone needs at least one of these for their emergency kits:
pure-go filtering water bottles
It lasts for approximately 1 year. If a person drinks 3 bottles of water per day the cost of the bottle is equals less than 3 cents per fill up.

Grow your own:heirloom seeds

BLESSING GOES OUT, THEN COMES BACK

-----THE GARDEN GNOME


Someone once told me our Mansions in Heaven will be furnished with what we give away.

Everyone will be feeling hardships and if we can alleviate the misery Jesus has this to say: MATTHEW 25:41-46 "Then he will say to those on his left, `Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
"They also will answer, `Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
"He will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
To store up to be a blessing or to just to provide comfort is to give to the Lord.

What good would it do to save your life with some hoarded sandwiches and then lose your soul?

And another view:

Your Highest Priorities Are to Survive and Help Others


There are two kinds of people as far as the coming dollar collapse and depression are concerned. First, there are those who are setting aside provisions, increasing home security, exchanging paper dollars for silver and gold and so forth. They are making survival the highest priority in their lives. Then there are those who are not. This second group of people go about their lives as though the dollar collapse and depression do not exist.

Both groups at a gut level instinctively know we are at a tipping point in American history with both the economy and our freedoms. And still, the second group of people seem unconcerned. To those of us in the first group, it seems the second group are either frozen in fear or are just living in denial.

It's this second group I want to discuss with those of you in the first group. You must reach out to those in the second group who are blood relatives and or neighbors. Look at it this way. If you have made survival your highest priority but are ignoring those in the second group, you are making a big mistake. For unless you are willing to reach out to them while there is still time to do so, they could one day become your worst enemy. That may be selfish, but it is the truth.

Do not think your neighbor or family member would never turn on you. For if you and your neighbor or family member are not of one mind…If you have not agreed ahead of time to help one another and actually are doing so, what would stop them from turning on you when things really turn rough?

In the end, when push comes to shove, there is not a single one of us who can survive without help from others. You might think otherwise, but know this. One day you will need something your neighbor can offer. One day you will have a medical emergency. One day, you will want someone Else's expertise. One day you will want more eyes and ears guarding your home. Unless you and your neighbors have made a soulful pact to be there for one another when that time comes, what will you do???

from:http://www.survive-economic-collapse.com/blog/

I'm just making do with what clothing I have now, or re-making them, and not buying anything new that will probably be taken from me anyway when chaos reigns. I'm just concentrating on making things to give to others.

Everyone needs at least one of these for their emergency kits:
pure-go filtering water bottles
It lasts for approximately 1 year. If a person drinks 3 bottles of water per day the cost of the bottle is equals less than 3 cents per fill up.

Grow your own:heirloom seeds

Composting-the ultimate in recycling

-----THE GARDEN GNOME




Composting, I use all of my kitchen scraps, no animal or dairy products, but I do use lots of well-washed egg shells, coffee grounds and tea bags. Banana peels are terrific to use also, I use my garage blender to render all of the veggie stuff to a pureed mess that worms like to eat. I use something called a Garden Gourmet to make my compost. It has lots of ventilation and can be made smaller by removing some of the side slats. I layedr the bottom with twigs, then a layer of dirt, then leaves, more dirt, more leaves, more dirt, some manure, more dirt until it gets to the top. I use a sawed off hay fork to turn it often. Every time I have a blender full of compost fodder I pour it over the top of my compost and then turn it. I actually get quite addicted tgo my thrifty ways of making garden gold fertilizer. The Garden Gourmet has a slide up door on the bottom for removing all the lovely black stuff for tossing in my garden. I fertilize my garden three times a year, once before planting, once in the middle of summr and again in fall. Last year I raked up as many leaves as I could to fill my garden [the snow came really early] covered the leaves with tarps to keep them from blowing away and left it all to rot in the ground until I got it re-tilled again this year. The soil is so rich the difference between it and the surrounding dirt is remarkable. I also use lots of leaves to mulch the garden between my plants to keep down the weeds and to hold the water in the soil. All of this is labor and not much in the way of money, a nice savings that I am praying will pay off in a bounty of healthy food for my family.

Everyone needs at least one of these for their emergency kits:
pure-go filtering water bottles
It lasts for approximately 1 year. If a person drinks 3 bottles of water per day the cost of the bottle is equals less than 3 cents per fill up.

Grow your own:heirloom seeds

THRIFTY RECIPES-seasoning

-----THE GARDEN GNOME

Make these ahead and store for any hard times.

How to Make Different Salts
These are all found in Pantry Cooking:
Garlic salt, 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon garlic powder + 2 teaspoons salt
Onion salt, 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon onion powder + 2 teaspoons salt
Celery salt, 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon ground celery seed + 2 teaspoons salt

SEASONED SALT

1/2 cup salt
1 tablespoon celery salt*
1 tablespoon garlic salt**
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon pepper

Place all ingredients in a blender container; cover and blend on high for
20 seconds. Store in a tightly covered container. Makes 3/4 cup.

*May substitute 1 teaspoon celery seed + 2 teaspoons salt for celery salt

**May substitute 1 teaspoon garlic powder + 2 teaspoons salt for garlic salt

*Katy's essence
This is about medium hot and the heat can be adjusted by using more of less of the spice
I've sent this out to friends all over the US because when I make it every year I make a lot!
When I say a part I use a bottle of spice, it can be any size as long as all 'parts' are the same size.
3 parts of paprika [I love paprika anyway]
2 parts sea salt or Himalayan crystal salt
2 parts garlic powder
1 part black pepper
1 part onion powder
1/2 part Cayenne powder
1 part Italian herbs [I grow and grind my own, I mix it- 1part Oregano, 1 part Basil, 2 parts Parsley]
1 part crushed red pepper
2 part chili powder
put it all in your food processor to grind up the Italian herbs and crushed red pepper so it's incorporated well into the other spices which are powders. It makes a dozen bottles, I usually double up on the recipe so I have plenty to give away.

MORE LINKS MORE RECIPES
http://to-reverse-diabetes.blogspot.com/2008/07/mosquitoes-and-dinner.html
http://to-reverse-diabetes.blogspot.com/2008/04/recipes-oven-fried-chicken-much-more.html
http://to-reverse-diabetes.blogspot.com/2007/08/another-advantage-of-summer.html

Everyone needs at least one of these for their emergency kits:
pure-go filtering water bottles
It lasts for approximately 1 year. If a person drinks 3 bottles of water per day the cost of the bottle is equals less than 3 cents per fill up.

Grow your own:heirloom seeds

Homemade remedies

-----THE GARDEN GNOME


ALL PURPOSE SALVE

This multipurpose salve provides relief to sore muscles, reduces inflammation, heals scrapes, relieves minor burns, and even provides a measure of protections from biting insects. Excellent chest rub to break up congestion.

1 part plantain leaf (topically healing and soothing)
1 part lavender blossom (antiseptic, topically healing, pain relieving, repels insects)
1 part peppermint leaf (cooling, anti-spasmodic, and pain relieving)
1 part thyme leaf (antiseptic and anti fungal, increases blood flow to the area, healing and astringent)

Heat herbs in olive oil over low heat for about 5 hours. Do not let the oil boil or bubble. A Crock-Pot or the lowest temperature setting on a range should be suitable for heating this mixture. (If the lowest setting is too hot, turn off the heat once it has warmed the oil...it should keep warm for at least and hour....then repeat the process twice.) After cooking, strain out the herbs while oil is still warm. Place 1 1/4 cups of the herb oil in a pan, add beeswax and heat just enough to melt the wax. Add essential oil and stir. Finally, pour the salve into wide mouthed jars. Store at room temperature. Use for minor scrapes and cuts, to protect and promote healing.

Here is my overnight pimple cure: Use a hot washcloth on it to bring all the stuff to the surface, and use a very clean needle, lance the offending blemish and excise it,[I don't bother with all that I just squeeze it empty, but I'm not so finiky] then, right away put hydrogen peroxide on it to bubble away the infectious stuff then put a very generous dab of zinc oxide on it to ease the redness overnight. I do this all the time, it works for me. I hope it works for you, I use a loofah to clear up blackheads, I did it years ago and they never came back, apparently it closes the pores.

I use Hydrogen Peroxide on all infections, it is really the only cure for fungus.

Everyone needs at least one of these for their emergency kits:
pure-go filtering water bottles
It lasts for approximately 1 year. If a person drinks 3 bottles of water per day the cost of the bottle is equals less than 3 cents per fill up.

Grow your own:heirloom seeds

links-

http://to-reverse-diabetes.blogspot.com/2007/06/getting-well-and-other-tips-and-tricks.html
http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/
http://homemade-remedies.com/
http://possumsal.homestead.com/skincare.html
http://www.homemademedicine.com/

Information on this site is provided for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical advice provided by your physician or other medical professional. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication. You should read carefully all product packaging and labels. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact your physician or health care provider. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease For medical emergencies, dial 911!

FEEDING A FAMILY CHEAPLY

-----THE GARDEN GNOME

FROM THE HILLBILLY HOUSEWIFE:
$45 Emergency Menu for 4 to 6
I've seen various places around the web claim that in an emergency you can feed your family for only $10 or $20 a week. While I appreciate their intentions, I have noticed that they all assume you have certain supplies already on hand. In my experience this isn't always the case. Forty-five dollars will seem outrageously abundant to some, while it will seem minuscule to others. It is the smallest amount I was able to come up with that will provide enough supplies to an empty kitchen to feed an entire family for a week. The servings are ample and a few adjustments allow you to increase the quantities from 4 servings to 6. Newly added nutritional information makes it clear that except for sodium, these recipes are nutritious and healthy. They are low in fat and cholesterol, high in protein and rich in fiber. To reduce the sodium you can use half as much salt and bouillon as called for in the recipes, and purchase store-brand reduced sodium canned vegetables instead of the regular variety. To see one person's idea of making a list... hillbilly housewife

You can make your own lists, just sit down, write out a meal plan for a week, pick your favorites, and the easiest, and least expensive meals, then figure out what to buy to be able to make each meal, then buy that times four week's worth, and you'll know how to buy for a month's supply of real meals.

Basically living well through hard times involves planning in the more abundant times. I'd suggest buying seed, growing some of your own foods, so you'll know you are getting fresh, organic and healthy foods.

If you are going to garden and have your own food supply- grow the healthiest foods from Heirloom seeds orchardhouse heirlooms If you want to be sure you'll have plenty of drinking water, get one of these for each family member: pure-go filtering water bottles

about fertilizers

-----THE GARDEN GNOME

Question: what kind of fertilizer is natural?
Answer:

Compost, animal manure [composted to rid it of e. Coli] I use bunny poo straight, it has no urine in it to burn the plants. Chicken manure in manure tea, yes I put mine in a pillow case suspended in a fifty gallon drum of rain water to ladle loving on my veggies. I don't recommend any pet manure or night soil because of the density of the former and the bad germies in the latter. Night soil or humanure is why you can't eat fresh veggies or drink the water in Mexico. Horse manure or whinny poo, is good if well composted. I like to toss some cow poop or bullpucky in my composter along with kitchen scraps [use only non animal scraps like veggie stuff or eggs shells, tea bags and your coffee grounds for best results, in the composter, I like to dig up a few hundred worms for my composter too, Also I put any mushrooms I find in my composter, lots of brown leaves and very small twigs.] fats, milk products and meats are not for composting. I waste nearly nothing and all goes into my composter with those exceptions. I also have a compost heap and piles of composting leaves in the woods behind our house so that they can eventually be used in my garden.

All manure can be turned into manure tea which is readily available for fertilizing your gardens whether you are flower growing or veggie planting.

I'm kind of addicted to composting and use it a lot in my gardens, if anyone offers me animal bedding or their accumulated poo, I'll use it too.

Chemical fertilizer and poor farming methods have just about ruined our farmlands and we indeed have none left that is at all considered healthy. Chemical fertilizers have only three ingredients, N=nitrogen, P=phosphorus, and K=Potassium. These are not the only things fertile soil needs and often the proportions are wrong, so adding manure is best along with God's idea of allowing fields to go fallow every 7 years. Many times a really good husbandman will add a cover crop to his fallow fields, this keeps it from blowing away in a stiff wind and if it's the right crop, it will add stuff like nitrogen to the soils. Not allowing the soil to rest, not giving it proper fertilizers will ruin your garden every time.

Everyone needs at least one of these for their emergency kits:
pure-go filtering water bottles

If you are going to garden and have your own food supply- grow the healthiest foods from Heirloom seeds orchardhouse heirlooms

NO ADDICTIONS NO WASTE

I have always felt strongly that the worst thing to have in times of lack and want are addictions. How awful will they suffer who can no longer get their cigarettes, the soda pop, alcohol or their medications,[drugs are drugs whether legal or illegal-they create dependence]; even if we are simply dependant on certain products we use on our bodies and hair, they also will not be available indefinitely.
If their loss will be felt as strongly as a withdrawl then it's best to start withdrawing now. Times are going to be hard and to add to that an overpowering craving will just make us unnecessarily miserable.

Storing up some food items, especially the ones you will actually eat is a really good idea. Just bulking up on staples if you can't use them in basic cooking is not terribly helpful.

Learning to cook healthy basic meals using few ingredients is a great idea. I'd like to suggest that you subscribe to The Hillbilly housewife, she often has great recipes and tips for good simple meals.

The second thing I wanted to address here is stopping the waste. Buying things with fewer wrappings is one way, but also not wasting foods/goods is another. Try not throwing that item of clothing away just because a few stitches are missing in the hem or seem, learn to fix it, did you lose weight, learn to alter your clothes. And as for food, many kitchen scraps can be put into a composter so your small kitchen garden can be ammended in a natural healthy way. If you start looking at your life and how you live as a cycle of acquiring, care and finding the best ways of extending life to your belongings you'll see that there are many many ways to economize.

We need water to drink so wasting water is not a good idea either. Clean water [called potable] should be reserved just for drinking. Wash water can be used and reused before discarding.

This is just a start and if anyone has more they want to add please feel free to in the comments section.

Everyone needs at least one of these for their emergency kits:
pure-go filtering water bottles

If you are going to garden and have your own food supply- grow the healthiest foods from Heirloom seeds orchardhouse heirlooms

ARE THE HARD TIMES REALLY COMING?

Just look at your neighbors, watch the news and see what's going on around you. If you do not believe we are headed as a world into the worst depression, if nothing more horrible- Global warming [please think of how much worse our weather is lately]that we've ever had then fine just ignore me. But if you see the signs and are getting a bit concerned, then watch this space for tips on how to survive-even thrive in the hard times.

People did thrive in the great Depression, I'm looking for their secrets.
The definition of a recession is when your neighbor has lost his job and for depression it's when you've lost yours.

Do you really think that spending more money; than there ever was in the entire world, is the solution, and giving that money to people who are already wealthy is a good idea, if you trust people who are doing this then this blog is not for you. If not, hold onto your hats we're off to find out how to thrive in hard times.

Oh and one more thing

The Christian who is prosperous in
the hard times is the one who has given up
on the counsel of the ungodly, and who
and has cast himself on the Word of God.

God's plan to protect His people