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theabortionator
April, 2025

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Moving out and Off the grid.

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TheStamos
Posts: 9311 - Karma: 910
In a month my small family is moving to Mendocino county to start a farm. We both just woke up and realized how in the Matrix we really where even though we thought we weren't. We are paying 1150$ together to live in a place with no real opportunity for growth in a harsh environment in which everything has to be imported. I've been making other people lots of money for the last 10 years and little for myself.

It has been very interesting to see how friends and family are taking this. My fiancee gave her 2 week notice last week for her salaried job and her mom is so set in the programming she is against the move no matter how happy it has already made us. I myself have given up both jobs and I'm not even going to tell my family until i'm there because there all so locked into the common way of thinking .Very much slaves to the dollar, already know what there gonna say and don't need to hear it.

Life cost
$575 1/2 rent
$60+ Internets /elec
$150 Food
$160 fuel

$945x2= $1890 just to live comfortably and get to work where there is 0 potential for real growth since both places are far from rewarding and i don't want to end up bitter and angry like those people. Average home price here is way out of my range, and you cant even grow your own food here, cant build a campfire, cant take my dogs to most the beaches on the lake and this economy is ruled by wealthy people who live in San Francisco 11 months a year. Time to leave the Sierras for the Redwoods

Why is deviation from the "norm" such a scary thing to most people? Have you or anyone else done this, move out and basically let go of common society as much as possible for off the grid living? Say no to credit, live in cash and barter, grow your own food and build your own home on your own land with 0 rules?

If there is any interest i can keep this thread updated as we go. cheers
11 years ago
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LoathesRaisins
Posts: 3612 - Karma: 4,735
Whatever you do, DO NOT eat the wrong berries!
11 years ago
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squashmosh
Posts: 632 - Karma: 565
Threads, this is the most actually compelling thing in NSG for months.
11 years ago
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proZach
Posts: 7163 - Karma: 919
ChrisMcCandlessWhatever you do, DO NOT eat the wrong berries!


holy fucking god hahahahahahah
11 years ago
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Onetoothwilly
Posts: 53 - Karma: 101
This is awesome. Hope it all works out
11 years ago
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TheStamos
Posts: 9311 - Karma: 910
ChrisMcCandlessWhatever you do, DO NOT eat the wrong berries!


Great Advice! HAHA!!
11 years ago
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Ribss.
Posts: 3442 - Karma: 3,344
Well you picked the right place to settle down, it is great here.
11 years ago
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Butters.
Posts: 74 - Karma: 129
Are you under the impression that mendocino is some other country where there are no laws and you won't need any money?
11 years ago
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treebeard
Posts: 3758 - Karma: 3,216
For anyone else interested in off-grid living, I highly suggest reading both Heinberg's "End of Growth" and Rosen's "Off the Grid". Heinberg gives a pretty eye-opening explanation of why our current economic situation is so fucked, and basically shows why off-grid will be so crucial in the coming decades.

OP, I'm still trying to finish college and lack the funds to realistically move away yet, but I've begun the mindset change. Honestly it's a really crazy feeling to have your entire view of the future turned upside down, but I think that shift will be necessary for humanity to continue functioning at some level. Aside from all the obvious reasons to get the fuck out of society (bills, shitty pointless jobs, general unhappiness, etc), there are a lot of things on the horizon that could make our current urban and suburban developments impractical and horribly unsustainable.

My plan is to eventually make enough money to buy all my supplies and go find a commune somewhere, then live.
11 years ago
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TheStamos
Posts: 9311 - Karma: 910
Nope, Cost of living is much lower. Geographically has more opportunity for business (I own a small mobile business too)and i can grow my own food and some legal weed so it will overall take a lot of weight of my shoulders. No snow, Year around growing season and the abundance of cheap land, material sun and wind :)
11 years ago
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TheStamos
Posts: 9311 - Karma: 910
Butters.Are you under the impression that mendocino is some other country where there are no laws and you won't need any money?


I should have been more specific on the rules thing. This area is run by the TRPA and all the city,county and HOA rules and Laws. They control everything from your yard to what type of siding you can put on your house.Of course there are rules in mendo but much much less strict.
11 years ago
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spliff.Life
Posts: 7847 - Karma: 1,542
i wish more californians like you came to idaho, all the wealthy ones just buy historic homes, destroy them, build boxes, etc. the ones across the street from me diagonally (mom, dad, 2 toddlers) somehow have 5 yes FIVE trash cans on their corner ever friday, while my family of 5 struggles to fill one. We also garden a lot, homegrown tomatoes and veggies are sooo much better off the vine. and honestly once theyre planted i spend maybe 5 minutes out of my day watering 5 flowerbeds boxes, best of luck to you and your fiance'! dont eat too much L
11 years ago
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TheStamos
Posts: 9311 - Karma: 910
[video]
11 years ago
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Ribss.
Posts: 3442 - Karma: 3,344
TheStamosNope, Cost of living is much lower. Geographically has more opportunity for business (I own a small mobile business too)and i can grow my own food and some legal weed so it will overall take a lot of weight of my shoulders. No snow, Year around growing season and the abundance of cheap land, material sun and wind :)


PM me if you need to meet any homies out here or for some info on the legality stuff.
11 years ago
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Ribss.
Posts: 3442 - Karma: 3,344
Ribss.PM me if you need to meet any homies out here or for some info on the legality stuff.


Damn it cut me off, sorry for the dub post. As I was saying, I live out here on a small vineyard and my family has a 50,000 gallon rain collection tank, some goats, a garden, and we run off solar power, mostly off the grid save for internet. So yeah, like I said, PM me if you need any info.
11 years ago
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AT-AT
Posts: 3281 - Karma: 3,258
threads
11 years ago
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HamFaceGirl
Posts: 5242 - Karma: 2,683
threads
11 years ago
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edai
Posts: 4995 - Karma: 4,705
Thats awesome dude...my sister's boyfriend grew up in Mendo and he's probably the coolest fucking guy i've ever met. Comparing his childhood growing up in the woods with his friends wondering around town at 3 am smoking hanging out with his whole HS of 200 kids having fun and shit to my stuffy east coast town is such an eye opener for me. everything for him was always so laid back, he could just stay out all night and wonder home in the morning with no worries because his parents knew all the other parents and everyone was always safe cause it was such a small town so nobody every batted an eye. 50% of families grew weed inside their farms with other shit like fruits and vegetables eating fresh food all the time and just being content.

At first it seemed like such a strange way to live because the only time id ever seen or heard of a lifestyle like that i associated it with hippies and morons because of where i was from. turns out a lot of the kids in the town were pretty smart and pretty succesful including himself. good luck to you and your family man. keep us updated, this is eye opening.
11 years ago
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DasGoatenshafter
Posts: 580 - Karma: 307
Haven't the amish and mennonites been doing this for a while now?

No but I think "off the grid" is a cool concept, but I'd rather just chuck my cell phone and live a simpler day to day rather that go cold turkey.
11 years ago
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TheStamos
Posts: 9311 - Karma: 910
Woah, pretty supportive for NSG, thanks everyone!
11 years ago
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theBearJew
Posts: 10951 - Karma: 15,634
Best of luck OP. Something I would love to try for a year, but I don't know if I would want to go fully off the grid. It would be tough to change my life that much. I think I will just try to make my travels/vacations off the grid and not go to the typical stuffy places.
11 years ago
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gRAPEFRUIT
Posts: 380 - Karma: 272
ChrisMcCandlessWhatever you do, DO NOT eat the wrong berries!


hahahhaa. Awesome.
11 years ago
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TheStamos
Posts: 9311 - Karma: 910
Made progress, completely moved out of our house. I think I made 4 trips to the thrift store an got rid of all the furniture. I only kept things that would be useful on the farm. Also , looking at a 100 acre property just outside of boonville ca that allready has 4 houses that are all off the grid. Half the property is redwood forest, the other half is rolling green hills and bordered by vineyards. If this property goes through we will be able to grow anything we want almost 10 months a year. There are wild pigs, deer and turkey on the property, ocean and river fishing are half an hour away. So far so good!
11 years ago
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JakeAssBeatClap
Posts: 6673 - Karma: 2,537
TheStamosMade progress, completely moved out of our house. I think I made 4 trips to the thrift store an got rid of all the furniture. I only kept things that would be useful on the farm. Also , looking at a 100 acre property just outside of boonville ca that allready has 4 houses that are all off the grid. Half the property is redwood forest, the other half is rolling green hills and bordered by vineyards. If this property goes through we will be able to grow anything we want almost 10 months a year. There are wild pigs, deer and turkey on the property, ocean and river fishing are half an hour away. So far so good!


I have the utmost respect for you guys out there doing this. I envy you, and wish you the best!
11 years ago
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JAHBRADOR
Posts: 3157 - Karma: 18,811
TheStamosMade progress, completely moved out of our house. I think I made 4 trips to the thrift store an got rid of all the furniture. I only kept things that would be useful on the farm. Also , looking at a 100 acre property just outside of boonville ca that allready has 4 houses that are all off the grid. Half the property is redwood forest, the other half is rolling green hills and bordered by vineyards. If this property goes through we will be able to grow anything we want almost 10 months a year. There are wild pigs, deer and turkey on the property, ocean and river fishing are half an hour away. So far so good!


Respect man
11 years ago
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jaylib
Posts: 4523 - Karma: 777
TheStamosMade progress, completely moved out of our house. I think I made 4 trips to the thrift store an got rid of all the furniture. I only kept things that would be useful on the farm. Also , looking at a 100 acre property just outside of boonville ca that allready has 4 houses that are all off the grid. Half the property is redwood forest, the other half is rolling green hills and bordered by vineyards. If this property goes through we will be able to grow anything we want almost 10 months a year. There are wild pigs, deer and turkey on the property, ocean and river fishing are half an hour away. So far so good!


I wanna join in, i'll help farm
11 years ago
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bigbromskier
Posts: 1175 - Karma: 330
Good for you! Tahoe's great for skiing and associated lifestyle, but it's really hard to be personally satisfied in a very limited economic environment. plus it's all but impossible to survive on the land there.

if you haven't already, read up on permaculture. this is, like, the bible. basically efficiency in farming.

read up on passive houses too. not that you'll necessarily build one, but the principles are profound and transferrable to many situations.
11 years ago
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.frenchy
Posts: 18231 - Karma: 12,399
Dude that's fucking awesome, don't know how I didn't see this thread before. huntin wild boars all day on your own 100 acre property? That's the fuckin life
11 years ago
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Steezy_P
Posts: 3069 - Karma: 2,350
nice, man. Good to hear more of this
11 years ago
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theabortionator
Posts: 52579 - Karma: 174,052
Not going to read but if I ever stop being a gypsy I want to get a small spot in the middle of nowhere. Possibly go no electric if it's somewhere warm. If it's in a more raging area maybe just rock out some solar panels.


I can't really justify getting a place now because I don't have anywhere I want to stay. Not attached to anything and have plenty of reasons to bounce around.
11 years ago
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GayWolf420
Posts: 38056 - Karma: 129,316
right on, OP. keep doing your thing. lots of respect for that. i met a guy last summer named mystic mike who helped run a hot springs campground. he utilized the place to the fullest, like he channeled one of the pools so it ran into a greenhouse where he grew a ton of stuff. basically lived off of the hot springs if that makes sense. and he did the artwork for the grateful dead way back in the day. the dudes rad.
11 years ago
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TheStamos
Posts: 9311 - Karma: 910
bigbromskierGood for you! Tahoe's great for skiing and associated lifestyle, but it's really hard to be personally satisfied in a very limited economic environment. plus it's all but impossible to survive on the land there.

if you haven't already, read up on permaculture. this is, like, the bible. basically efficiency in farming.

read up on passive houses too. not that you'll necessarily build one, but the principles are profound and transferrable to many situations.



Thank you, yeah totally in to that actually. I plan on first building a cob sauna as practice then build a cob and bale house that will collect rain water and collect heat via thermal mass for heating etc. we have big plans:)
11 years ago
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jaylib
Posts: 4523 - Karma: 777
what ever came of this? did you end up with that property? I am trying to find a place like this to come live/work
10 years ago
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fresh_prince
Posts: 993 - Karma: 11,916
TheStamosin the Matrix we really where even though we thought we weren't.


what
10 years ago
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TheStamos
Posts: 9311 - Karma: 910
fresh_princewhat


I was probably really stoned. I am 10Gs from my piece of land so progress is good. Nothing is ever as simple as planned haha!
10 years ago
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treebeard
Posts: 3758 - Karma: 3,216
cool time for this thread to come back up. I'm leaving tomorrow for an internship in New Mexico where I'll be living in an off-grid community and learning everything I need to know to construct and maintain my own. so ridiculously stoked
10 years ago
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4884 - Karma: -719
Good luck on this. Try not to be too extreme (its OK if you go work a job a couple days a week and commute a bit to do so) or pull the plug if its not working sounds like no matter what you need change for the sake of change.

AS you said in the OP its very overwhelming the way high paid indentured servants like to bully people who view life differently and can't get those extremely high paying jobs like the previous generation was able to with ease. Im very lucky to be natually entrepreneurial so going against the system and doing my own thing to scrape by (ticket scalping) comes naturally and I was smart to stop traveling and living in casinos in Reno and buy an affordable 2 family home with my tenants covering my mortgage but someone who isn't should probably learn to grow their own food and stuff and live for cheap.
10 years ago
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ghosthop
Posts: 631 - Karma: 1,027
MCsugarcatAS you said in the OP its very overwhelming the way high paid indentured servants like to bully people who view life differently and can't get those extremely high paying jobs like the previous generation was able to with ease. Im very lucky to be natually entrepreneurial so going against the system and doing my own thing to scrape by (ticket scalping) comes naturally and I was smart to stop traveling and living in casinos in Reno and buy an affordable 2 family home with my tenants covering my mortgage but someone who isn't should probably learn to grow their own food and stuff and live for cheap.


Not trying to slam you, but I am unsure how scalping tickets and being a slumlord means you're fighting the system
10 years ago
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dingus
Posts: 1328 - Karma: 7,879
Butters.Are you under the impression that mendocino is some other country where there are no laws and you won't need any money?

No laws? Does that include public indecency? Sign me up.
10 years ago
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4884 - Karma: -719
ghosthopNot trying to slam you, but I am unsure how scalping tickets and being a slumlord means you're fighting the system


Not trying to slam you either but how the fuck am I a slumlord because I live in an owner occupied 2 family house?

Don't whine when your rent or mortgage is high you are clearly too good to live in a multi-unit residential building and doing so would be beneath you. I don't want over 50% of my income going to housing I like to spend money I had a sick trip to Aspen this year staying at the Westin slopeside for 9 nights on my own dime couldn't do that if I was spending everything on rent.


Tickets are one of the few things a poor person can buy and resell at a profit. Hey, just like my tenants who get free heat and cable most of my customers get a good deal too sometimes from buying in bulk I get a low enough price where I can sell better tickets than what is on ticketmaster for 10 bucks less and still get a 50% return on my paper in under a week. The fuck is wrong with that??? I didn't rip anyone off they saved 10 bucks and got a better seat.
10 years ago
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ghosthop
Posts: 631 - Karma: 1,027
MCsugarcatyou are clearly too good


I don't consider myself above most things and I do what needs to be done to get by, but I'm also not posting on the internet about how I'm working against the system.

There's a difference between working against and taking advantage of

next time you're in CO let me know, we can burn down a church or something
10 years ago
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eheath
Posts: 61942 - Karma: 126,561
Off the grid... But you'll have internet...
10 years ago
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 30,008
eheathOff the grid... But you'll have internet...


Cmon.. they're not Neanderthals!


..but seriously, Nick. Stop being a bitchass, and get the fuck out of Minnesota. Come back to the west coast right meow.
10 years ago
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4884 - Karma: -719
ghosthopI don't consider myself above most things and I do what needs to be done to get by, but I'm also not posting on the internet about how I'm working against the system.

There's a difference between working against and taking advantage of

next time you're in CO let me know, we can burn down a church or something



Boss I got big plans in Colorado but they won't take off for a couple decades (not weed related) check back in in 20ish years.


The OP doesn't want to work his ass off for peanuts only to live out of a 2k a month hole Im offering him general advice on the financial side of things. The growing and self sufficiency stuff is a good idea and something to always have in mind and a great hobby and all but he might go too far the cost of construction of his dwelling+ his solar panels + other similar stuff could potentially go towards a downpayment on a cheap home in the area where he could have a mortgage for 200ish bucks a month. Going the full Alaskan bush mode might be a bridge too far. But those are his decisions not mine but hes getting good advice to think about things from all different angles.


I saw the writing on the wall within a year of being out of college that being conventional was not going to work for me.
10 years ago
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4884 - Karma: -719
eheathOff the grid... But you'll have internet...


Why wouldn't he have internet? Hes going to have bills and responsibilities of some kind tough to keep up on them without no internet. They aren't going camping for a long weekend dude.
10 years ago
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eheath
Posts: 61942 - Karma: 126,561
MCsugarcatWhy wouldn't he have internet? Hes going to have bills and responsibilities of some kind tough to keep up on them without no internet. They aren't going camping for a long weekend dude.


I thought the whole point is he's moving out to the woods to get away from the matrix?
10 years ago
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4884 - Karma: -719
eheathI thought the whole point is he's moving out to the woods to get away from the matrix?


SO shouldn't he be able to pay bills online from his home off the matrix instead of driving somewhere to pay them?


Its 2015 he should want reliable internet, maybe netflix, and a prepaid cell phone for occasional use hes not going into the woods to fucking die. Don't be jelly that modern technology allows someone to have all that stuff in the woods and not have to reside in a highly costly dwelling.
10 years ago
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eheath
Posts: 61942 - Karma: 126,561
MCsugarcatSO shouldn't he be able to pay bills online from his home off the matrix instead of driving somewhere to pay them?


Its 2015 he should want reliable internet, maybe netflix, and a prepaid cell phone for occasional use hes not going into the woods to fucking die. Don't be jelly that modern technology allows someone to have all that stuff in the woods and not have to reside in a highly costly dwelling.


What bills he's living in the middle of no where?
10 years ago
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theabortionator
Posts: 52579 - Karma: 174,052
10 years ago
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namechange
Posts: 272 - Karma: 134
Only broke people talk like that. Have fun "off the grid" braaaaaaaa
10 years ago
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