Most think that people living off the grid do not make any money and they use their saved-up money till it lasts. The truth is that most people who live off the grid do actually make money, even if they are not employed. Some people will have a normal job and the only difference will be in their lifestyle, while others rely on their retirement money to sustain their off grid lifestyle. Living off the grid doesn’t mean that you can not go to work or that you can not generate any money, far from it.
One of the drawbacks for many people is that off grid living is a lot of hard work, especially if you are self-sufficient, the bigger your homestead and family the more you will have to work. Don’t get discouraged yet, as there are plenty of ways to make a living without leaving your homestead. The problem is that most people want to make a full-time income, and although this is possible but very few people actually manage to achieve it.
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The good news is that if you live off the grid you will not need as much money as if you were living in the city. Self-sufficiency is the key here, the more food you grow, the more water you harvest, and the more power you generate the less you will have to spend, and generally speaking, most people who move off the grid will see a noticeable decrease in their monthly spendings after the first year.
The most important thing that determines how an off gridder makes money is the actual location of their homestead. Some off grid locations are better for growing crops, while others are more suited to hunting and fishing. If you want to know how to pick a good plot of land for off grid living then check out my recent article What land is good for off grid living? ( Top 15 Qualities ).
How Do Off Gridders Make Money?
Off-gridders employ various strategies to generate income while maintaining their self-sufficient lifestyle. One common approach is to leverage remote work opportunities that can be conducted online, such as freelance writing, graphic design, programming, or virtual assistance. This allows individuals to earn money from the comfort of their off-grid homes using internet connectivity, often powered by renewable energy sources. Some off-gridders also pursue entrepreneurial ventures by starting small businesses that align with their skills and interests, such as organic farming, handcrafting products, or offering eco-tourism services.
Generating income through the sale of surplus crops, homemade goods, or unique experiences helps sustain their off-grid lifestyle while connecting with local communities. Additionally, some off-gridders embrace bartering and exchanging goods and services within their communities, creating a self-sustaining economy based on mutual support. By combining ingenuity, resourcefulness, and creativity, off-gridders can find a range of opportunities to support themselves financially while embracing their chosen way of life.
Selling Online
People who live off the grid and that have more or less a stable connection to the internet will sell their manufactured or homegrown products online. There is a big demand for bio and organic food, and off gridders fill this market fairly easily. You simply can not compare a homegrown product with some fancy “organic” products from supermarkets. The problem with selling online is that it is kind of difficult if you don’t know what you are doing, and it can take a long time till you get your first order, especially if you do not have a large following. If you are wondering what are the best careers for people living off the grid then check out my recent article Best careers for living off the grid ( Top 18 ).
Teaching
A lot of people who live off the grid either have some survival skills or at least some DIY skills, which both are extremely valuable. Some people who live off the grid will make basic tutorials and upload them to their websites or to YouTube. In addition to this, some people also teach in local communities, nothing fancy just some basic skills which have been almost forgotten as we rely more and more on our current technology.
Growing Mushrooms
If the area is well suited for growing mushrooms then you could make a nice profit from mushroom farming. Some off gridders will tend to stick to one type of mushroom which can be grown locally, there is a huge demand for these mushrooms and even if they only sell them locally they can still make a nice profit.
Selling Crops At The Farmer’s Market
Just take a quick trip to your local farmers market and you will see plenty of people selling their products, chances are that most of them either live completely off the grid or in a semi off grid way. Although you should probably know that you will most likely need a permit to sell your products at the farmers market and that you will have to rent the actual selling location. If you are good at baking than you can easily sell them at the local farmer’s market for more information check out my recent article Best baked goods to sell at farmers market ( Top 15 ).
Renting An Off Grid Property
Off grid people who are living in an area where there are plenty of tourists will set up tiny cabins, which they rent out for hikers. These tiny cabins are fairly cheap to set up and in some states, they don’t even need a permit to set them up. On the other hand, some people will just rent out one of their rooms for a couple of days.
Guiding Hikers
People who live off the grid tend to know the area fairly well, and oftentimes hikers will hire them to guide them. In some states, you will need to apply for a permit, although these are fairly cheap.
Fishing For A Profit
Some off gridders will either sell the fish they have caught at the local farmers market or they will guide people to the best fishing spots and they do make a nice amount of profit.
Off Grid Hunting Guide
Off gridders who also are hunters will have a good income by simply guiding hunters.
Writing Books About Off Grid Living
During the wintertime, most people who live off the grid will have a lot of spare time, if they have prepared well enough during the summertime. Some write books or articles for local newspapers and magazines, although not a lot of them become a best selling author.
Selling Eggs
Most people who live off the grid do have chickens, and oftentimes the chickens make a lot more eggs than they can use. You will see these eggs frequently being sold at the local farmers’ market.
Off Grid Restaurant
Some people will actually convert their home into a restaurant if the tourism industry is booming, although due to the numerous regulations, it is kind of difficult for them to go completely off the grid.
Hosting Educational Workshops
There is a big draw for educational workshops, especially for people who live in the city and who want to learn how to live off the land, survival skills, growing their own food, and so on.
Handyman
Most people who live off the grid are great handyman, and oftentimes they will be hired by the locals for different jobs, although this is not a steady job, but they can still make a nice income from being a handyman.
Beekeeping
Honey is fairly valuable, especially if it is real honey that doesn’t contain added sugar, preservatives, and other chemicals. Off gridders who sell honey either do it on the farmer’s market or they sell the honey online.
Gardening
People who live off the grid tend to know a thing or two about gardening and they often get hired by locals to either do their lawn or to help them with their crops.
Hosting Events
People who have a large property will often host different events, they either make the events themselves or they let others rent the space from them. Generally speaking, most of these events are company workshops, weddings, reunions, and even parties.
Plowing Snow
During the wintertime, most off gridders will have a lot of spare time, and often you will see them plowing snow during the wintertime and working on their homestead during the summertime.
Selling Milk
Not all areas are well suited to keeping cows, but in the vast majority of homesteads, you will see at least a goat or two. Goat milk is extremely easy to sell as there is a high demand for it.
Selling Cheese
Making cheese is a little bit more complicated but off gridders who have a couple of goats have no problem making enough cheese for a profit.
Renting ATV’s
Off gridders who live in a more remote area where the road access is not the best will have at least a couple of ATV’s which during the summertime they will also rent out to hikers.
Renting Snowmobiles
In areas where there are a lot of tourists during the wintertime, off gridders will often rent out their snowmobiles.
Selling Compost
In some areas of the country selling compost is big business, and the compost from people living off the grid is even more valuable as it is 100% organic and doesn’t contain any chemicals.
Selling Meat
You might think that you will need a massive farm to grow enough livestock to sell the meat and make a profit. The truth is that most people who live off the grid will sell meat occasionally, especially game meat, fish, or meat of farm animals.
Selling Bait
In the southern part of the country, you will see a lot of bait shops, most of the bait will actually come from people living off the grid.
Selling Organic Soap
Soaps can be made from animal fat, although the process takes some time and you will have to know how to make soap, but there is good money in selling organic soap.
Selling Furniture
People who want to live off the grid will want to do it as cheap as they want and oftentimes, they will hire another person living off the grid to make them some basic but functional furniture.
Harvesting And Making Maple Syrup
Off gridders in the northern part of the country or in Canada will often sell maple syrup.
Selling Culinary Herbs
Oftentimes you will see off gridders selling their culinary herbs at the local farmers market.
Selling Firewood
Off gridders who tend to have a large property with plenty of wood will sell firewood.
Selling Fur
People who can hunt or trap will sell fur, although you might think that this will not make them a lot of money, but after a couple of months of trapping and hunting, most of them can live an entire year without any financial problems.
Blacksmithing
Blacksmithing is a dying art, a lot of people will pay a lot of money to learn it, and people who are good blacksmiths can either teach people or sell their own handcrafted items.
Selling Seedlings
Seeds for most plants are extremely cheap, people who know how to manage a garden have no problem sprouting seedlings and sell them for a profit.
Making A YouTube Channel About Living Off The Grid
If you look around on YT for off grid related channels you will see a lot of them, most of these channels either make money from ads or from selling their own products.
Digital Freelancing
When you imagine someone living off the grid you probably don’t think of a digital freelancer, although with a stable internet a lot of people are able to make money even if they live off the grid.
In conclusion
As you can see there are plenty of ways to make some money while living off the grid, if you are interested in living off the grid then you will have to lower your expectations when it comes to money, as you probably will not be able to generate as much money as you did with your 9-5 job.
