Hi guys. I’ve noticed lately that lots of people are interested in leaving the everyday world behind and moving to an off-grid lifestyle whether that be in a tiny-home, a van, or on a boat as I have done. I applaud anyone looking to improve their lives in this way.

I thought I would put together a quick list of steps to help you plan your own transition from the mainstream, consumerist lifestyle to one of freedom, creativity and minimalism.

It is not my intention in this post to try to convince anyone to make the switch. I’ve already made a few posts and videos to help you decide. This is a nuts-and-bolts guide for those who have the desire but don’t yet have a workable plan, so let’s get on with it.

How to plan for the move to an off-grid lifestyle

Ok guys, and ladies of course (I know some of you are just as fed-up with “the system” as the guys, and I appreciate you visiting my website and my video channels), I’ve put together ten steps to help you make a plan. That’s quite an accomplishment for me because most Mondays I never like to put more than half a dozen steps down before at least having a coffee 🙂

Step 1.Think about what you want and what you need.

What we want in life doesn’t always line up with our actual needs. For off-grid living, it is important to be honest about categorising each aspect of your life and decide if it is truly needed or is really just a “nice to have”. For many if not most people the change to a minimalist, off-grid way of life means a lot of downsizing. Plan to give away or sell whatever isn’t bolted down, then unbolt and sell the stuff that is. For example, I kissed goodbye a nice apartment with furniture and appliances so I could live this rough kinda way on a small sailboat. There is just a practical limit to how much stuff you can fit into a 23 foot sailboat… for those choosing van-life, you probably have even less room.

I’m not saying that off-grid life is all dry toast and 2-minute noodles, but it certainly isn’t big-screen tv’s and ice cream. On the upside, you will have plenty of time for self-discovery and creative expression, so you might get to enjoy some minimalist popcorn form time to time.

Step 2. Identify your resources.

Take stock of your possessions, not just physical belongings but also your skills, life hacks, and other mental powers. Practical skills that you may have earned through years on the jobsite will become powerful assets once you move off-grid. If you’ve worked mainly in office-based, retail or corporate type jobs, think about how you might gamify your transition in order to stay positive, and plan to watch lots of how-to videos.

Regardless of the size of your toolbox the real assets when you move off-grid are determination, resourcefulness and perseverance.

Step 3. Explore local possibilities.

Ok, I know that not everyone lives nearby the ocean, where cheap old sailboats are in plentiful supply, but there are always local options that might work for you. If you’re in a landlocked state or region, start looking at small plots of land or even cheap vans that might work as a tiny home on wheels. Remember, you’re only in the planning stage for now. Just keep your eyes open and start looking around for possibilities.

I looked at small plots of unwanted land in my region a few years ago. Ok, there were not many, but there were some, and they were really cheap. There is always a compromise though, so look out for the snag in any land deal. Some cheap plots may be prone to flooding or other interesting weather events.

Now, I’m not saying you should necessarily buy a sinkhole, but as I mentioned earlier, resourcefulness is one of your greatest assets. I ultimately decided to by a sailboat due to various reasons, among these being the fact that there are no land taxes, and I can always pull up the anchor when I want a change of scenery.

Step 4. Identify and frame your reasons for going off-grid.

Not everyone wants to live an off-grid or minimalist lifestyle, although I’m sure that everyone could if they really put their mind into it, and I’m absolutely certain that at some point in time, off-grid living was the number one lifestyle of choice for all humans. It can be done by us all, but not all of us want to do it.

Take time to figure out why you want to make the switch. It is a major change in lifestyle so you need to really be sure that you want to do it before going full boaty, vanny or homie.

Step 5. Start making a plan.

Yes, one of the steps in making a plan is to start making it. Start writing it down. The written word is a powerful beast. Writing down your ideas can be scary, so man-or-woman-up and put pen to paper.

On that point I have a little side-step when it comes to writing down your plans and ideas. Keep a notebook or exercise book (stationery, not gym gear) for writing long term notes and plans, but also keep yourself an A4 loose leaf writing pad that you can write quick ideas on and leave some of these on your lounge table or other places around your living room. An idea written on loose leaf sitting on the kitchen table has a magical power to keep your mind focused much better than a closed book on a shelf.

Also keep a small pad or notebook with a pen next to your bed so you can scrawl down random ideas that wake you up in the middle of the night. This is a great trick I learned from a guy called Tesla, I think.

Step 6. Identify all possible scenarios then start developing multiple solutions for each.

Living off-grid means you’ll be doing without a town water or electricity supply as well as various other services. Start making a list of every type of eventuality from the minor to the biggies, then start figuring out how to overcome these.

You need to be honest with yourself especially when it comes to emergency-preparedness. For boat-life, you should develop three ways to do each important task. For example, you should have three forms of communication in distress scenarios. These might be a VHF radio, a cellphone, and a pack of emergency flares.

I used my mother as a sounding board to let me know if I was fully prepared. I wanted to be able to have a discussion with her and have proper answer for all her legitimate questions about what I would do if this-or-that happened. The brutual truth you can get from family members may be hard to take sometimes, but it may also save your life.

So back to your plan, start off thinking about how you will provide yourself with the basics: food, water, electricity, then expand your thoughts to include medical needs, fuel, etc. If a thought pops into mind, write it down. You can hide from the truth but you cannot hide from the consequences of hiding from the truth (someone’s quote I think).

Step 7. Start accumulating resources for essential systems.

If you’ve made the effort to start planning for the shift to an off-grid lifestyle you need to start gradually accumulating resources. Now, I don’t mean go out on day one and buy a van or a block of land. But there are many things you are going to need regardless of what type of lifestyle you ultimately choose.

A good example of this is medical supplies. You’re going to need a good stash of vitmains, pain killers, lotions and creams, and various first aid tools no matter if you end up living in a van, in a tiny home, or on a boat.

You’re also going to need various types of hand tools. A couple of hammers, screwdrivers, various pliers, and wood saws. I strongly recommend invest in choosing a cordless drill brand such as the Ryobi Plus One range, and grab skins for a couple of tools. My budget was tight so I went for a cordless drill and a skilsaw skin plus a couple of extra batteries. Trust me – you don’t need to buy the best brands. All power tools work the same once you’ve dropped them off the side of a boat or left them on the side of a freeway somewhere.

That being said, I never advise buying the cheapest brand of just about anything. There is always a junk shelf.. just go one level up.

Step 8. Delay all spending as long as possible.

I know I just said to start accumulating, but trust me on this if nothing else: delay spending, delay spending, delay spending. Invest your time into research. The internet is your ally. Use it. Online shopping is a gift from the gods, even if we live inside a simulation or the matrix. Fill up your shopping cart then click “Discard” instead of going through with the purchase. The number of times I almost bought a tool then two days later a better deal came along…

Again, this is your plan – your life. I said  delay your spending: I did not say “never spend”. Just be satisfied that you’ve researched something thoroughly before parting those wallet lips. Like me, you will sooner or later buy something that ends up being fairly pointless, but if you are careful you can keep those mistakes to a minimum. When the time is right for a big purchase, you will have done all you can to make sure it is right for you.

Step 9. Eliminate expenses.

Start cutting out unnecessary expenses. Modern money flows like water out of a leaky bucket. Plug as many gaps as you can find. Fast food – cut it out. Beer and bowling – really guys? Beers and bowlers are the ultimate friends of the matrix, and thus will keep you trapped in the mouse-wheel of consumerism.

Now I know some of you will hate me for suggesting that you cut your Netflips and Dixney channel subs. I get it. But the benefits of cutting these is immeasurable. Not only will you save bucks each month but you’ll free up your eyeball time for researching and accumulating tools. And hey, I’m not saying you should chop up your channel accounts immediately. Give yourself a couple of weeks to binge watch hard-out. Watch the entire Vikings series one more time, or if you’re a sci-fi fan, watch that stuff one more time, then cut it.

By the time you’ve move off-grid you’ll be living enough Bear Grylls and Alone to keep you satisfied. Cut out those expenses.

Step 10. Remember that you are never alone.

This is the final step in making your plan to move to off-grid living. Remember that no matter how far removed you may be from society, family and friends, you will still have access to the internet. You’ll remain as connected as you want to be, whenever you like. Online communities, videos, message apps and minimalist off-grid blogs will always be there for you.

I will mention this aspect regarding isolation. You will always be able to contact your close people and your friends, etc, but I guarantee you will no longer have to put up with the unpleasant so-and-so’s from your old work. Why? – because trolls are too lazy to come looking for you. Once you are out of sight, you are out of mind.

Focus on developing your friendships and family ties using your phone and your internet connection, and leave the rest of the world behind.

Summary

Ok guys and girls, there we have it. My ultimate list of the ten most important steps to consider when planning your switch to an off-grid, minimalist lifestyle. From thinking about your needs and eliminating unnecessary expenses to assessing your handy skills and accumulating a toolkit.

Going off-grid is an exciting way to break free from the normal everyday life that we are programmed into accepting from birth. It is a challenging concept that requires detailed planning and a lot of careful thought. The steps in this article will help you make the transition with suret and with as few mistakes as possible.

Set yourselves free, friends.