Off Grid: Step One

Going off-grid takes a lot of planning.  I’ve got a file in my brain filled with all the things we’re going to need to acquire at some point:  solar panels, a grain mill, back-up generators, a well and water purification system, a sewing machine that actually works, various and sundry animals, and of course, the biggie: LAND.

Obviously we won’t buy land in DC, first because even if we saved up for a decade or two we’d still have the equivalent of a roll of quarters when compared to DC real estate prices.  Secondly, settling somewhere that’s in the top five list of “places most likely to be destroyed in the event of the End of the World” goes against every rule ever written in the Zombie Plan Handbook, which, I have learned, is an integral component of the off-grid lifestyle.

So it seems like Step One should be “buy land,” but it’s not.  Step One isn’t even “save money to buy land.”  Step One, at least for us, is to get out of our current living situation.  You may remember that our friendly neighborhood landlord has decided he’s moving into our basement in a few months; if that’s not motivation to get out of our townhouse, I don’t know what is.  The plan is to find something a little more size appropriate for just two people, thus *hopefully* saving ourselves some money, but mostly forcing us to spend a little more time considering how we use our resources.  Going off-grid is as much about using resources wisely as it is about being self-reliant, and plus, I can’t think of any good reason to have to clean four whole bathrooms when there are only two people living here!

Anyway, step one of Step One (sheesh, I wish I knew how many steps there were… this is getting tedious!) is the ever popular lifestyle choice known as DOWNSIZING.  Step one of step one of Step One (stay with me here, folks, I’m pretty sure this is the last time) is this:

Cleaning out the Bonus Room, a.k.a. the place we put stuff we don’t want to think about.  Having a ton of space is a luxury, especially if you’re sentimental, because you don’t have to make tough decisions about what’s worth keeping & what you should toss.  Anyway, these are the “Before” pictures of the Bonus Room.  I’ve given myself until October 1st to complete this project, & I’ll be posting updates as I go.  Here’s hoping that posting pictures of my messy, messy house will motivate me!  })i({