When city living gets a bit too chaotic, noisy, and exhausting, dreams of dropping everything and moving to a cabin in the woods might begin to formulate.
On YouTube, Jill and Charles (@Overtheriverandthroughthewoods) have been showing how to make that possible through instructional videos and insights into their lifestyle in rural Vermont.
Helpfully, though, they don't completely paint off-grid life as the idyllic existence it might seem, detailing some of the difficulties and hardships they've experienced along the way.
They bought a 30-foot Pacific Yurt to place on their land, building it up from a kit. As BoredPanda observed, the costs of getting the homestead up and running soon mounted up. The yurt itself cost $30,000, while solar panels, water systems, and other associated technology added to the bill.
But even that large outlay comes with a benefit. Generating your own electricity and harvesting rainwater or making the most of local water sources means you won't have to rely on utility companies, so bills won't land on the doorstep every month. Those upfront costs will soon seem worth it when your power and water are free every day.
Another difficulty, though, was keeping the interior temperature comfortable. BoredPanda noted the yurt becomes like a greenhouse in the summer, making it difficult to spend time indoors. Meanwhile, the winter chill can also be tough to live through unless you have appropriate heating systems.
But even with those issues, being able to hear birdsong, interact with nature, save money on bills, exist more sustainably, and be completely independent are benefits that make the hard work worth it.
Commenters on Jill and Charles' YouTube channel were obviously inspired.
"I'm very impressed of you and all the work you have done to live off grid in the forest," one person said.
Would you live in a house made of fungus? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
"Your journey into building and moving into a yurt for your Vermont DIY off-grid home is incredibly inspiring," added another.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.