6 YEARS WITHOUT ELECTRICITY- HOW WAS IT?
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
- OFF GRID with DOUG and STACY lived 6 years with no electricity
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We have lived in our log home for 6 years with no electricity outlets in the house. We do run a generator from time to time and use a inverter in the truck to power some gadgets. We though that it would be difficult at first but it turns out that it is no big deal.
Take to no electric challenge and unplug for a week or so and develop you systems just in case you are without electricity. Better to practice than to be thrust into it with no preparation =)
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About OFF GRID with DOUG and STACY:
We moved to our 11 acres in 2011 from a large city in the Midwest with zero carpentry and farming skills. We live with no solar / wind power / public water or well. We share our adventure to a sustainable life, growing our own food from vegetables to meat. We post videos DAILY and they range from HOW TO to EVERYDAY LIFE and NUTRITION on the off grid homestead. We were city folks just like you probably and wanted to enjoy life and have more control over our food. We share food recipes as well as natural remedies.
Greetings from Ireland. People have lived without electricity since the dawn of time. We only have had electricity for a few generations. I can't understand why people seem to think that we can't survive without it.
So many people don't like to do anything the "hard" way! Lazy and a feeling of entitlement. :(
Bernard Flood yeah, but in Missouri the summer is steamy, thank God for air conditioning
Bernard Flood Fortunately for the newer generations, they have never had to deal with world wars, famine or other issues that the past generations have. Unfortunately, hat means a lot of complacency and disconnect from these realities. And a loss is empathy and understanding etc as well.
Bernard Flood agree
Bernard Flood
Hey Homies!!!! My last electric bill was $54. I actually only used $24 of electricity. The other $30 was for "service availability"!!! If you use between 0 and 600 KW a month, they charge you a $1 each day for "service availability"!!! So because I am very frugal, I get charged extra, because I don't use much! That is like going to the gas station, putting $5 in gas in your tank, but the gas station charges you $10 because, hey, the gas was here and readily available and you are not using much!!! I cannot wait until I have no electric bill!!!!
Homestead Homie That's lousy!
My bill last month was $58 I keep trying to bring it down slowly.
Oh man..... I have a long way to go ........ You don't want to know what mine was. I'm so proud of everyone! I will get there one day at a time. It so funny One day I'm making my own shampoo and ferments and thinking yep I got this, one day taking care of my 47 baby chicks thinking yep I got this, then I realize people only have 54$ electric bills and I think yep don't got this not there yet. Hahahahaha. Thanks for helping me set more goals..
It sounds like you are well on your way!! I will tell you a few ways I save on electricity. I put a timer on my electric hot water tank. It only runs for 1 hr each day. It comes on @ 04:30 to 05:30. I can still take 2 showers a day, and still do the dishes! It can be set up real easy to run in the morning, and run at night if needed if your family is bigger. It only cost $47 on Amazon. Easy to hook up too! Another thing I did was I turned off my big stainless steel side by side refrigerator. I got me a smaller chest freezer and converted it to a fridge. They sell the kit on Ebay for like $9. I wired it in mine and now I make it run like a fridge! I also changed out all my light bulbs and replaced them with L.E.D.s. I also installed the automatic light switches that the light comes on in the room when you enter, and it turns off after you leave. Well, those are a few ideas that really helped me on my electric bill. Hope this helps!!!
Thank you for the tips. I will have to check on the water heater timer as I agree, why heat the water when you do not use it. I really want to go to a tank-less water heater so that the hot water is on demand only, I wonder if that would lessen the bill. As for the refrigerator, I cannot do that as I purchase items in bulk and need the room to store it. I am trying to purchase 1/2 cow, 1/2 lamb, and chickens from local farms (since I live within city limits I cannot have these on my property) so that I know where my meat and poultry is coming from and what they are eating I also want to get my eggs there. So this is why I have to keep the big refrigerator and extra freezer running. I run L.E.D.'s but am going to purchase hurricane lamps so that I use them instead. I only have a light on in the room that I am in. Again, thank you for the information and I will be looking into the timer for my water heater.
We started doing an electricity free day every Sunday. The kids LOVE it! We are having such a great time and when we are done we don't even then want to turn the electricity back on. Thank you for inspiring us!
👍 nice!
I love this!
That sounds like a lot of fun! Great idea.
My mum tells me about the countryside cottage she spent summers in when she was a little girl growing up in Finland. “I don’t understand why people think they’d die without electricity. That’s what people used to do all the time” obviously she realizes people have smart phones these days and lifestyles have changed, but she thinks people would survive just fine if they challenged themselves to try, just like you suggest. At least someone in my family doesn’t think I’m crazy for wanting to live this way! Great video, thanks you two.
I could definitely live without electricity! I use very little but the hardest part would be in mid-summer without a window air conditioner! It's nice to come into a cool house after a day of working out on the farm. I'm going to try it. I'm planting bamboo groves surrounding the house to keep it completely shaded and hopefully, that will make a big difference
If youre worried about heat in the summer ill tell you something, i am from the east coast and now live in western nebraska, in upstate NY when it was summertime it was sooo humid, i live in nebraska now and it is incredibly dryer but both states in the summertime at night dont cool off so you need AC, however south dakota is PERFECT in the summer, my friend has a cabin there and its in the lower foothills so its not much high elevation and you dont have to climb up mountains and they are pretty close to town, their cabin is in custer SD and when my friend had her wedding there in june, it was 90 or 80 degrees hot home in nebraska at night but in south dakota it was literally COLD, it was cold outside, when that sun goes down it gets actually cold with a breeze at night ALL summer long!!!! Especially if you have a basement, i was in a guest room in their basement and in june and july i was using a space heater! So in south dakota you dont need ac in the summertime but you dont have to lose any vitamin D
I am addressing each area of need to someday be able to be off-grid. Heat source baby steps:
02/16 Purchased hand-powered hydraulic log splitter.
03/16 Purchased big ax and began a wood pile to have seasoned wood for next winter.
05/16 Purchased on sale wood stove for primary heating.
09/16 Purchased heat-resistant floor pad for stove.
11/16 Purchased chimney pipe and installed wood stove. Learned how to make a fire.
12/16 Purchased fan and teapot for top of stove. Also a wood wagon to keep wood dry in the garage a load at a time.
01/17 Purchased handsaw.
02/17 Purchased chainsaw.
It has taken a year to gather the tools and equipment but progress is progress. Even though everything was purchased new, it is a one-time fee whereas I would have paid month after month year after year for electric heat.
The thing that cannot be measured in $ is the quality family time. My boys gathered around the fire making smores and experimenting with a pie iron making sandwiches. In the evenings I would sit by the fire sipping tea and one of my boys would appear, and before long would be pouring his heart out. That wood stove is the best investment I've made for my family. ♥
great job !! baby steps don't hurt the budget as much as we think
Madame Strawberry :I'd like to ask about smelling badly and smoke of the stove?Thank you.
ramfaki After a campfire your clothes smell like smoke. With a wood stove the chimney carries smoke up and out and only a faint odor of fire remains. I had to learn how to make a fire properly to avoid a smokey sooty fire. I'm no expert. I certainly smoked us out a time or two. Occasionally, when the wind blows just right, I cannot get a good fire going. Your fuel makes a difference as some types of wood burn hotter and cleaner than others. Also, seasoning (drying) your wood is critical. I find the smell of a properly burning fire comforting. Having the ability to keep my family warm with the work of our hands gives me so much peace of mind. Hope this helps ♥
Madame Strawberry I remember many times as a child,sitting in a rocking chair,in front of the fire,having heart to heart talks with my grandmother.My grandfather was already in bed,because he would be"up with the chickens" and working in the gardens to provide us with all those wonderful fresh summer vegetables!
Christie Betts Beautiful memories ♥ Thank the Lord for grandmas and grandpas! A local grandma shared her recipe for hot cocoa mix with me and we went through it quickly last winter sitting by the fire.
Y'all are the TRUEST off griders !!! This is the way to do life... When I get my kids grown my husband and I are going to do this!
When you're not used to being around a TV, it is very distracting. I hate going out to eat and being bombarded with TV screens. I just can't focus on the people I'm with. :(
Kayde Kaiser. The ones at the gas pumps annoy me. Coming to a town need you.
So true!
@@nancyfahey7518 Yes! New pumps were installed at the station I stop at with those confounded things in it and when I put my credit card in, it started playing!
I jumped for fright!
That’s how I feel I don’t have a tv just a phone and a music tablet. I watch Netflix on my phone but since I only watch Netflix when I want to watch tv and not for background noise, it feels weird going places and there are tv’s.
Its all keeping us lazy and being dumbed down to think its normal. I can't stand them either. Its rare to find a restaurant without them. Hubby & me support small business restaurants.
People can't imagine ANYTHING due to the fact that creativity/imagination is so quickly pushed out of the minds of of humans as children via public education and societal "norms."
Technology takes 10X as much creativity as it takes to live without electricity. Plenty of inventors have come out of public schools.
@@dabearsbriggs55 Technology ruins way more people than it helps.
Some of the finest engineers of things like rockets, medicine, physics(of all kinds!), and more have come out of schooling, even in the 21st century we always have someone who's inventing weird things, and were a part of the general society. One of them being Elon Musk for example.
@@yusodumb9061 yes and it ruins social skills and imagination.
I must say, I admire you both! It is very encouraging to see a couple sharing the same passions! My family and I went a week without power (mostly - we do have a generator), but it was because of tornadoes that went through our area back in 2011. That week was stressful only because of the destruction that surrounded us, but it was peaceful because it was so quiet and slow paced! I don't know that living that way is something that *I* could do permanently, though.
When my sons and I first moved to Arkansas we lived without electricity and running water and made a compost toilet as well. It was actually an easy transition from the modern world, and we really learned alot. We were more active during the day, spent more family time together. Do to uncontrollable circumstances we had to move into town and really miss our off grid life.
Can't wait until my cabin is finished and I'm back off grid!!!!!
I’m jealous! 😭😭
So what you're saying is, when the power goes out, you don't notice and get on FB to complain that the power is out 😂
You're inspiring! Ever since Stacy's video about how electricity can cause health problems, I've made our sitting room a place with very little electronics or electricity. I find that I'm always gravitating towards it now, and I "feel" better in that room!
Well last summer I couldn't pay my electricity bill and was without it for about 11 weeks. I learned that I like having it but I can live without it. Practiced a lot of off grid skills during those weeks, and found some holes in my plans but quickly filed those "holes".
please share with us what you did
PLEASE do tell
April Perez Good job April!😉
we do no electricity after 6! the kids love it! we use candles and since our kids are 8 and under they each have their own led lanterns :-) we love your channel! as soon as the kids hear the music they go "it's Doug and Stacy!"
Led lanterns might get children blind.
@@CrinabobiCrina you really things that’s going to make a child blind?
It takes courage and common sense. You guys have it! We on the 'Maineland' Homestead are like minded to you and are Homestead Homies .(got one of your t-shirts) Ya done good! Enjoy another happy, healthy and peaceful 6 more years to you. We will keep watching.
"Always have computer screens in front of them" Yeah! Because we are watching Off Grid with Doug and Stacy! haha! Love this you guys! I realize I missed the one on the 100 year old freezer, I have been wanting one of those. Last thing I remember was you had a chest freezer you put blocks of ice in. Going to go check out your freezer video.
Nice challenge to Al Gore, wonder if he will take it on? HAHAHA
O yeah, I did a Craft Chat that I have yet to put up, on this topic and mention not only your channel, but make the same points of trying to turn the power off for a day or so and find what one can or cannot live without. :)
Fantastic advice as always Doug and Stacy! People have the hardest time realizing what all they DO NOT NEED, and electricity is a big one and an expensive one. Personally I get so excited when our power goes out. It makes for a peaceful evening. I'm trying to get my husband on board with a weekly electricity free night. Baby steps!
I love going up north from where I purchased a home it is in the woods it's so quiet and peaceful even the air is cleaner.
Our family owns a cabin in Canada and it's completely off grid. I can totally relate to it helping your help and circadian rhythm. My internal batteries are so recharged after a few weeks there! You guys see such an inspiration! 💜 I'm going to challenge my family for a non electric week!
helping your health**
Doug and Stacy in your honor I am watching your videos on my computer using only battery power by candle light. It is to tough but nothing is to tough for friends like you. Thanks for another great video and may God bless.
My husband and I have been off grid for 8 years. We do have solar just enough to charge things. It has saved us thousands! We have a catch water system and a couple ponds tho water out orchard. I love it.
Truth being spread! Thank you, Doug and Stacey.
You can save 50% of energy cost just by earth-berming your home and dirt doesn't burn and it won't get crushed by a tornado and it's still pretty cheap.
...and natural cooling and warming!
What is best protective material to layer house(wood) before berming with dirt....
What an encouraging video. I want to move off grid so badly.
You need to find ,off grid town, near your work..... For now you still need money.....
I'm trying to trim down my spending and I am learning to live more simply. Baby steps.
you are so right it is a step by step and it does not have to hurt
Come up to Michigan, we can do it together.
Crystal 72 agree
So awesome! My husband and I started a 'No Technology' day obce a week in our home and fell in love with it. We are not off grid yet, but still cliser than we were yesterday. Thank you for the inspiration!!
Hat off to you for going without power. We tried in our offgrid home but instead settled for a small battery bank and running our small home off of a 300 watt inverter for a year now. we have a home based business that requires some power but we are feeling healthier and happier for it. We also haul water from our own hand dug spring well and compost our waste. Saved a lot of money in building expense.
Love the idea of the no electricity for a year. I've done it for 3 days and because I don't have a lot of the equipment in place it was more difficult than it would be if I had started out with it. Like I have a camp stove to cook but had to bake in a Dutch oven on the fire. Had to do it in spring because of the heat problem down here. Can't imagine living without my fan at night. I don't have A/C so I'm half way there on the electric bill reduction. I did it as training for a life changing event as if a hurricane hit here just to see if I was prepared. It was a real experience for sure.
You guys are black belt homesteaders! We want to get to this level. On our homestead, this summer we want to experience life without electricity. We plan to take baby steps...switch the circuit panel to Amish for one day this summer, then one weekend, then one week and so on.
I totally LOVE & appreciate everything you do to live your 'off grid life style'. I wish I could get my husband to go further in that direction, before we're 'forced to'. It is crazy to watch how people react when a storm knocks out their power for a few days (or hours!).
I got rid of the TV 5 years ago. The mindless waste of time, good heavens. I get more done, I am closer to my spouse, I read, garden and live outside the home.
You both are very inspiring, because of you I just started my kombucha this morning. Thank you for all the info in the health field, keep the info coming! Lord bless
Thank you! So much. I've been questioning how private grid living could really be healthier than public grid. Living without electricity is so much smarter ! I try to only light my home with candles and oil lamps.
I had my Power turned off November 1st. Totally electric and gas power free. I had my sisters come get the things they wanted from my refrigerator. I really don't miss. I decided I had enough of the high power bills. I am learning as I go. I can not wait to see what my life will be like in a year
life has thrown me many no electricity challenges along the way lol
You guys are wonderful! So inspiring. I love the idea of no lekky. I live in the country in Somerset England and the only time our house is quiet is when we have a power cut. A couple of years ago the power was off for about 24 hours ( we have no gas in our village) and we loved it . Whenever we have a power outage I am really disappointed when the lekky comes back on. Sitting with the wood fire and the candles just feels so nice. I remember when I used to go to work, on the occasion when the power went down the whole office went quiet and it just felt so nice.
Knowing me, when my hour of electricity would come, I would do a mad rush to my lap top to tune into Off the Grid w/ Doug and Stacy! Love you guys and thanks so much for sharing.
I lived in a cabin I built myself, without any utilities, and LOVED it. The only two hassles were staying warm, and carrying water. I lived like that for 15 years. Cabin was drafty, and had single pane glass. Now I am building another off grid cabin. This time with water catchment, and Berkey Filter for drinking water. Also with much better insulation, and double pane glass this time, along with proper wood heater, and small propane heater for backup. Modern technology can be used to make life easier, without becoming it's slave. Like Doug said, using an automobile's alternator to recharge computer and batteries, is a great use of that tiny powerplant. Put it to work for you. Recharge everything as you drive to grocery store.
Dear Doug and Stacy, I have been living without a tv for about 2 1/2 years now. I've also been conditioning myself to no AC. I have oil lamps and candles that I've been using in the evening for about three or four days now. At your suggestion, I took my clock out of my bedroom. I could easily become a homesteader, but I feel that my age is against me and I live in the deserts of New Mexico. I so much enjoy watching you on UA-cam and look forward to seeing you every day. I don't always comment but do know that I am watching. Thank you so much for sharing your life with us.
thanks Barbara, that was great
Not to mention the poison in certain types of light bulbs.
Or all the chemicals added to the water.
Awesome post folks , last year we lived in Ireland and now we live in Latvia , one week ago we bought an old house to strip and reuse the wood logs to build a small cabin and have it lit with candle and oil lamps , we also will have a composting toilet and water catchment system , and will be using a wood burning stove and wood burning water heater , Ever since first finding your channel 2 years ago I have said I would love a place similar to Doug n Stacy's , well next week we will be taking the old house apart and transporting to our small farm , for building next spring . thank you for your inspiring post,s .ye are such wonderful down to earth people .....Harry
It is very cool what you all are doing!!! I have been planning for a while to do a week off grid trial run...almost ready:)
you folks are the real deal! once you get the ice house you are close to total independence...well done
So with my husband being the bread maker and out of work, we noticed that electricity rates go sky high in the day and evening times in NC
Now we turn off everything but hvac and the refrigerator from 11am til 6pm. We avoid using pcs until 8pm as well (our electric rates are least from 8pm till 11am; then a little bit more than double from 11a-1p and 6p-8p and over triple between 1pm-6pm
We also ordered lamps from Lehman’s so we can congregate around the kitchen table for light between 6p-8p… just waiting on that to come
I do have a solar system now and live off grid here in New Brunswick Canada, but lived for just over a year without any electricity while I waited to get it. Both are good. I heat and cook with my Bakers choice and get my hot water from the water reservoir on the stove in the winter. 97 acres of wood bush gives me all the wood I require for my heat and needs for building my home. Although I live in a converted reefer for now. The peace and security that comes with my life through storms and good times I wouldn't give up for my old life ever again.
Well that's cool. I haven't been watching long enough to know you were totally without power. We do that against our will for a week or two at a time when a hurricane hits and it's miserable for use because it's everything all at once cold-turkey. It is kinda fun loading everybody in the truck and going down to the river to bathe though. lol
You guys are an inspiration. I’m wanting to build and go truly off grid. I’m at a point that I really do feel the interference from electronic in my body.
Have so enjoyed your informative videos! We were so unprepared when Irma hit here in Florida mid Sep. To make matters worse we have custody if 2 grandchildren, Alyssa 9 & Ashton 4-1/2. Our house is all elec, so we had nothing. We lost power for over 5 days, ice was no where to be found. We lost nearly everything in our freezer. I have gained so much from your videos. We will no longer be unprepared. Thank you ❤
LOL, I'M 1 OF THOSE THAT CAN'T LIVE W/O MY UTILITIES. I ADMIRE YOU GUYS THAT CAN. YOU'VE TOTALLY EMBRACED YOUR LIFESTYLE. BLESSINGS 2 YOU BOTH. 💞
I live just north of Boston, Medford, MA. We've been hit extremely hard by this horrible pandemic. I have to say that since we've all been sheltering at home and flights just about non existent, the quiet and stillness is Amazing! No noise !
If you like that better move, it's about to reopen 👍
While I don't live Off Grid I do most of my grading and outside maintenance with hand tools. I don't need most of the power tools. I do have them but only need them for big projects, like making raised beds. Had plans to refurbish some planters today but it is raining here, so I guess that will be another day. So I am spending time catching up on some of you old posts. won't be long till I am all caught up. Thanks for taking the time to post, this is some good stuff!
Been living on the verge of off-grid in the city and prepping to go solar... Been using more candles lol! Yesterday the rep for our Edison Electric Co came by to announce rates would be tripling as of noon. So sick of companies sucking us dry and ready to cut the cord! Enjoying your channel, it's beautifully inspiring :-)
And also ROTHCHILDS own Edison and pretty much all utilities.
They want 2/3s of us gone so they can have their wild animal inhabited paradise.
incredible work! Thank you for showing us! Going to check out your other videos
very tempting challenge guys, may have to give that no power for a week a try
I definitely want to do this for health sake. Thanks for another great video. You are a great inspiration.
Question..... You use the oil lamps. What time do you usually go to bed? And get up? And is it way different from when you were on grid, your bedtime?
Thanks guys. I love what you're doing. I will be adopting these things into my daily life. Watching your channel give me motivation and encouragement.
we've had to do this off grinding for almost 4wks, because hubbys amputated finger and NO income for 6+wks, my 23yr old son missed his xbox a little bit, but he got 1hr per day which we have a very low electric bill anyway. I'm known for living in the dark,and raised my children all their lives that way, but now my son is even more into homesteading aka he's despising going into town and hasn't even started to get his driving licence lol even though he does around the farm! I told hubby I want a compost toilet like what you guys have! took all our carpets out have been blessed with natural milled hardwood flooring, praise God over the weekend to do our whole house yeahaw. ty for the video. Kellie P-B_FAM
you guys are amazing, I love your energy, its a great achievement living offgrid
great video very very informative glad you letting everybody know how easy it is to be off grid totally without any dependents from the power companies
Living without using electricity is not hard after awhile ,It takes baby steps which I explain in all my videos.Only thing I could never go away with is the Fridge and a few other things I am passionate about the subject which you know .But it is hard physical work .It would be hard to live this way if both family member's worked full time thankfully I am able to be home full time Like you Doug to keep the homestead Running smoothly :)also this lifestyle is so much easier since our children are all grown ,
Hi Doug and Stacy, Could you explain how you structured your plumbing in regards to grey water? How do you drain the water from your sink and bathtub and where does it go? Thank you so much...you both are such an inspiration to me!! I can't find many people with my mindset in society but thank God I found you guys on UA-cam! ~ Lindsay
love it , i just found out recently that it is illegal to live off grid where i live in NOva Scotia Canada , saw an article about it in the paper i think it was very shocking for many people to find out . Congratulations to you guys wish I had that life only a generation ago my family lived totally off grid and now that would be unheard of..............i would love to do your challenge but I know my daughter would have a break down without computer
I experienced living like that as a child every summer in the Caribbean and it was always the best experience not having to watch TV and such but just to live simply.
I see all these videos and wonder where the off grid comes from. I commend you for what you have done as most could not.
Thanks for the video, So with no electricity you will save on the cable and internet bill, not have to replace your appliances every 5 years. I have these preps in place in the case that we are forced to to go off grid, you just forced yourself to be off grid. The noise in my home right now is unreal with a TV, washer/dryer, dishwasher, dehydrator, refrigerators, freezers and a furnace. All those cost money to run and maintain, I get it.
A single solar panel and two batteries can provide enough juice for a few hours of laptop time, charge cellphones and camera batteries for a week.
Add a couple more batteries and you might not even need the solar panel. Just charge all batteries and devices when you run that generator for your weekly wash. You might also use any other power tools during that time. Maximize generator time.
And lastly, use the power from solar during the day when you are producing it. And when it’s not available, just do without.
You guys are doing good.
Oh my goodness! You two are funny! I had a recap of a bunch of previous viewed videos right there. I think I could handle the no power but my husband who works all day, to come home to no power, that would be a hard no!
Hey Doug and Stacy! I’m really inspired the way you guys live.. I am so interested in living this lifestyle removing one electric thing at a time, until we have no electricity left.
When I was growing up...there wasn't any "CHOICE" about living off-grid. We lived in a house with electric lights (max 60 watts for the room). No running water (we had a well and an outhouse) and no washing machine or air conditioner. I was in elementary school before we had indoor plumbing....and high school before we had an AC. I know I CAN do it....but I know how difficult it can be. I'm too old now, and don't have the stamina needed to be completely off grid, but I am enjoying bringing back some of MY Granny's methods of food prep and gardening. My husband hates chickens, so we'll never have those, but he is a thrifty man who will fix and re-use just about anything. We do OK for a couple of old coots. 😁
Inspiring! My laptop only stays charged for 2 hours...but I like the challenge/idea to use it on battery only. I am going to try it out!! Thanks again for doable ideas.
Thanks for that, i dont understand no solar or wind. Medium systems can be built, reporpoused for pretty cheap, but couldnt solar or wind be an accest to running the farm,or even charging batterys and internet. You both are inspiring .
You are Both so INSPIRING!
I admire what you do and all you share about your journey.
I would love to do a one week challenge of no electricity 🤗
Maybe I can talk my husband into that one 🤔
Love watching you two. I love the oil lamps. Reminds me of my childhood when the electricity would go out.
My mom and dad grew up in the Appalacian Mts. All that was normal living for them
When I was growing up I lived off grid for over 7 years. I learned to do homework by oil lamps because I had chores after school. We did have a generator but I had no control over that. My chores was to haul water by hand in a bucket that we hauled in with water barrels. While not having running water or septic nor electricity there was a lot that we had to get use to. A composting toilet would have been amazing but my parents made us kids carry off the waste away from the house. We used propane to cook with and a Wood stove to cook worth in the summer. You learn not to depend on a fridge too. Living this way was more to do with no money to bring in power or to dig a well. However we helped to dig a septic tank and eventually we used buckets of water to flush our waste which was so wonderful for me.
Also one of my many chores other thank taking care of animals was to clean the house for my mom after school and to do all the laundry by hand with those old time tools. ;)
Obviously Doug and Stacy you both have been doing a GREAT job of blowing out all the Candles each night! I love candles too!
You guys are great! I have 4 boys and a baby on the way. the kids love their video games. I've always been an outdoors kinda guy so I push for outdoor activities. My wife isn't the homesteading kinda girl unfortunately. So so I'm a bit jealous of you guys.
After watching your videos, I will speed up my efforts to get the solar system up and running. Already have generators, propane, even changed my well pump over to 120volt to run off power inverter when needed or generator. The candles, and firing up the wood stove to cook a meal before going to work would be hard to get used to. I enjoy learning from your videos...some items I'll say, "that's great, I'll do that"....other things you do, I think, "what can I do now to keep from having to do that". Your videos really have been helpful.
I have been fascinated with the Amish, but thought that people who have had electricity wouldn't be able to do it. Well, you proved me wrong. I am glad to see that you are doing it. I have been using an oil lamp before I go to bed. I like to read before bed, but the oil lamp is just too dim. I find that the candles are brighter. I did trim up the wick in the lamp. it did help for a bit, but now it is dimmer again. Any suggestions?
Thanks for sharing Doug & Stacy. I definitely think I could pull it off when I start my off-grid journey. Will check out the FB group! 💜💜💜
You two are a great pair. I love watching and learning from you.
Kim Kearney agree
I respect what you are doing, I bicycle the eastern US and camped out in a tent every night (unless visiting friends or family).
...but I would NOT say I was without electricity. I had a small solar panel for light, a small fan and radio... Using your phone and charging off the truck and laundry from a generator, is much the same thing.
BTW- small generators are pretty dirty energy sources!
Inspiring and I bet the body and mind is totally feeling different from all the crap we are used to today.
Y'all make it sound so simple. I may have to try the challenge with the family.
So interesting what people can actually get up to when the power is down. Many years ago before my kids were born, we lived in a Paper plant village and a week before our annual Country fair started, a developer accidentally cut the big power line to the village. So the question was do we cancel the fair as many ladies were preparing all sorts of sewing, knitting, preserves etc. Well we decided to go ahead and do it with what we had, lighted by gas and oil lamps and it was an absolute hoot. I was amazed at how innovative some people were. Well we all knew it would not last, which I suppose made it easier, but I can appreciate what a change it is for most people. I do so much sewing and it would be hard without electricity ;-)
Yep totally, when I turn off every thing I can here the quietness. I can fell myself get calmer, relaxing more. We talk more with each other.
I think we're doing well enough for electric here. We have a 1100 Sq Ft, 3 bedroom home and our bills are about $160 a month. Not bad considering our friends and co-workers with comparable homes are spending $350-450 per mth. Also I'm in Ontario, Canada and our Electric bills start with $100. worth of service fees... so we're not complaining
I have oil lamps! I also have electricity,but a couple winters ago,a limb fell on the power line( the one I am responsible for fixing)and we bad to be without power for 3 days.The lamps really put out a lot of light.My son played guitar and was our entertainment.I live in the deep south and we didn't have air conditioning when I was a child.We did have window fans,but that took electricity.My biggest concerns in the hot climate would be cooling and refrigeration.
I agree 100%. Im a native of NYC. It dont get more city than that. Now I live far from any city out in farm land. The closer to Gods natural law we live the better we do.
I think I could deal with being totally off grid with one exception....staying cool with this southern heat. I can only imagine how hot it must get in the upstairs bedroom.
You guys are right on the mark and such a great inspiration to us.
Jim Sturdivant agree
You guys are awesome! I lived without electricity from 2009 until 2012 and again from 2013 until 2015. During this time span I also lived without natural gas for part of 2012 and again from 2013 until 2015. I owed the utility company $9,000 because they kept turning on my power when I wasn't paying my bill for the years 2007 till 2009 and intermitantly. It's a long story as to why and how I got so far behind on my bill, but from March of 2016 until present I've paid off $8,500 reestablish the power and to keep the power on.
I have a wood stove for heat and a propane stove for cooking and used oil lamps for light. I really miss the rhythm of living without electricity. I got reconnected and paid my bill cuz my sons didn't wanna live as rustic and the bills that I owed money on were from before they turned 18. I really wish I could get them on board with me and go off grid.
Aside from ac and the refrigerator, it looks doable to me. I've been without power in the past as my old place was waaaay back in the woods and last to have power restored. The camp stove cooked just fine, but the fridge was hooked up to the generator every couple hours to maintain. We played board games by oil lamp until bedtime. The kids still talk of this fondly.
Another great vid,ive been practicing no electricity,and i enjoy it
I love your lifestyle, but my husband would never go for it. I'm pretty attached to my dishwasher and washer and dryer, but I respect what you are doing.
Kathryn Lee agree
We started doing without elec. buy not using lights in the daytime, and using candles and oil lamps at night ,( not always but getting there) and only using the air for 1 hr. a day about 1:00 to 2:00 or 2:00-3:00 and opening doors and windows for air, hope we get there soon, sooo much money wasted on elec.
Does air mean a/c here?
I know I can live without it if I have to. We used to live out in the "primitive" campgrounds as kids during the summer away from school out of a tent. Water was pumped by hand out of the ground and hauled to the campsite and we used communal outhouses, again, a distance away. We swam in lakes instead of bathing and cooked over campfires, which were our light until it was time to bank them and go to bed. Those experiences have stood me in good stead more than once in my life.
This past year my coastal town was hit by Hurricane Matthew as it relaxed from a category three to a category two storm. We lost most services and utilities except the municipal water, which wasn't contaminated on the mainland where I was, for three days. If anything it was pleasant for me. My housemates keep the temperature of the house a bit too cool for me and when a slight cold airmass swung in behind the storm it the temperature was wonderful and I slept better than usual. I'd seen to it earlier in the year that we had alternative light sources other than candles, so we did alright for what time we were up at night. The rest, though, were going stir crazy by the time the lights came back on and climbing the walls.
Such things are easier to handle when we already know we can weather them because we've lived some significant portion of out time without the conveniences.
Wish I had someone here to help me. I live in a mobile home and using any kind of wood stove is not able to be done in my trailer from what I've Ben told. Love your channel.
We did so years ago....not necessarily by choice. lol Hurricane Wilma hit and knocked our power out for 2 weeks. At the time, we had a young child and infant. We slept on our porch and had a wonderful time. The only difficult part (because we weren't prepared with any cooling system) was keeping formula cool. I did nurse but had to supplement with formula. We worked it out though. As homeschoolers, our daughter didn't lose any time learning. In fact, after about five days, we had all the neighborhood kids joining us since the schools were closed, they were bored stiff. lol Would do it again in a heartbeat. We do now have a generator so we would be able to utilize that IF the need arose.
Most of our neighbors were less prepared than us and didn't fare as well.