Living off the grid is a life that may present many unique and rewarding challenges. It is a lifestyle that is based on a somewhat minimalist approach to existence, but moreover, it is a lifestyle of self sufficiency.
Unfortunately, though life off grid is a chosen path of minimalism and self sufficiency, there are some needs that are simply too complex for the average person to meet with mere survival skills.
That being said, today we’re going to discuss one of the bigger challenges faced by those who are enjoying life off the grid – income.
How Do I Make Money Homesteading Off The Grid?
While being able to meet your own basic needs is one of the biggest points to living off grid, there will be times when you face a challenge or need that you are unable to meet through traditional survival techniques, and those challenges and needs are most easily met with cold hard cash. And that’s where it becomes a challenge – Life off grid, is like nothing most modern society is accustomed to. There aren’t daily commutes to the local coffee shop, there aren’t daily trips to the local eateries, and more commonly, there aren’t daily commutes to a workplace to earn a traditional paycheck.
You may know how to perform all the routine maintenance and repairs associated with life on your off-grid homestead, but what happens when maintenance and repairs are no longer an option, take for instance the generator that’s been your primary source of electric for the past three years finally reaches its last limits and the engine fails beyond repair and must be replaced? Or worse, the actual generator head – you’re now faced with a major out of pocket cost, even if you know how to do the swap out yourself. Or maybe there’s a medical emergency that exceeds your ability to remedy using homeopathic methods and requires a visit to a medical doctor or pharmacy?
Simply put, you’re going to need ways to generate income and offset these routine and unforeseen expenses; but the question is how? We’ve put together a list of thirty ways for you to make money while living off the grid.
1) Working from home/ telecommuting.
There are many options for working from home, whether it’s as a freelance writer through the myriad online platforms currently available or even by publishing your own daily journals online through a blogging platform and arranging assorted advertising possibilities from different tool makers and other similar companies. If writing isn’t your groove, there are many modern employers who welcome new employees who prefer to telecommute for positions ranking from basic data entry, all the way to various IT/ customer relations opportunities, and almost everything in between. While it may not seem as lucrative when you first start, any business venture, especially those stemming from the basis of cottage industry tends to take a little more time and effort to build.
2) Leasing out that extra bedroom.
If you’re one of the fortunate ones who’ve gotten your homestead up and running strongly, you can easily turn the curiosity of others into a pleasant, and productive revenue stream by listing extra living space such as a spare bedroom online through sites such as Air BnB. It may sound odd to invite a stranger into your home, but, using marketing pitches appealing to the uniqueness of homesteading, the locally sourced, organic foods, etc will be more of a draw than you might realize and the more interesting and ‘off the beaten path’ you are able to make the guest’s experience, the more desirable it will be to the general market. An easy thing to remember is the more they want to experience, the more you’re able to charge. And, before you scoff, think back to when you were first trying to decide if living off grid was for you. Not to be forgotten are the thrill seekers – those random travelers who are always looking for a new experience
3) Selling surplus garden goods.
If you’re fortunate enough to have the tools and healthy soil, a surprisingly profitable niche market you may want to consider examining is selling your surplus produce (vegetables, etc) via open air markets, farmers markets or even directly from your homestead if you live in an area that is easily accessible to the general public. You’d be surprised how many people are willing to pay a price equal to or even a bit more than traditional retail for organic, homegrown produce. Another marketing resource you may want to look into is if your area has a local whole foods store, or a little known and even less approached option is to speak to the head chef or kitchen manager in charge of local up scale restaurants. If you’re willing to keep your prices fair, and produce a quality product, many chefs (dependent on your local health codes) are more than happy to do business with local suppliers as the fresher their ingredients, the higher the quality of their final product. Beyond that, most chefs pride themselves on having the proverbial feather in their cap of saying their ingredients are locally sourced.
4) Sell the “experience of a lifetime”.
While leasing to tourists a night or two at a time will generate a pleasant, sustainable revenue. Your life off the grid is more of a novelty for most people than you may realize. Why not cash in on that? Offer immersive stays, reminiscent of the dude ranches of days gone by. A week, two weeks maybe even a month long experience where your guests participate directly in your day to day life, getting their hands dirty, practicing the skills you’ve already mastered, except not only do they pay you – you also get free labor out of the deal. Yes, this particular approach will require a bit more patience on your end, but the rewards will prove well worth the potential frustrations.
5) Show off your “neighborhood”.
If you happen to be someone who’s gotten really lucky and established your homestead not only off the grid, but off the beaten path, and you’ve taken the time to genuinely familiarize yourself with the lay of the land and surrounding resources – host weekly/ monthly nature hikes. Want to increase the net gains? Simple, as your hikes gain momentum and popularity, limit the number of participants with each group – give your guests a sense of exclusivity, they’ll happily pay a premium for it.
6) Market yourself.
It may sound odd to you at first, but, if once you’ve built a reputation whether be through writing, crafts or other means that can be tied directly to your homesteading lifestyle, approach different potential sponsors, you would be surprised how many companies are willing to attach their name to a niche market if it has a proven track record.
7) Offer your services as a hunting guide.
If you own a larger property (75 + acres), or have the exclusive hunting and trapping rights to desirable tracts of land, Hosting three to seven day hunting excursions can prove extremely lucrative. Incorporating certain guidelines or stipulations such as limiting the number of spaces available each trip, the number of annual trips, the methods by which game may be taken, arranging a discount rate with a local, quality taxidermist or incorporating a harvest sharing arrangement to ensure that nobody leaves empty handed will drive your marketability through the roof. Another way to appeal to trophy hunters – yes, I realize the practice goes against the self-sufficiency aspect of living off grid – is to offer a discounted rate if they choose not to keep the meat from their harvest. This means money in your pocket AND meat in your stores that you didn’t have to hunt.
8) Offer workshops on herbalism.
If you’ve got your herbal remedies down to a science, put it to work! Offer seasonal workshops on what natural herbs grow in your area, how to recognize them, where to find them, how to harvest and preserve them (for those that can be) and more importantly – their risks and uses!
9) Offer workshops on trap building.
Yes! Trap building, many self-proclaimed survivalists are always looking for ways to improve their own skills and if you have a knack for building successful game and fish traps – they will pay you to teach them how.
10) Offer workshops on organic gardening.
You need a garden for your fresh vegetables either way, and you’re good at it. Why not let someone pay you to teach them how to do exactly what you already do? An easy way to increase your net gain with this one is to mark off a plot of land where you already plan on placing a garden, then break your workshop down into segments reflecting the entire process from clearing to soil preparation to planting. Allow your students/ guests to work alongside you through the entire process over the course of a few days. Before you know it, your basic garden is now four times as large as it was, you’ve produced a higher surplus yield and now you’re averaging three days at the local open air markets or farmer’s markets and turning a nice profit behind the entire process.
11) Host weekend fishing excursions.
If you have access to a prime, yet secluded ‘honey hole’ that’s home to larger, game fish such as trout or bass it’s marketable and you’d be shocked how many anglers will pay a good price to camp out near your water and harvest a few. Throw in a ‘catch of the day style dinner and add in a few of treats from your garden and food stores such as a cobbler or pie made from fruits or berries you’ve gathered and preserved and you’ll make lasting connections that turn into repeat guests.
12) Offer group lectures and demonstrations to youth organizations and schools.
For you, homestead life is perfectly normal. For many youth organizations and schools, it presents a very real and very unique learning experience that can generate a good deal of repeat revenue. The more diverse, unique and interactive your presentation is, the higher the potential demand will be.
13) Lease your homestead areas out as a photo-op/ venue.
Your homesteading life can be a photographer’s dream! From nature settings to rustic appeal, to the simple fact that it’s something rarely witnessed – photographers are always scouting for potential venues and locations, regardless of the season, they need unique spaces to work and a way to attract new clients. That old barn a few hundred yards away at the edge of the clearing where you store your ATV/ UTV? It just became the backdrop for a surprise photo shoot and earned you an effortless $100. Your favorite fishing spot? Those first time parents who love hunting and fishing need somewhere absolutely perfect for their maternity photos and they’re more than happy to pay an extra $75 to spend a couple hours smiling and making memories. Your rustic kitchen with bundles of dried herbs and wood-fired cook stove? The local author wanted something special for their new press photos and you made an easy $200.
14) Offer workshops on game processing.
You’ve got two hundred pounds of extra fresh game meat from your last paid hunting expedition (Or your guests are bringing their own), that can equal two things: a few days extra work on you if you have to process it by yourself – or – a profit! With the right marketing, you can make a nice profit teaching guests how to process and preserve their own game. At the same time, if you’re using your own game, you have a chance to process considerably more than you would working alone in the same amount of time and, in turn, increase your food stores and surplus. That surplus, can then be used as a trade good, a gift for your guests (gifts allow you to charge a little more and also give guests a happy memory that they’ll talk about with their friends.) And, depending on your local laws and regulations, you may be able to sell.
15) Offer workshops on off grid/ traditional food preservation.
Yes, another routine chore for you that you can turn into revenue – food preservation. Living off the grid, you’ll rely on many older and often almost forgotten techniques for preserving food. By offering educational, hands-on workshops and teaching others these techniques for a reasonable fee, you can not only increase your overall production and generate a bit of possible surplus, but tuck away a nice profit in the process.
16) Host a primitive trade meet.
Borrow a page from the nomadic playbook or from the trappers of old. Reach out to your fellow off grid neighbors, and host a monthly, bi-monthly, annual or semi-annual event. Invite them to arrive and set up the night before, negotiate trades with them after they’ve set up in their respective areas in exchange for their participation; then the following day open your homestead to the general public. You can generate multiple revenue streams from this type of venture: Admission Fees, A group dinner made exclusively from foods available on your homestead or produced by fellow members of the off-grid community, direct sales of of your own surplus goods. And at an event like this, make sure to have plenty of information available about your workshops and other unique services or goods.
17) Maintain a small trading post/ gift shop.
You have a good surplus of goods being generated on your homestead, dedicate an area or build on if needed to display a portion of these items, and market them to guests. You’d be shocked how many people will seek you out if you have a particularly high quality or unique product such as fresh wild or raw honey, fresh eggs, or even a particularly uncommon type of produce. Even something as hearty as kale or swiss chard will sell nicely. Raise a less common crop such as rhubarb and you’ll discover there are people who’ll gladly travel a few miles out of their way to do business with you.
18) Write a book or an eBook (or a series!).
Combine your daily journals from the past year into a complete book, include a photograph timeline of your progress and the challenges you’ve faced and overcame. While some people may not have the inclination or ability to participate in your various workshops or other hands-on activities, there is a vast niche market of readers who’ll happily scoop up books of this type/ genre.
19) Start a YouTube (or similar) Channel.
Take your workshops and demonstrations to a whole new level by filming and then publishing them on YouTube or similar site. Similar to blogging, This particular platform allows you to showcase your unique skills, abilities and the services you offer to a far wider market. With YouTube, you generate revenue by accepting sponsors/ advertisers who then pay you based on views or site visits. Other platforms allow you to set up a paid monthly subscription rate and then take a percentage.
20) Sell your surplus firewood.
If you have ready access to a strong supply of quality hardwoods like oak, pecan, hickory, etc. once you’ve put in a sufficient store for your own use, They can be turned into a source of revenue, a rather labor intense source of revenue, but revenue all the same. Best of all, it’s a revenue source that actually increases in value if you have time and space to properly store it allowing it to season/ dry if it’s been harvested green/ wet. This is also a great way to deal with getting rid of bothersome windfall trees and larger limbs.
21) Remote/ Online consulting.
If you are particularly skilled in a subject, trade or field of study, there is the possibility of marketing your services as a consultant. While work may not come as often, this is another niche market that tends to prove increasingly profitable as your reputation grows.
22) Sell your artwork or photography.
If you happen to be one of those souls who find themselves blessed with an abundance of artistic talent, or a keen eye behind the camera, then marketing your artwork or prints of your photography locally or even through various online platforms can be extremely lucrative.
23) Sell your surplus herbs.
If you have a particularly abundant herb garden or naturally occurring (wild) crop of herbs, you can readily market them, both fresh and dried, locally and online. Adding small gifts or a hand written thank you card to customer orders will add a personal feel that many people quietly appreciate.
24) Skip the middle man and run your own website.
With today’s webhosting services, owning your own website is easier than ever, by adding a personal blog chronicling your life off the grid and videos of your various workshops or the techniques you use to process your food stores, herbs, the various services or off-grid experiences or even the stages of your artistic process will generate higher interest from potential customers. Adding a sales link with payment options will create a steady source of potential income. Add a booking or appointment setting link and you’ll be able to better market your workshops and fill vacancies.
25) Host day trips on your homestead for school and youth groups.
By inviting small groups from schools and area youth groups to spend a day observing and learning about life off the grid, you’ll increase your market exposure, and at the same time, allow them to gain a better understanding of the skills and resources that are needed to live a comfortable and rewarding life on an off grid homestead.
26) Offer extended workshops on foraging.
The land around you is full of great resources, not just wild herbs; there are many edible fruits, berries and nuts and plants; and surprisingly, not many people know how to actively seek them out. That’s where you come in – offering hands on learning experiences while actively teaching small groups how to seek out, recognize and utilize these various resources.
27) Host survival excursions.
Society is full of modern thrill seekers by incorporating the skills you’ve mastered living in an off grid homestead into a minimalist/ survival camping trip you’ll be able to tap into yet another niche market type of revenue and, at the same time, educate new people about the realities of being truly self sufficient.
28) Offer workshops on water collection, storage and purification.
Living off the grid requires you to collect, store and purify a water supply regularly. It can prove to be a profitable experience to offer workshops demonstrating the different methods you employ in these processes to eager learners.
29) Sell your surplus pelts.
If you engage in trapping, regardless of the game (for the most part) is marketable, especially the pelts. – Of course, you need to be familiar with your local laws and hunting regulations, but even if direct sales aren’t an option, networking with other trappers and even local taxidermists can prove extremely profitable.
30) Offer workshops on woodworking.
You have the skills, and living off the grid, you’ve likely adapted a few processes to fit within the constraints of your available assets and resources, why not share that knowledge, for a price, with the general public? It may seem routine to you, but with the multitude of modern machines and tools available today, you’d be shocked how many people there are who no long have the skills to start with a raw piece of wood and create a finished project; especially if you take away these modern tools.
