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#off grid living
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Here's how my grandma and I try to live a low waste lifestyle in the city
First thing is we reuse everything. We have a portion of our shelves dedicated to holding plastic food containers we have washed and are waiting to be used to hold leftovers, dried foods, as seed starting pots, etc. We also save any and all jars to hold dried herbs and food products.
Actually reuse is a big thing for us. We shop at places that use paper bags, which I then cut up to use as scrap paper for grocery lists, etc and then compost after that. We also have a small container with rubber bands from products, bread ties, etc.
If you can afford the start up costs and have the space, preserving your own food is excellent. We have a really small garden that produces a lot of food every year. My favorites are dehydrating (using a dehydrator that is at least 30 years old from back when my grandpa was into making jerky), freezing, and canning.
Also, use every bit of food. Right now in the freezer I have bags of apple cores and peeling, pear cores and peeling, and peach peels along with bags of bones and veggie scraps for broths. The fruit scraps will go towards making big batches of jelly when canning season is over. I'll probably use the pulp leftover to dehydrate and powder to add to baked goods following a success with crabapple jelly pulp. I've also made spaghetti sauce out of tomato peels. Anything rotting or absolutely unusable gets tossed in the compost.
Reusables!! Obviously in today's world you can't avoid plastic but you can reduce how much you use. We use reusable produce bags that I made out of scrap Tulle, reusable grocery bags, water bottles, ziploc bags, etc.
If you have a yard or space, composting is a big one! My grandma says she never realized how much food we tossed until we started one. You don't even have to spend money on it! I know people who use totes they drilled holes into, just toss it In a hole in their garden, etc. The one I use is an old hose winder (one of those cube ones( that broke and my work was going to toss. All I did was cut out the hose winding part and paint it pretty and it's held up for 2 years and counting so far.
Hang dry clothes. In summertime we almost exclusively dry our clothes on a line or on a clothes drying rack I found at a yard sale.
Keep your heat or ac a few degrees higher or lower depending on the season. This helps save energy being used to heat or cool your house.
Wash clothes in cool or cold water. I've been doing this for years and haven't noticed a difference.
Repair. You don't have to be a sewing genius to quickly repair a small tear, especially if it's just for household wear. A great winter time hobby to pick up when gardening season is over.
Trade! This can be as simple as hosting a clothing swap all the way up until trading items u grew/made for items they did! I barter with my coworkers all the time, just talk to them! I never would have known my coworker kept bees if she didn't really like my jellies and proposed a trade. I also trade any of my soft produce I don't have time to do anything with to my coworker with rabbits in exchange for poop for the garden.
Try to be in season from local sources such as garden stands, or just a local grocery store. One of our local farms grew bell peppers and was selling then 2 for a dollar! So we stocked up and dehydratedand froze lots of peppers for winter stews
Blended pumpkin guts makes an excellent pumpkin puree, even if you're just adding little bits of it to your dog's food :)
You can freeze a lot of stuff! Leftover spaghetti sauce, pumpkin puree, etc can all be frozen in a muffin pan and then put in bags for future use!
Forage! I personally mostly forage for greens and a few mushrooms I am confident in my ability in but that still bulks up your food supply as well as medicine supply! I made a salve using bartered beeswax and spring purple dead nettle and summer plantain (and some tea tree EO) for cuts and scrapes and it works miracles! My coworkers love it as well as friends and family
We really try to live by the waste not, want not and use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without phrases. Just figure out what works best for the life you live! Be creative!
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cradleofgaea · 2 years
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High summer morning.
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halleehalfgallon · 2 years
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if you look closely and squint through the ferns, you just might find a tomato.
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forestduck · 1 year
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captnbas · 7 months
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i totally got a boat!! to live on!! and create and cry over my wips and rest and adventure and play on!! 🏴‍☠️
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i have a personal issue with the idealization of the cottagecore vibe fandom due to living entirely off grid for 3 years in the woods and limited electricity and no running water. 10 hours a day of electricity
it is very hard work that involves a ton of labor and i think most people would not be able to sustain themselves permanently due to the burnout combined with the rest of society expecting u to live up to the standard of having electricity/shelter 24/7 and while we may romanticize the fact, hard work and isolation can entirely cut you off in the modern era even if you are a lone wolf or an introvert
if you have the money to be able to do that! great! good jorb. im glad for u
if you are poor and forced to live that way? everyone else gives u a huge fuck u when the smallest of things take a huge amount of work
it is a nice dream for sure but harder than what most expect
(this is entirely within the context of living in the USA mind you. and not the areas where plumbing is still not updated)
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soniadiez · 1 year
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preppers-will · 5 months
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cattandthemoon · 11 days
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The white spring - 16/3/24
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authorspiritwalker · 2 months
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How to Properly Store Your Food Long Term
Storing Oats: Oats are considered non-perishable, but they can go bad if not stored properly. To store oats for the long term, you must protect them from pantry pests, mold, oxidation, and bad smells. Here are some ways to store oats long-term: Freezing: Freeze the oats before storage to kill any insect eggs. Store them in an airtight container to protect against moisture and…
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cyberthot666 · 2 years
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I need connection with other radical women who have been looking into going off-grid. can we reblog this with sources to help find each other and spread helpful information?
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ofsimplethings · 3 months
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by majarebeckalarsson on insta
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cradleofgaea · 2 years
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Just minding my own business, making myself a fairy village.
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urbansoulfarmer · 1 year
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I’m hosting. You’re invited!
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tinyhouseexpedition · 4 months
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DIY Ideas! They Converted a Shed into a Cozy Off Grid Tiny House
🏡 Welcome to our DIY Tiny Home Build Stories series about building insights, tips & how-tos! 🛠️ New episodes on Tuesday. 
🏡 Vernita & Travis left apartment life to return to their family's off-grid homestead on the Navajo Reservation. After a bit of research, they decided to convert a shed into a tiny house as a way to build their own home quickly and affordably. They share design ideas and advice from their DIY build & off-grid living experience.
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offgridinspirations · 8 months
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