15 Power Moves to Take Control and Build an Off Grid Empire

Hey there, my friend. Let's run away together. Let's run away from the control of traditional financial, health care, and resource systems and take control of our own lives for a change.

Now, the appeal of living off-grid has skyrocketed in the last few years. When you look at the state of the world, I mean, you can see why, right? It's not just the Doomsday Preppers and the eco-hippies shouting about it anymore. Ordinary people are packing up and preparing to live off-grid.

Now, before we dive into this, I want to take a moment to let you know about the Alux app. Because on the app today, we're discussing just how valuable and important it is to be uncomfortable. Now we know it sounds counterintuitive, but you'll be surprised and interested by what we've got to say about this. It would be great for you to join us, and if you stay until the very end of this video, we've got an extra special gift for you.

All right, so back to the topic at hand: going off-grid. Every system you're a part of seems to want to shackle you to their rules, and it's both right. You have all of the innate skills and knowledge to source everything you need to survive and thrive independently: food, shelter, energy, and water. It's now cheaper and easier to just rely on yourself.

So imagine never getting another bill in the mail again—one, because they can't find you, and two, even better, you don't owe them anything. That'd be nice, right? So let's go: here are 15 ways to take control and build a self-sufficient off-grid empire.

Number one: Build your off-grid nest egg. Going off-grid without capital is called being homeless. Okay, this isn't the option you resort to if you're totally broke. If money and expenses are your reasoning for wanting to go off-grid, then you have to be aware that before you exit the system, you have to dance to its tune first. You have to work as hard as possible and spend as little as possible to be able to make the one-time purchases and investments that will take you away from a lifetime of monthly bills.

Cut costs now. Get a second job, live in the cheapest apartment possible, and save, save, save! You'll need between $1,000 to $330,000 for your setup, depending on how comfortable you want to be. But once you've got that, you're out. The rest of your life is up to you. You save up for retirement, for your vacations, and for your home. So you'll need to save up for this too.

Number two: Get out of the health care system by learning first aid. Now, you don't want to be relying on regular doctor visits and pharmacies for medication when you're sick, especially when you live remotely. To move away from any constraints of the health care system, you have to reduce your dependence on it, and you can only do that by learning about natural remedies and basic first aid skills that will help you to handle minor issues.

Also, keep a stockpile of the most important medications. Invest in telehealth options so you can get a remote consultation when you need it. You don't have to exit the system completely if you're worried about an emergency, but you can definitely reduce your reliance on it.

Number three: Research for land like your life depends on it, because it does. You can buy or rent an off-grid property, but that defeats the purpose of true independence and being totally self-sufficient. To fully invest in this life, you have to start from nothing—just some soil, nature, and empty air in the middle of nowhere.

Figure out how far away you want to be from your neighbors, how much you're willing to travel to the store, and how close you want to be to other power lines and government services. Then research like there is no tomorrow! You'll need far more advanced investigative skills for this one than if you were just buying a house in town, and this research is important due diligence.

Okay, because the land could be really cheap, but you have to ask why. Because a paradise could have an abandoned mine right underneath it. A beautiful, wooded property in the summer can flood in the winter or catch on fire in the summer. The perfect property might have no easement road or way to access it, so spend some time in these places in different seasons. Camp there if you can to get an understanding of what your life would be like when you live there full-time.

Number four: Find a way to generate an independent income. So even if you've saved enough money and you're planning to source and generate all of your resources yourself, it's still important to have an independent source of income. You don't want to be a part of the traditional employment system, so think about how you can do this.

You could start a remote business, do freelance work online, especially if you have satellite internet access. You could also farm and sell what you get from that. You could make and sell handmade products or offer off-grid workshops. Put some thought into this; even if you don't plan on doing it immediately, having some kind of idea of what you'll do for money when you're all set up makes the process a little bit easier.

Number five: Use systems and tools to stay secure and independent. No matter where you live and how rural or remote your plot is, you're going to need some independent systems to be self-sufficient. You're going to have to be honest and clear with yourself about what you'll need and what you can't live without.

There are the obvious things like waste removal, power, energy, water, and even technology. And if your reasoning for living off-grid is to get away from the hustle and bustle of digital life, you still need to be connected in some way. Okay, this is the 21st century. You have to stay safe and be able to call family and call for help in an emergency. You can put up safety nets and guard walls between your digital footprint and the outside world’s technology systems.

You'll still have to check the weather forecasts and manage some of your financial transactions online before you move away from using them. So, as you're setting up your homestead, you probably won't have access to power or the internet, so you'll have to use public Wi-Fi connections.

How can you balance your desire for an independent and secure lifestyle away from traditional systems with the need to maintain some kind of connection? Well, NordVPN, the sponsor of today's video, they've got a solution for that. Their software encrypts your data so your personal information stays protected, even when you're using those less secure networks. You can access all of the digital services you need without revealing your location.

Nord's services will mask it and bypass regional restrictions, and they stop your browsing history from being tracked. So, you have complete control over your digital footprint. Your off-grid adventures can take you all over the country, so a service like Nord is a great way to keep your digital life private and protected.

Since we work so closely with Nord, offering axer an awesome deal with every purchase of their 2-year plan, you'll get four bonus months on top of that totally free! You can get the deal by visiting nordvpn.com/alux. We've also added the link to the description box so you can access it from there. It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee. These are the kinds of deals and opportunities you'll need to take advantage of so that every extra penny goes toward designing your ultimate independent life.

Number six: Build independent equity in your property by DIY-ing it. Just because you're living off-grid doesn't mean that you should be completely financially irresponsible or ditch common sense—not at all. You should still be increasing your property's value. This is an opportunity for you to stay away from mortgage debt and finance your project yourself, and that's why it takes time. You put it together piece by piece as you save money and use that to buy your material and build your property.

Doing it yourself gives you that ownership and value that comes with gaining total independence. There's going to be a lot you don't know, and this is your time to learn. No builders, no construction workers, or hired help: your investment and commitment to your independence comes from putting up with whatever challenges and frustrated feelings you'll have to work through.

Number seven: Stay connected, even in remote locations. When you're living off-grid in a rural, remote place, your only connection to the outside world is going to be through the internet. If your whole reason for living this way is to get away from the world, and connection isn't something you want, then great! Okay, you can skip this step. But you shouldn't have to derail all of your plans, because whatever location you're staying in has no access to the internet.

So here's where you can use Starlink. These low earth orbit satellites will give you a connection even in the most remote, isolated places of the planet. You can also use solar power or a battery system to set up and run the compact satellite dish, so you've got the practicality and connectivity all wrapped up in one.

Number eight: Generate your own power and heat. Now, this is an exciting part! All the modern comforts you took for granted will be gone out here, so you have to start from scratch, even with the most basic resources like heat and power. You learn about renewable energy sources like solar panels, wind turbines, or micro-hydro power systems to power your home.

You can get solar-powered versions of everything from refrigerators to ovens, so you can reduce your energy consumption as well. You can also get a backup generator if you live in a location with lots of cloudy days and your panels aren't able to get enough power from the sun. There are even solar power generators out there that will store power until you need it for heating.

You can install a wood stove or a fireplace—you live in the wild now—so you can cut your own firewood to make sure you have enough heat in the colder months. You also heat up your water for your showers or cooking using solar water heaters. You're no longer relying on traditional power sources anymore, so you have to find puzzle pieces and avenues that fit into the life you want to build.

Number nine: Source your own water. You won't be able to just turn on your taps and get running water anywhere. Okay, you're going to have to find it all by yourself. You'll have to harvest rainwater by setting up a collection to capture and store rainwater for drinking, bathing, and irrigation. You can drill on your property to find access to a reliable long-term water well source.

You should also set up a gray water system so you can use the water from sinks, showers, and washing machines to irrigate your garden and flush your toilets. You have to install a filtration system to make sure that whatever water you drink or use in cooking is safe and purified.

Number ten: Go agricultural revolution style. Now, years ago, before you could walk into a store and pick and choose anything you wanted, your ancestors had to grow and raise their food piece by piece, day by day. You know you'll still have this innate knowledge and sense of how to farm, even if you've never done it before.

So use that sense; embrace it! It's still important to keep foods like canned goods, grains, and legumes, but the fun starts outside, my friend! You'll need a garden if you want to be sustainable for the long term. You'll need gardening tools, seeds, compost, and soil management systems for growing fruits, vegetables, and herbs outside. You could raise chickens for eggs, goats for milk, and even bees for honey.

Having livestock will elevate your food sufficiency to the next level too. It's going to take some patience and a whole lot of trial and error, but once you're there, you're quite literally set for life! And on a similar note, number eleven: Go hunter-gatherer style. Because you can go back even further, all the way to your hunter-gatherer ancestors.

You can forage for wild food, learn how to identify and harvest wild plants, berries, and mushrooms to add to your food supply. If you can hunt and fish in your area, start honing those skills too. It's a fantastic way to get the purest nutrients while totally relying on yourself, your setup, and your skills.

Number twelve: Upgrade and elevate your survival skills. Now this isn't some kind of fun, choose-your-own-adventure book: this is your life! Once you're committed to it, you have to fully commit to it, and that includes swapping modern world life skills in favor of your undeveloped but natural human life skills.

You'll have to learn how to grow your own fruits and vegetables. You'll have to know what produce grows in which season. When your crops suffer or die—because it's not an "if," it's a "when"—you'll have to go to the drawing board and figure out exactly what happened so you can learn from that.

You'll also have to learn to hunt, understand the dynamics of herd behavior, perfect your navigation skills, know how to build a fire, extract water, administer basic first aid, and harvest whatever you want. You'll fail, you'll get frustrated, but then you'll make progress and grow. This is a marathon, my friend, not a sprint.

Number thirteen: An alternative to your bank account. Your bank account is one of your strongest ties to the system. It's one thing that's always going to keep you stuck in the database. It feels like you need it because all of your survival resources have been channeled through this system, but when you're living off-grid, it isn't exactly essential.

Firstly, you will be in charge of most of your own resources out here. You don't need a bank account to buy anything, and there's another way to store your money—one that keeps you financially autonomous. With just an internet connection and a device, you can manage your finances without needing a physical presence in the financial system.

You don't rely on centralized services; you can do transactions no matter where you are. You're not a part of a system that's controlled by any single authority. You have a way to safely store and grow money that keeps you independent and self-sufficient.

Number fourteen: Be willing to live between two lives. Now, it's going to take you at least a few years to bring all of this into fruition, and as you get closer to your new life, it'll take you further away from your old one. There will be parts of your old life that you'll miss, and you'll be scared of leaving it all behind.

You'll doubt your decision, especially when you realize it means you'll be stepping away from some of the people you love. You'll get sick of working and playing the waiting game and want to throw everything into your cart and start your new life immediately. It can feel like your personality is being split into two parts, and you're going to have to be okay with that.

You're going to have to embrace it, enjoy it, my friend, and use it as fuel to keep working toward your ultimate goal.

And number fifteen: Learn to love getting your hands dirty. Because you're going to be getting your hands dirty a lot out here, okay? In more ways than you can imagine. It'll be your build—you're knocking the nails and putting it together timber piece by timber piece and counting those chicken eggs before they've even hatched.

So you're going to have to learn how to love getting your hands dirty: removing muck and sick animals, taking care of your own injuries, your animals’ injuries, fixing your failing roof, and keeping your place secure from intruders and wild animals. That's all up to you out here. It's a messy job, so you better be ready for it!

And you know, since you stuck with us through all of these fifteen points, we've got another one as a bonus for you: get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Now, we've become used to a certain type of comfort and luxury that's totally unnecessary when you really think about it.

Eventually, you'll realize just how little you actually need to feel happy, good, and fulfilled. But during these transition and building phases, things are going to be hard. Saving up is going to involve cutting down on all of the things you love in life. Setting up is going to involve living far away from all of the creature comforts and conveniences that you've grown accustomed to.

So start putting yourself in uncomfortable situations as soon as possible. Learn what it will be like to live without power for a while. Get used to being in cold water. Figure out how to cook on a gas stove in the dark. Deliberately put yourself in a simulation of uncomfortable situations, so that when you're actually in it, you've already got the mental and physical resources—not only just to cope with it all, but to actually enjoy it.

When you start living off-grid, it's going to be just you and the land you bought, spending your days building, learning, and making mistakes. You gradually work your way up to a more comfortable lifestyle, but that can take years. It all depends on how much time and effort you're able to put into it.

At first, everything is going to be difficult, challenging, and oh so frustrating. Every step will be a mental and physical challenge and learning experience, so you better find comfort in the uncomfortable until that so-called discomfort just melts away and becomes your normal.

That's it from us today, Aluxir. We hope you enjoyed this session as much as we did. And don't forget to download our app today; we're diving into that bonus point by looking at the value of mastering being uncomfortable.

Don't forget to download the app! Scan the QR code on screen and get 25% off the yearly subscription. Also, we're giving you a special free gift today! You can access one of our special edition collections, Monetize a Digital Nomad Lifestyle. That's our little gift to you for making it all the way here.

That's it from us today, Aluxir. We hope you have a great one, and we'll see you back here next time. Until then, take care, my friend.