My Story :
I started this blog on Blogger (thank you) because it is a free site if I die who is going to pay the bill to keep it up... I wanted a fancy website but its the information that is contained that matters... Hell if its the end of the world then none of this will ever be seen anyway! Wanted for a while to get off the grid and be self sufficient. Hello my name is Scott my friends call me Scotty. I am a 40 something, married once and divorced and have four beautiful children and two stepchildren. I never thought I would be a off gird homesteader. In fact I was raised a city boy (think Brandon from the tv show 90210) and never like to camp or hike or get dirty. I came from a middle class family (when there actually that was that class) and a only child. I was spoiled but my life chanced all the money was gone and I was working for a living since I was 16.
Both my parents were farmers and grew up on farms in Northern Pennsylvania. On my fathers side still operates a dairy farm since 1887. So I believe it's in my DNA to live this kind of lifestyle.
This is a personal struggle for me. I am currently working a full time job in Las Vegas and have very little free time. I am still going through a rough costly divorce it seems to never end with children to complicate things... I will post updates and videos on the channel when I can and keep doing a little at a time. There is a goal and a plan for everything just got to keep the vision and stay on track.
I look forward to retirement... I have a great career that pays well and plan on getting my infrastructure set up so when it is time to retire I can survive very easily (everything will be paid off!). The fact is there is no pension there is nothing but the money I can save and a 401k and other investments. When its time to quit my regular job I want to walk away rent free and debt free.
I purchased my first 10 acre parcel several years ago of raw land in California but did nothing with it (lost it in the divorce) .. I have now this acre of property in Arizona that I purchased at a tax deed sale for $900 dollars! I currently work in Las Vegas but my homestead is around 70 miles away. Yup, I commute... but when I get home it's the best feeling in the world. I established Arizona residency.
The cost of living keeps going up while your paycheck stays the same... There is a mass exodus out of California and the economy is bad right now. I checked online as of 2024 and a 1 bedroom apartment in the city of Vegas will cost you $850 dollars and up with some utilities included... Imagine if you could pocket that money plus the utilities in your pocket.
One of the first videos I ever saw anther documentary on a gentleman by the name of John Niles Wells (1959 - 2004) a man who left upstate New York City to come to the middle of nowhere in Texas... He documents everything on his blog and the video below documents that very well... In fact he used to post something on his blog everyday... Thank you for the inspiration John rest in peace.
I am not here to spout all doom and gloom and end of the world but self-sufficiency is key for survival. The way our forefathers used to live off the land ( think Amish ways) and be self sufficient has literally been bred out of society. Everyone has opted for modern convinces of tomorrow. The kids today don't know how to survive without electricity or even cook for that matter they took that out of schools long ago. I want to learn the old ways and pass down that to my children and grandchildren.The thing I enjoy the most is the peacefulness just the birds and the wildlife out where I are at.
I quote John Wells "Places are not lonely only people are lonely" I have friends and the outside world I can communicate with so I am never truly alone, heck I have the internet.
It's great to be able to get away from it all to have you little piece of the world carved out and to know that when you close that gate behind you that you are better off then 90% percent of the world out there. It gives you a little piece of mind. As the homestead progresses I will look for alternative ways to make income such as selling eggs, livestock and other goods at the farmers market, trading and bartering. You can create different usable items and products and sell them online too. A off grid homesteader makes different teas out of his shed.
This is a record and testament of my journey, my struggles, and successes of building my off grid homestead.
You can go on YouTube and get lost with all the different sites and all the different things that has to do with homesteading and off grid living.
There are a hundred ways to make a pie choose your style to fit your wants and needs!
The thing I can say is that it is extremely hard. You will have days you thinking at some point that you have lost your mind and should give up especially in the beginning... I often wondered why when I drove through the vast deserts I would see little shacks or houses completely abandoned and left to decay. I always wonder what was their backstory why did that person's dream end? What made someone try and then all the sudden they walked away or gave up...
This site is a part informational Blog part Vlog part whatever it will become. I am just a guy trying to make a living in a way to where I don't have a mortgage or rent (other then the yearly property tax) I mean I really want to succeed and thrive. I believe that if there is something that comes across that I don't know I will figure it out and you will be there for the journey. Enjoy it no matter where the road takes you.
I hope someone remembers me when I am gone I hope I helped someone or someone finds a book or PDF or something I left behind that helped them... and a simple thanks will be alright with me...
