In recent years I have noticed a trend that more and more people want to get off the grid and get back to the basics. At the same time, many people would like to do that on a reasonable budget. This can be challenging to do when you are looking at purchasing land, building a home, and perhaps setting up a homestead. But if you are determined to save money then continuing reading to learn about 10 tips for building a cabin on a budget.

Searching the internet will bring up numerous options for building an inexpensive cabin. These ideas range from cabin kits, sheds, pallet construction, tiny homes, and even cabins built from shipping containers. I even have a post on Building an Off Grid Home.

All that being said, what I’ve always stressed is that whatever you decide to build, make sure that it will be comfortable for years to come. After all you have to establish a decent lifestyle if you are going to stick with this over the long haul. Consider the following 10 tips for building a cab...

A number of years after building the log cabin, I decided that I wanted to expand.  I truly wanted a cabin that was much more modern and with a few more amenities.  But I also wanted to have additional living quarters so that friends and family could come to the property and stay for the weekend.  All of this was going to required building another cabin.  

The cabin project actually started a year or more before the actual construction was started.  I first had someone excavate a large hole in order to bury a water cistern. Once that was complete, I hauled in the cistern, did the back fill, and buried it as much as possible.  

The second step of this cabin project was to do the foundation work.  I met with a contractor about the framing work, decided on a design as well as dimensions, and set about pouring concrete footings.  I took a month off of work to complete this portion of the project.  

It was actually more efficient, both time wise and financially, to pay someone to do the ...

When I was growing up in Georgia and Tennessee I spent an enormous amount of time on the farm, hiking, camping, and wondering through the forest. As with most kids, I also spent a lot of time day dreaming about all the things I wanted to do.  

The main thing I dreamed about was building a log cabin and living out in the forest in the middle of nature.  Not only did I dream about the log cabin, I also read books on different building methods. I took this a step further by learning the different corner notches that were common for log cabin construction.  As if that was not enough, I gather sticks and small logs and built miniature versions of a log cabin. I also practice building small stone fireplaces our of gravel and mud, dried them, this built a small fire to test their function.  

When I turned 18 I moved to Colorado still dreaming of the log cabin.  I managed to purchase a small cabin by the time I was 22 years old.  It was not exactly what I wanted but it was a start.  Some yea...

Over the years that I’ve lived off grid,  the general attitude about my lifestyle has changed from “Are you freakin’ crazy?” to “I really want to try that!” But, even though more people want to try the off grid life, most people are faced with not knowing  exactly where to start. Additionally, people are intimidated about what type of off grid home to build.  These concerns are typically centered around cost and functionality.

Speaking of functionality, an internet search for “alternative housing”, “mobile housing options”, or “temporary housing options”  quickly brings up with some very interesting and unique options for an off grid home. I will admit that these “unique” options are interesting and fun to learn about. However, they are not very viable as far as a long-term living situation.  

Consequently, in this post, I cover five realistic options for an off grid home.  These options vary according to budget and the ability to use them as a long-term living situation. 

Roughing ...

It seems that in recent years there is an increased interest in living off grid. Although a lot of people think about this type of lifestyle, most never take the first step. Perhaps this is due to most people either not knowing where to start or what their options may be.  In this article, I discuss four realistic options for living off grid. The possibilities are endless and it truly depends on how far you want to stretch your comfort level. 

Four Realistic Options for Living Off Grid

Off-Grid Ready

What I have discovered is that there are many more people comfortable with what I call being “off-grid ready” as opposed to living off grid and being completely independent.  

Being “off-grid ready” simply means being prepared for when the grid goes down for days to weeks.  We have all heard numerous news accounts of when a major storm takes down the grid and many people are forced to live off grid without choice, albeit temporary.  

Hurricanes, snow storms, ice storms, or other nat...

More and more people these days are thinking about living off the grid. If you are one of those, you have do doubt spent some time day dreaming about having the perfect piece of property with a cabin in the middle of the forest. Other than finding land to purchase for the homestead, perhaps the next biggest decision is what type of off grid home to build. There are a number of things that will effect this decision. Consequently, before reaching for your tools or your wallet, consider the following factors before building your off grid home.  

Important Considerations Before Building an Off Grid Home   

AVAILABLE FINANCES

If you have  plenty of money available, then perhaps your options for building an off grid home are limitless.  Paying cash for something may not be a problem. This is of course the best way to make sure you have limited debt or you stay completely out of debt.  However, the average person cannot pay cash for a home. Therefore, housing may require some type o...

What is Bugging Out?

I am the type of person that constantly searches for and reads articles concerning self-sufficiency, homesteading, green living, etc.  I often come across some interesting discussions that catch my interest. One of the things I repeatedly come across is the term bugging out. This term is usually related to some survival or disaster scenario.

Even though the subject of this blog is not really about survival and prepping, I thought is was appropriate to at least address this issue of bugging out.  In many ways it is actually related to self-sufficiency. Certainly if you decided that “bugging out” was necessary, it is in your best interest to know how to take care of yourself and your family.

The term “bugging out” comes from military jargon and may have originated as far back as the Korean War. Sometimes military personnel found themselves in a position that was no longer defensible or was likely to be overrun by enemy forces. In this case they were instructed to ...

When Buying Rural Property, how do you find the right place?

I purchased a 46 acre property over 20 years ago that I considered to be my dream property. I had always wanted to build a log cabin and establish a homestead that was completely off-grid. That is exactly what I did. I still have that property today and still live there full-time. Fortunately for me, things worked out well despite my lack of forethought and planning.

At the time I also had a complete lack of understanding of all the possible considerations for buying rural property. I made many, many mistakes. It was only the second piece of real estate I had ever purchased in my life. When I found this place, I knew it was exactly what I wanted and I jumped at the opportunity.

Because I did not have a lot of money at the time,  I took a significant financial risk. Fortunately the people I dealt with were honest, extremely helpful, and willing to risk placing their trust in me. Only in retrospect did I realize just how m...