The Frugal Off Grid Library
This page is not social media.
It’s a quiet place for longer form notes, demonstrations, and observations related to off-grid living.
Some of this content doesn’t fit well on platforms built for speed or outrage.
A Note From a Reader
A man sent this through the site recently. I’m sharing it here because it captures something I think is true about this path: it’s not a single finish line. It’s a long journey that becomes your life.
Cletus
I took this path 40 years ago, it’s been a grand adventure. Found me a like minded woman, moved to the country, raised good adults (they started out as children but I wasn’t raising children, I was raising adults).
Through laughter and tears, joy and sorrow, wouldn’t change a thing.
She died last June, thru the tears I remember the joy. What an adventure we shared.
Stay your journey, some days you’ll question your decision, this will pass, stay your journey.
The goal isn’t some mythical “one day you’ll arrive”.
The journey IS the goal.
Best,
The Old Man
New in the Library
Recent additions. Calm, practical, and meant to be taken slowly.
Here’s the Solution to Off-Grid Finance… But You Won’t Listen
Most people assume the solution to financial pressure is earning more money. In practice, the structure of your life matters more. This video explains the financial principle that made off-grid living possible for me and why reducing the largest expenses in your life changes everything.
Topics Covered in This Video
- Why earning more money often does not solve financial pressure long term
- How the structure of your life affects stress, freedom, and sustainability
- Why reducing major expenses matters more than chasing higher income
- How off-grid living becomes more realistic when overhead comes down
- The connection between housing costs, land decisions, and long-term independence
What Off-Grid Living Actually Looks Like
A grounded overview of what the day to day reality looks like once the novelty wears off.
Your First Two Years Off-Grid
The early phase is the hardest part. This is what tends to surprise people, and what helps you keep going.
Why Less Desirable Land Is Often Smarter
A calm argument for overlooked land: lower cost, fewer competing buyers, and more room to build slowly and deliberately.
The Steps You Need To Take Before You Buy Land
This is for people who are still in the early phase and want to avoid expensive mistakes. It’s not a list of counties or best states. It’s a clear, practical way to think before you spend money.
If you want the written version and the key takeaways, the blog post is here: How to Think Clearly Before Buying Off-Grid Land →
If you already have land and are actively building or settling into your homestead, this library is meant to support the long, practical middle years too. Systems, decisions, pacing, and lessons learned after the land purchase.
Start Here
If you’re new here, start with the video below. It’s not a technical walkthrough. It’s a macro overview of how I think about off-grid living, why I built this site the way I did. This library shows how I think. If you want a structured path that ties everything together, the book and roadmap go deeper.
If you’re trying to understand permits and what a Certificate of Occupancy actually looks like in the real world, I wrote a calm overview here: Apache County Permits and Certificate of Occupancy →
This isn’t meant to be consumed quickly. Take your time with it.
Systems-Based Thinking for Off-Grid Living
A short orientation that explains how Shelter, Water, Food, Power, and Income fit together, and why order matters more than speed.
Certificate of Occupancy: A Calm Perspective
Most off-grid channels never talk about permits. This video isn’t a how-to. It’s a perspective on permanence, legality, and what’s actually possible if you’re willing to take your time and do things deliberately.
If you’re the kind of person who cares about permanence and doing things above board, this is for you. If you’re looking for shortcuts, this probably isn’t.
How to Start a Homestead (The Simple Framework)
This is a condensed overview of how I think about starting off-grid or homesteading before touching land, tools, or money. It’s not a checklist. It’s a way of thinking that helps prevent expensive mistakes later.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to begin, this video is meant to slow things down and give you a usable mental model.
Off-Grid Living for Beginners
If you’re new, this is the best place to begin.
What I’d Do Differently If I Started Off-Grid Today
This is a retrospective look at what I would change if I were starting again. It’s not regret. It’s pattern recognition after years of living with the decisions.
Why the System Feels Harder Than It Needs to Be
This video is an observation, not a complaint.
Over time, I’ve noticed that most people don’t walk away from off-grid living because they’re careless or unwilling to do things properly. They walk away because the process feels overwhelming all at once, large requirements, large costs, and very little context about how to approach things gradually.
Rules exist for good reasons. Public health and safety matter.
But when systems are difficult to understand or navigate, the unintended result is often confusion and fear, not better outcomes. This video is about slowing down, understanding the process, and approaching off-grid living deliberately, with planning, patience, and long-term responsibility. Not shortcuts. Not avoidance. Just a clearer way of thinking through the path forward.
If you’re feeling stuck or unsure where to begin, this is meant to help you reframe the problem before moving on to practical decisions.
If you feel overwhelmed, this video is meant to offer context.
I’m Not Rich, I’m Free
This video isn’t about money, success, or productivity.
It’s about freedom, and what that actually looks like when you build a life slowly and deliberately. I filmed this while walking the homestead in the early morning, talking through what I’ve learned over time about reducing pressure, lowering overhead, and choosing a life that’s sustainable instead of impressive.
This isn’t advice you need to act on right away. It’s perspective. Take your time with it.
Here’s what freedom looks like to me.
Systems in Practice
The videos below aren’t meant to create hype or make anything look easy. They’re practical examples of how real off-grid systems behave over time. Water, heat, food, and weather.
A Simple Off-Grid Starting System
Many people assume you need a finished house, a large solar system, and a lot of money before moving off-grid. That wasn’t how I started.
When I first moved to my property in 2020, I began with a camper van, a small shop structure, and a very simple system that covered the five pillars I talk about here: shelter, water, food, power, and income.
The diagram below shows a simplified version of that setup. It also reflects what a similar starting point might realistically cost today after accounting for inflation and basic startup expenses.
If you want the full explanation and a realistic beginner cost breakdown, you can read the guide here:
Beginner Off-Grid Cost Breakdown →
Video explanation coming soon.
Growing Food Year-Round in the High Desert
DIY Underground Water Cistern (Simple and Low Cost)
10,000 Gallons of Water Storage for About $200 (Simple Diagram)
This is the basic concept behind my underground cistern system. It is not a set of plans. It is simply a clear visual of how the water moves from roof to storage, and how the cistern is protected and covered.
If you want the full blog post and context, it is here: Underground Cistern Overview →
Off-Grid Heat Sources I’ve Relied On (And Why)
There is no single best heat source. This video shows what has worked for me, in my climate, and why, including tradeoffs.
Rebuilding My Mini Split Filters Instead of Replacing Them
Mini split replacement filters are one of those small recurring costs that add up over time. Instead of continuing to replace flimsy factory filters, I rebuilt mine using washable metal mesh so they can be vacuumed in place and reused long term. It is a small fix, but it fits the same systems thinking I use across the homestead: repair what you can, make maintenance easier, and reduce recurring cost where it makes sense.
If you want the full writeup, more photos, and the explanation behind it, the blog post is here: How I Rebuilt My Mini Split Filters Instead of Replacing Them →
How I Built My Masonry Heater / Russian Stove Fireplace (Photo Overview)
A lot of people have asked how I built the masonry heater in the cabin. This isn’t a set of plans and it isn’t meant to be copied as instructions. It’s simply a visual overview of the build progression and how it’s used in real life.
If you want the full set of images, more context, and the written explanation, the blog post is here: How I Built My Masonry Heater / Russian Stove Fireplace →
A full video walkthrough is coming soon to the Library.
Monsoon Rainwater Harvesting (Real Conditions)
This is not a tutorial. It’s a real monsoon event showing how the land, swales, and water systems respond in real time.
Interviews and Documentary Features
These interviews explore the systems-based approach behind frugal off-grid living. They discuss practical homestead design, long-term sustainability, and the framework of shelter, water, food, power, and income that guides the Frugal Off Grid project.
Off-Grid Homestead Interview with Kirsten Dirksen
This documentary-style interview with filmmaker Kirsten Dirksen explores the Frugal Off Grid homestead and the long-term systems approach to building a resilient off-grid life.
Frugal Off-Grid Living Interview – Arizona Family News
This full-length news interview discusses frugal off-grid living and the practical systems used to build a stable rural life, including shelter, water, food, power, and income.