Saving money to move off the grid? If so, you’re probably looking for ways to cut costs and in every area of your life so you’ll be ready to purchase that cabin in the woods, or off grid homestead you’ve been dreaming about. A healthy savings account is important because you never know what repairs or investment you’ll need to make in your new off grid home.

Although you may already be couponing or buying things on sale, there are a whole lot of things you can do that not only help you save money.
The truth is, saving money to move off the grid does more than just build your savings account. It also gives you a chance to build your self-reliance skills. It forces you to strategize, plan, and think creatively.

Related: How Much Does it Cost to Move Off The Grid?

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The Number One Way to Save Money Right Now

If you’ve been thrown into an unexpected financial situation and need to save money right now,  start with your grocery bill. With a little planning and preparation, chances are you can lower your costs immediately.

Take the time to organize your pantry. List all the food you have.
Then list all the food in your fridge, freezer, and other cupboards. Use what you have to create a short-term meal plan. I did this last year when we took part in a 60-day pantry challenge.

Look for recipes to make meals from leftovers, like this Chicken-Black-Bean-Salsa Bake. This helps you to use up what you have and limits your spending at the grocery store.
One of the cheap and easy meals to make from canned goods is rice and beans. And one of the easiest ways to use up leftovers is in a soup or stew. Some of our favorites include Turmeric Lentil Soup, my Vegetable Soup Recipe, and my White Bean Kale and Sausage Soup.

The Number One Way to Save Money Long Term

What can you create or grow on your own? When you do-it-yourself, you save money and you could set yourself up for a new income stream.

Learn a new DIY skill such as sewing, knitting, gardening, canning, foraging, or even woodworking.

DIY skills help you save money and become more self-sufficient, but they also give you marketable skills to help you make money once you move.
For now, here’s a great big list to help you get started.

66 Things To Do When You’re Saving Money to Move Off The Grid

1. Stop buying paper towels (and maybe toilet paper – consider these 21 toilet paper alternatives instead)
2. Use knitted or crocheted dishcloths
3. Cut down old towels to make more cleaning cloths/dishcloths
4. Use a menstrual cup instead of paper feminine hygiene products
5. Replace cleaning products with vinegar and baking soda
6. Bake homemade bread and muffins from scratch – buy your bulk dry yeast on Amazon (and freeze it in sandwich bags to keep fresh for up to a year)
7. Save leftover rice, pasta, cooked vegetables, and meats to make homemade soup
8. Buy fruit and veggies in season when cheap and then freeze or preserve
9. Only give handmade gifts
10. Use powdered milk instead of regular milk in baking
11. Plan your meals weekly to shop the specials
12. Make double batches of dinner and freeze the second batch for fast dinners
13. Eat leftovers for lunch
14. Eat rice and beans (many great rice and beans recipes online)
15. Use just one vehicle – sell the second one
16. Walk to work and/or school
17. Combine errands to limit gas consumption
18. Brown bag your lunch
19. Turn your thermostat down in the house in the winter
20. Stop using central air or turn thermostat up in the house in the summer
21. Cut your cable or satellite bill
22. Bundle your internet and smartphone services
23. Stop wearing pantyhose and nail polish
24. Cut and color your own hair
25. Start saving seeds from fruit and vegetables and try to grow your own
26. Grow your own vegetables in a garden
27. Grow your own herbs indoors
28. Learn to forage for edible greens, berries and mushrooms
29. Dry your clothes on a outdoor clothesline or indoor clothes rack
30. Learn to sew on a button, fix rips and patch clothes to avoid buying new ones
31. Use a cold water wash only
32. Use cloth diapers
33. Breastfeed your babies!
34. Make your own baby food
35. Fish – in the summer or try ice fishing in the winter
36. Hunt
37. Barter or trade
38. Use Amazon prime with free shipping to shop sales
39. Reduce your family’s meat consumption if you can’t/won’t hunt. Beans, legumes, and eggs are cheap and nutritious
40. Stop buying sandwich bags and saran wrap
41. Use a power bar and shut it off at night to reduce phantom power usage – a good way to get ready for experiencing off grid electricity!
42. Downsize to a smaller home 
43. Choose free or cheap entertainment
44. Borrow books and DVDs from the library
45. Join a toy lending library
46. Learn to darn your socks!
47. Cut down little worn adult clothes to fit kids
48. Use hand-me-downs from older kids, family and friends
49. Save your soap scraps in a mesh/onion bag to use them up
50. Don’t buy packaged cereal. Eat oatmeal instead – not the instant packets either
51. Brew your own coffee at home and take it to work in a travel mug
52. Stop buying lunchmeat (remember the leftovers from tip #13?)
53. Eat more soups and stews to stretch the meat
54. Comparison shop for house and car insurance
55. Take advantage of any alumni/profession group rates/discounts on insurance
56. Review your bank account charges – look for free online accounts
57. Consolidate any credit card bills to one low rate account to cut interest costs
58. Get rid of interest charges by paying off any kind of debt
59. Call to see if you can renegotiate your internet/cell phone contract charges – especially when your service provider’s competitors are advertising promotions
60. Buy good quality second-hand clothes from a thrift shop, garage sale, or local Facebook swap group.
61. Install CFLs or LED lightbulbs where possible
62. Drink tap water instead of bottled water (filter it if needed)
63. Stop buying juice and pop
64. Turn down the thermostat indoors in the winter and either avoid using central air in the summer or turn the temperature up two degrees to save on electricity bills
65. Redeem credit card reward points for grocery gift cards and save the cash you would have spent this week at the supermarket
66. cancel your gym membership and your yoga studio membership

Saving money to move off the grid can give you a taste of what your future life will be like. It gives you the opportunity to live that old saying – “use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without.”
How are you saving money to move off the grid or pursue your homesteading dreams? Let us know in the comments below.

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