If you are reading this, it means that you are thinking of trying to become more self-sufficient or even moving off grid – thankfully, however, the fact you are reading this means it is a choice and not a force inevitability.

Equally thankfully, there are many who have gone this route before us and their experiences and learned wisdom can be invaluable.

How will you stay warm when you are living off the grid?

Our main strategies for keeping our home warm in the winter include:
• Slow-combustion wood fire in our main living area
• Insulation – walls and ceiling
• Passive heating – large glass doors in kitchen face positive sun direction
• Clever home design – including window size and placement
• Appropriate garden design – don't let evergreen trees block your winter sun
• Interior design – including choice of window coverings.

Defining ‘junk' when you live off the grid

When you make the move and live off the grid, suddenly many of your prized possessions are absolutely useless. Even more interesting is the way that things you once considered to be worthless suddenly become gems.

For instance, we bought a second-hand water pump and, on the way home, my husband and I laughed out loud at the fact we would never have considered buying such an item before we lived off the grid. Yet we were genuinely excited by getting such a good deal.

Of course the invention of solar-powered water pumps makes pumping water in sunny weather easy — but what about during lengthy cloudy periods. What will you do then?

Off-gridders recycle with a passion

When you live off the grid, recycling becomes much more than just separating your glass from your plastics and putting them out on the kerb for collection.

Suddenly everything is viewed with the question, “How can I put this to good use?”

Egg cartons make great seed-starters, until such time as you have your own hens. When you are collecting your own fresh eggs each morning, an egg carton is recycled until it falls apart. lol.

The interior drum of a discarded washing machine is surprisingly perfect for containing small fires outdoors. The perforated holes in the sides allow sufficient airflow to feed the fire with oxygen, without allowing embers and debris to blow out onto nearby grass. Made of stainless steel, it is ideal for resting a barbecue grill on the top.

When word spread that my husband was incorporating a greenhouse extension into the sunniest side of our big garden shed, everyone we spoke to seemed to have a spare window or glass door.

Give, swap and barter

Off-grid currency takes many forms. At harvest time, it is easy to swap your own produce (particularly if it is organic).

I am sure there must be some people living off the grid who have a high disposable income and are happy to purchase everything they need from a retail store, and to discard items without thought for who else might need them. I haven't met anyone living off the grid who fits that profile yet.

In my world of off-grid living, everyone checks with others before taking anything of potential value to the community rubbish tip. Once the decision is made to discard an item like an old washing machine or an old electric oven, conversations with friends make at least a passing reference to its availability.

Before taking anything to the dump, there are a few questions to ask yourself.
• “How could I use this now, or in the future?”
• “Is it worth keeping?”
• “Who do I know who needs one of these?”
• “Do they have something I'd like to ask them for in return?”

A garden is essential when living off the grid

Nothing keeps fruit and vegetables fresher than leaving them on the trees or in the ground. Once you are living off the grid, you will definitely need a garden.

When you are looking for a place to buy, consider the climate and take a look at the soil. If you can successfully grow organic fruit and vegetables, you can feed your family and still have enough left over to barter with others.

Within your garden be sure to plant medicinal herbs so you can tap into nature's medicine chest. I grow a wide variety of herbs including comfrey for healing broken bones.

Reliable rainfall is essential because you'll need to harvest rainwater and collect it in storage tanks for use during dry periods. The bigger your garden, the more water you'll need.

Explore your off-grid landscape

We were lucky with our choice of land. It wasn't until we'd bought and moved in that we became aware of the history of gold mining in the area.

Now we are hobby prospectors with a range of gear including metal detectors, pans and sluices. By talking with locals we learned the best places to look for gold … with an encouraging amount of success.

You might find your region has one of many precious stones hidden underground. Keep an eye out for sparkles while you are digging your vegetable garden.

One of the best ways to learn how to live off grid or even just gain a higher degree of self-sufficiency is to listen to those who have done it to varying degrees and learn from their successes, failures, lessons learned and tips they gleaned from others.

To learn more about off grid living and what you might expect, please visit Hub Pages.