Eco Living – Not Just For The Rich!

by Dan Clayto

There is a lot of talk these days about eco living, self sufficiency, and going ‘off the grid.’ It’s an exciting prospect to think about living completely by your own resources and not depending on anyone else for your own survival. For most it is just a fantasy that seems so distant and even impossible. Yet, for many people it is something they actively work for every day of their lives. What are your chances of really becoming self sufficient in the near future? Don’t blow it off as something that you cannot afford. First consider what it really takes to live an eco friendly lifestyle. Someone who is living ‘off the grid’ does not use public resources for their electricity, gas, and other resource. You can usually identify these people by the solar panels lining the roofs of their homes. Most people who strive to live eco friendly are not completely off the grid and still depend on some resources coming from their city government. There are people who have been working toward that dream their entire life but still are not completely off the grid. That is because it isn’t cheap to purchase the equipment to completely keep a home powered. Once this is achieved it is a huge accomplishment to be extremely proud of. It would take immense resources to immediately purchase what is required to go off the grid and live a 100% eco friendly life. That is why most people start small and aim for something bigger. With time, each small step that you take to live more eco friendly will build up. Even if you never make it to complete self sufficiency, you will come a long way even in just a few years. Often, the first step is to start growing your own food. Vegetable seeds are not very expensive, so a large garden can be maintained for very little and will deliver enough food for the summer months plus much more to be canned and frozen for the winter. Other people start by getting rid of their gas guzzlers and purchasing a hybrid to reduce their dependence on gasoline. This is really big right now and there are even government reward programs for those purchasing these vehicles in the near future. If solar power is something that you really want to invest in, now is the time to start looking into the cost for your home and saving up. The sun is our greatest renewable energy source and the ability to light and heat your home with its power is simply amazing. If you can’t afford to jump right in and bring your entire lifestyle into line with eco living principles that is no reason to sit back and do nothing at all. No one can afford to go all the way right away, so just commit today to your first small step. Even if you just change your light bulbs to a more energy conservative variety, it’s a big start to your future.