Imagine living a life on your own terms– no utility bills, a mortgage-free home, independence and security. That’s the life truck drivers Bill, Rosa and their little dog Rebel Rat are living.
Bill and Rosa are husband and wife team drivers. Bill, a retired military serviceman, entered the trucking industry in 2000. In 2003, Rosa joined Bill on the road and the two have been a team ever since.
Four years ago, Bill and Rosa began discussing their life after the road– specifically how the couple would spend their retirement.
Conversations with other retirees about fixed incomes and living expenses prompted Bill and Rosa to begin exploring the option of homesteading– living life off the grid.
“We were talking to other retirees who live on fixed incomes. Utility rates fluctuate. Sometimes they’re forced to pick and choose what they can afford to pay. We knew we wanted to do something,” Bill said.
For many years, Bill and Rosa had a home in Georgia. Though they were gone for weeks– sometimes months– they were still forced to pay utilities and mortgage payments on their home. Their utilities sometimes ran as high as $600 a month, their mortgage was $750 and their property taxes were $1,200 a year.
The homesteading lifestyle would allow Bill and Rosa to be free of all of those monthly payments.
Bill and Rosa began seriously studying all that it would take to go off the grid.
Bill began researching each state’s homesteading laws. Certain states are more “homesteading friendly” than others. Some states require all dwellings to be on city and public utilities.
Bill said Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Oklahoma and Georgia are all homestead friendly. He advises anyone who wants to go off the grid to research state and county homesteading laws, then factor in property taxes.
Two years ago, Bill found a plot of land in Oklahoma, purchased the land and the two got busy setting up the homestead.
They purchased a 12×40 foot portable building, with two 12×12 lofts in it, on the land, put in a composting toilet, solar panels and a rain water collection system.
They have a 2,700+ watt solar system with 1600 watt turbine.
The home is equipped with an air conditioner, wood stove, propane heaters, full freezer and refrigerator, stove, TV, etc.
“Our home is just like your home,” Rosa said. “I cook, use the mixer, vacuum; I can do everything you do at your home.”
Bill and Rosa no longer rely on utility companies to meet their needs– saving them an average of $600 a month in utilities alone!
In addition, they’re in the process of growing their own food. They have chickens, fruit trees, blackberry bushes and they’re working on a garden.
“This is not about doomsday prepping,” Bill said. “This is just us trying to return to a pure, simple way of life.”
Bill and Rosa share their wealth of knowledge with others who are looking to live a simpler life. Their website, Our Off Grid Solar Cabin, is rife with information on going off the grid.
On their site, Bill and Rosa give honest information on what types of products to buy, along with their hits and misses in this journey. Their website is a gem for anyone wanting to begin this endeavor.
You can also follow Bill, Rosa and Rebel Rat’s adventures on YouTube.
From Bill and Rosa:
Check out our Web Site http://www.ouroffgridsolarcabin.com
We have a blog there and adding a lot of content to explain our lifestyle and how to go off the grid.
Our FB page link https://www.facebook.com/solarcabin
My FB Page link https://www.facebook.com/ouroffgridso…
Our G+ Page https://plus.google.com/u/0/101008385…
Take a short tour of their homestead here: