Many of us dream of a simpler life: giving up the expenses of running a house, finding some land, and living in a small, eco-friendly space in harmony with nature. Many of us also invent excuses not to do so: ‘I don’t have a plot with planning permission’, or ‘I don’t have any cash to get the ball rolling’ being two of the most typical.
Rob Greenfield‘s entire existence should make us think twice about this defeatist attitude. The self-styled celebrity off-gridder, whose mission to live without money has been featured in numerous magazines and TV shows, is an inspiration to us all- and not just his tips on activism, his awesome bamboo bicycle or his passion for dumpster diving. Rob’s tiny home (or should we say teeny home) is just five feet wide and ten feet long, but it looks so cosy and functional. The activist picked it up on Craigslist for just $950, and as for the problem of no land to park it up on- well, no problem. Rob figured maybe someone in the San Diego area would let him use some of their land in exchange for garden maintenance and other odd jobs, plus free food from his garden. He wrote an ad asking for this mutually beneficial agreement, and he found the perfect place with ease. Just like he dreamed of, Rob is now living off-grid, and in the city too!
Rob calls his home the ‘Teeny Greeny’. Because it’s so tiny, Rob admits he only uses it for sleeping and ‘cuddling’, but he has built an outdoor bathroom (with a composting toilet and sink), in addition to an outdoor kitchen comprising stove, sink and storage unit. Rob has fitted solar panels on the roof of his unusual house. He grows all his own food and lives 100% money (and debt) free, taking what he needs only from nature and using skill-swapping as an alternative currency to get everything he needs. He built some gutters on his neighbor’s house so they can both benefit from harvesting rainwater, and tries to eat fresh food so he doesn’t need to use a refrigerator. Now, he lives work-free, stress-free, money-free and worry-free. Rob’s story is a reminder that we can all choose this lifestyle, and taking the plunge is easier than you might think.
This video is jam-packed with very useful advice on gardening, making compost from human waste (aka ‘humanure’) and Rob also offers his thoughts on why showers are really not necessary…
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