As an American, is there a way to live self-sufficiently off-grid without worrying about property taxes or government issues?
Yes, there is.
Based on your very limited criteria…
A.) Choose one of the following states (note the later edit about “Indian” reservations!): Alaska, Alabama, Missouri, Georgia, Tennessee, or Texas. (These states have legalized off-grid living and offer a high standard of living for those who choose it.) In other states, off-grid living is essentially criminalized.
B.) Find a ranch, farm, oil field, or other facility where property taxes are free/reduced.
C.) Negotiate a barter agreement with the owner/operator of that facility – trade labor on the farm or ranch (a fixed number of service hours per year) for a 99-year lease on one acre of land and use of their Wi-Fi. Then, ensure your income (for you and a spouse) is below $1200 a month, or $800 if single – this keeps you below the federal/state income tax threshold (though filing is still necessary).
D.) This requires a bit of capital (but not a lot)… Purchase a small prefab dwelling/home, pour the foundation, install a septic tank, clear one acre of land, set up a 60,000-gallon rainwater collection system (even if you can dig a well), water purification, solar panels plus batteries, and an electric vehicle for transportation.
E.) Build a 20×10 semi-automated hydroponic greenhouse next to your home. Include a 3,000-gallon pond for catfish farming, perches for laying hens, and a root cellar. Hunt and fish in season. If you can’t, learn how to dress a 5-point buck. Learn food preservation, meat smoking, and backhoe operation.
F.) Budget part of the $1200 you receive monthly. Medicaid’s income limit is $794/month for a single applicant and $1,191/month for a couple. Thus, healthcare is provided, and you might consider adding Medicaid supplemental insurance.
G.) Use a prepaid cell phone for calls. For TV, use an OTA antenna and IPTV channels.
You’re off-grid now (except for Wi-Fi). In this scenario, you control your land without taxes (except sales tax) and have about $100 a month for luxuries like a monthly McDonald’s treat, soap, toothpaste, and toilet paper. As long as you uphold the deal, you control the land where you live.
Off-grid living in America!
Note: The initial capital cost is about $100,000. This is not a difficult amount for a couple to save. However, if you have $100,000, another option is to obtain citizenship in a low-tax country (like the Dominican Republic, Sri Lanka, or a low/no-tax civilized country with universal healthcare), renounce your U.S. citizenship, and buy a bungalow on the beach in your new country for $100,000. Get a phone support job for a U.S.-based company (speaking perfect English with a PC and internet), and with a dollar-based salary, you’ll live like a sultan and wash your hands of America’s madness.
Edit: In response to some comments:
My scenario is based on a friend who did this in Oregon. As pointed out, off-grid living is basically illegal in most states in America:
In many states, camping on your own land for more than a few weeks is illegal.
In many states, harvesting rainwater on your own land is heavily regulated.
In most states (likely all), you cannot obtain a building permit unless public utilities come to the site (hence leasing land with utilities already present). Also, if utilities are already present, it is illegal to completely disconnect from the public utility system.
In most counties, selling surplus food is outlawed without permits and health inspections (for health and safety reasons).
Most municipalities require a minimum house size – regardless of whether one person or 100 people live in it. And minimum plot size regulations.
Using cash transactions for financials. The local CVS is quite reluctant to trade prescriptions for chickens or goats.
Paying taxes shifts your off-grid efforts to tax-subsidized grid subsidies.
Native Americans cannot own “reservation land” because it is held “in trust” by the federal government for them. Native Americans, due to racially discriminatory U.S. federal laws, still cannot own land, which prevents them from building financial assets and is why they remain in poverty in the richest country in the world. However, you can sublease reservation land. No property taxes are paid on reservation or trust land.
Boom!
If someone is serious about off-grid living without taxes, sublease a plot on a reservation to help our Native American brothers and sisters (benefiting the tribe), and teach them what you’re doing. The following video is a great example of maintaining most luxuries while living off-grid.
