FROM OVERWHELM TO OFF-GRID
Our Journey to a Life We Didn’t Know Was Possible
We weren’t born into an off-grid lifestyle. We didn’t grow up in cabins, inherit land, or have savings tucked away for a homestead dream. Instead, we were a single-income family living just north of Toronto in a three-story townhouse, with two cars, homeschooling our little ones, and trying our best to keep up with the pace of suburban life. It felt normal… until it didn’t.
During the holiday season of 2013, everything changed all at once. My husband lost his job, money got tight, and an $800 power bill arrived in the mailbox. There we were, exhausted and overwhelmed, suddenly face-to-face with a truth we had been avoiding: our life was owning us, not the other way around.
That moment became our turning point, prompting us to explore minimalism and sustainable living. We knew we needed something to change, and the idea of urban homesteading began to take root in our minds.
Book Your Consultation Now!
Send us an email of you would like to chat about your off grid dreams, current projects, or what is holding you back.
The Great Undoing
We sat down and truly evaluated our life, reflecting on what we didn't enjoy, how things weren't working, and envisioning what we wanted our life to resemble.
So we began by embracing minimalism and ruthlessly downsizing. We let go of possessions that weren’t serving us and used that cash to pay off credit card debt we had accumulated over the years in our struggle to maintain a normal life.
We moved back to the east coast where living expenses were far more affordable and fully embraced this sustainable living approach. We started urban homesteading, learning, trying, failing, and trying again.
However, despite our best efforts, we still weren’t making progress toward our off-grid lifestyle dreams until something clicked and we made our boldest decision yet.
We sold our only vehicle, bought a dilapidated motorhome, and rebuilt it with determination and YouTube tutorials. We moved our young family of four into it full-time. People thought we’d lost our minds, but what we truly shed were debt, stress, and unnecessary obligations.
For one full year, that motorhome became our home, our teacher, and our gateway to freedom. We reduced our expenses to almost nothing, paid off our debts, built a nest egg, and began imagining what life could be instead of what we’d been told it 'should' be.
Our renovated home on wheels.
Where Dreams Become Foundations
In the spring of 2019, we bought a small, overlooked piece of land for $4,000. Embracing a minimalism mindset, we parked the motorhome, rolled up our sleeves, and began clearing the land ourselves.
With $6,000 and a whole lot of grit, we built our first off-grid cabin. It was humble, solar-powered, and perfectly suited for our off-grid lifestyle. Small and imperfect, it felt absolutely perfect for us. We had created a life that embodied sustainable living and felt truly our own.
Then in 2022, on a whim and the allure of more land to grow, we listed the property just to “see what would happen.” To our surprise, it sold in two hours.
Suddenly we were packing again, scrambling to find a new piece of land. We discovered a larger, wilder property full of possibilities, complete with a private fresh water beach. There, we built a bigger cabin, expanded our solar system, and established our urban homesteading venture. We grew deeper roots and wider skills, all while helping more people embrace the off-grid lifestyle.
What began as survival transformed into a passion. What started as necessity evolved into expertise. What once felt chaotic ultimately became our calling.
Our first off grid cabin in the woods built in 2019.