A couple who made the decision to leave the rat race said they now have their own water, gas, and electricity and are mortgage-free. The couple quit their employment and relocated to the wilderness of Alaska, where they drastically reduced their spending and expenses by 80%. This is an alluring figure for those of us struggling with the rising cost of living.
Last year, Lia, 27, and Trevor, 31, relocated 3,680 miles from their home in Phoenix, Arizona, to a rural area of Alaska. They spent $35k (£28,655) for a piece of land, which they used to build a custom shed and drill a well for water. The pair uses a propane tank for their gas, which only needs to be filled twice a year, and solar panels to generate their electricity. They can and preserve a lot of produce to make sure they always have food to eat. By doing this, the pair has roughly cut in half their former monthly expenses of $3.5k (£2,865), which included a mortgage and bills.
Their off-grid existence, which is unconnected to a national water or power system, was set up, according to Lia, in a "surprisingly easy" manner. She stated: "There were some challenges trying to learn about solar but other than that it's pretty straight forward. "Solar energy provides the electricity, and a generator charges the batteries. A tank within the house is filled by a well that we had dug. We just have a propane tank for gas, which we use for our stove and on-demand water. "Twice a year, we take the tank to the gas station to get them filled. We appreciate spending less today because we don't have a mortgage, any debt on the land, or any utility expenses. It's quite a relief.