There is a lot of talk these days about eco living, self sufficiency, and going ‘off the grid.’ It’s an exciting prospect to think about living completely by your own resources and not depending on anyone else for your own survival. For most it is just a fantasy that seems so distant and even impossible. Yet, for many people it is something they actively work for every day of their lives.

Do you think you could be one of them in the future? Before you write it off as too difficult or expensive, let’s consider exactly what it means to live a self-sufficient life.

Someone who is living ‘off the grid’ does not use public resources for their electricity, gas, and other resource. You can usually identify these people by the solar panels lining the roofs of their homes. Most people who strive to live eco friendly are not completely off the grid and still depend on some resources coming from their city government.

It is not simple or cheap to be off the grid, but for many people it is a lifelong aspiration that they are very proud of once it is finally achieved. Even people who spend most of their life trying to become self-sufficient are today still only partly off the grid.

It is not realistic to jump right in and say you are going to spend whatever it takes to get off the grid and live an eco friendly life. Most people cannot afford the massive resources that would take, so it becomes more of a goal and you start small.

With time small steps will build up until you are eventually making an impact on the Earth with your eco friendly life. The first step for many people is starting their own garden to grow as much of their own food as possible. You can plant huge gardens for very little money if you use seed, and most of the food can be canned or frozen for use in the winter.

That gas guzzler sitting in the driveway is another small step you could make. Chances are you have already thought about getting a hybrid to take advantage of the government cash back offers and to reduce your carbon footprint that much more. If you can afford to take this step, there is no time like right now.

Of course, the sun is our most powerful source of energy and it is a dream of many people to depend on it more than they do the public electricity. If you are one of these people, then check into the price of getting solar power in your home and start saving now.

Even if you just commit to switch to a more energy conserving type of light bulb you are making your first step toward eco living. Just because you can’t jump in and go all the way today doesn’t mean you should sit back and dismiss the idea entirely.