CalamityJane's Journal

[7Wannabe5]

What fun! The great thing about a piece of property like that is that you can do absolutely nothing, or whatever you like, at your own pace. One thing you might want to do, if you haven't already, is verify the legal identity and boundaries of your land. On my second permaculture project, which was in a similarly undeveloped rural setting, the previous land owner had displaced two acres of the property!

[calamityjane]

@7wannabe5, what a nightmare! The first thing I did after the sale went through was to meet my realtor at the property and walk the perimeter with her. Luckily the corners had been marked, so I shouldn't have to go to the expense of getting a survey done.

[calamityjane]

I have been remiss in my journal updates! I will blame summer progress, gradual though it might be.

Homestead
Work continues. I sawed down several dead trees and have enough firewood to last at least a few seasons (thanks again, Mrs. @theanimal, for the chainsaw tutorial at Fest ‘23!). The bell tent now holds a real bed mattress on a frame, which is a great improvement from an air mattress or memory foam. It also allows for both dogs to sleep in there comfortably. It’s definitely a one person tent, but allows just enough room for the addition of a small bookshelf and woodstove. Not a super long term solution, but very accommodating for now. I also built a small metal storage shed, an outhouse for my compost toilet, and a wooden picnic table situated to catch the best views.

I’ve been researching and pricing options for a shed renovation next spring, and am heartened to know I have multiple options that will deliver to the boonies. The price should also be lower than I originally anticipated, though it can quickly escalate depending on amenities and supply costs.

I realized I want to keep things as simple as possible in my build and amenities, not just for the sake of frugality, but also because I don’t want to replicate my urban lifestyle off the grid or purchase a bunch of lumber and other materials. Certainly there are options to fully wire and plumb a house so I don’t have to give up any of the conveniences of on grid life, and cabins I could build to look like a suburban ski chalet, but those things would completely defeat the purpose for me.

Recently I read Rob Greenfield’s book Dude Making a Difference about his bike ride across the country to raise awareness of excess consumption and waste. He only ate food that was locally sourced or found in dumpsters, used no electricity or running water, and at various times spent no money (somewhat reminiscent of Mark Doyle, the “Moneyless Man”). Those of us who have embarked on long backpacking or cyclepacking trips have probably experienced this to lesser degrees, and surely it’s a motivating factor behind ERE generally. There is a great freedom in intentional simplicity. While it is helpful for society to replace wasteful conveniences with greener alternatives, what is even better is for individuals to embrace what they can happily live without. So no, I don’t want a cabin outfitted with enough solar panels to keep the lights running 24 hours a day and a whirlpool tub. I will happily poop in a bucket rather than flush two gallons of water. I know there is so much more I can do, but I also know that before I started considering what a different lifestyle might look like, I never would have come to realize just how possible and even enjoyable such changes could be.

Financial
None of that is really about saving money, but it’s surely a by-product. This year has been a bit of a spending circus all around. Along with the unplanned roof repair in January and property purchase was added dog surgery and recent plumbing repairs. Before I quit working full time, I wasn’t sure how I would deal with these continual gut checks. As it is, I have been taking them in relative stride. I’ve found that I have a different psychological relationship to spending in drawdown vs. accumulation mode. Though it’s not fun to deal with a series of unexpected expenses, it no longer feels painful. I have a plan, and as long as my expenses fall within the plan, money is (as it should be) a disembodied tool.

Foraging
I made some prickly pear juice from the cacti in my yard the other day, yielding around 3 quarts. It is really good with some lime and soda water (and optionally tequila) added. I also experimented with using it as a fabric dye, because the color is so exquisite. So far the results have been disappointing, but it’s fun to try! I think I will make jam with about half of the juice as well as giving some to friends when I visit their homestead this weekend.

[frugaldoc]

I am so envious of your homesteading activities and wish I could see the pictures (our low bandwidth prevents it).

It sounds like you had initially shown interest in shipping containers but are now looking at a shed renovation. What were you thoughts behind choosing the shed route? I was considering a shipping container as a place to securely store tools and equipment on my new land in VT as well as a place to sleep during bad weather. A shed seems more versatile but a shipping container seemed easier to secure during my long absences.

[calamityjane]

Thanks, frugaldoc! I think a shipping container would work well for use as a shed, and they are very easy to secure. My thinking with regards to using it as a living space is that they can be harder to insulate against heat and cold, especially once you start cutting windows into the metal. Plus it's just a lot more work to build it into a comfortable space. Since the expense to get a shipping container delivered can be just about as much as buying a shed that's already somewhat "houselike", it seems like a better option to me.

[BibblyBob]

Just read through your journal, congrats on your homestead! It's very exciting, I look forward to reading your updates!

[frugaldoc]

Yes, the insulation issue would make a big difference. I am curious where you sourced your shed from and what sort of factors you were evaluating when choosing one.

[AxelHeyst]

+1 on not using shipping containers as living spaces (as someone who did an 80% build on one a few years ago). You have to fight what they want to be to make them work for living space. Great for tool/gear storage though.

Really cool update Calamity! I like your insights about not replicating conventional on-grid life from alternative sources. It’s easy to get swept up in what you *can* do out on your own, and forget to ask what you ought to do, what suits *you* to do, and what the true costs are.

[calamityjane]

@BibblyBob, thanks for reading. I need to get back in the habit of updating more often.

@frugaldoc, I'm still in the process of choosing where to buy. I will likely choose between 3 suppliers here in NM, depending on quality of materials, delivery cost, and price. I'll talk more about this process as I start doing more than superficial research.

@AxelHeyst - thank you! I remember reading about your shipping container build, which may have put the idea on my radar in the first place. I commend you for getting as far as you did, and I'm sure those skills will translate to other projects in the future.

Here is another photo of my current setup, fully glampified and with dogs added.

[calamityjane]

Financial
Making lemonade out of lemons, I took advantage of the post-election market surge to sell high from my Roth and set up my cashflow for the next year. This is the first time I’ve actually had to withdraw from my investments since “retiring” in 2021, and while it felt a bit strange to watch money moving in the wrong direction, it was less emotionally taxing than I expected.

Speaking of taxing, I’m still trying to figure out the implications for tax reporting. As far as I can tell, because all Roth contributions (not gains) can be taken out at any time for any reason, I should not need to file anything. However, there is conflicting information online about whether or not I need to submit Form 8606. Anyone with experience here, please chime in.

Most of this cashflow planning is to cover the cost of my upcoming shed purchase and conversion. I also realized recently that I will need to pay to have a corner of my house foundation raised, for which I got an estimate of $3500 three years ago (and is likely more now). It wasn’t an issue until I noticed my front door is no longer lining up evenly with the doorframe and now requires me to pull the deadbolt to get it to stay closed. I am afraid this is going to get worse over the winter, so I am planning to deal with it in the next couple months. The only good thing about this is that I can bake it into next year’s budget in progress, so it won’t come as a surprise. My plan is to work two or three more months to cover it, so while I was intending to end part-time employment in February or March, now it’s looking like May. It’s nice to have such levers to pull while I still have the option.

Creativity/Research
The watercolor painting continues to go well, and I’m definitely seeing progress in my technique over the past year. I now have the confidence to give them away as gifts, and have gotten positive feedback.

I attended the annual Mogollon (archaeology) Conference in October, which was fantastic. It gave me many ideas for how to push my own rock art research forward. Soon after, I visited an exquisite pictograph site in southern NM which brought me to tears. There is potential for me to pull that site into the iconographic and stylistic connections I’ve been making with other sites, so I look forward to how that is all evolving.

Still working on recording the big petroglyph site on the wildlife refuge – most of the challenge continues to be administrative bureaucracy. It looks like we’ll finish up the current section in one more session. Most of my colleagues are aging out of the physical demands of the work, so this might be my last recording project for quite awhile. Nonetheless, it will be really satisfying to finish and then write up the report.

Inspiration and Skillz
Fest 2024 was once again a great experience. There were fewer people in attendance this year, but I actually found that helpful for deeper discussions. I also thought the organization of the workshops was well-organized. I went to sessions on sourdough baking, rammed earth construction, photo-voltaic solar systems, how to DJ, and erosion control. All of which inspired me in some way, but especially in giving me great ideas for how to keep building my property.

Random reading recommendations
I'm enthralled by Naomi Klein’s recent book, Doppelganger. Regardless of where anyone landed if voting in last week’s U.S. elections, surely there are some questions about the current political climate. Not only is this a book about the real-life bizarre conflation of Klein and Naomi Wolf (former iconic feminist author turned anti-vax conspiracy theorist and War Room darling of Steve Bannon), but also about the political mirror world of “conspirituality” formed by the convergence of wellness influencers and QAnon adjacent MAGA types.

I also actually purchased (!) new (!!) a copy of Maslow’s Toward a Psychology of Being, which is great. I’m looking forward to drawing some of his thoughts on self-actualization into my personal finance philosophy, especially after reading @jinandguice’s discussion of this topic over the past year.

[delay]

I'm enthralled by Naomi Klein’s recent book, Doppelganger. Regardless of where anyone landed if voting in last week’s U.S. elections, surely there are some questions about the current political climate. Not only is this a book about the real-life bizarre conflation of Klein and Naomi Wolf (former iconic feminist author turned anti-vax conspiracy theorist and War Room darling of Steve Bannon), but also about the political mirror world of “conspirituality” formed by the convergence of wellness influencers and QAnon adjacent MAGA types.

Thanks for your journal update! I also confused Wolf with Klein. It happened to me more than once, also with Christine Massey and Meryll Nass. It's like these celebrities are stored similarly in my brain and I when I look for one, my brain can return the other.

[calamityjane]

Happy new year!

Off-grid progress is coming along nicely. After consulting with a few different companies and getting estimates on 10x20’ sheds, I decided on a lofted barn that will be delivered next month. I got to customize everything and it feels like I will be moving into a brand new house. Part of me would have liked to build a cabin from the ground up with wood sawed on my own land, but for a total of $8,800 (including tax and more than $1000 for delivery) I am very pleased to be getting a fully formed house.

The immediate projects will be insulation and then drywall. I’m not intimidated by the work, but delivering the materials will be a PITA. Either it will require many trips (3+ hours roundtrip) or renting a truck to haul a bunch in at once. The other complication is delivery of a woodstove. Those things are HEAVY. Even if I get a smaller model, I’m not quite sure how I’m going to load and unload it. I’m also still figuring out the logistics of piping it safely, either through wall or ceiling. Luckily I don’t need to install it until at least fall, unless I find one sooner than that. Yes, I could ask for help with these things, but for some reason I usually don't. Probably something I need to work on.

I’ve been thinking about the implications of staying in my on-grid house 4 months out of the year. While it would be nice to sell and unlock maybe $100,000 of cashflow, this is also a pretty good winter homebase. The costs to live here (mortgage etc., utilities) are like $6,000 total for the year. Living 8 months off the grid would be incredibly cheap as well, so I should lower my cost of living no matter what.
The other idea is to travel for 4 months out of the year, and I would have proceeds from the house sale to fund it. Either way, it feels good to know I have all these options.

In the meantime, I’ve been building my solar array. Everything now has been set up and tested, and only needs to be moved onto the property. Like with everything else, I’m trying to keep it as simple as possible. My electricity needs are quite basic, and will eventually include a couple of lamps, a chest freezer, and a DSL modem. Maybe occasionally recharging a power bank for laptop and phone.
Anyone (@AxelHeyst ) want to check my math?

2 100W panels
2 100 Ah batteries
1 30A controller
1 3000W inverter

Lamps (15Wx2=30W) – 6 hours a day – 180 Wh per day
Chest freezer (75W) – 24 hours a day – 1800 Wh per day
DSL (10W) – 24 hours a day – 240 Wh per day
Total=2200 (67,000 per month)
KWh per month=67

[sky]

This woodstove is 38 pounds: https://www.northwoodsfab.com/product-p ... sman-stove

[loutfard]

Anyone (@AxelHeyst ) want to check my math?

2 100W panels
2 100 Ah batteries
1 30A controller
1 3000W inverter

Lamps (15Wx2=30W) – 6 hours a day – 180 Wh per day
Chest freezer (75W) – 24 hours a day – 1800 Wh per day
DSL (10W) – 24 hours a day – 240 Wh per day
Total=2200 (67,000 per month)
KWh per month=67

There's low hanging fruit to be picked on electrical consumption:
- A very powerful ~1500 lumen/100W Edison equivalent LED lamp should not consume more than 10W. These things are super cheap and should save .06kWh off your daily power budget.
- An average European chest freezer of class D efficiency consumes ~179 kWh/year, or just over 20W on average in a moderate climate zone. Should save 1.31 kWh/day on average.

Consumption savings simplify an off-grid system a lot. Much cheaper too!

[calamityjane]

@sky - wow! That looks like a good option. Do you have experience using it? Mostly I'm trying to avoid the small ones that require constant stoking.

@loutfard - those are good ideas. I'm not sure if I could find such an efficient chest freezer around here, but I definitely agree on the less consumption aspect.

[2Birds1Stone]

If only we took a class on PV design

Nice to see an update from you. I'm super impressed with the cost of the structure. Is this something that can be pretty much installed anywhere in the lower 48 states? Or is it zoning restricted?

[sky]

That woodstove was recommended by someone who lives in a cabin in northern Minnesota and heats full time with the stove.

[calamityjane]

Hey @2Birds1Stone, good to see you here!

The installation definitely depends on location. Even here in NM where regulations are relatively lax, the restrictions change from county to county. This was part of my decision making process of where to buy land - in my county, there are no requirements to have a septic system or permit to build, for example. So it requires a bit of research, but it is definitely doable.

[AxelHeyst]

I'm also impressed by $8.8k delivered barn structure, sounds like a solid method to get enclosed quickly and start building out/using the space.

2 100W panels
2 100 Ah batteries
1 30A controller
1 3000W inverter

Lamps (15Wx2=30W) – 6 hours a day – 180 Wh per day
Chest freezer (75W) – 24 hours a day – 1800 Wh per day
DSL (10W) – 24 hours a day – 240 Wh per day
Total=2200 (67,000 per month)
KWh per month=67

Are you positive the chest freezer runs 75W continuous 24/7? I've had difficulty in the past deciphering if the nameplate wattage on refrigerated equipment is true continuous or the annual consumption divided by number of hours per year. Most modern equipment cycles, so it spends only a % of the day at the nameplate operating wattage. Additionally if your freezer is in an unconditioned space in wintertime its consumption ought to be much less than rated. So that number might be lower in reality.

However, not a big deal - that's the correct side to guess wrong on, and if 'wrong' I doubt it's wrong by much. Just nerding out on that one.

Are the batteries LiFePo4, AGM, or flooded lead-acid? Either way that ought to be sufficient, especially if you plan on having a generator for backup and/or hi-load equipment. (I don't consider a generator necessarily essential, however, if your intended lifestyle doesn't call for it.)

200W of solar panels seems low to me. In winter you might only get 6hrs of 'full' sun, and that's 1,200Wh absolute best case scenario. I wouldn't be surprised if you got closer to 800-1,000Wh/day in the winter with 200W of panels. It'd be fine for most NM summer days, but even then every once in a while you'll have a cloudy day or three and only get an hour or two of sunlight, and it's nice to be able to rapidly top off depleted batteries in a short amount of time. Panels are so cheap now that I don't see any reason not to add a few more and reduce the number of hours/year you have to either run the generator or light a candle and go to bed. Also keep in mind that panels deplete capacity over time, so installing a bit more capacity now extends the life of the system before having to upgrade it.

400W 'feels' like an okay minimum panel wattage, and 600W wouldn't be crazy-oversized either if your usage estimate is approximately correct.

That said, it's easy to just add more panels later if you decide you want to. I'm guessing your 30A controller can take quite a bit more PV capacity, so it'd be a trivial job to add another pair later. (Ideally the additional panels would be the exact same spec as the first two.)

Fun!

ETA (stuff you probably know but worth mentioning, and also for readers):
Inverter Stuff
A 3000w inverter will operate at a higher continuous wattage draw (even under no loads) than a smaller inverter. However, a 3kW inverter will allow you to run equipment smaller inverters would not, so it might be worth it.

Additionally, the efficiency of inverters under load is not constant. They are more efficient at higher loads, and there is a significant efficiency dropoff below 10% of rated power. 10% of 3kW is 300W, and your system is almost never going to be operating continuously above 300W. So you could have inverter efficiencies well below 90%. (This is one reason I went to a 600W inverter after my 1,000W inverter gave up the ghost).

With the above two things in mind, a simple strategy to reduce battery consumption is to turn your inverter off when not needed/at night. All of my lights are DC and so is my fridge - I only need AC for my computer, charging devices, and an appliance or two, which makes nighttime inverter shutoff easy. During the winter I'm guessing you'd be fine to have the freezer off at night.

[theanimal]

Why a 3000W inverter? Your freezer will have a high start up load when the compressor kicks in, but that should be only like 700-800W. We’ve used 2000W inverter for years, running high powered blenders, multiple freezers and so on. Dropping 1kw off the inverter will save you a few hundred bucks.