Hey Wanderer
- Savannah and Casey are best friends who moved off-grid together.
- They didn't want to put their life on hold waiting for a romantic partner to buy land and a home.
- A successful side-hustle during the pandemic earned them just enough money to make the move.
Savannah and Casey felt ready to make their dream of living off-grid a reality in 2020.
The two friends, who met working at a restaurant, had already roomed together for nearly a decade in a major city in the Southeast. They started a blog about their shared interests in DIY projects and at one point raised chickens and tended to a garden with their neighbors. They go by first names only online to preserve some privacy, so Business Insider agreed to keep their last names and exact location confidential.
The idea to buy land and build a home from scratch was cemented during a monthlong camping trip in California, as they reconnected to nature, lived with fewer amenities, and felt a greater sense of freedom.
By the end of 2020, they also had an influx of cash thanks to a successful side hustle turned full-time job installing stock tank pools. Demand skyrocketed during the pandemic while people stuck at home searched for affordable alternatives to a hot tub.
Savannah and Casey, 35 and 43, respectively, sold nearly everything they owned and took out a small personal loan. Altogether, they had enough money — less than $50,000 — to buy land in a remote area about two hours from a major city, hire a company to install a driveway and buy the shell of a building that they would convert into a home over time.
"Most of my life, I thought that by 43 I would be married," Casey told Business Insider. "But early on in our friendship, we were both like, 'Well we're not waiting for any of that to happen.'"
"While we don't share that kind of physical intimacy of married people, it's still a commitment to another person," she added. "It's fun. I think more people should buy land with their friends."
Casey and Savannah are bucking the traditional path — both by moving off-grid and by making friendship the center of their lives. Their decision comes at a time when Americans are lonelier than ever as more people live solo, marriage rates decline, and social media replaces many in-person interactions. The Covid pandemic exacerbated the isolation but also fueled a modern-day homesteading movement for those wanting to be more self-sufficient and share resources.
"The whole idea is to take control of our lives more," Savannah said. "During our camping trip, we realized we needed to consume a lot less than we do."
Savannah added that moving off-grid has been challenging, especially because they are doing nearly all the work themselves. Casey said some days she misses ordering Uber Eats or living within a few minutes of a Target. Still, they prefer the slower pace.
"Every time we come back to the land, even from just the small town nearby, there's just this relief," Savannah said.
How the 2 friends fund their off-grid life
Casey and Savannah did a lot of research before taking the leap into off-grid life.
They said being well-versed in state and local building codes is key because every location has different rules about what kind of structures are allowed.
"When we were buying land, I had a spreadsheet of what was legal and where," Casey said. "Also, if you want to Airbnb, it's not allowed in some places."
They found affordable land in 2021 and then sold almost everything they owned. They couldn't afford to rent a home while working on the new property, so in October, they moved there in a camper.
They hired a company to put a driveway in, and by December, the shell of a 12-by-32-foot building was delivered.
"We started working on it to make it more livable and fully moved in in March," Casey said. "But it was not done. There was no insulation. It was a cold winter."
They don't recommend living in the middle of a construction zone but acknowledge that many people — like themselves — don't have enough money to own two properties and finish a new home before moving in.
Two years later, Casey and Savannah's projects are always ongoing. Casey, a Type 1 diabetic, returned to work late last year as a nurse for extra income to fund renovations and to have health insurance. Savannah works full time on their home and businesses.
The goal is for their blog and social media accounts to generate enough income for their lifestyle. They don't have a mortgage or utility bills, but they do pay for internet access.
They share a bedroom and have a wood stove for heat. For electricity, they recently completed a two-year project of installing solar panels on the roof, connecting them to a battery bank, and wiring the home. The company Battle Born gave them the $27,000 battery bank in exchange for social media content. Previously, electricity came from a portable solar generator and a camper battery.
"Eventually we will trench our entire property so that there's electricity going to every building, and the same for water," Savannah said.
Their bathroom is in a separate building they constructed, but it isn't completely sealed off from the elements. It has a compostable toilet and a shower with hot water from a propane heater. They also collect rainwater to fill up water tanks that they use in the kitchen, and a neighbor lets them use his extra water.
"You have to have a lot of perseverance," Casey said. "And people can't be afraid to try and learn new things. Everybody wants to know how we learned to do all this stuff. YouTube university. Savannah is a graduate and an ongoing student."
Accepting that there will always be another project also helps, Savannah said.
"There are parts of our life that are so beautiful, even though I'm staring at drywall right now," she said.
A nontraditional path
Savannah said they both knew they'd really be "sealing the deal" on a life together by moving off-grid.
There isn't much of a singles scene in their area and neither are interested in dating apps. But that didn't factor much into their decision. A lot of people ask what would happen if either got married. They said they're confident they'll figure it out should that happen.
"I want single people to feel like you don't have to wait to do anything until you find your romantic partner," Casey said. "You don't have to fit into that traditional mold. You can still buy a house."
"And you can still want that, but not put your life on hold," Savannah jumped in. "Life is fun at any stage."