Without a phone and a passport: an American lives in a tiny house and grows his own food

37-year-old activist and artist Robin Greenfield told the publication Business Insider about his life in a tiny house and freedom from capitalism. Next - from the first person.

Photo: IStock

I am an author and activist living completely autonomously.

Over the years, I have put myself through numerous challenges to raise awareness for a more sustainable lifestyle. For example, for a year I ate only food that I collected or grew myself. I don't have a mobile phone - only a laptop from which I write.

Started transitioning to a more sustainable lifestyle in 2011. There was no moment of clarity or significant event - just the realization that my daily actions were harming the Earth. I stuck to small changes in the beginning and my journey took off from there.

How I got rid of capitalism

To free yourself from capitalism, you need to work hard. Before starting this journey, I owned my own marketing company.

On the subject: In Oregon, there is a village of tiny houses that cost $650 a month to rent.

In 2011, I began to distance myself from the monetary system. I began to distance myself from my company, destroyed my credit cards, and closed my bank accounts.

Now I only use cash, so I don't need a bank account. I will never own a house or rent an apartment, so I don't need a credit history.

Tiny living helps me connect with nature

Most of us live in much larger spaces than we need. The more things I had, the more time I spent taking care of them.

I began to live in harmony with plants and animals. I decided to start living in small self-contained shelters that I either built or bought.

I stay in people's gardens in exchange for helping their owners live more sustainably.

My first tiny house

In 2016, I quit my job as a marketer completely and moved into a 50-square-foot house—so small I couldn’t even stand in it.

I was living in San Diego, California, and was looking on Facebook for listings for a camper van to live in while I built my first tiny home. I found this little barn-like building for $950. At first I thought it was a typo.

I clicked on it and saw that it was a wooden box on a trailer and the price was right. I bought it and posted an ad on Craigslist and to my 5000 Facebook friends: “Hi, I'm looking for someone who has an unused backyard to host me and my tiny house. In return, I can help you transition to a greener life.” Jim responded and I lived in his backyard for a year.

The trailer had a composting toilet, a rainwater shower, and no electricity. When I left, I auctioned off the trailer and donated the proceeds to a local charity.

Living almost off-grid in Orlando

My next tiny house was in Orlando. The goal was to eat only food that I grew or harvested for a year. While I lived there, I worked on a book on this topic.

Before moving to Orlando, I contacted a homeowner who agreed to let me build a tiny house on her property. She let me live in her garden and gave me an extension cord connected to her electricity. Electricity was a huge bonus, allowing me to have a freezer and use my laptop.

The tiny house in Orlando cost less than $1500 to build, including all the materials, which were purchased second-hand. This amount also included the purchase of food for volunteers - friends and acquaintances on social networks who helped me build the house. I got some materials for free, like pallets and old fencing that I used for sheathing.

The house was only 10 by 10 feet (3 by 3 m), which was quite comfortable.

The hardest thing about living autonomously is being responsible for everything

Depending on which off-grid house I live in, I am responsible for water collection and waste disposal.

People often don't think about water use. In offline mode you have to be careful, unless you have a well or river.

During the summer of 2021 and the summer of 2023, I lived in a tiny house at Wild Abundance, a carpentry, farming, and permaculture school located near Asheville, North Carolina.

In this self-contained structure, the source of water was rain - the amount was limited by how much you could accumulate. If there wasn't enough rain, I had to go to a spring five minutes' walk away to fill the jugs.

I don't have an ID and I earn less than the poverty threshold

My expenses vary greatly. Most of my money goes to food. If I travel, I spend more on food. If I'm local, I spend less because I prefer to grow and source most of what I eat. I spend a lot on seeds, plants, materials or food storage tools like a dehydrator or pressure cooker.

About 90% of my possessions are now dedicated to food - the food itself, its storage and preparation.

I currently have 600 items and 300 of them are food jars. Right now I don't have a refrigerator or freezer, so I have to store all my food at room temperature.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York

After eating, I spend most on getting around: trains, buses, or paying for gas when people give me rides.

It was important for me to completely distance myself from capitalist systems that I do not support. I have committed to not paying federal taxes because I make less than the poverty threshold, which is $11 a year. Any income I receive above that from the press or books I have written I donate. I don't have any identification documents. I don't drive a car, so I don't need a license. Last year I destroyed my passport.

The way I live is an experiment in existence. We believe that the norm is the only way, but there are many other ways to live.

The longer I live this way, the less I need

When people tell me they're considering a tiny apartment, I tell them to start by downsizing their lives. Get rid of unnecessary things that you don't need or serve.

Before you decide to live in any type of tiny house, take a trip and live in several. Feel what you like. If you're short on cash, DIY construction is key. Schools like Wild Abundance can teach you how to build a tiny house from scratch.

I'm in love with the earth. The more time I spend outside and living in gratitude, the more convinced I become that I don't need things. This lifestyle is not about giving up things. It's about filling your heart with something more meaningful than materialism.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Top 11 Simple Part-Time Jobs That Will Help You Get Rich in 2024

Five inexpensive Christmas gifts at Costco that will suit everyone.

English words whose ambiguity can be confusing

How to manage time effectively: time management technique used by Elon Musk

How to quickly and for free find the right person on the Internet: tips and services

Top 24 unexpected facts about Christmas that will definitely surprise you

Five Tips for Returning Unwanted Christmas Gifts

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.