The Real Cost of Going Off-Grid: Year One Budget Breakdown

Every off-grid YouTube channel shows the highlights. Almost none shows a real year-one budget with actual numbers.

Here is ours.

The Land

10 acres, Saline County, Missouri: estimated $18,000 to $28,000

We are targeting the lower end through owner financing and potentially the county tax sale in August 2026.

HELOC monthly payment on $25,000 drawn: $152/month

The Build (Year 1 — Functional Minimum)

The goal for year one is not a finished home. It is a livable, functional, safe structure with power and water.

Container and foundation:

• 40-foot used container: $4,500
• Delivery: $1,200
• Concrete piers (4x): $2,200
• Total: $7,900

Insulation and basic interior:

• Closed-cell spray foam: $5,500
• 2 windows, 1 door: $2,800
• Basic interior (subfloor, walls, one room): $3,500
• Total: $11,800

Water:

• Drilled well (estimated 120 feet): $10,000
• Solar-direct pump: $800
• 1,000 gallon storage tank: $1,000
• Pressure system to container: $600
• Total: $12,400

Power:

• 4x 400W solar panels: $700
• 200Ah 48V LiFePO4 battery: $1,200
• 3kW inverter/MPPT: $400
• Wiring and breakers: $300
• Ground mount: $400
• Total: $3,000

Septic:

• Conventional system (Saline County): $5,500
• Permit: $300
• Total: $5,800

Year 1 build total: $40,900

Ongoing Monthly Costs (Year 1)

What You Are Not Paying

• Rent or mortgage on off-grid property: $0
• Electricity: $0 (solar)
• Water bill: $0 (well)
• Most grocery costs (garden in year 2): trending toward $0

Comparison:
Median US rent (2026): $1,987/month
Median US mortgage: $2,237/month
Hood Homestead off-grid ongoing cost: $485/month

Savings vs renting: $1,502/month. Over 10 years: $180,240.

The Income Side

This is where the Hood model is different.

We are not just building a homestead. We are documenting it and monetizing the documentation.

Year 1 income targets:

• YouTube (after 4,000 watch hours / 1,000 subs): $300 to $1,500/month by month 6
• Dev.to content (SEO compounding): $50 to $500/month by year end
• AI agent marketplace income (Axel): $50 to $500/month and growing
• Land Evaluator course ($97): pre-sale target 50 units = $4,850

Conservative year 1 income estimate: $10,000 to $20,000 from content and agent work

At the conservative end, the content income more than covers the $485/month ongoing costs.

The Real Numbers on Wealth Building

Traditional path (30-year mortgage at $2,237/month):

• Total paid over 30 years: $805,320
• Net worth at year 30: home equity (if prices hold)

Hood Homestead path:

• Year 1 all-in: $40,900 land + build
• Monthly ongoing: $485
• Total 10-year cost: $40,900 + $58,200 = $99,100
• Net worth at year 10: land + improvements (appraised value), debt-free

The land does not go to zero. The well does not stop working. The solar panels do not require a monthly payment.

Owned outright in year one. That is the whole point.

---

The Hood family is building this in Saline County, Missouri. Every number in this article is real. Follow the build at thehoodhomestead on Dev.to.