Man answers common questions about living in off-grid houseboat: 'Cool way of life'

A TikToker took to the platform to share his off-grid lifestyle and answer some questions about how he makes it all work. 

The creator behind the Another Time Another Place (@another.time.anot3) account showed us the outside of his houseboat and explained some of the things he does to keep himself afloat. He also shared some of the less-than-ideal aspects of his lifestyle. 

@another.time.anot3 Houseboat Life Q n A Living year round in a houseboat How often do you have to move? Where does the dog go to the bathroom? What about flooding #houseboat #life #anothertimeanotherplace #photography #nature #free #camping #offgrid #Boondocking ♬ original sound - Another Time Another Place

He explained that floods aren't a big concern in the part of Tennessee where he is; the current on the river where he lives isn't strong enough to wash the boat downstream in floods, and he said that his boat has actually sat much deeper into the tree line during floods as a result. 

He said that the boat has to be moved every two weeks; game wardens make regular check-ins with him on a weekly basis and make sure he's where he's supposed to be.

"You have to move at least one mile after 14 days," he said. "You could come back to the same spot, and just move between two spots, but you have to stay for seven days before you go back to the original spot." 

He added that there's no rent to pay and no fees for this lifestyle, other than a boat registration fee for the motor on his boat. 

The creator also explained that he uses river water to shower and do dishes, and has a five-gallon jug of drinking water that he uses. For a bathroom, he uses a bucket filled with sawdust and dumps bags of the used sawdust in dumpsters when he's done. 

Houseboat living is a unique way to get off the grid and save significant amounts of money on rent, but it comes with a significant number of risks. It's not easy to do it and stay sanitary, and the choice isn't for the faint of heart.

While there's minimal risk from flooding here, storms remain a major concern, and the currents are stronger in other parts of the world, meaning flooding and washing away remain serious dangers. 

There are plenty of less extreme ways to live more self-reliantly; you can grow your own food or invest in solar panels to help power your home. 

EnergySage has free tools that can help you get quotes from trusted local solar panel installers and can save you up to $10,000 on getting them installed. Doing so can reduce your reliance on the power grid and save you serious money on your monthly power bill. For individuals who are more interested in leasing solar panels, check out Palmetto's LightReach program, which offers installations for $0 down, making solar accessible for everyone.

In this case, commenters loved the poster's lifestyle choice. 

"You're living the dream," said one, "I need to grow my royalties again so I can live anywhere I want." 

"What a cool way of life!!" wrote another. "Big respect." 

"This is the kind of living I want to do," commented a third. 

Would you live in a home made of water, mud, and straw? Sign me up 👍 As long as it looks cool 😎 As long as it saves me money 🤑 Not for me 👎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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