How I went from rags to riches - leaving the rat race behind

In early 2013 I lost my job and apartment and decided to make my own way through life. I went off the grid - the energy grid and starting putting all of my skills to work for myself instead of for others.

I was working for many years as a PHP programmer, database programmer, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) expert, website developer and videographer.

Basically I would write software that powered a company's online presence. Then I would maintain and improve that software while making that company show up all over page one of the search results. I was good at what I did. So good that I generally programmed myself out of a job within a year each time.

I automated the software and would be let go. I left the company in a better position but my bank account was always still empty. I was naive. I was often promised great riches, higher pay, company stock and more. I believed them and worked for peanuts.

This was New York. Costs were high and the hiring process generally took up to 3 months. I would burn through my pitiful savings while looking for a new job.

I was getting pretty good at seeing the end of a job coming by now.

In 2012 I started working on YouTube videos and writing articles for my own website. I had been working on the website since about 2007 but really got going this year.

In January 2013 I lost my job. I had a free camper I was playing around with and restoring out in the back yard at my apartment. I started making videos out of the camper. I figured I would give this a try while I looked for a job.

My landlord did something very strange. He doubled my rent. Well, he was going to anyway. He thought he had me over a barrel. He figured that I was going to make a lot of money online so he was going to get a cut of it. He told me to either pay up or get out.

To his incredible surprise I got out. The next day I had a place to live on 56 acres in the country paying $200 a month rent. I could not move the camper because he was blocking me (long story). Anyway, I moved all my belongings out of the apartment and into the camper before the end of the month.

I spent the last of my money moving my camper and belongings to the new property.

And so begins The Off Grid Project

It was harsh and cold. I suffered miserably. I made videos of my experiences. People loved it. My videos and my channel became a hit. My numbers started to grow rapidly.

My off grid camper

I had to work a couple days a week until I was making enough from my own business to pay my bills.

Soon though, I was on my own feet. I had left the rat race behind. I was working for myself in my own field of expertise. I was doing what I loved the most - for myself. It felt good.

With time I started to buy solar panels and build up my usable energy capacity. I had gone from 65 watts of solar panels to 1,200 watts in time.

I rigged up a rain water collection source on the roof of my camper. Now I had free water for cooking, bathing and drinking. I had a filter I used for this purpose.

I eventually got a motor home with the help and donations of my viewers. My numbers were growing rapidly and my YouTube channel was really taking off. People were wondering what is Troy going to do next? Will he live or die? Will he kill himself in an accident?

I admit, I was not an expert at anything I was doing but I did it all myself. Sometimes things went wrong - very wrong. But I always came through somehow.

I renovated the motor home and used that as my new home. The old camper was a mess anyway. It was held together with duct tape. Literally. There was no insulation and no paneling in the living room. It was a mess. But it had served me as a home for a year. I had a certain love for the old heap.

The motor home had its own challenges. But I got through.

My motor home in the woods

The following year I made the decision to build a tiny house on wheels. I had never built anything before. I had no idea how to begin. I drew up a very rough and childish drawing of my ideas and showed it on my videos. My viewers helped me out by making a better looking drawing. Another viewer drafted a plan showing exactly where each 2x4 would go, including the windows and everything according to my drawings. It was good.

I had a love for that old camper but it had to go. I needed a trailer to build my tiny house on. I did not have the money to buy a proper trailer. I studied a lot online about construction and building tiny homes. My viewers taught me a lot too through the comments. This was a community of sorts. I was building up a community of people helping one another. A group of friends that I would later call my second family.

It was not all one sided either. I would get tears in my eyes reading an email or letter from someone who told me how I gave them hope to start over. How I helped someone through their last months of cancer, putting a smile on their face each day. How I helped people with anxiety problems go out and overcome. It felt good. It kept me driving on.

I started picking up trolls along the way. Its sort of like the unwanted groupies who follow the movie stars around. Not to compare myself with them but its the best way I can compare it. Many of them still harass me to this day. Certainly at least one of them will show its ugly head here in the comments below. (I hope I am wrong).

I added the last bit for anyone who will follow my videos. They will see a lot of stuff that happened. Anyway....

I loved that old camper but it had to go. So I began the demolition of my beloved home. It was sad. It was hard. But I had a vision and nothing was going to slow me down.

I stripped the trailer down to its bare frame. I wire brushed the entire trailer and then painted it. Time was flying though and nobody thought I would get a tiny house built and winterized before the snow fell. But they did not really know me. My determination. I got to work building my dream tiny house.

I did manage to build the tiny house and winterize it before the snow fell. Again I had lots of advice from my viewers/friends. I also had people come over to help building from time to time.

Working on tiny house

I set up a garden, raised chickens and made maple syrup. I was striving to become self sufficient. I was already fully off the grid. I had no wires coming to my land. I was a mile from the last paved road. I was a quarter mile from the last house.

Later I made a contract with the land lady of the property I was staying on and started to buy the 56 acres of land. I had a land contract which requires no banks and no credit checks. My mortgage was $1,500 a month. I kept my bills to a minimum though so I could afford the payment. I was alone and had nothing to lose so I put my all into that land payment each month.

I was living the life. I was a land owner so to say.

But I was alone. Very alone.

One day I met my beautiful wife Melanie. We talked and talked and talked. I flew over to Manila to propose to her. Not long after, we were married and living together in "our" tiny house on wheels.

I built a rain water storage shed, improved the rain water collection system. I improved my solar power system. Improved the garden. Literally everything improved in this year. There were two of us now. Two people with the same goals. We were a family.

Not too long after we found out that a baby was on the way.

I will spare you the drama but my trolls were not silent. Things got very bad. You see, Troy cannot have this good life. It must be destroyed.

Eventually we moved to Michigan where we could raise our child in relative peace compared to New York.

We found a quiet little property with 18 acres of land, a mobile home, chalet and a garage.

I put two Amish built sheds on the land. One was to become my electronics lab. One was to become my wood shop.

I ran my solar panels to the electronics lab. I now had a fully off grid electronics shop and an off grid wood shop.

I put solar panels on the house too.

But here I must stop. The rest I have been uploading on a daily basis.

Follow along......

P.S. The riches in my "rags to riches" are my family and the blessings I have received along the way. These are the true riches.

Watch the entire video series on my YouTube channel:
The Off Grid Project