Living off the grid is tough, and it's certainly not for everybody. Here in Arizona, we have quite a few folks who live off grid, and I've spoken to a few of 'em... it's a tough way to live, but it has its rewards as well. IMHO, it's better (and easier) to compromise between the two lifestyles, and some of those folks did just that: they worked regular jobs but lived in a self-sufficient manner at home. Moi, I like my hot shower every morning, and all the other creature comforts, but I can appreciate how off-grid living brings one closer to Nature. Fortunately, I'm surrounded by wilderness areas here in rural Arizona, so I'm not that far away either, if you catch my drift. One can also have amenities off-grid...
Having said this, I'll share a crazy dream I once had, and still do to some extent: I always wanted to build my own adobe home on a parcel of mountain or high desert land with a stream running through it, or at the very least a well upon the property. It would totally personify the pioneer spirit, ya know? I understand how satisfying it would be to build my own home, I get why folks do this. But I also like this home I bought and fixed up, it's quite comfortable, and I'm not getting any younger either, so that dream may just remain a dream, which is okay. I still have a million stars overhead at night, I still breathe clean fresh high desert air every day, I still feel that excellent Arizona sunshine... the quality of the light here is amazing.
One thing about off-grid living: get too far away from 'civilization' (and supply points in particular), and your cost of living starts to rise once again. A hand can buy land dirt cheap in Arizona, but water is the key element when it comes to off-grid living. Parcels with wells or other water sources cost considerably more than the dry parcels, I know because I've looked into the whole scene. For me, a compromise works best: I live in 'Goat-Roping Central' where I'm surrounded by wilderness areas and great natural beauty, and I'm far enough away from the Big City to avoid all the problems associated with urban areas. However, I still have all the amenities I'll ever need... a pool would be nice, but there IS one in town.
I think TheSkaFish has it right: some may be into off-grid life, but it's not for everybody. Moi, I've done so much camping in the past, often living in the field for weeks at a time, that I realize how difficult it would be to maintain such a lifestyle. Back in the Old West, they weren't called "hardy pioneers" for nothing, lol. It was often a hardscrabble existence, a daily grind just to survive, let alone put away something for the future. But I see how living closer to Nature could be very rewarding... in my own case, I just happen to be close to wilderness areas ANYWAY, which is just how I wanted it to be when I bought this train wreck of a fixer home. Now my home is quite comfortable, and I still have wilderness access.
JUST MY $.02 HERE, ANYBODY SERIOUS ABOUT OFF-GRID LIVING SHOULD GO ON A WEEKLONG CAMPING TRIP IN A REMOTE WILDERNESS AREA... THAT'LL GIVE ONE A TASTE OF WHAT OFF-GRID LIVING IS LIKE. CHEERS!!! 
