Hey guys I'm a 20yr old
I have to be out of home in a year, I currently work full time at a pub in a shopping center as a apprentice chef (not good for money wise) I go to gym there (showers, toilets etc.), There is laundromats and everything else needed
My question is, instead of paying 100s of dollars a week for rent, is it easier to live in a car say on a side street and hire out a storage container to store all my unecessary items? For a 1/8th of the price of renting each month
I have a Mitsubishi Challenger (triton in wagon body) I would spend 1-2k decking it out to live in
Is this a smart idea? Or am I just dreaming?
Thanks
Morgan
Living in Car, Is It That Bad?
Chef Freeman on 17/11/2021 - 18:44
Comments
A safe home is the base of your hierarchy of needs and what your sense of happiness and self worth is built on. You're talking about being homeless. And it is being encouraged by people who generally talk about discounts on graphic cards and telling stories about custom vehicles.
Many people are in your position. A home is your primary base need. A car is not (perhaps in your apprenticeship it is?) A gym membership certainly is not.
You should house share in an area that costs little money and cut back on discretionary expenditure.
I looked into this some years ago for various reasons, mostly to save money. I am not super social and would prefer living in a van to a sharehouse.
Ultimately decided to just rent the cheapest studio apartment (really a 10m square bedroom with ensuite, converted house into student accomodation) I could find. Frankly it was $10k a year, and owning a van would have still cost a few k per year in petrol, rego & maintenance. Plus you would need 1k for an anytime fitness membership to shower and shit in. And you would have the hassle of emptying out your piss bottle discreetly each morning. Not worth.
PS at the time I was earning 200k a year and was just focused on saving.
I'm only earning 28k a year at the moment, so I cant afford to spend that much on rent, gym I already have and costs $890 a year which is fine with me as it would be an escape
If you are earning 28k a year, the easiest way for you to save money is to earn a higher income. Most cafes will pay $20 an hour cash in hand at least, on a 40 hour week this is 40k+ a year and zero tax.
Joe, joe hockey is that you?
Most cafes will pay $20 an hour cash in hand at least, on a 40 hour week this is 40k+ a year and zero tax.
Apart from the fact it’s illegal and leads to overall reduction in worker protection. If your business model involves illegality you have no business.
I really do not want to be a downer here, I am not generally, but if you are working 12 hour days, 5 days a week for that sort of money and considering van life, you may be wise to use your skills and upgrade your job.
It will help you save a lot more without giving up so much.
Your time is very valuable despite your age, and I hope you can see that too, if not now, eventually. Working 12 hours a day is nothing new at your age, been there myself also. Just FYI, why I'm shocked is: you work 12 hour days for that money, I worked a servo job (Safeway petrol plus) your age 16 years ago for a lot more money as a casual. I hope things work out for you but take care of yourself, that's a lot of hours for not enough earnings, it will wear you down fast.Edit: just read later on your on an apprentice becoming a chef. Pretty much ignore the above then, but I'm still shocked at the earnings :( maybe see your apprenticeship out In a rental or sharehouse till your income improves instead, sounds like you are almost nearing the end of the apprenticeship.
Apprentices get shafted no matter what industry they are in
I can understand why no one wants to work as an apprentice anymore if maccas pays almost double@bobs burgers: It's not all bad
I wouldn't mind a bit more money my way but it doesn't feel like work sometimes and the people are great@Chef Freeman: Hey at least you can expect more money at the end, there is something to look forward to with all the hard work.
My next few jobs after I left servo I may have worked longer in certain roles purely because of the people I worked with, not so much the job itself.
Some very memorable times and friends with several still since then, as you say it's not alll bad
I've slept in my car during my young adult days. It's fine, and allowed me to save for what I needed to. IE bond etc.
But be prepared from a knock on the window now and then from law enforcement. Most times I just got told to move on. But sometimes they loved searching the car with a fine tooth comb. Nothing was ever found. But killed a hour for them at 3am in the morning I guess.
Yeah I just want to save
I don't want to spend a 1/3 of my income on rent when I could be spending half of that
There is no point in trying to save anything on $28k a year man. Just live day to day until your income improves.
"strip search again officer? Geez you guys are really thorough. But I'm telling you there is nothing here…. Yeah yeah, I'll assume the position…"
Where will you take a dump at 2 am in morning
The pub I work at is open till 3 and the gym I go to is open 24/7
Clearly you have patient urges at 2am. Some of us barely make it to our own toilet
Yeah, wait till the OP hits 21. lol
What happens if/when you get sick?
The homeless guy I see takes a dump on the streets.
Bad idea, how do you even get comfortable in a car, there is always something poking you.
He’d be the only person in there. We all know someone who got poked in a car though.
How did it feel?
I'd have to invest in a matteress for the car I already have a few lined up
Maybe get some better seats for the front
Any reason you have to be out of home in a year?
Could you save up for a caravan or the like and still live at home?
Mum is moving north into her boyfriends place, she's my only parent I speak to, I have to travel through 2 tolls each way and travel an hour and a bit each way to get to work which isn't ideal in the slightest
Living close to your work might be better off. Consider sharehousing close to your work so you could potentially walk to work. Then if that isn't a long term solution then keep building that experience to go off somewhere else where you want to work
If you treat it as a temporary gig I think it should be fine, some suggestions from someone who lived in a car for a while (by choice - travelled and saved money):
- Get a van to have some space, a comfortable and safe sleep / rest period and a fridge / solar for electricity . Make sure the vehicle can't be identified as a camper. Draw some inspiration from the many blog posts and YouTube videos that exist
- Get a 24/7 gym membership for showers / toilets in multiple locations + you can work out there
- Use a 4G WiFi dingle or tethering from your phone for internet access
- Think about what you do for mail. Use your parents address?Once you live in it:
- Get to know areas where you can and can't sleep so you don't get fined
- Watch your diet (can be tough with limited space / cooking space)Decide how long you want to do it for. I mean it's cheap, but you'll never have a family in it or bring friends over etc. Unless you plan on staying single it should be a temporary solution.
Could use a PO Box for mail
Yeah mate, I've got a 12v system, and planning on getting a fridge along with a matteress so I can have good sleeps, I already have a gym membership which is $13/wk which is also 24/7 with showers and toilets
I don't really have the need for a relationship, I don't have the time for it
As much as one would be nice staying single is also just as good
Post box would be either post office or ask a mate to send my mail there as they're willing to help me outSome things can't be send to a PO Box, think certain government mail etc but it should be fine for the most part 👍
How do you currently relax after work before bed? Could you comfortably watch tv etc in the back of a car? No fridge to grab snacks from or cold drinks.
Planning on getting a fridge for the car regardless if I go ahead with this, I typically watch on my phone and play games on my laptop or read some books
Nothing too much
Hey Chef,
What year are you in your apprenticeship?Also, and I haven't read through all of the comments to see if it's been asked…
But what about relationships? I mean you gonna invite a potential buddy back to the Challenger to get your freak on?
I'm about ⅔ of the way through my 2nd year
Should be finished late next year or early 2023
About 2 ½ months a unit
Relationships haven't really ever been big for me, I haven't met anyone, I don't go out of my way to do so, sounds lonely as it is but I don't have the need for oneThat's fair… As a hospo veteran, I'll just ask that you don't get suckered into the lifestyle… Completely understand not needing a relationship…
Keep it a temporary thing, you'll find a base soon enough… Also, it's a chef's market for anyone willing to work in the country (at least here in SA).
Temporary might become permanent mate so be careful…
Also, the big thing you might not be thinking of now is - address proof. I am not sure what your plans are for life but believe me mate, things get out of hand pretty easily and fast.
I'd probably put my name under my mum's house, saying I live there for all official government documents etc.
The only plan I have right now is to get some land and start building on it by my 30's (10 years away)
Where you will shit if another lockdown happens?
Might have to buy a portapotty
Honestly the community here is giving objectively bad advice.
It's not about a backpacking lifestyle etc and he's not in a position to buy a special van etc. It's a terrible idea based on a flawed presume which, based on the details he has shared, will have significant negative on his life.
Everyone likes talking about getting bargains etc but the advice here is irresponsible.
There has been advice from people who've first hand experienced it, which is insanely helpful
I know it's not the best place to ask but where is the right place to ask?You can ask whatever you want whenever you want.
It's objectively a terrible idea. It doesn't make sense in your circumstances on any level, including economically, and has disastrous consequences directly and indirectly on other parts of your life.
The people supporting are projecting bargain hunting and lifestyle fantasies into a situation that isn't realistic.
Whatever you do in life, I'd strongly urge you to not make life changing decisions based on forum replies. Especially here.
And fwiw, i would advise you to get a house share, ditch your gym membership and reconsider your career options if you have been lead to this point.
OP I absolutely agree with helloworld2021.
I'd also like to add that at 28k you're trying to carve out a saving from a salary that is meant for "maintenance" at the best of times. Your key focus should be on setting yourself up well professionally. Focus on excelling at work, build a social network etc.
The amount of money you'll save by "burning the candle on both ends" will be an absolute pittance when compared to when you'll be making normal/decent wages. However, the impact in terms of mental stress, soft skills, etc will likely not be worth it.
The community here seems (very oddly) in favour of you leading a lifestyle that is considered "being homeless" (in most parts of the developed world) and leads to severe mental stress as well as social impacts, and is very well known to have awful impact on the long term mental health of the individual.
Anything to save a dime… eh guys?
This might be an unpopular opinion/not what you want to hear but the fact that very few people have experienced it first hand should tell you something. People don't live in there car because it doesn't work out being worthwhile for almost everyone and so you really have to think what makes you so different to everyone else.
The long term goal of saving to buy your own place is respectable but having to live in your car to do so seems extreme. I have met one person who does this and it is largely because of probably personality issues where they did not want to deal with the requirements of being part of society. (they did't want to fill in forms etc.)
There are skills you learn from having to maintain your own place even if it is a cheap roomshare. Wasting your mental energy outside of work on where you park, where you can shower and toilet etc doesn't seem worthwhile. Also you never know when you will need the convenience of having your own place.
I'm sure you could manage to live from your car but I would seriously consider your other options. Can you find some other /additional work for extra money. Where can you save money? I gather you already work 9am to 9pm but can you shorten the hours and find a better paying job for some extra hours. These are ways to not only build up the savings but potentially build up your life skills.
Do it.
I shouldn't, it's not the Jedi way
My question is, instead of paying 100s of dollars a week for rent, is it easier to live in a car say on a side street and hire out a storage container to store all my unecessary items? For a 1/8th of the price of renting each month
Probably not easier to live in a car, but definitely cheaper.
I would much rather pay 100-150 a week for a room share/house share (this is sydney, I'd imagine it's cheaper in QLD). Then you won't need a gym membership to have a shower…
Seems silly when you are willing to fork out for gym membership at what? $25-50 a week? But are willing to go to extreme lengths to save money
$13 a week for a 24/7 gym
I use it after or before work, to shower and to go about my business in it, seems like a good price
Other than living in a house for an extra $87 to do the same stuff
OP you don't need to live in a car in order to save to buy a house, you just don't. The money you spent on renting isn't the 'waste' some would have you believe. You need to be able to meet your basic needs (food, shelter and safety) if you want to take off in life. There are some very good responses on here but please just consider your own worth. Get a very basic rental or in a share house. You need your own space to learn and grow in. Not a car. It's one of those things that sounds like a really cool idea, until about after week when you're lonely and cold and miserable. Don't do it. Don't assume that your income now will be the same forever, it will grow with time as long as you work hard and are good to work with.
It will just be temporary until I can justify spending the extra money for a room instead of a car boot, I'm young and I think it will be a good experience to take things for granted
I will be giving it a trial for a weekend in the coming months to see how it would be like
Thanks for the concern though
You can only Van life while you are young and pretty. You still have the looks and youth to get people to do things for you, treat you nice, etc. Once you are an old ugly hag, it will get a lot harder. Goes for women and men. Keep it temporary. The rush of being young and things working out automagically is very temporary. It's cute when you are in your early 20's, ok in your late 20's as you are 'hip yo, fight the establishment', in your 30's, errrrrrr……in your 40's……sadness……you will get more of 'get out of my parking space you old smelly fart turd, bloody stinky van lifers'.
if that should happen, you dont need to listen to scummy remarks like that, they dont own the planet
You tell 'em Pam
Other considerations:
- Get a network to pay you to make a documentary about saving money by living in a vehicle
- Find a partner and share the accommodation with them
I'll reach out to all the big networks as the second one seems out of reach
Have you thought about buying a cheap caravan and seeing if a mate or family member would allow you to park it in their backyard and use amenities inside the house?
Haven't thought about that but don't think that I could do so, all my mates have really small backyards
if you don't mind them knowing you're living in a car, just ask if you can park in front of their house. It sounds like you know them quite well.
get an empty van
youtube stealth camping, if residential park outside units/apartments bit noisy but you will blend right in
showers at gym
water at state parks..etc
solar + lifepo4 battery + fridge + lights + usb/computer charge
underground parking to get out of heat (concrete is heaven first few days of heatwave)
go regional and boondock for weeksI wish you luck, but a major problem i would have is the Freaking loud arseholes in cars or Harleys that decide to roar past at a deafening speed and wake you up all the time. The option is to put in ear plugs , but then you may not hear any drugos breaking into your car until you find them shining a flashlight into your eyes.
I get the same thing where I live at the moment, but without the druggos looking in my car
Most people homeless don't even have a license, bit stupid to assume.
I wouldn't consider myself homeless, homeless to me is not having a place to sleep in/stay in, like living on the street not having something over your head and doors you can lock to make yourself feel safe at night
Houseless seems a bit more suitable
People like to think we’ve got better welfare than America. This is a very low bar and blinds us to serious crises amongst young people. We have people who can’t afford rent yet the prime minister is worried about canceling submarine contracts and his next holiday.
I wish you luck brother. Poverty and mental health can spiral down quickly without you noticing. It’s much harder to climb back up than to fall.
It's not like I can't rent, I just want to start saving money now, so I can enjoy life later on, this way seems to be almost $200 a week in savings from not renting and for not driving as much
Mental health is something I need to keep track of
As it seems to be one of the biggest orovlems with this plan
Thanks brotherSave money for what though? If it’s for a house deposit, I’d really reconsider.
youll only be saving 9600 a year for a 'house deposit'
at this rate youll be 30 and hyperinflation would have taken off for you to save anything close for a deposit
It's not like I can't rent, I just want to start saving money now, so I can enjoy life later on, this way seems to be almost $200 a week in savings from not renting and for not driving as much
Jesus <profanity> christ, you're doing this for $200 a week? Mate, focus on getting good at work and having a well rounded life IMHO. You'll recoup the saving you "lose" by living normally in a year or so of earning proper wages.
Wait what?
Just buy a camper van and be comfortable, no such thing as "stealth van life" any more lol
Short term is ok but I think you should consider share housing 1st.
- cheaper than renting on your own, can get a private room often with your own lock and key
- social, can learn new things from housemates
- you can still bring dates or have friends over at a share house as long as you're not too loud, not possible with just a car
- anytime access to power and water, fingers crossed no surprises for 2023 but just pointing out all the gyms were closed during lock down
- alot of share homes are already partly furnished, less furniture to buy and all the big ticket items covered (fridge, washing machine, couch etc)
Why don't you go on one of those flat mate websites and just rent a room with ensuite for $100-150 a week instead and get internet and power included ? I've done it before paying $90 for the master at my mates place years ago I had so much fun as they were all Asian's and would cook each night really good times experiences and know all the good places in Sunnybank to go for a Friday night feed !!
I'll have to have a look
Read up on local bylaws too. Some councils are complete bellends on the topic. Brisbane City Council has $6000 fines for living in a vehicle and they are pretty active at patrolling back streets at 3am. If you can pull it off and it suits your lifestyle, all power to you but just be careful.
Living in your car for me would really be a short term solution to save money.
Ultimately what is your goal in life?
Do you really want to just live in a vehicle for the rest of your life?
I'm sure there are some advantages such as being able to travel and move jobs with ease however as stated by others in this thread there are alot of drawbacks as well.
If you like the rugged lifestyle and not worried about having a comfortable house go for it. Otherwise this is really only a temporary solution until you move on to the next stage of your life - say wife and kids, etc.Next step is to get a house, or at least some land with a small house on there
I'm unsure for anything other
Living in a car is not considered a societal norm so will in general be frowned upon and most will oppose or present what they think would be more suitable in their world view. You might run into headaches if you park randomly outside people's homes. It would make them very very nervous if the found out (especially if you are a male and the house residents are female, as this would trigger a lot of safety concerns for them on top of other things).
For the most part residents would get annoyed about people leaving rubbish, using their bins, making a mess, leaving 1s or 2s, safety for their family, potential exposure to drugs or bad people as they won't know you from the next person etc.
It's up to you how you choose to live your life. However, the residents if given a choice would mostly prefer not to have random lurkers around their residents so may act accordingly. If you can be happy living that lifestyle then all the best and good luck.
Yeah I'm not planning on taking no.2s on the street, if I was to do it, I'd be quiet and would disrupt nobody, as it'd only bring attention to myself
Get a studio apartment. Mate is paying $270 for a furnished studio apartment in Western Sydney. The building is only 5 years old. Does the job.
which suburb?
OP just don't do it for the sake of couple hundreds!
there's a guy living in a small hatchback around the corner from us - been there maybe a year - has curtains inside to hide his habitation - it had a weird small solar panel on the roof for a while - I guess to recharge his phone or car battery or something
AFAIK such people use local community centres for hot showers
one problem would be keeping food without sleeping with cockroaches, and you'd want to time your visits to the toilet or neighbours would soon get the police to move you on if they started smelling urine in the vicinity.
I once met an Australian girl who told me she was fresh back from a year in LA where she had been homeless - maybe staying up at night and then paying for admission to the public swimming pools where she would sleep during the day.
a mitsubishi, just like the advert
Mate best of luck whatever you do.
I would just say, you are young enough that if you don't save while doing your apprenticeship, it's not the end of the world. Don't feel like you need to save every penny right now. Your capacity to earn will greatly increase once you are fully trained, so much so that being super stingy at this point might not be worth it/will not make that much of an impact. You can land yourself a really well paying job on mines/offshore etc once you are qualified.
I just feel like I'm wasting money if I'm not saving every dollar, I buy random **** with my income then feel like I'm just spending it on stuff I don't need which I could be saving
You may end up with that trap even if you execute this plan.
It's about discipline, otherwise you can be on 100k per year income and still not able to save a single cent living month by month between pays.Open a separate account and put any remaining money in there. Ubank doesn't have a card (when I saved for a house) and it was online only. Means no instant buying of anything without transferring to bank account first.
Maybe check that out?
I was in a similar situation, moved out into a house share accom for $100pw, a little cheaper than average in the area at the time (6yr ago).
Stayed for about 4 years, had one good housemate and a few absolute ****s, including psycho bullies and cutlery-thieves.
Had visitors about once per year, living in a van might have been better lol.
Laundry was communal shared by about ~8 people, doing washing at night made things easier.
At a house like this no-one would notice if someone was coming and using the laundry ;)
tiny home on a trailer. book a camp site. should be good.
No campsites nearby
Since you’re young and adventurous, i would do it for the experience. Try it for 3 months. Makes a great story for the grandkids next time.
I don’t think living in a van is weird or anything. Home life is really just a modern luxury. Ultimately you have what you need already. It might be better even, to live ready to freely move as you please.
The main exception (one that’s powerful enough to keep me in a brick and mortar house basically forever) is being able to bring partners home. Not many keen to hookup with someone who sleeps in a van lmao. But that aside.. meh! Van life seems fine.
However, I would question if it’s really worth it to pay for long term storage. Is your furniture that valuable? You might find that selling it and buying new stuff works out better in the long run. It depends how much you have, what it would sell for, and how much to replace of course… but if you’re broke you should consider how resale value might help your situation, instead of paying regular rent for a storage box for stuff you aren’t using.
Most of it is just tools and camping gear couple Thousand worth, stuff that's to expensive to replace you know
My opinion is if you are planning on storing this at a big cost in storage instead of renting, maybe reconsider if you need it, you are desperate to save money for a house, enough to live in a car, may be worth selling your gear and adding that to the savings.
Alternatively if you don't think you can do without it, surely you may be able to store it with your mum, even if you throw them a few bucks a month?
No, you will run into too many issues as others have pointed out. It's really not convenient.
I would consider going into share accommodation and try to find it for as little as possible.
It would be nice if your folks were willing to continue to let you live at home for the duration of your apprenticeship, but I guess not. Possibly if you lived in a van they would feel guilty and let you keep living there.
They're willing to let me live there but it's an extra $100+ for the commute each week which is nowhere near suitable
Here in Adelaide, are some places ~1 hour from CBD in which you can camp a van overnight for a small fee.
Example: St Kilda $4
I wouldn't recommend living in a car for most peoples circumstances but for this specific circumstance where you are young, enthusiastic, at start of career, minimal possessions then yes its a good way to save money. That's assuming saving money is your highest priority.
Keep in mind that there are a lot of trade offs. Living in a car means you can't accumulate possessions (eg. Gaming PC, gaming consoles, Widescreen TV, Surround sound speakers, Quadcopters, Motorcycles, Bicycles). You don't have access to 24 hour electricity. You don't have NBN broadband. It makes it harder for you to relate to your peers of similar age as you have less hobbies in common.
You lose personal freedom. Can't poop when you want. You can't stay up doing an all-nighter playing games due to the lack of electricity.
You can't use your car like you used to. If you offer rides to friends, acquaintances, romantic interests they will definitely notice the clutter in your car and connect the dots.
It gets uncomfortably cold in Winter. Cars don't have insulation like a house/caravan. Heat leaks out very quickly due to the amount of glass. Its not fun having to take a leak in sub-zero temperatures when you start with a dozen layers of clothing. Running the car heater with the engine idling is very expensive and not good for your health or engine life. What would you do in Summer if weekend temperatures climb too high? There's no air conditioning/fan or cold showers. It could be an opportunity cost on your social life due to the poor hygiene getting in the way.
Best way to find out about these things is to just give it a try and see if it works for you. Worst comes to worse you'll miss the freedom, social life, friends being able to relate to you and you conform to society.
Money is tight too
I wouldn't consider it if I wasn't worried about the future, I'm on apprentice wages and thinking about the future makes me scared because I can't save enough for land and houses seeing all the recent house prices