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
I would go share house over this idea.
Rent a basic room somewhere, ensure parking space included.
Shit night sleep will mess your days up, when you spend roughly 1/3 of your 24hr day in bed, make it pleasant.
Interesting idea! Have you considered what would happen if you had mechanical issues/vehicle breaks down?
Not really, I guess I could stay at a mates for a couple of nights
But haven't put that into the equation
Your profile says you're in Brisbane, this is just one example of budget share accommodation on gumtree for $140/week.
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/the-gap/flatshare-houseshare…
Mentally it's unsustainable
I lived 2 years in a camping van. Easy If you can find a good fixie and don't drive much ( or at all). I actually miss it sometimes since life was so much easier in some aspects - except the internet which was always a hassle - less so these days I think. I would not recommend in a ute/car not adapted - you can last some months but later on it will be a Trainwreck payback. If you are not preped, just find a good sharehouse - you will be better off. If you got parents to support you - dive in and try - you can always go back home anyway ;)
I don't see an issue with it for the short term only to get some money behind you. It's obviously not for everyone but if you feel you could handle it then go for it. It's not conventional but none of us are walking in your shoes. I would definitely dedicate the next 12 months to preparing for the experience and do a few test runs to get an idea of how it's going to be and the problems you will face.
Your personal security will be of upmost importance so scoping locations to park and sleep should be paramount. If there's any 24/7 shopping centres around you could park there depending if the parking is timed. Parking there wouldn't raise much suspicion as it would just look like a staff member or customer was parking there plus there would most probably be toilets there to use. You want to feel safe while you're asleep so have a list of suitable locations you can use.
In your spare time you could go to parks for exercise and to generally get out for fresh air and be at least amongst other people if you start feeling isolated.
Your biggest hurdle will be keeping occupied in your free time. You don't want to start isolating yourself as it then becomes habit.
Buy a couple of smart phone charger packs so that you don't run out of battery on your phone. Charge them up at your work to save money on electricity.
I wish you the best of luck
Thanks mate
I guess the next few months will be deciding and a bit of trialing the idea
I'm less leaning towards this idea but at the same time it seems like it'll be a good experience
There are some other alternatives I would consider to make your life a little easier.
1. Regular House/pet sitting jobs where you would stay at the owners house while they’re away. (This might be harder to find in Covid times)
2. You’re an apprentice chef you may be able to find someone willing to let you rent a room at a reduced cost if you cook for them or even an in-home carer job that would fit around your work schedule.I'll have a look around
I'll get on the local area group on Facebook and ask around
Honestly OP go for it, i would if was your age. You will have more freedom to travel and save yourself thousands of dollars. I think the stigma of living in a van/car has started to wore off in the last 5 years due to the whole van-life movement and will be more commonplace in 20-30 years time as the housing affordability is a struggle. At the end of the day we don't need much to survive in life.
Also i think the key to true stealth is getting a Renault Kangoo or Volkswagen Caddy so it looks like a tradie vehicle, if you want to go the extra mile put a fake company decal on the side of the vehicle haha.
I lived in my SUV on a camping ground for a couple weeks every year. It's for leisure though. No modification to the car just a mattress. It's a great way to save money on accommodation but I wouldn't do it for more than a couple weeks.
The car is really just for sleeping, cooking and eating. You will need things to occupy most of your day outside the car. Unless you have van/camper setup with large space inside.
Have you considered home sharing with the elderly? There are programs run by various organisations (like uniting church) where you basically lodge with an elderly person for free, and you might provide company or run errands for them (ie grocery shopping), and just be there to make sure someone is around in case they slip and fall.
Although I agree it’s not an ideal long term solution to stay in your car, I think it sounds like a really interesting experience. As you say, you have the opportunity to rent or move back with your mum if things go pear shaped and personally, I would prefer it to a share house. You sound extremely sensible and I commend you for wanting to get your life in financial order so young. I wish you luck with whatever you decide to do 😀👍
Thanks mate, I don't think an elderly sharehome would work, my hours are 9-9 so it wouldn't really be ideal for them, can't get experience in life without giving it a shot so I'll trial and error to see if it's for me over the next few months
Perhaps watch the documentaries that I did earlier this week about poverty in the States and people being forced to live in cars etc.
Might give you some insight and possibly make you realise that may not be a good choice to make since others are forced into it and find it impossible to get out of.
Short Answer No it isnt a good idea
Longer Answer it isnt a long term solution if you cant afford to life where you are move further out otherwise at least get a CaravanAlso i would look into 'public' housing as you might qualify for support - no one should be homeless
I just thought of something else that might impact your decision. Based on your income, age and that you’re doing an apprenticeship you should be entitled to some youth allowance from Centrelink once you move out of home. the amount and income test is higher once you move out of your parents home but that might be hard to prove if you don’t have an address or still use your parents. If you do rent somewhere and get youth allowance you might also be able to get rent assistance, so with the extra Centrelink money a cheap room in a share house (presuming it’s official enough to provide evidence you live there) may actually work out cost wise the same/similar as living in you car. Might be worth looking on the Centrelink website and doing some calculations.
Didn't think of centerlink
I'll have a look online at their support options
Thanks a lot mate
it’s a good idea if you are going to save the $ you’d otherwise spend on rent for better use. If you’re going to drink, gamble and waste away no better.
Also have a back up plan if things go pear shaped (accident, repairs, break down etc)good luck
Thanks mate
I got a savings account set up already
Just need to save
…Really?
…Yes?
Some good advice here. I'll try to add what I can:-
a) try not to drink too much. Sounds obvious, I know, but you'd be surprised at how easy it is to buy a box of wine and drink the whole thing in one night
b) try and keep the food situation simple. A good option is Mi Goreng noodles with red lentils. Its easy and quick to cook on the basic $20 stove from Kmart, hearty and filling and requires no refrigeration
c) pack a tent. It gives you another option. I'm from Brisbane, there's a bunch of bushland fairly close to the city where you can live out of a tent for quite a while and no one bothers you
d) you have to be on good terms with yourself. Personally the solitude never bothered me. But people are very different in this regard.
e) one of those USB solar chargers is handyThere are perks:-
a) financially, it gives you much more breathing space. You learn what a tool of social control paying rent is. You also learn what a status-jockeying pi**ing contest the whole housing situation is. It really brings you round to the indigenous way of thinking, if all you are is the stupid house that you live in then you're missing the point.
b) its actually nice waking up in the bush. All the birdsong and that.
c) you'll find out that you're a lot more resilient and resourceful than you gave yourself credit for.Like others have said above, police are the least of your enemies. They at least have a sense of perspective. You will learn that local Councils are basically willing lickspittle lapdogs for the most obnoxious of their constituents.
Case in point: someone I knew lived aboard (a small boat) on the Brisbane river. He anchored on a stretch of river alongside a stretch of nice houses. Some obnoxious middle-upper class woman came up to him when he was onshore and said, listen, I just wondered if you needed any help moving on, its just that there are a lot of families here with young children, and I know you don't mean to, but you're frightening them. He said I havent seen any children, but in any event I haven't done anything to frighten anyone. She ended up calling the police. This guy was very polite and said listen, Im not bothering anyone, rich people just have to understand that they don't own the river. The copper turned to the rich woman and said, "he's absolutely right", and left.
This thread actually makes me disappointed in a way. Not with OP, but because op even has to resort to this type of lifestyle and make a thread like this. Ive seen documentaries of it happening in other counties, never thought it would happen here.
I thought as much myself. The Australian social compact is pretty much dead at this point.
To quote Kipling:- What tale shall serve me here among. Mine angry and defrauded young?
I think this guy is just being cheap though. Anyone can afford to rent a room in a shared house even without a job.
OP doesn't want to live in share houses. Its more a choice.
More like he wants to save the $200 a week for a room. I mean accommodation is a basic necessity that one would pay for before even thinking of saving anything.
What is the point of life if you are going to spend your early 20’s homeless by choice (or houseless so he feels better about himself)?
The main problem is you will contract disease from using dirty toilets.
No different from using the toilets when you go out shopping…
Shopping centre toilets has cleaners while if you want to go to toilet at night, if you use public toilets, they don't get the same maintenance mate. I have seen a public toilet got poo all over the floor, poo that couldn't flush…. sometimes it maybe cleaner just to do it outside, but I thought it is illegal.
😂 get off your phone on the crapper mate
Place two or three layers of toilet paper on top of the seat lid and you should be good. Maybe dump some in the water as well so you're not playing battleships. Otherwise, just squat or crouch ontop of the seat lid with your shoes on (old school style of taking a dump, apparently also better way), or barefeet (If you're one of those people who walk around barefooted everywhere) with some layers of toilet paper underneath if you're that pedantic and the same in the water bowl.
Hopefully there should be soap to wash off any diseases you're contacted from touching the door handles and lock. If there's no soap then you'll need to bring your own or remember to bring own the next time and then go to another area to wash your hands… Use paper towel (Or more toilet paper) to open the door to get out of the toilet area so you're not touching the handle after meticulously washing your hands for 5 minutes after getting out of your cubical…
Got a few friends who do this and the summer is tough. They have ultimate freedom but also not really free to use the bathroom or shower whenever they want. If you're in a warm state, the summer is hot in a car. For that reason alone, I don't think I could do it.
Whats a warm state? Its hot everywhere in summer..
True but some states are much warmer than others. NT vs TAS
Find another workplace where accommodation is provided might be another option.
Good for short term or for fun but in long term its more complicated. Its not just depends upon you but if you’re socially engaged then you might have consider convinces of friends and family as well. Van life is not an easy life. Its alot complicated than it sound. Its better to rent a room or share house with friends.
definitely do it if you are single. make sure you don't make it rain with the extra income, invest it. look longterm. you will be able to pay your future house in full with cash.
Do you train at the gym
Hi mate, if you live in Sydney, there are a few people doing exactly this at Tempe reserve. Might pay to come check it out. Low profile living.
It's a terrible idea. It will make you miserable and cost you money in the long term. Don't waste the best years of your life.
Eating out all the time will be more expensive I reckon.
Not worthwhile to live in a van even financially. Say $200 per week rent is around $10k per annum. But considering depreciation and maintenance of the van and risk of unexpected penalty tickets, living in a van may cost even more than $10k per annum. Living in van is cold in winter and hot in summer without aircon and road noise will drive you crazy even have earplugs on all the time. What do you expect when you have loved one and kid? Do you really expect them to live in the van with you?
I thought you need a permanent address to register for things…
Licence, bank, other services. Part of proof of ID
A P.O box covers this.
Lots of short sighted and judgemental people here, watch this be a normal thing in 20 years time. What the OP is suggesting is smart. What does the average person pay in rent every year? Lets say 15K to 25K. If Op does this for a year that a deposit for 1 or 2 bedroom apartment.
most people live with their parents,
yeah if their parents are cool with it which some are not….or maybe the kids dont like living with their parents due to some disagreements?
If you're doing the change for economic reasons then your first step should be making a budget of both situations for comparison. You should be tallying the transition cost and expected savings differences to determine your break even point. For instance if you save 50 a week doing the change but have then spent 2k on kit out of the car then you need to maintain the lower operating costs for at least 40 weeks just to break even.
I also wouldn't really expect living expenses to go down that much as you'll still need substitutes for a lot of things normally associated with homes. Access to electricity, waste disposal, cooking and storage all come to mind as things that get more expensive in a living in a car scenario. If you have to drive to keep car batteries charged and to access distributed facilities in multiple locations expect all your everyday tasks to also start taking significantly longer.
Yup completely agree mate. Living in a car comes with its own new costs which have the capacity to outweigh the obvious rent savings and add that with increased discomfort you experience in a car
Buy a van with sliding doors do you can put a bed in there and have a solar battery setup on the roof to charge your devices… or charge them at the gym or work lol.
You can park randomly at streets and rotate weekly
Stop being a cheap ass
Cheap ass while saving money. It’s rather smart tbh if it’s temporary
I'm about to do the same. Doing life solo for a bit to get away from the madness of society and building up some projects on my laptop
I ripped out all the seats and made a bed out of a piece of ply and some PVC pipes/flanges going from glovebox to boot. Put a sunlounger matreas across it. Bought roof racks to put a fridge, solar electricals and other stuff on top because I didn't want it in the car. Even built a wood frame for the window with computer fans blowing air in and out so I can have a cover, but still breathe at night. Also have a big water bottle, 12v portable shower and a few big roof cargo type bag I keep clothes in.
Overall it's a different lifestyle, but truth is I plan to do this for a while till I make enough for a bigger van as I want to do this permanent.
I don't envy other people's loans. Slaving yourself your whole life for a container to keep your things in goes against my soul in every way. I live for adventure, not repeating the same thing every day.
It's simply a different lifestyle and you can always pack it up and get a place instead of wondering what if. I say go for it if you feel a calling. Do research on vanlife ups and downs and plan what you can from it.
Do you… Don't follow other people's life template.
The only 'van life' i would consider is the $600k winnebago my previous boss had. That thing was like a 5 star hotel on wheels.
Not worth it. Just get a very cheap house and call it a home. Find a shared accommodation and stay. Good for your self esteem and mental health. A house is much more than just shelter
If I wasn't married with kids, and didn't have parents I could just live with, I would totally do this. But I would ideally have a van or something a bit more roomier.
If nothing else, its to see how you can live a minimalist lifestyle.I'd probably get a caravan to do this if you really want to do it
Came here to say caravan. A challenger could tow a moderate size caravan. Depending on the area, if it isn’t dense surely someone would rent a caravan space for cheap.
Living in a car/van can work for a while but the inconveniences add up fast.
The best option I know for someone moving out is sharehousing. Know a few friends that will also need/want a place near where you want? Rent a place together.
I did it all through uni. Was paying $90 a week all utilities included in a huge upmarket 6 bedroom house for a while. Was great.
Great idea OP, give it a try save some money then find a cheap apartment to buy.
solarscreens.com.au for the windows.
If I can ever build some passive income I plan to do this around the world
Go for it, but get a van.
I think it's the way to go to be honest, but you need a van not a car. Slaving away to pay rent or a mortgage is a soul sucking misery and leaves no time and minimal money to enjoy life. It is true that the best things in life are free, but you do need some money for emergencies/the odd luxury. If you can live a low cost life on the road I think that would be far more satisfying than living in a state of chronic stress because you have to work all the time just to pay for the roof over your head. It is at least worth trying. If you save up say 50k you could get a pretty luxurious setup with a late model van. With property prices the way they are, it is a very appealing alternative that can give you the work/life balance so many of us crave. Many Australians have had a gutful of the exploitation and slaving away at work 5 days a week whilst barely scraping by, the system needs to change but in the meantime I think we will see a lot more people exploring van life and alternative living in the coming years.
Living in a car is not living. As mentioned by someone else, you are essentially homeless. Try get into public housing if you're really struggling. What about family and friends, anyone that can rent you a room or granny flat?
If you live like a hobo, you're basically giving up on life. Drug and alcohol addiction, followed by crime and violence, is what you'll likely become.
You should try be the best you can be, and never skimp on the essentials
What a sad judgemental life you must live. If you actually took a step outside of your little shell you might learn that some homeless people (be that living in a car or on the street) are actually great people who ended up there through a series of unfortunate events. To imply that they all have a drug and/or alcohol addiction, followed by crime and violence clearly shows what little knowledge you have.
As others have mentioned van will more practical.
I think those who say you are homeless are judgemental.
I know people who live in vans are happy and do it by choice.
Check out facebook groups for ideas how to live in a van.Hey OP, if you're still around and want to consider house share check https://flatmates.com.au/rooms/brisbane/cheapest?search_sour… I did a quick search and saw $80/wk for a nice room in a nice area fully furnished but there are plenty around the $100/wk. You can also check gumtree, looks like they start around $120/wk. It will be more comfortable utility/electricity wise and reliable for living than a car and you might even get free wifi. I'm not sure what your living standards are but what happens if you need to get the car fixed (ac breaks or someone punches a hole through a window) or have to head out to a gym at 2am on a winter morning to use the bathroom? Also having to take out your trash or lug your groceries or laundry back and forth to a car every time (unless you're planning to drive but then what happens if the car breaks down) and I can only imagine it's gonna start to become hard to maintain cleanliness and at some stage and you/clothes will smell but you wont be able to tell. It's gonna be hot in summer, cold in winter and during rainy season its gonna be muggy inside and if you open a window/door water's gonna get in and will probably mold and give you health problems. I guess you will probably get used to any outside noises, drunks and smells (depending on what area you're in).
IMO suffering now just to save 200$/wk during an apprenticeship isn't worth it. In the near future you will start to earn more as your career progresses and you may be about to save just as much (if not more) without having to compromise anything. Your mental health concerns, even if you don't mind putting up with it, may also impact your job and ability so it's not worth it. I'm not sure if you have many companions around you that you can rely on at the moment and house share can be a good way to get to know new people. If you still think its worth the savings of 5-10k/year then have at I spose.
Yes it is 'that bad'.
Where is your self respect and your pride?
Rent a flat or unit, work hard, be careful with your money.
It's not that hard. I was doing it when I was 15.
Slept in a converted prado with a bed for a week and it was not the best. For your Challenger, hope the airflow is ok, going to be stinking hot in summer mostly when you let one rip.
Depending on where you are you don't really want to have doors or windows open when you're asleep?The wise frugal thing to do would be to look for the cheapest room share available including bills, and have the vehicle as a back up in case there is a wait for the room, or between rooms. I always keep an eye on prices, and still see bargains. i watch gumtree and facebook marketplace. I see fully furnished with air conditioning and bills included for very reasonable prices, I also check storage like lockup garages, because my stuff will not fit in a room or studio, so I will need extra space. There are still excellent prices available
Dont know - but if i was single and young, i would definitely do it for a few reasons:
- minimalism
- should work out to be cheaper than renting - allows you to save up
- live like a "free person" without any burden and worry, like a monk!Too bad Im married with kids, and old and i dont have a time machine =(
Your car might get mould so you need to leave a window open all the time whilst asleep.
You need a very good mattress.
What to say…
You'll probably want to make discreet exits from the van / car so neighbours don't clue on to fact you're staying there.
You'll start to notice habits of neighbours and know when most walking in area, probably easier to get up earlier before the van heats up too much / busy on the streets.
Suggest not getting an old van with an engine under the front seats, as the whole van and sheets start to smell of fuel.
Be weary of creating connections to those in area a friendly chat could mean someone breaks into your van in few days time.
Disconnecting the battery is a good way to stop it draining if not moving about and prevent theft :)
There's pros and cons like many suggested.
I feel one pro you have is knowing you have the option to sleep out in car/ van if finances are low or need an escape from existing residence.
Creativity in doing this short term would be an adventure, though certainly takes planning. And living off places like seven eleven not the healthiest option.
Feel camping out bush probably the better option. Escaping the heat and people, though depending on location adding into fuel costs.
whats the rental market is like in your area? would try to go with house/room sharing. Living in a van isn't the way to go.
Search for work in WA on mine sites. You should be able to make 75k a year as a FIFO or DIDO chef. You don't need to be fully qualified, you can get in as a kitchenhand and cook. Screw the chef apprenticeship, it's a waste of time.
You'll get better accommodation and living conditions while at work compared to living in your car and you can still live the van life on your week off but with $3000+ to spend/save.
You could save $30k in a year while travelling every 3rd week on your RNR.
Whats your address though?
Drivers license, bank stuff, regoDo you have a PO BOX?
Also if you want to buy things, where do you ship these to?Add delivery instructions:
PS I am not actually at 50 Smith St. I am the houseless bloke in the van down the street with rego FML004. If you don’t find me in the van, I’d be the public toilet at the park across the road.There, problem solved.
Lol I’ve delivered to addresses like that, believe or not. We had a good laugh, fun times :)
The last time I wrote something that long in the delivery notes, the postman didnt even bothered to follow them and just returned the package to the nearest post office. When I went in there to collect, I complained to post office that there was explicit instructions on how to deliver the item but the driver didnt follow. Their response? "No delivery driver is gonna read your long worded instructions on how to deliver your package. If you're not at home on the day of delivery, they are returned to the nearest post office and you will be carded."
@Zachary: Hahaha I could imagine that, people don't read anymore. I was delivering booze also, customers are usually happier, some are quite cute too, didn't mind going the extra mile ;) Really miss these days now I'm back to a routine life.
@Zachary: Haha nah, that's not the reason I did it, also I'm female so I get random pickup lines thrown at me, except I couldn't socialise with customers, so there's that :(
So many people saying to park in industrial areas, this is wrong, you will stand out too easily. The best place to park is in a pretty busy residential street and a place where most of the people are renting as those people are far less likely to care about you parking on their street. You will find out anyway through trial and error.
Do it. I did it for a few months with breaks every few weeks at a friend’s place. Cooking was a problem for me, but I can see you don’t have an issue with it. It was at first a bit of work as I had to research and get curtains etc for the car, once I had a few trial runs, it became incredibly freeing.
Most frequently asked question I had was “how do you stay safe?”. The irony is no one had ever bothered me the entire time, the closest I got to a confrontation was my “neighbours” for a particular night started arguing, appeared to be a man trying to pick up a woman and it went poorly, she loudly asked him to leave her van and stuff. Another neighbour eventually intervened and we all gone back to sleep in our vehicles lol
Moving to a warmer climate makes it a lot easier, or get a Prius so you can afford to have heating on all night. You can get some older ones for cheap, there’s not much difference in fuel economy and you get the benefit of staying stealth.
At the end of the day, it does require you to have a very clear understanding of why you are doing it tho. Fear of not being able to save up money should not be one of the reasons. Your primary drive is to make more money, not to save, because money is not saved, it’s made. Most people on this site are already making enough money, so saving makes sense as a supplementary activity to the making of it. (And we are more or less addicted to the gaming aspect of beating the system.) But if you invest the majority of your energy into saving, you are not making, that’s just maths.
Thanks for the advice guys
I have just over a year to figure out where to go with this
If I can find a rental close enough to work within walking distance I'll probably take that up
I'll keep this thread updated about my decisions
Interesting thread. Interesting as well that you started this discussion with more than year before you need to decide what to do. That's plenty of time to think and go through these comments as you ponder the pros and cons. I hope things work out for you.
Hi chef freeman, life is short, follow your dreams and ambitions and see how it goes. Learn from others experiences and then make your own.
There is a good read about a student doing this in his prius and working at a restaurant (user: home-on-wheel) and he shares his experience with others on another forum: https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/thread/9jrjx829
Funny thing it reminded me of you!
don't see problem, save money, research, invest, work on your career.
look up the magic of compounding, that is the secret to building wealth.
The cheapest thing to do is buy a house and ride the equity train.
I would so do this if I had the opportunity. I would go a van though for the space but again your looking at spending big dollars decking it out.
If you enjoy camping then it will be similar although shouldn't be perm