I started my day yesterday morning by dropping my phone on my face.
I usually wake up and check my email in bed. I’m lazy, so naturally I remain laying down during this ritual, with my phone held in a precarious position above my eyes.
Do you ever wake up in the morning and have difficulty making a fist because you feel so weak? That was me. Which caused my grip on my phone to falter and the dulled corner of my iPhone to come tumbling down on my face and hit me square in the forehead.
In any case, there I was, battling a cold, with a big, red splotch on my brow, climbing haphazardly into my Civic to go to work at 6:15 AM.
Imagine my delight when the radio station I was listening to was discussing people who live in vans.
Now, apparently they aren’t all that rare in cities, squatting in their vans anywhere from parks to main roadways. Most of them state “freedom from stuff” as their main reasoning behind being a leach on public spaces, but I don’t buy it. I can almost guarantee that if they lived in the mid-west of the US and could buy a foreclosure for less than the cost of their van, they’d be jumping all over it.
But that’s neither here nor there. The purpose of this post is so discuss the pros and cons of living in a van – and whether or not it’s really that much cheaper.
Advantages
- Ability to travel
- Inexpensive
- ?
- ??
- ???
Disadvantages
- Cold in the winter
- Hot in the summer
- Noise
- Inability to have pets
- Lack of a shower
- Lack of a bathroom
- Lack of a kitchen
- Noise
- Lack of a comfortable bed
- Inability to have reliable internet
- Inability to have a TV
- Killing your battery if you want reading light at night
- Noise
- Brightness
- Lack of privacy
- People hating on you for squatting in parks and near thier homes
- Noise
- Having to pretend you’re doing this for minimalism
- Forced minimalism
- Inability to receive mail
There are a thousand other things wrong with this. Apparently, many of these people have gym memberships, which allows them to use the showers. Not having a kitchen would require eating out for almost every meal, which would keep the costs up. I’m sure that these people have to replace their vehicle’s batteries more often, because they use it for drawing power for electronics, heating, etc.
Living with a roommate in an apartment would likely be cheaper than living in a van. Eating out for every meal, having to maintain a gym membership so you can shower, and the amount of maintenance these vans likely require when being used as somebody’s primary residence gobble up a lot of the savings.
Would you live in a van?
I would not live in a van!! I mean, unless there was no alternative, then I would have to. But I definitely wouldn’t opt for it if I had another choice. I mean, the lack of shower/kitchen/bathroom is a pretty massive dealbreaker, not to mention the extensive list of all of the other cons.
I enjoy my creature comfortos too much to be minimal enough for Van living… But a boat! That’s another story.
As for eating out, many vans have cook-tops. If they don’t, van owners can buy the camping stoves from MEC. Many don’t need special fuel either.
Plus the west coast doesn’t really get all that cold. If you disagree with my thermal assessment, spend a winter in Edmonton or Regina, or Winnipeg or Thunder Bay, or Quebec City, or St. Johns!
As for the mailing address, that’s easy. You just need to go to your local post-office and rent a post-box.
Exactly. But that keeps on adding to the cost! Also, there may be cooktops but where do you keep your perishable goods! Haha
no, it doesn’t “keep adding to the costs.” you buy a cooking kit once. you pay a SMALL fee for a p.o. box monthly. you *can* have a cooler which will maintain cold temperature for about 8 hours. that’s about one mealtime away which is fine. besides that, you eat what you have in front of you. most food won’t spoil so quickly in a few hours anyway. then there are other things that last long like granola bars, nuts, and fruits (at least a few days).
this article looks over one major factor: NO RENT. every penny you make is yours, not your landlord’s. you also learn how to fix and manage your van/vehicle. you can also get free wi-fi while sitting outside a starbucks or another hotspot (some cities have it free in parks where google provides it). you can shower and do laundry at the gym while in the shower. there are many tips and tricks that can help you save money while living in a van.
Crazy! Clearly I would never live in a van (even though i really like camping… it isn’t meant to be a long term thing for me.) I do disagree that it would be cheaper to live in an apartment. A gym membership is like $30/mo, and if you are willing to eat unhealthy (which they probably are!) your food costs wouldn’t be all that significant.
I see a lot of people living on the streets here. I guess a van is a little better!
I would not live in a van unless I absolutely had to.. and I hope to never get to that stage where I have to. However, I have heard a story of a college student in California who was able to graduate debt free because he lived in a van during college. That takes guts and gumption. I also think the blogger Violent Acres said she? used to live in a van.
Hahaha. An acquaintance in university lived in a van for awhile. His plan was to get a girlfriend by the time it got really cold out. It worked, he was smooth like that. Gym memberships and lots of heated indoor space came with tuition. For awhile, he had his van parked in the gf’s backyard, until the locks froze one day on him and he was stuck. haha.
My first concern would be safety. I couldn’t sleep at night on a parking lot with drunks and homeless guys circling the van. Even less in the middle of nowhere. I lived off a motorcycle and a tent for 6 months though, but was traveling. As a permanent solution, I’d go for the cheap foreclosure!
If you were worried about security you could always park in a Wal Mart parking lot. They allow anyone to park overnight. Since most are open 24 hours they have security (not that they really do much). Actually this is extremely common in North Dakota because of their oil boom and lack of housing.
Personally I don’t think I could live in a van as a long term solution.
Wow, wouldn’t this be SO COLD in ND? But yeah, I agree about Walmart parking lots. They are better in security than the side of a road!
Well some of these disadvantages listed a bit much. Clearly having pets isn’t a priority to this person. They will use a po box for mail. Car covers are great for privacy, warmth, and offsetting the brightness. You’d use flashlights at night. Or use the cigarette lighter as a low power source. Use grills in parks to make food. Park in parking lots (walmart, churches). Use gyms or truck stops (?) for showers. You wouldn’t be located in a super hot or super cold climate. Use a small cooler for food items.
I’m guess many people who do this either 1) got fed up with owning stuff or 2) it’s a temporary situation while they get back on their feet. It is cheaper in that you are not paying a monthly rent, but you will be putting money into the van. You’ll buy less food because you have little storage.
The biggest disadvantage I see is you’re not really a part of society. You and/or your clothes probably smell in some capacity because there’s just not a good set-up for hanging dress clothes and having multiple pairs of shoes. Shower access will be spotty at times. You couldn’t maintain a professional lifestyle while living in a van, but I find it unlikely that’s the route the person is going in anyway.
The article and radio show actually pointed out that there are hundreds of people in the region that live in their vans by choice. Interesting, hey? It’s not just one person, so it kind of blew my mind.
Solar power! You can run a/c heat, cooking equipment, computers, small camping refrigerator, anything you want really. And it’s FREE! The cost of panels and solar equipment are much cheaper than you might think. Ten years ago that was different. For 35$ a month you can have mobile internet. With technology today, it actually makes living this way much easier. As for the van costs. What when u own a house you don’t need a car anymore? Unless you live in a city like Chicago with a mass public transit system, I’m sure you still spend money on insurance and maintenance of your vehicle. It’s still the same, but your not spending 30-40% or more of your income on your living situation. Instead the extra money is used for travel and fun. I’m a war veteran, and I do not live in a van. But honestly surviving the situations I had in the army, my personal space was a cot and a foot locker at times. A van sounds like a hotel suite! Maybe it’s because I know I could. But it is increasingly peaking my interest this vanlife!
DEAR GOD NO.
I’ve heard of some pretty extreme ways to get out of debt however, like going to the gym to shower in the mornings, and taking a part-time job at a buffet to eat for free.
It’s also too cold to do something like that here.
I think I’d definitely live in a van, for a while. I’m sure the novelty would wear off and the inconvenience factor grow and I’d give it up eventually, maybe after a year or two. Mainly I’m attracted by the idea of paring down my belongings to a level that would fit comfortably in a van. I once lived nearly a year not in but from a VW Jetta. I’d put 98% of my belongings in storage during this period but didn’t miss a thing.
I’ve always had a vague suspicion smartphones are dangerous–now I see why! 😉
heck no! Though, if that van was upgraded to a luxurious RV I guess I could change my mind!
I suppose if you were single and didn’t mind the lack of space and amenities, it could be doable. You’re only expenses would be a gym membership for a shower (mine is $34/month), use the laundromat (I used to spend $20/week at one) and then, if you can’t have your mail delivered to your work, a p.o. box (a small on in my town is $40/ year or $3.33/month).
If you made minimum wage ($7.25/hr here in TN), then this may not be so bad. From my estimations above, someone in my city may spend $58ish a month plus whatever they need in gas and food for expenses and have around $800 in income after taxes.
It wouldn’t be comfortable, but if you’re willing to sacrifice, doable.
Sorry for the long comment, but I really want to think this out to form a real opinion.
I would live in a van, but only if it was down by the river….
Haha there is no way I’d live in a van. It’s funny actually that you mentioned that because I had this old roommate who literally bought a bus that was converted into a live in van with her BF and they planned to roadtrip/live in it for a year or something. Ya, they were some interesting characters *cough hippies *cough lol
Campervanning is a fun way to travel, but a van? Nooo.
There is also a story of a guy who did grad school (somewhere pretty fancy, but I forget where exactly) while living in a van in order to ..graduate debt free? Make his mark on society?
I would live in a homeless shelter before a van. At least there is an element of security in a shelter…someone could just break your windows and poof! bad things happen.
I’d have to be desperate but I would do it if I had to. I wouldn’t do it by choice though… that’d be crazy, especially during Florida summers!
I think if it came down to me living in a van I would make sure I looked into all community programs and shelters and seek guidance and help from the people who are offering. I would not want to have to live in a van although there are people with no other alternatives and I do hope that they find their path in life. Others may do it for various personal reasons and I’m not here to judge, live life as they may, after all we are in charge of our own lives.
Wow. This is a serious lifestyle choice? Weird.
I couldn’t live in a van. I like my space and love my dogs!
If things got that bad for me, i would probably opt to move to a tropical area, live in a cardboard box and take showers when it rained (to wash off all the salt and sand from the beach). Seriously though? I don’t think I could ever live in a van.
I experimented with living in a van last year for a little while and might try it again later this year. Although you find it hard to believe many people do actually prefer living in a van. You should check out tosimplify.net, it is a popular blog about a guy living in a van.
It would be far too cold to do that here. It gets up to 40 or 50 below at times. If I could afford to live in a house or apartment, I would prefer to do that.
This is a choice for some and certainly not for 95% of us. Like you said, it’s a lifestyle choice and I’m pretty certain that most know what they’re getting into ahead of time.
umm definitely not, not unless I had no other option. I could sort of understand people choosing to live in RVs, I wouldn’t want to, but some people like the mobility. But a van? umm no!
If I had to I could. But definitely not the ideal choice for me. I have a small bladder not to mention I would be scared of carjackings.
Oh man – not in a million years could I live in a van. We did spend one night this past Fall sleeping in the back of our SUV (we went shopping in the U.S and wanted to stay 24hrs to avoid paying taxes on all the stuff we bought). We piled our purchases in the front seats, folded down the back seats, laid out some sleeping bags & pillows, and slept in a Walmart parking lot. It was a fun adventure – for ONE NIGHT – but there’s no way we’d want to do it any longer than that.
I’ve known someone who lived in a van for a good while. He was a machinist and made good money but wanted to do it for kicks. He installed solar panels and a generator in his van so he even had electrify!
This is huge in southern California. The sides of the streets are lined with RVs for miles in many places. They can’t remain in the same spot for more than three days, so they just move up 50 feet, then reverse 50 feet.
No, no, no, no, no and NO! Unless my only option was concrete sidewalk in front a gas station than fine. And I’d be working my behind off to get better digs – a nice luxury car, maybe. 🙂
I can’t imagine living in a van for good. It’s just so uncomfortable and too risky.
I probably could live in a van. Honestly.
Currently, I live in a less than 300 sqft apartment and love it. I have less stuff, less things to clean. Someone people couldn’t dare to live in such a small space but i love every minute. I have a 5 minute walk to work and ALL amenities i need are literally within walking distance (or literally outside my door). I have everything I need and nothing more. (And even then i am thinking about paring down even more — do I really need a bunch of CD’s I don’t listen to or random kitchen gadgets when a knife and a pot do me well?)
living in a van would probably be a challenge but if you don’t need “things” then, yeah – i could do it – and definitely somewhere with temperate weather like Vancouver. my only concern (as a woman) would be safety.
People who clearly freak out at the thought of living in a van are the types of people who NEED the conformity, structure and routine that a life of paying a mortgage, fancy car and other materialistic shite can provide. On the other hand, people who dig the van lifestyle are far more adventurous, spontaneous, FREE SPIRITED and open minded and can adapt easily to any given situation. I want to vomit at the thought of staying in the all-inclusive resorts/hotels for a pampered and unauthentic traveling experience, which is what most of these people would prefer from the sounds of it! I think there are definitely some pros and cons to the van life, but having done it myself for various trips at extended periods of time, the PROS by far outweigh the cons. All of the people who would rather stay in their comfy, safe and predictable homes should remain there and leave the roads open for people who seek new experiences.
That sounds like a lot of angry generalization to me 🙂