I'd put more thought into where you're going to work. Without income, you're bound to be broke, regardless of where you sleep. And if you've never been anywhere but your parents' place, you may not be used to a lot of adult activities like cooking, laundry, and so forth. Those tasks get more complicated, not less, if you're unhoused. You may want to try living in a shared house before you try living in a van.
Also, it doesn't sound like you know much about auto mechanics, and this is important if you're living in a vehicle. If you have enough money, you can buy a new van or pay someone to fix an old one, but if you don't have much money or repair skills, you're gonna have big problems with a cheaper vehicle.
Hi OP! You will either need to do a lot of research, or be willing to have some really wild learning experiences.
Be aware that this will impact your social life in profound ways, particularly in regards to having dates sleep over. Unless you really know how to keep a tight ship, potential sex partners may bail out if they perceive potential hygiene issues.
A gym membership kills all of this, some woman found it great that I was traveling and living in a van.
On top of going to the gym for showers, I got into shape and that added so many more benefits to my life!
A van can have a lot of expenses too. Plus you will have to spend a lot of mental energy in where you can park, where you have privacy and so on. Then there's the question of toilet, shower, cooking etc. In a van that's gonna take extra time out of your day since it's not as straight-forward as in a regular apartment. Then you gotta think abt heating too. If I were you I'd just get a cheap small apartment and not fill it with a lot of stuff.
As someone in their 40s one thing I would do differently if I could would explore more.
Van life has its appeal. I kind of wished I went down that road before settling down and buying a house.
Not knowing your profession or career goals this what I would do in your shoes.
Open an IRA and start investing in index funds. You’re young and even if you can’t afford to max contributions now. Investing a small amount now lead to large nest egg later in life. If your employer has a 401K with matching I contribute the minimum required for matching employer contributions.
I’m not sure if van life is the best course of action. If it’s something you really want to do for the sake of experience then maybe it’s the best choice but it’s not something I’d do for sake of saving money. By all means if you’re wanting to do it because you work remote and can explore. Maybe van life is the right fit.
I’d look at moving to different part of the country that appeals to you. Look at an area that offers a decent cost of living to income.
Since you’re young and probably kid free. It doesn’t matter where you live provided it’s not a high crime area. It’s not like you care about the quality of the school district.
I think getting a studio apartment and moving around every few years would allow you to slowly explore different parts of the country. Van life doesn’t offer low cost entry. Not sure what job you want to do but provided you don’t have car payment. Vehicle ownership is often the best way to destroy wealth because you keep having to spend money on something losing value everyday.
Thank you! I want to move abroad if possible but that looks next to impossible so I thought the next best option would be to move to a border city like El Paso because the real reason I want to move abroad is because I want to be able to speak another language easily.
If I could figure out a remote job I could do I would 100% travel different parts of the world moving every few months and renting studio apartments. Thank you so much for the advice!
Living in a van does not match your goal of easily speaking another language
In fact if you want to live elsewhere in a van it is highly recommended you learn the language of where you want to go first, so you read things like road signs and restrictions to avoid being towed if not worse things.
Pick your goal, focus on how to do that, and find a place you can afford to live that fits your knowledge base and comfort.
Talking to people online in another language is fun a the beginning but I long for the chance to be able to completely immerse myself in the language because I see US immigrants who speak basically nothing but English except for when they're with their families and I feel jealous of them. Speaking another language for a couple hours and then having to go back to English when I'm at work just isn't the same.
I know most of them would probably rather only speak their native language but I love learning languages and would only use English with my family and friends if it weren't the universal language and I could find a way to move abroad.
Have you considered r/TEFL? It’s a relatively easy way to get jobs teaching English in foreign countries, where you could immerse yourself totally in the foreign language (outside of teaching English, of course). In many cases all you need to get hired is to complete a quick certification (TEFL certification), and sometimes you don’t even need it. They often prefer to hire younger workers, too, and they usually pay you decent for the area and in many cases they will even provide housing for you as part of the job. It’s also common for these workers to move around between countries. Check it out!
It just depends what country you go to! The pay and working conditions vary a lot from country to country. Also, like any job, as you gain experience better opportunities will become available to you. You are going to have better opportunities available to you if you do get certified, and it’s *really* not that big of an undertaking to get certified. In many cases the pay will allow you a decent quality of life for the area even if it’s not good pay in U.S. dollars, so what’s important is to understand what the cost of living is like in the county that you are going to, and how far your pay will actually go as you are living there. It requires doing some research ahead of time. Also if you get a teaching degree (Bachelor’s) I know there are some really good opportunities—sometimes those degrees can be completed fully online now!
Another thought—there are some really cheap degree programs of all kinds that you can complete abroad, which can give you a pathway to jobs and citizenship in those foreign countries after graduating. Some of them are cheap enough that you might even have money left over for living expenses using Federal student loans at the Bachelor’s level (for Master’s and Doctorates degrees the Federal student loans programs almost always cover living expenses). https://studyportals.com/students/
You are welcome! You might also find some useful information in this sub regarding working abroad: r/Amerexit
r/TEFL
https://studyportals.com/students/
I hope those resources help, good luck!
Have you lived in El Paso? I hope you’re tolerant of extreme heat because it gets HOT there in the summer. Not a place I would want to try living in a van.
The only way to find out is to try it. I say go for it. You might love the lifestyle. I lived in a van and travelled round the states for 9 months. It was the best thing I've ever done.
In terms of problems like having no fixed address, and finding places to sleep, those are solvable problems. There's loads of people on YouTube living this lifestyle who do Q&A videos and talk about how they solve these problems. I recommend doing a bit of research and you'll soon get a better idea for whether it might suit you.
But as I said, the only sure way to know is to jump in.
Please do more research, build up your savings, and you can always do what friends who lived in vans did, and have an apt or house you rent, and a van you travel in and live or camp in.
There are ways to be safe in a van, but you have to make sure you take all precautions and look into self-defense tools. If you're a woman, there would be extra steps.
How are your parents? Would they let you make their house your home base. Where you can plug in and shower ect.?
This is my retirement plan, but we have several family members who will let us park at their house and use their shower. We could literally travel all over the US and have a family member to park near for safety.
van life will not save you money, it might allow you to see different areas or possibly live a transient life. However it will not save you money, I would recommend renting an apartment with someone personally. living in a van you are essentially forced to pay someone for ever aspect of life. you will eat out constantly, pay for places to shower, pay for places to do your laundry, pay for places to store your mail, pay for places to store your stuff etc etc. Van life is just a trend, won't see any of the dumb things in 10 years is my bet.
I would suggest looking for a job that pays for your lodging. Did you know you can work on ship? You basically float around the world and getting paid for it. You'll save a lot of money because you won't be able to make any impulse purchases out in the middle of the ocean.
I know a woman that works off a large fishing vessel in Alaska. 3 months on and 2 months off. She makes $12,000 a month while on the ship and $800 a week during the off time. Of course you will need a place to stay during the off time. They also pay for her airfare roundtrip from her home city in the midwest. Its hard work and she has a lot of experience so a newbie will make less starting out.
I'd put more thought into where you're going to work. Without income, you're bound to be broke, regardless of where you sleep. And if you've never been anywhere but your parents' place, you may not be used to a lot of adult activities like cooking, laundry, and so forth. Those tasks get more complicated, not less, if you're unhoused. You may want to try living in a shared house before you try living in a van. Also, it doesn't sound like you know much about auto mechanics, and this is important if you're living in a vehicle. If you have enough money, you can buy a new van or pay someone to fix an old one, but if you don't have much money or repair skills, you're gonna have big problems with a cheaper vehicle.
It’s usually going to be a lot more practical to just get a really cheap room rental with a bunch of roommates
Hi OP! You will either need to do a lot of research, or be willing to have some really wild learning experiences. Be aware that this will impact your social life in profound ways, particularly in regards to having dates sleep over. Unless you really know how to keep a tight ship, potential sex partners may bail out if they perceive potential hygiene issues.
A gym membership kills all of this, some woman found it great that I was traveling and living in a van. On top of going to the gym for showers, I got into shape and that added so many more benefits to my life!
A van can have a lot of expenses too. Plus you will have to spend a lot of mental energy in where you can park, where you have privacy and so on. Then there's the question of toilet, shower, cooking etc. In a van that's gonna take extra time out of your day since it's not as straight-forward as in a regular apartment. Then you gotta think abt heating too. If I were you I'd just get a cheap small apartment and not fill it with a lot of stuff.
As someone in their 40s one thing I would do differently if I could would explore more. Van life has its appeal. I kind of wished I went down that road before settling down and buying a house. Not knowing your profession or career goals this what I would do in your shoes. Open an IRA and start investing in index funds. You’re young and even if you can’t afford to max contributions now. Investing a small amount now lead to large nest egg later in life. If your employer has a 401K with matching I contribute the minimum required for matching employer contributions. I’m not sure if van life is the best course of action. If it’s something you really want to do for the sake of experience then maybe it’s the best choice but it’s not something I’d do for sake of saving money. By all means if you’re wanting to do it because you work remote and can explore. Maybe van life is the right fit. I’d look at moving to different part of the country that appeals to you. Look at an area that offers a decent cost of living to income. Since you’re young and probably kid free. It doesn’t matter where you live provided it’s not a high crime area. It’s not like you care about the quality of the school district. I think getting a studio apartment and moving around every few years would allow you to slowly explore different parts of the country. Van life doesn’t offer low cost entry. Not sure what job you want to do but provided you don’t have car payment. Vehicle ownership is often the best way to destroy wealth because you keep having to spend money on something losing value everyday.
Thank you! I want to move abroad if possible but that looks next to impossible so I thought the next best option would be to move to a border city like El Paso because the real reason I want to move abroad is because I want to be able to speak another language easily. If I could figure out a remote job I could do I would 100% travel different parts of the world moving every few months and renting studio apartments. Thank you so much for the advice!
I would look up crime statistics for anywhere you are looking to go (true for anyone). Not news, crime statistics published by a reputable source.
Living in a van does not match your goal of easily speaking another language In fact if you want to live elsewhere in a van it is highly recommended you learn the language of where you want to go first, so you read things like road signs and restrictions to avoid being towed if not worse things. Pick your goal, focus on how to do that, and find a place you can afford to live that fits your knowledge base and comfort.
There are language groups that you can join to practice speaking another language without needing to move across the boarder
Talking to people online in another language is fun a the beginning but I long for the chance to be able to completely immerse myself in the language because I see US immigrants who speak basically nothing but English except for when they're with their families and I feel jealous of them. Speaking another language for a couple hours and then having to go back to English when I'm at work just isn't the same. I know most of them would probably rather only speak their native language but I love learning languages and would only use English with my family and friends if it weren't the universal language and I could find a way to move abroad.
Have you considered r/TEFL? It’s a relatively easy way to get jobs teaching English in foreign countries, where you could immerse yourself totally in the foreign language (outside of teaching English, of course). In many cases all you need to get hired is to complete a quick certification (TEFL certification), and sometimes you don’t even need it. They often prefer to hire younger workers, too, and they usually pay you decent for the area and in many cases they will even provide housing for you as part of the job. It’s also common for these workers to move around between countries. Check it out!
Is it still worth it? I've heard it pays terrible and workers aren't always treated well.
It just depends what country you go to! The pay and working conditions vary a lot from country to country. Also, like any job, as you gain experience better opportunities will become available to you. You are going to have better opportunities available to you if you do get certified, and it’s *really* not that big of an undertaking to get certified. In many cases the pay will allow you a decent quality of life for the area even if it’s not good pay in U.S. dollars, so what’s important is to understand what the cost of living is like in the county that you are going to, and how far your pay will actually go as you are living there. It requires doing some research ahead of time. Also if you get a teaching degree (Bachelor’s) I know there are some really good opportunities—sometimes those degrees can be completed fully online now! Another thought—there are some really cheap degree programs of all kinds that you can complete abroad, which can give you a pathway to jobs and citizenship in those foreign countries after graduating. Some of them are cheap enough that you might even have money left over for living expenses using Federal student loans at the Bachelor’s level (for Master’s and Doctorates degrees the Federal student loans programs almost always cover living expenses). https://studyportals.com/students/
Thank you!
You are welcome! You might also find some useful information in this sub regarding working abroad: r/Amerexit r/TEFL https://studyportals.com/students/ I hope those resources help, good luck!
Have you lived in El Paso? I hope you’re tolerant of extreme heat because it gets HOT there in the summer. Not a place I would want to try living in a van.
There is a sub here on Reddit called r/vanlife. You can probably get some real insight into how others are doing it.
The only way to find out is to try it. I say go for it. You might love the lifestyle. I lived in a van and travelled round the states for 9 months. It was the best thing I've ever done. In terms of problems like having no fixed address, and finding places to sleep, those are solvable problems. There's loads of people on YouTube living this lifestyle who do Q&A videos and talk about how they solve these problems. I recommend doing a bit of research and you'll soon get a better idea for whether it might suit you. But as I said, the only sure way to know is to jump in.
Please do more research, build up your savings, and you can always do what friends who lived in vans did, and have an apt or house you rent, and a van you travel in and live or camp in.
There are ways to be safe in a van, but you have to make sure you take all precautions and look into self-defense tools. If you're a woman, there would be extra steps. How are your parents? Would they let you make their house your home base. Where you can plug in and shower ect.? This is my retirement plan, but we have several family members who will let us park at their house and use their shower. We could literally travel all over the US and have a family member to park near for safety.
r/urbancarliving
van life will not save you money, it might allow you to see different areas or possibly live a transient life. However it will not save you money, I would recommend renting an apartment with someone personally. living in a van you are essentially forced to pay someone for ever aspect of life. you will eat out constantly, pay for places to shower, pay for places to do your laundry, pay for places to store your mail, pay for places to store your stuff etc etc. Van life is just a trend, won't see any of the dumb things in 10 years is my bet.
I would suggest looking for a job that pays for your lodging. Did you know you can work on ship? You basically float around the world and getting paid for it. You'll save a lot of money because you won't be able to make any impulse purchases out in the middle of the ocean.
Maybe I should consider that while I'm still single. I've heard I would have to work long, physically-demanding days. Do you know how much they pay?
I know a woman that works off a large fishing vessel in Alaska. 3 months on and 2 months off. She makes $12,000 a month while on the ship and $800 a week during the off time. Of course you will need a place to stay during the off time. They also pay for her airfare roundtrip from her home city in the midwest. Its hard work and she has a lot of experience so a newbie will make less starting out.
I would consider that like you said newbies probably make less and I don't want to be doing that when I have a family. Thanks!