Frugal over Freedom give cheapest scenario

[ORANGE]

Coming right down to it,  I can chose sticks and bricks apartment or vanning this Fall and onward.
315 tiny apt, water trash sewer
50 electric
370 to live.  Walmart 4 minutes away  library for free internet 4 minutes.  And yes a very safe place.

Now can you give to me, a living in the minivan scenario with comfortable temps that can be any cheaper and what that would look like?

Remember I am NE tennessee so initial gas to get to where to be and the moving around and then winter turns to summer and needing to go somewhere else.  

I learned I am chicken little and would only do this if I can travel with a caravan, and figure those should be starting up soon.

In a nutshell    assume food, and purchases cost the same...
How much in gas is it gonna cost to minivan it a month (vs mostly staying home in apt)
How much in van repairs (vs mostly driving few miles from apt. a month) 

I think it is a fair comparison :heart: sticks and bricks comfort vs minivan repairs and fuel in comfort   :heart:   

WILL it be done over a years time to average 370 or less a month?  Do tell

PS Darn it I forgot Id have to have excellent cell service for minivan.  I do not need in apt.  CAN I VAN UNDER 300!!! IS THE QUESTION, CANT CHANGE THE POLL. SORRY

 

[Elbear1]

So youre one of us. We are a minority here where most have SS income over a grand and we sort jave wildly different perspectives.

Its not rocket surgery or some big mystery to calculate a budget. Your variable is fuel. Leave extra in your calculations for driving more than you think.

but do you really want to just live in a van? Cause thats what it will be. Most of the year youre just sitting in one area for the weather.

The big difference is jobs. They are pretty easy to get when youre out here given the right season. Right now christmas season is starting.

Im from NE tn too. Not bristol east but north of knoxville.

 

[ORANGE]

So Elbear1 where do you "sit" in the winter?

Can it be done under 300 for gas/repairs on average a month?

If yes, what is cheaper moving about a city vs staying for 14 days at a time IN A CARAVAN. I would NOT go by myself to the free land places. So that is my "given" in my opening post.

 

[Elbear1]

Sit wherever you want. Usually where its warmer.

You need to have some money put back for a breakdown.

Just add up your groceries, insurance, phone, cooking fuel. What you will do for mail. Add 15% on top of all of it. Whats left is for gas. Adjust your driving based on that.

Idk about the caravan stuff.

 

[WanderingRose]

Bare minimal living expenses are not what’ll get ya out on the road, but fuel expenses and especially maintenance and repairs on your vehicle.

$300 a month will just not do it, you will find yourself broken down and stuck in place, without the means to fix whatever is broken.

Maybe try some mini adventures in your area, to get you out and about and some of the experiences you crave.

Good luck to you.

 

[cyndi]

Do you have an emergency fund? Are you able to replenish the emergency fund after it's needed and used?

If not, the answer is apartment.

 

[ORANGE]

Gotcha cyndi.

 I will have X amount of money to live off of until its gone, unable to replenish it.

So you'd say definately then the 315 apartment is the right choice.  If a few more nomads agree with you I'll take that as the answer.





ps wanderingrose would you agree with cyndi?

 

[WanderingRose]

Yes, I would agree with cyndi.

The other thing, ORANGE, is that a caravan is a group of people traveling together.

If you don’t have the means to travel, including fuel and repair/maintenance expenses, a caravan is not for you.

It is good to dream, but the fact of the matter is all dreams cannot be realized.

See what you can do near where you live, to get out a bit and have some new experiences.

I don’t know exactly where you are in NE Tennessee, but there are some beautiful and inexpensive corps of engineer campgrounds where you would have others around.

Good luck.  Partial realization of dreams are also good.

 

[ORANGE]

Thanks.

I would be moving out of the area to get that apt. If that is the smartest frugal thing to do for me then I wouldnt be out camping at all. But I DO have my van set-up as a daytripper that I CAN rest and cook and what not whenever Id like. Wouldnt need to spend the night.

It was never about Adventure.

It was about healing/nature/peace and quiet. But getting away from my situation and affording it will bring with it healing for sure. Well I am stuck with the CFS, but am worse with the stress piled on top of it, and thats what I need to get away from.

 

[travelaround]

Yes, if you don't have an emergency fund, stay in an apartment. That's much less stressful than a breakdown in some strange town with no money to fix it. You can still drive your van to places of natural beauty to while away the time in a peaceful environment.

 

[Queen]

I like having a sticks and bricks apartment. Travel is a blast but I’ve decided to do that some of the time and come home to my apartment the rest of the time. I have a small nest egg and am risk averse, so what I’ve chosen works well for me.

 

[Qxxx]

Assuming your minivan gets about 20 MPG, then 1/3 of your monthly budget or $100, will get you about 30-35 gallons of gas and about 600-700 miles of travel. That's "per month" and isn't a whole lot of distance.

Recently I went on a 5 week long trip and did quite a lot of traveling, and it cost $600-700 for gas in my cargo van.

 

[ORANGE]

travelaround I WOULD have an emergency fund, but when its gone its gone.

Yes Queen it means Id have a nest egg, but never would I be able to replenish. So I am risk adverse! Ive read on here major breakdowns costing many thousands.

Thanks Qxxx for the math. It doesnt look like a caravan is gonna be for me.

Its about trying to get the most years out of the money I have. The polls show 4 for apt 1 for vanning it. Moneywise it looks like that cheap apt is the right choice.

Plus this van is very rusted on bottom, and just went through 2K repairs over a 18 months.

 

[ORANGE]

Funny thought.

If Bob Wells wouldve had an apartment for 315 to rent, all this would've never happened  :exclamation:

 

[mpruet]

You didn’t say why you would want to move into a van.

 

[Qxxx]

$315 is a phenomenally low rent in today's world. You might stay there for a while, maybe get a part time job, try to save up some money, and push travel plans down the road a bit. Keep things loose and don't burn all the bridges. Always have a Plan B.

Bob Wells made a recent video, and is recommending people starting out to buy a minivan rather than a full sized cargo van or RV. "He" says you can get a good minivan for $3000, whereas a cargo van or any RV for the same price will be on its last legs. See 5:00 on,

 

[Elbear1]

Like I said youre in a huge minority here where most cannot fathom living in a van on free federal land for under $1k. I smoke filtered cigars, have unlimited internet, a big dog, and drive a 1980's 8000lb hightop carburated 3 speed van and without trying come in around $400.

If you get food stamps, stay the 14 day limit, have standard gigabyte limited data plan you can easily do it under $150-250.

The big issue is getting into a mechanical bind with no backup. Then again you can always get a credit card. But as I said getting seasonal work out here is actually quite easy. From temp agencies to camphosting to christmas season.

Bobs entire motto used to be sonething about death beds and regrets and living now.

 

[ORANGE]

mpruet,  I had wanted to move into a van because my marraige has become dangerous.  It has always been mentally/emotionally abusive rarely physical but lately he is wishing someone would just shoot me dead things like that.  At the top of the stairs said he could throw me down the stairs so I dont get up.  And he didnt care if he got locked up for it.

I knew I needed to get out, so this is my working on it plan.  I feel like I have time.  And I know from TV shows that abuse only escalates and every woman who was ever killed was threatened death.  So I know.

But I cant work, sick, need as much money and least expenses to last.  So I thought it a good plan.  And also a quick escape having the van set up.

 

[B and C]

Get yourself to a shelter now. It could be tonight that he goes off the deep end.

 

[Queen]

Glad you’re getting out, Orange. And sooner is better, if that’s not feasible at least contact your local DV shelter or agency, they will help you with the process, including being able to tell you if you’re eligible for resources you may be unaware of.