How do u live on $700/month, truly?

[tradesman]

It would be useful to get budget breakdowns from many van dwellers to see how they live on $700/mo., rather than people just saying I can or can't survive on $700 fro these reasons:___________.

 

[Morgana]

It would be useful to get budget breakdowns from many van dwellers to see how they live on $700/mo.,

IIRC there were a few (not many) of those up-thread.

I think the two most valuable ideas I've gained from people's posts to this thread are the importance of (1) mutual aid and (2) flexibility.

 

[user 22017]

It would be useful to get budget breakdowns from many van dwellers to see how they live on $700/mo., rather than people just saying I can or can't survive on $700 fro these reasons:___________.

There are a bunch on youtube. Play with keywords when you search there, so more pop up. You could start with "vanlife + budget"

 

[hollingsworthmark08]

Can we get back on the topic of living on $700 a month now?

I could live on $700 a month if that's all the income I had. But many would not fair so well.

Yes it's easy to live on $700 a month

 

[D'L]

Yes it's easy to live on $700 a month

How do you do it?

 

[hollingsworthmark08]

Forage wild edibles& road kill..cook with solar..& get a 100 watt solar panel for power..where are you?

 

[Morgana]

Yes it's easy to live on $700 a month

Forage wild edibles& road kill..cook with solar..& get a 100 watt solar panel for power..

So what was the last road kill you ate? How did you cook it? What wild edibles did you forage? Where did you find them? How did you learn what's edible and what's poisonous? How did you handle your other daily needs? How many months did you live at $700 a month? What did a typical one of these easy days look like?

 

[hollingsworthmark08]

So what was the last road kill you ate? How did you cook it? What wild edibles did you forage? Where did you find them? How did you learn what's edible and what's poisonous? How did you handle your other daily needs? How many months did you live at $700 a month? What did a typical one of these easy days look like?

So what was the last road kill you ate? How did you cook it? What wild edibles did you forage? Where did you find them? How did you learn what's edible and what's poisonous? How did you handle your other daily needs? How many months did you live at $700 a month? What did a typical one of these easy days look like?

Go to groups on facebook & that forage for them& join& learn..& survival groups as well..just keep the rest of your life minimal & stay away from very cold areas if possible..

 

[D'L]

In addition to Morgana's questions I'd love to know how frequently you find roadkill fresh enough to eat. And for how long you have been living on $700 a month.

 

[bullfrog]

In many states it is illegal. Many states claim all wild game as their property and it is donated to local food banks. After l asking a local law enforcement office about a calf I saw hit by a passing car in the head that had to be put down on open range prior to the official date it was allowed about taking it home and butchering it his reply was “You know we still arrest rustlers out here.”

 

[D'L]

Pretty hard to find roadkill that is fresh enough to be actually edible because that would pretty much mean you'd have to see it get hit or come along within a half hour or so afterward. Vultures, coyotes, and flies have at anything dead very quickly.
In some states you can keep what you hit as long as it is a wild animal and not someone's stock, and as long as it is not a protected species. So, a deer would be OK but someone's calf or sheep would not be.

I do not believe there would be any way for a person to get enough to eat by eating roadkill and foraging for wild plants exclusively.

You certainly could forage if you lived in the right area of the country and knew what was edible and not, and if you had water with fish in it nearby you can fish, and if the soil is good you can grow all of your vegetables on your own. You can also hunt if you get a license and one full size deer can feed a person for a year if you eat all of it. Done that.

But if you live somewhere you can do all that then you have a dwelling to care for and utility bills and so on.
Being a nomad there's no way you could do all of that.
I don't think that $700 can maintain one person each month as an on going thing if that is absolutely all they ever have. You could do it for a short while, though.

I kind of doubt that hillingsworthmark08 has actually lived for very long on $700 a month since they seem disinclined to tell us about it and how they did it or answer our questions. I would be genuinely interested in hearing about it if they really have done it.

 

[user 22017]

I don't think that $700 can maintain one person each month as an on going thing if that is absolutely all they ever have. You could do it for a short while, though.

People have done it for years and there are numerous examples in this thread. Anyone living on SSI or SS at $700/mo is eligible for food assistance, but unless you have children the amount is very little (I only know that about Illinois and Kentucky). In many (most?) states they are eligible for a medical card.

It can be done, but it leaves no money for major unplanned expenses. Eg. vehicle breakdown. HOWA can help, though.

Also leaves little money for travel, luxuries and gifts for others. Eg. birthday presents for your kids and grandkids

It can't be done, if you smoke cigarettes or have other costly addictions.

 

[user 423]

^Right. There's surviving and then there's Living. If you had a reliable, economical vehicle (a Toyota PU with camper shell) and paid no rent, did your own maintenance and repairs, had good credit and a good driving record so your ins. was really cheap, lived in a state with cheap tags (in AZ my tag is $32/yr.),visited food pantries, relied on free clinics for heathcare, got a free cell phone from the gubmint, did your laundry in a bucket or at homeless shelters, got your clothes free or very cheap at thrift stores,etc,etc....you could do it. Some would call that Living. Others wouldn't.

 

[WanderingRose]

I just want to state the obvious, that this thread has deviated far from much helpful information for any reader who might drop in looking for assistance.

I keep waiting for it to return to the subject at hand, but it hasn’t.

I agree with Carla’s last post, that $700 a month is very difficult to live on, even if in federally subsidized, income-based housing. It requires lots of penny-pinching and as many fixed expenses as possible.

And I lived for years circling the financial drain as a single mom with two children, so don’t dismiss me as not having a clue. I do, and in fact I have LOTS of clues.

I am not in that situation at this point in my life, but as is the case with all experiences I can still feel it on a seconds notice.

Traveling and living in a vehicle on $700 a month is not sustainable, in my opinion, not even with some food stamps and visits to food pantries to keep basic needs met.

Expenses while traveling in a vehicle are not fixed, they vary, and while HOWA and other entities may be able to help they cannot and will not be a means to sustain a lifestyle one does not have the income to support.

You can perhaps BEGIN, but the first major repair will find you stopped wherever you are without the means to go on, and that could well be along the side of the road somewhere.

Then, police will drop you off at the nearest shelter, and there you will sit.

Unless you have a good savings account and the means to replenish it, fulfill your need to wander with some short trips or perhaps work camping in an area you’ve always wanted to visit.

That’s the reality of it, IMHO.

 

[user 22017]

^Right. There's surviving and then there's Living. If you had a reliable, economical vehicle (a Toyota PU with camper shell) and paid no rent, did your own maintenance and repairs, had good credit and a good driving record so your ins. was really cheap, lived in a state with cheap tags (in AZ my tag is $32/yr.),visited food pantries, relied on free clinics for heathcare, got a free cell phone from the gubmint, did your laundry in a bucket or at homeless shelters, got your clothes free or very cheap at thrift stores,etc,etc....you could do it. Some would call that Living. Others wouldn't.

Your post points out that the answer depends on each person's circumstances.

My driving record is good, so I hadn't thought about those having to pay high premiums. Still, I pay $130 a month combined car and homeowners insurance.

I cant repair vehicles, so that puts me at risk of failing life on the road (I can still do it ... Just not far from where I want to land if disaster hits).

Tags are high in Illinois ($150/year) but you can put aside $12 a month for that).

Those with medical cards are not required to use free clinics. And you can get a cell phone with good coverage for $30 month.

You will have very few clothes to wash. Zote soap, a washboard and a tub. $30 for the soap and wooden washboard. Get the tub at Goodwill.

If you get a gym membership you have access to showers and exercise equipment. $20 a month at Planet Fitness.

Don't forget boondocking at Walmart, Cracker Barrel, Cabela's and all the spots found on iOverlander, free campsites, Campendium, and more.

You also have to buy items to make life in a vehicle possible. Especially a minus zero sleeping bag. And the vehicle! Others have pointed out that refrigeration and solar are not necessary. They can be put off while you save.

Compared to the constant stress from bills trying to live in a building, many would consider vehicle dwelling living All depends on your circumstances.

It wasn't realistic for me when I smoked cigarettes, but my doctor gave me a prescription that helped me quit. After 45 years

 

[bullfrog]

I believe the original poster failed to consider it might not be possible unless you qualified several expenses from several situations would not occur. Living somewhat comfortably is subjective and needs to be qualified. It was stated the person was “healthy”, on Medicare and had some sort of vehicle they could live out of. It seems to me that someone over 65 years old realistically will have some physical limitations. Anything like vision, hearing and several other medical conditions are not covered by Medicare and even if free clinics are available it still can cost a lot of fuel to physically get to them. The majority of people trying to live on $700 a month will have to learn, study preventative medicine and change their eating habits in order to stay healthy and have to do it cheaply. There are several threads here on this. Healthy people backpack and hike or ride bicycles. Very few are able to get and maintain a motorized vehicle on $700 a month without a substantial emergency fund. There are several videos on YouTube just search “Carlin com” there to get an idea of what $700 a month gives you as far as living poor goes. One of the reasons I often suggest coolworks.com and seasonal jobs is because doing so allows you to get that emergency fund and paid housing while living on $700 a month I assume you would be receiving from Social Security. You will need it at some point.

 

[A Wing and a Prayer]

A few years ago it might have been possible, but now I would think the bare minimum would be $1,000 and even that would not be easy.

 

[user 22017]

>>>>>Anything like vision, hearing and several other medical conditions are not covered by Medicare and even if free clinics are available it still can cost a lot of fuel to physically get to them.

So consider that before starting out. Maybe plan on staying within X number of miles from a large enough metro area that there will be a hospital, clinics, a Planet Fitness, stores that allow boondocking, etc. But also has places to camp outside of town. Ie. state parks, national forests, county parks. Weather/climate is the issue.

>>>>> The majority of people trying to live on $700 a month will have to learn, study preventative medicine and change their eating habits in order to stay healthy and have to do it cheaply.

Not sure what you mean by that. It's not a prerequisite for vehicle dwelling and we all know if we don't stay healthy we may die younger than others.

>>>Healthy people backpack and hike or ride bicycles.

Again, not a prerequisite.

>>>Very few are able to get and maintain a motorized vehicle on $700 a month without a substantial emergency fund.

Define substantial for clarity. Bob repeatedly said $3k in reserve... enough for a new/rebuilt transmission. Would $3K get a transmission repaired?

>>>One of the reasons I often suggest coolworks.com and seasonal jobs is because doing so allows you to get that emergency fund and paid housing while living on $700 a month...

Coolworks is a great resource, but those on SSI can't make money without loosing part of their SSI check. They also risk losing disability completely. That could mean losing coverage for their monthly meds; which could be a substantial loss (thousands per month). Not all disabilities can be attributed to poor habits.

No doubt in my mind that it can be done and done well, IF you have at least a $3K reserve. Without a reserve, you can be in serious trouble. If you stay close to a support system while boondocking (in case of a breakdown), you can save up the reserve. Support system meaning friends and/or family. Co-workers. Maybe a job.

 

[bullfrog]

Your health pretty much determines a large portion of your expenses and your ability to do things for yourself to live cheaply and build/keep an emergency fund while living on the road. If you have a severe medical problem it becomes very difficult to stay on the road, just look at some of the threads here by people that are trying.
With the cost of labor and parts continuously rising and taking more time to source $3,000 probably isn’t gonna cut it. My rebuilt Chevy motor installed with 5 year warranty was $5,500 by the time it was done. My used transmission with some adaptors, new torques converter, lines and fluid was $3,200. It took about a month to get it back on the road. Some place to stay for a month isn’t gonna be cheap. Being able to ride and having a bicycle is gonna be the cheapest transportation while you are broken down or if you can’t get where you need to go in your vehicle. The ability to make money, assistance or living on the street out of a backpack will be most likely required if the vehicle you are living in breaks down and your emergency fund isn’t large enough to completely replace it. There aren’t a lot of used reliable vehicles out there for $3,000. Those of us that repair their own vehicles are getting fewer as we get older and the vehicles more complicated by that has saved many in the past that live this lifestyle.

 

[D'L]

Just another thought on living on very little:

Another way to help yourself out if you have to live on very little....however much that very little is.
Find something that you already do as a hobby, or something you can learn to do, ( even from watching YouTube videos) or something that you can make that would be appealing to a lot of people. Be sure it is very portable, doesn't require big investment to start out, and doesn't require a big inventory to carry around. Something you like to do.

Some thing you can barter for someone else's material object, help, skill, or even money:
Fixing ANY thing but vehicles especially
Making something useful or very beautiful but not very expensive to make or to buy. You can make a lot of money by selling $5 to $10 items that most people can afford if they really want it, or that people will trade for.
This could include drawing people's portraits or pets, or doing a cartoon of them etc.
You could read tarot cards, palms, tea leaves, etc. People will like that even if they don't really "believe" in it.
Good at sewing? Do alterations or mending for people or make very simple things like curtains for them. All this kind of thing can be done by hand.
See something simple to make that some people have in their vans that you think is cool, but not everyone has it (especially if it is expensive to buy) and start making them.

I have done several of these things myself. the beauty of it is that most people can find something they can do to barter. It won't give you a real income but it sure can help you along in getting what you need. Sometimes you can see a place where people are set up selling stuff, and if it is not a proper Fair with an application process you might be able spontaneously to set up and make some money. These places exist along the road in many places, ;like mini flea markets.

I started a business once by just using scraps that no one wanted and I could buy very cheaply. Made them into something people found appealing and started making money right away. Not a lot, but enough to buy more materials and make more, and so on.

The other very important beauty of it is that the government won't even know about this, so you can supplement your income (if you get money) or trade for things you need all you can without jeopardizing your government benefits. Assuming you keep it small, as one would anyway, and do a lot of barter

Everyone who is fit enough to be a nomad can probably make or do something. Maybe they think they can't, but I think if a person just thought about it for a while they would come up with something they could do or make. I have done this more than once. Didn't know what to do with no income so sat and thought....OK what am I pretty good at? And found something and just started doing it. Started 2 businesses that way. They were very small, never turned into a bricks and mortar establishment with employees or anything close to that. But I didn't want that anyway, I only wanted to do something on my own and get by. You can do it too if you need to.

I think if a person is ingenious....and you can learn to be if you have to........you can find something to do that will help you along your way. It could actually make the difference of even the equivalent of $100 a month just in trade goods.