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

[Dingfelder]

Honestly, 3k seems so incredibly paltry. What if you have not just one, but more than one problem in a year? I have problems pretty often and I hardly drive or do anything at all. I work on them for years on end but then another one just comes up and I'm always back to the tension and sometimes desperation of being back at Square One. There's medical, dental ... and who's to say you won't have not just one, but two car repairs that you can't do without in a single year? Pretty common, IMO. And then where are you going to live in the meantime awaiting repairs and how much will that cost? (A LOT!) These things can all pile up on each other pretty fast. I like that Bob is so optimistic, and that optimism can serve to steer people into a position better than being a tenant to a rapacious landlord, which is wonderful and can lead, I believe, to a long-term positive life-change. But I believe that if you are not devoted to not just having a minimal but an ever-increasing emergency fund, any life is virtually guaranteed to become harder over time.

Consider, if nothing else, inflation: the gov't. claims 8.5% last I looked/yr. But they manipulate the figures MIGHTILY. Sites like truflation look at previous metrics that the gov't. changed so that the numbers now would look better, and find true inflation anywhere from 12 to 20%/yr. That means that even if your SS is increasing, it may not be increasing anywhere near as much as you think. A trip to the grocery store confirms how much the basic costs of living are rising ... all the while your dollar is losing value. Your gov't.? Just dismisses those stats so they can claim a lower inflation figure and that there is no real recession going on.

So 3k a few years back when Bob recommended it is far from 3k today. And it will be worth far less next year. We count on these dollars to live, whether retired or not. Because the actual value of your savings/investments continually declines, you MUST expect to continuously increase your stored wealth not just to be doing better by far ... but merely to break even.

And if you cannot afford to live free anymore and must once more become a tenant? Rents are skyrocketing. Utilities are nuts. Be prepared, my friends. You can never have too big an emergency fund.

I'm trying mightily to increase mine. Incredibly hard. But I'm working on it.

 

[RoamerRV428]

@Dingfelder, I so agree with your post sayin' it never is just 1 problem that slams most of us in some darn high cost repair or med/dental issue, it truly is more than 1 for tons of us and I am right there with ya! LOL

You are so right on our money. Its' buying power is comical, a sad comical.

basically all, never saying none of us can't be frugal. OMGosh so many of us can but ya know, I am one of those minimalist types, don't buy fluff crap in life and I pinch a penny til it screams and yells Uncle but truly, life's bills come at most of us at warp speed.

heavens, just the price of tire replacement!

I think so many of us try like the dickens to be frugal and learn skills to 'do for ourselves' instead of 'buying services' to spend our hard earned few bucks we do have, but darn they just will not stretch as far anymore.

I know many absolutely have to live on very little. I know I did thru my life had situations that are tough as heck so everyone is gonna just have to live their life, but also like DingF said above, one has to truly consider having to find ways to supplement very low incomes. We all have to stay financially up to date best we can to keep up with life....always been that way thru the eons. We do what we gotta do

Like Bullfrog said above, many are homeless living on less etc. but in the end, $8,400 per year is squat in the good ol' USA. And being 'on the road' in a vehicle being nomadic, yea it can be 'done cheap' but in reality, the above only money one has is 700 a month is gonna suffer mostly. But sometimes it works well for a person and sometimes it is insanity for a person. Tons of areas of shades of gray but those existing on very little and doing well, more power to ya!!

but that is $175 per week to live on? 175 to cover gas, food, is one ONLY boondocking and/or stealth moving per night? cause if not even a low cost COE at $10 a night ramps up to $70 for a weeks campsite and then that leaves like $105 for ALL costs left? Yikes. When it calculates down it isn't even in a realm to me of a real possibility to be out on the road, 'trying to enjoy the nomad' way of life we kinda ALL wanna enjoy our road adventures, and you are only 1 big repair or medical issue away from total failure of one's frugal living for it all to be destroyed.

I am not a daredevil type to push extremes, but if that is all the money I had coming to me, I would hunker down and get govt subsided housing to live, I would apply for every single govt program known to mankind I could qualify for and I would find every charity that could support me in other ways as needed. I think cut and run to the road for many is to run away from life and I get it but the nomad way of life on the road isn't a free life either and will never be. NOW THIS is me in the hunker down and try to improve my life as I could....I know many are gonna get a vehicle and get the hell out of dodge if they can LOL

heck state parks are ramping up costs for their cg sites now. I was shocked checking into them. I know we boondock when we can, sleep in truck stops on the road on longer trips and more to pinch pennies while out roaming but in the end, any boondock/stealth 'free' living is getting tougher actually to find out there.

but of course we all play the hand we got and more power to ALL OF US no matter what financials we got!! WE ALL need a darn pat on the back for surviving thru this ol' life!!

 

[bullfrog]

$950.80 is the minimum Social Security payment with 30 years of qualified work less a little over $170 for Medicare part B so many older Americans live on something close to $750 a month. 4% of Americans don’t qualify for or get Social Security. as well as many teachers get reduced benefits ( a 90% reduction I believe if you get a teacher retirement check ) due to the fact many school districts want to make their employee’s take home pay higher without increasing their salaries and have the option to do so due to political power. Where I came from in Eastern Kentucky the school district was the largest employer in many counties. Green Valley Arizona was developed as a retirement community for retired teachers originally to help their community in their latter years but like everything it got too expensive for many. There are a lot of people out there and many are in the nomadic community as housing costs have increased beyond their income levels. Many continue to work as long as they physically can to supplement their incomes.

 

[Camper]

 

[bullfrog]

^^^One cost often overlooked is the cost to restock supplies. Much of BLM and some of the LTVAs are a little far for bicycling or walking if you are healthy enough which brings up another point health care can be limited at best. Your vehicle needs to be ready and able as well as there are limited repair options available in many more remote locations. Traveling or staying near or with a group isn’t such a bad idea.

 

[Dingfelder]

@Dingfelder, I so agree with your post sayin' it never is just 1 problem that slams most of us in some darn high cost repair or med/dental issue, it truly is more than 1 for tons of us and I am right there with ya! LOL

You are so right on our money. Its' buying power is comical, a sad comical.

basically all, never saying none of us can't be frugal. OMGosh so many of us can but ya know, I am one of those minimalist types, don't buy fluff crap in life and I pinch a penny til it screams and yells Uncle but truly, life's bills come at most of us at warp speed.

heavens, just the price of tire replacement!

I think so many of us try like the dickens to be frugal and learn skills to 'do for ourselves' instead of 'buying services' to spend our hard earned few bucks we do have, but darn they just will not stretch as far anymore.

I know many absolutely have to live on very little. I know I did thru my life had situations that are tough as heck so everyone is gonna just have to live their life, but also like DingF said above, one has to truly consider having to find ways to supplement very low incomes. We all have to stay financially up to date best we can to keep up with life....always been that way thru the eons. We do what we gotta do

Like Bullfrog said above, many are homeless living on less etc. but in the end, $8,400 per year is squat in the good ol' USA. And being 'on the road' in a vehicle being nomadic, yea it can be 'done cheap' but in reality, the above only money one has is 700 a month is gonna suffer mostly. But sometimes it works well for a person and sometimes it is insanity for a person. Tons of areas of shades of gray but those existing on very little and doing well, more power to ya!!

but that is $175 per week to live on? 175 to cover gas, food, is one ONLY boondocking and/or stealth moving per night? cause if not even a low cost COE at $10 a night ramps up to $70 for a weeks campsite and then that leaves like $105 for ALL costs left? Yikes. When it calculates down it isn't even in a realm to me of a real possibility to be out on the road, 'trying to enjoy the nomad' way of life we kinda ALL wanna enjoy our road adventures, and you are only 1 big repair or medical issue away from total failure of one's frugal living for it all to be destroyed.

Yeah, we have to plan for emergencies, and consecutive ones, and to STILL be able to survive anyway ... with a little leeway to spare because once this year is over, next year's around the corner, and don't you believe next year won't have its own share of unexpected problems ... and the older your vehicle gets, the more frequent and expensive those problems may become ...

For those who can afford to think ahead, instead of just leaping from the burning building of their lives into any possible alternative whatsoever, you are blessed. If you are that lucky, plan well ahead, IMO. Because life will never stop throwing obstacles at you, a static emergency fund is just not enough.

Say you have a $3,000 emergency fund and TRUE inflation is 15%. Probably more on the stuff you really need. So that means that next year what you used to pay for with $3,000 now takes $3,450. $450 is a lot of money to most people. Most Americans cannot afford a $400 emergency. That means YOU more than probably anyone, nomads.

You keep that $3,000 emergency fund at that level at a VERY great risk. It's much more expensive to be poor now! And much more expensive year after year because the loss to inflation compounds itself. As the U.S. hollows out its middle class so the likes of Jeff Bezos can fly to space in organ-shaped rockets for no particular reason, the value of your dollar declines while what it can buy remains at the same price or flies higher.

There is ALWAYS the unanticipated problem or frustration awaiting us that can only be cured with money. And as that amount increases every year, so should we be putting aside more and more and more every year, even at the cost of great effort, to ensure we will experience and simply just FEEL some modicum of safety an relief in our lives.

If anyone can't get there now, I'm with you in more ways than you know or I might want to talk about. Let's hope we all get there eventually, and set our minds and settle our spirits firmly to the task. Even if going without and sometimes suffering is part of the program.

 

[DLTooley]

If you are full time you classify as homeless for affordable housing purposes, and get a boost in the waitlist.

That waitlist can still be long, but just about everyone should do this at some point. Choose a community you like, and have some connection to. If you don’t have a connection start making one, volunteering, etc.

I currently receive disability at $840. I pay $180 rent and am still able to use my nomad rig for 5 months a year or so. Besides healthy food it is my primary discretionary expense.

I don’t know anyone who has done this, but if you are unable to work at 62 you might be able to boost your payment by filing for SSDI.

 

[scaredycat72]

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

Nothing about that sounds easy. Getting enough calories just from foraging and road kill is going to be challenging, even in the summer, and close to impossible in the winter. One accident or sickness would kill you. So yeah, not the best idea.

 

[scaredycat72]

I know people can live on $700 a month because I know people in subsidized housing who are actually living on $700 a month. I also know people who are on the streets homeless living on almost no money so to say $700 can't be done doesn't make sense to me. There are literally people doing it. I think Bob even has 2 interviews on YouTube with women doing it.

As long as they use food banks and food kitchens, and park for free (which is what I do), the only monthly expenses they'll have is liability insurance and gas. If they do slow travel, gas can be $150 a month and another $75 for liability insurance. That leaves $475. Spend $50 on necessities, maybe another $100 to supplement their food, and that leaves $325 to save for repairs and maintenance.

Are they living an extravagant life? No, they're not but they wouldn't be living an extravagant life if they were sitting in subsidized housing either. At $700 a month, they're going to need public resources regardless of how they live. At least living in a vehicle, they can see new things, go to new places, and do free stuff. Sitting in a subsidized apartment, broke, looking at the same 4 walls, is depressing as crap. As long as they're physically able, they'd be better off on the road.

My take anyway.

 

[rruff]

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.

I'll answer questions on how *I* did it. It was awhile ago, but it was definitely <$700/mo in today's money. Depreciation, health insurance, everything included. No roadkill! Also, no phone.

Link to my posts in this thread: https://vanlivingforum.com/search/300431/

 

[D'L]

This says she lives on $100 a month and she doesn't, but that is what she has left over after car insurance, car payments and rental on a storage unit. The person who made the video says this woman's actual income is under $500 from SSI, and she makes a little bit more from making and selling jewelry. Just thought this might interest some folks.

 

[rruff]

It's hard to know what you can do without until you try. So many things I thought were essential and would really miss when I become a very low budget vagabond... I didn't miss at all. The freedom of going wherever I wished and peace and joy of being in beautiful nature without all the human "noise", more than compensated. "Stuff" just gets in the way... actually would have ruined the experience.

 

[Dingfelder]

It's hard to know what you can do without until you try. So many things I thought were essential and would really miss when I become a very low budget vagabond... I didn't miss at all. The freedom of going wherever I wished and peace and joy of being in beautiful nature without all the human "noise", more than compensated. "Stuff" just gets in the way... actually would have ruined the experience.

My main problem is that I like cooking so much. I like having lots of spices, a variety of ingredients, and I dip into some of them only every once in a while, but love it when I do. But they all take up space! I love absolutely everything in my little trailer, but damn, it's crowded in there! I think if I didn't give a damn about cooking and was willing to eat pretty much anything, I could clean out quite a few square feet.

 

[Dingfelder]

In Oregon, you can get food stamps if you're male but no welfare. So feel free to eat quite modestly indeed in your tent, if you have one.

 

[CosmickGold]

I currently get $840/mo from Social Security, and that's my total income. I don't find it hard to live on that because:
(1) I travel little, so don't consume much gasoline.
(2) For the last two years, I've been eating three small meals a day, which consist of non-fat dried milk, Oats, Cocoa powder, chopped pecans, mayo, peanut butter, a date, and Spirulina/Chlorella tablets (plus an array of vitamin-like tablets such as Hawthorn Berry and Co-Q10). So food cost is very low too.

My 1998 Chevy Express van already has every convenience in it I need, paid for, so I find living on my$840.00 to be easy. Just gotta save part of it for insurance and breakdowns. For parking, I boondock free, or sometimes pay a homeowner by the month for a space to park on their property, most often a corner of their backyard.

Also, I buy just about everything I need through Amazon. Their deliveries are free because I pay the annual fee for an Amazon Prime account.

 

[Lizmccal]

I currently get $840/mo from Social Security, and that's my total income. I don't find it hard to live on that because:
(1) I travel little, so don't consume much gasoline.
(2) For the last two years, I've been eating three small meals a day, which consist of non-fat dried milk, Oats, Cocoa powder, chopped pecans, mayo, peanut butter, a date, and Spirulina/Chlorella tablets (plus an array of vitamin-like tablets such as Hawthorn Berry and Co-Q10). So food cost is very low too.

My 1998 Chevy Express van already has every convenience in it I need, paid for, so I find living on my$840.00 to be easy. Just gotta save part of it for insurance and breakdowns. For parking, I boondock free, or sometimes pay a homeowner by the month for a space to park on their property, most often a corner of their backyard.

Also, I buy just about everything I need through Amazon. Their deliveries are free because I pay the annual fee for an Amazon Prime account.

If you can get on food stamps Amazon is only $5.99 a month. Just an fyi, but you probably already know that.

 

[Seajatt]

It seems like this thread has been worked over pretty good already. I would add, and not to be discouraging, but it seems like your savings and know-how will be what separates you from doing the nomad thing, vs being up shitcreek with no paddles if your rig has a catastrophic failure, and you don't have the savings to cover it. Living on a smaller, fixed income while doing the nomad thing is certainly doable, but it does exacerbate the risk somewhat.

But you know, to put things in perspective, even with the risk, rotting away in some little dingy room you rented you could afford and rubbing two pennies together is in its own way, just as bad as the worst possible outcome of trying on the nomad life. We only got but so much time on this earth.

 

[Sky]

It seems like this thread has been worked over pretty good already. I would add, and not to be discouraging, but it seems like your savings and know-how will be what separates you from doing the nomad thing, vs being up shitcreek with no paddles if your rig has a catastrophic failure, and you don't have the savings to cover it. Living on a smaller, fixed income while doing the nomad thing is certainly doable, but it does exacerbate the risk somewhat.

But you know, to put things in perspective, even with the risk, rotting away in some little dingy room you rented you could afford and rubbing two pennies together is in its own way, just as bad as the worst possible outcome of trying on the nomad life. We only got but so much time on this earth.

So true LOL, loved your comments added.

 

[CosmickGold]

It seems like this thread has been worked over pretty good already. I would add, and not to be discouraging, but it seems like your savings and know-how will be what separates you from doing the nomad thing, vs being up shitcreek with no paddles if your rig has a catastrophic failure, and you don't have the savings to cover it. Living on a smaller, fixed income while doing the nomad thing is certainly doable, but it does exacerbate the risk somewhat.

But you know, to put things in perspective, even with the risk, rotting away in some little dingy room you rented you could afford and rubbing two pennies together is in its own way, just as bad as the worst possible outcome of trying on the nomad life. We only got but so much time on this earth.

Very good point. It's like the difference between NASA and SpaceX: NASA spends years and billions of dollars testing and retesting every possible outcome before sending a rocket into space. Elon Musk, on the other hand, just sends up rocket after rocket as his way of testing, and so had failure after failure. On the surface the SpaceX approach sounds dumb, like jumping off a cliff to see if you get hurt. But in the long run, which approach achieved astounding success faster and spent several times less money doing so? SpaceX, many times over!

I believe it's the same with Van Life. If you "crash and burn", start focussing on your next attempt that very same minute.

I'm on my fourth by the way. Heh.

 

[Seajatt]

Very good point. It's like the difference between NASA and SpaceX: NASA spends years and billions of dollars testing and retesting every possible outcome before sending a rocket into space. Elon Musk, on the other hand, just sends up rocket after rocket as his way of testing, and so had failure after failure. On the surface the SpaceX approach sounds dumb, like jumping off a cliff to see if you get hurt. But in the long run, which approach achieved astounding success faster and spent several times less money doing so? SpaceX, many times over!

I believe it's the same with Van Life. If you "crash and burn", start focussing on your next attempt that very same minute.

I'm on my fourth by the way. Heh.

I mean what's the worst that could happen? Your van breaks and you gotta hoof it? I feel like rotting away wishing, shoulda/woulda/coulda is way worse. You ain't gonna die, but you certainly will live if things go awry.