"Why Am I Doing This...

[lopicma]

... Van Dweller Thing"

This might be rehash of other people's stories, so bare with me.   I did not save nor put money aside for retirement.  There never seemed to be enough anyway (there never is).  And so, approaching my 55th birthday, I realize there will be no way to keep my house on Social Security "wages". 

Why let the bank have the house when I can still sell it and still work?
Why work to put money into a house I can't afford, and won't keep in the long run?
I can't afford to take a vacation, and I don't want to wait until I become decrepit to "retire" or travel.  Only to discover I can't.
I enjoy traveling, and did lots of "sight seeing" when I was an Over The Road trucker.

Looking back, almost everybody "in authority" has lied to me.  Physicians, employers, stock markets, ...and don't forget, the Government.  So, I am doing the opposite of their advice, and see if I get a better result.  Better late than never I suppose.

I have been watching Bob since 2013-14, and "making plans".  The van, the solar, the build out.  My goal is to be out of Michigan after Thanksgiving 2020, and start this new journey.  I am on track and moving forward...

Mark L.
Michigan

 

[MrNoodly]

My story is very similar.

See you on the road someday.

 

[CityWoman]

Mark, you're still young and your plan sounds sensible to me.  Go for it!

 

[Elbear1]

Honestly, I realized that in 1st grade and had an arguement with the class suckup after she called me a loser-dork. The teacher actually backed me up much to kiss-asses chagrin.

No, seriously. I watched and listened to my parents struggle. I knew something was off with the economic world. I went all through school never ever once doing homework and in the middle there barely ever attending. I was 3 years behind when I dropped out (19 years old in 10th grade) scored in the 89th percentile on my GED and promptly went to work saving and planning for an alternative life.

Now Im nearly 40 and most of the people I knew who went to college are scrapping by waiti g tables and dreaming of doing this themselves.

 

[RoamerRV428]

Smart to see the light of what is tying you up, holding you down, sucking you into the rat race of fake security and more. I SO HEAR YOU on all of it

It boils down to me as either keep up the crazy of working for money that flies thru your hands at warp speed or about what you truly want to do with your time in life. We works SO darn hard between full time jobs and a full time income farm. We are done and on early retirement now in our early 50s. I care a bit about money still LOL but I don't give it a priority it once was, we give our lifestyle and time on this earth our priority now.

You go for it and don't look back

 

[Queen]

Great view!! I grew up military, very little money but adventurous parents, we camped all over the world. I learned early on that experience has far more value than acquisition, I’ve lived my life that way. Now, at 59, I find I want a little more security and am willing to go back to work part time (early retired at 55) to obtain it, but I’ve still never been drawn to stuff, it just weighs you down.

 

[bullfrog]

Pretty much an identical story. We were lucky to get 3 kids raised and be able to retire from teaching with only one bankrupt episode due to credit card abuse. Living in an RV was much cheaper for us. Work was easy to find but good pay and benefits difficult to find. We started with a small pension at 53 and 47 years old after becoming empty nesters. The biggest cost was health insurance and it was used. We are now 68 and 62 with me on medicare and my wife a permanent seasonal employee with cheap health insurance and benefits life is pretty easy and although we only travel a few months of the year living in a National Park ain't so bad the rest of the year. We are looking at older trailer parks where older residents gather that help each other and groups like Escapees where older RVer's have gathered to help each other. The American dream of owing a house, getting old, and not being able to survive the physical and monetary demands in an area with a poor economy is truly a nightmare for many. Used to be neighborhoods aged like this but not so much anymore as many older residents are forced out of their houses by rising costs.

 

[ckelly78z]

Where abouts in Michigan are you ? I'm in NW Ohio, and would love to snowbird, but realistically can't

 

[1shemp]

Everybody has to make their own way thru this world.What works for one may not work for someone else.I live at home on much less than when I'm traveling.When I travel,I usually spend around $1500 per month.At home my bills are $150 for directv and internet.Food,phone and beer costs are the same in either situation.On the road I have gas and campground costs.Plus the cost of entertainment venues.That doesn't mean someone else would be in the same position.

 

[B and C]

At home you have utilities, insurance and taxes too. I very seldom pay to camp. Gas and food is my biggest expense on the road and that can be controlled by how much travel is done and what I eat.

 

[rokguy]

Good on you. Get going while your young and can enjoy the open road.
My story is a little different,( I live in Australia)  as I decided very early to be free of debt and living the way I wanted to.
After finishing my apprenticeship trade, I didn't want to be stuck living in the same place and enjoyed travelling in my work.

At 23 I decided to acquire an old wooden boat and thought this would make a great house, I travelled and lived in the boat doing contract jobs around expensive Sydney harbour. After I had enough of the big city, sold the boat and bought a box truck (28 years old) my plan was work my way up and down Eastcoast of Australia doing contract work where I could quote the clients two rates (on site slightly cheaper and off site) in most instances I did work onsite which ended up saving me a fortune in accommodation.

After a second boat later and now onto my third box truck Motorhome conversion I'm still working and travelling around Australia.
A acre block of land I own and use as my base is all I want.
On my travels I meet so many people who tell me how luck I am but its no luck as I planned on doing this from the start.
I also meet a lot of older people travelling who wished they had done this earlier and had not driven themselves to far into debt with no way of an exit.

Point of this burble is don't over plan stuff and get out and just do it. Its easier to work at logistics when your not tied down to houses and stuff.