Why life on the road vs. sticks and bricks?

[stude53]

<p style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">I came across this quote on Tiny House and it sums up my main reason for planning to be a vandweller. </font></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">There are a lot of other good reasons, but this "hit home" for me.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Bob</font></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">=========================================================</font></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px; mso-line-height-alt: 6.8pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><b><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>Can you believe that the average price</span></b><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'> of a used home in America today is an alarming $244,000? </span></font></p><p style="margin: 0px; mso-line-height-alt: 6.8pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>That's 30 years stuck with mortgage payments, utility bills, creeping property taxes, insurance, fees and regulations!</span></font></p><p style="margin: 0px; mso-line-height-alt: 6.8pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'></span></font>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px; mso-line-height-alt: 6.8pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font size="3">Imagine owning a Wheel Estate Home (Vandwelling) without a mortgage. </font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px; mso-line-height-alt: 6.8pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font size="3">What would you do withyour new found freedom? </font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px; mso-line-height-alt: 6.8pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font size="3">Most Americans pay far more in interest than for the</font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px; mso-line-height-alt: 6.8pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font size="3">actual house … and that of course doesn't include taxes, insurance, or </font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px; mso-line-height-alt: 6.8pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font size="3">maintenance costs.</font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px; mso-line-height-alt: 6.8pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font size="3"></font></span>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px; mso-line-height-alt: 6.8pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><b><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>Do you realize that most people will not have any real money </span></b></font></p><p style="margin: 0px; mso-line-height-alt: 6.8pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><b><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>to retire on? It's true. Look at these sobering retirement statistics:</span></b></font></p><p style="margin: 0px; mso-line-height-alt: 6.8pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><b><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'></span></b><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'></span></font>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font size="3">Take any 100 people at the start of their working careers and follow them for 40 years </font></span><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font size="3">until they reach retirement age,</font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font size="3">and here's what you'll find, according to the Social Security Administration:</font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font size="3"></font></span>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;"><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font size="3">only 1 will be wealthy; 4 will be financially secure;</font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font size="3">&nbsp;</font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font size="3">5 will continue working,not because they want to but because they have to;</font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font size="3"></font></span>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;"><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font size="3">36 will be dead; </font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font size="3"></font></span>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;"><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font size="3">and 54 will be dead broke – dependent on their meager Social Security checks, </font></span><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font size="3">relatives,f riends, even charity</font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font size="3">for a minimum standard of living. </font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font size="3"></font></span>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;"><span style='color: rgb(94, 70, 77); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font size="3">That's only 5% who retire with the American Dream.</font></span></p><p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p>

 

[akrvbob]

It's the 36 that will be dead and 54 that are flat broke that makes me stop and think. 90% of them probably worked at jobs they hated all their lives and probably hated all of it and they came out of it with NOTHING!!<br><br>I will probably come out of it with nothing as well, <font size="5"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><font size="3">BUT I LOVE THE VANDWELLING LIFE!!</font> </span></font> I wouldn't trade it for anything. Bob<br><br><br><font size="7"><span class="text"><span style="font-size:20px;line-height:24px;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.</span><br style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them.</span><br style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ~Jack London</span><br style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><br></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);" class="text"><span style="font-size:20px;line-height:24px;">Life is NOT a journey to the grave<br>with the intention of arriving safely<br>in a pretty and well-preserved body,<br>but rather to skid in broadside,<br>thoroughly used up, totally worn out,<br>and loudly proclaiming -- ’WOW, what a ride!!! "<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ~Anonymous</span></span></font><br>

 

[Seraphim]

@stude53

The key to financial independence is to live, not within your means, but below your means, and that applies whatever your income level.

The average American lives paycheck to paycheck depending either on SS or a pension to pay for their retirement,for the most part. Neither is designed to support a person for the 20 or 30 years they may live beyond retirement. If they can retire at all on Said pension or SS.

One must live beneath their means and save the remainder, which is essentially what successful vandwellers do. The formula would also work for a majority of average citizens, but most fritter away income on frivolous desires rather than actual needs. If they didn't, they could become financially independent upon retirement.

People here seem to know that already.

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

Amen to Serephim, Stude and akbob.&nbsp; <br>I just took a little break from cleaning, clearing and pitching. I didn't need this stuff. A lot of money WAS frittered away. <br><br>In a few hours my friend will be moving the first of her stuff into a spare bedroom here. I still don't have the downstairs cleared out. (For those who don't know,I am renting my downstairs to a 63 yo friend whose house foreclosed because she lost her high paying think tank job a few years back, I am moving to my small upstairs) I am so happy to be forced to make a change in my life. People will stay stagnent and wish for a better or different life. It feels good to be under the gun and closer to freedom. What the heck, I don't really have a job, I work for myself, I raised my kids to be independent,&nbsp;its about time I got off the pot-so to speak.<br>Following this site is bringing me to a new realization that I can do what has been in my heart since high school.<br>Now Back to work.<br><FONT color=#00ffff size=4><b>Dragonfly</b></FONT><br>