Where will I be when I'm 40?

Diane recently asked this question, via a comment: "Hi, I'm just curious, how old are you? I've been reading your blog now for a little while, and you sound pretty young. I know you said you're under 40, but just how young are you? Do you think about where you will be living, when you are 40?"

This is a terrific question, and I would like to answer it here because it is has to do exactly with why I am currently living my life the way that I am. To those who don't understand this vehicle lifestyle, it probably looks like I am just some young kid, wandering aimlessly around the country, oblivious to the fact that I am growing older everyday and ought to be planning for my future. In all actuality, I do have a college degree, a good work ethic, and a plan. I am living this lifestyle because of the fact that I am planning for my future & thinking ahead. :)

I am currently 26, and I will be turning 27 on January 7th. That gives me 13 years before I turn 40.

I surely do think about what I will have and where I will be living when I'm 40. I've been thinking about that for many years now. I thought I wanted to buy a house and settle down, so I bought one when I was 22, for $100,000, when the housing market was at its peak. I went down that traditional road of "first home purchase" and ended up selling it a little over three years later. By the time I discovered that it wasn't the correct choice for me, the housing market had turned upside-down, and I took a $10,000 loss. I do realize that I'm truly blessed to have gotten out of it when I did. The housing market has just gotten worse since then, and it is now probably worth only about $60,000 ...

Having a house was just not for me. It didn't make me happy. I didn't smile like I do now. I don't want to be tied to one place, accumulate a house full of material objects, or have the same routine for the rest of my days. I did that. And then I re-traced my steps. I will never again be a slave to the system. I realize that this world is going to be much different when I'm 40 than what it is like now. So many things are going downhill, and I don't want to be caught in a mess when I'm that age... I don't trust the stock market. I don't trust housing prices. I am not going to rely on what the media or government tells me to. I am not going to own things that won't last. I am going to trust my gut instincts and rely upon basic methods of survival. I am going to work for what I want and save up for things that matter. I am not going to live on credit or go into debt. I am also going to enjoy my life.

Living in my van provides many valuable things. First, it allows me to travel and check out many different locations, so I am better able to choose where I eventually want to have my home "base." Second, while I am driving around, checking out our beautiful country, it allows me to save money so that I will be able to buy land outright, way before I am 40. Third, Fourth, and Fifth, it makes life more simple, more fun, and allows me to actually appreciate small things in life. To those of you who have shown disdain towards this type of lifestyle, all I have to say is "to each his own." I don't expect everyone to agree with me. This lifestyle is a choice I have made for myself, and it has shown me nothing but positives thus far. I am just a strong believer in living "outside the box," and sharing information with those who may find it useful.

Here is what I want to have by the time I'm 40 (although I would like to have this before I turn 32):

I don't need (or want) much. Just to own a piece of land and to grow a large garden on that land. It will be somewhere warm, with a mild or tropical climate - perhaps Hawaii, Florida, Costa Rica, or even California... There are several places that will work for me. I will GLADLY sleep in my van on that land of mine, however I also would like a small building (yurt, tree-house, or cobb house) that has a small kitchen, running water, and probably a bathroom. I really don't want a "normal" house though. They weren't built in an energy efficent manner, and they have so much wasted space. I really just want bare necessities. I will be spending most of my time outdoors, anyway! :) Tending to my garden, laying in my hammock, reading, cooking, traveling, biking.... I am planning to be healthy and free of debt when I am 40. I don't need or want anything fancy. Just friends, fresh food, and sunshine on my face. To sum up the question, where will I be living when I'm 40? I will be living between my van and my own little one-room building, on my own little plot of land, somewhere where my blueberries, strawberries, watermelons and more will grow year-round, without the snow. And I will be loving every moment of it.

I can't predict the future, and sure, someday, I might end up in a tiny little house. It is entirely possible. Living simply is just the big dream of mine. I really don't want to grow old inside a house that is way too big for me or leave this life with a bunch of wasteful things left behind for someone else to have to deal with. I am planning for my future in a way that will allow me to live my life appreciating the natural things that God made for us, the way that makes me feel so much more connected to our planet. You can call me crazy, call me a hippie, call me whatever you want. I don't have all the answers, and I definitely make mistakes. I go down one road, and I see where it leads me. If that road doesn't take me somewhere good, then I try a different one.

"I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." - Robert Frost

Living the good life on 4 wheels

My boyfriend is now 27 years old, but he has traveled cross-country, living in different vehicles in California, Florida, and many states in between since he was 19. He is the one who first introduced me to the idea of van-dwelling. He asked me if he could write a posting for my page, so this is his first one. Enjoy!

Living the good life on 4 wheels

By Dan The Handyman

Living in a vehicle can be a very rewarding and life changing experience. Some people look down upon such a lifestyle, but don’t be fooled. You can be just as comfortable living in a four wheeled container as you can in a house and probably be much happier. If you want my opinion, the American Dream is a joke sold to us by bankers. What it really amounts to is 30 years of voluntary imprisonment. Let me explain.

As young adults, most of us start out renting. Depending on your location, rent can be anywhere from $500 to $1,500 or more per month. Let's say you pay $600 a month - well in one year you just gave your landlord $7,200, and at the end of that year you don’t own anything. Your landlord is happy to have you sign another lease - he still owns the property, and he gets to keep your money, too. $7,200 is more than enough to buy a really nice used home on wheels outright and not owe anyone anymore money. Renting is really a losing proposition. If you rent for 3 years @ $600 a month, you give away $21,600. Because of the current mortgage crisis, you can buy a house for that much money.

Living in a van (or some other wheeled container) offers freedom that some people can only dream of. I’m not saying to go buy a van and be a bum or a menace to society. I’m saying get a job, and be a normal human being - But instead of making some landlord rich, put the money in your pocket, not his. The other big mistake would be to go out and get a thirty year mortgage on some way overpriced house and become a slave. Life is too short.

When you live in a van, you don’t have a mortgage, property tax, or rent payments. You don’t pay electricity, water, or sewer bills. You don’t have to pay for cable or to have your garbage picked up on Tuesdays. All the money you make is yours to keep - not the landlord’s and not the bank’s. The whole American Dream idea is a lie. You don’t need a 4,000 square foot house with a couple of SUV’s in the garage to be happy. LESS IS MORE! The people who have all that crap are slaves to their jobs and only take a couple weeks off per year. They slave away to accumulate all that stuff before they die. And for what?

"Hey," you shout! “But I want a house some day!” Well I’ll probably want one too. But instead of paying some banker 30 years of interest, I plan on paying cash or pretty close to it. When I buy, I want to have a lot of money saved up. Van dwelling offers you that opportunity. Van dwelling also offers you the opportunity to travel! Get out there and check it out! If you are reading this I want to let you in on something ….………… we are all going to die................so we might as well take the time we have before that day comes and enjoy our lives. Go check out different places, go to the west coast, go to the east coast, go south, go north, go to Hawaii, go to Guam, travel the world while we still have jet fuel to burn up. Living in a vehicle is cool, and meeting people across the country and living in different areas is good for the soul. A home on wheels offers you the opportunity to keep more of the money you make and spend more of those heartbeats doing what YOU want to do.

Big hugs and Lots of Love,

Dan the Handyman :-)