Introducing Myself as Just a Researcher

Newbie's Corner
1

Hello everyone,
my name’s Rania, I am 20 years old and a jobless University student still living locked in my mum’s house (due to lockdown, my mum is a very cool person!)
I was introduced to VanLife a few years ago by the Youtube Recommended page, but I was still a high-schooler so I didn’t really think much of it other than it’d be cool to try it someday in the far future.

Before Corona started I had a taste of what it is like living alone, paying rent and buying groceries, using my parent’s allowance money. There I realised how painful rent would be for my own hard-earned money when I start working and earning my own salary myself.

I spent the last few weeks researching VanLife (Lifestyle, DIY Builds etc) and tried to think of ways I could plan out a VanLife to be perfect tailor-made just for me and my ideal dream-jobs.

Finally I am here to do my further personal research in order to start planning soon and securely. I would love to learn things about your life in a van and more mechanical stuff, that I am pretty much new at since, even in University I study to become a language teacher haha LOL

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Hi Rania,

Welcome and look forward to conversing.

Where are you based?

4

Greece, for the time being. Hopefully I will be abroad though when I am to join the vanlife. Roads in this country are quite scary here.

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What do you mean “quite scary here.”?

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Greetings & Welcome @sm64!

Before Corona started I had a taste of what it is like living alone, paying rent and buying groceries, using my parent’s allowance money. There I realised how painful rent would be for my own hard-earned money when I start working and earning my own salary myself.

Many people find that rent is actually cheaper than vandwelling, and being a weekend warrior is a better choice. Regardless of your choices, they all require money, and that usually means a stable job, a large emergency fund, and a paid exit plan.

I spent the last few weeks researching VanLife (Lifestyle, DIY Builds etc) and tried to think of ways I could plan out a VanLife to be perfect tailor-made just for me and my ideal dream-jobs.

Dream jobs are awfully hard to come by. Many people with fancy degrees are working in fast food joints or gas stations. Jobs that allow you to travel at will, can be even harder to find.

Life isn’t always rainbows & sunshine. Living on wheels requires a lot of compromises, and isn’t nearly as easy or convenient as many people would have you believe. Most people only report the good times, and fail to report the struggles that far outnumber them.

I always suggest a cheap trial period. Get a job, then buy a cheap, with emphasis on cheap, (but reliable) camper van or motorhome, and try it out for a month or two before you go all in. Will the cheap vehicle work? If so, then you’re good to go. If not, you should be able to sell it without losing too much money. Just never risk more than you can afford to lose!

Many people view us as homeless, and that can have a very negative effect on good employment. While working remotely is becoming more popular, unconventional living situations are still largely frowned upon.

You need jobs & money to support ANY lifestyle, start there. Consider vandwelling only after you have mastered the jobs & money hurdle.

Cheers!

"Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst." ~ Murphy


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Very high crime rates around the area I live in. I only felt kinda safe when tons of people are around which isn’t always possible all year round.

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Thank you very much for your feedback and advice. This is probably the main reason I am here, to read everyone’s opinions and personal experiences in order to figure out of this is for me.

Ideally, internships of what I would like to work on would allow me to travel all around the world every year or less. I am also very interested in researching, so this could work remotely with the funding opportunities.

It’s really rather surprising for me to hear that rent can actually end up being cheaper than vandwelling. I might need to check more facts on expenses so I appreciate your reply for pushing me in that direction.

Have a great day!

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Greetings!

High rent is only a partial truth. There are ways around it everywhere, EVERYWHERE! It’s unbelievably easy to get free/cheap rent, or even get PAID to live somewhere, if you know how.

If I’m staying in a city where vandwelling is illegal, I just rent a furnished room w/ private bath, & off street parking for $50-$75 a week. Not fancy, but livable, although most don’t have kitchens. I usually stay in my van rather than in the room, but that’s my choice.

One time when a cargo van I had was in the shop, I rented a room that turned out to be horrible, moldy, infested with mice, rats, spiders, cockroaches, and bed bugs. When you opened the door, the stench made you leery of entering… But nothing a few hours with an ozone generator & little cleaning couldn’t solve. The ozone generator killed all the mold & smells, and either killed or ran off all the rodents & bugs. Turned it into a very decent livable space in just a few hours. The manager was so impressed, he refunded my rent.

With knowledge, there are many ways you can live cheap. In almost every city, there are realtor’s that will pay you to live in vacant houses to prevent vandalism & theft. I literally know people who do that for their only source of income. I’ve gotten paid to park in places just to be visible overnight security. There are lots of opportunities available if you look, to meet almost any need or lifestyle.

Cheers!

"Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst." ~ Murphy


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