I'd really love to downsize my life and live like this, but it's not in the cards for me. My partner is a stuff person. I have very little stuff and I'm not sentimental, so if I had to downsize to...
I'd really love to downsize my life and live like this, but it's not in the cards for me. My partner is a stuff person. I have very little stuff and I'm not sentimental, so if I had to downsize to live in an RV or van, I could do it easily. I often fantasize about living this kind of life. Instead, we're talking about buying a house, which I really don't want to do because I do not want to have the responsibility of upkeep and all the associated costs. Sometimes I feel kind of trapped. Whenever I see a sweet Sprinter van, I pine for it. That's what I really want.
I'm not going to tell you how to live your life, but that sounds like a fairly large disagreement about the direction the two of you want your lives to go. Compromise is valuable in any...
I'm not going to tell you how to live your life, but that sounds like a fairly large disagreement about the direction the two of you want your lives to go. Compromise is valuable in any relationship, but from your comment it doesn't sound like your personal needs are being fully considered in your collective future plans. If everything went the way you're currently expecting, would you be happy in that life for the foreseeable future?
Seeing as we're still renters in our 40s, it's something we're still discussing. I do feel my needs are considered, and I try to respect my partners needs as well. I can agree that having a home...
Seeing as we're still renters in our 40s, it's something we're still discussing. I do feel my needs are considered, and I try to respect my partners needs as well. I can agree that having a home base is valuable if we were to go off and travel, and I could see a condo being that home base. But my partner wants some space to garden. So it's further complicated. We do need to make some decisions soon, but I'm just at a loss when I try to determine what's fantasy and what's reality. One reality that I'm up against is that housing is so expensive for what you actually get, and even though we make pretty decent money, it's still hard in our location. I don't like the idea of substantially overpaying for something I don't even want all that badly. But then renting isn't getting any cheaper either.
If everything went the way you're currently expecting, would you be happy in that life for the foreseeable future?
I really have no expectations at all. All I know is that I don't like a lot of to-dos and responsibilities. I get enough of that at work.
I sympathize. My partner and I are in a very similar situation, and we're trying to talk through exactly how much she's willing to scale down her crafting equipment and supplies to reach a point...
I sympathize. My partner and I are in a very similar situation, and we're trying to talk through exactly how much she's willing to scale down her crafting equipment and supplies to reach a point where we can fit everything in a place that we can afford. On top of trying to make sure that purchasing a place doesn't entirely remove any ability to respond to a changing world, there's a lot of important conversations happening.
Ah yes, my partner also has tons of crafting supplies, but to their credit they've downsized a ton of that over the years to better fit our lifestyle. But there's still a lot of stuff that sits...
Ah yes, my partner also has tons of crafting supplies, but to their credit they've downsized a ton of that over the years to better fit our lifestyle. But there's still a lot of stuff that sits unused, relegated to "someday." My partner laments the lack of time to work on art, but also doesn't prioritize it. It's something they're working through.
Ultimately, the commitment and expense of buying a home scares me. I don't want to spend my weekends doing yard work, or any other fix-it projects around the house. And like you say, I don't want to lose the agility I have to respond to a changing world. I know a lot of people see homeownership as freedom, but it just seems like a liability that's difficult to jettison to me.
My husband has a community garden plot through our city. Would something like that meet your partners needs? There are also apartments in house like buildings with backyards and condos that come...
My husband has a community garden plot through our city. Would something like that meet your partners needs? There are also apartments in house like buildings with backyards and condos that come with decks where you could build planter boxes and bring in soil.
How about a condo with outdoor space for a container garden and/or a community garden share? Or rent where you are and buy a weekend house with storage space and a yard?
How about a condo with outdoor space for a container garden and/or a community garden share? Or rent where you are and buy a weekend house with storage space and a yard?
Have you opened up a dialogue with your partner on this issue? Could be healthy to establish some expectations with each other before it’s ten years down the road and you’re full of resentment and...
Have you opened up a dialogue with your partner on this issue? Could be healthy to establish some expectations with each other before it’s ten years down the road and you’re full of resentment and stress.
Yes, we do talk about it frequently. We just haven't come to an appropriate compromise yet. Like I said elsewhere, I do recognize the importance of having a home base. It's just that putting...
Yes, we do talk about it frequently. We just haven't come to an appropriate compromise yet. Like I said elsewhere, I do recognize the importance of having a home base. It's just that putting effort into a house just isn't my thing. It's funny... if I watch some random home show on television, I do like to imagine living in a nice house that's well designed with beautiful decor. But that's fantasy. That takes a lot of real work. And I know myself. I am not willing to put in the effort to have that. My partner knows that's how I feel. And this is why still no decision has been made. But we've got to do something soon.
Hope it all works out for y’all. That can be a big one if you guys aren’t on the same page. My ex modified an old ambulance to live out of, and I just couldn’t live that eay
Hope it all works out for y’all. That can be a big one if you guys aren’t on the same page.
My ex modified an old ambulance to live out of, and I just couldn’t live that eay
As a handy, single young guy with a growing resentment for my region and wanderlust so strong it hurts, I am very interested in hearing more about this. For years I've dreamed of a lifestyle much...
As a handy, single young guy with a growing resentment for my region and wanderlust so strong it hurts, I am very interested in hearing more about this. For years I've dreamed of a lifestyle much like the one you're describing.
I would greatly appreciate any advice you can offer to someone interested in doing this.
Much appreciated! My professional background is almost entirely blue collar, from construction to mining; a lot of contract work, a lot of living in hotels. There are parts of that that I enjoyed,...
Much appreciated! My professional background is almost entirely blue collar, from construction to mining; a lot of contract work, a lot of living in hotels. There are parts of that that I enjoyed, and parts I didn't. This sounds like a lot of the enjoyable bits without most of the unenjoyable ones.
Nice! I too rate the niche lifestyle - I live on a narrowboat with my girlfriend in London, where you have to move to a different spot generally every two weeks. It's definitely cheaper than...
Nice! I too rate the niche lifestyle - I live on a narrowboat with my girlfriend in London, where you have to move to a different spot generally every two weeks. It's definitely cheaper than renting (£400/month covers all fuel, repairs, upkeep etc) especially if you're prepared to do all your own stunts. We had about a dozen friends doing the same but most of them didn't keep it up more than a few years. Certainly not for everyone but we both love it!
I'd love to build a tiny house in the future, pretty similar to your situation but park homes aren't built great in the UK (I work in sustainable housing at the mo so insulation is non-negotiable!) and I suspect it's much harder to get hold of a plot of land here.
I live in a touristy rural area that has a lot of people following this lifestyle. During the pandemic lockdown, our caravan parks were particularly popular and had semi-permanent residents who'd...
I live in a touristy rural area that has a lot of people following this lifestyle. During the pandemic lockdown, our caravan parks were particularly popular and had semi-permanent residents who'd fled the tighter lockdown rules of the city. The lifestyle seemed lovely for the right kind of people.
However, I don't think it would suit someone like me. I need more privacy than it offers, and I also don't handle losing old friends or making new friends very well. I need a more established community to feel socially connected; I can't even handle neighborhoods with a high percentage of rentals, and those are far more stable than caravan parks.
Also, virtually all of my hobbies involve doing creative work with my hands. I like woodworking, painting, gardening, sewing, etc., and these require more space than this lifestyle can typically offer. When I have to go long periods without working on physical projects like these, I feel aimless and struggle to find a reason to get out of bed in the morning.
I don't think I am that unusual, based on how humans have generally lived throughout history and across cultures. Even hunter gatherers, like some members of the San people, tend to be highly stable (they all move to new locations together, rather than piecemeal); and while they do move from location to location, they typically stay in each location long enough to build villages with houses, fences, tools, etc., when local resource availability allows it.
As someone with a family and lots of responsibilities, I dream of being able to live more simply. As I got older camping felt like “cosplaying” homelessness whereas RVs felt more glamorous on...
As someone with a family and lots of responsibilities, I dream of being able to live more simply.
As I got older camping felt like “cosplaying” homelessness whereas RVs felt more glamorous on sizzling southern nights.
I grew up poor and had many setbacks, and thought maybe I would be happier homesteading or farming. But then I would visit family that lives that way and after a few days I start to miss my creature comforts.
I have lots of respect for people that can manage a more simple life and hope to move towards that when I find something that works for me.
Sadly in most other countries you have to have a permanent residence somewhere which has to be a house or apartment. I'd love to just live out of my tiny 2010 Piaggio Porter but ain't allowed to...
Sadly in most other countries you have to have a permanent residence somewhere which has to be a house or apartment. I'd love to just live out of my tiny 2010 Piaggio Porter but ain't allowed to do so.
Technically you could rent out your place on Airbnb and do it that way, but then you need to own a home to begin with.
One of the understated perks of such minimal and motorway lifestyle is the massive amount of travelling and places you get to visit! Planning a trip has almost become a challenge in today's world....
One of the understated perks of such minimal and motorway lifestyle is the massive amount of travelling and places you get to visit!
Planning a trip has almost become a challenge in today's world. You're typically so involved and focused in your job or work that living into it sometimes seems like everything there is to life. And then something or the other comes up, your partner doesn't feel like going, they have some other work, kids issue, unexpected arrival of guests, etc. This dude gets to travel and visit places as part of daily routine itself which is impressive!
I'm not sure what you mean by this. Doing maintenance for the park? In my experience most parks have their own dedicated handyman who's been doing the job for 20+ years. You might be able to find...
If you can find a place you like and have skills to offer, you can usually get your site fees and other park associated fees waived and often times monetary compensation.
I'm not sure what you mean by this. Doing maintenance for the park? In my experience most parks have their own dedicated handyman who's been doing the job for 20+ years. You might be able to find campground operators who need landscapers, but that usually only pays a little over minimum wage.
Furthermore, in my experience, in the most desirable locations, spots will be filled with 1+yr waiting lists, with people paying $1500/mo for a 25ft x 10ft concrete pad, ~5ft away from their neighbours. They're also really snobby and if your RV or trailer is more than 10 years old they won't take you.
In all of British Columbia, I found two RV parks under $800/mo who would take our 17ft 1975 trailer, after weeks of searching and phonecalls. One is in the lower Okanagan valley, the other is in the south of Vancouver Island.
We ended up paying $700/mo for no hookups, so we ran a generator for $400/mo and had to carry our water and poop back and forth on a weekly basis. If we weren't trying to pick mushrooms off-grid it would have been far cheaper to get an apartment.
I'd really love to downsize my life and live like this, but it's not in the cards for me. My partner is a stuff person. I have very little stuff and I'm not sentimental, so if I had to downsize to live in an RV or van, I could do it easily. I often fantasize about living this kind of life. Instead, we're talking about buying a house, which I really don't want to do because I do not want to have the responsibility of upkeep and all the associated costs. Sometimes I feel kind of trapped. Whenever I see a sweet Sprinter van, I pine for it. That's what I really want.
I'm not going to tell you how to live your life, but that sounds like a fairly large disagreement about the direction the two of you want your lives to go. Compromise is valuable in any relationship, but from your comment it doesn't sound like your personal needs are being fully considered in your collective future plans. If everything went the way you're currently expecting, would you be happy in that life for the foreseeable future?
Seeing as we're still renters in our 40s, it's something we're still discussing. I do feel my needs are considered, and I try to respect my partners needs as well. I can agree that having a home base is valuable if we were to go off and travel, and I could see a condo being that home base. But my partner wants some space to garden. So it's further complicated. We do need to make some decisions soon, but I'm just at a loss when I try to determine what's fantasy and what's reality. One reality that I'm up against is that housing is so expensive for what you actually get, and even though we make pretty decent money, it's still hard in our location. I don't like the idea of substantially overpaying for something I don't even want all that badly. But then renting isn't getting any cheaper either.
I really have no expectations at all. All I know is that I don't like a lot of to-dos and responsibilities. I get enough of that at work.
I sympathize. My partner and I are in a very similar situation, and we're trying to talk through exactly how much she's willing to scale down her crafting equipment and supplies to reach a point where we can fit everything in a place that we can afford. On top of trying to make sure that purchasing a place doesn't entirely remove any ability to respond to a changing world, there's a lot of important conversations happening.
Ah yes, my partner also has tons of crafting supplies, but to their credit they've downsized a ton of that over the years to better fit our lifestyle. But there's still a lot of stuff that sits unused, relegated to "someday." My partner laments the lack of time to work on art, but also doesn't prioritize it. It's something they're working through.
Ultimately, the commitment and expense of buying a home scares me. I don't want to spend my weekends doing yard work, or any other fix-it projects around the house. And like you say, I don't want to lose the agility I have to respond to a changing world. I know a lot of people see homeownership as freedom, but it just seems like a liability that's difficult to jettison to me.
My husband has a community garden plot through our city. Would something like that meet your partners needs? There are also apartments in house like buildings with backyards and condos that come with decks where you could build planter boxes and bring in soil.
Best of luck.
How about a condo with outdoor space for a container garden and/or a community garden share? Or rent where you are and buy a weekend house with storage space and a yard?
Have you opened up a dialogue with your partner on this issue? Could be healthy to establish some expectations with each other before it’s ten years down the road and you’re full of resentment and stress.
Yes, we do talk about it frequently. We just haven't come to an appropriate compromise yet. Like I said elsewhere, I do recognize the importance of having a home base. It's just that putting effort into a house just isn't my thing. It's funny... if I watch some random home show on television, I do like to imagine living in a nice house that's well designed with beautiful decor. But that's fantasy. That takes a lot of real work. And I know myself. I am not willing to put in the effort to have that. My partner knows that's how I feel. And this is why still no decision has been made. But we've got to do something soon.
Hope it all works out for y’all. That can be a big one if you guys aren’t on the same page.
My ex modified an old ambulance to live out of, and I just couldn’t live that eay
As a handy, single young guy with a growing resentment for my region and wanderlust so strong it hurts, I am very interested in hearing more about this. For years I've dreamed of a lifestyle much like the one you're describing.
I would greatly appreciate any advice you can offer to someone interested in doing this.
Much appreciated! My professional background is almost entirely blue collar, from construction to mining; a lot of contract work, a lot of living in hotels. There are parts of that that I enjoyed, and parts I didn't. This sounds like a lot of the enjoyable bits without most of the unenjoyable ones.
Nice! I too rate the niche lifestyle - I live on a narrowboat with my girlfriend in London, where you have to move to a different spot generally every two weeks. It's definitely cheaper than renting (£400/month covers all fuel, repairs, upkeep etc) especially if you're prepared to do all your own stunts. We had about a dozen friends doing the same but most of them didn't keep it up more than a few years. Certainly not for everyone but we both love it!
I'd love to build a tiny house in the future, pretty similar to your situation but park homes aren't built great in the UK (I work in sustainable housing at the mo so insulation is non-negotiable!) and I suspect it's much harder to get hold of a plot of land here.
I live in a touristy rural area that has a lot of people following this lifestyle. During the pandemic lockdown, our caravan parks were particularly popular and had semi-permanent residents who'd fled the tighter lockdown rules of the city. The lifestyle seemed lovely for the right kind of people.
However, I don't think it would suit someone like me. I need more privacy than it offers, and I also don't handle losing old friends or making new friends very well. I need a more established community to feel socially connected; I can't even handle neighborhoods with a high percentage of rentals, and those are far more stable than caravan parks.
Also, virtually all of my hobbies involve doing creative work with my hands. I like woodworking, painting, gardening, sewing, etc., and these require more space than this lifestyle can typically offer. When I have to go long periods without working on physical projects like these, I feel aimless and struggle to find a reason to get out of bed in the morning.
I don't think I am that unusual, based on how humans have generally lived throughout history and across cultures. Even hunter gatherers, like some members of the San people, tend to be highly stable (they all move to new locations together, rather than piecemeal); and while they do move from location to location, they typically stay in each location long enough to build villages with houses, fences, tools, etc., when local resource availability allows it.
As someone with a family and lots of responsibilities, I dream of being able to live more simply.
As I got older camping felt like “cosplaying” homelessness whereas RVs felt more glamorous on sizzling southern nights.
I grew up poor and had many setbacks, and thought maybe I would be happier homesteading or farming. But then I would visit family that lives that way and after a few days I start to miss my creature comforts.
I have lots of respect for people that can manage a more simple life and hope to move towards that when I find something that works for me.
Sadly in most other countries you have to have a permanent residence somewhere which has to be a house or apartment. I'd love to just live out of my tiny 2010 Piaggio Porter but ain't allowed to do so.
Technically you could rent out your place on Airbnb and do it that way, but then you need to own a home to begin with.
One of the understated perks of such minimal and motorway lifestyle is the massive amount of travelling and places you get to visit!
Planning a trip has almost become a challenge in today's world. You're typically so involved and focused in your job or work that living into it sometimes seems like everything there is to life. And then something or the other comes up, your partner doesn't feel like going, they have some other work, kids issue, unexpected arrival of guests, etc. This dude gets to travel and visit places as part of daily routine itself which is impressive!
I'm not sure what you mean by this. Doing maintenance for the park? In my experience most parks have their own dedicated handyman who's been doing the job for 20+ years. You might be able to find campground operators who need landscapers, but that usually only pays a little over minimum wage.
Furthermore, in my experience, in the most desirable locations, spots will be filled with 1+yr waiting lists, with people paying $1500/mo for a 25ft x 10ft concrete pad, ~5ft away from their neighbours. They're also really snobby and if your RV or trailer is more than 10 years old they won't take you.
In all of British Columbia, I found two RV parks under $800/mo who would take our 17ft 1975 trailer, after weeks of searching and phonecalls. One is in the lower Okanagan valley, the other is in the south of Vancouver Island.
We ended up paying $700/mo for no hookups, so we ran a generator for $400/mo and had to carry our water and poop back and forth on a weekly basis. If we weren't trying to pick mushrooms off-grid it would have been far cheaper to get an apartment.
Ok well I guess there's more demand that availability in BC. Here there are waiting lists.