You may have heard stories of people living out of their cars. Often, this is not associated with anything positive. It suggests someone who is destitute and down on their luck. However, as the story in this blog posts suggests, what if there was a way of living comfortably out of your car?
This story is part of a YouTube channel called Stories from a Van. It’s from a guy named Evan who suped up his van and shows people via videos how he manages to save significant sums of money by living rent free.
This idea certainly won’t appeal to everyone. But you have to admit it’s a pretty neat idea and fun to know that it can be done. He doesn’t have a lot of posts on his YouTube channel, but despitet this, he gets a fair amount of views on YouTube. So clearly people are interested in the concept.
The video seems to cover most of the questions that you probably would have when considering a venture such as this. Items such as how to find parking, where to find food, and how to deal with your mailing address are all contained in the video. And he shows you how he makes money too!
As Evan states in his video, “Moving anywhere that’s accessible by car no longer requires looking for housing, signing a lease, packing all my belongings, or dealing with housemates. I just pick a city and start driving.”
Summary
If you have a little over 16 minutes to spare and you are curious about this venture, I urge you to take a look at the video. Even if you have less than 16 minutes, you can speed up the video and not miss anything about how Evan made this happen.
Living out of your car may not be right for you, but you never know what circumstances you may be faced with in the future. It’s good to have at least an idea of how other people handled their situations.
The physical task of saving money is not difficult, so what makes saving money so difficult to do? There could be many reasons, but it likely boils down to people find better things to do with their money, even if it isn’t the best choices to make.
What’s worse is saving money often involves budgeting, which most people dread. It’s often a wake up call for people to go through their finances. This is a necessary aspect of the process though. You can’t spend more than you make and you have to find money to put away for a rainy day, so to speak.
Why then, can some people bite the bullet and become successful savers? It comes down to focus and planning. People who set financial goals usually are better savers. They put off instant gratification for increased satisfaction later on.
It’s Not Your Fault
This article isn’t about blaming anyone for the lack of savings. In fact, our society is predicated on consumption. We are seduced into the latest and greatest of everything. Just look at advertising. Someone is always trying to convince you to buy something. And these advertising ploys have been going on since many of us were young. You have or will spend a good portion of your life subjected to these spending encouragements.
Get Your Butt Out of Debt
While it may not be our fault about a lack of savings, that doesn’t shun our responsibility for our own finances. If you have amassesd or are amassing a huge amount of debt, it can be quite a challenge to get yourself out of that hole. But it CAN BE DONE!
Credit card debt has grown substantially since the 2008-2009 crisis. Take a look at the following:
St. Louis Fed Loans to Individuals: Credit Cards
Check your state resources for debt management or counseling programs. If these resources won’t help you directly, they may point you to trusted resources. This is a far better route than relying on the charlitans that will claim they can negotiate debt consolidation on your behalf. There are legitimate companies that do this, but there are also several scammers.
If you are facing collections, negotiate with them for debt relief. They would rather get a portion of the debt than to have to go through a lengthy collections process. For instance, if you owe $10,000, offer to be forgiven of half. They may not accept half, but they may reduce your obligation to $7,000. This happens often.
Be aware that companies are required to report any debt forgiveness to the IRS. You will need to pay taxes on the amount that was relieved!
How Does Savings Robot Help you Save?
We scour the internet and traditional places to find deals that matter. We look for legitimate resources that have a true potential to save money, help you earn rebates, or just are totally cool to join.
Along the way, we’ll offer tips and tricks to help you become a better saver, if that is on your list of things to do. We’ll help you save when you make purchases, but we’ll also help you find resources that can help you manage your finances a bit easier, too.
A Few Resources to Get You Started
Our savings robot has found a few resources for you to get started. We do review each resource to ensure that the robot is returning quality resources.
You’ve probably noticed by now that gas prices have increased and continue to remain high. This website surveys customers and reports the prices of various gas stations in your area. You would be amazed at how different the prices are between the stations.
It’s hard to beat the price of free. If you are looking for something, check out this website for people who may be trying to get rid of what you are looking for. The website has locations in many states so check to see if you state or local area is involved.
Reddit can be a bit confusing to newcomers. The site is divided into subreddits and are accessed using /r/subreddit name. For instance, to access the Savings subreddit, use the following:
Craiglist is not what it used to be but you can certainly find savings on the website. This is one of those sites where you should be vigilant and cautious about deals. If you are going to meet up with any counter parties, do so in busy locations. Otherwise, your life could be in danger.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you find some value from the tips and resources included on this page. If you have any tips or resources you’d like to share, feel free to included them in the comments below.
