Hello everybody! I have lurked through this subreddit a bit and searched through posts, but I have some questions specific to my situation and would love to hear anyone's advice or similar experiences.
So, I'm a in a bit of a financial hardship right now. I have a quite a bit a of debt I need to pay off due to being unemployed previously for close to a year. Additionally, the area I'm living in has a housing shortage going on, so rent and utilities, even with roommates, is pretty expensive. I'm currently paying $600.00 a month for rent and utilities, a third of my income. With my car payment, insurance, gas, groceries, phone, and gym, I end up with about $200 a month for savings, entertainment, any kind of car repairs that are needed, etc. Having so little after bills and necessities makes me pretty anxious. I've tried all that I can to reduce expenses while still staying sane, and it's pretty much come down to these options in my eyes:
-I get a second job and stay at my current place, hoping to make enough at the second job to cover the rent and use my primary income for everything else, including having some savings;
-I make only minimum payments on my debts, saving me about $250.00 a month but prolonging my debts and costing me interest, stay at my current place, and use the debt payment savings to build up my own savings;
-Live in my car (a sedan), save the $600.00/month that would be spent on rent and instead either put it towards my debt, savings, or both, without having to get a second job and/or minimize debt payments.
Living with family/friends isn't too much of an option. I might be able to stay at a friend's or relative's house a few nights a week, but my parents do not want me living with them (we have a pretty strained relationship and they are not the "helping" type) and my sister has a baby on the way, so I can't be there on a permanent basis. I might be able to sleep in someone's driveway more often than not, but I'm also considering sleeping in Wal-Mart parking lots, on the outskirts of town, near my gym, etc. if I decide to go the vehicle-dwelling route.
I have a very steady job that has quite a few perks that might help if I decide to do this. My work has several refrigerators to store food, several microwaves, showers on-site, and even a small cafe for decently priced food. My workplace also frequently has potlucks, catered lunches, etc., which is a nice bonus for someone looking to save money.
I have a P.O. Box for my mail, a safe deposit box at my bank for important documents, and a gym membership with showers and lockers.
My primary concerns are safe places to sleep (more concerned about cops than anything) and cost efficiency.
Privacy-wise for sleeping, I was thinking of getting my windows tinted to the max allowable, then getting a big divider curtain for the passenger area and magnets with curtains for the side windows and windshield.
Function-wise, I'm lucky that my seats fold down into my trunk, so I plan on just putting down a sleeping pad, sleeping bag, blankets, and pillows. (I realize having a van would make things a lot better, but I don't have the funds to get a van right now, and my car is still financed w/o any equity.)
Eating out can be expensive, especially since there isn't really any way to cook in a sedan. I'm also trying to lose weight, so I don't want to be eating from the dollar menu everyday, if at all. So that's another concern.
I guess my questions boil down to this:
-Given what I've said about my situation/resources, is vehicle-dwelling advisable (or at least doable) in my situation? Or will it be a lot of hassle to save $600.00/month?
-What cost-effective meals/eating plans/techniques would you suggest for someone living in a small car, not a van, with no ability to cook (beyond a microwave at work)?
-Will I be able to get adequate rest on a 9-to-5 work schedule?
-Are there any safety concerns I should be aware of as a female? More specifically, should a female not live in a car, only a van will provide added security?
-Has anyone done this for similar reasons as I am considering (paying off debt, financial security, etc.)? If so, did it work out?
Sorry for the long post. I appreciate any answers or advice!
Submitted January 16, 2017 at 04:24AM by CoastMountainGoat27 http://ift.tt/2jeyMos vandwellers
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