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Actually an apartment would increase my monthly expense's as my house is paid off...
And I would not be living on rice and beans lol, even now I eat rather well on $50 a month(I am a good cook with a ton of cheap recipe's) and you can park a van anywhere and they make 4x4 camper vans
and the "energy-consuming appliances, waste disposal," are one and done cost's (on average that equipment lasts for years). Basically I've factored the actual "living" which is in my comfort zone and I would actually end up with MORE disposable income for dating, as 79% of my current income would not be going to utilities, taxes, home owners insurance, yard care etc etc
But yes the only issue with dating would be "perception" because women tend to be more a slave to aesthetic comforts, even though women are usually reluctant to enter that life they tend to take to that life with more gusto once they are in it, I've read a ton of stories how couples hit hard times get into that life to save money and once they get on their feet it's the woman that does not want to get back on the grid once they got used to not being under the stress of maintaining the "stick and brick" normal life.
But it's finding someone willing to try it in the first place that may be the problem lol
That picture is not reality. Unless you're unemployed, you're not parked out in the red rocks of AZ/UT living a freewheeling lifestyle. You're parked on a side street in a city, near your job and having to move every evening because they don't allow overnight parking.
That picture is not reality. Unless you're unemployed, you're not parked out in the red rocks of AZ/UT living a freewheeling lifestyle. You're parked on a side street in a city, near your job and having to move every evening because they don't allow overnight parking.
He said that he telecommutes, I believe.
I think that the necessary shift to work from home for many office types (myself included) in the last year, has shown a lot of companies that it's more viable than they ever thought and they can save themselves the expense of maintaining a big office for people to work in... My job is about to be declared permanently "remote" and I bet a lot of others will, too. That will free up a lot of folks to wander, especially if there is a way for them to set up a workspace in a mobile arrangement, with reliable internet.
I actually know someone who is "nomadic." But not in the same way, I think, that the OP envisions it for himself. She is a musician, and she wanders the earth and performs in various places and works Renaissance Festivals and tourist industry stuff, in non-Covid times, of course. She also writes magazine articles, and she's been a regular at Burning Man. The really cool thing about her lifestyle is that she has a really robust network. People everywhere (multiple continents) know and love her, so anywhere she goes, she can reach out and find somewhere to stay, a gig to perform, things to do...
She's hunkered down for longer periods with family or friends in relative isolation, and has done some virtual concerts and a lot of writing, but the way she lives, I think, makes her really good at adaptation. She got a big truck and a vintage Airstream camper a few years ago, which she has had quite a time keeping in good repair, I think she's practically had to rebuild it...but she is willing and able to learn new skills and do whatever needs doing, it seems.
And she dated a guy who lived in a van, "off the grid" for a little while. But her relationships tend not to last. And she also writes songs about exes, so... Yeah. lol I love her to bits, and I marvel at her life, but I also know it would never be for me. I like to collect stuff, and nest and interior decorate, and I really like my creature comforts and stability. I like having a solid home base to return to after going on adventures. I don't think I'd be happy if my whole life were an ongoing adventure, like that seems to me.
I'm already in the cheapest area in one of the cheapest cities, in my state which has one of the cheapest costs of living in the country. and yet the cost of home ownership has went from affordable and great in the 20 years I've lived here to these property taxes are more than I can afford. almost over night.
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Originally Posted by ChileSauceCritic
Actually an apartment would increase my monthly expense's as my house is paid off...
I have lived in a low COL city in a low COL state. A (not great) 1br apartment can be leased for <$500 per month. If that is "more than [you] can afford" then your very low income is going to be an obstacle for you on the dating market. Sorry.
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And I would not be living on rice and beans lol, even now I eat rather well on $50 a month(I am a good cook with a ton of cheap recipe's)
$70-80/month is possible with a frugal vegetarian diet. I think $50 is significantly harder and frankly I doubt your numbers.
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and you can park a van anywhere and they make 4x4 camper vans
You cannot legally park a van "anywhere."
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and the "energy-consuming appliances, waste disposal," are one and done cost's (on average that equipment lasts for years). Basically I've factored the actual "living" which is in my comfort zone and I would actually end up with MORE disposable income for dating, as 79% of my current income would not be going to utilities, taxes, home owners insurance, yard care etc etc
But yes the only issue with dating would be "perception" because women tend to be more a slave to aesthetic comforts, even though women are usually reluctant to enter that life they tend to take to that life with more gusto once they are in it, I've read a ton of stories how couples hit hard times get into that life to save money and once they get on their feet it's the woman that does not want to get back on the grid once they got used to not being under the stress of maintaining the "stick and brick" normal life.
But it's finding someone willing to try it in the first place that may be the problem lol
What equipment did you have in mind for cooking, water (drinking and washing), and sewage?
You can live however you want, but it's not a binary choice between a keeping up with the Joneses McMansion and homelessness. A frugal lifestyle with a roof over your head and indoor plumbing offers advantages compared with full-time camping.
The 'actual "living" which is in [your] comfort zone' doesn't sound comfortable to me and for that reason my answer to your original question is no. Let us know how it works out, though
I think that the necessary shift to work from home for many office types (myself included) in the last year, has shown a lot of companies that it's more viable than they ever thought and they can save themselves the expense of maintaining a big office for people to work in... My job is about to be declared permanently "remote" and I bet a lot of others will, too. That will free up a lot of folks to wander, especially if there is a way for them to set up a workspace in a mobile arrangement, with reliable internet.
Yep I posted my thoughts on facebook and was surprised to find 3 of my coworkers have already become nomads, and 4 more were thinking about it also. now 2 of those 3 were already semi retired and did this job for extra money and now live in fancy RV's, but one of them is a 34 year old female who started 2 years ago solo and for the last year has a boyfriend she met at a campsite but he was of the motorcycle and tent variety, when they got serious he bought a bike trailer and hitched it to her van he, is retired navy so they both have income.
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Originally Posted by Sonic_Spork
And she dated a guy who lived in a van, "off the grid" for a little while. But her relationships tend not to last. And she also writes songs about exes, so... Yeah. lol I love her to bits, and I marvel at her life, but I also know it would never be for me. I like to collect stuff, and nest and interior decorate, and I really like my creature comforts and stability. I like having a solid home base to return to after going on adventures. I don't think I'd be happy if my whole life were an ongoing adventure, like that seems to me.
My coworker and her fiancé talked to me about that on skype this morning they said because you are together almost 24/7 relationships move faster so if they aren't the one you know it within a week or so, but if they are the one you know it almost as quickly so for many long term couples they met in their first few years in the life or their first few months looking for a partner if that's what they were looking for because it's such a small community most in any given region know each other or of each other and have online meetups and facebook groups. and how distance is not as much an issue because if you connect with someone you just start working your way to a shared destination.
I think that the necessary shift to work from home for many office types (myself included) in the last year, has shown a lot of companies that it's more viable than they ever thought and they can save themselves the expense of maintaining a big office for people to work in... My job is about to be declared permanently "remote" and I bet a lot of others will, too. That will free up a lot of folks to wander, especially if there is a way for them to set up a workspace in a mobile arrangement, with reliable internet.
I'm curious as to what that reliable internet would look like in this scenario. Post-pandemic, you may be able to camp out in a public library. But now, using your phone as a hotspot doesn't seem like a sustainable option for day to day and might not be cheap, and though some do it, parking in restaurant or coffee shop parking lots to piggy back on their free wifi isn't reliable, either.
Certainly you could date women who are into that lifestyle or open to alternative living type stuff. More traditional minded women might be challenging.
You are right about costs of living for renting and homeownership really getting out of control. I worry about people on fixed incomes - the elderly and disabled who don't even have any alternatives.
You are right about costs of living for renting and homeownership really getting out of control.
But OP says that he lives in a low COL area, and yet his housing expenses are 80% of his income? That's odd and definitely not typical. I live in a low COL area, and my mortgage, utilities, taxes, etc are never more than 35-40%, which is extremely livable on my solid 5-figure salary.
Last edited by fleetiebelle; 02-22-2021 at 11:57 AM..
Yep I posted my thoughts on facebook and was surprised to find 3 of my coworkers have already become nomads, and 4 more were thinking about it also. now 2 of those 3 were already semi retired and did this job for extra money and now live in fancy RV's, but one of them is a 34 year old female who started 2 years ago solo and for the last year has a boyfriend she met at a campsite but he was of the motorcycle and tent variety, when they got serious he bought a bike trailer and hitched it to her van he, is retired navy so they both have income.
My coworker and her fiancé talked to me about that on skype this morning they said because you are together almost 24/7 relationships move faster so if they aren't the one you know it within a week or so, but if they are the one you know it almost as quickly so for many long term couples they met in their first few years in the life or their first few months looking for a partner if that's what they were looking for because it's such a small community most in any given region know each other or of each other and have online meetups and facebook groups. and how distance is not as much an issue because if you connect with someone you just start working your way to a shared destination.
My friend is not of the typical sort, when it comes to relationship preferences. She is neither monogamous, nor strictly heterosexual. I'm not sure that a quest for "the one" is really part of her nature.
And I kinda get that, too...why settle down with one, when you can enjoy a whole world full of passionate flings and FWBs, whenever you want? She's got her dog for steady companionship. And hell, if most of your attempts at steady relationships end in disasters worth writing lyrics about, as I mentioned, well...maybe some things are not meant to be? I don't know.
But OP says that he lives in a low COL area, and yet his housing expenses are 80% of his income? That's odd and definitely not typical. I live in a low COL area, and my mortgage, utilities, taxes, etc are not more than 35-40%, which is extremely livable.
Same here. My monthly "nut" is around thirty percent of my income (and that income is just below the median income for our area).
The O.P. mentioned that he's currently mortgage-free, i.e., his house is paid off. It makes me wonder just how high those property taxes are if he's truly in a low cost of living area. I'm going to be doing a happy dance when all I have to pay is insurance and property taxes plus the cost of running/maintaining the house.
I'm curious as to what that reliable internet would look like in this scenario. Post-pandemic, you may be able to camp out in a public library. But now, using your phone as a hotspot doesn't seem like a sustainable option for day to day and might not be cheap, and though some do it, parking in restaurant or coffee shop parking lots to piggy back on their free wifi isn't reliable, either.
If you have a good enough data plan (some carriers offer unlimited data) you could use your phone, or a dedicated mobile broadband device, to create a hotspot. There are also now vehicles that come with a wifi hotspot capability built in, though I believe you have to pay a monthly fee to use it, which is essentially a "data plan" and will probably have tiered pricing for various data limits.
Still, the monthly costs may well run less than most of us pay for high speed internet at home.
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