Living in a box truck

[jp1]

I had mentioned this guy's http://frominsidethebox.com/ blog in a post about backdoor IRA's a couple of days ago. Since then I've been reading the blog from start to finish and figured it was worth its own thread. It's interesting to read why he started living in a truck in the google parking lot and how his goals for this have shifted over time. His original plan had been to do this just long enough to save enough money to take six months off to travel the world. Now his plan is to try and live like this until he hits 30 or so and has enough money to take off the rest of his life if he chooses and travel the world. He had not heard about MMM or any of the other early retirement websites when he started, but seeing them is what caused him to rethink his goals. He makes a six figure income but saves the vast majority of it.

Basically he has kept his "home" very simple. A bed, an ikea dresser that he added leather straps with snaps to to hold the drawers closed when he makes left turns, a bar to hang clothes on, and a couple of brackets to keep his bike from flopping around if he's driving the truck somewhere. That's it. He showers at the gym every morning, eats most of his meals at his employer subsidized cafeteria and uses the restroom in one of his employer's buildings before going to bed at night so he doesn't need a kitchen or bathroom in the truck. (he no longer parks on the employer campus because he was told to stop, and hasn't disclosed where he parks now, but it sounds like he still parks very nearby.)

He seems to enjoy it and in one Q&A post where he answers readers' questions he talks about getting a lot of questions along the lines of "I'd like to try and see if I can do this for at least X amount of time. How do you manage to deal with the hassles." His response was that if you try and do this with an attitude of "this is a sacrifice and I'm only doing it to save money" it will become an intolerable burden fairly quickly and that the only way to make it (an admittedly very non-standard situation like this) work is if one is capable of viewing it as an adventure, a challenge, something to be enjoyed for its own quirky merits, not something to simply be endured. That said, I don't think I want to live in a box truck in my office's parking lot.* I like the simplicity of it and the savings, but I'm just not sure I'd be willing to go that far outside the mainstream. At least not if I were still working a day job very much inside the mainstream.

*I say this not even taking into account that my employer is not in the suburbs with free parking, but in an expensive to park in downtown neighborhood.

[Williamsmith]

I wish him all the happiness his box can bring him.

[jp1]

I wish him all the happiness his box can bring him.

Unless his blog isnt' accurate in conveying his feelings he seems pretty happy currently. And if he's able to keep up that happiness for a few more years his extended retirement may make the questionableness of his current happiness seem worth it.

Thinking about it more I think the one major thing that doesn't work for me is that he doesn't feel like he can spend any time there other than sleeping. He's fine with spending the evening going to a coffee shop with his computer and doing whatever. I don't think I would be. I like having a place I can come home to.

[ctg492]

It is funny how one person who we may view as a contributing member of society, working supporting himself and causing no bother to other is ok to live on company property,is ok in the minds of many. Yet if a vagrant or less contributing member of society lived in a less it would bother many. Cause the police to be called, social services, help to be offered and such.

I wonder if the company actually knows what is going on? What would happen if say 10 of the employees choose to do this, How would that be? Or if someone moved a cute tiny home in on the back of the lot? Why would it be ok for one and not the entire department? My guess is their Insurance Company would have an issue. I would not want say the road commission fellow camping out in a truck at the end of my road just because each morning he has to check the sewer drain. At least he would have someplace to dump his sewer if you know what I mean. Where and how does this fellow do that? Idk I am not a huge fan of ordinances and rules, but I know we have them for a reason.

My guess is someone will complain eventually, then where does he move his home? He will eventually meet the person who he wants to share his life with and that person will not want a box truck

[jp1]

Good questions, ctg. Some of which he brings up in various posts on the blog, like the fact that it would obviously not work out if the whole staff decided to start living in the parking lot.

He actually did have to move. Security called him in to their office back in December and told him in no uncertain terms that he could not continue to live in a truck in their parking lot. Now he parks somewhere nearby, presumably on the street.

As far as facilities, he stops in one of the buildings on his employer's campus right before bedtime, and then holds it until he gets to the gym the next morning.

[Dhiana]

Google seems a strong enough company to embrace this concept. Become owners of an empty lot, charge rent for the spaces, have a benefit option to pay for the extra food/showers, etc. Both sides and coworkers come out ahead.

[SteveinMN]

As far as facilities, he stops in one of the buildings on his employer's campus right before bedtime, and then holds it until he gets to the gym the next morning.

Yeah, that'll work as long as he's a young man...

[simplelife4me]

There is a whole subculture of people living in vehicles and it will only grow. It is doubtful he has to hold his bladder until morning. There are multiple ways to take care of that, that does not involve plumbing.

[Aqua Blue]

I find it very intriguing. If I was 30-40 years younger I might try it. I was always torn between being frugal and privacy and this would allow for both. I could see Google and other companies providing parking and restroom facilities for a minimal fee.

[19Sandy]

That guy was featured on a PBS show the other day. People in his area earn 40 thousand a year and live in campers, trucks and RVs parked along the street. Rent is so high, they can't rent an apartment. In my neck of the woods, you wouldn't get away with living in a vehicle. They would arrest you and sell your vehicle for scrap metal. Today, there is no place for the poor to go and start over. Back in the pioneer days, people would load their wagons or horses to move some place that was free. In my area, there are houses that have been sitting empty for years along with apartments - but landlords and banks won't reduce the prices. No wonder people are living in campers and traveling from campsite to parking lot.