Some have said this generation might well be called "generation rent" owing to most not having much chance of doing the whole home ownership bit (house prices around here are around the £300,000 mark for something worth having and for 10% down on a 25 year mortgage that is doable only with a partner or fairly high paying job, and if you hit about 30 without that you are likely not going to). This led to some interesting arrangements, as well as in many cases it being socially acceptable to live with parents for periods others would have deemed highly unusual 30 years ago.
It is not a sole thing for the young though and I have met many of many ages that head down this path. Most of the older people doing it tend to be of the trades that allow for it (tradesmen that spent time in mining/construction*, truck drivers, sales...), or were serious PTSD sufferers and that allowed them to get on with it.

*friend of a friend had a really quite nice Arctic grade truck with a toilet and shower and everything. That said a more general insulated van and the option to shower in swimming pools/gyms

I then saw something on youtube about people living in their car, but not necessarily through any kind of poverty


It is a subject that fascinates me, though perhaps not as much as the potential legal implications (a lot of things require you to have a "permanent" address, something I discovered a few years back as I thought I would see what goes if I pretended I did not have somewhere like that).

To that end your thoughts on the matter. Would you eschew rent in favour of something like that? Still having a job, regular showers, good food and all that but either working less or having money for nice toys and travel.
I have considered it but I do also like to have lots of tools, books and machinery so that is harder.

 

I've considered living in a storage unit. I haven't REALLY looked into it yet, but I haven't thought of any downsides besides a likely lack of insulation during the summer and winter.

 

well there's the downside of it being illegal.

 

I'm almost 26 and I currently live with my Mother by my own choice. I pay part of the rent and buy my own food and it works out great for both of us.(we both save money this way)

Though I used to be materialist I have since changed and I feel it's for the better. I also feel a lot less stressful as I don't have to worry about money as much and since I have less bills I can save/invest more which only makes my money issues less of a problem.

I couldn't do living in a car though. I still have a few nice things and I enjoy sleeping in a bed too much. Maybe if I wanted to travel for a year or so I could see myself doing something like that.

 

No, it is not normally legal due to city ordinances. For example, they are not built to code for human habitation and as such the wiring and all that jazz really are not safe.

 

But safe enough to be pushing heavy items around, and possibly even operating a forklift with those crazy tough steel prongs on the front? I don't disagree with the notion and ideas of fitness for habitation but that may be one of those scare them unless they actually think about it examples.

The history of the various types of criminalisation of homelessness is quite an interesting one if you are interested in types of social control, and also some suspect laws.

That said another option in all this is to buy a piece of what would be dubbed amenity land in the UK and park on that to some extent. They often go for not a lot (£10000 or so) and some portable stuff is pretty nice these days.

 

No idea if these are legal, but they seem to be a better choice than living in a car.

 

The ones around here provide a nominal amount of electricity for battery chargers and lights. Sounds like an episode of Maron though.

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So how does one go about not having an address? PO Box?

 

General Delivery is free and can be used if you stay in a certain area

 

ill rather sleep in my mums basement then be homeless.

i imagine be homeless is no fun.