Living in the car and tent

A little comment on the blog, Tight-Fisted Miser led to a mention on MSNs money blog which I suspect is going to lead to a considerable number of visits from people who are freaked out or intrigued by the idea that we lived in our car and a tent, and thought it was wonderful.

We did.

What precipitated our decision was this. We knew that my husband was quite likely to be laid off very soon and should be receiving a decent severance package and unemployment. We had been living in Tulsa, Oklahoma but we were not really happy there. We wanted to live someplace warmer and dryer. Like somewhere in the Southwest. The lease on our apartment was also running out. We had recently purchased a small used car that was dependable and got excellent gas mileage. Basically we had come to a point where there was nothing to hold us there, and nothing left to lose.

So when the lay off came, and the lease ended, it was very much a considered and conscious decision for us to put a good deal of our possessions in storage, pack up the necessities (including our two cats) and climb in the car. We headed west.

From September 1st, 2006 until November 3, 2006 we lived in a combination of our car, a tent, and occasional nights at the most inexpensive motels you can find. We were exceptionally fortunate compared to many to have a small income from my husbands unemployment to live on. However, we also worked day labor as needed.

Specifically, we had less than $200 a week in income after taxes and so forth. We not only lived on it and traveled on it - we managed to keep up the car payment of almost $300 a month as well as the car insurance.

Of course, I also have this wee little Internet business and although even now it isn’t enough to live on by itself - it sure saved our asses a few times. Most of my sponsors pay me through direct deposit or PayPal so our money was available pretty much any time. I took a laptop with wireless card (which I later replaced with a newer laptop which has a built in wireless modem) so anywhere I could hit a wifi hotspot, I could work. The desktop was actually packed into the trunk and on several occasions my husband actually set it up and I was able to “REALLY” work. We had rented a Mail Suite box to use as our mailing address and had all of that forwarded to us two months later when we had an address to send it to.

Over two months we discovered ways to make our living more comfortable. We purchased a small tent, then a larger tent, and a large sub-zero-degree rated sleeping bag on sale. We bought a small grill for places where there wasn’t one. We fell in love with New Mexico State Parks and BLM recreation areas, many of which have showers and bathrooms available for campers. We met some wonderful people, including many others who live full time in their vans or RVs (and not all of them retirees).

The fact we had our two cats with us just blew some people away. It might not have worked for everyone - but I could not under any circumstances leave these two cats behind. They both would have been difficult if not impossible to rehome and the adjustment to living on the road was easier on them than I think a new family would have been. Pearl is sitting next to me, nodding and saying “that’s right - and don’t forget to tell them that I just loved sitting safely perched in my kennel cab watching out the window as we drove along”. A number of people had dogs, but we seemed to be the only ones with cats

We explained ourselves as (laughing) “interviewing new places to live”. We got rained on several times and hailed on once, and a few times the tent was blown down. But when the weather got bad, we always had the car to retreat to if we had to.

We made it all the way from Oklahoma to just over the California state line. (Just call us “Okies” - no, please don’t). By then the nights were getting pretty cold. We discussed the places we had been, considering both the ones we liked best, and the ones where we felt the living cost was low and employment opportunity was at least acceptable. Turned around and headed back to our favorite places.

In Truth or Consequences, NM we were offered an opportunity to “ranch sit” - living on the ranch, paying the electric bill as our only rent. We found employment. We made friends. The rest is history.

Would I do it again?

Absolutely, yes.

Anything I would do differently?

Now that I know more about living in parks and BLM areas I could do a better job of planning. I now have a constant wireless connection for my laptop with a neat little modem that plugs into the USB port and gives me Verizon Broadband Wireless that works everywhere I’ve tried it. I’d spring the $60 a month for that. (I don’t think it was even available two years ago) And I’d spring the $60 a month for a good Verizon cellphone, too - now that I know how much territory the prepaid phone we had doesn’t work in.

In fact, we are saving to purchase one of those converted van RVs. We have no interest in buying land or a house. Well, I admit, I have my eye on a little acre of desert - just for a bit of security. Someplace we can always park. Maybe.

This is not workable for everyone. It not only works for us; we like it. We love to travel, we enjoy camping. I can pick up my computer and my “job” and I can go anywhere, anytime. I’m not afraid of a few days of day labor or odd jobs now and then either. Not everyone is cut out to be a “modern day nomad”, but it works for us.

Yes, for now we are settled somewhere and paying rent. The hubby has a job he likes. I really love our life now.

But we are saving for that little RV. It will be my “security blanket” - not unlike the way some people view a house. In fact, it will be my home. If I own a piece of land to park it on, fine. If not - there is a lot of BLM around here, and three state parks. We’re also putting back an “emergency fund”. That’s all the security I need.

In case you are interested, here are links to some of the blog posts made during that time:

• At last, a decision
• Last Minute Things
• Tulsa to Tucumcari
• Carlsbad to Alamagordo
• Tucson, AZ
• Why, because life is good
• New ecards inspired by the beauty of the Southwest
• More New Pages
• Homeless? A matter of perception

Note that I was using a different blog then, so you’ll have to use your back button to get back here.

A couple of articles I wrote along the way for my travel site

• Modern Day Nomads
• Tucumcari and the Route 66 myth
• The Camping Trip from Hail

The young man at Tight-Fisted Miser is planning to buy a van to live in. Better shelter than a tent and small car combo, really. He can use the shower at his health club. I believe he feels he’s found a secure place to park, and undoubtedly in time he will find several places he can stay safely. It isn’t for everyone - but he seems to have his shit together, and I applaud and support his decision.

Not too long ago, I read a news article (and I’m sorry, but I didn’t bookmark it) about people who have turned to living in their cars as a last resort in a large city in California. Some of them have taken their pets with them, as we did, and simply seek a safe place to park their SUV or van at night. A group has sprung up that arranges for certain parking lots to allow these people to park there at night. I think it is pretty sad comment on our economy when someone with a job paying minimum wage or a bit above cannot afford rent on even a modest apartment, but again, I support their decision to live in the car.

I assure you that like anything else in life, it is what you make of it. If you go around in tears thinking “oh my life is so horrible and desperate and awful I live in the car” you’ll be miserable and desperate and most likely, things will get worse for you.

If you go around saying - “how cool. I live in my car. I can go anywhere I want, anytime I want. If I want a change of scenery, I’ll park somewhere else. If I don’t like the neighbors, I’ll drive away. This is my little bit of heaven” - you’ll be happy and find a way to accomplish your goals. Whether those goals include buying “real” property, or upgrading to a nicer van with more amenities.

The rest of you folks need to work on learning not to make assumptions

JMHO

Summer Fey Foovay