It's true - the school bus and renovation materials cost us just over ten thousand dollars. Think we're crazy for calling a beat up school bus our dream home? Feel free to take our tour before making any snap judgements.
Welcome to the post-housing-bubble, where the current economic climate is pretty hard on renters. According to the New York Times, more people are renting than buying. Not only that, they're paying more than in previous years for less square footage. Landlords know they can get away with drastic rent hikes because if one tenant leaves, another will quickly take their place (and possibly at a higher rent rate).
When rent is no longer part of the equation, a significant amount of time and money becomes yours again. The brain power that was previously allotted to pinching pennies and bureaucratic nonsense is freed up for creative endeavors.
We were forced out of our downtown apartment by new property owners who decided that the value of the decrepit, nearly hundred-year-old building was now significantly higher. Our one-bedroom apartment was freezing in the winter and unbearable in summer. Our street was a hub for crime and the homeless. And yet, at the first opportunity, the management raised our rent over 25%. When we went to battle with the property owners, we were told that we were easily replaceable, and they were right, we were. By the end of the month, a recent transplant from NYC was touring our apartment and gushing over how cheap it was compared to back home. She didn't seem to notice the man living in the dumpster out front.
What's truly troubling is I know we're just one of innumerable families affected by the lack of affordable housing. What's inspiring is that if we can do this, I know others can, too.
Since starting houseb.us, I've gotten some really wonderful messages from our readers: people not unlike us who peer in to our world from time to time, occasionally chiming in with a curious question or some much-appreciated encouragement (thank you, kind readers!). More than a few people have said, "I would so love to do what you're doing, if only I didn't have: a job, kids, pets, debt, you name it."
The thing is, we have jobs, like you! We pay bills and school loans every month, we have pets (a chubby tabby and our fan-favorite dog, Starbuck). The only thing that makes us different is that we chose to live alternatively.
We had a choice: to empty our savings trying to make rent each month, or we could empty our savings for a risk that might pay off in the long run. I think you know which option we went with
Consider me your personal Amy Poehler when I say: you can do it. If living tiny is your dream, believe in it enough to know it's possible. If having a life where you have the freedom to travel is appealing, know that it's possible.
When rent is no longer part of the equation, a significant amount of time and money becomes yours again. The brain power that was previously allotted to pinching pennies and bureaucratic nonsense is freed up for creative endeavors.
I'm not saying everyone reading this should sell their possessions and buy a bus. There's a lot of planning and logistics you should seriously consider before you can truly know if this lifestyle is right for you. But what I am saying is, whatever your dream, believe in the power of doing something out of the box. Even the tiniest of steps will set the right things in motion. By all means, keep being part of our journey. But maybe also make plans for your own adventure.
So, what amazing things will you begin today?