Friday, February 24, 2012

The Van-Land Savings Plan.

Next month is one of the secret months with an extra paycheck. March has five Fridays, and three of them happen to be a payday. If I do things right, I'll be able to stash an entire paycheck in savings.

The Van-Land Savings Plan. It has begun. I've started skimming money out of my checking account and putting it into savings. I've had the same tired $5 in my savings account for over two years. Now I have a few hundred. If I can keep the ball rolling, there will soon be more.

My current plan is to put at least $300 per month away for a new van, or a plot of land: whichever I decide on when I actually have enough to do something. I don't know whether I'd rather have a super nice van to live in, or a piece of land to construct a couple beat up van-cabin living structures. But - as I've reasoned - it doesn't matter. Both take money, so both options are out of reach right now. In the meantime while I'm thinking about it, I can do more research and start stashing money away.

The land option is appealing because land doesn't break down, suck gas, or get parking tickets. My plan would be to create a small off-grid homestead with vans as the structures rather than a cabin.

Quick list of thoughts:
  - No building permits. It's a van, not some looming onerous structure.
  - Van cabins can be decorated or scrapped at will. Versatile.
  - Non-moving vans can have both front seats removed for more space.
  - Composting toilet; propane heat; solar panels with battery bank.
  - Creating a level foundation is inexpensive and rudimentary.
  - Doors, windows, walls are already in place.
  - No bullshit homeowner headaches; no bullshit landlord headaches.
  - It's like living in a conceptual art project of your own making.
  - Definitely write some kind of book about it.

The details of this project are in much sharper focus inside my head. I have most of the answers to most of the obvious questions, because I've sorta been researching this for the past decade. I'm excited - to say the very least - to be currently throwing momentum behind this pipe dream that I've been harboring for ages.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Most people I know have boring dreams. Or worse, no dreams at all. This is weird and wonderful and I hope it comes to pass.