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Living in a Van in Brighton
vagrantia
Posts: 12 Forumite
Hi all.
I am living in a van in Brighton and writing a blog about it. Here is an excerpt:
We are fed up with spending all of our income on rent and bills, shredding envelopes only as fast as bills shoot through the letterbox and making excuses to lull in solitude instead of being outside in beautiful nature. We are fed up with living this ordinary life which has been dictated to us by our elders and betters and which everybody seems to be striving for: sleep, work, eat, mong out in front of the television and then start again. We are fed up with the monotony of 'the great indoors' and are looking for a simpler, more natural existence.
And so we have bought a van. A big one which-it turns out-I am unable to drive as I passed my test after 1995 and it’s just too big. Luckily my husband can drive it because it looks like we will have to be moving on a pretty regular basis: people who live in vans may be more in numbers in Brighton than in other parts of the country but they (we) are still seen as adversaries of normal folk and reactions tend to be fairly negative.
In our optimistic innocence we thought that people would be happy for us, but reactions have ranged from: “You’ll be gypsies and gypsies are disrespectful of public land and they dump their rubbish on private property” (my parents) to dumb-founded questioning:”why do you want to live in a van?” (various friends). But our answers are simple: Maybe we don’t want to live in a van. We have never tried it so maybe we’ll hate it. But at least we have to give it a go. Think of the money we can save. Even better, think of the money we’ll never have to earn. We can lead simpler lives and meet interesting people. At least, that’s the plan.
I am living in a van in Brighton and writing a blog about it. Here is an excerpt:
We are fed up with spending all of our income on rent and bills, shredding envelopes only as fast as bills shoot through the letterbox and making excuses to lull in solitude instead of being outside in beautiful nature. We are fed up with living this ordinary life which has been dictated to us by our elders and betters and which everybody seems to be striving for: sleep, work, eat, mong out in front of the television and then start again. We are fed up with the monotony of 'the great indoors' and are looking for a simpler, more natural existence.
And so we have bought a van. A big one which-it turns out-I am unable to drive as I passed my test after 1995 and it’s just too big. Luckily my husband can drive it because it looks like we will have to be moving on a pretty regular basis: people who live in vans may be more in numbers in Brighton than in other parts of the country but they (we) are still seen as adversaries of normal folk and reactions tend to be fairly negative.
In our optimistic innocence we thought that people would be happy for us, but reactions have ranged from: “You’ll be gypsies and gypsies are disrespectful of public land and they dump their rubbish on private property” (my parents) to dumb-founded questioning:”why do you want to live in a van?” (various friends). But our answers are simple: Maybe we don’t want to live in a van. We have never tried it so maybe we’ll hate it. But at least we have to give it a go. Think of the money we can save. Even better, think of the money we’ll never have to earn. We can lead simpler lives and meet interesting people. At least, that’s the plan.
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Comments
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So how are going to pay for insurance, road tax, food and other necessary groceries. Fuel bills if your not going to working.0
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Ditto to the above.
If you will be claiming any sort of benefit then IMHO it's just not right.
I'm sure we'd all love a simpler lifestyle - we try to have one certainly; but it still involves working / paying the mortgage / bills etc. and not
being (another) burden on the welfare state."I'm ready for my close-up Mr. DeMille...."0 -
So you're both going to be bums living in a van.
Forever parked in laybys and not contributing in any worthwhile way.
Congratulations on your decision.
I'm sure your blog surrounding your new lifestyle will be fascinating and not in the slightest bit pretentious judging but that riveting excerpt you provided us with.
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From the blog:I am not a hippy. I’m not a crusty. I’m not a gypsy. I work for a living. I pay my taxes and I am a responsible citizen. I believe in recycling. I do not litter. But I want a simple life and so with my husband I’m moving into a van. Maybe we will hate it. Or maybe this is the beginning of a new life.
What made anyone jump to the conclusion that the OP doesn't work?import this0 -
..and I'm trying to find a link to the blog - so that I can read it and see what I think myself..please.:)0
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No one is disputing that the OP currently works.laurel7172 wrote: »From the blog:
What made anyone jump to the conclusion that the OP doesn't work?0 -
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Well, off to a good start.
What a lovely lot you are...perhaps a tad judgmental too.
Newcomers to the site are not allowed to post links so I was waiting until later but I see someone has beat me to it.
I work. So does my husband. I don't pay council tax at present but I believe that I should so am working on it. And I try really really hard not to be judgmental.0 -
Sounds like a good way to live TBH... a friend of mine lives on a boat and before that, a tent. But he works and always has done. I sort of envy people who live a simpler way of life . Hope it works out for you. Good luck
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Well I for one wish you luck. I've read your Blog from start to finish and enjoyed it. Ignore the others who have been so dismissive and wrongly assumed you're both jobless bums, I think it's great what you're doing.
I think i've missed what you intend doing during the winter?0
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