A 75-year-old woman has revealed she was forced to move into a van where she uses a small stove for heating because she cannot afford the rent despite working full-time.
Lindy is an Arizona senior who has had to deal with the consequences of rising inflation and the rising cost of living as she adjusted to life on wheels in her 2013 Chevy van.
The senior living in poverty — who has one son who doesn’t help her because she’s “too independent” — has given a glimpse into her life in the car and why she has to work “to survive.”
In an interview with the unnamed host of the YouTube account: The glorious life on wheelstold Lindy about her inability to qualify for Social Security and the damaging effects of living in poverty on her.
Lindy is a 75-year-old woman from Arizona who has revealed that she was forced to move into a van because she cannot pay the rent, despite working full-time
She has dealt with the effects of rising inflation and the rising cost of living as she has adjusted to life on wheels in her 2013 Chevy van.
Lindy – who did not reveal where she works – showed off her van.
Inside the large black van, the 75-year-old had a small bed, a small stove and storage boxes.
She said she couldn’t afford heating, so she uses a small space heater to keep warm in the colder months, adding that she is lucky it doesn’t snow where she lives.
Lindy noted that for butane it can be about “$400 a month,” which she can’t afford to spend.
And while she has solar power in her van, she noted that it was too expensive to keep up and that it was “unreliable.”
Lindy revealed that she can’t even afford air conditioning, so she is forced to endure the brutally hot Arizona summers.
She said it was a whopping 140 degrees in her van one summer day.
Lindy is on Social Security, but she noted that even with the assistance, “you’re left with very little food.”
The senior living in poverty – who has a son who won’t help her because she is ‘too independent’ – has given a glimpse into her life in the car
She said she couldn’t afford heating, so she uses a small space heater to keep warm in the colder months, adding that she is lucky it doesn’t snow where she lives
The 75-year-old applied for food stamps ‘a few years ago’ but revealed she was told she ‘makes $8 a month too much’
The 75-year-old applied for food stamps “a few years ago” but revealed she was told she “makes $8 a month too much.”
She noted that she was grateful to receive food from churches as they give her a bag of vegetables every week.
She added that when she has some extra money, she tries to “stock up on her food.”
“I have at least six months’ worth of food in my van now. I carry about 40 pounds of rice and 20 to 30 pounds of beans,” she explained, before revealing that she buys as much as she can afford.
As for housing, Lindy noted that the state’s housing system has not been able to help her in any way.
While she was working, she was told by a state worker that her rent would be higher in low-income housing because she had a job.
However, she had to be unemployed for six months to apply for cheaper housing, meaning she “couldn’t survive” for a year and a half.
“If I go for low-income housing now, they won’t lower the rent for me if I stop working. You have to leave the housing system and reapply to wait for another home,” she explained.
Lindy noted that she has tried to get through the housing system twice, adding that the last time she contacted a government official, they said, “You’re so much better off in that van.”
While working, she was told by a state worker that her rent would be higher in low-income housing because she had a job
The 75-year-old – who has been living in the van for over a year and a half – complained about the rising cost of living, adding that ‘everything costs money’
The 75-year-old – who has been living in the van for more than a year and a half – complained about the rising cost of living, adding that “everything costs money.”
‘You have to be a minimalist to live like this and how do you do that?’ Before sharing, Lindy said she was still trying to adjust to living in poverty.
Lindy has one son who she said would help her when push came to shove, but she noted that she is far too “independent.”
According to the Institute for Economic PolicyAs women get older, they are more likely to live in poverty.
17 percent of women between the ages of 70 and 79 and 22 percent of women aged 80 and older live in poverty. Meanwhile, men have a poverty rate of 11 percent and 17 percent.
Although inflation has decreased in recent months, it still remains high at 7.1 percent.
According to consumer data company Dunnhumby, a third of households are skipping meals or reducing portion sizes to save money.
Researchers found that 18 percent of the 2,000 study participants noted that they were not getting enough to eat.
Additionally, 31 percent of households have reduced their portion sizes due to empty pantries due to rising supermarket prices.
In addition to food costs, millions of people across the country lack a financial safety net.
According to researchers, 64 percent of participants admitted that they would not be able to raise $400 in an emergency.
Many have suffered from inflation, which has sent prices of basic goods skyrocketing – including meat and poultry prices rising 10.4 percent, grains 15.1 percent and fruit and vegetables 8.1 per cent.
Another point of pressure for many people across the country is gasoline prices, which have risen nearly 60 percent in the past year, while the cost of airline tickets has risen more than 34 percent and the price of used cars has risen more than 7 percent.
Clothing costs increased 5.2 percent, total shelter costs increased 5.5 percent and delivery services increased 14.4 percent.
In Arizona, which ranks 37th among states with a low cost of living, figures show you need $44,875 a year to live. SoFi.
Lindy continues to work full-time at work in an effort to afford a better lifestyle.