Virginia woman, 23, who moved into a CAMPER VAN with her 25-year-old boyfriend because they couldn’t afford a house says the couple is ‘thriving’ in their tiny home – which costs just $373 a month
A 23-year-old woman has revealed she moved into a camper van with her boyfriend after the lovebirds decided they wanted to own a house without falling victim to the rising cost of living.
Ana, passing by @camperparkprinses On her TikTok account she regularly shows off her life on wheels on the video sharing platform, where she has more than 8,000 followers.
Recently, the Virginia-based content creator posted a video to her channel showing fans how she and her 25-year-old boyfriend, Jake, decorated the van to become the ultimate living space that would help them save money.
As inflation rises across the country, Ana advised all her followers to switch to a more mobile lifestyle, as it only cost the couple $373 a month to live in their RV.
Ana, 23, has revealed she moved into a campervan with her boyfriend because the lovebirds wanted to own something without falling victim to the rising cost of living
She regularly brags about her life on wheels on the video sharing platform, where she has more than 8,000 followers
The Virginia-based content creator posted a video showing fans how she and her 25-year-old boyfriend Jake decorated their van to be the ultimate living space on a budget
In a viral video, which has been viewed more than 6.3 million times to date, the content creator said, “(Perspective) you’re in your 20s and want to own something, but you can’t afford a house.”
She revealed that she and Jake chose the RV lifestyle because they no longer wanted to rent.
Ana showed off the inside of the van, which features plenty of closet space, a table with two cabin-style chairs, a small kitchen and much more.
“I’m going to show you every inch of the inside of this camper,” she said as she opened a closet space she described as the “hidden pantry.”
Although their bathroom was small, Ana insisted they had “plenty of space.”
She then showed them their bedroom, where there was only their large bed.
Above the bed there were many small cupboards, which Ana called their ‘cupboards’.
“You have to be very strategic about placing your clothes here, but I’ve gotten so used to it that it doesn’t bother me,” she added.
Ana showed off the inside of the van with plenty of closet space, a table with two cabin-style chairs, a small kitchen (pictured) and more
The van had a neutral theme and Ana said she absolutely loved it. Pictured on the left is her dining table and on the right is more of her living space
Although their bathroom was small, Ana said they had “plenty of space” and had marble features
The couple, who have a dog, even uses their puppy’s crate as storage space.
And they even have a bedroom with two bunk beds, but since they never have guests, they also use that as storage space.
“We love it,” she said as she gave a quick tour of the van’s interior.
Ana also talked about the price of life on wheels.
“It made so much sense to buy this, I mean the payment is literally $373 a month,” she said.
“And my friend and I can split that so it’s about $180 per person. So we’re flourishing.’
She added: “I absolutely love this lifestyle. There’s nothing more liberating than this, in my opinion.’
And while Ana was enthusiastic about her lifestyle, there were also some drawbacks.
She listed some of the problems she encountered, including only being able to take a ten-minute shower due to the size of the hot water tank, having to do laundry at a laundrette, and having to take all their appliances out of their closet, even if while they just needed one.
She said it made perfect sense for the couple to buy the van and recommended others do the same
Above the bed there were many small cupboards, which Ana called their ‘cupboards’
In addition to the $373, the couple pays $1,100 to rent their lot at an RV resort, which includes all utilities and costs to keep their truck parked there.
They also pay $55 per month for a T-Mobile hotspot for WiFi, $100 per month for RV insurance and a $176 annual fee for a PO box.
And because it’s so hot in Virginia, she noted that their electricity cost more than $300, adding that it was more than they paid in an apartment.
She explained that although they lived in a van, they lived in a “very expensive” neighborhood “right near the beach.”
However, she said prices dropped during the off-season.
The content creator added that they saved tons of money and felt at peace knowing they could sell their RV at any time.
Although inflation had decreased in recent months, it still remained 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 by 10.4 percent, grains by 15.1 percent and fruits and vegetables by 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.
According to the American newspaper Virginia, you need $48,249 a year to live SoFi.