25-year-old Jamie Waddington makes his van, his home. In his attempt to avoid high living cost in Leeds, Waddington refuses to find a flatmate and prefer to sleep on the road. His daily lifestyle costs only £10 per day.
According to the ex-army, many students have done this before due to mid-life crisis. He admitted spending almost £800 in a month in renting a flat, as per Daily Mail. The worse was that he had to share it with flatmates he didn't get along with.
How did he end up sleeping in a van? Waddington planned to get a camper van, but it would cost him a fortune so he decided to purchase an old LDV Convoy for £750 instead. Waddington's father helped his son refurbish the van into a cozy place.
To revamp the van, Waddington has to work 80 hours a week at any job he could possibly land. From fireman to waiter, he is finally able to buy furniture, fridge and cooker to be placed inside his van. It took three months to get everything ready and he has been living in the van since January.
Waddington isn't the first person to mobile-sleep. The idea to live in a car has become a viable way to stay debt-free. liVancouver Sun reports that Oleksandr Iaremko lived in a van for almost a year stating that he's now having a more flexible life as a construction worker who has to move from site to site. He would park his "home" next to 24-hour coffee shops at night to wash his mug. He claimed to spend $600 per month for housing needs and now his annual living cost is only $1,200 per year.
The house rent that's increasing gradually has made people like Waddington and Iaremko move their house. Waddington, who works as a farmer for food exchange, also explains how he would still need to stop for petrol and shower in public places. However, he admits being able to spend less and save more. Waddington told Metro that he will continue to live mobile until he gets bored.
