What I’ve Learned After Two Years of Living Out of My Car

I recently celebrated the two-year anniversary of living full-time out of my car. It has been quite a ride! Choosing this unconventional lifestyle has been one of the best decisions I’ve made.

I have found it to be an immensely satisfying way to live without spending a dime on rent or a mortgage. This is how I hacked the system to bypass the housing affordability crisis. It became my ticket to obtain “affordable housing.”

To my surprise, this has worked out better than I imagined. I have more time to do what I love and pursue adventures that bring me joy and fulfillment. It has been a life-changing experience.

Here are a few things I’ve learned so far on this journey.

This lifestyle has made me more financially stable than I have ever been

The biggest perk of living out of my car has been the ability to save significant sums of money. For most people, the largest expense is rent or a mortgage. Instead of paying a bank or landlord a massive chunk of my take-home pay, that money stayed in my pocket. I watched my savings grow considerably over the past two years.

I can also thank this lifestyle for dramatically reducing my stress levels when it comes to my finances. Living in an apartment or buying a condo would mean living paycheck to paycheck. I didn’t want to live that way. Instead, I’m enjoying a low-stress, rent-free life.

It has improved my mental health

It has done wonders for my overall mental and physical health. I feel better and more alive than ever. I felt more energized and happier. Not being in survival mode and no longer struggling to get by certainly makes it easier to enjoy life. Not having to deal with exorbitant housing expenses and stacks of bills is such a relief.

Having more time for self-care, self-awareness, and self-reflection has been vital for gaining a more harmonious and peaceful existence. It has led to significantly lower levels of stress and anxiety.

I’ve been able to create more space for things that matter to me. It has become another step towards reclaiming my life and living in a way that brings me happiness and joy. It’s the bare minimum of what I expect now.

It has been a catalyst for spending more time outdoors in nature

I have found that living in a car helps discourage a sedentary lifestyle. I’m spending more time outdoors and in nature. I regularly go on walks, hikes, and camping trips. All that regular physical activity has had a positive impact.

I use my vehicle primarily for two things: transportation and sleeping. For everything else, I am outside of my car. I don’t live in my car; I live out of it.

I’ve become a firm believer in the healing power of nature. Whenever I walk in the forest, I am in my happy place. I relish stepping away from all the noise and busyness of modern society. It is peaceful and refreshing. It calms me, lowers my stress and anxiety, and soothes my introverted soul.

I have more freedom

I live a life of considerably more freedom and abundance, instead of experiencing scarcity and stress living in a conventional home. What I’ve gained is more valuable than having an overly priced apartment or condo.

To truly enjoy life means having more control over it. I’ve adopted a lifestyle of frugality, simplicity, and intentional living. I am able to disengage from a system that does not benefit me. What I do have is an abundance of things that matter to me.

I need very little to be happy

I was already a minimalist, but discovered I needed even less stuff than I thought. This lifestyle compels you to downsize and prioritize the essentials. Possessions become an unnecessary burden. As the old saying goes, “You don’t own possessions; they own you.” Too much stuff gets in the way, especially living out of a car. You learn only to keep what you need. I have a deeper appreciation for the things that truly matter.

The results of this radical downsizing and lifestyle change are liberating. I’ve stripped away the clutter and removed a lot of unnecessary things. I’ve embraced living a very simple, minimalist life. I enjoy having less and living more.

Breaking the rules of society is a very satisfying endeavor

I continue to unravel, unlearn, and undo all the conventional wisdom and damaging dogma I’ve been taught since childhood. It feels like a new beginning. It has become another step towards reclaiming my life and living in a way that brings me happiness and joy.

I prefer to unplug from a system and way of life that does not serve my needs. I gain more control and autonomy by circumventing them and following my own path. I can be myself instead of trying to fit in and meet societal expectations. I’ve embraced being an unconventional human living an unconventional lifestyle. I’ve adopted a mindset of joyous non-conformity and rebellion in everyday life.

I’ve embraced solitude and a slower pace of life

I have made some significant changes to my life over the past couple of years. Leaving the nine-to-five grind is the final step in transitioning to a slower, simpler, and more intentional way of life.

Having more alone time since leaving that job has been quite therapeutic as I heal and recover from what became an increasingly poisonous and unhealthy workplace during my last few months of employment.

Slowing down, embracing more solitude, and setting boundaries have become essential. It makes for a more harmonious and peaceful existence.

It has been an eye-opening journey of self-discovery

I enjoy living a life of considerably more clarity these days. I’ve designed my life in accordance with what I want to do and how I want to live. I’ve normalized quitting, walking away, letting go, and discarding everything that no longer serves me. Doing so has been a source of strength and resilience.

I was able to retire early

I’ve learned to live a good life on a shoestring budget. Continuing this same lifestyle in retirement makes perfect sense to me. What started as an unconventional path to saving large sums of money has become my unconventional path to an affordable retirement.

Ditching the 9-to-5 grind means I can more completely embrace living on my own terms. I have more time for traveling and doing things I enjoy rather than being stuck in an office five days a week.

Conclusion

I love having a simple, uncomplicated, and very inexpensive life. I’m quite content with how I have reorganized my approach to living. It has improved considerably since I started living out of my car. Why mess up a good thing?

The past two years have been a great reset and perception shift. I have successfully designed a way of life that embraces the values I cherish — individual freedom, control, and autonomy. I’m at the most content and satisfying point of my life.

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I have lived out of my car since August 2023. You can follow my adventures on Facebook and Instagram