Tiny windowless cells and other extreme living situations
By request, here is an account of my current ubercheap living situation.
After trying a lot of crazy solutions to housing, my boyfriend and I have currently settled on the time honored practice of just cramming as many people as possible into a living space that may or may not be intended for them. We currently split a $150 room in a warehouse that we split with 4 other people. We have 1 bathroom, a stove, a sink, and two minifridges. What kind of room can you get for $150? Well, a windowless one, with walls made of cinderblock, sheet metal, and reclaimed doors. Also, it will be the size of most people's bathrooms. However if you own extremely little, that's no problem. We moved everything we owned in one trip ($4 futon mattress, curb-shopped nightstand, backpacks, clothes, tools). For an afternoon project, we built a little frame for our futon out of scrap wood in the warehouse. All of our furnishings were free and used except the $4 futon mattress which means all of them can be blissfully returned to the curb when hurricane season ends and we return to our boat. Plus utilities, my boyfriend and I will probably pay about $100 a piece in rent, which is a sum easily made in one night of pedicabbing. Granted, we may someday be kicked out by people who care more about zoning laws that we do. Fortunately, if you own extremely little, an unexpected move is not particularly stressful.
My boyfriend additionally pays $100 a month slip rent for our boat on the Gulf Coast and maybe $100 a year on insurance for a motorcycle to take us back and forth. At least so far, we've found that in cities with desireable jobs, slip rent is more expensive than rent for an apartment split between many people. Our current strategy is to maintain a room while we work, then travel without steady work. If anyone knows of any East Coast or Gulf Coast cities with cheap, liveaboard-friendly marinas, we would love to hear about them.
We also know people who are or have successfully lived in tents, cars, boats, hammocks, storage containers, buses, and just about anything else you can think of. There will always be laundromats, showers at the YMCA, libraries, coffee shops, and parks to substitute for most of the rooms of your home. Most of us have in common the fact that we've done some sort of long distance backpacking. If you can live with what you can carry for more than a month, you can live anywhere.
After trying a lot of crazy solutions to housing, my boyfriend and I have currently settled on the time honored practice of just cramming as many people as possible into a living space that may or may not be intended for them. We currently split a $150 room in a warehouse that we split with 4 other people. We have 1 bathroom, a stove, a sink, and two minifridges. What kind of room can you get for $150? Well, a windowless one, with walls made of cinderblock, sheet metal, and reclaimed doors. Also, it will be the size of most people's bathrooms. However if you own extremely little, that's no problem. We moved everything we owned in one trip ($4 futon mattress, curb-shopped nightstand, backpacks, clothes, tools). For an afternoon project, we built a little frame for our futon out of scrap wood in the warehouse. All of our furnishings were free and used except the $4 futon mattress which means all of them can be blissfully returned to the curb when hurricane season ends and we return to our boat. Plus utilities, my boyfriend and I will probably pay about $100 a piece in rent, which is a sum easily made in one night of pedicabbing. Granted, we may someday be kicked out by people who care more about zoning laws that we do. Fortunately, if you own extremely little, an unexpected move is not particularly stressful.
My boyfriend additionally pays $100 a month slip rent for our boat on the Gulf Coast and maybe $100 a year on insurance for a motorcycle to take us back and forth. At least so far, we've found that in cities with desireable jobs, slip rent is more expensive than rent for an apartment split between many people. Our current strategy is to maintain a room while we work, then travel without steady work. If anyone knows of any East Coast or Gulf Coast cities with cheap, liveaboard-friendly marinas, we would love to hear about them.
We also know people who are or have successfully lived in tents, cars, boats, hammocks, storage containers, buses, and just about anything else you can think of. There will always be laundromats, showers at the YMCA, libraries, coffee shops, and parks to substitute for most of the rooms of your home. Most of us have in common the fact that we've done some sort of long distance backpacking. If you can live with what you can carry for more than a month, you can live anywhere.
I lived in a wine cellar once and loved it! I really only see my home as a place to sleep, and that was some good sleeping... cold and pitch black.
The big problem for me is finding opportunities like this. That wine cellar belonged to a friend of mine, but in my current city I don't know anyone with any tiny windowless cells to spare.
It seems that places like this don't get posted on craigslist either. Where'd you find the warehouse room?
The big problem for me is finding opportunities like this. That wine cellar belonged to a friend of mine, but in my current city I don't know anyone with any tiny windowless cells to spare.
It seems that places like this don't get posted on craigslist either. Where'd you find the warehouse room?
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For some reason reading the title let me think about an experiment i did in Japan. Over there they have capsule hotels ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsule_hotel ).. which mostly consist of basically 'tiny windowless cells' (other people also might think about a prison )! For sure people with claustrophobia shouldn't try to live in things like that! ;-D
I am sure this concept would be possibly also extended to function as permanent residence for people that don't require a lot of 'stuff'.
I am sure this concept would be possibly also extended to function as permanent residence for people that don't require a lot of 'stuff'.
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- Posts: 177
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2010 12:17 am
rachels, thanks for the post, and I have the same question as akratic.
Sven, I'd wondered about capsule hotels when I first read about them in the book Neuromancer (Gibson), 1984, though I didn't read it until the late 90s. Looks like the first capsule hotel was 1979, so this is a case of fiction following fact. Sometimes fact follows sci-fiction (or I guess that would be sci-fant(asy)), and sometimes it's hard to tell which follows which.
How about capsules in a warehouse instead of a hotel? Any sightings or rumors of those?
Sven, I'd wondered about capsule hotels when I first read about them in the book Neuromancer (Gibson), 1984, though I didn't read it until the late 90s. Looks like the first capsule hotel was 1979, so this is a case of fiction following fact. Sometimes fact follows sci-fiction (or I guess that would be sci-fant(asy)), and sometimes it's hard to tell which follows which.
How about capsules in a warehouse instead of a hotel? Any sightings or rumors of those?
I would consider this but only alone, or with non-annoying people... Still my van has windows and doors (huge windows), I wouldn't have to have to be bothered by 5 other adults... All in all I think a van is much more desirable.
Anyone with a networth probably wouldn't want to violate the terms of the warehouse lease.
Anyone with a networth probably wouldn't want to violate the terms of the warehouse lease.
I am sorry, i didn't read the Neuromancer (so many books to read and so few time ).
Regarding the origin of the concept, i have no idea about the real history of them (i also don't seem to find something about it :-s). But i made more a link with bunk beds on a marine vessel (which should go back some time ), with the slight difference that you get in at the feet side instead of sideways (which i think could be explained by the reasoning that you can probably be more efficient in stacking them like that).
I didn't sight or heard a rumor about capsules being found in a warehouse.
Regarding the origin of the concept, i have no idea about the real history of them (i also don't seem to find something about it :-s). But i made more a link with bunk beds on a marine vessel (which should go back some time ), with the slight difference that you get in at the feet side instead of sideways (which i think could be explained by the reasoning that you can probably be more efficient in stacking them like that).
I didn't sight or heard a rumor about capsules being found in a warehouse.
I heard about it by word of mouth. It pays to know a lot of other people interested in living cheap, I guess.
Johnny H, I still have a nagging dream of owning a house van. We decided against it only because this year we had good temporary job opportunities in Texas, where I think we would cook alive in a van.
Johnny H, I still have a nagging dream of owning a house van. We decided against it only because this year we had good temporary job opportunities in Texas, where I think we would cook alive in a van.
I meant backcountry hiking as would be found on the Appalachian or Long Trails. We stay at hostels every once in a great while.
For full disclosure, we never did make it to the Bahamas this year. We sailed from Texas to the Dry Tortugas and the Florida Keys and wound up staying in the Keys. We also decided our last boat was too small even for us, so we sold her (for a profit). We're headed out to the Pacific NW on Monday to go on a bike tour. If we like it, we'll look for another boat there.
For full disclosure, we never did make it to the Bahamas this year. We sailed from Texas to the Dry Tortugas and the Florida Keys and wound up staying in the Keys. We also decided our last boat was too small even for us, so we sold her (for a profit). We're headed out to the Pacific NW on Monday to go on a bike tour. If we like it, we'll look for another boat there.
I was wondering, how much cheaper was sharing the warehouse than, say, 4 couples sharing a 4-bedroom apartment?
How big was your boat, and what are your guys' thoughts now on what boat would best suit your needs?
I'm curious how you guys will like the PNW. What type of bike tour? How long will it be?
How big was your boat, and what are your guys' thoughts now on what boat would best suit your needs?
I'm curious how you guys will like the PNW. What type of bike tour? How long will it be?
We were only paying $150 before bills for the two of us. I'm going to say that I don't think you could have found a 4 bedroom apartment in Austin for $600. When we came back to pedicab a music festival this spring, we paid $200 to tent camp in a backyard for a month with access to the house. I think these two are about rock bottom price-wise for that city. (Since you can't live on a boat, that is.)
Our last boat was a 25' pocket bluewater cruiser. The second question would require some space.
The bike tour will be the cheap kind - 2 craigslist mountain bikes with slick tires and 2 bike trailers. Couchsurfing and camping only. From now, until one of us gets within the last $500 of our non-savings money or until we get to the Redwoods. We'll be looking for odd jobs along the way.
The Dry Tortugas were freaking awesome, and if you don't sail yourself there, the high speed ferry is $150/person. Not sure if it's lame to post a blog URL on another blog, but if you want to read about the Tortugas or see what kind of boat I'm talking about, you can find them at: http://peanutbutterdiet.blogspot.com
Our last boat was a 25' pocket bluewater cruiser. The second question would require some space.
The bike tour will be the cheap kind - 2 craigslist mountain bikes with slick tires and 2 bike trailers. Couchsurfing and camping only. From now, until one of us gets within the last $500 of our non-savings money or until we get to the Redwoods. We'll be looking for odd jobs along the way.
The Dry Tortugas were freaking awesome, and if you don't sail yourself there, the high speed ferry is $150/person. Not sure if it's lame to post a blog URL on another blog, but if you want to read about the Tortugas or see what kind of boat I'm talking about, you can find them at: http://peanutbutterdiet.blogspot.com