A little background on me. I work in a big city in the northeast and am in my mid-20s. I don’t have a car. My employer offers me a modest public transport subsidy that effectively makes commuting by train most days free. I can telework 2 days every week. My workplace has a gym and shower that I could use for a relatively small annual gym fee. I am healthy, like the outdoors but am pretty green and don’t have a lot of experience doing anything on the extreme side of the Personal Finance spectrum. I don’t see a certain sized “stache” as a goal to my ERE journey. Instead, I am drawn to the idea that implementing the principles from the ERE book can lead you to live a more self-examined and deliberate life.
This idea is in an infant stage right now, but these are some preliminary considerations:
- Financials – Obviously will be reducing housing costs and bundling housing and transportation. Vans/small RVs are expensive though so I wouldn’t see significant financial gain until maybe 2 years into the experience. Will I last 2 years?
- Travel – I can spend more time hiking and exploring the northeast. I won’t be confined to a big city without a car. Will I spend way more money on gas/transportation than I currently do though?
- Safety – This includes safety from physical violence, robbery, and weather. The northeast can get cold and I’m sure big vans are targets for the destitute.
- Loss of ability to develop other skills – If I am living in a van, space is at a premium and I will be on the move a lot. Gardening and carpentry, two skills I am not good at but would like to develop, might be more difficult to work on. What skills can I work on to replace those I can’t?
- Social Life - I am an introvert so need little social interaction. But I do need some and don't want to rely on work colleagues. I imagine that this kind of thing destroys any hope of a romantic relationship.