The price of real estate in major cities has skyrocketed, especially in NYC. Inflation has caused the prices of everything else to go up too - food, gas, groceries, etc.
A major city has a multitude of wealthy people and business, and just sheer masses of people - there is more of a chance to sell products and services, find a job, become known to a lot of people and generally find extra dollars since there are more of them going around. You even have a better chance to find money in the street, by the sheer law of averages:).
In exchange for this greater chance to work, landlords, stores, restaurants, etc have cruelly raised the prices of rent, food, etc -DURING the recession. Way to Go, Jerks. In Manhattan, the "going rate" is $2000 per "head". A one bedroom or studio apt is $2,000, a two bedroom $4000, a three bedroom $6000, and so forth. An average meal is about $10-$20 now, and basic toiletries average between $5-$10 unless you are buying dodgy products from a "dollar" store.
Some enterprising citizens have decided to beat the inflation game, however, and more inventive and creative city dwellers have come up with ways to do it. This entry will give you some basic ideas - the rest is up to you. Above all, STAY SAFE - don't eat, live in or use anything that could make you sick. I learned the very hard way earlier in the year that cheap apartments can make a person ill and end up costing way more money than was saved.
***Everybody pretty much Knows by now that Rent is a total scam - landlords want you to move out so they can raise the rent, each time someone moves they have the right to raise it so they have no motivation to treat you well, and actually try to make the place rather miserable in order to manipulate you into moving. Here are some ways to beat that Scam. ***
In the city, apartments are the only way to go, obviously. The Tiny House Movement is making great strides in the Suburbs and Rural areas - but what if you live in a city? What can you do to beat the life-sucking cost of rent/mortgage? Here are some ideas that others have tried, which have worked:
My first exposure to someone who beat the game was Kate Hashimoto. She was featured on an issue of Extreme Cheapskates. She is an accountant who decided to save all her money instead of spending it after being through the traumatic experience of being fired. Kate Hashimoto uses coupons and free samples to procure all her toiletries, dumpster dives for almost everything else she uses, and has a disturbing habit of using a water bottle and soap instead of toilet paper and reusing paper towels. She also eats food that she finds in the garbage. I want to save money but I'm not willing to risk getting a disease from not wiping after using the bathroom - I'll splurge on the $1 for toilet paper, LOL. And I only eat fresh, organic food. However, I have to admire how she now has $250,000 in the bank and owns her own studio apt. She is an accountant and had the ability to sit down and tally all her expenses and find ways to cover them all - for FREE, and modify her own behavior in order to do it. I'm just looking at her studio apt. It's in Harlem. Kate Hashimoto was willing to live in an area that scared most people in order to get a very inexpensive apt. This may not work for some people but it worked for her. Can you make it work for you?
Areas that are close to NYC but have bad reputations:
1) Harlem - people say it has "come up" now but it is still one of the cheaper places to live. I would imagine that's due to a higher crime rate.
2) The Bronx - it was once beautiful and has a lot of really great features like an Armory that looks like a Castle which is now a skating rink, Edgar Allen Poe's old house, and many beautiful old houses and churches. Unfortunately, it also has a lot of scary sections with soviet-bloc style apt buildings and crime ridden sections.
3) Certain Areas of Brooklyn - Bushwick (which has now become quite expensive), Crown Heights, Bedford-Steyvesent, Flatbush, and the dreaded Brownsville and East New York.
How to make it work:
1) before you move in, TEST FOR MOLD AND VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that could cause health problems and cost you money/time off of work. There are tests available at Home Depot and test kits you can order online. The best test kit for mold is an attachment that fits onto the head of a vacuum cleaner. Mold spores are heavy and end up on the floor. If you vacuum using the attachment and then send it into the lab for analysis, they will tell you if you have the dreaded Black Mold or just ordinary mold - so that your attempt to save money doesn't affect your health.
2) it works better with a car. I lived in Bushwick, Brooklyn right before the prices skyrocketed, and it was dodgy. But my car made it safer. I scouted the area ahead of time and made sure that I was right next to a gourmet deli (at the time the only one for miles around) and that I could park my car right in front of my apt / plenty of parking on my street. That way I had a routine established - I would only walk to the deli and to my car, in my neighborhood. I'd make a triangle - from my door to the store to the car. It made much less opportunity for anyone in the neighborhood to approach or question me. Before I'd leave my car, I'd sit in it for a few minutes to see who was walking on my block - if I had any misgivings about them, I'd wait for them to walk far away until I got out of my car. Or I'd call my boyfriend whom I lived with on my cellphone and have him stay on the phone with me as I walked into my apt door, or to the deli. Before I'd leave my apt, I'd look out the window and see if there was anyone hanging around my car or anyone in the way of my path to my car. If there was, I'd wait till they were gone. I only ever usually saw my neighborhood on the short trip to the deli or the car. Sometimes - only during the day - I'd take a walk around, or risk a visit to the drugstore or local thrift shop. But most of the time I'd get in my car and continue to use the same stores I used before I was forced to move out of the Village by high rents, or my old neighborhood in Woodside, Queens, a relatively safe neighborhood that I had enjoyed living in.
3) Try to live right next to the train or a major highway if you have a car. That way you can just get right on it and not have to experience your neighborhood that much.
4) get a Police Lock for your door and expandable bars for the window on the Fire Escape. If you think that people in your neighborhood have not noticed you move in and not noticed that you have nice things, you're wrong. The chances of you being broken in on are very high, don't pretend they aren't. The nicer and friendlier you are, the greater the chances. Before you even move in, have your lock and window guard installed. Don't try to save money on those things, it could get you killed.
5) work a night job - working opposite hours than most other people can sometimes save you trouble. You are awake when most people are sleeping - if your neighborhood is bad, this is a good thing. They won't see you walking around during the day, and you won't be home if they decide to try to break in at night. If you are just coming home at 5 or 6am, most of them are going to sleep by that time. And it will keep them guessing about when you are actually home - you and your belongings will be less of a target. With any luck, you will get through the experience and be able to move with having experienced relatively little trouble, however long you decide to stay there.
Alternative Living Arrangements:
Ok, here's where things get a little bit crazy. Just crazy enough to survive? You be the judge of that.
RV LIVING:
Some urban dwellers have taken to living in Recreational Vehicles. This has advantages and disadvantages. One advantage is that you can search Craigslist in other areas of the country and find them for as little as $1000 - running and everything. You can go scout it and pick it up - voila, your new Urban "Tiny House" on wheels! Apparently the insurance per year is very cheap, only about $500 for the whole year. It's also legal to park an RV on the streets of Manhattan - boo-yah!
KATE DEVIN has a facinating blog about living in her RV, which she has named "Raven", in first Brooklyn NYC and then LA. In it she describes what it is like to live in an RV as your primary residence. It seems that what gave her the most trouble were people who objected to her parking on their streets, even though it is legal. At the end of the day it cost her on average about $400/month to live in the RV. Compared to $2000 for a studio or one bedroom, this is great. It is also private - no roommate, and has the added bonus that she can tour - she is a singer- songwriter and can go on the road and live in her RV, touring in every city. Smart girl!
The downside is that gas is very expensive right now. But if it's your ONLY expense…..hmmm…..
She eventually got her employer to give her a permanent parking place in a guarded lot in LA, an ideal situation. Having lived in NYC for 17 years, I know some streets with no alternate side parking that would be good for an RV to be parked on. Use your imagination - no alternate side parking and not too close to any residences, or as far away as you can get. People get upset about the noise from the generator.
OFFICE CUBICLES:
There are very cheap deals being offered on 24 Hour Office Cubicles. Office buildings have nice, private bathrooms, kitchenettes with microwaves, refrigerators, hot and cold water machines, plastic cutlery, paper towels, dish washing soap, etc. They also have free Internet, electricity, heat and air conditioning - and unlike RV living, they are sheltered from the elements and people outside. It's an orderly, controlled atmosphere in which you can actually get work done - there are even copiers, fax machines, scanners, etc included in the rental price. And you could end up getting to know other businesses there and find a job or some friends. They are private in that you can lock the door and lock your belongings into desks and lockers. And you can decorate! They are also centrally located in the city - you couldn't ask for a better location.
How to make it work:
These places have cameras. You can't invite your buddies back for a beer or be ostentatious or loud, or give the key to anyone else. If you quietly do your work at your desk, nobody will notice if you slip under your desk for a nap - for 8 hours. Use a Mattress Pad or Yoga Mats, rolled up and neatly tied during the day and stashed under your desk. If anyone asks why they are there, you do Yoga to de-stress during your work shift. Stash a blanket and pillow in your drawer or locker and use as needed. If it's really cold, use a heating pad to stay warm - $20 at the local drugstore. Or a hot water bottle, conveniently filled from the hot water spigot in the kitchenette area. Bring in fuzzy socks, sweat pants, a sweat shirt and hat to put over your eyes - snooze away. If caught, say that you live far away and got very tired and didn't want to get into an accident or fall asleep on the subway. Or that you had a migraine headache, cramps, etc.
You can take a "sink bath" in the bathroom after hours when nobody is there, or in a private bathroom. But it's always better to have a nice hot shower. If there is a gym close to your office, join it. That way you can get a break from being in your cubicle, exercise, use the sauna or steam room if there is one, and of course get a good hot shower.
Often these places need to fill cubicles and won't say anything even if they notice what you are doing, as long as your are quiet and polite. Just act as low key as possible, and don't act as if the place is your home. Just do what everyone else is doing.
The downside - it's a communal environment, so don't say anything that you don't want EVERYONE to hear. But if you are quiet and communicate with texts, instant messages, etc, you can keep your private business private. You also can't store much there, you have to have an alternate place to store your things - a Storage Space, a friend or family member's basement, etc. The really cheap cubicles are very small as well. But if you find yourself badly in need, this can save you. The cheapest I've ever seen are $375/month - in Manhattan. Not bad. Not bad at all.
ABANDONED SUBWAY TUNNELS
I've heard various rumors throughout the years of people living in abandoned subway tunnels, and there is even a book called The Mole People about the subject. The author claimed there were underground "cities" in these tunnels. That's pretty amazing. I personally have never been in one of these tunnels or met anyone who claimed to live there. But I would imagine that they would keep it secret, so how would you ever know? I have, once, seen a guy coming up out of a grating in the sidewalk somewhere in Midtown. He was a young looking Black guy with Dreads. Could he have been one of them? He didn't look like any Construction Worker.
I would say use extreme caution and only seek out this kind of lifestyle if you are in EXTREME NEED. I would imagine it would be extremely dangerous. $0
THE SHELTER SYSTEM
I used to be in terror of "shelters" - until I had a friend who experienced an injury and had to, out of necessity, live in one. According to him, they've been updated. They serve decent food, are clean and safe and allow you to come and go, but you have to keep coming back every night to keep your bed there. Also, according to him, the staff steals items left in the lockers. I would say if you must use a shelter, keep all of your belongings in a bag that stays with you at all times, and sleep with the bag next to you. They are communal and there are many beds in one room. $0
CAR LIVING
I recently read a fascinating blog, SURVIVAL GUIDE TO HOMELESSNESS . The author, Michael, lived in his car by choice for 10 years. He is an amazing writer and a deep and spiritual human being. In the blog, he gives out a lot of deep wisdom, for free - gleaned from real life experience. Read it, it is amazing.
If you have no place to live, Michael advises getting a car. ANY car. Even if it's rusty and doesn't run- you can push it around. He says the car will make all the difference. He describes how you can use a car cover to ensure a private and safe(er) place to sleep, how to stay warm or cool, how to look as though you are not living in your car, etc. and he advises that there is a prejudice against people who do this, so never let anyone know.
When I thought about it, I realized that I know plenty of people who live in their cars, or at least see and experience them - taxi drivers. There are a ton of taxi drivers who are saving money by living in their cars. A lot of them have Planet Fitness memberships and you can see on a regular basis taxis lined up in front of it with people napping in their taxis, or inside working out and taking showers, socializing, etc.
The few times I had to stay in my car due to my allergies acting up making it so that I couldn't sleep in the house I was staying in, I put the back seats down and put a mattress pad and futon in the back on top of the folded down seats. I then added a sleeping bag and lay down with my feet sticking into the trunk space so I could stretch out. A memory foam pillow and comforter completed my sleeping ensemble. I also used a canvas tarp as a kind of "tent" over my head so that nobody could see my head sticking out of the sleeping bag as I was sleeping, and so the light wouldn't bother me. But it got really hot and stuffy and the light was still bright. If I ever do that again I'm going to pay the $100 or so to get the windows tinted so I don't have to used the canvas cover. It helps if you go to sleep early and get up early so that the sun doesn't heat your car and make it stuffy. Cars aren't that comfortable so make sure to fill in all the nooks and crannies with pillows and other padding so you can get a decent night's sleep.
Average car insurance payment per month in Manhattan - $180. Add this to the price of gas, repairs and tickets.
VAN LIVING
There are a number of people living in vans in urban environments. The trick is to get one emblazoned on the side with a contractor's logo or some other business logo so that nobody questions it's presence. Get one with no windows or if there is a window, get a secure blackout curtain so nobody can see light coming out of it. Put a comfy futon in the back. You can even put a solar panel on the roof and collect energy to use appliances with, etc. I would imagine that it's a lot more comfortable than a car, but more easily maneuverable and parkable than an RV, and attracts less attention than an RV- especially if it has the contractor's logo on the side. After studying alternative city living, now every time I pass a van I wonder if someone's inside. I would think you could outfit the inside of the van to be a smaller version of the RV and make it quite comfortable. You could also probably go on tour in a van if you are a singer-songwriter or other artist. I've seen some pretty creative stuff in Manhattan like old VW busses with curtains in the windows - a sure sign that someone is sleeping in there, at least part time. I think this is going to get more and more popular until something is done to bring back middle class affordable housing in Manhattan or the surrounding areas.
I'm not sure what the insurance on a Van is as opposed to a Car. They also use more gas and tend to be less gas-efficient. Could you get a hybrid van???
A major city has a multitude of wealthy people and business, and just sheer masses of people - there is more of a chance to sell products and services, find a job, become known to a lot of people and generally find extra dollars since there are more of them going around. You even have a better chance to find money in the street, by the sheer law of averages:).
In exchange for this greater chance to work, landlords, stores, restaurants, etc have cruelly raised the prices of rent, food, etc -DURING the recession. Way to Go, Jerks. In Manhattan, the "going rate" is $2000 per "head". A one bedroom or studio apt is $2,000, a two bedroom $4000, a three bedroom $6000, and so forth. An average meal is about $10-$20 now, and basic toiletries average between $5-$10 unless you are buying dodgy products from a "dollar" store.
Some enterprising citizens have decided to beat the inflation game, however, and more inventive and creative city dwellers have come up with ways to do it. This entry will give you some basic ideas - the rest is up to you. Above all, STAY SAFE - don't eat, live in or use anything that could make you sick. I learned the very hard way earlier in the year that cheap apartments can make a person ill and end up costing way more money than was saved.
***Everybody pretty much Knows by now that Rent is a total scam - landlords want you to move out so they can raise the rent, each time someone moves they have the right to raise it so they have no motivation to treat you well, and actually try to make the place rather miserable in order to manipulate you into moving. Here are some ways to beat that Scam. ***
In the city, apartments are the only way to go, obviously. The Tiny House Movement is making great strides in the Suburbs and Rural areas - but what if you live in a city? What can you do to beat the life-sucking cost of rent/mortgage? Here are some ideas that others have tried, which have worked:
My first exposure to someone who beat the game was Kate Hashimoto. She was featured on an issue of Extreme Cheapskates. She is an accountant who decided to save all her money instead of spending it after being through the traumatic experience of being fired. Kate Hashimoto uses coupons and free samples to procure all her toiletries, dumpster dives for almost everything else she uses, and has a disturbing habit of using a water bottle and soap instead of toilet paper and reusing paper towels. She also eats food that she finds in the garbage. I want to save money but I'm not willing to risk getting a disease from not wiping after using the bathroom - I'll splurge on the $1 for toilet paper, LOL. And I only eat fresh, organic food. However, I have to admire how she now has $250,000 in the bank and owns her own studio apt. She is an accountant and had the ability to sit down and tally all her expenses and find ways to cover them all - for FREE, and modify her own behavior in order to do it. I'm just looking at her studio apt. It's in Harlem. Kate Hashimoto was willing to live in an area that scared most people in order to get a very inexpensive apt. This may not work for some people but it worked for her. Can you make it work for you?
Areas that are close to NYC but have bad reputations:
1) Harlem - people say it has "come up" now but it is still one of the cheaper places to live. I would imagine that's due to a higher crime rate.
2) The Bronx - it was once beautiful and has a lot of really great features like an Armory that looks like a Castle which is now a skating rink, Edgar Allen Poe's old house, and many beautiful old houses and churches. Unfortunately, it also has a lot of scary sections with soviet-bloc style apt buildings and crime ridden sections.
3) Certain Areas of Brooklyn - Bushwick (which has now become quite expensive), Crown Heights, Bedford-Steyvesent, Flatbush, and the dreaded Brownsville and East New York.
How to make it work:
1) before you move in, TEST FOR MOLD AND VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that could cause health problems and cost you money/time off of work. There are tests available at Home Depot and test kits you can order online. The best test kit for mold is an attachment that fits onto the head of a vacuum cleaner. Mold spores are heavy and end up on the floor. If you vacuum using the attachment and then send it into the lab for analysis, they will tell you if you have the dreaded Black Mold or just ordinary mold - so that your attempt to save money doesn't affect your health.
2) it works better with a car. I lived in Bushwick, Brooklyn right before the prices skyrocketed, and it was dodgy. But my car made it safer. I scouted the area ahead of time and made sure that I was right next to a gourmet deli (at the time the only one for miles around) and that I could park my car right in front of my apt / plenty of parking on my street. That way I had a routine established - I would only walk to the deli and to my car, in my neighborhood. I'd make a triangle - from my door to the store to the car. It made much less opportunity for anyone in the neighborhood to approach or question me. Before I'd leave my car, I'd sit in it for a few minutes to see who was walking on my block - if I had any misgivings about them, I'd wait for them to walk far away until I got out of my car. Or I'd call my boyfriend whom I lived with on my cellphone and have him stay on the phone with me as I walked into my apt door, or to the deli. Before I'd leave my apt, I'd look out the window and see if there was anyone hanging around my car or anyone in the way of my path to my car. If there was, I'd wait till they were gone. I only ever usually saw my neighborhood on the short trip to the deli or the car. Sometimes - only during the day - I'd take a walk around, or risk a visit to the drugstore or local thrift shop. But most of the time I'd get in my car and continue to use the same stores I used before I was forced to move out of the Village by high rents, or my old neighborhood in Woodside, Queens, a relatively safe neighborhood that I had enjoyed living in.
3) Try to live right next to the train or a major highway if you have a car. That way you can just get right on it and not have to experience your neighborhood that much.
4) get a Police Lock for your door and expandable bars for the window on the Fire Escape. If you think that people in your neighborhood have not noticed you move in and not noticed that you have nice things, you're wrong. The chances of you being broken in on are very high, don't pretend they aren't. The nicer and friendlier you are, the greater the chances. Before you even move in, have your lock and window guard installed. Don't try to save money on those things, it could get you killed.
5) work a night job - working opposite hours than most other people can sometimes save you trouble. You are awake when most people are sleeping - if your neighborhood is bad, this is a good thing. They won't see you walking around during the day, and you won't be home if they decide to try to break in at night. If you are just coming home at 5 or 6am, most of them are going to sleep by that time. And it will keep them guessing about when you are actually home - you and your belongings will be less of a target. With any luck, you will get through the experience and be able to move with having experienced relatively little trouble, however long you decide to stay there.
Alternative Living Arrangements:
Ok, here's where things get a little bit crazy. Just crazy enough to survive? You be the judge of that.
RV LIVING:
Some urban dwellers have taken to living in Recreational Vehicles. This has advantages and disadvantages. One advantage is that you can search Craigslist in other areas of the country and find them for as little as $1000 - running and everything. You can go scout it and pick it up - voila, your new Urban "Tiny House" on wheels! Apparently the insurance per year is very cheap, only about $500 for the whole year. It's also legal to park an RV on the streets of Manhattan - boo-yah!
KATE DEVIN has a facinating blog about living in her RV, which she has named "Raven", in first Brooklyn NYC and then LA. In it she describes what it is like to live in an RV as your primary residence. It seems that what gave her the most trouble were people who objected to her parking on their streets, even though it is legal. At the end of the day it cost her on average about $400/month to live in the RV. Compared to $2000 for a studio or one bedroom, this is great. It is also private - no roommate, and has the added bonus that she can tour - she is a singer- songwriter and can go on the road and live in her RV, touring in every city. Smart girl!
The downside is that gas is very expensive right now. But if it's your ONLY expense…..hmmm…..
She eventually got her employer to give her a permanent parking place in a guarded lot in LA, an ideal situation. Having lived in NYC for 17 years, I know some streets with no alternate side parking that would be good for an RV to be parked on. Use your imagination - no alternate side parking and not too close to any residences, or as far away as you can get. People get upset about the noise from the generator.
OFFICE CUBICLES:
There are very cheap deals being offered on 24 Hour Office Cubicles. Office buildings have nice, private bathrooms, kitchenettes with microwaves, refrigerators, hot and cold water machines, plastic cutlery, paper towels, dish washing soap, etc. They also have free Internet, electricity, heat and air conditioning - and unlike RV living, they are sheltered from the elements and people outside. It's an orderly, controlled atmosphere in which you can actually get work done - there are even copiers, fax machines, scanners, etc included in the rental price. And you could end up getting to know other businesses there and find a job or some friends. They are private in that you can lock the door and lock your belongings into desks and lockers. And you can decorate! They are also centrally located in the city - you couldn't ask for a better location.
How to make it work:
These places have cameras. You can't invite your buddies back for a beer or be ostentatious or loud, or give the key to anyone else. If you quietly do your work at your desk, nobody will notice if you slip under your desk for a nap - for 8 hours. Use a Mattress Pad or Yoga Mats, rolled up and neatly tied during the day and stashed under your desk. If anyone asks why they are there, you do Yoga to de-stress during your work shift. Stash a blanket and pillow in your drawer or locker and use as needed. If it's really cold, use a heating pad to stay warm - $20 at the local drugstore. Or a hot water bottle, conveniently filled from the hot water spigot in the kitchenette area. Bring in fuzzy socks, sweat pants, a sweat shirt and hat to put over your eyes - snooze away. If caught, say that you live far away and got very tired and didn't want to get into an accident or fall asleep on the subway. Or that you had a migraine headache, cramps, etc.
You can take a "sink bath" in the bathroom after hours when nobody is there, or in a private bathroom. But it's always better to have a nice hot shower. If there is a gym close to your office, join it. That way you can get a break from being in your cubicle, exercise, use the sauna or steam room if there is one, and of course get a good hot shower.
Often these places need to fill cubicles and won't say anything even if they notice what you are doing, as long as your are quiet and polite. Just act as low key as possible, and don't act as if the place is your home. Just do what everyone else is doing.
The downside - it's a communal environment, so don't say anything that you don't want EVERYONE to hear. But if you are quiet and communicate with texts, instant messages, etc, you can keep your private business private. You also can't store much there, you have to have an alternate place to store your things - a Storage Space, a friend or family member's basement, etc. The really cheap cubicles are very small as well. But if you find yourself badly in need, this can save you. The cheapest I've ever seen are $375/month - in Manhattan. Not bad. Not bad at all.
ABANDONED SUBWAY TUNNELS
I've heard various rumors throughout the years of people living in abandoned subway tunnels, and there is even a book called The Mole People about the subject. The author claimed there were underground "cities" in these tunnels. That's pretty amazing. I personally have never been in one of these tunnels or met anyone who claimed to live there. But I would imagine that they would keep it secret, so how would you ever know? I have, once, seen a guy coming up out of a grating in the sidewalk somewhere in Midtown. He was a young looking Black guy with Dreads. Could he have been one of them? He didn't look like any Construction Worker.
I would say use extreme caution and only seek out this kind of lifestyle if you are in EXTREME NEED. I would imagine it would be extremely dangerous. $0
THE SHELTER SYSTEM
I used to be in terror of "shelters" - until I had a friend who experienced an injury and had to, out of necessity, live in one. According to him, they've been updated. They serve decent food, are clean and safe and allow you to come and go, but you have to keep coming back every night to keep your bed there. Also, according to him, the staff steals items left in the lockers. I would say if you must use a shelter, keep all of your belongings in a bag that stays with you at all times, and sleep with the bag next to you. They are communal and there are many beds in one room. $0
CAR LIVING
I recently read a fascinating blog, SURVIVAL GUIDE TO HOMELESSNESS . The author, Michael, lived in his car by choice for 10 years. He is an amazing writer and a deep and spiritual human being. In the blog, he gives out a lot of deep wisdom, for free - gleaned from real life experience. Read it, it is amazing.
If you have no place to live, Michael advises getting a car. ANY car. Even if it's rusty and doesn't run- you can push it around. He says the car will make all the difference. He describes how you can use a car cover to ensure a private and safe(er) place to sleep, how to stay warm or cool, how to look as though you are not living in your car, etc. and he advises that there is a prejudice against people who do this, so never let anyone know.
When I thought about it, I realized that I know plenty of people who live in their cars, or at least see and experience them - taxi drivers. There are a ton of taxi drivers who are saving money by living in their cars. A lot of them have Planet Fitness memberships and you can see on a regular basis taxis lined up in front of it with people napping in their taxis, or inside working out and taking showers, socializing, etc.
The few times I had to stay in my car due to my allergies acting up making it so that I couldn't sleep in the house I was staying in, I put the back seats down and put a mattress pad and futon in the back on top of the folded down seats. I then added a sleeping bag and lay down with my feet sticking into the trunk space so I could stretch out. A memory foam pillow and comforter completed my sleeping ensemble. I also used a canvas tarp as a kind of "tent" over my head so that nobody could see my head sticking out of the sleeping bag as I was sleeping, and so the light wouldn't bother me. But it got really hot and stuffy and the light was still bright. If I ever do that again I'm going to pay the $100 or so to get the windows tinted so I don't have to used the canvas cover. It helps if you go to sleep early and get up early so that the sun doesn't heat your car and make it stuffy. Cars aren't that comfortable so make sure to fill in all the nooks and crannies with pillows and other padding so you can get a decent night's sleep.
Average car insurance payment per month in Manhattan - $180. Add this to the price of gas, repairs and tickets.
VAN LIVING
There are a number of people living in vans in urban environments. The trick is to get one emblazoned on the side with a contractor's logo or some other business logo so that nobody questions it's presence. Get one with no windows or if there is a window, get a secure blackout curtain so nobody can see light coming out of it. Put a comfy futon in the back. You can even put a solar panel on the roof and collect energy to use appliances with, etc. I would imagine that it's a lot more comfortable than a car, but more easily maneuverable and parkable than an RV, and attracts less attention than an RV- especially if it has the contractor's logo on the side. After studying alternative city living, now every time I pass a van I wonder if someone's inside. I would think you could outfit the inside of the van to be a smaller version of the RV and make it quite comfortable. You could also probably go on tour in a van if you are a singer-songwriter or other artist. I've seen some pretty creative stuff in Manhattan like old VW busses with curtains in the windows - a sure sign that someone is sleeping in there, at least part time. I think this is going to get more and more popular until something is done to bring back middle class affordable housing in Manhattan or the surrounding areas.
I'm not sure what the insurance on a Van is as opposed to a Car. They also use more gas and tend to be less gas-efficient. Could you get a hybrid van???
