Many are being forced to cut their expenses as the cost of living continues to rise.
Whilst some come up with creative recipes that can feed a family o four for just £1 a day, others have decided to ditch their houses and flats for life in the van.
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Now, however, campervan maker Liam Black, 41 from Sheffield, is an expert. He has lived in a van for nearly half a dozen years.
Metro wrote that the father of two has been sharing his journey via social media. He hopes to inspire others to transform their cars into portable, personal properties.
After going viral on the internet, Liam also realised he could use his building skills as a way of income, earning a whopping £30,000 by transforming vans into homes.
The dad spoke out about the circumstances that led to the current situation. He said that he purchased his first campervan while in a relationship.
But nights soon turned into weeks and months and the 41-year old decided to make the plunge after realising how much money this was saving him.
‘’This began my accidental van life journey,’” Liam chuckled.
Starting in a Volkswagen T5 that was so tiny he couldn’t even stand up, he then upgraded to a Mercedes Sprinter Van before moving into a small canal boat, which cost £3,000 to purchase.
Due to the high cost of houseboats Liam decided to sell them and buy his current and latest home, the Land Rover Defender.
His two children, Alice, 10, and Phoenix, 2, come to stay with Liam in the swanky converted ex-army van, which cost £7,000 to buy and £3,000 to fit out.
His YouTube Channel has been a huge success. Liam The Terrible, the dad was gifted £5,000 of electrical components for free.
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This means he saved loads of cash on the amazing renovation – which, he reckons, has added a whopping £15k in value.
‘‘I had the tools and knowledge to fit out the van, so I bought that,’”
‘‘It’s probably worth around £25k now.’’
He went on to explain: ‘‘Between me and my friend we fitted it out ourselves.
‘’I didn’I did not have to pay labour costs, and thanks to my YouTube channel, I was able get a lot for free.
‘‘The green is a traditional army colour, Land Rovers were traditionally used in the army.
”It was about five different colours when I bought it, it looked like something out of a scrap heap.’’
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In total, he revealed, he spends around £410 a month living in his van, with fuel making up most of it – roughly £240 to last four weeks.
Liam also covers his insurance and internet, costing £60 and £110 per month respectively, and receives electricity for free by using large solar panels.
He stated that the greatest obstacle to his van life was the need to downsize to fit all of his belongings in a smaller space.
Opening up, Liam said: ‘‘I struggle with my mental health sometimes. I would prefer to be mentally in this situation and in a van rather than in a home with skint.
‘’I can move and be somewhere nice, wherever I go I have everything. I can make coffee; I have my bed. All of my possessions are mine.
‘‘I loved the peak district. I was there during lockdown and it was empty.
‘’Being there and not seeing anyone for weeks on end was amazing. Beautiful sunrises greeted me every morning.
He said that his only complaint is the occasional negative comments he receives from people about his house.
‘”A lot of people frown on it.
‘‘I’ve had a few people be nasty, assuming I’m poor, unclean, destitute, down and out.
‘‘It’s untrue and they shouldn’t be judging people anyway.
‘I’He stated, “I’m proud of not having to deal with Covid and being capable of turning that negative situation into something positive.”
‘’I built a business during Covid, building campervans for people who also want to live a van life. I had a roof deck on my van and I could just lay there. I was living my best life.’’
He also added: ‘’My advice for moving into a van would be to stick with it, it will be difficult at first.
‘‘The first three months will be the hardest but after that it’It’s incredible. It’s not for everyone, but stick with it.’’
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