I know this one is not directly related to RV'ing, but it is a story about a young man who worked to pay off his "early" student loans. Then he went back to college with the intent to further his education as cheaply as possible. Part of that plan ended up being that he lived out of a Ford van. He certainly deserves accolades for his determination to achieve what he wanted.
If nothing else, it is an example that one can live on less. Now, by comparison, a LOT of us are still living better than he did. The story has three pages to it.
Thanks for the great article, Terry. Passed this around the "office" today. Also enjoyed the "Student Loan Forgiveness" ad choices link this forum presented at the top of the web page.
"Due to lack of patience and ammo, do NOT expect a warning shot!"
This Gen Y, 20-something recognized much earlier than most that debt is a restriction on freedom. He surmises - and I agree - that student loan debt burdens new graduates and often forces them to be slaves to jobs that aren't fulfilling, and sometimes, even to jobs that compromise their own ethics and ideals.
Although the language is rough/vulgar in several places and he sprinkles in his political ideology (although what he says and does doesn't always match up with the ideology he espouses), it's a great read for 1) people like me that believe our societal "norms" should be challenged, 2) college students and parents of college students that believe thousands of dollars in student loan debt is inevitable for a good education, 3) those that believe opportunity is available to everyone in this country and hardships can be overcome with hard work, dedication, diligence, ambition, and discipline, 4) those that believe a life well-lived brings more happiness than stuff and status, and 5) those that are on the brink of discovering that a simpler, debt-free life can lead to much more freedom and independence in all aspects of life.
This young man went to extremes to pay off $32,000 in undergraduate student loan debt and to then complete a graduate degree without taking on any additional debt. In fact, most of the book is about how he came to realize his undergraduate student loan debt was a burden, how he went about conquering it, and how he eventually came up with the idea of living in a van during graduate school. For us RVers, the title of the book is a little misleading as he didn't take to the open road in his van.
However, his approach does relate to RVing in that 1) he took seasonal jobs that included a place to stay (a cabin or dorm as opposed to an RV site) and a wage (akin to workamping), and 2) during his graduate school semesters he "full-timed" while living in a van. Of course, his van wasn't a self-contained RV designed to be lived in, and he parked it in a student parking lot rather than and RV park, campground, or on public land, but he did "full-time" in a way that matched his resources.
I should note that living in his van in a student parking lot was not something that was condoned (it was prohibited once his story became public), and like some RVers that "squat" on private property without permission, we was in a constant state of anxiety about being caught.
A final note is that this self-described suburbanite, video-game-playing, slacker who had never been on a hike, in addition to learning the value of hard work, learned the power of nature and it changed his soul. I love it when that happens. :)
There are a couple parts of the book that rubbed me the wrong way, but for the most part I enjoyed the messages of 1) simplification/minimalism and the freedom that can result, 2) self-reliance, 3) the benefits of staying debt-free as a young person, 4) where there's a will, there's a way, 5) the influence nature can have on our lives, and 6) how following the standard paths our society teaches us from an early age may lead us into a trap that may be very difficult, if not impossible, to escape.
Since I just finished the book last night, I thought I'd throw in my two cents. Sorry for the long-winded review/opinion. :)
WestWardHo said
03:12 PM Jun 12, 2013
That's a great review, Howard! You are an incredibly gifted writer. We enjoy every journal entry you write to say nothing of thepicturesof dead trees 😛) and your comments on your forum are much appreciated as well.
Sherry
SnowGypsy said
05:55 PM Jun 13, 2013
The book sounds good and although I don't read that often, I may get a copy. Also, if they could fashion this ideology into a required class for graduation from high school, they would be on a roll. I told my husband the only useful skill I learned in HS was typing, that's it for four years of my life.
charles said
12:05 AM Jun 16, 2013
Howard, thanks for the great "book report" CCC
Hina said
12:37 AM Jun 16, 2013
I saw that article too, and I agree with Howard; debt is a trap into the system, and something the system makes it hard to avoid. For example, have you seen the prices of used trucks these days? $10,000+ for a 10 year old truck with 100,000 miles. Who has $10,000 cash? Not too many. So what do you do? Get financing. For 10 years. On a 10 year old truck, with 100,000 miles.
I had saved $9,000 towards my truck (the one that got totaled) but needed another $1,500, so I went into the bank to see about a small car loan. They insisted on a paycheck stub, signed by someone else from a job. I refused to produce one, and insisted on getting the loan on the merits of having my own home business. They were thrown into a tizzy! They poured over my income tax returns, and could hardly believe it; what do you make royalties from?! From books and CDs. As if, they never considered anyone could actually make royalties, except the "big stars". In the end, they had to offer me the loan, by their own rules, but I refused it, because, why should they hold the pink slip when I managed to save $9,000 on my own, from my own royalties? I ultimately put the last $1,500 on a line of credit, so I could hold the pink slip.
You can't afford health insurance unless you have a job, with a paycheck stub, working for someone else, you will find it difficult to get financing, or rent an apartment. It's like the American Dream has been outlawed. I even found it difficult to adopt a dog; you don't own your own home, with a 6 foot fenced yard?No "real" job? You don't qualify to adopt a stray dog, that's gonna be put to sleep anyways!
Unfortunately, I am starting this adventure with plenty of debt. Hard to avoid, unless you live in a van or a cave.
SnowGypsy said
07:45 PM Jun 16, 2013
Hina: If you are interested in adopting a dog (puppy), go not to the Humane Society or Rescue organizations but to a city animal control facility. Most are desperate to find homes for the dogs in their care and they get purebreds as well as mixed breed. Got Rinnie as a pup in Dothan, AL and Yellow Dog from a smaller city in MO - adult crate-trained, housebroken, leash-trained purebred yellow Lab. Many also get smaller dogs and the facility in MO often had purebred younger dogs (you know the people who just had to have one but learned they don't train themselves so send the pup packing).
We once pulled up roots and moved to AZ with my husband moving from one Federal contractor to another in the same field. When we got there, even with a down payment, they did not want to give us a loan because he hadn't been on the job long enough. Luckily, we got a renter in our house in KS so with the increase in income, they were going to give us the loan. Well, I cashed out my retirement account and we paid cash instead. This was many years ago and now, we may not have the best of everything but no one can show up and take it from us because it is ours! All of it.
Hina said
11:31 PM Jun 16, 2013
Yeah, times are funny these days. Hard to actually own anything of value, it's like everything you "own", the bank really owns. I also read that now Aetna will no longer extend individual health insurance in California, due to the "Affordable Care Act" meaning, the system is working to force you to get a "real job" if you want to get the federally mandated health insurance, and not be penalized by the IRS.
Here in Northern California, even the Humane Society and Shelters can be picky and expensive (6 foot fence, $250-$400) and also, it's nothing but Pit Bulls and Chihuahuas, with the odd, cast off older dogs, and ranch dogs. Nothing against those breeds, but Pits are banned too many places, and Chihuahuas? Not my style! Got a 27 lb Mexican Hairless (Xoloitzcuintli) from a Mexican family on Craig's List. I still paid $$ for him, and he's run up quite the bill at Petco, but he's doing OK. He proved himself as quite the watch dog today, I will sleep safely, for sure! But he's a work in progress: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s3sGxxDp9w
SnowGypsy said
12:20 PM Jun 21, 2013
A Mexican Hairless? How cool! We first learned about them when we were living in Tucson. I know they didn't used to allow them out of Mexico, but like with the people, where there was a will, there was a way. It is an interesting dog with an interesting history I thought. And, I do agree some of the groups go overboard. We tried a couple groups when we were living full-time in a TT but one day I got tired of waiting for them to pick a dog for me, which I did not like the idea of anyway, went to Petfinder, decided if the dog was going to be unknown as to behavior I would pick a puppy, saw a chow-mix pup they were calling "Fuzzy", the name of my Grandma and Grandpa's dog, was convinced therefore that this was the sign I had been waiting for!
And, on being a "minimalist" we have been looking at tiny trailers like the fiberglass or the bigger Bigfoot. Yesterday, my husband's temp job on first shift is changing to 3rd shift and on the way home, he saw a Casita on the road and since I am teaching him to watch for the "signs", he is convinced that was one. We figure he can do temp jobs, which seem plentiful everywhere now, in a pretty place with nice weather or we can workcamp so we are now energized to get the house finished and start living "outside the box". Seriously, in KS, it is like you live in a box because it is either too cold/freezing rain or too hot/drought.
I know this one is not directly related to RV'ing, but it is a story about a young man who worked to pay off his "early" student loans. Then he went back to college with the intent to further his education as cheaply as possible. Part of that plan ended up being that he lived out of a Ford van. He certainly deserves accolades for his determination to achieve what he wanted.
If nothing else, it is an example that one can live on less. Now, by comparison, a LOT of us are still living better than he did. The story has three pages to it.
Duke Grad Student Secretly Lived in a Van to Escape Loan Debt
Terry
Sherry
"Due to lack of patience and ammo, do NOT expect a warning shot!"
I just finished the book - it's called "Walden on Wheels: On the Open Road from Debt to Freedom".
This Gen Y, 20-something recognized much earlier than most that debt is a restriction on freedom. He surmises - and I agree - that student loan debt burdens new graduates and often forces them to be slaves to jobs that aren't fulfilling, and sometimes, even to jobs that compromise their own ethics and ideals.
Although the language is rough/vulgar in several places and he sprinkles in his political ideology (although what he says and does doesn't always match up with the ideology he espouses), it's a great read for 1) people like me that believe our societal "norms" should be challenged, 2) college students and parents of college students that believe thousands of dollars in student loan debt is inevitable for a good education, 3) those that believe opportunity is available to everyone in this country and hardships can be overcome with hard work, dedication, diligence, ambition, and discipline, 4) those that believe a life well-lived brings more happiness than stuff and status, and 5) those that are on the brink of discovering that a simpler, debt-free life can lead to much more freedom and independence in all aspects of life.
This young man went to extremes to pay off $32,000 in undergraduate student loan debt and to then complete a graduate degree without taking on any additional debt. In fact, most of the book is about how he came to realize his undergraduate student loan debt was a burden, how he went about conquering it, and how he eventually came up with the idea of living in a van during graduate school. For us RVers, the title of the book is a little misleading as he didn't take to the open road in his van.
However, his approach does relate to RVing in that 1) he took seasonal jobs that included a place to stay (a cabin or dorm as opposed to an RV site) and a wage (akin to workamping), and 2) during his graduate school semesters he "full-timed" while living in a van. Of course, his van wasn't a self-contained RV designed to be lived in, and he parked it in a student parking lot rather than and RV park, campground, or on public land, but he did "full-time" in a way that matched his resources.
I should note that living in his van in a student parking lot was not something that was condoned (it was prohibited once his story became public), and like some RVers that "squat" on private property without permission, we was in a constant state of anxiety about being caught.
A final note is that this self-described suburbanite, video-game-playing, slacker who had never been on a hike, in addition to learning the value of hard work, learned the power of nature and it changed his soul. I love it when that happens. :)
There are a couple parts of the book that rubbed me the wrong way, but for the most part I enjoyed the messages of 1) simplification/minimalism and the freedom that can result, 2) self-reliance, 3) the benefits of staying debt-free as a young person, 4) where there's a will, there's a way, 5) the influence nature can have on our lives, and 6) how following the standard paths our society teaches us from an early age may lead us into a trap that may be very difficult, if not impossible, to escape.
Since I just finished the book last night, I thought I'd throw in my two cents. Sorry for the long-winded review/opinion. :)
Sherry
CCC
I saw that article too, and I agree with Howard; debt is a trap into the system, and something the system makes it hard to avoid. For example, have you seen the prices of used trucks these days? $10,000+ for a 10 year old truck with 100,000 miles. Who has $10,000 cash? Not too many. So what do you do? Get financing. For 10 years. On a 10 year old truck, with 100,000 miles.
I had saved $9,000 towards my truck (the one that got totaled) but needed another $1,500, so I went into the bank to see about a small car loan. They insisted on a paycheck stub, signed by someone else from a job. I refused to produce one, and insisted on getting the loan on the merits of having my own home business. They were thrown into a tizzy! They poured over my income tax returns, and could hardly believe it; what do you make royalties from?! From books and CDs. As if, they never considered anyone could actually make royalties, except the "big stars". In the end, they had to offer me the loan, by their own rules, but I refused it, because, why should they hold the pink slip when I managed to save $9,000 on my own, from my own royalties? I ultimately put the last $1,500 on a line of credit, so I could hold the pink slip.
You can't afford health insurance unless you have a job, with a paycheck stub, working for someone else, you will find it difficult to get financing, or rent an apartment. It's like the American Dream has been outlawed. I even found it difficult to adopt a dog; you don't own your own home, with a 6 foot fenced yard? No "real" job? You don't qualify to adopt a stray dog, that's gonna be put to sleep anyways!
Unfortunately, I am starting this adventure with plenty of debt.
Hard to avoid, unless you live in a van or a cave.
We once pulled up roots and moved to AZ with my husband moving from one Federal contractor to another in the same field. When we got there, even with a down payment, they did not want to give us a loan because he hadn't been on the job long enough. Luckily, we got a renter in our house in KS so with the increase in income, they were going to give us the loan. Well, I cashed out my retirement account and we paid cash instead. This was many years ago and now, we may not have the best of everything but no one can show up and take it from us because it is ours! All of it.
Here in Northern California, even the Humane Society and Shelters can be picky and expensive (6 foot fence, $250-$400) and also, it's nothing but Pit Bulls and Chihuahuas, with the odd, cast off older dogs, and ranch dogs. Nothing against those breeds, but Pits are banned too many places, and Chihuahuas? Not my style! Got a 27 lb Mexican Hairless (Xoloitzcuintli) from a Mexican family on Craig's List. I still paid $$ for him, and he's run up quite the bill at Petco, but he's doing OK. He proved himself as quite the watch dog today, I will sleep safely, for sure! But he's a work in progress: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s3sGxxDp9w
A Mexican Hairless? How cool! We first learned about them when we were living in Tucson. I know they didn't used to allow them out of Mexico, but like with the people, where there was a will, there was a way. It is an interesting dog with an interesting history I thought. And, I do agree some of the groups go overboard. We tried a couple groups when we were living full-time in a TT but one day I got tired of waiting for them to pick a dog for me, which I did not like the idea of anyway, went to Petfinder, decided if the dog was going to be unknown as to behavior I would pick a puppy, saw a chow-mix pup they were calling "Fuzzy", the name of my Grandma and Grandpa's dog, was convinced therefore that this was the sign I had been waiting for!
And, on being a "minimalist" we have been looking at tiny trailers like the fiberglass or the bigger Bigfoot. Yesterday, my husband's temp job on first shift is changing to 3rd shift and on the way home, he saw a Casita on the road and since I am teaching him to watch for the "signs", he is convinced that was one. We figure he can do temp jobs, which seem plentiful everywhere now, in a pretty place with nice weather or we can workcamp so we are now energized to get the house finished and start living "outside the box". Seriously, in KS, it is like you live in a box because it is either too cold/freezing rain or too hot/drought.