It’s Not Your Fault You Are Struggling with Housing Expenses 🏠 | Cost of Living Crisis in America 

Bought my first home in 2000, a 3bed 2 bath on a 1/4 acre. After all bills were paid, still had money left over for eating out, vacation, buying a truck, etc… managed all this making $18 an hour. I would need to make 3-4 times as much to afford that same house today.

Both my husband and myself grow up with grandparents living with us. We never had babysitters or daycare. Someone was always home. It was a great help to everyone.

Been almost exclusively in an RV since 2009. Saved a ton of money and simple living is the way to go.

My husband and I inherited his parents vacation property. It is in a coastal town, on its own property. The value is almost $200k now, considering where it is located. No mortgage,only taxes, insurance and utilities. It is a 1981 model that has been well kept. Only our families have ever used it. It is a perfect situation for a mobile home.

You are so right, we simply don't need nearly as much (space, stuff, fill in the blank) as we have been told we need. Consumer culture isn't helping anyone. Thank you for your videos!

It’s a different situation here in the uk. So many restrictions! Land is very expensive, you can’t just put a caravan on a field and live in it without getting planning permission, same with building a tiny house. So many hoops to jump through and you will probably be refused. You also can’t just live on the road without doing it by stealth. There’s hardly any places to park a camper van that are free. You will likely get moved on. So people are converting work trucks but they still look like trucks so that no one knows they are living in them. They have to park on industrial estates . House prices are nuts, as are rentals. There’s a terrible shortage of affordable housing. It’s very hard for younger people.

Same same from Australia , UK,New Zealand ,Canada, and so on problem all round the world 🤔😳👀🫣😩

you do not live like e princesse but at least you sleep well knowing...no bills,,its e lottt..i admire you.

I think living in a used travel trailer is an awesome way to start out and save money for your next step.

I appreciate that you not only identify the problem but also present realistic solutions.

My house is paid off but I am so tired of the high prices of everything. I think how your living makes sense as your needs for now are almost next to nothing to save money.

that 160 billion could have built some very nice affordable housing for Americans vote smart.

On the news recently, I saw a story about siblings and their spouses pooling their money to buy their first home and sharing it. This was in Vancouver, Canada. Great idea!♥️🇨🇦

I live on SS and rent has doubled in my area.But I make a little to much to qualify for any assistance.So not the ideal situations for everyone I rent from my son.I have a bedroom,bathroom and share the laundry room and kitchen.I buy my own groceries and pay the rest of my bills etc. Thks.for sharing some great ideals.

I retired a year ago. Im living in my truck campershell. I was a homecare nurse.

As a teacher I left the United States years ago.

Y’all are really smart to get out from under debt . I’m a new sub and binge watching your videos. Land is everything. Park something on it and live. Don’t listen to the nay-sayers.... live your dream. Love your locs! ... another economical choice . Shalom lil sister !

Move. I just looked at a 3k sqft house in Parsons KS for 28k, perfectly fine, good foundation, roof and HVAC, could use some paint and updates. Or, a nice old farmhouse on 15 acres with a pond for 110k. So many houses in SEKS for 25 to 55k, in all kinds of towns to choose from or small farms for

They are pricing everyone out of the market. My daughter told me she will never be able to own a home. She has a lot of people in her age group commit suicide. It really makes me sad watching what is going on in this country. My kids always have a place with me if they want. 🌻

That basic sense of security means so much when you lose it.

I really like your ideas. You think outside the box for sure. Generally speaking,as you get older, you realize that you do need to own to freeze your monthly payment. You don’t want to be 70,80, and above and be priced out of the rental market on your fixed income. School taxes on your property drop off after 65 in many states and some freeze. Paying it off is important. You may pay 600 a month in property tax and homeowners insurance on a paid off house but that’s way less than 2-3-4000 a month on rentals and more expensive homes. It’s worth going somewhere that you can afford to buy a small place- preferably no HOA , where you are bound to them for 4-500 per month , depending on where you live. I would go detached house in affordable area with nO HOA or own a mobile home long term. Some of you young folks have more time, but at some point, you need to think long term.

I grew up in a household of 7, 4 girls and 1 boy. All 4 girls shared 1 12x12 ft. Room with 2 dbl. Beds, 1 dresser and 1 small wardrobe to share. We did fine with that but I am now 66yo. So many yrs ago!

I have a mobile home and it’s a 1966 single wide needs some work but it’s economical for us. 3 bed 1 bath 5k cash sale. Lived in it sense November fixing the roof for 2k. My space rent is 550 my apartment was 1480 28 minutes from where I live now! It rented for 1800 after we left. That’s still 900+ savings. Water sewage garbage covered.

Because so many people overpaid for homes even while loan rates were low, I believe there will be a housing catastrophe because these people are in debt. If housing costs continue to drop and, for whatever reason, they can no longer afford the property and it goes into foreclosure, they have no equity since, even if they try to sell, they will not make any money. I believe that many individuals will experience this, especially given the impending mass layoffs and rapidly rising living expenses.

i'm a boomer, a lot of the problem is the size of available houses and new cars... my first house was less than 800 sq ft, a perfect size for a first time buyer and i bought it at 10 percent interest (the 80s were tough, 10 percent was cheap)... cars and trucks were smaller as well. a honda could get 50 mpg and you could work on them without special expensive tools and the parts were fairly priced... a lot of the stuff today is over complicated and very expensive because of the laws and regulations... sure, we want safe car (but an easy fix is to make cars that don't go 150 miles an hour) and sure, everyone wants a big house but do you really need one when you're starting out and with all the fancy granite and huge appliances... that's a lot of the costs that are causing the problems... as well as the phone bills and internet subscriptions, a phone used to be about 5 buck a month and 10 cents a minute for long distance calls and movies were a dollar at a theater ... nowadays, everyone expects really high priced luxury stuff and if you just acknowledge that you don't need it then you can live fairly easily... i do okay at round just under 17 per hour, own my house and fairly new vehicle, eat what i like and still save about 10 percent for a "rainy day}... i mean it can be done if you cut back on the crazy stuff

I wish I would have bought my house sooner. I wasted years of my funds to rent spaces I never ended up owning.

I can’t believe I’m watching a video about living in a van or camper here in the USA. As a child growing up in Miami in the sixties and seventies I never envisioned such a dystopian future. My father was a union pipe fitter and welder. My mom worked part time at the Hallmark store in the mall. There were three kids, and we lived very comfortably in a brand new three bedroom house on a large corner lot on a canal. We had money for a new car every few years, eating out once a week and going on vacation every year. Politicians and globalists have robbed us all of our God given rights to work and keep what we work for. Inflation is a tax on the middle class.

I retired at 35 years old last year 2023. I purchase new build house in cash so I don't have to deal with 7% interest rate.

I have lived in a house trailer for large part of my life. there are definite benefits. One property I am looking at has zoning agents living in campers and only allows manufactured homes if there on a foundation. but it has a pond and since its in michigan there are a lot of old houseboats really cheep and the township can't zone on navigable water

Prefab shed, insulate it Power by solar

Excellent research, real lived experience. You are the real thing and you know how to explain options to folks. New sub. Thanks.

It’s nice of you to point out it is getting harder for most everyone. Sometimes people can start taking it personally. Also those were a lot of great ideas

"The world will soon wake up to the reality that everyone is broke and can collect nothing from the bankrupt, who are owed unlimited amounts by the insolvent, who are attempting to make late payments on a bank holiday in the wrong country, with an unacceptable currency, against defaulted collateral, of which nobody is sure who holds title." - Anonymous

I bought a 1972 holiday travler by holiday rambler and fixed it up. I am living in it on my dad's property right now with plans to buy my own land when he retires and moves in a few years. I added a 30 amp electrical outlet to his house myself and pay a sum towards the bill. His house is on a well so water is free for both of us. The price of housing is absolutely insane and general cost of living is skyrocketing too. I am in my mid 20s and I work a proper job. I could probably afford to rent something in the ghetto but it would be extremely tight and leave little room for saving money and emergency expenses. Living on my dad's property allows me to minimize my expenses, maximize my savings, and have something to put towards some land when the time comes. My only bills currently are car insurance, RV insurance, cellphone service, food, gas, and a bit of electricity. There are some smaller things too but those are the biggest ones. I own my vehicle and my RV and I dont have a 2-3k rent payment so that opens up a lot of room in the budget to save money for the future.

Keep the content coming!

My parents! In the 80s they were paying less on 3 mortgages, than what we were paying on our little starter house. Middle class people. Everyone could have a house. The generation before that, multiple generations, relatives, boarders, all lived together. I know that the little market farm near us needs help like crazy, but they can't pay.

I take full responsibility for my circumstances. I’m 45 and renting. No way in the world am I applying for a 25 year mortgage at my age so gonna purchase a studio flat on a 15 year mortgage which I intend to pay off within 10 years whilst investing some of my income.

That was an excellent rundown of the possibilities. I have gone through a lot of those and I really enjoyed listening for your realistic rant or was it a presentation it was good anyway.

I love living in a small home with my family of six. Less stressful financially, less sq footage to clean, racking my kids the lesson of waiting your turn and schedule bathroom time. Best decision we ever made for ourselves. After selling the house if our dreams that ended up being a financial nightmare amd not a blessing. I wish we had known you before we began buying our dream house. I love your channel and your amazing content. TY!

Nice leather seats!

Thanks!

Great location advice. We should be open to moving a bit to more affordable spots👍

Thank you for talking about this! ❤ I heard a real estate guru saying that because interest rates have gone up so much recently, someone who could afford a 310k home can now only afford 200k... It's ridiculous!

Housing has gone up globally, just like everything else. The past 5 years especially has seen rapid price increases in everything. But average US housing prices are lower than some other countries. Moreover being a big country you have the choice of moving to cheaper areas where housing is cheap. These choices are available in other big countries too , or in some cases some move to a cheaper country nearby.

My 30-something nabe bought 5 acres of raw land in the hills for 50g a couple years ago....off grid, trucks in water for now. Lives in an RV. It's awesome! Lives about 15 miles from work. We're rough up here! Western Oregon.

I feel mobile homes are cheaper than an RV. The down side is lot rent can increase. It’s better to buy your own land which can be pricey for some people. I currently live in a mobile home but I plan to sell and buy a house.

Love the vid ❤. So true sweety

I’d like to see more women go into the union trades…great income, benefits, pension

Hi Katie 🌻 Much respect for You and Asher . . So dedicated 🏞️ What are you doing for water ?

You cannot insure a pre HUD mobile home even on its own lot. I've just been through an attempted remodel on one and lost a LOT of money. Finally, had to sell it as a project. Remodeling a mobile home is "very" different from remodeling a brick and morter home. The cabinets cannot be bought from Home Depot. The windows have to be bought from a mobile home store, the wiring on old mobile homes were often strung above the dormers, so the ceiling must be torn out to inspect bc it deteriorates and can be a fire hazard. The roof is unusual and still expensive to re-roof. Unless you're going to do all the work yourself, do not buy an old mobile home! And one just a few years old will get into the 70K-120K range (just for the home) and you still are at the mercy of a landlord for the lot rent.

This is exactly what we are going to be doing in florida. As you stated, I did not even know it was a thing.Or there was a book LO.L. Through your channel and other articles videos I found out about the price of insurance taxes in florida. I was thinking that I would build a pretty nice house and a barn until all that happened. Now i'm going to be trailersteading. I mean, I have money to pay taxes and stuff.I just refuse to do it. And I think Florida is kind of cutting their own throat by making people that don't live on the coast have to subsidize people who live on the coast insurance cost. Because if they would have just been normal about central florida I would build a nice house and they would have got some good tax money.

I'm 75 and have paid cash in full for all my houses . . . However . . . I did not own any house until I was 62. I rented my whole life up to that point, religiously saving a percentage of my gross earnings (before taxes) so at some future point in time, I could pay cash for my house. Ya, I rented. There's no shame in renting, especially if it's done in a Machiavelion manner -- "the end justifying the means". Note: I say I have lived debt free for about 30 years, including a portion of that time when I rented my dwelling, because it was part & parcel of my master plan. BTW -- I raised 4 children and rented a 6 bedroom house with a pool, in California for 23 years @ less than $400 a month. How? I made a plan and stuck to it. My plan was lifted verbatum from the book of Malachi in the Bible.

Been car camping in my Dodge Charger since Nov 5, 2020 and have saved a lot of money to pay down most debt and stack cash for another home as I rent out my home to my daughter and her husband very cheap till they’re ready to buy their own home. I have a National Park Pass, several state passes, hotel discount services and I also stay at army and navy bases since I’m retired military and free federal BLM Land! I will soon switch to a used off road Toyota Tacoma or 4 Runner SUV. I’ve seen most states already and compared cost of living and I’m looking at Missouri, Arizona and Oregon for my next house buy. I’m from California and almost any state except NY, Illinois or Hawaii (not been there yet) is cheaper than California. I’m 61 and single with a permanent tax free military pension with free medical and dental care in every state and Canada through VA Heath Care systems so my situation is often different than most. But from what I’ve seen these past 4 years is that it’s a good move to get a used truck, SUV or van which works well and build up your rigs at a significant savings. The ingenuity I’ve seen in the road is just mind boggling and inspirational. Excellent video!! Safe travels everyone. 🇺🇸👍

We often think we need things we don't...shopping around for,products, goods,and services is worth it....Time IS MONEY 💰

We bought a brand new double wide in 2022. Boy we are glad we bought when we did. Prices & interest rate now is insane. My daughter and son in law live in Seattle, their rent is 2 time+ what our mortgage is.

Investing in real estate has always been a path to wealth. You don’t necessarily have to live in that house. It could be a rental you rent out etc. we built a house recently that is only 850 square feet. We had a micro apartment built on the first level and a 650 square feet apartment built on the upper level. We Airbnb the smaller apartment out. It is in a tiny tourist town. So there are options above buying an rv etc. not a bad idea in order to save money for a while, but they are not made to live in year around , especially over the winter. They will need repairs quite a lot. And at the very least buy your own piece of land. Don’t depend on renting a space for that rv forever. Housing has gotten expensive, but food etc. is also extremely expensive. Housing can give you security vs renting etc. forever. We also own a couple of rental properties that are single family homes. The rents have went up quite a bit on those. So owning them has been a hedge against inflation for us.

I looked at a really decent house today. 3 bed/1 5 bath plus a 2 car garage with an apartment above for extra income. $68k needs very little work. Unfortunate paint colors but very liveable.

We did the build-and-move every 2 years to get the tax free income. Moving that often is work. I'm glad we are debt free and staying in one home now (atleast until we are older and want to downsize). This is the 6th house we have built all while my husband had a full time job. (I made a long boring video about it.)

In hindsight, I would’ve looked into getting a duplex and renting out the other half instead of renting and having a roommate. Although having roommates means a real financial blessing for me.

Cool

It’s intentional

My job reimburses me my full rent every month. It is not in the most desirable part of the country but keeping more of my wages is helpful. I will not say where I work here but it's just an example that sometimes when you go off the beaten path you can get better deals.

Locked into a VA home loan at 2.875 fixed. I still owe about 30 k.

I’ve finally realized that if I want to own my own little corner of the world, I’ll have to go very very small and get really creative. I’ve been attempting to move for years now (bad luck I guess that I wanted to make my move just as the plague hit). So I can’t believe it but it’s looking like the tiny home dream is actually (and FINALLY) within reach. Im open tho. Camper life for awhile. Or a decent trailer. But as it goes. USED tiny home. Lol. A lot of the new ones are still too much when you add all the other things like land and moving it and so on. Right now living with renters. I hate it. Just be careful who you let live with you. It can be great or ok or awful.

Housing idea. Most Volunteer Fire Departments offer bunk housing in the Fire Department. By sleeping there you agree to go on calls that come in. That doesn’t mean you will answer every call because some are ambulances, some are small fires with one truck needed. A guy I knew, lived at the Fire Department and instead of rent got his dream truck. After it was paid off in 3 yrs, he bought buildable land. After that was paid off in 4 years, he took a year to save and then started building his house a 3/2/2 on 3 acres. The savings and that year’s earnings enclosed the house. The following year he finished the house. By age 28 he had a mortgage free home and a truck 10yr old truck. The following year he saved and bought a new truck. I realize this is not the answer for every one. But if this helps a few people, it’s worthwhile.

Wow You really are doing better. The last time I watched you were in a small little old car now it looks like you are in a late model 1794 Toyota Tundra . I have to start a RU-vid channel. Also I just caught you saying you bought land in Virginia. That's where I was born and raised and I am still here. How far are you from Farmville Virginia ?? You are very knowledgeable and intelligent

Same in Canada 😢

Besides increasing rent, Pg&E has gone up over 250 , spending an extra 200 on top of my 400 dollar budget list. I had to take out a loan just to pay the light. No shopping or eating out the last 4 months, cut out everything & still struggling.

Hey girl I took and old stale 401k out and bought a off grid cabin in a national forest area it was a turn key deal it’s got a solar system and water catches and propane I’m going to live there when I retire in a couple of years I may sell my other home or rent it out I haven’t decided yet living at the cabin is bill free pretty much just the yearly taxes for both houses there all paid off too I’m just ready to cruise thru life and enjoy myself

travel nursing for the win!

I worked for a very high-end home designer. Her clients would buy old homes and completely gut them and turn them into model homes worth MILLIONS!! Most of her homes were in magazines.

Oh I know girl!! Im living with roomies and family members- its hard. I cannot afford a vehicle at the moment so I have no option but to have an apt unit. But if they are ever to evict me - i would have nowhere to go! Maybe a shelter for some days. My father car maybe but I would not choose the section 8 route cuz it all leads to eviction or hard times. Im thinking about going to another country if I could get there. But it means leaving family and friends behind.

I ended up paying off my house because of taxes went up 1200 this year. my budget is gone. I decided not to move for a new job. my dream of living in FL is off the table. great video

When my boys have all launched and are for sure on their own, I will most likely van life it for a few years and live primarily on BLM land. I NEED to see new places.

My coworkers and I have took to all chipping in 15$ a day for groceries for lunch and dinner. Anything you eat it's still 6.50/healthy meal, which you can't get ANYWHERE

Western countries exported most of their productive industries to cheaper labour nations. Economics is the natural world. Produce more than you consume.

I have an out building I'm considering turning into a tiny house rental for our friend thats getting priced outta his apartment every year. My brother is a contractor and grandfather is an electrician so I'm considering doing that to help him out. We live in Cumberland Gap Tennessee.

I can understand people wanting to buy a home and that’s a good thing, but if you do not have any knowledge on home repair or who to call you are going to pay the consequences because dealing with plumbing and electrical companies can be very expensive. I’ve worked in Handyman trade for 35 years. I know what they charge and it’s not pretty. I understand they have a lot of overhead and they have to pay their employees. If you have any knowledge on how to do home repair that’s going to put you a big leap ahead of everybody else.

bank freedom is the real happiness in my opinion. I dont own anything to anyone and I spend my money on experiences with my family..

Instead of trailer parks, they should have owner occupied lots were you own the mobile home. This would ease up the housing situation.

Interesting what this podcasters saying about homes. On another thread I was informing others that have this zeal for homeownership and act as if it's the "end all be all" that a home is a liability unless you're making money off of it. In addition, after so-called homeownership you have to pay taxes, HOA fees, repairs for the roof for example which can be quite expensive, etc. There's nothing wrong with renting especially if you use your money wisely. Some will say "yeah but you're paying the landlord's mortgage."....So....!!! And the landlord pays for repairs, water, land upkeep, etc. Some even pay for utilities, internet, etc. I'm not against so-called homeownership...nonetheless you're still paying rent except you're paying it to the bank and do you ever really own it...try not paying the property taxes and see what happens. I would say if you want to buy a home do so....but in this fiscal climate you're not ahead of anyone who knows how to handle their money properly. In Europe people rent apartments for 25 and 30 years (often in the same apartment) yet they are bigger savers than Americans and have more leisure income.....

Gas for a mobile home is 8 to 10 miles to a gallon.

I've owned 2 homes in my life. My first I purchased in 1999 and then 2nd in 2002. I'm now 53 and have been renting for 10 years and don't think I'll be able to buy another home. It bothers me but only because I wanted to be able to leave a home for my children. I'm in California and a single parent so it's very, very difficult because even rent is so high. In the past 10 years, I've spent $360K on rent. Purchasing would have cost me more than double in that same time. I think we're going to see a lot more multigenerational homes. I share a bedroom with my Daughter. My Son has his own room. It's just our reality. a 2 bedroom costs me $3200 and can't I cant afford a 3 bedroom. Bums me out but it is what it is. I have a friend that just could not find a partner and just bought a home with 2 of her best friends! I think that's so cool!

But if you don’t buy when you’re young, where will you live when you’re old? Would investing cover rent in 40 years?

We are in the Uk ( Scotland) and we alesys rented , we onny were able to buy because we bought it off my step dad and mum. They gave us the needed 10% deposit and its a tiny house witg a small mortage ( like 80 grand ) so basically its so small me and husband have to use living room as our bedroom. Its a split level apartment. Think hoise on stilts ( its called a maisonette) tiny patch of garden downstairs part of our deeds. Im almost 40, husband is in his 40s. Its been tough with housing. We had to move a lot.

Delay adding to your budget until student debt is paid...live like a college student. Countless people live in their cars

One of my alternates is to live off my blog income and sales from my novels 🇬🇧🇺🇸

A Barndominium is a good bet

Why not rent invest and then when ur ready buy a home or don’t totally agree with u

try not to buy a mobile home in a community its a huge rip off

Everything is so commercialized it’s not even funny. We are definitely trying to find ways to save I started with mint mobile! So mad I didn’t do it soon.

Birth control works 93% of the time and my granddaughter is an attorney so if anybody stays at home with a baby it will be her husband who stays home one hundred percent time until the child is in school because he can more easily get back in the work world than she could. Still $100,000 saved is a minimum. They will only have 2 children to give their kids opportunities unavailable if other children are added to the financial burden.

just paid off our 1000sq. foot mobile home.. our lot rent is $600 a month.. going to sell it and buy a small piece of land in Nevada next year and tossing a RV on it.. living off grid is our goal.. tired of living around other folks lol.. we want to just chill miles away from civilization.. cant wait!

😊

How is Snuffy doing? Is he getting use to you?

If you work really hard to acquire skills and knowledge early in life, create a good business model, live a frugal lifestyle well below your means, and invest your money, then you should not be struggling with housing expenses. So, it's basically your fault.

You wouldn't complain so much if you have lived in the UK.Houses prices went 200-300% up. USA still cheap!

i moved into tesla and rent a 5x5 storage unit

Damn I remember 20 years ago when I was in HS you could rent an apartment , handle truck payments, and basically live on your own without too much issue making like $12 an hour. Well wtf bro I make 5x that now and it’s still a fucking struggle session. The fucked up thing is, many of those jobs that paid $12 an hour when I was in HS, STILL PAY $12 AN HOUR IN 2024! WTF 😂😂😂

Just remember when looking for alternatives in housing you get what you pay for unfortunately. Affordable most cases means sub par living conditions with slum lords.