Couple buy 'tatty' caravan from scrapyard and live rent free with £100 monthly bills
A couple purchased a "tatty" static caravan from a scrapyard for £6k to live rent-free, and now save 90 per cent of their wages every month. Rudi Smith, 27, and his partner, Lauren Smith, 28, found themselves struggling with the rent for their £750-a-month home in Leeds, despite both being full-time workers.
In search of an alternative, they decided to buy a 25m by 100m plot of land for £8,000 and a second-hand caravan for £6,000. They spent around £2,000 ripping out and renovating the caravan but now live mortgage and rent-free, spending less than £100 a month on bills, reports WalesOnline.
Rudi is able to save 90 per cent of his salary every month - which he is puts into a joint savings pot which the couple hope to be able to invest in the future. They say they save £13.8k-a-year on rent by living in their caravan.
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Rudi, a stone mason, from Leeds, Yorkshire, said: "I save 90 per cent of my wage a month. "I have been a lot happier. There is so much breathing space financially. It's less stressful."
Rudi and Lauren, who works in hospitality, struggled to pay their £750-a-month-rent when the living cost crisis hit despite both working full time. Rudi said: "We really struggled to pay for everything. It put us in a real hole. We thought this is 'no way to live'.
"It was £500 on top for bills. We had a couple of hundred left a month. We started exploring other routes."
Rudi and Lauren looked into buying land and found a plot for around £8k. He said: "The plot of land was super cheap - it was really rough and overgrown. There were brambles up to 10ft high."
They then found a second-hand static caravan for just £6,000 and have spent the last two years ripping it out and decorating it. Rudi said: "We bought it second-hand at a scrapyard for older caravans. It was a little tatty and just needed updating."
The couple have been able to afford nicer materials - including herringbone wood flooring - as it's such as small space. He said: "It looks old on the outside and lush on the inside.
"After the first month we were like 'oh wow, that's everything paid for'. Having no neighbours is really nice. The closest house is at least 150m away. We can make as much noise as we want."
The couple spend just £48 on a gas bottle to warm their home - and say it lasts three to four months. Rudi said: "It's £100 for six months of gas. Our total outgoings is less than £100-a-month."
They have solar panels and off-grid electricity and pay just £30 for Wi-Fi. Lauren uses her wages to pay for bills and outgoings so that Rudi can put 90 per cent of his into a saving pot. Rudi said: "We've got a five year plan.
"We want to use the money to invest in a motorboat yacht in Spain to then rent out. We want to free ourselves from having to work for other people."
The couple have spent the last two years being in "militant savings mode" but are looking forward to travelling more in a campervan they bought in November 2022. The pair have been redesigning the £6,000 16 seater van for the past two years.
Rudi says they've never been happier but it hasn't all been "dreamy". He said: "It's definitely not been easy. The winters are cold. It takes a lot of work at the beginning."
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