23-year-old Google employee lives in a truck in the company's parking lot and saves 90% of income
When 23-year-old Brandon S. moved from Massachusetts to San Francisco in mid-May to join Google as a software engineer, he refused to pay very high rent. Instead, the guy settled in a cargo van with an area of 12 square meters. meters.
A year ago, Brandon interned at Google and lived in the cheapest corporate housing: two bedrooms, four people, and $65 a night (roughly $2,000 a month).
“I realized that I was paying an exorbitant amount of money for the apartment where I lived - and almost never went home,” he says. “It’s really hard to justify throwing that kind of money down the drain.”
After the internship, the guy began to prepare for life in a truck, as he knew that he would soon have to work full-time in San Francisco. Right out of school, he bought a 16-foot 2006 Ford with 157,000 miles on it.
(Total 5 photos)
1. The cargo van that cost the guy $10,000 paid off in 5 months.
Now his monthly rent is just $121 a month, the cost of truck insurance, since he doesn't use electricity and Google pays for his cell phone.
“The truck has some built-in lights, and at night I use a motion-sensing lamp. Every few days I charge a small battery at work to charge my headphones and phone at night. And my work laptop has enough power to last through the night,” says Brandon on his blog.
2. Brandon's minimalist space includes a bed, hanger, chest of drawers and some stuffed animals.
As far as food and showers are concerned, all these benefits are available to the guy on the Google campus. He eats breakfast, lunch and dinner at work and showers every morning at the corporate gym after a workout.
3. Such small expenses mean significant savings. “I aim to keep about 90% of my after-tax income and pay off student loans,” the guy says.
After graduating with $22,434 in student loan debt, Brandon reduced his debt to $16,449 within four months. “On a conservative estimate (and taking into account bonuses), I think I can pay off the debt within the next six months, thereby saving thousands of dollars in interest that would have to be paid under a standard 10-year or even 20-year plan,” he says.
In addition, saving on rent allowed the guy to dine at good restaurants and enjoy San Francisco more than if he decided to live in an apartment.
4. Another convenience of living in the parking lot of the Google campus is that it takes Brandon less than a minute to get to work instead of several hours due to San Francisco's congested traffic.
His truck life is not a problem. The only conflict with the security came after a late return home from the cinema: then the guy was met by about 10 security officers, but after showing the corporate badge, they apologized to him.
The forced trade-offs of such cheap housing are the small space and the lack of modern conveniences such as air conditioning and a bathroom, but according to Brandon, 12 square meters is more than any bedroom he has ever had, especially since he comes in a van just sleep.
5. This lifestyle provides the guy with financial freedom and allows you to prepare for the planned trip around the world.
Brandon does not yet know how much longer he will live in the van. “It's been five months and I see no reason to stop anytime soon,” he says.