A retired and widowed man decides to build a mobile tiny home using a truck and trailer.
He pays just $25 a month to camp in a tiny house and subsists on social security payments.
Cheap RV Living (@CheapRVliving) shares YouTube videos about downsizing and tiny home living.
Last week's video featured the tiny house of Alan, a retired man who built a tiny home on wheels after the death of his wife, Nancy.
“Actually, this adventure began when my wife passed away,” Alan began.
“The first thing I did, smart or not, was decide to build a tiny house and buy a truck to pull it,” he said.
Alan has been on the road for the past two years, building a tiny home on a trailer specially made for the purpose.
He lives on Social Security and does DoorDash to make extra money and cover travel expenses.
Retirees will deliver food about 10 days a month, receive a direct deposit at the end of each shift, and then be free to spend the last two to three weeks of each month as they please.
Alan said living in a tiny home means he's constantly having to solve problems and make repairs, but he loves his lifestyle.
“I've never had a house that I truly loved as much as I did this one. Maybe it's because I built it myself, but I built it as a home, not a camper,” he said.
Tiny Home Tours
Although space was limited in his small home, he had everything he needed.
His kitchen was equipped with a microwave, toaster, sink and counter space that lifted up to reveal a refrigerator underneath.
“We have everything you need in the kitchen,” Alan said.
He also initially had a freezer, but decided to throw it away as he didn't use it much.
Across from the kitchen was his bed, downsized from a double to a twin.
Alan's tiny home also included a $1,500 wood stove, his wife's chifolov, and a bathroom complete with shower, sink and toilet.
What is a Tiny House?
Strictly speaking, a tiny house is a home that is less than 400 square feet in size.
Many tiny homes are built on trailers so they can be towed anywhere, and some are even converted from old school buses or vans.
Each state has its own rules regarding tiny homes, but generally they aren't taxed the same as regular homes.
However, in Alaska, Iowa, Louisiana, North Dakota, New Jersey, New York, Wisconsin and West Virginia, it is illegal to use a tiny home as a permanent residence.
The retiree explained that he bought the small insurance policy to pay bills, build a tiny house and make a $15,000 down payment on a truck.
“I left my three children behind in South Dakota, Iowa and Indiana and I miss them and my grandchildren terribly, but I thought this was important,” Alan said.
“I love the whole concept of nomadic living, so I want to continue doing that.”
In related news, a woman built a $20,000 tiny home out of a $700 trailer she bought on Craigslist, and people are praising her for her “amazing use of space.”
Plus, one couple built a tiny home for under $40,000 that took 10 months to build and has one key feature: it's portable.