Any ideas for living off a social security benefit of only $680 a month?

[tazkcmo]

11. Your post

Strikes close to home. I'll be in your shoes soon and have been planning it out. The hardest part of this is finding a used van that's fairly good on gas and decent condition that you can buy. Takes a long time to save up enough money to buy that van on 650 a month but I figured you'd have the same problem, if not a greater problem, buying any kind of house. As you said, there's land, utilities, HO insc, etc.

With the van, once you've made the purchase and have it titled and driving you're on the down hill run! It's a snap to throw a sleeping bag, ice cooler and camping stove in there and boom! Home sweet home! Your only expenses are gas and auto insc. Even on 650 a month you can swing that.

Obviously you'll want to fix it up better than I've described but that'll get ya going and you'll be able to scrounge, beg, borrow (but not steal!) furnishings along the way. Having spent much of my life in construction, I'm aware of many different ways to accomplish the same mission as far as building stuff goes. For example, a quick and easy permanent bed can be made from a hammock which you hang from your ceiling, a rigid piece of material (plywood, old door, etc) to lay in the hammock and what ever padding you can get your hands on. The board/door will hold a form in the hammock, the padding makes it comfy and you can store the bed on your ceiling. That's part of the fun of designing your own home! You can be as traditional or creative as you want and there's lots of ideas on the net.

It's not for every one but it's my kind of retirement. The freedom to go anywhere cheaply and have my house with me. As a bonus I can rotate among friends and relatives under the pretext of "visiting" and eat some of their food for a while! lol

I hope that what ever you decide it makes you happy. I'd be interested in hearing what you do because I'll always wonder, I care and it may help me and others knowing what you did, the advantages and disadvantages. Good luck to you!