Campervan fulltiming

keywords: bed and breakfast, camper, campervan, contractor, fulltiming, holiday, road trip, smbcc, travel, vacation, van

I am considering fulltiming.
I thought that my budgeting could be interesting to someone considering the same.

It may at first appear that not paying rent will save lots of money but it may not be so simple. The conclusion is not as I expected.

Here are the basic figures, rough and ready.

Previous Rent:
£350/month (all inclusive)

Van:
£350 rent / month saved
Current vehicle is next to worthless = £200 saved

Recoup on cost-
£7000 = 20 months
£5000 = 14 months
£3000 = 9 months

But if only £200/month saved;
£7000 = 35 months
£3000 = 15 months

B+B:
£90 a week x4 = £360/month + £40 for mistakes = £400 / 2 for 180 days (here for half the year maximum) = £200/month

2 years of b+b = £4,800
2 years of rent = £8,400

But interest on investments is also lost with Van:

2% / month on £7000 = £140
2 years at 2% = £3,360
2% / month on £4,800 = £96
2 years at 2% = £2,304

Conclusion:
Using a £4,800 van for 2 years could cost me about £2,000 more than B+B. I think this is worthwhile `luxury`[sic] to pay for, but you have to remember that it is negative equity and not saving money.

Notes:
It is a saving of just £200/month at max in b+b. This saving will be even little less if I stay in some other kind of free accommodation.
Selling on the vehicle not taken into account.
Insurance tax etc remains the same as it is a replacement vehicle for something costing similar.

Pros:
All the freedom of a camper. And I can actually cook!

Cons:
Cost. Clearly this is not an economic move.
To get a cleaner vehicle than what I have now I have to spend inordinately more. The longer I can drive around in a cheap vehicle delay making that change the cheaper it is. However, if I am changing the vehicle anyway this cost is reduced.

I'm a dog

keywords: hearing, supersonic, ultrasonic

I seem to have ultrasonic hearing! This is especially interesting as I've been in quite a few loud nightclubs (came out of one with my ears literally ringing and couldn't hear properly).

I wonder how good my hearing would be if I had looked after my ears!

I'm 26 but my hearing is apparently that of a dog...

thanks.


edit:: I asked my Dad if he could hear the sounds and he could too. So perhaps it's not reliable? Well, turns out he can hear bats squeaking too.

If it's true it's amazing that you can discover something like this about yourself after all this time. Amazing.

1984

keywords:: 1984, orwell, orwellian, privacy

I read 1984 for the first time the other day (2007).

As someone growing up in the 80's I didn't find it that shocking.
Part of it was because it wasn't completely on the nail (i.e. I think it takes a human face to make the boot).

But also these things I have always known - credit ratings (and credit underclass), CCTV, email logging, phone tapping, search at airports, passports, credit card, insurance prejudice, sham democracy, privately owned national banks, powerful media, no privacy.

I already feel and have always felt like the character in the book - so I identified with it but didn't feel how I was supposed to.

I wonder, does anyone else feel this way?