A WOMAN has revealed how she saved £22,000 with her unusual lifestyle – while getting to live in the UK’s poshest areas for free.
Mal Jones, 30, lives in a van on Clifton Down in Bristol – where houses regularly sell for millions of pounds.
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But she is paying a fraction of that to stay there – only stumping up for parking and the city’s clean air zone levy.
Originally from south London, Mal regularly tours the country for her job in as a theatre stage manager.
She said she quickly realised buying a van would work out much cheaper than staying in hotels in each location.
Mal said: “I very specifically live in a van for financial reasons.
“I live frugally, and I haven’t been on holiday for two years.
“Now I’ve saved £22k – working in the arts that’s unheard of. I’m very, very lucky to be able to save that.
“I’m 30 and single – so why not do it now when I have freedom to move around and do what I like?”
Mal was renting in Lond when the pandemic hit and she decided then to move into a van full-time.
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She plans to return to living somewhere more permanent in the future, when she has enough for a deposit.
Mal said: “Financially it makes a lot of sense to live in a van.
“I was going to end it this summer but now I’m looking at going back out on tour.
“Eventually I do want to buy somewhere and a big reason I did this was to save up some form of deposit.
“But I’m not paying council tax or utility bills so I have no real credit score.
“I would have to go back and rent just so I have some kind of record if I wanted to try and buy somewhere.”
Mal says she doesn’t have a ‘home‘ in the traditional sense, but views Bristol as her base.
She is currently parked on Clifton Down, a 400-acre park located just outside the city centre.
The green space is bordered by some of the country’s most affluent areas, including Clifton and Sneyd Park.
Mal says her costs are much lower than if she rented – but are still tracking inflation nationwide.
She said: “Sometimes I pay for parking every day which is still less than rent but my outgoings are going up.
“Clean air zones are making it more expensive, and parking is also getting more expensive.
“At the moment I spent £80 to £100 week on fuel and food but at rent alone I’m looking at £1,300 per month in London.”
It comes after a van life specialist who has lived in a camper conversion for two years revealed that life on the road costs far more than you think.
Residents have slammed the van life hippies plaguing their street – and their council has banned the campers from speaking to them.
The downsides of living in a van
Life on the road is not without its drawbacks – and can actually cost a fortune.
As well as the cost of the van itself, you will have to splash out to convert it – before getting used to life without electricity or running water.
You will also have to factor in road tax, insurance, food and fuel – including for a diesel heater to keep you warm during cold evenings on the road.
Your weekly groceries bill will be no different from that paid by residents of a flat or house – and you will have to pay around £25 every time you park in a campsite.
Additional costs include pricey phone hotspots for internet and launderette bills.
If your motor breaks down on the road, van life could get very expensive indeed.
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