[markerdmann]

This reminds of a good friend. He got a job making six figures at Google straight out of college, and then lived in his van--in the Google parking lot--while saving every penny he earned. He took showers on campus and only ate free Google food. After a few years, he went into a mini-retirement and devoted his time to traveling around the world and volunteering.

[Osiris]

I would have loved to save money right out of school, being as frugal as I am, but I was married when I graduated and the first thing my wife wanted after I got my first (low paying) full time job? A house.

So much for the life of a cheapskate.

[Cass]

Putting money into a house you'll presumably be able to live in rent-free once it's paid off may not be a drastically worse choice than putting your money into savings. Unless it was an impractically huge house, or otherwise somehow not a keeper, I wouldn't consider that a frivolous/non-frugal purchase.

[whyaduck]

Unless he bought in 2006-2007. Still not frivolous...just a mistake.

[sliverstorm]

"Mistake" implies the person should have known better. There are plenty of little guys who got trampled by the crash who did nothing wrong.

[Dilan]

You could always take a mortgage out on the house, rent out the house and live in the van.

[sukuriant]

Or rent out a room or two and live in the house.

[psychotik]

That's about the most justifiable reason I've heard for (temporarily) living in a van/car.

[jat1]

I lived in the van Monday-Thursday while working in London (my home is around 130miles to the east). Not a problem and not uncomfortable. I sometimes used the showers at the office but my van is fully equipped with shower,toilet heaters etc. I wasn't the only one doing it either, and after a while you spot other likely vans.

[sadga]

FWIW, he could have rented an apartment and showered at home, and the cost would have been to delay retirement by maybe 10% of his tenure.

[wes-exp]

Are you factoring in the exorbitant cost of renting an apartment in the bay area when making this calculation?

[ido]

Plus significantly increasing commute.