"I've saved £20k by living in an old minibus - my family think I'm nuts"

A man has saved £20,000 in four years by living in a converted minibus - and says it gives him respite from "unpleasant neighbours". Tim Knight, 37, has never looked back since swapping his rented flat for van life in 2022, branding it "a dream come true". The former carer and mental health support worker, from Stoke-on-Trent, grew up loving the outdoors but put off buying a van for years due to worries it would be a "money pit". Tim bought his first van for £700 in 2020 and initially used it for weekend getaways and trips to music festivals with his then girlfriend. But after the relationship ended in September 2021 and he was forced to rent a one-bed flat for £450 a month plus £200 in bills, he started to take the prospect of full-time van life seriously. And in October 2022, he finally took the plunge and moved into his van - saving over £400 per month in the process. Tim, who is currently between jobs, said: "It is a dream come true for me as the person that I am, loving the outdoors, going new places, going on walks. "My friends and family say 'you’ve never seen Tim so happy'. "A lot of my friends and family think I’m a bit nuts. "I'm able to live a healthier life, afford hobbies and socialise while working, whereas I could never afford a life when I rented my flat working full time and living on my own." He added: "It's a big money-saver. "I've worked out that on just rent and bills since 2022, I've not spent over £20,000 from living in a flat." Tim now lives in a LDV Maxus van which he bought for £1,800 and spent a further £2,000 turning it from a wheelchair-accessible minibus into a cosy motorhome. He says his van is warmer in the winter than the flats he lived in before as it is a well-insulated, small space. With his cat Mini for company, Tim spends his free time visiting Knypersly Reservoir in Staffordshire and touring beauty spots in Cornwall and Wales. He showers at gyms and uses laundrettes to keep his clothes fresh. He says he loves the sense of freedom and respite from "unpleasant neighbours" van life gives him. "Sometimes I’ll just look on the map and say 'oh I’ll go and see that castle this weekend'," he added. "You're roaming at will as long as you’re within the rules of parking in places." But he admits there are downsides - like having to sacrifice his love life. "You do sacrifice that relationship with somebody," he said. "I sometimes rule it out completely because I don’t want to go back living in a house, but then I think I might meet a girl who enjoys going away at the weekends in the van." Tim's monthly costs: Van insurance and road tax - £150 Fuel (15kg fuel bottle bottle lasting a year for £80) - £6.67 Gym membership £30 Laundry £40

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