Ever looked at your car and thought “Hmmm, that looks like a comfy place to sleep”? If not, perhaps you’re quite a sensible person, but if you have then you clearly like adventure (or self-enforced hardship). There’s nothing wrong with being a bit strange sometimes, and while the notion of living in your car may well be, at first glance, an odd notion to behold, it’s actually not as crazy as it initially seems. After all, we’re all trying to save money these days, and your car can be transformed into a home-from-home with just a simple few steps.
The first thing to do is to buy a comfortable and warm sleeping bag. Without this, you will probably freeze yourself to death, so this has to be classed as a ‘must-buy’. Living in the car during the day will be fine because you can use the car’s heater to keep warm, but during the night, when the temperature drops, you can’t have the engine running – so a sleeping bag will become the most essential piece of kit you will buy.
Once that’s sorted, you should probably consider hygiene. After all, you’re not quitting your job; you’re just living in your car – and nobody likes a smelly co-worker. Try and set up some connections with local businesses to use their facilities so you can brush your teeth and even if you’re lucky, use their showers. If you can’t find a shower, there are products out there, such as body wipes, which should keep you feeling relatively fresh for a couple of days until you can find some water.
Another top tip is to consider the car you’ll be living in. You could do with a car with rear seats which fold flat and one that has a big boot. Both these factors will make a huge difference in your ability to get a good sleep every night; the bigger the boot, the more space you will have to stretch out and get comfortable. If you own a hatchback, cars like the Honda Civic and Ford Focus have impressively large boots, so buy sensible!
If you can’t stand not being able to keep clean, buying a 24-hour gym membership is an ideal way of cheating the system. After all, the facilities that gyms offer are extensive. You can bathe, get clean, have a shave, brush your teeth, and even bag yourself a ripped physique all under one roof. There’s no catch!
Eating is another tough one. If you can afford easy-to-eat takeaways, then go for that, but if you do worry about your waistline and general health, buying pre-packed salads and ready-to-eat chicken will keep your hunger levels to a minimum. You have to keep things simple when living in your car. Use your common sense and become a survival specialist!
If you want some privacy, spending a small amount on tinting your windows will make a world of difference. It will mean you can sleep without passers-by realizing you’re living in your car, which should help you doze off a little easier!
Other than that, you’re on your own. We wouldn’t recommend living in your car as a full-time hobby, but if you want to try it out and see how you would cope, the aforementioned tips should see you right.
Title Image Source: Flickr/300td.org
Buying a gym membership sounds the most sensible step to address the issue of hygiene when living in a car. I’m not thinking of doing this immediately but if forced by a situation, I know what option to take. Thanks!