Woman living in her car for 600 days has zero regrets. Here's how she does it.
With housing becoming so unaffordable, people are turning to different options. It's likely no coincidence that with the increase in housing prices, there's been increased interest in van life. Some of these vans are outfitted with beds, toilets, and sinks, while others are regular minivans with the seats removed. Some van lifers take things to the next level by outfitting an old school bus to become a tiny mobile home essentially.
Typically, individuals who choose to live on the road are childless and invest a significant amount of money to get started. But what if you're low on funds and don't own a van? No worries; Taylor Bowen-Loven has figured out how to live in her car for over 600 days comfortably, and she wants to share her knowledge with other single women who want to live rent-free while traveling the country.
Woman enjoying the view from a camper's window.Photo credit: Canva
Car living isn't for everyone, and it's certainly not for those who enjoy the kind of luxuries only a permanent address can give. Others, however, could be comfortable living in a shoe if it meant not having to pay a couple of thousand in rent every month. If that's you, then you might want to learn how it's done. Bowen-Loven has become sort of a pro at the unique lifestyle after nearly two years of car living.
When the 34-year-old first moved into her car, it was partly out of necessity and partly out of choice. She explains in one of her older videos that after being offered a place to sublet from a friend in Texas, the situation quickly turned sour, which required her to think on her feet. Not ready to return to her family in North Carolina and not willing to risk her mental health in an uncomfortable living situation, she sought advice on turning her car into a livable space while she traveled the country.
Along the way, she saved a decent amount of money by not having to pay rent and utilities and was able to visit states she wouldn't have been able to afford to see otherwise. The woman documents her journey on her social media page, sharing exactly what she found to be a waste of money and what works best. One of the first things on the list is safety. Since she sleeps in public places, she uses specialized shades to black out her windows so no one can see inside her space. She also has multiple forms of self-protection stashed in different areas of her car, all within arm's reach no matter her location within the vehicle.
As a solo traveling woman, she prefers to park in public places like truck stops, 24-hour gas stations, and big retail stores with all-night security patrols. She also tries to find longer-term parking spots by making arrangements with business owners, but car life isn't always easy. The woman documents how she lost one of her long-term spaces after the business owner changed his mind about allowing her to park in his lot.
Bowen-Loven also doesn't have a job that requires her to be stationary, which allows her nomadic lifestyle. Instead of clocking in for a nine-to-five where she has to live in one location, she DoorDash in whatever city she's currently in. If you're curious about her showering, hair styling, or personal hygiene routines, the nomad has a gym membership that grants her access to facilities in any state.
Bowen-Loven also utilizes the Rover app to pet sit. It not only provides her with another source of income but also offers an air-conditioned place to stay during the hotter months, accommodating pet owners on vacation for a week or two at a time. It's the perfect gig for someone living the van life who wants a short break from sleeping in their vehicle. Instead of staying in her home state of North Carolina, Bowen-Loven follows the sun to avoid dealing with the colder fall and winter months.
If you think you need a large SUV or to spend upwards of $30k a year on a place to live, you don't. Bowen-Loven makes it work with her Prius, and before her short stint at trying apartment living again, the car fit her and her service dog Sugar, who passed away last year. The nomadic woman believes so much in living the kind of life you want that she wrote an ebook called Nomad Unlocked: A Solo Female's Guide to Living on the Road.
When one woman explained that car life wouldn't work for her family of seven, Bowen-Loven didn't hesitate to ease the concern, writing, "Nope, not in a car, but have seen large families do bus life and RV life!"
In another comment, someone responds to her video, asking if renters are okay by saying, "No, I am NOT okay. Especially living in a beach town in Southern California. I am seriously considering buying an RV." To which Bowen-Loven responds, "Girllll I don’t even wanna ask how much the rent is 😭. I want to buy an RV tooo!!! There’s apps I talk about in my ebook that are great too for finding good parking areas for RVs. But yes rv life and nomad life are soooo much better in my opinion!!"