Post: #26

I admire this young guy for making do with the salary he's given.

However, what is disturbing is that this guy is working in one of most high growth and prosperous industries in the nation for one of the most powerful dot coms around and would barely make ends meet if he had to give up his hobo lifestyle.

If he's still only saving 90% while living in u-haul and pretty much doesn't pay for food/utilities that means his take home pay can't be that much to begin with. I'm guessing it's around 50k before taxes. If he actually lived like a regular person he'd be paycheck to paycheck and deep into debt.

Tell me if that makes any sense while working in an industry that pumps out hundreds of billions in profits, imports h1b workers, and where the top percent are ridiculously wealthy.

edit: Just as a quick comparison when I was his age I was making roughly the same amount (this was a pretty long time ago) and didn't have to live like a bum and had a pretty nice lifestyle in the L.A. area. I'm not in the same field though but I remember a friend who was in IT was making much more than that on his entry level job for microsoft around the late 90's and also was living well. If this guy is barely making ends meet in 2015 then IT wages are truly stagnant as fuck.

Post: #27

Should have bought a used RV and rocked out in that. Personally, I could totally enjoy retirement in an RV around the country.

I'm more curious why Google's facilities department hasn't tried to kick him out yet or tow his vehicle.

Post: #28

"yeah buddy, I'm ok. Here's my google employee card. I'm just taking a break, I'm working late. I'll go back to my desk shortly."

Post: #29

I got excited when I saw this on his blog. Thought he may have been living my dream.




I've been a "Body Builder" for the past few years, building bodies for these exact Isuzu trucks to sell as new by the dealer. I know them inside out.

But alas, turns out hes running an old banger box body.




I'll keep dreaming:

Post: #30

(10-21-2015 04:39 AM)Sooth Wrote:  I got excited when I saw this on his blog. Thought he may have been living my dream


I've been a "Body Builder" for the past few years, building bodies for these exact Isuzu trucks to sell as new by the dealer. I know them inside out.

But alas, turns out hes running an old banger box body.

If I worked at google and saw a crappy truck like that just loitering in the parking lot I'd start to wonder if someone was setting up to go all Tim McVeigh on the place.

Post: #31

(10-21-2015 04:03 AM)NomadofEU Wrote:  What's up with the haters in this thread? The guy has the willpower and strength of character to say Fuckyou to reward, luxury and comfort and live life on his terms ultimately achieving financial independence in a few years. Every guy on here should strive to emulate his example, whether he has game enough to pull women (bay area snatch = shit) is beside the point.

I read through the truck guy's blog. There's nothing wrong with wanting to live frugally and save up cash - but this isn't normal frugal living. This is extreme asceticism.

Look at the pictures of how he lives. I've seen cardboard boxes that look more homely and inviting.

I'd put him at the same level of weirdness as Rob Rhinehart, the Soylent guy. Read up on his obsession with "optimising" every single element of his life - it's the level to which it's taken that makes it so unnatural.

"I'd hate myself if I had that kind of attitude, if I were that weak." - Arnold

Post: #32

- I hope he moves it every few days to prevent tire warping.

- He could get laid in that thing if he had game (that said, when I was 22 I had no game, so who knows).

- You couldn't do this in 99% of the country for more than a couple months a year. Where I live it's too hot in the summer and way too freezing in the winter.

- Where does he shit? That'd be worth a solid (hehe) $3k per year.

- I'm guessing he went truck vs motor home because Google probably wouldn't want an RV in their parking lot. If Google doesn't want an RV in their parking lot, they don't want a kids living in their parking lot. His time is limited.

- Call me elitist, but the last thing I'd want in my state/city are people living out of trucks. That's not this kid's fault I understand. Good for him...it just doesn't seem like a feel good story.

Dude is smart and thrifty. He'll do well in life till some broad takes half his stuff.

Post: #33

(10-21-2015 08:38 AM)heavy Wrote:  - Call me elitist, but the last thing I'd want in my state/city are people living out of trucks. That's not this kid's fault I understand. Good for him...it just doesn't seem like a feel good story.

Actually, it was a bit of a problem back when we lived in the same city/state together.

I was familiar with a few incidents of people camping out just like this guy back on the ol' campus. Usually ended with Do-Not-Trespass letters being signed and delivered.

Post: #34

(10-20-2015 05:25 PM)WalterBlack Wrote:  I wonder if he managed to get any women to go back to his truck with him, and how successful he was with them.

He doesn't sound like he has a lot of game, but there's a certain instructor from a certain company that bought a van, spray painted "rape van" on the side, and managed to pull chicks from SF bars into it and fuck them with their enthusiastic consent.

WIA

Post: #35

(10-21-2015 08:38 AM)heavy Wrote:  - Call me elitist, but the last thing I'd want in my state/city are people living out of trucks. That's not this kid's fault I understand. Good for him...it just doesn't seem like a feel good story.

Dude is smart and thrifty. He'll do well in life till some broad takes half his stuff.

San Francisco and other older but hip cities basically suffer from people not willing to do what is necessary.

"My children grew up in this house" or some other nonsense.

In China, they would have knocked down all them pretty little houses and built enough housing stock so that there wouldn't be this problem. And they would have "compensated" the owners.

You can't even build a railroad in the middle of nowhere without private actors using the court system to hold up progress.

This might all be a moot point when telecommuting becomes the norm not the exception.

WIA

Post: #36

Good for him, I'm closing the deal on a 31 foot class A this week. Seriously considered moving into it full time to live dirt cheap. Without a huge mortgage payment or other giant expenses hanging over our heads, a lot of small biz owners wouldn't have to get day jobs in the early years.

Post: #37

(10-21-2015 09:16 AM)DJ-Matt Wrote:  Good for him, I'm closing the deal on a 31 foot class A this week. Seriously considered moving into it full time to live dirt cheap. Without a huge mortgage payment or other giant expenses hanging over our heads, a lot of small biz owners wouldn't have to get day jobs in the early years.

There's a world of difference between this kid's truck and a 31 foot class A. A 31 foot RV is probably bigger than my first apartment.

Even a small van-sized class B is better than what this kid has.

What model did you buy?

Post: #38

I was all set to make fun of him when I read the thread title, but after reading the article...

Good on him. Most questions people have asked in this thread (where he goes to the bathroom, if google know, etc) have been answered on his blog. This blog post tells you a lot, including that he is not the only one doing this there and that Google knows but doesn't remove them http://frominsidethebox.com/view?key=5189192371929088

When you are that age and just employed in a big city you hardly ever use your place for anything but sleep. So rent is basically burning money. Regarding women, if he wants sex he can go to a woman's place...or just not do it for a while. There are certain things more important than immediate sex, girlfriend, wife, etc to many people. He can reap the rewards later when he has established a good career and has savings and gets good returns on those savings.

And it's true, and sad, that someone in such a profitable company has to live like this, but note that he is 23. He has just started out in his career. No one makes big bucks when they are working a job right from the get go. Those who do run their own business. Still, it certainly speaks volumes about modern day wage slavery, the cost of living/inflation and how the '99%' (aka most people in the world) appear to live and work only to support the exorbitant lifestyles and engage in more wealth creation for the top '1%' (aka the elites) It also speaks volumes about the growing cost of living in major cities. There are many places in the US that are much cheaper, but they don't offer such career opportunities. This guy and others like him sacrifice now so they can be well established and move up the ladder later on in life.

Also, the most amazing thing to me, honestly, is that he has a laptop that can hold it's charge for the entire night! Where do you get one of these babies? I guess he must not use it for media.

Post: #39

Besides his stuff animals this dude's smart.

FUCK the absurdly high rent prices in SF, 2 of my friends live there and it's INSANE how much they pay.

This is obviously extreme way of saving, but I like it.

As far as getting laid - Tuth is right, who hasn't fucked in a parking lot, the girls car, her house, etc.

Good on him, he's beating the system.

Post: #40

(10-21-2015 04:23 AM)El Chinito loco Wrote:  I admire this young guy for making do with the salary he's given.

However, what is disturbing is that this guy is working in one of most high growth and prosperous industries in the nation for one of the most powerful dot coms around and would barely make ends meet if he had to give up his hobo lifestyle.

If he's still only saving 90% while living in u-haul and pretty much doesn't pay for food/utilities that means his take home pay can't be that much to begin with. I'm guessing it's around 50k before taxes. If he actually lived like a regular person he'd be paycheck to paycheck and deep into debt.

Tell me if that makes any sense while working in an industry that pumps out hundreds of billions in profits, imports h1b workers, and where the top percent are ridiculously wealthy.

That's exactly my thought as well when reading the story. He saves only 24.000$ and claims to be able to save 90% of his income because of that. Working at Google - that means that he isn't paid much.

Also he seems to be autistic almost.



This article is more a show of the crappy economic times frankly and reminds me of this:





The economy is going to shit while people are getting squeezed out living for 2000$/month at 4 people on 65m2. That is the problem, less that guy's ability to save more cash. (and be stupid about it telling everyone)

Post: #41

His net savings has been $198.12?

I guess that'll improve after he's done with college loans.

Post: #42

He can always double up and use his "house" as a meth lab.

Post: #43

(10-21-2015 09:34 AM)Captainstabbin Wrote:  

(10-21-2015 09:16 AM)DJ-Matt Wrote:  Good for him, I'm closing the deal on a 31 foot class A this week. Seriously considered moving into it full time to live dirt cheap. Without a huge mortgage payment or other giant expenses hanging over our heads, a lot of small biz owners wouldn't have to get day jobs in the early years.

There's a world of difference between this kid's truck and a 31 foot class A. A 31 foot RV is probably bigger than my first apartment.

Even a small van-sized class B is better than what this kid has.

What model did you buy?

Fleetwood Fiesta with workhorse (chevrolet) chassis.

Post: #44

That interior is really ugly. Why didn't he just get a second hand RV. I'm sure he could have got one that had a decent interior and the mechanical condition to at least get him to San Francisco for $10,000 or less. Does he need the van so that it is inconspicuous?

Post: #45

(10-21-2015 01:04 PM)Zelcorpion Wrote:  ...

The economy is going to shit while people are getting squeezed out living for 2000$/month at 4 people on 65m2. That is the problem, less that guy's ability to save more cash. (and be stupid about it telling everyone)

That's why it astounds me nearly every US tech startup either is in the San Francisco Bay area or has some sort of desire to be there. The town planning set-up there is always going to be decades behind the demand curve. So as to protect entrenched interests. The sensible solution would be to free up masses of "brownfield" sites near public transport for high density earthquake safe residential buildings. The ranches out in the hills can stay as is for the billionaire and multi-millionaire class. Paying $2,000 to share some crappy condo with 3 other people is not sustainable.

Frankly even New York is a better location. Trendy locations are expensive, but it is possible to get more reasonable places still on transport routes. The impression I get of the Bay area is that the housing market is screwed up from the top to bottom as a result of weird town planning regulations. No doubt they now have weird laws in New York as well. It's just that so much housing was built before those specific special interests could gain ascendancy. So there is much more stock per capita than in San Francisco. But if I have it wrong please let me know.

I think if I were starting a US tech company I'd look to set up in Las Vegas. Cheap real-estate. Would be attractive to young tech workers. Excellent air hub. Nevada tax regulations. Why is everyone going to San Francisco?

Post: #46

^^^

It seems to be a chicken or the egg problem. All the tech talent flocks to silicon valley so companies have to be there to tap into it. If you open up a office in Las Vegas for example you might get some eager fresh graduates to work there but employees with established roots and looking for backup job options in the area won't move there.

Post: #47

^^^ Tony Hsieh founder of Zappos is trying his hardest to make Las Vegas a tech hub, spending millions of his own fortune and it still isn't helping.

Post: #48

(10-22-2015 11:44 AM)Bad Hussar Wrote:  That interior is really ugly. Why didn't he just get a second hand RV. I'm sure he could have got one that had a decent interior and the mechanical condition to at least get him to San Francisco for $10,000 or less. Does he need the van so that it is inconspicuous?

I think that is it. There is a subculture of Boondockers/Stealth Campers, and the idea is to blend in with the environment:

http://www.cheaprvliving.com/boondocking...alth-park/


It's not just to avoid cops and security guards. It's also to pass under the radar of drug addicts and other nefarious types.

A white box truck fits in anywhere, though he could have made a little more effort with the interior. There are a million videos about rv conversions on youtube for all kinds of vans. Not so many box trucks.

This chick did something similar, though either she, or guys she knew, put a little more work into it:

Post: #49

(10-22-2015 11:59 AM)Bad Hussar Wrote:  Why is everyone going to San Francisco?

Venture capitalists, angel investors, ability to raise money, can quickly recruit top talent if you grow and offer enough, or get bought out from other tech companies.

Post: #50

delete