The Bold Approach to Self Sustainability

I talk all the time on here about the different ways to minimise your life, simplify your life, relax and be simple. I talk a lot about self sustainability because in truth it is really important, there is so many aspects to it that are important to know, however even more important to practice. However sometimes self sustainable lifestyles can be new, hard to start and costly to begin. There are no doubts of the long term benefits, it is simply just taking that first step. For example solar power, we realise it should be a part of the future and we accept it’s benefits however the startup cost is audacious and no one wants to take that leap.

 

I have the same problem in my life, see I live in a rental apartment, and i have for a while now, meaning I can’t change much, I can’t take the same steps I’d like to be taking. There are things like gardening, composting, sustainable energy and downsizing that just are not possible in a rental property. With today’s economy it is not a feasible option to buy a house or buy my own property, the costs are too high and I am a single working person. Even still though, I’d love to stop paying rent, stop paying outrageous bills and start saving for a better future. I’m not alone in this, many young people of my generation realise all the great benefits of a sustainable lifestyle however we are not in a financial standpoint to do so.

 

The title lists, a bold approach, that is what is necessary for someone my age to take a sustainable approach to life. I’ve looked into numerous options and most of them require having land, which for me is currently not a possibility. So instead I have to look at mobile living options, I’m not talking trailers or campers because personally I find this “trashy” and not exactly the way I would like to be living. So how bold exactly are we talking? Well the kind of bold that involves sacrificing everything I currently have to create a brand new lifestyle in a short, quick and brand new way. I would in part say that I am doing this out of desperation and part because I want to change and I want to change now. I am young and allowed to make mistakes so why not try these big ventures now and see where they take me? That is the beauty of a young age, we are allowed to mess up and it is simply considered natural and actually good learning experience. So I’m going to take the bold step, completely drop every luxury I currently have and buy a bus. Yes that is it I am buying an old school bus to turn into my home on the go.

 

So yes, a school bus, the same long yellow school bus that takes countless children to school, well as it turns out they can only run for so long then they are put up for sale. They are cheap, not pocket change but cheap with all things considered. Now I just mentioned above that I was giving up all luxuries for this leap, what exactly do I mean by luxury? Well running water is a luxury, so is heat and gas, having an at home internet connection, having a full washroom and having a proper living space. None of those things will be in the bus when I first start, it is an empty vessel for whatever I decide to put inside. So depending on finances, because I’m doing this using savings, we can see how much can get done and how quickly with the finances I have but to do this I am ready to sacrifice all of those things in order to achieve my goal. This isn’t to say that it is forever, I plan to add in a full washroom, add in a full kitchen and add most of the regular utilities and luxuries everyone else just takes for granted daily.

 

Why though? Why would anyone want to suddenly put himself into this situation? Well as I said it is a bold step to self sustainability. The hope is that everything that can be made on my own should be. I should rely on a separate company for my electricity, I don’t need gas to heat my space, I don’t need a massive apartment where I am paying far more than needed. All of this can be solved on my own and it just requires a bold step. You can read more about the full plan for the bus in another article but here I’d like to highlight the important features. So there will be on board water storage for the sink and the shower, it will be very precise amounts designed to fill certain amounts of time. The toilet is not your usual toilet, there is no water and it is completely composting, a simple and seemingly primitive solution. There is one sink in the entire house, there is no oven, just stove burners. The entire bus is powered using 3 or 4 solar panels and a battery bank. There is almost no need for lights as everything is naturally lit by windows surrounding 360 degrees. Everything is natural wood, no harsh finishing, no chemicals and no need for weak materials, and the entire thing is inside of a moving vehicle combining two of the largest costs in life into one place. The bus is still designed to run on diesel but we will see about changing that with time. Overall the bus is a self sustaining vehicle and does all of the necessary functions on it’s own. This eliminates utility costs, rent cost, and other things like that. My main costs will become gas and food. Leaving a lot of money to save or spend as desired.

 

If my journey interests you please continue to check back here as we will be posting some updates and eventually we will start a new blog dedicated to the project. If you are interested in my full walkthrough of the project then feel free to find the article describing the full planning of the bus on this same blog.

 

Thanks for reading and I hope this journey is something that intrigues and interests many.

Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!