Yeah, I'm with you. I have a guitar! I have books! I have a large bed and a variety of clothes. I need some place to store my skis and my running shoes. I enjoy cooking. I don't see myself as materialistic, just as a passionate hobbyist/human.

Tools, man. Where do you keep your table saw when you're living in a van?

You joke a bit but this is one of the biggest things I miss now (in a small apartment in the middle of a city). Growing up in suburbia with a well-stocked garage for tinkering was a wonderful experience. Yeah, hackerspaces; not quite the same though...

I won't pay 300 more a month for modern fixtures, plumbing, or millwork, but I'd pay it for a two-car heated garage with a 220v outlet and good lighting.

Haha, I told the real estate agent I wanted a 2 bedroom house with a 5 car garage :-)

220? I want 480v three phase. :-)

I'm sure it wont be long until hackerspaces become competitive enough to introduce 'hobby' workshop rooms etc for people to spend more time there...

Hell maybe apartment buildings should accommodate things like this instead of just having a gym/pool included

Hackerspaces have had various conflicts related to people living in them for decades now. You’re probably aware that Stallman was sleeping in his office at the AI Lab in the 80s.

Google has some pretty insane machine shops and labs (electrical, bio, & chemistry)... They blow my home lab out of the water -- and I've probably spent upwards of $30k on my home EE lab.

Can you walk into one and use it to make yourself a new set of silverware, or do you have to be, like, working on a Google project?

Our maker space at Google Seattle (which is not a full on machine shop, although we should have the mill online soon) is explicitly for personal projects only (for liability reasons, I believe, although IANALcat).

This. The fear of never being able to again live in an apartment is most of what keeps me from buying any tools bigger than the MakerBot.

When every one thinks alike, no one is thinking. I welcome frugalists who do not want to own home or pay rent, even though that is not my lifestyle. I see their point. Different strokes for different folks.

I can't see that as "frugalism", more just freeloading. They want the benefits of having a place to live, but with none of the responsibility or bills.

I desire private space, but I'm willing to sacrifice just about anything to avoid the Midwest and suburbia. If no private space is the cost of living in real city, then so it goes.

>Really? You honestly can't fathom why some people might desire their own, private space, away from their work environment, where they might, I dunno, live their life outside of their day-to-day drudgery?

I agree, but you do have to admit that $2k-$3k per month is a huge trade-off, especially considering how little you're actually going to get for that money.

Would you prefer to spend the same money on a shitty, expensive apartment now, or a nicer, cheaper house later?

Or, hell, simple carnal pleasures. I'm pretty thrifty, but I think it's reasonable to expect most people could come up with some pretty solid ideas to increase their happiness with an extra $1k (after tax)/month. Then save the rest.

>>Questioning that need is questioning one of the founding tenants of modern human society...

There's private space to live in his van, there's no problem there, yes he too wants a private space to live in like the rest of us. The difference is the van does not provide a box around him unlike the 2-3k box.

I completely disagree. Sure there a few things I'd want to keep with me, a couple of books, a surfboard, a suitcase with clothes and shoes, my laptop, etc.

I could leave my business clothes at work, 3 pairs of pants and 5/6 business shirts. At the end of the week I dry clean it as needed. I can shower at work and I have all the entertainment I could possibly need on my laptop.

If I had a convenient and dependable car and safe overnight parking I would DEFINITELY not pay rent. Oh yeah I'd have to lose the girlfriend too of course...