I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train

Re:I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train by Ekaros on Tuesday March 05, 2024 @05:42AM (#39601694)

Not lifestyle for me, but it is likely not actually that different from possible rents in any bigger cities. So it might work for year or two. And after that, just get a real place.

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Re:I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train by RLN on Tuesday March 05, 2024 @06:07AM (#39601890)

This is less than half of my rent in London. That's not including gas and electric bills, as well as council tax! I do enjoy having a kitchen though.

"technically has no fixed abode" I think here probably actually means he's registered at his parents house. This would likely be a lot more difficult if you were truly homeless.

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Re:I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train by smeej on Tuesday March 05, 2024 @06:51AM (#39602183)

He's only 17 years old, too, so it's not as though being registered at his parents' house would be unusual.

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Re:I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train by coldtea on Tuesday March 05, 2024 @06:52AM (#39602188)

>This is less than half of my rent in London.

For exchange of no fixed location, and just a single tiny sleep room, though.

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Re:I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train by stephenr on Tuesday March 05, 2024 @07:07AM (#39602301)

And no facilities most of us take for granted: a shower when you want; a washing machine; a kitchen with exactly what you want in it; private space; an actual bed....

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Re:I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train by coldtea on Tuesday March 05, 2024 @09:04AM (#39603561)

Yeah, like for 1/5th of the rent price, it would make more sense...

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Re:I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train by stephenr on Tuesday March 05, 2024 @09:09AM (#39603638)

Even then I don't really get it - he's clearly not tied to a specific location.

I'd be willing to bet that even a regular home (unit/flat/apartment/small house/whatever) can likely be rented for 1/5th of London rental rates, if you look in the right places: i.e., not in major cities.

Cities are expensive; Being able to work from "anywhere" makes it quite easy to make your money go a lot further, particularly in terms of housing, without resorting to being a glorified homeless drifter.

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Re:I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train by rob74 on Tuesday March 05, 2024 @06:03AM (#39601853)

You probably have to add to that the cost of eating only at restaurants (either on board or at or around train stations) > 90% of the time. And I wonder how he gets his clothes washed (and dried). Laundromat? Stop by his parents' place? Maybe I should read the blog...

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Re:I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train by dagw on Tuesday March 05, 2024 @06:09AM (#39601904)

the cost of eating only at restaurants

The article says he often eats (for free) at the 1st class lounges at the train stations

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Re:I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train by rob74 on Tuesday March 05, 2024 @06:30AM (#39602060)

That sounds a bit better than it really is: according to https://www.bahn.de/service/zug/db-lounge#zutritt (apparently only available in German), only 5 DB lounges (Berlin, München, Köln, Hamburg and Frankfurt) have a "premium area" where you can get a "small snack" - all others only offer non-alcoholic hot and cold beverages.

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Re:I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train by coldtea on Tuesday March 05, 2024 @06:53AM (#39602201)

So? It's not like the reason he uses the train is for going remote places. So he could stick to travel from/to Berlin, München, Köln, Hamburg and Frankfurt most of the time.

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Re:I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train by stephenr on Tuesday March 05, 2024 @07:08AM (#39602311)

"Eating at the first class lounge" doesn't quite mean what it sounds like though, if the reality is "get a small snack".

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