A woman who has moved into her car to save money says the unusual lifestyle choice has had the unintended side effect of leaving her healthier than ever.
Nikita Crump, 31, from Florida, US, moved into her car after being unable to afford rent and bills due to the rising cost of living, but she says she has enjoyed the freedom from relentless monthly payments.
Ms Crump worked two jobs through most of her 20 and was still forced to live paycheck to paycheck, bringing in $1,300 (£1132) a month only to see $1,200 (£1045) vanish on rent and bills, leaving her just $100 (£87) for food.
In 2019 she had finally had enough and moved out of her rented flat and into her new pad, a 2012 Honda Civic.
Ms Crump has now spent the last three years living out of her car and says she is finally financially stable, without the burden of bills and rent.
She has been able to save up $25,000 (£22k) which has gone on a deposit for a van.
Ms Crump shares her nomadic life with one million social media followers, as the global rise in the cost of living means more and more people want to know what life would be like without bills and rent.
"I just really can't imagine throwing money away on rent again," Nikita told NeedToKnow.online.
“I haven't looked back. Once I moved into my car, my life improved drastically."
"Sure, it has its challenges day-to-day but I went from a depressed, broke person in 2019, to a thriving and active person in 2020.
"The financial stability just changed everything for me and also made me see just how sad and affected I was in hindsight."
Ms Crump left her first part-time job in August 2020 and was able to pack in her other job in May 2021 to become a content creator.
Without any furniture, Nikita decided to attach a tray to her steering wheel for meal times. If she fancies cooking a healthy meal, she pops by her friend's house to use their appliances.
In the boot of her car, Ms Crump separates her entire belongings into four storage bins – electronics, outdoor essentials, bathroom items and a junk/miscellaneous tub.
When it comes to bathing, she will grab her toiletries from the car and freshen herself up in a 24-hour gym.
Each night she decides where she is going to sleep by looking for nearby neighbourhoods with a family feel in a bid to keep safe.
Despite global fuel prices increasing around the world – pushing Ms Crump's costs up a notch – she says it’s still cheaper than paying rent and bills.
But Ms Crump admits her freedom doesn't come without its own setbacks.
She added: "Every task is more challenging when you live in a Sedan.
"I can’t just walk 20ft to a toilet or shower, and I never have complete and utter privacy.
"I have to drive to a public establishment that won’t mind if I use their bathrooms and leave. I usually go to Target, Home Depot, or my gym."
She now earns more money as a travel influencer than in her previous jobs and boasts over 1.1million followers on her Instagram and TikTok.
Some followers have been quick to slate her lifestyle choice.
One social media user said: "You could just, you know, be an adult and not live in your car."
Another added: "Get a job!"
But others lapped up her savvy ways.
One follower wrote: "As long as your happy. That’s all that matters. Love you girl."
Another TikTok user added: "She couldn't afford rent. I think this is genius you became resourceful and made the best decision for you. I would have def do this if I could."
