Apr 07 2025 41 mins 4
Most people aren’t neutral about the idea of living in a car, and that’s exactly why we needed to talk about it.
This week, we dig into the stigma, structure, and stories behind van life. It’s not a guide on how to gut a Sprinter or stealth-camp in a Target parking lot, it’s a deeper exploration of what it means to live differently and why that still freaks people out.
From the viral story of Dawn Robinson of En Vogue (yes, *that* Dawn) who shared that she’s been living in her car by choice for the past three years, to our personal stories of barbers, truckers, and friends navigating life on the margins of “traditional” housing, we cover the full terrain of what it means to opt out of the norm. Spoiler alert: it’s complicated.
We cover:
- Why alternative housing is still treated as “failure” unless it’s influencer-approved
- The invisible infrastructure that makes van life even possible and why it’s not always fully “off-the-grid”
- Why HUD, housing policy, and language matter more than you think
- The difference between choosing van life vs. surviving it
- How Black culture relates to nontraditional housing, and why we don’t often see ourselves in the #vanlife aesthetic
- The emotional, financial, and logistical costs of so-called “freedom”
This is one of those “sit with it” episodes. It’s not about romanticizing struggle or glamorizing minimalism, it’s about challenging the way we define dignity, shelter, success, and the American dream.
Because let’s be honest: if someone chooses to live in a van and finds peace, why does it make the rest of us so uncomfortable?
Listen in. Challenge your definitions. And maybe, just maybe, reconsider what home really means.
Connect with Julien and Kiersten on our website, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Join our email list to get updates from us, opportunities for discounts, freebies and a quick rundown on the relevant financial and career news impacting your life.
Get our book Cashing Out: Win the Wealth Game by Walking Away, named 2023 best overall book about investing by Business Insider and one of the best personal finance books by Forbes
If you would like to learn more about investing, check out our newest class, Making Money Grow
