PebHmong Discussion Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: theking on February 08, 2024, 01:57:41 PM
-
‘Fed up with the high cost of rent’: This registered nurse lives in his car to battle hot inflation — shares his struggle in parking lot videos. Why even 'high earners' are hurting these days
Rising rents have become a substantial burden for many Americans, prompting some to resort to innovative strategies to cut down on their housing expenses.
Just look at Arslan Shono. Shono's home is a 2014 Chevy Suburban, which he has ingeniously converted into a compact dwelling complete with a bed, a portable toilet, a kitchen and even solar panels on the roof.
Shono currently parks his Suburban the parking lot of the hospital where he works as a registered nurse.
“My journey of alternative living began after I was fed up with the high cost of rent in the United States,” he writes in the description of one of his YouTube videos, where he brings viewers along with him for a regular day in his life.
From preparing coffee in his micro kitchen at 6 a.m. to resetting the van to drive to a gym to shower after his nursing shift 14 hours later, more than 1.5 million viewers watched as Shono comfortably navigated his compact — but well organized — space. Clearly, it resonated with his audience — is he on to something?
Saving tons of money?
Shono's creative living arrangement sparked a lively debate in the video's comment section. Many viewers praised his resourceful approach to a challenging situation, noting it was a financially savvy decision, especially given his profession.
One of the top comments reads, “As an RN, you must be saving tons of money living in your vehicle while you are young.”
The commenter raises a good point: nursing can be a well-paid profession. The average annual wage for registered nurses in the U.S. is $89,010, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Although Shono’s reasoning for living out of his van isn’t necessarily that he can’t afford it, posting on YouTube that he simply “hates paying for rent,” he definitely has been able to save significant amounts of money by avoiding rent.
In a 2022 TikTok, he revealed his former apartment cost him $1,800 a month with utilities by living in his van for nine months (and crashing with friends and family the other three), he was able to save a whopping $16,200 in a year.