Marie-Claude Lapierre and her daughter Aurély are preparing to leave their apartment in Les Coteaux, in Montérégie, to live the vanlife during six months. A new adventure that brings freedom and savings.
What could motivate a mother and her daughter to leave the comfort of their home to live in a converted vehicle all summer? “It’s really freedom, autonomy, and then financial freedom too,” explains Marie-Claude.
After selling her house during the pandemic, the 42-year-old decided to buy a van last May with the money she made in order to convert it and live there with her 15-year-old daughter, who jumped into the project with both feet.
PHOTO AGENCY QMI, MAUDE LARIN-KIERAN
His goal: to enjoy the summer and feel freer while traveling the roads of Quebec.
A project carried out thanks to… YouTube
From floors to insulation, including furniture, Marie-Claude converted her van herself in a year, with YouTube as a guide.
“I started listening to 10,000 videos on conversion [de véhicule]. It’s a lot of work, but I’m really proud,” says Marie-Claude, who invested $85,000 in her project.
PHOTO AGENCY QMI, MAUDE LARIN-KIERAN
Now that their home on wheels is almost ready for adventure, the duo is daydreaming about their summer lifestyle.
“We’ll be able to park near the beach, open the doors, really see the sand, the sea. It’s going to be fun to make dinner on the edge of the beach,” says Aurély, thinking about the trip they’ll take. are planning in the Îles-de-la-Madeleine.
$8,000 less in expenses
Without a loan to her name, Marie-Claude says she feels more financially free, especially since she plans to continue saving during her six months on the run.
“I calculated that I would save $7,000 to $8,000 in living expenses and rent. We will now be able to put money aside without depriving ourselves, she says.
PHOTO AGENCY QMI, MAUDE LARIN-KIERAN
To sleep, they will prioritize free places found on applications intended for people who practice sleep. vanlife. They also plan to visit family members and friends who agree to lend them a piece of their land in order to reduce costs.
Several activities on the program
As Marie-Claude will keep her jobs as a representative and bartender in a bar during the week, her salary and the savings she makes by minimizing her expenses will help her enjoy the summer. She plans to treat herself to long weekends during which she will go on adventures with her daughter, as they wish.
“We have three weeks in the Magdalen Islands, we have festivals all summer. We leave while keeping our job because we still work a little. But we’re going for a walk,” she said.
PHOTO AGENCY QMI, MAUDE LARIN-KIERAN
When they return from their trip, Marie-Claude is aware that the rent she will find in October could be more expensive than that of the apartment she has just left. However, she hopes to live with snowbirds whose property is vacant for the cold season.
“My crazy idea, too, would be to come across snowbirds who are leaving for the winter and who would be very happy to have someone living in their house to water the plants,” says Marie-Claude.
This way, she could easily repeat the experience year after year.