This video came about after a bit of an unusual week — a journalist from the Australian Financial Review reached out because she’d seen my older video about why I invest in shares rather than property… while living in a van. So I wanted to go deeper and share the real reasons I chose van life instead of buying a house, and how that choice has changed my finances, my freedom, and honestly, my happiness. I also share my background in finance (bookkeeping business, business management, treasurer roles, and working in finance now), but just to be super clear: I’m not a financial advisor, and this is not financial advice — it’s just my story. I talk through my personal backstory (trying van life in Canada in 2018, then buying Gypsy in 2021 and fitting her out in a few weeks), and why property ownership just doesn’t suit me — the stress, the responsibility, and the big upfront cost. I share how van life has helped me save around 50% (sometimes more) of my salary, and why I prefer shares for my personality (I get bored with “sit and forget”). I also touch on super, YouTube/prints as diversified income, the fear of judgement, and the biggest trade-offs: loneliness/disjointedness, constant resource management, and fuel being my biggest expense. At the end of the day, I’m not anti-house — I’m pro living true to yourself. For me, waking up outdoors, chasing the weather, and collecting those magical moments (kangaroos at the door, whales under my SUP) is the whole point.