To live in a Travelodge

[oakkiln]

Inspired by the other poster who started a threads about liquidating their assets and living in luxury hotels in their old age (but, for us, sadly without the assets!)

My husband and I are in a desperate situation. We are both late middle age and still rent. We are doing everything we can to save for a deposit for a house and live very frugally.

Rent, rates and all house costs etc come to £21k a year. But we could live in a Travelodge for £11k. Storage for furniture etc would be £2k

Are we crazy to consider it for just a year or two?

Depends on your work but my cousin and DP lived in a camper for years, travelled around the country, stayed for weeks a time on land with permission or with family.
they loved it and when they decided that camperlife was over they bought a static caravan …

Why didn’t you use a tea towel?

Could you travel? teach English?

House sitting or pet sitting?

Loads in London for 4 or more weeks at a time.

Not a travelogue because no cooking, but find a couple of airbnbs with mini kitchens and you’d be fine. It’s a good idea.

How does it work for people living on cruise ships or in posh hotels with regard to addresses for credit cards etc?

Very, very rarely. I use one of the 2 on the M62 if I go to Old Trafford for a night game and it's one of the more downmarket ones - I've never got it for as little as £30 and sometimes (obviously, when they already have a lot of bookings) it can be more than £70. The rooms are very basic.

Cruise ship?

https://www.unilad.com/news/travel/man-lives-cruise-ship-cheaper-renting-613285-20230812

It really isn’t great but this is what is happening in London to families needing temporary accommodation. They are put in hotel rooms and moved about with no cooking facilities. I have known families I work with to be in this situation for more than a year with teenage children sharing a room/bed with parents .

so it is doable but not very nice

I could travel around say in Europe (have EU passport) and go from place to place, still keep my home base. However travel insurance for long stays at my age + 65 is prohibitive, and I have pre existing conditions too. It would be a nice adventure, and I could I suppose just cough up for the exorbitant (but vital) insurance, but it would not be a lifestyle change, just an adventure.

Got me thinking! No other ties and a decent pension coming in too. Thankfully. I probably don't do enough with the resources I have. No point being the richest person in the graveyard though!

I lived in a French equivalent for 3 months as a student, difference being it had a mini fridge, microwave and single hob. It was great! But I was out all day.

I once stayed in a hotel that was an ex-travelodge - "upgraded" to a premium room, it had a microwave.

I thought it was a bit odd at first, but it was pouring and I got drenched on day one, and didn't have much in the way of change of clothes with me.
It was bliss to spend the night in with a microwave paella from M&S instead of trudging out to a restaurant.

But that was just the first night.

Big plate for the buffet for the win!

Why not put your stuff in storage then live in a bedsit/studio appartment for a year? Much cheaper to rent and at least you have cooking facilities unlike in a Travelodge so food is cheaper.

Go for it and write a book about it. Someone might want to make a film about it one day. That's a huge amount of money to spend on rent and bills. I love the idea and think it's a no-brainer. Make sure Travelodge give you a whopping discount 😀

Might not allow it, fire regulations etc

They definitely wouldn't allow it. There are no fridges in Travelodge rooms either, so no place to store food.

bugdet in your food aswell cruises might work out better unlimited food most do drinks packages aswell

The Travellodges that are regularly £30 a night are seriously rough (think police called regularly rough). Even they don’t have every night at £30 anyway.

Most of the ‘special offer’ £30 a night ones have one or two rooms at that price for a couple of days then the prices shoot back up.

Also, I think the amount that would have to be spent on food would cancel out most of the savings.

There are loads of long term guests cooking in the Reading travelodge.

I stayed in an unstaffed Airbnb hotel recently. It had a big communal kitchen and an en suite room with kettle. That would be more comfortable than a travel tavern. It sounds like what you really need is a large double en suite room in a house share/ lodger environment where you can cook and do laundry but it’s cheaper and all your bills are in.

Surely it would make more sense to move from your current place to a studio flat? Same space available as in a TravelLodge but plus kitchen, permanent address etc.

Thanks everyone, some really good points on here and I really appreciate you taking the time to reply.

No permanent address for a mortgage was something I hadn't thought of and might be a major spanner in the works. A double room in a house might be good but we're quite solitary people and not sure I'd like to share a kitchen (but would be happy sneaking a microwave into a travel lodge and that's all I'd really need)

I like the idea of a touring caravan van but the campsite charges seem really high especially when you add on an extra adult and electric hook up etc. We also don't live in a particularly touristy place so very few within driving distance of work.

Has anyone got any experience of living in a camper van or touring caravan?

I'd do it. I'd love it. No clutter.
No stuff. You can eat frugally and cheaply on the outside, it wouldn't be that difficult.

If you’re willing to live in a Travelodge you’d probably be better off just renting a room as a couple. At least you’d have where to cook.

You’re not allowed even a toaster in a Travelodge and they’re quite strict on that due to fire safety.