Shannon Lane, from London, England, ditched her apartment and quit the rat race to live off-grid on a boat, saying it saves her ￡6,000 ($7,614) a year. The 29-year-old was sick of paying ￡900 ($1,142) a month for room in a 3-bedroom apartment and was looking for something more affordable for her and her dog Gilbert. She decided to take out a loan and buy a ￡24,000 ($30,456) boat, which she moved into in January 2023. She now saves ￡500 ($634) a month and travels around the Grand Union Canal, moving every two weeks. However, it hasn’t been smooth sailing, and Shannon says she experienced “boat blues” as she grappled with freezing weather, learning to move the boat, emptying the toilet, and refilling her water storage. The artist pays ￡300 ($380.70) a month for the loan on her boat, which is her only expense outside of gas for the boat — an enormous savings over what she was paying for rent and utilities at her apartment. She has no electric bill, as solar panels on the boat provide her electricity. On the positive side, Shannon says that the best part of boat life is the boating community and how nice people are to one another. She also appreciates the freedom boat life has given her.
