This mother-daughter duo is preparing to leave the apartment life to live the “vanlife.”

Marie-Claude Lapierre and her daughter Aurelie are getting ready to live. aerial life In six months. A new adventure of freedom and savings.

What prompts a mother and her daughter to leave the comfort of their home to live in a converted vehicle for the summer? “It's really freedom, autonomy, and then financial freedom,” explains Marie-Claude.

After selling his house during the pandemic, the 42-year-old decided to buy a van last May to move in with his 15-year-old daughter, jumping into the project with both of them. ft.

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Her goal: to enjoy the summer and feel free as she travels the roads of Quebec.

A project accomplished thanks to… YouTube

From floors to insulation, including furniture, Marie-Claude turned her van into a YouTube guide in a year.

“I started listening to 10,000 videos on transformation [de véhicule]. It's a lot of work, but I'm very proud,” says Marie-Claude, who invested $85,000 in her project.

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Now that their home is ready for adventure, the two daydream about the summer lifestyle.

“We can park near the beach, open the doors, and actually see the sand, the ocean. It would be fun to have dinner by the beach,” says Aurelie, reflecting on the trip they'll take. Planning on Îles-de-la-Madeleine.

$8,000 less in expenses

With no debt to her name, Marie-Claude says she feels more financially independent, especially since she plans to continue saving during her six-month run.

“I calculated that I would save $7,000 to $8,000 in living expenses and rent. Now we can put money away without losing ourselves, he says.

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For sleeping, sleepers prefer free spaces found in apps. aerial life. They also plan to meet with family members and friends who have agreed to lend a portion of their land to defray costs.

Many activities in the project

Since Marie-Claude keeps her job as a representative and bartender at a bar during the week, the savings she makes by cutting her salary and expenses will help her enjoy the summer. On long weekends she plans to go on adventures with her daughter.

“We have three weeks in the Magdalen Islands and we have festivals throughout the summer. We still work a little bit so we keep the job and go out. But we go for a walk,” she said.

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When they return from their trip, Marie-Claude learns that the rental she finds in October is more expensive than the apartment she left behind. However, she hopes to live Snowbirds whose property is vacant during the winter season.

“My crazy idea, too, should come across Snowbirds “People who leave for the winter and have someone in their house to water the plants are very happy,” says Marie-Claude.

This way, she can easily repeat the experience year after year.