With rental rates on the rise, hipsters and hippies are abandoning their tenancy agreements and breaking free from council tax...
We've all heard about the 23-year-old student who's currently living on a train in Germany, but while making the Settle-to-Carlisle railway your home might not appeal in the long term, finding a flat-share isn't your only option for bedding down on a budget.
THE TENT DWELLERS Live like it's Bestival all year long by pitching up in a stranger's garden in exchange for a small fee. Jodie from Devon recently spent 10 months in a bell tent with her husband: 'We've learnt a lot about tents, ourselves, and life in general,' she explains. 'And so far we have saved more than £8,500.' SURVIVAL TIP: Paint it white, and you can tell strangers you live in an igloo. Which just sounds cooler.
THE VAN NOMADS Vans aren't just handing for storing furniture - they're quickly becoming one of the UK's most popular forms of alternative accommodation - there's even an subreddit dedicated to life on the road (*cough* car park). And if you can't fork out for a vehicle of your own, you can even rent one in Dalston, London, for £40 a night. SURVIVAL TIP: Pick a spot near a swimming pool: free showers and verucca socks to keep your toes warm.
THE CAR CRASHERS Forget booking a hotel next time you visit New York. For just £39 a night, you can stay indefinitely in the back of a converted yellow taxi, thanks to Airbnb. 'We only used it to sleep in,' says former guest Alex from Manchester, adding that it's about experiencing New York, not 'staying in your room'. SURVIVAL TIP: Download Instagram before moving in. Otherwise there is remarkably little point.