Life on a boat

From paying $1,642 a month with rent, gas and electric, her expense now is just $347 a month on the boat. Pics/Instagram

Elizabeth Earle, 33, first bought her narrowboat, the Leviathan, for $5,200 in 2019 and has since spent an extra $16,500 on renovations and decor over the past two years. The author and illustrator, from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, swapped her one-bed attic flat for her 32-foot canal boat to live the life of travel and adventure she'd only ever read about in books.

Her frugal living means she saves over $14,000 a year on bills. She said, "I grew up reading Lord of the Rings, and the Chronicles of Narnia, and grew up in a village, so I always had a fascination for that fantastical life." "I'd always loved the idea of living on a boat since I was a child, travelling to different places, meeting new people and taking your home with you. It felt like utter freedom. Not tied to paying rent or working for an ungrateful boss," says Earle.

"My bills are extremely minimal, I've gone from paying $1,642 a month with rent, gas and electric to just $347 a month on the boat." "The rent for my marina spot at Mancetter is $164 a month, but it allows me to use the facilities, so that's been quite nice during the winter as I've been able to get hot showers - as I've not managed to get the gas and hot water sorted yet."

She says that she pays $131 a month for her boating license, boat insurance is $10 a month and the Canal and River Trust tax is $136. She cooks off a camp stove and relies on her log burner to keep her warm. "You definitely have to make big compromises but it's all worth it when you wake up in the morning to the beautiful countryside." Her family is supportive, although they wish she'd do something a bit more "normal" and settle down.

$14,00
Savings in a year on bills

Wrong ethnicity

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