A teenager lives on a train to save money: how much money he spends per year
The teenager lives a luxurious life for only 10,000 euros a year while on the train.
He told SSPDaily about it.
Lasse Stolli, 17, has spent the last 18 months traveling by train in Germany. He spends 24 hours in a carriage doing his job surrounded by passengers.
Lasse travels a whopping 1,000 kilometers every day through bustling cities and towns in his seat on a Deutsche Bahn train. But despite the fact that the thought of living on a train is hell for many of us, the young German always travels in style and with maximum comfort.
By traveling in first class and relaxing on specially designed night trains, the teenager has truly cracked the code to no bills and a stress-free life.
The only times Lasse feels the need to jump off in real time are to take a shower in public pools or grab a bite to eat. But one of the biggest advantages of his train lifestyle is that he can do his job while exploring the country.
As a freelance software developer and blogger, Lasse has complete freedom in his working hours. And thanks to the free Wi-Fi on board the trains he uses, working literally couldn't be easier.
Lasse said: "I decided to live on the train when I was 16 years old. My school years were behind me, and the whole world was open to me. So, in the summer of 2022, I decided to give in to my passion for travel, leave my parents' house and embark on a huge adventure. The first months were hard, and I had to learn a lot about how it all works. Everything was different than I had imagined."
Lasse believes that since he embarked on his ambitious mission to live the life of his dreams, he has traveled an incredible 500,000 km.
The teenager also said that his lifestyle costs him only 10,000 euros a year, despite the fact that Lasse has the right to go anywhere he wants.
The bulk of his expenses are covered by an unlimited annual rail card, which means he can get on and off any trains he likes.
In a recent blog post where Lasse summarized his 2023, he said that "the last few months have been the busiest of the entire year." Explaining how his life on the train works, Lasse said: "If I want to go to the sea, I take the train north in the morning. If I want the noise of a big city, I look for a connection to Berlin or Munich. Or I take the express train to the Alps and go hiking. At night I sleep on a moving Intercity Express (ICE) train, and during the day I sit at my desk and work as a programmer surrounded by many other passengers. My home is a train."
For the 17-year-old, one of the only problems is the limited space for luggage. Carrying one or two heavy bags is inconvenient, so Lasse always travels with nothing, a skill he has acquired since becoming a regular traveler.
"The most important thing is my laptop and noise-canceling headphones, which at least give me a little privacy on the train," he said. "Since the available space is very limited, you have to choose carefully what you really need. This means getting rid of unnecessary things and limiting yourself to the essentials. The challenge of not accumulating more and more stuff is a central component of minimalist living. Especially with a backpack, you quickly reach the limit of space."
Lasse has found a simple solution to relax and sometimes cope with the hassle of busy trains. He just looks out the window and observes the outside world while he travels at high speeds, letting his mind run away with him. However, when Lasse is not traveling by train, he explores the places he finds himself.
One of his main goals in life is to try to do as many things as possible in as many different places as possible, so living on the train is perfect for him.
