Man fed up with taxes decides to live in a forest for $500 a month — and honestly, we're jealous

A full-time, salaried employee who goes by u/specialistpublic5503 on Reddit left his job to start a simple life in the forest. The reason? Well, he was just fed up with working relentlessly, only to end up with nothing but an overwhelming "tax debt." Exhausted with the never-ending tax liability, the man is now living his dream life in the wild for only $500 a month. The Reddit post was shared on July 13, 2025.

The man who shifted to the woods explained how he leads a nomadic life, moving from one campsite to another. "I can stay in one campsite for a month before having to move away for at least a week. I cycle between a few campsites and head into town once a month while moving sites," he shared. Since most of his family lives far away from him, and he is naturally an introvert, the man said he is fully satisfied with his new lifestyle, away from the bustling city lights. "However, in saying that, there is dignity and benefits in having a normal 9-5 life, and it is better than living in the woods for most people," he confessed. The man gave a little sneak peek into his monthly expenses, breaking down a total of $500, spilling his secrets to a minimalistic life. 

Before detailing his monthly expenses, the man revealed all the valuable items he owns, including a beater car, some wearables, camping supplies, power banks, and an Android phone that cost $150. Now, since he has a vehicle, he spends a total of $2800 annually on petrol, registration, and 3rd party insurance. Interestingly, the man has a gym membership that costs him $30, and his phone bills round up to $35 a month. "I charge all my power banks at the gym once a month with an extension board," he added. To further cut down on his expenditures, the man uses baby wipes to bathe every few days. "I might use a dollop of hand sanitiser once a week with the baby wipes. I use creek water once a fortnight with the bio-friendly soap. I carry a bucket and bathe away from the water flow," he explained. Moving on, he confessed to washing his clothes in the creek, without any detergent. 

The man spends around $130 a month on food and water, surviving mainly on tortillas, canned beans, and soya milk that he consumes within 72 hours of opening since he doesn't have a refrigerator. "I also buy around 10 packets of family-sized snacks (potato, corn, and biscuits) for calorie bulking. These cost me around $2.50 each. So about $40 on snacks, plus water, costs me $20 for a 2 x 24 bottled water pack," he added. For entertainment, the man relies on phone calls with friends and family and browsing the internet. But how does the man earn money? He works only a few months a year and depends mostly on his savings and welfare money that he gets for 4 months manually. On average, the man said he earns about $15,000 per annum. 

Just like this individual, a survey by the U.S. News found that nearly 48% of Americans with tax debt are struggling with it. In fact, they had to change their financial habits, cut down significantly on spending to pay the taxes. But, not everyone can take the risk of leaving their jobs and shifting the the wild, right?

Meanwhile, when the author turned to Reddit, sharing the ultimate life in the woods, the post received a mixed response on the platform. For instance, a person who goes by u/a_sad_british_tanker on Reddit commented, "You should look into a solar generator. But, with how low your expenses are, it would be a high upfront cost. The sun is free, though. There are also solar-powered camping showers. There is a lot of good camping gear out there. You could live like a king." On the other hand, a user who goes by u/chemical_aioli_3019 said, "This is not a sustainable way to live. This is so beyond being introverted. Your life expectancy is drastically reduced from normal people, not even to get into the mental aspect. You can maintain a healthy lifestyle while being introverted and participating in the '9-5' schedule. This is in no way a healthy way to live."