We’ve saved thousands in rent by moving into a hotel room full time
A couple who were fed up with paying high rent moved into a hotel room to live there full-time - and have saved tens of thousands of dollars a year. Maranda Bowers, 47, and her husband, John, 40, lived in a two-story, three-bedroom home for $2,300 (around £1,700) a month. But in 2023, John had an accident at work where his right hand was crushed by a steel beam so he was unable to work. Maranda, who runs a cleaning company, could not foot the rent herself, so she lived with family for two weeks before the pair made the decision to move into a hotel. "By the time John's compensation kicked in, we could not afford the inconsistency to see whether or not we had money to pay the rent," Maranda said. "It was too hard with what I was making to pay the rent on my own." (Photo: Maranda Bowers/ SWNS)
Thousands in savings
Maranda and John started living in a hotel in November 2023 and Maranda will reserve the room for six months at a time. The pair have now been living there for two years and pay $307 (around £230) a week for a one-bed hotel room - which includes power, water, internet, and free parking. Maranda said the couple have saved $12,000 (around £9,000) a year and hope that they can use the money they have saved to buy a home and some land. (Photo: Maranda Bowers/ SWNS)
'It isn't luxurious, but it is worth it'
Maranda, from Pensacola, Florida, said that the lack of financial pressure is one of the best things about living in the hotel. She explained: "The biggest positive about hotel life is you don't have to spend thousands of dollars on rent. You don't need to put together a security deposit or pay a month's rent in advance. When I book a six-month stay in this hotel, I know the max my bill will be is $307 a week. Getting $307 a week together is a lot easier than coming up with rent and utility bills every month.” Maranda confessed it isn't a fancy lifestyle, but said their hotel room is like a mini apartment. She said: "It isn't luxurious, but it is worth what we save. A lot of people also think living in a hotel room means we have to spend lots of money eating out, but that is not the case. I cook all the time. I cooked Thanksgiving and Christmas for half the hotel." (Photo: Maranda Bowers/ SWNS)
'I like the convenience of it'
Maranda and John’s room has a kitchenette with a two-stove burner, and a full-size fridge so that they can cook their own meals. Power, water, emptying of bins, internet and free parking are included in their weekly payments. The room is cleaned every two weeks, if requested, and fresh bed sheets are offered every day. Maranda said: "I like the convenience of it, it is one bill a week. I don't have to worry about running the water or turning on the air conditioning." The couple have also been able to put dividers up, so that Maranda has a private space to work. (Photo: Maranda Bowers/ SWNS)
'We want to live simply'
Looking to the future, Maranda and John are hoping to eventually move out of the hotel - but are not wanting to buy a property as big as their old house. "We want to live simply, go on vacations and live our life rather than put all our money into a huge home," Maranda said. "Our kids are grown, we don't have any little ones anymore, communal living doesn't bother us. I would love a tiny home, we no longer want a big house - we like the simplicity of living simply." (Photo: Maranda Bowers/ SWNS)
