I wouldn't live homeless, at least not at this point in my life. But that is only because I have kids and it wouldn't be fair to them. If I only had myself to think about, I would be willing to take a lot more risks.
That being said, my husband and I did do a major downsize about a year and a half ago... we sold our home and paid off most of our debts. We applied to a graduate program that he really wants to complete (and that will have a great financial payoff). We have been renting a small place ever since. Even though we are packed like sardines, it is worth it because we are reaching for something more in the end.
When we owned our house, we were always short on money and extremely stressed and frustrated about it. I never want to go back to that again.
If you are in an abusive relationship, there are ways you can get help getting back on your feet after leaving, at least in the US. Have you checked into those kinds of options?
Brooke
ps I have a co-worker who lived in his car for about 3 months this past summer to get ahead financially... I wrote about it on my blog, you may want to read about his experience...
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