I just love the boat life... and it saves me a fortune on rent and bills

A YOUNG Bristol woman saves £500 a month on bills - after ditching her flat and moving into a 48ft house boat.

- Filipa GASPAR

Lucy Barwick, 28, was sick of paying £1,600-a-month for a three-bedroom flat with her ex-partner in Bedminster.

The wholesale operator was looking for a "viable option" with space for her and her cat Mr Biscuits.

She took out a loan to buy a dark green and white house boat which cost over £100,000.

And she moved into the boat in May 2024 with her partner at the time in Bristol Harbour.

But after they broke up Lucy decided to keep the boat as it was "affordable enough" for her to keep living on it.

Despite Lucy "loving" her boat life, she experienced freezing weather, had to learn how to emptying the toilet and refilling her water.

She said she has so far saved "a lot of money" and explained how she used to pay £1,100 for bills and rent and on the boat she is only spending £600.

Lucy said: "I can still afford to live here on my own whereas I couldn't afford to live by myself in a flat.

"The community is so nice. I know all of my neighbours and financially I am better off here than if I had bought a flat, because here I can fully pay my loan off in a couple of years and there's no 30-year mortgage.