At a time when rental prices and living costs are increasing around the country, many are trying to find ways to save money on their everyday expenses.
This has taken several forms. Some find ways to cut their expenses while still going out to eat; others have offered advice on making sure you aren’t overpaying on your rent or electricity bills. More still have resigned themselves to what some are calling “doomspending”—going on vacation and purchasing nice items as a result of having a pessimistic outlook about their financial future.
Now, a user on TikTok has sparked a discussion with a half-serious question: what if we all just lived in all-inclusive resorts?
While the idea may seem bold, TikTok user Ben Keenan (@ivebentraveling) says the idea isn’t as ridiculous as it first appears.
In a video with over 4.3 million views as of Saturday, Keenan breaks down the money he pays on services that would be available at an all-inclusive resort. This includes rent, food, gym memberships, and more. His total comes out to around $4,000, an amount he says is relatively normal for modern living in an American city.
From there, he goes onto Expedia and finds all-inclusive resorts in Mexico. He is quickly able to find an all-inclusive resort for $4,500 per month.
“Yes, that’s $500 more than what I normally spend on rent, but bear in mind, I’m not paying the most expensive rent out there compared to what other people in Seattle might be paying, for example,” he says. “Also, is that $500 worth me never having to do a single ounce of laundry or any of my, you know, cleaning or whatever?”
He then looks at all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic. Prices are even lower, and Keenan notes that, if one is willing to share a room, they can score an incredible deal on living at the resort.
“Do with this information what you will,” he concludes. “I just thought it was really interesting that there’s a chance I could truly go live an all-inclusive lifestyle somewhere for approximately the same cost as all of my monthly expenses. And like, that’s crazy to me.”
@ivebentraveling Honestly, kind of a joke but kind of serious – I might just find myself on a beach somewhere sucking down cocktails and WHAT OF IT 😩 #allinclusive #allinclusiveresort #resortlife #livehack #mexico #dominicanrepublic #travel #travellife #travelmeme ♬ Funny video “Carmen Prelude” Arranging weakness(836530) – yo suzuki(akisai)
While Keenan notes in the caption that his idea is “kind of a joke but kind of serious,” some in the comments section claimed that they’ve met people who have done something similar.
“I work with a girl that did this,” a user said. “She worked remotely and lived in an all inclusive resort in Thailand then Mexico.”
“There is an older couple I’ve seen on the news. They have lived on cruise ships for 2 years because of how cheap it is,” added another. It’s unclear which couple this commenter is referring to, but there have been several notable cases of people deciding to move onto cruise ships.
“I’ve done this. It’s incredible,” stated a third. “You can also live on a cruise ship for cheaper.”
Keene explored this cruise ship idea in a follow-up video, saying the added benefit was “seeing a lot of the world.”
@ivebentraveling Replying to @Franky Rios So is an all-inclusive cruise an even BETTER option?? 🙂 #allinclusive #allinclusiveresort #cruise #cruisetok #celebritycruises ♬ Funny video “Carmen Prelude” Arranging weakness(836530) – yo suzuki(akisai)
Other commenters simply shared their enthusiasm about the idea.
“All-inclusive resort aka millennial assisted living/home,” joked a commenter.
“All I can think about is how much time we would save not cleaning, cooking + grocery shopping,” said a second.
“Ex hotel employee here! If you did this, you can contact the sales department and negotiate, you might be able to get a better deal,” noted a further TikToker.
The Daily Dot reached out to Keenan via email.
