I live in a tiny home with no running water, shower, or toilet for $500 a month – deal with my neighbor keeps me clean

AN artist only pays $500 a month to live in her tiny home that doesn't have any running water - she made a deal with a neighbor to keep herself clean.

AnnMarie Young moved to Fairbanks, Alaska with her best friend the summer after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin.

She lived there for three months before moving back to Texas, however, she told CNBC that something was drawing her back to the Pacific Northwest.

"Something in my heart just didn't want to leave Alaska," she told the outlet.

"I wanted to prove to myself I could tough it out."

Young made money by selling her art that summer to buy a van that had been converted into a tiny home.

Once she was ready, she packed up and headed to Alaska, making it there after a week of driving.

"I was going slow and taking scenic routes," she said.

Young lived out of her van during the summer of 2022, however, when winter came, she had to decide whether to go back to Texas or create a different living situation in Alaska.

She found a cabin in Fairbanks but it was a dry one - a residential structure that didn't have running water.

The property also came with an outhouse.

Mollie Sipe, a retired educator, was renting the property out for $500 a month.

Sipe told CNBC that she bought the one-room cabin in 1988.

It includes a kitchen with a stove and microwave with a heater that runs on heating oil.

Young never toured the inside of the cabin before accepting the rental, however, things ultimately worked out for her.

"It's not the dreamy cabin that you imagine but it is really cute on the inside," she said.

"It was very cozy and perfect for just met at the time.

"I had a whole section to do my art stuff and that was the most important thing to me."

Young was left with no plumbing, laundry, shower, washer, or dryer.

She would wash her dishes and brush her teeth in a five-gallon water just that drained into a bucket underneath that needed to be dumped manually.

"Because I was already living van life, transitioning to a dry cabin was a lot easier. I was already living without things that the dry cabin didn't have, like a shower or bathroom," said Young.

"It took me a week to get used to it, and then it just became my new normal.

"I'm not a tough person; I didn’t grow up camping and am not a rugged outdoor person, but if I can do it, I think a lot more people can do it," Young added.

"It's all about setting your mind to do something."

Young struck up a deal with her neighbor, who allowed her to shower at their house every couple of days.

"We had a deal setup that I would come and use the shower when they weren’t home because they wanted someone to use the pipes to make sure they didn’t freeze," she said.

When she needs to use the bathroom, Young puts on a thick rope and slippers to walk to the outhouse.

She shared her cabin adventures on TikTok (@AnnMYoung.Arts) where she has more than 159,000 followers.

After eight or nine months, Young moved into a one-bedroom with her boyfriend in Anchorage, Alaska.

They split a $1,450 a month rent and Young said she enjoys the extra space.

"I think that we could do it again. I miss the aspect of living in a cabin," she said.

"I feel so connected to Alaska since the first summer I came up. I don't know if I'll be here forever, but I know it's where I want to be right now."