Budgeting for van life/Cost

There is no one size fits all, and van life can be lived luxuriously or minimally.

How you live van life is different from how someone else lives, and those factors are going to impact your budget. Factors like:

• Where you are within the country,

• how and where you camp,

• how much you drive,

• if you eat out often or make your meals,

• and what activities you do along the way.

You may have to remind yourself that it’s not vacation, this is a lifestyle! 

If you plan to be a full-time vanlifer you will no longer be paying things like mortgage/rent, utilities, etc., but you will still be paying things like insurance, phone, and other bills.

There will be some NEW expenses to consider. You might have a new expense category for:

gym membership for showers, laundry, P.O. box, occasional campgrounds, additional mechanical work on your vehicle, etc.

If you own your van, you will not have a vehicle payment, but if you do, be sure to include that expense. 

Van Specific Expenses

Gas mileage of your vehicle and the distance you travel on average will determine this expense. 

TIP: Have a credit card just to put gas on. Find one where you get 5% cash back from gas stations. It also makes it easy to track your fuel cost. 

If you have an older van, expect to have the occasional repairs, and include this in your budget.  

Vehicles must have regular oil changes. Depending on the pace you travel, this expense can vary. 

Insurance for your van home will vary depending on your driving record, van, state, claim history, and insurance company. 

You may have expenses for Tolls or Parking.

A Roadside Assistance Plan is essential to travel. Many plans are available through your insurance company or through companies like AAA.

Food and Groceries

This is another area you may have to remind yourself that you are not on vacation. It can be easy to eat out rather than cook or prepare your own meals, but it’s an easy way to save money as a vanlifer. 

We need categories here for Groceries and Eating Out.

If you do cook, you will likely use propane butane for a camp stove and if you cook regularly, you may want to include this in your food category.

One of the best parts of traveling to new places is trying new foods and restaurants so it is something to allow for in your budget. Remember, if you need to cut back on expenses, this is the one area that will make the biggest impact.

If you use a cooler, add ice to your budget and water if you purchase your water regularly. 

Accommodations 

You may occasionally have to pay for campsites or hotels. This might not be an easy number to budget, but it needs to be considered in your budget.

Personal Expenses

• Showers

• Maybe you use a gym. Budget your gym membership here.

• Laundry 

• Phone bill

• Internet

• Health Insurance

• Pet Expenses

• Grooming, Pet wash, Dog Food, Treats, Boarding

Miscellaneous 

• Hygiene

• Toilet paper

• toilet bags/pee powder

• mail service

• batteries

• Haircuts

• Clothing

Entertainment/Activities

• There is lots of sightseeing and touring that was completely free. 

• National Park Pass

• State Park entrance fees

• Any regular entertainment activities you participate in

• Digital subscriptions - Hulu, Netflix, Audible. 

• Drinks – alcohol, coffee, breweries, wineries (This could be somewhere you visit to use free Wi-Fi)

Incremental Expenses - Somewhere within your budget you need to account for these items that are not monthly expenses.

• Preventative vehicle maintenance cost

• Tire Rotations

• Registration costs, annual, will vary based on the state you have your van registered in

• Vehicle Battery, every 5 years, Solar

• Tires: $1k/18 months

• Unexpected costs

Adjust your budget along the way. Van life is all about flexibility, and your budget should be too!