{"id":17537,"date":"2021-04-21T08:29:19","date_gmt":"2021-04-21T12:29:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cubesmart.com\/blog\/?p=17537"},"modified":"2023-11-07T16:00:20","modified_gmt":"2023-11-07T21:00:20","slug":"how-to-budget-for-van-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cubesmart.com\/blog\/your-life\/how-to-budget-for-van-life\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Budget for Van Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Young<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Living out of a van means freedom from responsibilities like lawnmowers, community associations, and sump pumps. But it still requires some financial planning and savvy to make it work as a long-term lifestyle. We talked to Jess Shisler, founder of Van.There<\/a>, about budgeting for living in a van full-time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Home on Wheels<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The number\none and most obvious thing anyone aspiring to van life will need is, well, the\nvan itself. This critical expense will also likely be the largest in the budget\u2014expect\nto pay in the range of at least in the tens of thousands of dollars on up,\ndepending on the model and whether the vehicle is new. That cost can seem\ndaunting, but Shisler says to keep it in perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen\nwe first started looking, my husband and I saw a pre-fab van for sale and it\nwas one hundred and twenty thousand dollars. I thought \u2018wow, that is a\nridiculous price.\u2019 Like we can afford that,\u201d Shisler says. \u201cAnd then we started\nto think about it as if it were our mortgage. This is where we\u2019d be living and\na hundred-and-twenty-thousand-dollar home would be very reasonable in the\nmajority of the country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, the Shislers went with much lower-priced vehicle and used dealer financing to buy it. They now pay $900 a month, which, again, would be relatively affordable for rent or mortgage payment in many regions of the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making it Your Own<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

All but the highest-end van that\u2019s designed to be lived in or a well rehabbed used vehicle is going to require \u201cconversion.\u201d This process is necessary to make a van a habitable space but you might also just want to give it your own touches. Many people choose to go the DIY route to save money. Even, so depending on how elaborate the build-out is, it could cost anywhere from several hundred dollars to $25,000. A bed, some seats, insulation, heating, food cooker, toilet, electricity, and storage units are necessities. From there, the possible upgrades and additions are endless. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rolling with Van Life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s only natural that more of your budget will go to vehicle-related expenses than ever before. There are the basics, like registration, license, and emissions testing, which always need to be kept up to date, especially if you\u2019re traveling. Your vehicle insurance will be significantly more expensive for a camper van than it was for a regular old car because you need to insure not just the van itself but the build and the contents, which will require an RV policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Factor in storage and parking costs for when you\u2019ll want to get off the road. With locations around the country, CubeSmart<\/a>\u2019s flexible vehicle storage options make a convenient option for camper van owners. Having a storage facility is another important resource, especially if you plan to dip in and out of van life, or need a neutral (read: non-family member\u2019s attic) space to stash belongings. (The Shislers keep two, one on each coast.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most people get into van life in the first place because\nthey want to be mobile. Gas and tolls will be a necessary and significant expense\u2014just\nhow much to budget for them will largely depend on your travel plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe estimate about thirty thousand miles of driving per year,\nand about 18 miles per gallon because we travel across the United States.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ballparking anywhere from $2.50 to $3.50 a gallon depending\non what region she\u2019s driving through, her gas budget can be about $350 to $600\na month. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given all the wear and tear the vehicle will be enduring,\nit\u2019s important to set aside money both for regular van maintenance like oil\nchanges and emergency repairs.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"van<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And of course, it\u2019s imperative to stop and enjoy the scenery. For a frugal person, it\u2019s almost always possible to find cheap or free campgrounds while luxury campgrounds with more comforts and amenities can cost as much as $150 a night. Hygiene itself may be a line item: Many van lifers will pay for camping to get access to showers. An alternative is to pay for a gym membership at a national chain or use truck stops which charge a flat fee per person to shower. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self-employment and Special Considerations for Van Life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most van lifers are retired or self-employed. In order to keep money flowing in, it will be important to determine what type of work you\u2019ll do on the road. Some great jobs for van lifers include writing, graphic design, digital design, bookkeeping, teaching or tutoring online, and ecommerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given that you\u2019ll probably be your own boss, you\u2019ll likely\nhave to budget for health insurance which can run upwards of a thousand dollars\na month. In addition having an unlimited data plan will be key for most van\nlifers as you\u2019ll want to have uninterrupted internet and mobile phone access as\nyou travel, especially if you work from your van. The Shislers say it costs\nthem about $250 a month for data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Real Savings<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The rest of the budget will be devoted to all of the same things you might spend money on otherwise: food, clothing, entertainment, and other luxuries.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An added benefit, however, is that with so much less space to store your possessions and less social pressure to buy the latest and greatest of everything, the van life mentality tends to be less consumer-oriented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\nwear the same clothes that I literally packed into the camp five years ago,\u201d\nShisler says. \u201cWhen you live in a house you feel the pressure to keep up with\nthe Joneses. So it turned out to be a much more affordable lifestyle versus doing\nall the things that you do when you’re in a stationary place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"people<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the end, there\u2019s a different van life budget for every van lifer, whether you\u2019re the luxe Instagram star or the low-key DIYer who\u2019s in it for the hiking, she says. When you learn how to live in a van, you\u2019ll learn how to budget according to your personal priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe most fun part about this is that you can kind of create your own story. It’s very possible to buy an old van, get an air mattress and a little camp stove and a solar-powered light and call it a day. My advice is to just be authentic to who you are and what you want.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Living out of a van means freedom from responsibilities like lawnmowers, community associations, and sump pumps. But it still requires some financial planning and savvy to make it work as a long-term lifestyle. We talked to Jess Shisler, founder of Van.There, about budgeting for living in a van full-time. A Home on Wheels The number […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":17538,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,641],"tags":[1344,1343],"class_list":["post-17537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-moving","category-your-life","tag-budget","tag-van-life"],"yoast_head":"\r\nHow to Budget for Van Life | CubeSmart Blog<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Are you considering switching from normal life to van life? 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