It’s not polite to talk about money, is it? But, hands down, the most popular thing friends and strangers ask is: How the heck can you afford to travel full time? The point of this blog is to make full-time van travel feel more accessible, so we’re disregarding what is polite and tasteful in favor of letting you take a peek… Read more →
Last Sunday, we drove back to our campsite ― and found it empty. After two years of traveling full time by van, someone finally jacked our stuff. The good news is we hadn’t left behind anything valuable. Our two-burner camp stove, two camping chairs, hatchet and two bundles of firewood were taken. Altogether worth about $100. Frustrating since we’re not made of money,… Read more →
If you plan to travel full time — by van, plane, bus or train — you need to know how to stretch your money as far as possible. Smart spender, frugal, thrifty. These are labels you should wear proudly! We do. Unlike people who are cheap, we don’t squirrel away our cash, unwilling to use it as a means of getting what… Read more →
In August, we were high in the Cascades outside Bend, Oregon with two friends. It was pouring rain, effectively cancelling our hike, so we pulled out our phones to figure out a new plan. Me and Chris: no service. Jon and Eliza: three bars. Here’s Jon laughing at something else, but he was probably laughing at us in his… Read more →
How much does it cost to live in a minivan camper? Before we hit the road in Red Delicious, we researched this cost question but got few answers. A blogger even asked us this in an interview for Yahoo! about van dwelling. It’s the question on everyone’s mind! Most full-time travelers are tight-lipped about their income and expenses. (The Professional Hobo is an… Read more →
We’re back in the West, logging more than 3,000 miles in a week. We camped at state parks, visited friends, and experimented with three types of free camping: dispersed camping, Walmart parking lots, and highway rest areas. If you’re wondering how to camp for free, read on for some tips! Dispersed Camping Dispersed camping in the Kaibab National Forest… Read more →
You don’t have to be rich to travel full time. I’m serious. It’s helpful to have savings and good credit as a safety net, but the rest is about creativity and mindset. Here’s how we’ve been able to make full-time travel financially sustainable. Tip #1: Focus on housing and transportation The majority of your budget, traveling or not, goes two places: housing and… Read more →
We’ve been on the road nearly four months. Time to look back at the most and least useful items in the van, camping costs, and more. How Red Delicious Has Changed Here are a few more reflections for you, plus…photos! States Visited So Far: 11 Arizona New Mexico Texas Louisiana Mississippi (doesn’t really count since we only stopped… Read more →
Mountains It’s the beginning of our second week in Asheville, North Carolina. We’re doing a lot better, mostly thanks to the kind words from our friends, family, and even total strangers. So thank you. Being up in the mountains — and doing a little digital detox — helps too. It’s so peaceful. We’ve been exploring, but I haven’t taken many photos. Even full-time travelers… Read more →
On our first night camping, it rained. On our second night, we left out Holly’s half-chewed, stinky bully stick. That’s when we realized we needed to plan for smells in the van. This is only our third night camping; we’ve been visiting family throughout California before heading east. I’m writing this from a campground on the bank of the Colorado… Read more →