Campervan Costs & Finances
Van Life Costs Money?!
Yes, it does! Just because we live and travel in our own campervan, doesn’t mean we don’t incur substantial van life travel costs. In this page, we answer the big questions like:
- How much did we spend for our van?
- How much do we spend to travel in our campervan?
- Do make income on the road? And how much?
- How to we reduce our expenses to make our lifestyle more sustainable?
We realize that money is always on people’s mind. And for those of us traveling in campervans, we are no different. Every day we’re making money decisions based on our traveling lifestyle.
In this section, we give an honest attempt to document exactly how much it costs to live “The Dream”.
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2021 Van Life Expenses
2021 Expense Notes
The beginning of 2021 began just as 2020 ended; traveling in Mexico waiting for several international borders in Latin America to open so we could continue to drive south.
We traveled substantially slower than before, therefore our gas expenses were lower than in previous months.
But our eating out expenses soared early in the year as we traveled around the touristy Yucatan Peninsula and entered Guatemala in late February.
Jan-Feb 2021 Summary
Average Monthly Expenses: $1,679.54
| Category | Year-To-Date | YTD % |
|---|---|---|
| EatingOut | $1,268.88 | 37.77% |
| Gas | $475.43 | 14.15% |
| Groceries | $332.36 | 9.89% |
| Other | $415.45 | 12.37% |
| Sleeping/Camping | $558.89 | 12.86% |
| TravelExpenses | $308.07 | 9.17% |
| Van Maintenance | $0.00 | 0.00% |
| Total: | $3,359.08 | 100.00% |
Visit our complete 2021 expenses breakdown for more information.
Expenses Archive
Detailed Breakdown
Ford Transit Van Purchase Price
Our brand new 2018 Ford Transit was the most expensive purchase we ever made in our lives. It cost us:
$36,729,92
But there are so many little details, vehicle options, and tax considerations that went into this final price. Read our article to learn more.
Blog Income Reports
How much money do we make from our blog? And can we afford van life with this income? We disclose all the details below in our blog income reports.
We began our Asobolife Blog in earnest in mid-2020. It’s been a huge challenge and lots of learning. It’s been rewarding spending our time documenting our van life, but this blog is not a real money maker…yet.
Every quarter, we will review our blog’s total revenue and take a look how the income has grown (or shrank?) compared to previous quarters.
Check below to review our blog income reports. We show how our blog progresses with affiliate sales, ads, and paid partnerships.
- 2020 Income Report
- Q1-2021 Income Report (coming end of March)
Tips For Reducing Van Life Expenses
There are a million ways to reduce your van life expenses. But according to our experience, the only way to substantially lower travel costs is by directly addressing our largest expenditure categories: Gas, Eating Out, Sleeping, & Van Maintenance.
1. Reduce Expenditures On Gas
Depending on how much you’re driving, saving money at the pump can save you real money.
- Use Google Maps To Locate Cheapest Gas Station
- Gas Up When It's Cheapest, Not When You NEED It
- Pay In Cash
- Join A Rewards Program
2. Cook Your Own Food
Learn to cook easy & fast meals! Constantly eating out is expensive and unsustainable in the long run.
3. Learn To Identify Places To Sleep For Free
If you’re just passing through, using apps like iOverlander can help you locate safe, legal, and free places to park overnight.
4. Keep Up With Basic Van Maintenance
Nothing is more dull than campervan maintenance. But with simple and easy preventative care, you can reduce your maintenance expenses down the road.
Get More Details: Reducing van life expenses
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