I’ve lived in a van for 2 years & only paid for a campsite once – I shower in the gym, but cooking is a pain
A WOMAN who has spent the last two years living in a campervan, has shared an insight into how much her lifestyle costs.
Tory Delury, said that she spent just £889 in total last month, whilst travelling across the US in her pink and floral patterned van.
The 27-year-old often shares a candid look at her life via her social media channels, and in her podcast VanLife Unfiltered, revealed her exact monthly costs.
Tory doesn’t pay to stay at campsites in her van, and instead just parks up for free at the side of the road.
Although this is a great way to save cash, it means she doesn’t have access to facilities like showers.
However, she pays £20 a month for a gym membership, so just uses the showers at her gym when she needs a wash.
She added that you can also pay to use showers at service stations, if there isn’t a gym nearby.
Tory also doesn’t have to pay for water, because when she wants to fill, her van up, she just heads to one of her friends’ houses and fills it up there.
“They’re always so sweet and kind about it and it’s just so much easier”, she said.
She also brings an enormous water bottle with her to the gym, and makes the most out of her membership by filling it up there.
Tory spent £188 on food last month, a lot of which went on eating out.
Although she said that she could save a lot of money by cooking in her van, she said that this is extremely time consuming.
She said: “I find that more often that not I just have been choosing to eat out to save time setting up the stove, connecting it to the propane, and then washing the dishes.
“I’ve just gotten a little tired of it.”
Tory spent £150 on petrol last month, but even though she was travelling across the country, this figure is only £30 more the cost of her commute when she used to have a 9-5.
“When I calculated these numbers I was expecting my full time travel gas [petrol] prices to be way higher that my commute, but it’s pretty much the same”, she said.
Tory’s van doesn’t have a washing machine, so she has to go the laundrette twice a month, which costs her a total of £8.
Is it legal to live in a van?
IF you are looking to live in a van to save money or travel, you'll be pleased to know that there are no UK laws stopping you.
However, you must ensure your vehicle has passed its MOT and is fully road legal.
There could also be restrictions on where you can park up to sleep in your van.
For example, local authorities place restrictions on certain streets or lay-bys, and you could be fined if you spend the night there.
It could also be unsafe to stop in certain locations, particularly at night-time.
Check the The Highway Code guide for guidance.
However, she said that she has to wash her sheets a lot more often than she did when she lived in a house, as her van gets very dirty and dusty.
The van lifer paid £7771 upfront for her van when she initially bought it, and pays £231 each month towards the rest of the cost.
She also spends around £800 a year on repairs for the van, but this varies from year to year.
Tory explained that she is not particularly frugal with her spending, and could cut her expenses down much more.
For example, she could cancel her subscriptions for streaming services, and could use the internet in a café, instead of paying for it in her van.
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