TRAVEL FIENDS
I live full-time in a van with my boyfriend and dog – our gas & electric is just £5 and we pay nothing for water
Laura and Luke have been travelling in their van full-time for just under a year
MORE and more people are starting to live their lives on the move in vans.
One couple has revealed how much it costs for them to live in a van a month - and it's less than a grand.
3
3
3
Going by @thetravelingtrio on TikTok, Laura and Luke Ridgway-Grace, who are from Essex and East Sussex respectively, broke down what they spend monthly.
The pair, who live with their dog Luna, said they try to keep themselves on a budget.
"Fuels and tolls are definitely our biggest expense and this month cost us £396," Laura, 27, explained in a video uploaded in early April with their cost breakdown for March.
Their food shop cost them £210, and she added they try to eat in their vehicle as much as they can, as opposed to eating out.
"We have an LPG system in the van, and this comes in at around £5 a month," Laura said.
An LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) system is used in vehicles as a fuel for the internal workings so for the TikTok creators, this would be aspects such as the boiler and the oven.
However, the insurance and food for Luna sets Laura and Luke, 32, back £40 each month.
To wash their clothes, they pay £30 a month at a laundrette.
Most read in Fabulous
The couple's water and waste bill is absolutely free, they said this is "thanks to local councils supporting the van life community."
Keeping themselves clean also costs them nothing as they use a solar shower.
I sold everything I own to live in a van - I don't work
Laura and Luke, who have been together for nine years, also don't pay anything for electricity
They have a DC to DC charger, and, like with their shower, they use solar panels.
Their phones and subscriptions to services like Netflix cost £110.
Overall, it cost them £811.
In the comments, people were thankful for their transparency.
"Thanks for sharing [star eyes emoji]. I'm planning to buy a van this year to travel Europe," wrote one person.
Another said: "This is super helpful - we're starting our trip in two weeks eep!"
Someone else said: "£811 for two people is amazing!"
Laura and Luke's van life cost breakdown
- Fuel and tolls - £396
- Food shop - £210
- LPG - £5
- Water and waste - £0
- Laundry - £30
- Showering - £0
- Electricity - £0
- Dog food and insurance - £40
- Subscriptions and internet - £140
Monthly total: £811
Talking to Fabulous, Laura, who met Luke at university, said: "We have been married for 3 years.
"We met in our first year of Uni, living in London."
She said they no longer wanted to work 40 hours a week and were tired of not having enough free time aside from weekends.
Read More on The US Sun
"We have lived in our van full-time since August 2023. After realising working 40 hours a week and only having time to enjoy the weekend was not for us.
"Luna our Vizsla, has been along for the ride since our wedding 3 years ago. She loves an adventure and therefore vanlife seemed right for all of us."