Life in a van: 5 hidden expenses showed that the "on wheels" lifestyle is not as cheap
Business Insider reporter Monica Humphries, who frequently travels the world, embarked on a two-week journey across Western America in an RV. Throughout the trip, she paid close attention to hidden costs. However, she found that the unexpected expenses were worth every penny.
Before the trip, Monica envisioned waking up in fascinating locations, spending weekends in nature, and going on spontaneous adventures. She also imagined having a healthy bank account. She assumed that once she got into the van, she wouldn't have to worry about the burden of monthly rent and many other expenses. This was reported by news.yahoo.com.
The reporter hoped that for the next two weeks, she wouldn't encounter many additional expenses aside from rent and gasoline.
"Some nights I paid nothing for a camping spot. Sometimes I paid $60. Sometimes I could find a campsite that cost anywhere from free to $30 a night. My cheapest option was to go to public land owned by the Bureau of Land Management, which is free for tourists. The downside was that this land was not always available or near the major cities I traveled to," says Monica Humphries.
The most expensive option was parking lots. Parks usually have amenities such as showers, laundry, electricity, Wi-Fi, and places to dump your RV's tanks. But with these amenities comes a higher price.
Buying food was convenient but not always cheap, the reporter says. Inside her van was a small kitchen with a two-burner stove, a mini-fridge, and a small sink. There was only enough space to cook simple meals. She fried eggs in the morning and made pasta in the evening.
"When I didn't feel like cooking eggs, I would go to coffee shops and spend $15 for a coffee and a breakfast sandwich. Meanwhile, the eggs, toast, and coffee would have cost a little less if I had cooked them in my van. Eating out was convenient, but I noticed I was spending more on impulse buys. In two weeks, I spent a little over $400 on meals out - more than I spend in my everyday life and more than I thought I would spend living in a van," Monica adds.
In addition to food, the tourist also budgeted for gas. However, she spent more than she had planned. A full tank of gas cost the Business Insider journalist about $100.
"I planned to drive through six states and cover thousands of miles. But I didn't realize how much gas prices could fluctuate and how long I would be driving. So, although I had mapped out the mileage between destinations, I didn't factor in the extra miles for detours, getting lost, and exploring the destinations. I expected to pay about $500 for gas, but at the end of my trip, the cost was $170 more," the reporter said.
