So many of us dream of hitting the open road with nothing holding us back or keeping us tied to one place. But it doesn’t have to be just a dream. If you have a caravan, love adventure and are keen to save money by living a nomadic lifestyle, what’s stopping you from making the transition?
The cost-of-living keeps rising, and if you’re ready to make some changes, you can follow these tips to ensure that you make the most of caravan living.
Assess Your Financial Obligations And Income Solutions
The nomadic lifestyle comes with a certain freedom from the everyday financial obligations we often find ourselves in. Before you embark on your new lifestyle, it’s a good idea to reassess your financial obligations and see if there are any you can cut back on. Gym memberships, store cards and any localised subscription services will no longer be useful, so it’s a good time to cancel them
It’s also important to look at how you’ll continue to make a living while travelling. It’s best to build up your financial reserves if you’re planning to make a big shift in your occupation and income stream.
Downsize To What You Will Use Regularly
There isn’t a lot of space in a caravan, so you may need to reduce your possessions to the bare minimum. Living in a caravan is all about finding the right balance between the items you need with those that you like. The first category is a priority for day-to-day living, while the second category might be what gives you pleasure and makes life worth living. It’s a hard call, but you have to make it.
Invest In Good Storage Solutions
Even if you’re completely brutal when downsizing your possessions, you’ll find that storage is always going to be tricky in a caravan. It’s important to invest in proper storage solutions and ensure that everything has a place. You can also think outside of the box and use space-savers like hanging shoe racks and cascading hangers for your wardrobe.
Create A Routine For Cleaning And Packing Away
Routine is key for caravan living. Make regular cleaning and packing away a habit and ensure that you don’t allow clutter to pile up. The saying a place for everything and everything in its place is a mantra to live by!
The space you have is so limited that you don’t want to fill it up unnecessarily.
Get Conscientious About Meal Planning
On the subject of limited space, your kitchen is going to be a lot smaller in a caravan. Remember, you can only store so much in your fridge, freezer and pantry. To make the most out of this space you’ll need to create a proper meal plan that you stick to. Not only will this ensure that you have space to store your food, but it will also save you money as no food will go to waste.
Invest In Little Gadgets That Go A Long Way
Something as simple as a water filter for your caravan kitchen can make a massive difference to the way you live. It means you’ll always have clean water, and the water will have a consistent taste. This can save you a fortune in bottled water, too.
Build A Routine For Setting Up And Getting Moving
The beauty of the nomadic life is that you can change your mind, stay an extra night, or pack up and go somewhere else earlier than planned. It will make your life a lot easier if you have a proper routine that you follow on arrival and when packing up to leave. This way, you can set yourself up properly for a comfortable stay on arrival and you won’t leave anything behind when you leave.
Stay On Top Of Vehicle Maintenance
Your caravan and the vehicle that tow it is your home and your mode of transport. It’s vital that you keep a close eye on all maintenance and get both your caravan and car serviced regularly. It’s also a good idea to learn how to do a few basics yourself to save yourself money on unnecessary mechanic’s bills.
Make Sure You Have The Right Insurance And Roadside Assistance
Since you’ll be on the road a lot, it’s important to have car insurance that covers this type of travelling. Your provider needs to know that your caravan and your vehicle will be in consistent use and that you will regularly move from place to place.
Be Prepared For Close Quarters Living
Back on the topic of space and there not being a lot of it in a caravan, you need to be comfortable with your travelling companion. Create ground rules about how you communicate and what’s acceptable in terms of spending time apart.
You should also have set lists of duties in your day-to-day life. This can include who cooks, who cleans up afterwards, who drives, and who completes arrival and departure checks.
Learn To Embrace Not Being Busy
When you embrace the nomadic lifestyle, your life will undergo a major shift. The idea is to get away from the rat race, which means letting go of the need to be busy all the time.
A lot of people struggle with simply being present in the moment and not always doing something productive. It’s a mind shift that can be quite uncomfortable to begin with. Lean into the feeling and embrace the idea of not being busy.
Be Open To New Social Connections
Another major lifestyle change when you go nomadic is that you no longer have your usual social circle around you. One of the main social connections you’ll find you make is with other nomads. These are the people who understand your lifestyle and can give you the most solace, even if you only spend one evening with them in a caravan park.
Transitioning to a nomadic lifestyle comes with numerous perks, and saving money is just one of them. Use these tips to make the move and you’ll find that living in a caravan is easier and more enjoyable.
Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.
