After traveling in a van for 2 weeks, I saw how the lifestyle could be cheaper than my Denver life

23.03.2024 - 12:31 / insider.com / Ram Promaster

It was my third gas station Icee within my first week of traveling by van, and I knew that if I did van life full-time, I'd have to cut the habit.

Not just for the sake of my sugar levels but for the sake of my wallet.

While a $4 Icee doesn't seem like much, it adds up. I quickly realized that these small costs — eating out, gas station snacks, souvenirs — are where van life can get expensive.

At the same time, I saw ways that the van-life movement can be a more affordable way to live.

Last October, I left my apartment in Denver for a two-week van trip exploring Southwest America in a rented Ram ProMaster. My route included six states, a handful of national parks, and stops in small roadside towns.

I've long romanticized the choice to live out of a vehicle and explore nature, so while I wanted to see new parts of the country, I also wanted to test-drive the lifestyle.

My desire to ditch my belongings and live in a van has only grown in recent years as I've watched the cost of living rise, too.

Apartments.com reported that the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Denver was $1,681 as of March. Although that number is slightly lower than last year's, Axios reported that Denver's year-over-year inflation rate was the second highest in the country last summer.

It's not just Denver that's feeling these increases. The cost of living is high in major cities across the US, and it's only getting more difficult to find cheap rent.

Plenty of nomads I've interviewed cited expensive rent as the reason they considered living on the road in the first place.

Brittany Newson, for example, said she was living in San Fransico and spending $1,300 to rent a room in a house with four other people. She told BI that she remembers thinking, "There has to be a better way." In 2019, she moved into a renovated school bus.

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I've felt that strain firsthand. While I pay a bit less than average for rent, I'm spending more on groceries, paying more than financial advisors recommend I should for my apartment, and I'm thinking twice before eating out these days.

So finding a lifestyle like van life, which includes adventure and potential savings, sounds too good to be true.

Throughout the two weeks on the road, I spent less than I normally would on certain things. I also spent more in other categories.

I added 3,000 miles to the van's odometer, making gas one of my most expensive spending categories. Over two weeks, I spent $660 at gas stations. If I took on the lifestyle full-time, I would travel slower and spend less. However, it'd still likely be more than the $75 I budget for gas in Denver each month.

Multiple nomads have said gas is their new rent when living on the road. Zach Nelson, for example, told BI