My vanlife budget really hit home when I decided to look back at what I was spending. I thought I was living fairly cheaply in my van. I wasn’t paying rent, I wasn’t staying in campgrounds, and I felt like I was being careful with money. But when I finally added everything up, I realized I had spent — a lot.
That moment forced me to take a hard look at my vanlife budget and make a different decision this year. Instead of continuing full-time winter vanlife, I chose to stay at the farmhouse this winter to save money and reset financially.
The Real Cost of Vanlife
Vanlife can be affordable, but it isn’t automatically cheap — especially if you are travelling long distances and to a different country. Long distance travel means more driving, higher fuel costs, maintenance expenses, and finding free overnight options. Small daily expenses don’t feel like much at the time, but over months they add up fast.
My first year on the road I drove 35000 Km (21700 miles) traveling across Canada, down the east coast, through Florida then across the southern states before coming back to Canada.
My second year I travelled south through the Dakotas, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma to Southern Texas. Then across to Arizona before going north along the west coast.
My third year I travelled through Montana, Wymoing and Utah before heading to south Texas. I drove north through Nevada back into Canada.
My fourth year was closer to home travelling through BC and Alberta in Canada.
All 3 trips into the states were long distance travels so I knew one of my biggest expenses was going to be gas. Like many people, I knew money was going out, but I didn’t realize how much until I reviewed everything.
I looked back at the last 4 years to get an overview of what I have been spending and where.
My Vanlife Budget Expenses
Here’s a breakdown of my avearage yearly expenses over the last 4 years of fulltime vanlife:
- Fuel: $5300
- Groceries: $12,000
- Eating out & coffee stops: $1500
- Campsites & Park Fees: $1600
- Van maintenance & repairs: $3000
- Supplies & Propane: $1900
- Insurance, phone & farm: $4500
- Van Payment: $8400
- Medical Expenses & US medical insurance: $3200
- Personal Expenses: $1500
- Business Expense: $1500
- Miscellaneous expenses: $1500
TOTAL monthly expense: $3825
Seeing that total written down was the wake-up call.
What Surprised Me Most
The biggest surprise was how much I was spending on groceries. Especially with the Canadian to USA exchange rate. The last year the rate was nearly 40% which hit my vanlife budget hard. I also purchased health insurance when in the US which was expensive.
Constantly moving also increased fuel costs and wear and tear on the van. But this is also part of vanlife I love the most – driving roads I haven’t travelled before and exploring new places.
None of these expenses felt extreme on their own, but together everything was more expensive than I expected.
Why I’m Staying at the Farmhouse This Winter
This winter, I decided to stay at the farmhouse instead of travelling south for the winter. With -20 C (-4 F) being the average temperature the house seemed the better option to live in. This isn’t quitting vanlife — it’s a financial reset.
Staying put allows me to reduce fuel costs, avoid breakdowns, not pay health insurance, save for new tires, and plan future trips without financial stress. Vanlife is more enjoyable when it’s sustainable, not rushed or reactive.
What I’m Doing Differently with my Vanlife Budget
Going forward, I’m tracking expenses carefully, setting realistic monthly spending limits, putting aside an emergency fund and being intentional about my travel.
I love my vanlife and the ability to travel and explore new places. This past winter has been a reset and reflection time.
This coming spring and summer I will be travelling throughout Canada. Vanlife works best when finances support the lifestyle instead of controlling it.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve overspent while traveling or living vanlife, you’re not alone. It doesn’t mean you failed — it means you learned something valuable about your vanlife budget.
Sometimes the smartest move is pausing, reassessing, and making a plan that works better long-term.
You can watch the full video breakdown here:
