@@TheUrbanMotorhomeI find it amusing that people like Grizleea can spout a load of nonsense figures (ie £200) without any hard evidence. I enjoy these videos because you’re realistic and don’t try grab headlines with ridiculous £200 pcm claims like Grizleea. £200 wouldn’t even cover my fuel costs to work for two weeks 😂
You have always been a genuine guy which is why I want to watch your video’s. Have watched for years and have loved your journey from your days as a lorry driver. I wish you on going sucess😊🫶
Great vlog and as you say it’s personal preference to everyone…we’re full time and have been for a few years now but the one thing we have to remember is most of these costs are cost of living regardless of where you live, the increase should be based on running costs and repairs everything else is cost of living regardless 🙏
Nice honest talk about costs. The only way I find to cut the costs down a little is move around less the rest is what it is. And I totally agree about the camp sits for getting everything done in a couple of days stay.
Thanks Steve, yeah I like to be open and upfront about it all, helps other make informed decisions don’t it. You’re right about lowering cost most are what they are, I could probably tighten up the food if I had too, and yeah campsites are great for a few days stop
@@TheUrbanMotorhomeI quite often have a McDonald's breakfast delivered and just open the bedroom window and the driver passes it through literally breakfast in bed, it's great I'm under the duvet I don't even get out of bed to receive the delivery , you pay more but it's worth it and I'm loving it 😁
Wow!! That sounds very high for vanlife, when I was living in van, I aimed to be around £600/£700per month all in, currently living in flat on South Coast and my living costs are £1400per month, so you have made me feel pretty good with what I am achieving 😊
Brilliant video Daz as always. It's definitely possible to do it a lot cheaper by buying a smaller second-hand vehicle, cheaper food moving around less, etc. I think you could realistically do it for between 6 to 800 with a good basic standard of living. You have always worked very very hard and continue to do so and your current outgoings are still extremely low compared to living in a property. Loving the content❤
Yeah that was a good video covering most things. I was shocked at the food bill. But he doesnt shy away from the fact he likes his food. So do I but im like 2-300 a month and that includes household and personnel stuff like loo roll and deodorant
Shocked at the numbers mate wow, another thing to note is your motorhome is not making any capital appreciation like a house in fact it’s losing value with wear and tear and constant mileage increases but I guess you can’t put a figure on freedom. Excellent channel mate wishing you all the best in your adventure. 🤝
We do exactly the same with internet, prepaid sim and Starlink - price increase was a shocker 🙂EE £37 a month! I need to renegotiate. Great vlog, thanks for sharing!
Great video darran it’s good to see the breakdown of costs I watch Bren I’m the USA living in his car do food deliveries etc and he breaks it down the same way. it’s good to see people can live full time in there van even in these tough times 👍
Excellent video, great break down of costs, we don't live in ours full time but do spend a lot of time travelling around using campsites, wild camping and pubs etc.
Great video! Thank you for sharing your budget with us 😊 My monthly shop costs are around £350-400 a month just for me. That including cleaning products and home stuff (does not include period products as I have reusables that don’t cost anything - except laundry!) I’m strict vegetarian (lactose intolerant so no dairy- just eggs!) and try not to buy too many luxuries, but it’s still a chunk of income. Although I think I spend less than others by not eating meat (lentils, beans, etc are much cheaper) and making my food from scratch where I can. I agree with stopping at a camp site to do chores - plus most have shower blocks so no wasting your own water or electricity on the water heater for a good scrub 😂
I love you Daz. I’ve followed you from almost the beginning. You always make me smile and your videos are entertaining and informative. Thank you for being you 💜🤍
great insight into the costs mate. I think a lot of people will be surprised by just how much it costs and I like the idea of going to a site and doing all your chores in one go. Great video again
Thanks mate, yeah I’ll be honest I was quite shocked when I saw the numbers in black and white, it has certainly gone up a lot. Yeah building campsite days into your routine really works well
I haven't started yet but have already decided I plan to go to a campsite maybe like friday or saturday after work to get my chores done. Going to try get a big water tank and make it last the week then I can top that up there and do the washing. I think ive gone overboard on the solar so my power should be fine even in winter. I plan to carry my motorcycle so it be nice to leave the van at a secure location for the day then go out on the motorbike while my clothes hang out to dry in summer :) . Dog will be safer at the campsite too with the fans on or air con.
@@TheUrbanMotorhome you didn't talk about van depreciation and its a real cost ! mileage and another year older has a cost that can be calculated and shown as a monthly cost . BUT YOU NEVER MENTION THIS IN ANY OF YOUR COST UPLOADS !
I'm sure you go upp and down the M6 occasionally. Jump off the M54 at J1, do a right and Hilton Gas is on the left 75p a litre. Or go into Wolverhampton and Carvers is 69p a litre... 👍
ahhhh I'm having mine plumed into the main tank, I just know the mess I'll make with another tank, that and I've got no where for another tank to go lol
A very insightful video, thanks! It's about the same ballpark total as mine, in slightly different proportions (but no Space Karen dish). One additional cost I have currently is Self Storage and the no-ads Prime add-on, adverts drive me mad lol
I wanna say brilliant were the same but at the same time I don’t because of the increases haha, na it’s good to know I’m not wildly out there with my costs. I did have storage a long time ago but got rid of it in the end, I’ve got a couple of seasonal things in my brother’s shed and that’s it now. Ahhhh I’m the same mate ads drive me crackers, RUclips premium is something I think I’ll have for life now haha, how long you been full time?
Thanks for the update, Darran. Your budget video was the first I saw about vanlife in the UK. Was actually expecting your insurance and diesel to be higher, but that's a major increase overall! If you haven't already, it might be worth checking if any of these could be considered a business expense. 💪
Informative as usual, you have provided us with the full cost of living in a motorhome, although you could strip out some of the costs which would be incurred if you were in a house i.e, food, phone you would have those anyway. Keep the Sunday ‘Chicken Wing’ videos coming, they are so enjoyable.
I try to be as open and upfront as possible about it all. Yeah you’re right to be fair some of them cost will be with you either in a house or a motorhome. I’ll keep the videos coming no worries, appreciate you watching and commenting 😊
Great video as ever. The costs seem pretty reasonable to me, and not outlandishly different to the previous edition of this video. Keep them coming, I’m looking forward to the Christmas market trips!
Thanks! Yeah they could be a lot worse that’s for sure and there are a few places I could reign in if needed. Got lots of videos coming over the winter, can’t wait 👍🏻😁
A good insight of the cost of van life ,but if you shop around, you can at least knock another 25%off , hopefully I'm hoping to go ahead with it , in a couple of years , when I retire, I know you got the original price of van , but once you got that , the world is your oyster, and freedom , keep the videos coming .
Great honest video Darren. Do you tell the insurance company that you are living in the van full time? Also, as you have a relationship with a dealer, does that mean you have to be a business user?
Similar costs to living in house thats paid for and appreciating. How much will your van be worth in 10 years time? House will probably 2x in 10 years. Inflation works for you. Oxidisation works against you.
Buy me a house for 2k, which is what I paid for my van five years ago. Next maintain your house for under £500 per year. Now pay all your insurance and taxes for £500 a year. I'll match your fuel costs and food costs. Now take the £150k you made on your rabbit hutch and upgrade to a sem-detached, which has increased in cost by £300k while you built your nest egg.
thats assuming you can get a mortgage for the house and have the down payment. you would have to ask him why he does this rather than get a house as he may have his own reasons. you clearly dont like it for some reason good luck with that.
Would love a bit more info on insurance providers as with many insurers it’s a bit of a grey area especially if you have a converted sprinter van. Also great to meet you this week and make sure you get Park4Night to change the label to anything other than ‘Itinerary’ 😂
Great video, always love your enthusiasm,no matter the topic. Your total per month is £500 less than my rent alone per month! Van life is the way ahead!
Thanks Daren. Another top video. Our current mortgage alone is £750, council tax £220, gas and electric £260. A MONTH That's without food and all other essentials. I think you are living the dream fella and good luck to you. Here's a top top for saving on food.... Cut down on the chicken wings. 😝
Cheers, mate, really appreciate that! Wow, those house bills are no joke! I definitely feel lucky with the motorhome lifestyle-it’s a different kind of dream for sure. Haha, cutting down on chicken wings? That’s a tough one, but I’ll give it a go... maybe...never haha! 😆
A brilliant and totally candid video as always, definitely could make direct comparisons with renting but not sure about those with mortgages. Ultimately the latter will eventually own a house outright and one that's likely appreciated in value, whereas MH's will depreciate and funds will be needed to replace one day. That said home ownership may make the most financial sense but it's probably the most boring!!!!!
Thanks, mate, really appreciate that! You're spot on about the comparison-owning a house makes financial sense long-term, but like you said, it's definitely the more boring option! For me, it’s all about the freedom and adventure, even if a motorhome doesn’t appreciate in value. It’s a trade-off I’m happy to make!
Just stumbled across this video whilst doom scrolling! Lovely fella and very interesting insight into the costs of real van life (I’m a weekend warrior!). Just subbed 👊
Hi mate, For the motorhome you are living in, That amount is not too bad. Definitely if you have a smaller van , it will be cheaper . A friend of mine lives in a Ford transit, and he spends around £700 a month.
Cheers Karl, yeah that’s a fair point my motorhome is a fair old size. Ohhh I’ve got some friends that are living on a lot less than me, are you full time?
@@psling7714in smaller vans you wont have a space for toilet, fridge or starlink on top, so all these costs are gone. Also in a proper motorhome as this gentleman, he runs heating and cooking on gas where as smaller vans have diesel heater and with smaller space you dont need to run it all the time to heat up thus less fuel. Im living out of ford transit, all build by hand but I do it mainly to save money for a property so I can live off less than half of the £1200
Your the man Daz yes that a lot but your not privelaged you work hard and your more home is fantastic and that's cos you have worked for it love your videos keep on keeping on you are a inspiration ❤❤
Great video and we would certainly not be spending that much, especially on food or Fuel. Happy journeys to you and if you are ever up in the highlands of Scotland near Invergordon you are most welcome to park up on our driveway as we have done this for other motorhome guys passing by for a few days.
Great informative video and like you say, its personal to you and everyones is going to come in slightly different. Gives a good insight though that its not always as cheap as some might think. Great tip for the pay upfront data sim, I'll look into that as im planning on going full time soon. Take care and keep safe 😊
Thanks Steven, yeah I mean I’m sure I could find the average costs for living in a house or ask a few of my friends and then do a comparison video, would you be interested in something like that?
@@TheUrbanMotorhome I think that would be a good comparison 👍. Your costs do seem quite high, but you are running a business. I receive the state pension which certainly wouldn't cover your outgoings, I work part time to be able to run my campervan, which is also my daily driver, so holidays and short trips are affordable.
Great honest video, I’m £1990 I’m a house with a mortgage rate rise looming! We met you at the NEC on Friday, I was nervous, but you are a great guy! Look forward to the next cheese tasting too😊
This is so interesting. Thank you. I was wanting a good comparison between House rent, van life and canal boat. Funny how everything prices about the same. No cheap living in the UK. Even camp site fees are ridiculous for a tent.
Hello I left you a message on your other videos 😢. I just used my phone for all my channel content and like you EE unlimited data is the best. I don’t watch tv . I’m trying to get Diesel heater in my van, but I keep getting let down so saving up to get one fitted by a professional company now . I use a camping stove. living with basic needs 😊
I've had a diesel heater fitted by the Autoterm fitter in Bideford ,north Devon and he did an excellent job for just over 1000 pounds, but you would have to wring for a quote as things change, very well pleased with his work and everything he did, I can recommend him after the job he did for me on my motorhome.
@@philmay113 nice I’m a bit worried about the cheap diesel heaters after my van got caught a light a few years back but I don’t give bad reviews on those cheap diesel heaters. They are quite good but being on my own I would much prefer to have it done professionally thank you
Daz, thank you for this video, especially the MOT and insurance costs. For anyone working full time and renting even a council house these costs would be at the lower end on average, so a lot of incentive to consider van life for those who want the independence and have family they could have mail sent to.
You could easily cut a large portion of that down you are living very well. I am going to move into a motor home soon while I search for a new building plot I am very excited. Where do you park for free if you’re not on a camp site. I just subscribed mate 👍
Great video breaking down the costings. Some of those costs aren't necessarily just associated with living in a motorhome / camper van. Food would need to be bought in a van or in a house. Most people would also have the vehicle costs of tax, insurance, MOT and fuel, too. A small family car may be cheaper over all, but there would be some cost. Perhaps that's something for a future video: cost of living in a motorhome vs. cost of living in a house using average market figures for the house. I am only interested in all this as I have just sold my house and will be moving full-time into my less-than-adequate van at the end of January (on completion of sale). Is your van insurance for full-time living in it? If so, that's a great deal! 👌
Good video Daz, informative as usual. The main cost that can be more under your control is your food bill. Wow, £600 is a lot. Think about how much you would save by shopping around in the likes of Aldi and Lidl. I accept that you probably wont want to sacrifice on quality but you could possibly cut your food bill by around 50%. Also, by healthy eating you would lose a bit of 'timber' and get more MPG from your motorhome ! Winner, winner, chicken salad dinner haha. Best wishes.
Cheers, mate! You’re right-food’s definitely one area I can tweak. I actually do shop around in Aldi and Lidl quite a bit and love their stuff! The £600 is a high-end estimate when I bulk buy, but I do aim to keep it lower when I can.
Ok some really useful figures there. Please please can you tell us what the miniature hair dryer like object is just above your right shoulder through most of the video please.
A few videos ago, you were asking about TV/movie recommendations. Well I sincerely recommend Bosch and also Bosch legacy. It is American as you wished. You may have already watched them but if not...enjoy! Also mate one quick question I'm sure you've been asked before ... however...have you ever experienced anything really creepy, strange or even paranormal on your travels? Would love to hear any response to that but either way fella. Love your stuff, your channel, been following for a while but I think this is the first time I've actually commented. Keep up the good work Darren, and thank you matey. When next will you be in East Sussex??
Can’t comment on full time because as you know we are weekend warriors 😂 but we would usually spend £150 for a weekend if we went away for 2 nights. Not including eating out our weekly shopping is between £75-£100 for 2 of us - you need to cut down on the Pepsi Max. Great insightful honest video 👍🏻
@@riboid as Daz is a friend, he knows I work for one of Pepsi’s competitors. Don’t worry he will see this as the piece of banter that it was meant as 👍🏻
Good Afternoon… was you on A41 today?( Wednesday). Was just talking to my wife about your video and costs etc, then I’m sure I waved at you going opposite way( we were in a Carthago).
Hey bud, idk i think i made the wrong impression this afternoon (im probably overthinking) but in relation to your monthly spends you could probably save on your food shops . Mobile phone and your fuel. If you see me or vise versa reminded me about fuel and mobile . Hope your diesel heater keep you toasty bud
Great Vlogg as always. Wish my insurance was £700. I have just renewed through Comfort and paid a whopping £2800 For a 2018 Laika Kreos. Only ones that will insure me. 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Your food bill is high, I feel guilty if I pay over 60 pounds a week. Unfortunately, there isn't an own brand cherry Pepsi, but ALDI does a lovely fruit twist fizzy drink, which is 1.69 for 6 cans it does make a refreshing change. 😮 Also, drinking water is better for you . Thanks for the costing update. Penny
Interesting video, thank you. I know it's not strictly a cash flow but a cost that no one mentions is depreciation. A self-build van may not lose much because of the "improvements" from the fit-out but a prebuilt van will depreciate over time. Shouldn't this significant cost be included in the cost estimates?
Thanks for the comment! I know some people worry about depreciation, but honestly, it is what it is. I can’t control it, so I focus on enjoying the lifestyle and saving when I can for the future. I never thought I’d even be doing what I’m doing now, so who knows what the future holds. Appreciate you bringing it up though-it’s definitely something to keep in mind!
£1142 a month is not bad considering £600 of that is your food. It's literally half of your expenses. And £96pm for Starlink which isn't necessary for the average person I'd say for me the total would be, as a carnivore/Keto person, my food bill would be about £160pm, no Starlink, my diesel would be half as I don't travel that much, so the total there would be around £525pm which would include pet food. So it's still far cheaper than renting a 1 bed home in the North East with all outgoings hitting around £850-900pm. And that's social housing not private rent, which would be even higher
I live on £800 pcm in my campervan and that includes a £250 contingency what I would like to know!!! Does your income from utube shows and merchandise cover it??
Hi, first-time viewer, enjoyed your vlog. I wanted to ask you about starlink, any good? Their trustpilot score is only 2.9 out of 5 and there's a lot of bad reviews, so thought I'd ask an actual user. Also, if I were you I'd probably keep a gym membership. I'm sure you'd get much of the cost back from the savings on showers, but keeping fit and healthy is worth its weight in gold.
Hi Daz honest as always. What was the increase from two, four and six years ago? It would be quite interesting to see the increase year on year. Keep making the great vlogs mate. Oh and I am enjoying the fishing channel as well these days. Steve and Mandy
Yeah I’d agree you’re an OK guy 😂 Those costs seem pretty good, it’s not as cheap as people may think to live in a van, your food bill is high for one though, same as what we spend, could always swap out some meat for the veg, it’s cheaper 😉 I think I know the answer to that!😂 Wish our insurance was a cheap as yours, ours is horrendously high. Thanks for sharing Daz interesting to see what others spend. x
Me, the wife and a 16 year old only spend about £320-£350/month on shopping, £180/month electric, and then another £100/month on internet/mobile/sundries etc. ,£600/month rent. The upshot is it costs about 1200-1500/month to live at a basic level in the UK nowadays. My house in the Philippines when I was out there last year was costing me about £300/month to live a GOOD lifestyle and that includes all my bills/food and so on. I don't drive out there so we use jeepneys or tricycles to get about but that's so cheap as to be negligible.
So the last few times I’ve been there this year (via plane) I’ve paid EE to use my allowance from the UK in Europe which is unlimited everything and I’m sure there are fair usage policies I don’t doubt but I’ve not hit them or been warned and I’m a heavy user. What network are you with and how long you going over for?
You do like your food Daz cos I`m a 5 -11, 20 stone trucker and I allow about £45 a week for groceries. £600 a month is what my Brother spends to feed him, his wife and their 6 ft 4, 25 year old son.
Haha, yeah, I do love my food! To be fair, the £600 figure is on the high side and usually happens when I bulk buy or take advantage of offers to save over time. Some weeks it’s much less, but I like to keep things flexible.
Pi would say £45 is main shop but then snacks, deliveroo and work lunches pushes it to more like £80 a month. Then there going to pubs. I'm on dodt drinks but trays probably another £60. I dint think k yihatebeing honest with yourself
Why are they paying for a 25 year olds food and why does he live at home? I find younger people are like teenagers when they should have kids and a mortgage already
Enjoy watching your videos out of curiosity. Most of the costs you mentioned seem reasonable but I’m not being funny the food seems really high😮. Would be good to have a breakdown of what you buy. I live on my own and my food costs would be £250 a month at most.
Great vlog again daz But food bill to high for a single person Lpg to high get rid go all electric Everything else is what it is Great deal on insurance and EE
Yeah, like a few here are saying, you could save a packet on food .........Aldi, Lidl etc ........and consider good healthy wholesome food you can make yourself, like soups, stews. And once made, they go a long way. One cost that is unpredictable is repairs & replacement of big expensive items - like a house.
6 kilo of cod fillet from macro £100 10/12 packs of 15 eggs £25/30 Non pasteurised butter 500gram block x 8 £22 1 kilo macadamia nuts x2 =£16 500gram 20% beef mince x 20 packs =£48 Feta and hollumi £20 Add some spices and salads another £30 . All this for around £250 a month Not having a go but change your eating habits for the better you’ll be in the beat shape of your life and better off for it
Buy a sodastream and get the proper Pepsi max syrup... You save a fortune... It was nice meeting you on Saturday... I was the one you saw as you pulled up in the car park 👍 and we asked you about going full time when we met you at the p4n stall.
Hey brother....great vid. I live on a narrowboat and my expenses are c£14k.....I cld nail them down to £12.7 (Tax break) but my 'bling life' is rarely over £18k. (I own my boat outright so no 'mortgage')
One thing you have not budgeted for Darren, is if you have to be out of your motorhome because it's in garage for repairs and if it in for more than a couple of hours and you can't stay in your motorhome than paying to stay in a hotel rooms? Yes your food budget for the month is a well over the top
I've got an emergency fund put aside for things like that which I keep adding too over time. I don't think 100 a week on food & drink is bad if i'm honest, 600 is usually when I'm bulk buying special offers and that, thanks for the comment
@@TheUrbanMotorhome Do you own a business? you could apply for a Makro or a bookers card. ( Makro been the better option for business, bookers is more for retail shops. ) that would save you few quid on bulk stuff, as you would pay the VAT on all, not individual items. Like you would in the standard supermarkets.
Couple of questions. Campsite fees only cover a few days a month, do you wild camp or boondock the rest? Have you factored in depreciation of your motorhome?
Yeah I go to campsites about every 7/10 days to do all my chores and the rest of the time I'm either wild camping or at festival/shows (spring/summer). I know some people worry about depreciation of the moho's but honestly it is what it is, I can't ultimately control it so I do what I can and save when possible for the future.
Great video I'm starting van life due to a relationship that's on the rocks and will become homeless soon can't afford to rent a place as we all know the cost of living has gone through the roof so any tips would be greatly appreciated
Sorry to hear this mate, I will have a video coming out next week with some hints and tips to save money, if you have any questions or anything feel free to ask, happy to help where I can.
TheUrbanMotorhome@@TheUrbanMotorhome got a van that's partly built but needs to be taken apart and started again but given the time frame I have looks like I could in it before it's finished
@@marks3678 You are right,but nothing was mentioned about the finance on the motorhome or the depreciation if bought outright,which would be the highest outlay every month,which has to be a factor if you are thinking of living in a motorhome.
@@paulmolyneux599All these factors come into play. I'd hate the thought of someone crashing into my home on wheels, totaling it 😬 if you had the chance of House 🏡 safe and holds it's value Motorhome 🚐 anywhere you want to go freedom and cheaper Boat 🛥 travel the world For me I'd be happy with a rucksack on my back and walk through Europe for the rest of my life.
There are a few things that I suspect would be cheaper for me. I don't eat nearly as much food. Certainly not gallons of Pepsi. And I wouldn't want such a huge motorhome so fuel and insurance would be cheaper. Not travelling so much would also bring the cost down. I plan on doing it around Europe and British Isles when I retire and have seen other RUclipsrs who do it for far cheaper. Especially in Europe. Still an informative video and I watch Darren's vids regularly to pick up tips.
Ahoy there. Greetings to you. We use Amazon Prime / Netflix, and we have a data only sim unlimited. However, we are getting poor signals most of the time. I don't know whether some of it is due to Faraday's law (being in a tin box!) or my data provider not so good or my set up is rubbish???!!!! I am going to look into Starlink mini dish. Many thanks.❤👍
It’s certainly not just you mate, I’ve been talking to loads of people about it and everyone seems to be suffering with data and signal and that’s the main reason I looked at starlink because I rely on the internet so much. It’s pretty good I’ve and doesn’t use that much power to be fair but the £96 per month is a swift kick haha
@@TheUrbanMotorhome I was alerted to the Starlink price increase by The Roaming Radfords for me, worse than the cost is the new restriction to use outside home country is now 2 months.
Sorry but full-time insurance is alot more expensive than £700 there is one company that supplies true full-time insurance . We full-time and oay £1600 a year with unlimited 365 days a year European cover and brake down cover. Please let us know which company you use, as we have asked basically all insurance companies within the uk and without exception have said they don't give full-time insurance. Companies may insure for up to 8 months if you own a property or have a long rental lease. If an accident happens the company will ask for proof of address either a utility bill, gas , electricty, council tax etc. We could have used a family members address but that wont count if we have an accident. To finish please let us know your insurance supplier.
I don't even economise...I use mainly Tesco and Asda, but still spend no more than around a MAXIMUM of around £60 a week (£260 pcm)...and that's including a steak and 10 eggs every day! I don't know what the hell he must be eating. Must be takeaways and other rubbish. And look at the amount he must be spending on rubbish like loads of pop every day!
Thanks @pinchyh for the comment, but who said anything about pre-made meals? I actually cook and do shop at Aldi and Lidl a lot already! The £400 to £600 is on the high side when I bulk buy, but it’s definitely not all pre-made stuff. I love cooking, dude!
Yeah I would go with that. Theres two of us but we only have £800 a month through the winter to live on. I think our gas is nearer 100 a month and we have 200 quid in storage fees. We then pay life insurance as well. I only pay 10 quid for my phone but himself pays about 30. We have stashed essentials away through the summer for the winter and avoid campsites and try not to travel. But you never included parking fees. They are a good chunk now parking places are fewer. We rarely buy water but we spend 15 quid a week on laundry. This year we had to fork out for a new alternator, tyres, bodywork cos the windscreen split and they wouldn't fit a new one till we had the surround done. We have had all the brakes and pipes done too. Crossing fingers, toes and eyes in the hope it sails through its MOT on thursday. Then insurance will cost 600 or 700 as well. Its sounds cheaper living like this but its all relevant to income.
Its nuts it would be 200 a month at most
200 a month for what?
The lot
Haha ok!
@@TheUrbanMotorhomeI find it amusing that people like Grizleea can spout a load of nonsense figures (ie £200) without any hard evidence.
I enjoy these videos because you’re realistic and don’t try grab headlines with ridiculous £200 pcm claims like Grizleea.
£200 wouldn’t even cover my fuel costs to work for two weeks 😂
@@TheUrbanMotorhome It worries me how some people have no idea about personal finance. I love this vid. Ignore the ignorants. :)
£600 a month for food for one person is well over the top, sorry, just my opinion
It does sound a bit excessive yeah
50 a week for me at the most, and I'm 95% carnivore
Dunno how/where you guys shop. We manage a family of 4 on £400 a month!
GP Receptionist by any chance?
£20/ day to eat is mega expensive.
You have always been a genuine guy which is why I want to watch your video’s. Have watched for years and have loved your journey from your days as a lorry driver. I wish you on going sucess😊🫶
I've followed you from the start of your RUclips journey & always enjoy your honest vids
Great vlog and as you say it’s personal preference to everyone…we’re full time and have been for a few years now but the one thing we have to remember is most of these costs are cost of living regardless of where you live, the increase should be based on running costs and repairs everything else is cost of living regardless 🙏
Totally agree, this is the way forward, we have been thinking of this for a few years.
Nice honest talk about costs.
The only way I find to cut the costs down a little is move around less the rest is what it is. And I totally agree about the camp sits for getting everything done in a couple of days stay.
Thanks Steve, yeah I like to be open and upfront about it all, helps other make informed decisions don’t it. You’re right about lowering cost most are what they are, I could probably tighten up the food if I had too, and yeah campsites are great for a few days stop
"Honest" costs??? What world are you living in, where one person spends £400 - £600 a month on food alone??
@@Jer0867 he’s saying what he spends so what’s the problem!… I take it you live on soup or beans on toast but smoke 20 a day and 4 cans of beer 🫣😂😂
@@TheUrbanMotorhomeI quite often have a McDonald's breakfast delivered and just open the bedroom window and the driver passes it through literally breakfast in bed, it's great I'm under the duvet I don't even get out of bed to receive the delivery , you pay more but it's worth it and I'm loving it 😁
Wow!! That sounds very high for vanlife, when I was living in van, I aimed to be around £600/£700per month all in, currently living in flat on South Coast and my living costs are £1400per month, so you have made me feel pretty good with what I am achieving 😊
Brilliant video Daz as always. It's definitely possible to do it a lot cheaper by buying a smaller second-hand vehicle, cheaper food moving around less, etc. I think you could realistically do it for between 6 to 800 with a good basic standard of living. You have always worked very very hard and continue to do so and your current outgoings are still extremely low compared to living in a property. Loving the content❤
Yeah that was a good video covering most things. I was shocked at the food bill. But he doesnt shy away from the fact he likes his food. So do I but im like 2-300 a month and that includes household and personnel stuff like loo roll and deodorant
Excellent information, well presented 👍
Unfortunately, my entertainment costs involve beer and wine - so, I’m on a different scale 😂
👌💙❤️
I've just come across your Channel today I'm glad you're living your dream
Shocked at the numbers mate wow, another thing to note is your motorhome is not making any capital appreciation like a house in fact it’s losing value with wear and tear and constant mileage increases but I guess you can’t put a figure on freedom. Excellent channel mate wishing you all the best in your adventure. 🤝
Compare this to being able to magic money out of thin air and lend it at interest... The Joooooooos
let me know if you can take your capital with you mate when your dead.
@@mpw2081he can sell it
@@mpw2081 let me know when how you enjoy living in a van when you're 80 and have no capital to pay for a care home.
@@josephnicholson6776 sounds like the way I am going
We do exactly the same with internet, prepaid sim and Starlink - price increase was a shocker 🙂EE £37 a month! I need to renegotiate. Great vlog, thanks for sharing!
@@CaravanVlogger i use Giffgaff and hotspot TV and laptop using my phone. £25 unlimited calls and data. No contract.
Great seeing you today Darren at the NEC, keep up with your informative videos.
Will do 👍🏻 Thanks for coming over and saying Hi 😁
Great video darran it’s good to see the breakdown of costs I watch Bren I’m the USA living in his car do food deliveries etc and he breaks it down the same way. it’s good to see people can live full time in there van even in these tough times 👍
Thanks Anthony appreciate you watching the video, I've not seen Bren's videos but I'll check them out 😁👍🏻
Excellent video, great break down of costs, we don't live in ours full time but do spend a lot of time travelling around using campsites, wild camping and pubs etc.
Thanks Philip, thanks. Yeah I love mixing it up with different stops 😊👍🏻
Great video! Thank you for sharing your budget with us 😊
My monthly shop costs are around £350-400 a month just for me. That including cleaning products and home stuff (does not include period products as I have reusables that don’t cost anything - except laundry!)
I’m strict vegetarian (lactose intolerant so no dairy- just eggs!) and try not to buy too many luxuries, but it’s still a chunk of income. Although I think I spend less than others by not eating meat (lentils, beans, etc are much cheaper) and making my food from scratch where I can.
I agree with stopping at a camp site to do chores - plus most have shower blocks so no wasting your own water or electricity on the water heater for a good scrub 😂
What address do you put down for insurance?
I love you Daz. I’ve followed you from almost the beginning. You always make me smile and your videos are entertaining and informative. Thank you for being you 💜🤍
Ahhh thanks Sam, really appreciate you watching the videos and your kind words, have a great Sunday 😊
great insight into the costs mate. I think a lot of people will be surprised by just how much it costs and I like the idea of going to a site and doing all your chores in one go. Great video again
Thanks mate, yeah I’ll be honest I was quite shocked when I saw the numbers in black and white, it has certainly gone up a lot. Yeah building campsite days into your routine really works well
I haven't started yet but have already decided I plan to go to a campsite maybe like friday or saturday after work to get my chores done. Going to try get a big water tank and make it last the week then I can top that up there and do the washing. I think ive gone overboard on the solar so my power should be fine even in winter. I plan to carry my motorcycle so it be nice to leave the van at a secure location for the day then go out on the motorbike while my clothes hang out to dry in summer :) . Dog will be safer at the campsite too with the fans on or air con.
@@TheUrbanMotorhome you didn't talk about van depreciation and its a real cost ! mileage and another year older has a cost that can be calculated and shown as a monthly cost . BUT YOU NEVER MENTION THIS IN ANY OF YOUR COST UPLOADS !
much easier than having a home and alot more fun.
@@09mantlek its the life, the freedom
😂😂😂 this video started slowly… but turned into comedy gold!!🎉😂🎉😂
Thanks brother ✌🏼❤️
I'm sure you go upp and down the M6 occasionally. Jump off the M54 at J1, do a right and Hilton Gas is on the left 75p a litre. Or go into Wolverhampton and Carvers is 69p a litre... 👍
That’s a sweet tip mate, £1.30 a litre is killer! I’m having a diesel heater fitted next week so that will help with keep gas use down 🤞🏻😁
@@TheUrbanMotorhome and I buy a 205l of red shared with a mate for my Autoterm heater. Works out around 60p a litre
ahhhh I'm having mine plumed into the main tank, I just know the mess I'll make with another tank, that and I've got no where for another tank to go lol
A very insightful video, thanks! It's about the same ballpark total as mine, in slightly different proportions (but no Space Karen dish). One additional cost I have currently is Self Storage and the no-ads Prime add-on, adverts drive me mad lol
I wanna say brilliant were the same but at the same time I don’t because of the increases haha, na it’s good to know I’m not wildly out there with my costs. I did have storage a long time ago but got rid of it in the end, I’ve got a couple of seasonal things in my brother’s shed and that’s it now. Ahhhh I’m the same mate ads drive me crackers, RUclips premium is something I think I’ll have for life now haha, how long you been full time?
Thanks for the update, Darran. Your budget video was the first I saw about vanlife in the UK.
Was actually expecting your insurance and diesel to be higher, but that's a major increase overall! If you haven't already, it might be worth checking if any of these could be considered a business expense. 💪
Informative as usual, you have provided us with the full cost of living in a motorhome, although you could strip out some of the costs which would be incurred if you were in a house i.e, food, phone you would have those anyway. Keep the Sunday ‘Chicken Wing’ videos coming, they are so enjoyable.
I try to be as open and upfront as possible about it all. Yeah you’re right to be fair some of them cost will be with you either in a house or a motorhome. I’ll keep the videos coming no worries, appreciate you watching and commenting 😊
Great video as ever. The costs seem pretty reasonable to me, and not outlandishly different to the previous edition of this video. Keep them coming, I’m looking forward to the Christmas market trips!
Thanks! Yeah they could be a lot worse that’s for sure and there are a few places I could reign in if needed. Got lots of videos coming over the winter, can’t wait 👍🏻😁
A good insight of the cost of van life ,but if you shop around, you can at least knock another 25%off , hopefully I'm hoping to go ahead with it , in a couple of years , when I retire, I know you got the original price of van , but once you got that , the world is your oyster, and freedom , keep the videos coming .
Morning Dazza yes I have been looking forward to a new updated version of the video . Ta for this
Morning Sam, no worries your welcome, costs have definitely gone up I think you’d agree
Great honest video Darren. Do you tell the insurance company that you are living in the van full time? Also, as you have a relationship with a dealer, does that mean you have to be a business user?
Similar costs to living in house thats paid for and appreciating. How much will your van be worth in 10 years time? House will probably 2x in 10 years. Inflation works for you. Oxidisation works against you.
Buy me a house for 2k, which is what I paid for my van five years ago. Next maintain your house for under £500 per year. Now pay all your insurance and taxes for £500 a year. I'll match your fuel costs and food costs. Now take the £150k you made on your rabbit hutch and upgrade to a sem-detached, which has increased in cost by £300k while you built your nest egg.
thats assuming you can get a mortgage for the house and have the down payment. you would have to ask him why he does this rather than get a house as he may have his own reasons. you clearly dont like it for some reason good luck with that.
Great vid. 👌🏻
I can attest to you being "a pretty ok guy" 🤗 👍🏻
Would love a bit more info on insurance providers as with many insurers it’s a bit of a grey area especially if you have a converted sprinter van. Also great to meet you this week and make sure you get Park4Night to change the label to anything other than ‘Itinerary’ 😂
Great video, always love your enthusiasm,no matter the topic. Your total per month is £500 less than my rent alone per month! Van life is the way ahead!
Getting the Amazon internet! Great seeing you every day this week!
Thanks for watching 😊👍🏻
Thanks Daren. Another top video. Our current mortgage alone is £750, council tax £220, gas and electric £260. A MONTH
That's without food and all other essentials. I think you are living the dream fella and good luck to you.
Here's a top top for saving on food.... Cut down on the chicken wings. 😝
Cheers, mate, really appreciate that! Wow, those house bills are no joke! I definitely feel lucky with the motorhome lifestyle-it’s a different kind of dream for sure. Haha, cutting down on chicken wings? That’s a tough one, but I’ll give it a go... maybe...never haha! 😆
A brilliant and totally candid video as always, definitely could make direct comparisons with renting but not sure about those with mortgages. Ultimately the latter will eventually own a house outright and one that's likely appreciated in value, whereas MH's will depreciate and funds will be needed to replace one day. That said home ownership may make the most financial sense but it's probably the most boring!!!!!
Thanks, mate, really appreciate that! You're spot on about the comparison-owning a house makes financial sense long-term, but like you said, it's definitely the more boring option! For me, it’s all about the freedom and adventure, even if a motorhome doesn’t appreciate in value. It’s a trade-off I’m happy to make!
Just stumbled across this video whilst doom scrolling! Lovely fella and very interesting insight into the costs of real van life (I’m a weekend warrior!). Just subbed 👊
Hi mate, For the motorhome you are living in, That amount is not too bad. Definitely if you have a smaller van , it will be cheaper . A friend of mine lives in a Ford transit, and he spends around £700 a month.
Cheers Karl, yeah that’s a fair point my motorhome is a fair old size. Ohhh I’ve got some friends that are living on a lot less than me, are you full time?
Other than possibly fuel, why would living in a smaller van be cheaper?
@@psling7714in smaller vans you wont have a space for toilet, fridge or starlink on top, so all these costs are gone. Also in a proper motorhome as this gentleman, he runs heating and cooking on gas where as smaller vans have diesel heater and with smaller space you dont need to run it all the time to heat up thus less fuel. Im living out of ford transit, all build by hand but I do it mainly to save money for a property so I can live off less than half of the £1200
Your the man Daz yes that a lot but your not privelaged you work hard and your more home is fantastic and that's cos you have worked for it love your videos keep on keeping on you are a inspiration ❤❤
Great video and we would certainly not be spending that much, especially on food or Fuel. Happy journeys to you and if you are ever up in the highlands of Scotland near Invergordon you are most welcome to park up on our driveway as we have done this for other motorhome guys passing by for a few days.
Great informative video and like you say, its personal to you and everyones is going to come in slightly different.
Gives a good insight though that its not always as cheap as some might think.
Great tip for the pay upfront data sim, I'll look into that as im planning on going full time soon.
Take care and keep safe 😊
Great video Darren, it would be interesting to see the comparison for the cost of living in a house against van life.
Thanks Steven, yeah I mean I’m sure I could find the average costs for living in a house or ask a few of my friends and then do a comparison video, would you be interested in something like that?
@@TheUrbanMotorhome I think that would be a good comparison 👍. Your costs do seem quite high, but you are running a business. I receive the state pension which certainly wouldn't cover your outgoings, I work part time to be able to run my campervan, which is also my daily driver, so holidays and short trips are affordable.
@@TheUrbanMotorhome north to south cost of living would be so so different so that would be difficult.
Great honest video, I’m £1990 I’m a house with a mortgage rate rise looming!
We met you at the NEC on Friday, I was nervous, but you are a great guy! Look forward to the next cheese tasting too😊
This is so interesting. Thank you. I was wanting a good comparison between House rent, van life and canal boat. Funny how everything prices about the same. No cheap living in the UK. Even camp site fees are ridiculous for a tent.
I’m in Australia, & working it out your doing really good.
Our biggest expense is fuel as we can drive tens of thousands of kms just travelling
Hello I left you a message on your other videos 😢. I just used my phone for all my channel content and like you EE unlimited data is the best. I don’t watch tv . I’m trying to get Diesel heater in my van, but I keep getting let down so saving up to get one fitted by a professional company now . I use a camping stove. living with basic needs 😊
I've had a diesel heater fitted by the Autoterm fitter in Bideford ,north Devon and he did an excellent job for just over 1000 pounds, but you would have to wring for a quote as things change, very well pleased with his work and everything he did, I can recommend him after the job he did for me on my motorhome.
@@philmay113 nice I’m a bit worried about the cheap diesel heaters after my van got caught a light a few years back but I don’t give bad reviews on those cheap diesel heaters. They are quite good but being on my own I would much prefer to have it done professionally thank you
Hi darren,nice meeting you at the nec
Thanks for coming over, lovely meeting you 😊
Great video Daz you are entertaining and to the point that what i like
Daz, thank you for this video, especially the MOT and insurance costs. For anyone working full time and renting even a council house these costs would be at the lower end on average, so a lot of incentive to consider van life for those who want the independence and have family they could have mail sent to.
Starlink Mini. I have one too. I know they put it from £85 but you do get in motion usage and some other stuff. But it's still an awesome service
Just discovered your channel - excellent! You came as a recommendation from Chris Sloane. I’m one s new subscriber.
Very well done mate.
Great lifestyle choices
Thanks mate, appreciate the support 👊🏻
Can't wait for the Christmas markets video!.
Wow thank you fpr the breakdown you must work hard to pay all that you do well xxx love your videos thank you 😊
Thanks Linda, it's certainly different working for yourself rather than for a company that's for sure but I love what I do and I'm very lucky.
You could easily cut a large portion of that down you are living very well. I am going to move into a motor home soon while I search for a new building plot I am very excited. Where do you park for free if you’re not on a camp site. I just subscribed mate 👍
Hi mate fantastic video again, You take care mate 😁
No problem Stuart, are the costs what you expected?
@@TheUrbanMotorhome Yes nothing is cheep now my friend, You take care
Great video breaking down the costings. Some of those costs aren't necessarily just associated with living in a motorhome / camper van. Food would need to be bought in a van or in a house. Most people would also have the vehicle costs of tax, insurance, MOT and fuel, too. A small family car may be cheaper over all, but there would be some cost. Perhaps that's something for a future video: cost of living in a motorhome vs. cost of living in a house using average market figures for the house. I am only interested in all this as I have just sold my house and will be moving full-time into my less-than-adequate van at the end of January (on completion of sale). Is your van insurance for full-time living in it? If so, that's a great deal! 👌
Good video Daz, informative as usual. The main cost that can be more under your control is your food bill. Wow, £600 is a lot. Think about how much you would save by shopping around in the likes of Aldi and Lidl. I accept that you probably wont want to sacrifice on quality but you could possibly cut your food bill by around 50%. Also, by healthy eating you would lose a bit of 'timber' and get more MPG from your motorhome ! Winner, winner, chicken salad dinner haha. Best wishes.
Let face it Daz eats a lot of chicken wings😂
@@eugenedarvell8470 🤣
I don't think Aldi compromises on quality in any way. Very good value.
Cheers, mate! You’re right-food’s definitely one area I can tweak. I actually do shop around in Aldi and Lidl quite a bit and love their stuff! The £600 is a high-end estimate when I bulk buy, but I do aim to keep it lower when I can.
Ok some really useful figures there. Please please can you tell us what the miniature hair dryer like object is just above your right shoulder through most of the video please.
Really interesting and useful even for us bricks and mortar types. It is disgusting how much we're being squeezed by big businesses.
A few videos ago, you were asking about TV/movie recommendations. Well I sincerely recommend Bosch and also Bosch legacy. It is American as you wished. You may have already watched them but if not...enjoy! Also mate one quick question I'm sure you've been asked before ... however...have you ever experienced anything really creepy, strange or even paranormal on your travels? Would love to hear any response to that but either way fella. Love your stuff, your channel, been following for a while but I think this is the first time I've actually commented. Keep up the good work Darren, and thank you matey. When next will you be in East Sussex??
Hi Daz. Almost exactly the same for me. Hope your well, take care
Can’t comment on full time because as you know we are weekend warriors 😂 but we would usually spend £150 for a weekend if we went away for 2 nights. Not including eating out our weekly shopping is between £75-£100 for 2 of us - you need to cut down on the Pepsi Max. Great insightful honest video 👍🏻
I think he will do this when he finds love ❤❤
He will cut down when he is ready, but not on your orders.
@@riboid as Daz is a friend, he knows I work for one of Pepsi’s competitors. Don’t worry he will see this as the piece of banter that it was meant as 👍🏻
Good informative video and looking forward to the Christmas markets, what do you pay for having an editor ?
Good Afternoon… was you on A41 today?( Wednesday).
Was just talking to my wife about your video and costs etc, then I’m sure I waved at you going opposite way( we were in a Carthago).
Haha yeah that was me mate, just had a diesel heater installed at AutoTerm, small world ain’t it 😁👍🏻
Spooky… we are having one fitted tomorrow at Autoterm 😬🤓
Thanks for the video. i decided to stay in vietnam after that shock
Hey bud, idk i think i made the wrong impression this afternoon (im probably overthinking) but in relation to your monthly spends you could probably save on your food shops . Mobile phone and your fuel. If you see me or vise versa reminded me about fuel and mobile . Hope your diesel heater keep you toasty bud
I read a few comments but yeah most definitely fuel and mobile
Great vid mate!
How much did your current motorhome cost if you don't mind me asking?
The prepaid sims are cool, didn’t know about them.
Great Vlogg as always. Wish my insurance was £700. I have just renewed through Comfort and paid a whopping £2800 For a 2018 Laika Kreos. Only ones that will insure me. 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Your food bill is high, I feel guilty if I pay over 60 pounds a week. Unfortunately, there isn't an own brand cherry Pepsi, but ALDI does a lovely fruit twist fizzy drink, which is 1.69 for 6 cans it does make a refreshing change. 😮 Also, drinking water is better for you . Thanks for the costing update. Penny
Thanks for micro-managing Daz, Penny. My wife does that to me too.
Interesting video, thank you. I know it's not strictly a cash flow but a cost that no one mentions is depreciation. A self-build van may not lose much because of the "improvements" from the fit-out but a prebuilt van will depreciate over time. Shouldn't this significant cost be included in the cost estimates?
Thanks for the comment! I know some people worry about depreciation, but honestly, it is what it is. I can’t control it, so I focus on enjoying the lifestyle and saving when I can for the future. I never thought I’d even be doing what I’m doing now, so who knows what the future holds. Appreciate you bringing it up though-it’s definitely something to keep in mind!
£1142 a month is not bad considering £600 of that is your food. It's literally half of your expenses. And £96pm for Starlink which isn't necessary for the average person
I'd say for me the total would be, as a carnivore/Keto person, my food bill would be about £160pm, no Starlink, my diesel would be half as I don't travel that much, so the total there would be around £525pm which would include pet food.
So it's still far cheaper than renting a 1 bed home in the North East with all outgoings hitting around £850-900pm. And that's social housing not private rent, which would be even higher
I live on £800 pcm in my campervan and that includes a £250 contingency what I would like to know!!! Does your income from utube shows and merchandise cover it??
@@Hucky123 would be nice but I don’t think he is ever going to do that.
Hi, first-time viewer, enjoyed your vlog. I wanted to ask you about starlink, any good? Their trustpilot score is only 2.9 out of 5 and there's a lot of bad reviews, so thought I'd ask an actual user.
Also, if I were you I'd probably keep a gym membership. I'm sure you'd get much of the cost back from the savings on showers, but keeping fit and healthy is worth its weight in gold.
Hi Daz honest as always. What was the increase from two, four and six years ago? It would be quite interesting to see the increase year on year. Keep making the great vlogs mate. Oh and I am enjoying the fishing channel as well these days. Steve and Mandy
Yeah I’d agree you’re an OK guy 😂 Those costs seem pretty good, it’s not as cheap as people may think to live in a van, your food bill is high for one though, same as what we spend, could always swap out some meat for the veg, it’s cheaper 😉 I think I know the answer to that!😂 Wish our insurance was a cheap as yours, ours is horrendously high. Thanks for sharing Daz interesting to see what others spend. x
Me, the wife and a 16 year old only spend about £320-£350/month on shopping, £180/month electric, and then another £100/month on internet/mobile/sundries etc. ,£600/month rent. The upshot is it costs about 1200-1500/month to live at a basic level in the UK nowadays. My house in the Philippines when I was out there last year was costing me about £300/month to live a GOOD lifestyle and that includes all my bills/food and so on. I don't drive out there so we use jeepneys or tricycles to get about but that's so cheap as to be negligible.
Just wondering how much data you get in Europe on your phone 😊 great vid as always ❤
So the last few times I’ve been there this year (via plane) I’ve paid EE to use my allowance from the UK in Europe which is unlimited everything and I’m sure there are fair usage policies I don’t doubt but I’ve not hit them or been warned and I’m a heavy user. What network are you with and how long you going over for?
You do like your food Daz cos I`m a 5 -11, 20 stone trucker and I allow about £45 a week for groceries. £600 a month is what my Brother spends to feed him, his wife and their 6 ft 4, 25 year old son.
Haha, yeah, I do love my food! To be fair, the £600 figure is on the high side and usually happens when I bulk buy or take advantage of offers to save over time. Some weeks it’s much less, but I like to keep things flexible.
@@TheUrbanMotorhomeI don't think that food costs should be in the total as if you rented a room you would have food costs
Pi would say £45 is main shop but then snacks, deliveroo and work lunches pushes it to more like £80 a month. Then there going to pubs. I'm on dodt drinks but trays probably another £60. I dint think k yihatebeing honest with yourself
Why are they paying for a 25 year olds food and why does he live at home? I find younger people are like teenagers when they should have kids and a mortgage already
Wow the food Bill is unbelievable ,are you doing your weekly shopping at motorway services or Harrods .
Good video Daz,
Thanks mate, appreciate you watching
Hi Darren, yes very much so, could be an interesting one.
Steve.
Enjoy watching your videos out of curiosity. Most of the costs you mentioned seem reasonable but I’m not being funny the food seems really high😮. Would be good to have a breakdown of what you buy. I live on my own and my food costs would be £250 a month at most.
Great vlog again daz
But food bill to high for a single person
Lpg to high get rid go all electric
Everything else is what it is
Great deal on insurance and EE
Yeah, like a few here are saying, you could save a packet on food .........Aldi, Lidl etc ........and consider good healthy wholesome food you can make yourself, like soups, stews. And once made, they go a long way. One cost that is unpredictable is repairs & replacement of big expensive items - like a house.
6 kilo of cod fillet from macro £100
10/12 packs of 15 eggs £25/30
Non pasteurised butter 500gram block x 8 £22
1 kilo macadamia nuts x2 =£16
500gram 20% beef mince x 20 packs =£48
Feta and hollumi £20
Add some spices and salads another £30 . All this for around £250 a month
Not having a go but change your eating habits for the better you’ll be in the beat shape of your life and better off for it
Buy a sodastream and get the proper Pepsi max syrup... You save a fortune... It was nice meeting you on Saturday... I was the one you saw as you pulled up in the car park 👍 and we asked you about going full time when we met you at the p4n stall.
Hey brother....great vid. I live on a narrowboat and my expenses are c£14k.....I cld nail them down to £12.7 (Tax break) but my 'bling life' is rarely over £18k. (I own my boat outright so no 'mortgage')
One thing you have not budgeted for Darren, is if you have to be out of your motorhome because it's in garage for repairs and if it in for more than a couple of hours and you can't stay in your motorhome than paying to stay in a
hotel rooms? Yes your food budget for the month is a well over the top
I've got an emergency fund put aside for things like that which I keep adding too over time. I don't think 100 a week on food & drink is bad if i'm honest, 600 is usually when I'm bulk buying special offers and that, thanks for the comment
@@TheUrbanMotorhome Do you own a business? you could apply for a Makro or a bookers card. ( Makro been the better option for business, bookers is more for retail shops. ) that would save you few quid on bulk stuff, as you would pay the VAT on all, not individual items. Like you would in the standard supermarkets.
Couple of questions. Campsite fees only cover a few days a month, do you wild camp or boondock the rest? Have you factored in depreciation of your motorhome?
Yeah I go to campsites about every 7/10 days to do all my chores and the rest of the time I'm either wild camping or at festival/shows (spring/summer). I know some people worry about depreciation of the moho's but honestly it is what it is, I can't ultimately control it so I do what I can and save when possible for the future.
Great video I'm starting van life due to a relationship that's on the rocks and will become homeless soon can't afford to rent a place as we all know the cost of living has gone through the roof so any tips would be greatly appreciated
Sorry to hear this mate, I will have a video coming out next week with some hints and tips to save money, if you have any questions or anything feel free to ask, happy to help where I can.
TheUrbanMotorhome@@TheUrbanMotorhome got a van that's partly built but needs to be taken apart and started again but given the time frame I have looks like I could in it before it's finished
You're living your best life mate. It's not for everyone, but are they happy? Cost of running a house is 3 to 4 times as much.
Exactly. Sometimes this life isn't a bed of roses either but I struggle with the idea of being trapped in four walls now.
Yeah,but a house is gaining value,not depreciating
@@paulmolyneux599 Value is not just about money. Value your quality of life.
@@marks3678 You are right,but nothing was mentioned about the finance on the motorhome or the depreciation if bought outright,which would be the highest outlay every month,which has to be a factor if you are thinking of living in a motorhome.
@@paulmolyneux599All these factors come into play. I'd hate the thought of someone crashing into my home on wheels, totaling it 😬 if you had the chance of
House 🏡 safe and holds it's value
Motorhome 🚐 anywhere you want to go freedom and cheaper
Boat 🛥 travel the world
For me I'd be happy with a rucksack on my back and walk through Europe for the rest of my life.
There are a few things that I suspect would be cheaper for me. I don't eat nearly as much food. Certainly not gallons of Pepsi. And I wouldn't want such a huge motorhome so fuel and insurance would be cheaper. Not travelling so much would also bring the cost down. I plan on doing it around Europe and British Isles when I retire and have seen other RUclipsrs who do it for far cheaper. Especially in Europe. Still an informative video and I watch Darren's vids regularly to pick up tips.
I would love to spreadsheet the hell out of your expenses and come up with a savings plan! :D hahaha
Ahoy there. Greetings to you. We use Amazon Prime / Netflix, and we have a data only sim unlimited. However, we are getting poor signals most of the time. I don't know whether some of it is due to Faraday's law (being in a tin box!) or my data provider not so good or my set up is rubbish???!!!! I am going to look into Starlink mini dish. Many thanks.❤👍
It’s certainly not just you mate, I’ve been talking to loads of people about it and everyone seems to be suffering with data and signal and that’s the main reason I looked at starlink because I rely on the internet so much. It’s pretty good I’ve and doesn’t use that much power to be fair but the £96 per month is a swift kick haha
@@TheUrbanMotorhome Thank you, mate.
@@TheUrbanMotorhome I was alerted to the Starlink price increase by The Roaming Radfords for me, worse than the cost is the new restriction to use outside home country is now 2 months.
Sorry but full-time insurance is alot more expensive than £700 there is one company that supplies true full-time insurance . We full-time and oay £1600 a year with unlimited 365 days a year European cover and brake down cover.
Please let us know which company you use, as we have asked basically all insurance companies within the uk and without exception have said they don't give full-time insurance.
Companies may insure for up to 8 months if you own a property or have a long rental lease.
If an accident happens the company will ask for proof of address either a utility bill, gas , electricty, council tax etc.
We could have used a family members address but that wont count if we have an accident.
To finish please let us know your insurance supplier.
I got race van insurance :) Pence.
£400 to £600 on food is too much. Switch to Aldi/Lidl and ditch pre-made meals and cook from scratch and that cost drops to £150 a month tops.
I reckon he may be squeezing in a few takeaways on that budget. lol
I don't even economise...I use mainly Tesco and Asda, but still spend no more than around a MAXIMUM of around £60 a week (£260 pcm)...and that's including a steak and 10 eggs every day! I don't know what the hell he must be eating. Must be takeaways and other rubbish. And look at the amount he must be spending on rubbish like loads of pop every day!
@@Jer0867 if he's happy, healthy and can afford it, why not
What a terrible life you must live on your budget yogurt. Work harder
Thanks @pinchyh for the comment, but who said anything about pre-made meals? I actually cook and do shop at Aldi and Lidl a lot already! The £400 to £600 is on the high side when I bulk buy, but it’s definitely not all pre-made stuff. I love cooking, dude!
Can you get log burners small ones and burn them and generate free heat
Not everyone leads the same lifestyle,, when I lived in my van for three years,,I lived well like this guy,,I ate well
Yeah I would go with that. Theres two of us but we only have £800 a month through the winter to live on. I think our gas is nearer 100 a month and we have 200 quid in storage fees. We then pay life insurance as well. I only pay 10 quid for my phone but himself pays about 30. We have stashed essentials away through the summer for the winter and avoid campsites and try not to travel. But you never included parking fees. They are a good chunk now parking places are fewer. We rarely buy water but we spend 15 quid a week on laundry. This year we had to fork out for a new alternator, tyres, bodywork cos the windscreen split and they wouldn't fit a new one till we had the surround done. We have had all the brakes and pipes done too. Crossing fingers, toes and eyes in the hope it sails through its MOT on thursday. Then insurance will cost 600 or 700 as well. Its sounds cheaper living like this but its all relevant to income.