Hey Reader! Back in 2015, I spent $21,000 a year on rent to live in the San Francisco Bay area. When I think about that now, it seems crazy. That's so much money!And what did I have to show for it? A tiny apartment I was never in because I was always working. A constant hustle to pay for a place to sleep.Then I met Tom. He looked at my finances and said something I’ll never forget:“What if you just… didn’t pay rent?”I laughed at first. What do you mean, not pay rent? That’s just life. But...
18 days ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader! Back in 2015, I spent $21,000 a year on rent to live in the San Francisco Bay area. When I think about that now, it seems crazy. That's so much money!And what did I have to show for it? A tiny apartment I was never in because I was always working. A constant hustle to pay for a place to sleep.Then I met Tom. He looked at my finances and said something I’ll never forget:“What if you just… didn’t pay rent?”I laughed at first. What do you mean, not pay rent? That’s just life. But...
21 days ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, Last night in Mexico we went out for tacos with some boatyard friends. Tom and I had five chicken tacos and a bowl of beans, complete with amazing salsas, limes, cucumbers, pico de gallo, and cabbage toppings. Our bill was just $13, including tip! It helps that in Mexico, you can bring your own beer to taco shops like these, which really cuts down on expenses. We see our bills go WAY DOWN when we live in Mexico compared to the United States. We drive less, so we spend less money...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, Our campervan is FULL of stuff. Sometimes, I wonder how we got so much stuff, and how it all fits in such a small space. So when someone asks me what I want for Christmas or my birthday, my answer is usually: "Not more stuff!" I usually tell my family to get me consumables, things I love like Oregon wine, food, or gift cards. But there still are some cool van life items that people might enjoy, too! In this spirit of less is more when it comes to buying a van lifer something, I've...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, We've been hanging out in San Francisco for the last couple of days, visiting family and stealth camping on city streets. Stealth camping isn't my favorite thing - it's a bit nerve-wracking - but it's really the only way to be in or near the city for dinnertime. Plus, we gave $200 to the local economy, so hopefully that's payment enough for taking a parking spot for a couple of nights. Anyway, I am plugging away working even while visiting people in the Bay area. And THIS, how to...
5 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, Happy Tuesday! It's another hot day in Oregon, and I'm thankful to be hiding away in my family's air-conditioned home. Anything over 90 degrees isn't very fun in a campervan! -----PAID AD----- Today is Amazon Prime Day, and I have a very special offer to share with you from Waggle! Waggle is a pet temperature monitor that you leave inside your rig, and you can monitor heat and humidity right from your phone. For Amazon Prime Day, Waggle is 50% off! Over 60,000+ Rving pet parents...
8 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, I thought I’d send you a picture of me saying hello. I'm really thankful you are here and on my email list. Send me one back if you like! I always enjoy seeing who I'm emailing :) I also wanted to send you a couple of articles that have been popular on my Facebook page. The Six Most Valuable Lessons I Learned After 4.5 Years of Van Life Here is an excerpt of this guest post by New Zealand van lifer Lisa Jansen: For the next 4 ½ years, my trusty van and I explored everything New...
9 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, One thing I tell people is that if you're considering the van life, rent a campervan first! Renting lets you get a feel for the size of various campervans and which amenities you might want in your own. But the thing is....so many campervan rentals are flipping expensive! I've seen some that are $300 per day, which isn't a financially viable option for many people. I wanted to introduce you to Avanti campervans....these guys rent out stealthy, small, affordable minivan campers....
9 months ago • 1 min read
HeyReader, This might surprise you, but once again we are hauled out at Cabrales boatyard after just three weeks of cruising around the northern Sea of Cortez. Yes, our cruising season on the boat was SUPER SHORT this spring for a variety of reasons: The impending heat The fact that we just got new mountain bikes in the fall that we are very excited to go ride We have tons of family and friends to see The lack of exercise on a sailboat is hard -----PAID AD------- Ready to hit the open road...
10 months ago • 2 min read