Family saves $16K a year by traveling the world in a van

By Emma Dunn via SWNS

A family sold their house to have the freedom to travel the world in a van - and say it saves them $ 16,547 a year.

Nat Alstrom, 30 and her husband, Nico, 31, had previously loved traveling before settling back in their home country, Denmark, to have their son - Nohr, five.

But after two years of living "pay check to pay check" they decided to sell their house to travel full time as a family in a 6ft van - and with their German Shepard, Zoey.

The family has now spent two years on the road visiting 25 countries - such as Portugal, Greece and Turkey.

Nat says when they were paying a mortgage they were often only able to save £10 a month and they are able to put away up to $1,451 a month.

Nat, a content creator, from Copenhagen, Denmark, said: "We were living paycheck to paycheck.

"We missed the openness, the scenery."

Nat and Nico, an email marketer, fell in love with van life in 2015 but decided to buy a house in Denmark and start a family.

She said: "After two years of being really unhappy in the house we were really missing the freedom on the road.

"It was really tough. We didn't have the money to go traveling."

Nat and Nico sold their home in September 2021 for £262,351 and bought a £22,800 RV van which they lived in for eight months before deciding it was too big for them.

Instead, they bought a £15,900 Ford Transit van and spent three weeks renovating it before they hit the road in May 2022.

Nat said: "We didn't have a plan."

The family went to Disneyland Paris first before travelling through France, the UK and spending two months in Turkey.

Nat said: "My favorite place is Turkey.

"The people are amazing."

They spent the next few years experiencing the likes of Mallorca, Portugal, Spain and Germany.

They are currently back in Denmark before setting off again.

Nohr won't start school for another year so the parents are trying homeschooling before they make a decision.

Nat said: "We put him in daycare in Denmark. He was just not thriving.

"He just wasn't happy.

"As soon as we hit the road he found an inner peace.

"If he asks me a question I write them down and research them.

"If he asks how bees make honey we look through the life cycle.

"It's fun to see how much you learn when it's based on the interests you have.

"We talk a lot about the history of the countries."

The family says they are able to put aside £500 to £1,140 a month in comparison to barely having anything left after their mortgage and bills went out.

Nat said: "It's so special to go the supermarket and not look at what's on sale."

Nat and Nico often stay at free campsites and only have the cost of insurance and fuel. They have solar panels on the roof of their van for their electricity.

Nico still works full-time remotely and Nat and Nohr often have to be out of the van when he has meetings - no matter the weather.

Nat said: "Sometimes it's cold and raining.

"It's definitely not something we look forward to."

The small van has a fixed bed, kitchen, two sofas and a pull-out table. The family all co-sleep together.

Nat said: "The best thing about it is the freedom that we have.

"The freedom - money-wise and time-wise. We're not having to go to and from work."

The family doesn't have an end date for their travels but will stop when it's not working for them anymore.

Nat said: "We don't have an end date.

"It's just if one of us is unhappy."