We got in touch with Cake and Eat it 3, an Australian family who caught our attention because they are making the most awesome trips in Australia and overseas! They travel full-time both in Australia in a motorhome and overseas in a campervan. Leanne, the mother of the family told us a bit about their travel experience and how you can start saving up for a big trip: “We have well over 20 years experience travelling in campervans, caravans, motorhomes and backpacking. We write about our adventures on our blog Cake and Eat it 3 while worldschooling our daughter.”

“We have always had a passion for travel, even though we spent years working multiple jobs, setting up various investments to support our goal of full-time travel, we always made time for travel.” After twenty years of travelling, they certainly are experts so we asked them how they are saving up for a big trip and how to keep their expenses low while they are travelling. Leanne: “Hard work pays off. It is true, there are no shortcuts, if you want something bad enough you will work hard to achieve your goal.”

Cutting back your expenses on the road

When it comes to travel, there are three main expenses;

– Cost of transportation / Fuel
– Accommodation
– Food

When travelling in a campervan or motorhome you can cut these main costs drastically. Your unit becomes your means of transportation and accommodation and also serves as your kitchen on the road. This can save you big dollars. Simply compare it to a two week or to a one month holiday. This usually includes flights, hotels and restaurants! One can easily travel around for 3 months in a campervan or motorhome for the same cost. That’s just amazing!

However, there is no denying it. Fuel will be one of the major expenses on your journey. Keep in mind; take your time on the road and don’t rush to your next destination. This is safer and cuts down on your fuel consumption. You can also stay at one place for a longer period of time. This gives you the opportunity to explore the location and its surroundings and reduces travel time and thus fuel consumption.

When looking for the perfect campsites make sure to check out resources like Wikicamps or Camps 9 to name just two options. There you’ll be able to find awesome campsites at no cost at all

Use your onboard kitchen to cook your meals (or support the local pubs and restaurants in small towns, they need your support). Reducing the times you eat out will save you heaps of money.

Self contained or not, there are many places including service stations, roadhouses and tourist information centres that offer free hot showers, water and toilets for free or at a low charge.

Saving for a big trip — Get started saving today!

The water bottle tip

This is a well-known tip: the soft drink bottle to save 2 dollar coins. A soft drink bottle can serve as a piggy bank or money box. Here is a proxy of how much one bottle holds:

• 600ml bottle fits approx. $1,000
• 1.25L bottle fits approx. $1,900
• 2L bottle fits approx. $2,960

Quite impressive, isn’t it? So make sure to empty your wallet/purse of any $2 coins every day you get home and put them into the bottle. You will be amazed how quickly they’ll be filled up! That large coke bottle helped our family to travel over 5 weeks in Australia!

We know that everyone’s situation is different, but it would be great if you could save 10% of whatever you earn and put it away. You will be surprised just how quickly you’ll adapt to a change in income. Direct that money into a bonus interest savings accounts and let it stay there until it is time to travel!

Another tip: Think about your morning coffee runs. Reducing the coffee you buy from the café will help you save quite a bit!

Stay focused!

Read about your chosen destination or read blogs from people who are doing what you want to do. This helps you remain focused on achieving your goal. It also helps to effectively prepare your trip and provides you with tips to make the most out of your time while travelling.

Whatever your travel goal is, just write it down. Remember all good goals come with sacrifice — it is TOTALLY worth it: You only live once! — See you out there on the road!

Thank you so much Cake and Eat it 3 for taking some time to talk to us! If you want to stay updated on their travels, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or visit their website. They are planning on travelling Europe in May this year so make sure to follow them to keep track of their journeys! Cheers guys and happy travels!