Couple ditch city life to live in a van for less than £500 per month

A British couple decided to ditch the city grind in favour of a cheaper and more nomadic way of life.

Kennedy Lacy, 26, and partner Michael Shaw now live in a van and travel around the UK in their motor home – saving thousands on energy bills.

Now, their monthly outgoings come in at £230-£450 – depending on petrol usage.

The couple also work on the road to help cover their expenses.

Their journey started four years ago when they bought a Volkswagen transporter and began going away at weekends.

But they soon realised how much they loved life on the road – so decided to move into their van permanently.

Kennedy, a travel influencer, said: ‘Before van life, I was very much a city girl doing the same thing every weekend and going out to town.

‘Mick was struggling with his mental health from a result of a tragic incident.

‘We started our journey off by going away in our old van a Volkswagen T5 on weekends and immediately loved it and moved in.

‘Now four years down the line, we are full times van lifers living in our new self-converted transit van with our adventure dog, Buddy.

‘One of the main factors for this lifestyle is that it massively helps with Mick’s mental health since we are out here in nature.

‘We love everything from nature walks to urban exploring and visiting different towns to see what’s on offer.’

In 2021, Kennedy and Michael bought a new van, a Ford Transit, and decided to covert it themselves with very little experience.

With the help of YouTube and fellow ‘van lifers’, the pair managed to pull off their transformation for less than £3,500.

Now, they save hundreds every month by staying at campsites – with their only major expense being petrol.

Kennedy said: ‘Electricity is free as we run off solar panels and a split charge, this is basically what runs from the engine battery to our three leisure batteries.

‘We have a 5kg Calor gas tank which costs £20 to refill. As of yet we have not changed it since  September and it’s still going strong. I would say we go through three a year.

‘We spend between £80 – £300 a month on petrol depending on how much we’re moving around.

‘For example, when we lived down in Cornwall, everything was close knit and easy to get to. It was no more than an hour’s drive to go somewhere new so we spent around £80 a month.

‘However, when we were in Scotland which is a much bigger place it would cost us around £300 for a round trip and of course the petrol prices are going up.’

The couple now plan to travel Europe in their motor home and share their adventures on Instagram (@scousersinavan).

Kennedy added: ‘Our plans are to travel all over but we prefer not setting a plan or routine as we love to live wild and free.

‘It’s the best way and who knows where we will end up.’

Breakdown of their monthly bills:

Electricity – Free from solar panels.

Water – Free at campsites and fill up using rain water.

Gas – £20

Petrol – £80 to £300

Laundry – £20

Campsite – £10 to use facilities only

Leisure/treats – £100

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