Van Life budget excel spreadsheet 

Setting Off On A Full-time Camper Van Adventure? Fab…But Please Don’t Make The HUGE Rookie Mistake Of Not Having A Budget Prepared

 

Hi, I’m George.

In 2014 I set out with my partner and dog on an 18-month wild camping adventure around the UK.

I created a budget on an excel spreadsheet listing all our income and expenses. It gave us huge peace of mind having this simple budget spreadsheet. Instead of it gathering dust on my hard drive, I’d like to share it with you.

I’ve also recorded a screencast video of myself using the excel budget, and explaining all the expenses you can expect on a long-term campervan trip.

FAQs

Does the excel spreadsheet have a nice looking visual graph? 
Of course. All self-respecting excel spreadsheets have nice looking visual graphics. You’ll be able to visually see your monthly income and expenses. 

Is the spreadsheet easy to use? 
Yes. I’ve included formulas to automatically do all the calculations for you. Easy-peasy. 

Can I upload the spreadsheet to my Google Sheets (online spreadsheet)? 
Yes. It will work on Google sheets. 

Does it come with a getting started video?
Yep. I recorded a screencast video of myself using the excel budget, and explaining all the expenses you can expect on a long-term campervan trip.

Did you use the budget on your 18-month campervan trip? 
Yes. 

Why is having a budget so important? 
The reality is that preparing for an 18-month campervan trip is a lot of work. There are a lot of moving parts and it can easily get overwhelming. The budget will instantly give you peace of mind about the financial aspect of travelling around. It’s important to be 100% aware of what income you have coming in, and what expenses you can expect to go out. 

What campervan do you recommend for wildcamping?
We loved our Hymer B544, and the Hymer B534 is also fab. If you’re considering buying a Hymer, use this Hymer Buying Guide. It has a 59-point checklist to make sure you don’t buy a lemon. Hmmm, I think you also might like to know which class of motorhome is best for wildcamping: A, B, or C class.

What is wildcamping?
Wild camping in a motorhome is when you park overnight somewhere other than an official motorhome campsite. You can buy an app on your smartphone that gives you access to hundreds of thousands of FREE wildcamping spots in the UK and Europe.

What wildcamping app do you recommend?
We used this wildcamping app.

Final Thoughts

You can create your own budget on an excel sheet.

The only reason to get my “budget spreadsheet” is that it comes pre-filled with all the “monthly expenses” to expect on your trip, plus a video of myself using the spreadsheet and discussing the expenses. The video is essentially a crash course on how to budget for a full-time campervan trip.

The small cost of the budget spreadsheet + video helps pay for this website. 

George Watts

Yoga teacher & campervan wildcamper

P.S. If you have any questions, please email me.