This Is Exactly How Much Money We Spent On Our 9 Week Road Trip Across The USA In Our Van

One of the first things that people often hesitate to ask me after I’ve told them that I’ve just completed an epic travel adventure is, “How much did it cost?“. While I understand the hesitation to talk about money because our society frowns upon the subject so harshly, (and because I’ve been in the same position!) I think that sharing authentic information and exact details about our trips can really help other wanderers out.

Let’s Break It All Down

So, if that’s what you’ve come to this unruly corner of the internet for, you’re in luck! This article will show you exactly how much my partner and I spent on our two month road trip across the USA and back. It will also assist in giving you a good estimate of you what your future trips may look like.

Before we can start laying down exact numbers, we have to discuss some background information about our lifestyle and preparation for the 2 month #VanLife road trip that we did across the US.

Here are some important things to know:

• We did not have to go out and find a vehicle to use for this trip. I already had one (a Ford Transit to be exact!) and make monthly payments on it. I will not factor the monthly payments into the total cost of the trip because this will be different for everyone. Maybe someone has given you vehicle for free, maybe you’ve breathed life back into an old van, or maybe you’re spending lots of dough on a pre-decked out ride. Either way, add on this cost when estimating what your expenses could be like.

• We spent less than $10 converting the inside of the van. If you open the door to my van, it may not be exactly what you expect to see. So many of us these days have been exposed to the fancy van lifers on the internet who seem to have unlimited time and money to put into their vehicles. (And I say that with no negative energy! That’s just not me.) My set up is pretty simple. The seats were taken out, a floor was built and installed by my dad, and then my partner used scrap materials to build pull-out table and shelves for our clothes and other items. We then spent $5 on bungee chord at a hardware store. That was our main expense! To top it off, I painted the new set up with an old green paint that was collecting dust.

• I spent money on gear before the trip that will not be included in this post. This specific van trip that I did took me through some colder areas of the USA in the winter, so I went out and bought mostly second-hand winter gear specifically for this trip. Some of you may already have the gear you need for the trip that you are planning, while some of you may need to hit your local used adventure shop or the thrift bins. Whatever you do, be sure to add in your final cost of supplies and gear to your budget!

• Months before going on this trip, my partner and I bought food and ready-made meals from the discount store that we saved to bring with us. That means that we would sometimes be spending less than $1 per each meal that we got before going on our trip. This didn’t put a huge dent in our food budget but did supply us with a few extra meals and snacks that won’t be recorded in the budget breakdown below.

How Much We Spent:

Our overall trip cost was $3,573.59.

I spent an additional $373.61 on personal and extra things like souvenirs and postcards from the National Parks, used clothes, or smoothies just for me. Our personal expenses were all thing that were not necessary for our trip, just extra for us, so they are not included in the overall trip cost. Be sure to include extra personal expenses in your budget if you are doing a trip with someone else and splitting costs.

The total cost, $3,573.59 was split between two of us over two months, coming to $1,786.795 per person.

The total cost included our gas for the trip, oil changes, vehicle maintenance, 2 new tires when one of them split open, 3 hotel stays (1 night each), groceries and eating-out, water, National Park entrance fees and our National Park pass, and more.

To break it down even further, I will show you how much we spent in these five areas: food and water, vehicle up-keep, gas, lodging, and the random collective.

Food And Water:

Total: $1,165.43

Includes: Groceries, going to restaurants including tips, vegan cheese shops and butcheries, juice, smoothies, and drinks on the road, gas station snacks

A note on food: Remember, we had some pre-made meals from the discount store, herbs and spices, and bulk items with us before we hit the road. I also receive EBT money and there are other ways to liberate/find cheap and free food. Get creative!

Vehicle Up-Keep:

Total: $330.33

Includes: Car washes, oil change, two new tires

Gas:

Total: $1,103.31

Lodging:

Total: $439

Includes: 3 nights at 3 separate hotels, Cob Cottage stay, paid camping spots, camping permits

Note: We did a lot of free parking/camping. Find out exactly how we did it here.

Random Collective:

Total: $535.52

Includes: Fuel for camping stoves, National Park entrance fees, National Park pass, truck stop showers, guided canoe trip and tip, Earth Ship entrance fee, gifts, stickers for the van, movie rentals, stamps for post cards and regular stamps, state park passes, Pebble Beach entrance fee, epson salts, laundry

What will your trip be like?

It’s your time in the drivers seat now! Consider all of these things, plus additional expenses you may have, when planning your next trip. To get more information on traveling on an extremely small budget, check out my free post with incredible tips and tricks.

Planning on traveling the USA to explore the National Parks? Read my unruly National Park guides!