Not Luxe ☼ Travel
  • ABOUT NICK & RAYCHEL
  • WHY “NOT LUXE”
  • Cambodia
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  • Travel
  • Teaching ESL
  • Move Abroad
  • Travel Insurance
Not Luxe ☼ Travel
  • ABOUT NICK & RAYCHEL
  • WHY “NOT LUXE”
  • Cambodia
  • Australia
  • Travel
  • Teaching ESL
  • Move Abroad
  • Travel Insurance

best life purchases

    things worth buying as a minimalist for travel

    Things Worth Buying as Minimalist Nomads

    by Nick & Raychel April 28, 2020

    As perpetual travellers, we often give tips on how to own less, how to save money, and things we no longer buy. But before we’re perceived under the wrong light, we LOVE to spend money!! We just choose to spend money on things worth buying as per our own goals and life standards.

    So what are some of the best purchases we’ve made in our lives? We’ll list ’em below.


    Prefer to watch, not read? Find the video on our YouTube channel!

    Plane tickets & travel expenses

    If you know anything about us, it may not come as a surprise to you – but we love to spend money on travel. For that matter, travelling is the main reason when it comes to why we save money in general!

    We live a pretty minimalistic life. We don’t own a lot of things, but travel is just one of those things worth buying for us. After all, we wouldn’t be who we were without all of these amazing experiences.

    Camera, lights & laptop

    I bought my camera (the Canon 60D) when I was accepted to film school in 2011. This camera has taken me through thick & thin – through cringe-worthy group projects, to my first paid gig and beyond. Lenses & audio equipment have come and gone, but this camera body has never failed me! 

    In addition to my camera, we also have studio lights and a MacBook Pro that just makes our lives so much easier.

    Our beloved HAMMOCK

    When we moved to Cambodia to teach English in 2018, we were ready to embrace the relaxed lifestyle. After finding the perfect apartment, we realized that a hammock would complete our sunroom. 

    That hammock was $30 USD from a local market, which felt like a lot of money at the time and under the circumstances we were in. That said, we used it every single day. When we left Cambodia to move to Australia, we passed the hammock along to our friend.

    things worth buying - hammock - nick and raychel

    Best. Purchase. Ever.

    Concert tickets

    When it comes to things worth buying, concert tickets have always been important to us. Many people leave these on their “Things I Stopped Buying” lists, but we simply don’t agree.

    As two music lovers, we always love to support bands & artists we love by purchasing tickets to their concerts. We love live music and there’s no price tag you can put on that.

    Tattoos

    Yep. We buy them. We love them. We spend a lot of money on them.

    Our retired ambulance

    We bought a retired ambulance which we started working on gutting  to convert it into a tiny home on wheels! This is still a newer purchase under the works, but we are so excited for our next journey with it.

    More on that soon. Follow our journey on Instagram!

    Engagement ring (wedding bands to come!)

    For those who didn’t know, we’re ENGAGED!! The proposal was incredibly special and personal, and the ring is to die for.

    In addition to purchasing an engagement ring, we will also be spending money on wedding bands & other wedding expenses for next year. This seems to be a crazy subject in the land of the internet, but having a traditional wedding is just simply important to both of us.

    We are so excited. 

    Sushi making set 

    It seems silly but it makes me happy.  I couldn’t make sushi without it. And I save A LOT of money by making it at home.

    Skateboards & gear

    Although Nick is now a sponsored skateboarder and no longer has to pay for gear. He says:

    “Any skateboards that I ever bought in the past. Nowadays, I am fortunate enough that the company I ride for will send me stuff when I need it. But when I was younger I would buy skateboards all of the time and I started going through them really fast as I progressed and got better at it. I’m happy I saved any little money I did have to buy skateboards, because it shaped my life and got me to where I am. Even to meeting Raychel. I’m so passionate about it and I’m really happy that I stuck with it.”

    And if that isn’t the perfect example of a great investment, I don’t know what is. 

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Nick & Raychel
Nick & Raychel

In 2018, we sold everything we owned and moved to Cambodia to teach English.

Let’s make this clear: this journey didn’t start with money. This journey started with a desire to see the world and to do something different for a change.

We’re not going to fool you with photos of floating breakfasts and private jets. We know what it’s like to be on a budget. Although we like to take pretty pictures, we aren’t going to wake up at an ungodly hour to give you unachievable travel jealousy. We aren’t going to censor ourselves or lie to you.

What we are going to do is stay in cheap hostels, find ways to make money, give the advice that we would want to hear, and share our experiences with you honestly.

Are you in?

Not Luxe

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ABOUT NICK & RAYCHEL

About Us Hi! We’re Nick & Raychel, the Canadian travel couple behind the brand ‘Not Luxe’. Far before we were married (and on a mission to see the world), we were working…

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Instagram

  • Full-time travel: rapid-fire answering the most common questions about having no fixed address (PART 2) 

* Language Barriers: English is our first language, but we learn key phrases before visiting a new country, use language apps, and rely (pretty heavily lol) on Google Translate for help.

*Bank Accounts: Our primary bank account is in Canada, and we open accounts in other countries if we stay for more than 6 months. We use WISE for fund transfers.

*Safety Overseas: Yes, we feel safe by using common sense, learning local laws, and staying informed about local news.

*Budgeting and Saving: We work on the road, choose affordable accommodations, and keep travel costs low.

*Routine: We’re still figuring this out, ngl. 

*Belongings: Sold everything in 2017, traveled with just a backpack, upgraded to a van, downsized AGAINA and now have a $100/month storage locker (!!!) 

*Handling Change: Honestly? Online therapy and staying connected to friends help, but we’ve learned to embrace the constant change of our nomadic lifestyle.

Any questions about living on the road? 
Drop ‘em here.

➟ follow @nickandraychel // slow travel & alternative living

Tags: #travelcouple #travelinspo #vanlifecouple #travelcouple  #granolagirl #lifeontheroad #cheaptravel #vandwellers #travelinyour30s #lowcosttravel #explorecanada #yvrcreators #canadiantravelbloggers #traveltips  #outdoorscreator #girlslovetravel #travelforless #digitalnomad
  • It’s official – we’ve quit our jobs once more as our journey takes us abroad again. Over the past 5 years, we’ve been travelling & working temp gigs along the way. 

With just 5 weeks until we touch down in New Zealand, we’ve checked off step 2 on our to-do list. Selling our trusty van, quitting our jobs, securing visas, booking flights, snagging travel insurance, updating resumes, job hunting, finding accommodation, packing our bags, and saying our goodbyes.

This marks our third move to a foreign land without ever setting foot there before. There’s no turning back now, but we’re ready for the adventure. 

So here’s to another wild ride.

➟ follow @nickandraychel // slow travel & alternative living

__

Tags: #traveldiaries #traveltips #travelforless #travelinspiration #tinyliving #budgettravel #lifeafterthirty #ohcanada #canadiancreators #granolagirl #travelbloggers #workingholidayvisa #whv #newzealand #movingabroad
  • I think I’ve found my people on this side of the pond. 

➟ follow @nickandraychel // slow travel & alternative living

__ 

Tags: #traveleurope #scandanavianstyle #travelcouple #travelinspo #travelinyour30s #yvrcreators #canadiantravelbloggers #eesti #travelgram #twoduvets #girlslovetravel
  • Suddenly you’re in a tiny floating cabin in Europe and everything makes sense? 

📍 @paekaldapuhkekeskus 

➟ follow @nickandraychel // alternative living & slow travel 

Tags: #notluxe #visitestonia #traveltips #travelcouple #tinyhome #girlslovetravel #travelgram #getoutstayout #livetoexplore #travelblogger #floathome #tinycabins #exploreeurope #canadiancreator
  • One of the biggest misconceptions about affordable travel is that it has to be uncomfyBUT there are ways to *actually* enjoy economy - so let’s chat about it. 

Here are our main tips for enjoying saving money on travel:
Follow @porterairlines and sign up to their email list (link in bio) to get first access to their biggest sale of the year so far.
Off season travel. Trust us. It doesn’t hurt the bank account and guess what - travelling in the off-season means shorter lines, more affordable accommodation and less crowds.
Add some spontaneity into your life & be flexible (if possible). 
Porter Airlines has had our backs as savvy travellers for YEARS and we absolutely love them for elevating economy air travel. 

If you haven’t had the chance to experience Porter’s Actually Enjoy Economy experience - Now is your chance.
 Free, fast WiFi (included for all on the new Embraer E195-E2 aircraft)
 No middle seats
 Free beer, wine and cocktails served in glassware
 Free Premium snacks
+ more (!!)

➟ follow @nickandraychel // full-time van life & budget travel 

@porterairlines #FlyPorter #ActuallyEnjoyEconomy #porterpartner #notluxe #traveltips #travelgirls #travelgirlsgo #girlslovetravel #travelgram #getoutstayout #livetoexplore #travelblogger #ad
  • Travelling in comfortable silence >>>

On long travel days, we love being together but we definitely don’t want to talk lmao. There is something amazing about being *with* your person, but not needing to say anything at all.

Anyone else?

Tags: #notluxe #vanlifecouple #travelcouple #gapyear #travelgirls #travelgirlsgo #girlslovetravel #travelgram #getoutstayout #livetoexplore #travelblogger #traveleurope #lovelanguage
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