Not Luxe ☼ Travel
  • ABOUT NICK & RAYCHEL
  • WHY “NOT LUXE”
  • Cambodia
  • Australia
  • 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

nick and raychel

    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. 

    0 PinterestEmail
  • 8 Tips You Need to Read BEFORE Moving to Phnom Penh

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    Cambodia in retrospect: what we wish we had done differently.

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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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Recent Posts

  • Van Life Myths : Debunked

    November 3, 2021
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  • Things Worth Buying as Minimalist Nomads

    April 28, 2020
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    March 19, 2019
  • How to Move to Cambodia & Teach English

    March 18, 2019
  • 8 Tips You Need to Read BEFORE Moving to Phnom Penh

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    March 5, 2019
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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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  • We worked the whole time, we just left the desk. 

And turns out there was world out there full of opportunity, friendship, and love we had never quite experienced before. 

We know this lifestyle isn’t for everyone, but it’s for us - and we’re so glad we went for it. 🫶🏼

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

—-

Tags: #notluxe #budgettravel #vanlife #traveldiaries #cheaptravel #gapyear #travelgirls #girlslovetravel #travelgram #getoutstayout #livetoexplore #travelblogger #homeiswhereyouparkit #vanlifediaries
  • How much does van life in Mexico cost?
The truth is, it’s going to be different for everybody.

But here is a breakdown of our budget for 4 months of van livin’ on the beach this winter. 

**Please note that this DOESN’T include our trip to Mexico City which was $497 USD. Full breakdown of that air travel trip can be found on our profile!**

Any questions?

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

__

Tags: #notluxe  #vanlife #vanlifeshot #vanlifemovement #vanlifereality #campervan  #vanlifegirl #tinyliving  #camperlife #homeonwheels #vanlifers #vanlifecouple #travelcouple  #granolagirl #lifeontheroad #roadtrippin #vandwellers #vanlifemexico #yvr
  • Van life: Las Vegas ✨🫶🏼

I don’t even have to words to tell you how fun this evening was. We were almost not going to make it to Vegas this trip, but didn’t it was @cakin_bakes birthday - we couldn’t say no. 

This is what it’s like stealth camping on the Las Vegas strip. 🥂 

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

—-

Tags: #notluxe #vanlifecouple #tinyhome #vanlifers #vanlifevirals #vanlifemovement #vanbuildout #vandwelling #vanlifediaries  #vanlifemovement #vanlifeexplorers #lasvegas #vanlifevlog #stealthcamping #travelblogger
  • Crossing the Mexico/US border: the end of van life Mexico 🇲🇽 

We have crossed a lot of borders in our lives, but only 2 in our ambulance conversion. 

The added stress of having your entire home with you, a stranger walking through your van, etc. isn’t the best feeling, but as you can tell watching this video - we were just fine. 

Anyone else get unnecessarily nervous at border crossings?

(thanks @geneandshay for the inspo to film the live interaction on our phones)

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

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Tags: #notluxe  #camperlife #camperlifestyle #vanlifeproject #vanlifeculture #tinyhome #tinyliving #vanlifediaries #travelgram #livetoexplore #vanlifeculture #budgettravel #travelblogger #bordercrossing
  • Van life in Mexico: driving up the Baja Peninsula. 

We spent a few days in La Paz, Mulegé & Guerrero Negro before crossing the border from Mexico into California. This is what it was like. 

A moment of appreciation for Bahía Concepción - shall we? 

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

___ 

Tags: #notluxe #vanlifecouple #tinyhome #vanlifers #vanlifevirals #vanlifemovement #vanbuildout #vandwelling #vanlifediaries  #vanlifemovement #vanlifeexplorers #vancouverblogger
  • It’s official: we are leaving Mexico. 

The past four months in this beautiful country have been nothing but a dream come true. We’ve met amazing people, ate incredible food, and drank probably 500 shots of tequila. 

But as you know, Nick and I work seasonal / temp jobs and it’s officially time for us to find work again. 

So come with us up the west coast, it’s time for a new adventure!

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

___

Tags: #notluxe  #vanlife #vanlifeshot #vanlifemovement #vanlifereality #campervan #camper #vanlifegirl #tinyliving #vanbuild #camperlife #homeonwheels  #campinggirls #granolagirl #lifeontheroad #roadtrippin #vandwellers
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