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

no-buy budget

    No-Buy Challenge No-Spend Week 1 Update

    No-Buy Challenge Update | Week 1

    by Nick & Raychel January 15, 2020

    We are only four days into our no-buy challenge to kick of 2020 but since the month started on a Wednesday this year, I guess we’re already at the end of week 1! Want to do a similar challenge? Read our rules here.

    We just wanted to share the 4 main steps we’ve taken in week 1 to ensure that we’re set up for our no-buy month so if you’re joining us in the challenge or you’re considering doing one soon, you may want to do some of the same things or just join us in our struggle.

    1. Cancel all subscriptions 

    We went through our Apple subscriptions and PayPal accounts and turns out I’m the only one with this problem. I scrolled through all of my subscriptions and cancelled my automatic payments to most things. As we mentioned in our first video leading up to this, I did keep our Adobe Suite subscription and monthly website domain.

    2. Do a mindful (but plentiful) grocery shop

    • Before leaving for a grocery shop, we go through your cupboards and see what you already have
    • We also didn’t want to bulk up for the whole month as we find it more cost-effective and sustainable to shop once a week on about a $50-$60 budget for the two of us. We try to keep a rule of only spending about $20-$30 dollars each on groceries per week. (Make a budget for how much you want to spend on groceries per week)

     Think of some meals that you can food prep for, this will help in not wanting to eat out – that feeling of being stuck in not knowing what to prepare might turn into an excuse to order SkipTh Dishes or UberEats or to pick something up at a restaurant 

    And of course, any time before you go to the grocery store, eat first – this always helps us stay on our low budget.

    3. Write down the reasons why you’re doing a no-buy month

    Our reasons are:

    • To save for travel, and the first trip of the year will be Hawaii so we’re keeping our eye on only that for now so we don’t get overwhelmed

    • To be more conscious of our shopping and where we’re putting our money each month

    3. Keep a log of costs of your non-negotiables and even a log of costs where you had messed up or where you had to spend something 

    Ok, so first. This is the (projected) budget we made prior to beginning the challenge. These are our MONTHLY goals.

    Mess up #1 (and the only mess-up for week 1):
    Nick lost his wallet and we’re in the process of replacing all of the cards so we had to buy a new wallet. It was $9.99 and we ordered in from Amazon. First no-buy challenge tip: don’t lose things. LOL. Boooo!

    4. Sit down at the end of the week and look at what you’ve spent to hold yourself accountable 

    Total Non-Negotiables: $316.00

    Total (Restricted): $9.99


    How we feel:

    It’s been pretty easy so far, but it’s only been 4 days so we’ll check in again next week to see how we’re doing.

    If you’re doing a similar challenge this month, let us know how your first week went. We’re still feeling stoked and we’re seeing that it might not be that hard. We’d love to know if you’re feeling the same way. If you have any more tips to share, share below!


    You can always reach out to us on Instagram @notluxxe – we respond to every single DM!

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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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  • 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.

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  • 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.

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  • 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)
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Anyone else?

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