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

savings challenge

    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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  • 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 

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  • 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?

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  • 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 

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  • 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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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 

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  • 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 

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