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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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  • This summer has been filled with a lot of hard work so we can continue the adventure.

Working odd jobs and picking up work that we aren’t necessarily *passionate* about (sorry to break it to you, Santa, I didn’t love being a Christmas elf at the mall during the holidays) isn’t always easy.

Working hours at the office, doing data entry, reception, and cleaning out the fridge every Friday isn’t exactly my idea of fun. Nick doesn’t love driving a truck for 11 hours a day, or getting home at 1am. 

But we are committed to the cycle, we are passionate about alternative living, and we want to see the world.

We don’t work hard so that we can have a margarita at the beach (although that’s fun too), we work hard so that we can experience different cultures, try different cuisines, learn about different climates, connect, and grow as people.

Travel to us is more than bright blue waters and aesthetic IG photos, it’s about the experience, and we can’t wait to see more.

__

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

Tags: #notluxe  #camperlife #camperlifestyle #vanlifeproject #vanlifeculture #tinyhome #tinyliving #vanlifediaries #travelgram #livetoexplore #vanlifeculture #budgettravel #worktotravel #traveljobs #travelblogger #vanlifestyle #vanliving #livingoutdoors #campinglife  #vanlifevirals #vanlifeideas #vandwelling

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  • Yeah, the first ever “odd job” I took in order to afford travel was as a Christmas Elf at the mall.

I worked this job on top of my regular 9-5 so that I could afford to pay off my existing credit card debt and move to Cambodia. It was my first step away from the ‘big girl jobs’ I was used to working, but I had a dream to live abroad and a bank account that didn’t match, so I had to do something about it.

The next few jobs I’ve done either part or full time over the years.

💻 REV: I’ve worked as a transcriber on Rev for a few years now. The pay isn’t great, but I’m a super fast typist (80 wpm who!?) so I figured it could be a way to pass the time & earn extra income.

🐶 Rover: This summer, we’ve ventured into caring for dogs on Rover. While we can’t do this in our van, we are currently staying with my brother and between all of us, there’s always a dog here. If I had learned about Rover prior to moving out of our apartment, I would have definitely offered my services years ago.

👩‍🏫 Teaching English online: Many people know that we taught English overseas - but only long-time followers of the YouTube channel would know that teaching ESL was my job beyond that. Unfortunately there were major pay cuts within the company that I worked for (PalFish) so I quit, but I still teach on Cambly and Outschool (more on that in part 2).

We don’t have a lot of money but we have expensive dreams, so we’ll do anything to make it work. What odd jobs have you done to earn some extra cash?

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

Tags: #notluxe #vanlifecouple #vanlifecouples#tinyhome #vanlifers #vanlifevirals #vanlifemovement #vanbuildout #vandwelling #vanlifediaries  #vanlifemovement #vanlifeexplorers #traveljobs #vanlifejobs #workontheroad #digitalnomad #budgettravel 

++ Keywords: van life tips, travel tips, van life travel, van life youtube
  • Anyone who knows our story knows that we have been working throughout our entire travels. Seasonal / temporary work has afforded us a lifestyle filled with travel and adventure. ✈️

We have explored temp agencies, Craigslist ads, used websites like Airtasker (Australia) and Kijiji to find our temporary/seasonal jobs. But in the US specifically, there are some websites designed specifically for this type of work. 🌲

Here are 3 websites designed for seasonal work (mostly U.S. based):
1. Vagajobs: a resource for seasonal & year-round work with a heavy focus on travel/adventure jobs. Some jobs posted on Vagajobs include staff housing.
2. CoolWorks: job opportunities in great places - from national parks to ski resorts, summer camps, to national parks. Some jobs posted on CoolWorks include staff housing.
3. Occupation Wild: job board for the outdoor / adventure and travel industry. Hiring all sorts of positions at ranches, camps, resorts, conservation areas and national parks. 

Outside of the U.S.? Same (kinda). Our main go-to in Canada is Indeed (search by job type & select contract / seasonal)

Do you have any seasonal job boards to add to the list?
Drop ‘em here. ⬇️

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

—

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  • If you’re in Ontario, you don’t want to miss this next year ✨ 

This was our first time visit the Hamilton night market and it was so worth the visit. Come along with us! @hhnightmarket 

Have you tried stinky tofu? ⬇️ 

—

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

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  • Shoutout to anyone who does these tiny (or big) builds on your own 🤦🏼‍♀️

We all have different strengths, right?… 

What’s your most dreaded part of DIY? ⬇️ 
_

➟ follow @nickandraychel // full-time tiny living & budget travel 

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  • Saying goodbye is the hardest part about travelling.

We have said dozens and dozens of goodbyes throughout our 20s. We have met countless new faces, made a ton of connections, and have shed a lot of goodbye tears.

Even a visit ‘home’ comes with the looming feeling of saying goodbye again.

We wish we could take everyone we love and put them in our pocket.
But we know that everybody has a different dream, a different life. 

When we take our next flight or fill up the gas tank to our next stop on the road, they go off on to see the world for themselves, to raise their families, to chase their career goals, love lives, or whatever else.

And we are so stoked to be able to stay in touch online.
But it’s definitely the hardest part of living nomadically.

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

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