I lived in a caravan & only paid £454 a month for bills – I saved £7.5k a year to pay off debts but there was a downside
A WOMAN has revealed how she ditched her house to live in a caravan and save a stash of money in the meantime.
Chelsea Nicholls, from the UK, lived in her touring caravan for over a year and a half because it was cheaper than renting, and she needed to save money to pay off her debt.
In a video posted to her YouTube channel, she revealed how much money she was saving each month by living in a caravan.
She said: “I’m actually going, to compare it to how much we paid when, we privately rented a two-bedroom Maisonette.”
Chelsea revealed that with rent, council tax, water and energy bills she and her partner used to pay £1,035 every single month.
But when living in the caravan, all together, she and her partner were paying just £394 a month – giving them a saving of £641.
“So over a year we saved £7,552 pounds, wow,” she exclaimed.
The amount they were paying each month had increased slightly, to £227 each or £454 in total, Chelsea revealed in a newer video.
“No council tax, or TV licence, or anything like that,” she added.
Whilst the amount they were paying was still extremely low, Chelsea went onto explain why she was leaving caravan-life behind.
“As much as we have loved that [paying so little every month], living in a caravan is not ideal going forward,” she said.
“I do not believe we could raise a child in this caravan,” Chelsea noted, referring to the limited space inside.
But with some debt left to pay off, the couple couldn’t afford to rent a flat or home privately – so put their name down on the housing association list, where they were lucky enough to get a flat.
This meant the couple got the best of both worlds – more room in a property and cheaper rent than private renting.
She explained: “Don’t get me wrong, like we enjoyed living in the touring caravan for the first year but then we were just fed up with it.
“We knew we didn’t want to raise a family in a touring caravan and it was the right decision for us at that time.
Why Caravan Holidays are So Underrated
Caravan park holidays are a British staple. And with the cost of living crisis wreaking havoc on Britain's purses, more of us are turning to them for an affordable break.
Josie O’Brien, Senior Digital Writer on Fabulous, weighs in on why she thinks caravan holidays are seriously underrated…
“When I was a child, my mum used to collect the £9.50 holiday vouchers in The Sun. She’d use them to book a couple of nights away at a caravan park during the school holidays.
“As an adult, I fully appreciate the convenience of a humble caravan holiday. No faffing about with passports, no luggage limits and no bog-standard hotel breakfast of stale toast and grey eggs.
“I still love caravan holidays as an adult. In a world of doing everything for the ‘gram, a caravan park brings you back to basics. There’s no obligation to get dressed up, no stress to fit a million picturesque excursions in one week and I don’t find myself flustered in tourist hot spots like abroad.
“I love going to coastal caravan parks and strolling along the beach parade. My highlight is always fresh mussels, ice-creams and classic pubs to grab an afternoon tipple in.
“And then, of course, there’s the cost. Staying in a caravan is definitely way cheaper than my international trips.
“With no expensive hotel bills and the ability to cook my own meals, I’m spending hundreds less than I would abroad.
“I’ve had some of my best and most relaxing holidays in caravans. Maybe I’ll buy my own one day.”
“But now we want an actual home and we cannot afford to privately rent again.”
Chelsea and her partner have since moved into their new flat, and she gave viewers a tour following renovations.
The flat is a one-bed, ground floor and has “immediate access to the shared garden” via double doors in their living room.
Chelsea said she will be “forever grateful for the opportunity” to have a housing association flat.
And its “absolutely buzzing to share this next chapter of our lives” with her YouTube subscribers.