Planning for Our Adventure: Part 1 – B-B-B-Budget
Sep 05
The dreaded B-word. Yuk!
But before we delve into the pitt of my budgeting despair, I thought I would clarify exactly what I am referring to in “Our Adventure”. In 2014, we are packing up our lives into a trusty caravan and heading around Australia for 6 months. I have named our adventure “Six Smiles Around Australia“, and it’s a once-in-lifetime opportunity for which we are all very excited.
However as expected, the lead up to any big adventure involves a LOT of planning. It’s consuming a lot of my mental time, always thinking about what decisions will need to be made NOW to ensure a smooth transition THEN.
One of the biggest issues is how on earth we will be able to afford to do this! It’s not really like saving for a big overseas holiday, because most of the time you would have a clear understanding ahead of time of what expenses you will face . But with a 6 month long adventure we have so many unknown variables – where will we be staying (freecamping, caravan park, motel etc), how much will grocery costs vary from town to town, how much fuel will we use, will we need to do much mechanical maintenance over the six months.
We also have not quite worked out how to manage our business whilst we are on the road. The options are to just shut it down and work as contractors from town to town, or we try to manage it remotely and hope that it will continue to generate an income without Daddy Smiles at the helm. I feel very confident that there will be plenty of work for us in the various country towns, but we need to think about what we are coming home to. We’ve worked too hard for too long to just let it go.
So…. this brings me back to the B word – blergh! We really need to have some serious cash up our sleeves before we take off so that we can tackle the great unknown with some sort of relative comfort. I have never had any plans to return to outside work until Lucy starts kindy – I feel like my plate is full with our business and being a Mum to the awesome foursome. But I think my hand might have to be forced.
I am very very lucky and grateful to have the World’s Best Mother. My Mum has been a HUGE help ever since Maddy was born almost 8 years ago. Mum has helped out with caring for our children which has given me the freedom to study for my teaching degree, invest time in to our business, and basically just to breathe a little. My children love her like a second Mother and I have absolutely no hesitation in leaving my children in her care.
Except I am a TEENSY bit selfish!
I love being a Mum! I love being available to mostly do whatever I want in terms of supporting the kids at school through excursions, parades, helping in the classroom, playing in the park after school, being there for drop off and pick up, and in general just “being there”.
So while I love the thought of working and doing something challenging and rewarding, and I have complete faith that Lucy would be loved and cared for beyond measure, I am still trying to wrap my head around actually going to work for “someone” again.
But then, hey, if that “someone” wants to pay me some dollars and contribute to our adventure of a lifetime, then really, who am I to say No.
So the search is on for the perfect job for next year. Ideally it will be at my children’s school so that I can be there for most of the stuff that really matters. And I guess it’s kind of convenient that I’m a teacher and all that. But I feel like I am open to anything at the moment. I have faith that the perfect opportunity will come up because I am ready. Not ready to be away from my baby, but ready to contribute, and ready to take the next steps towards our adventure.
And that is the last time I will ever write about budgeting again. I think need a good lie down now.
Have you bought your caravan yet? We’re heading off on a 4 month trip with 3 kids next year. But, just doing the top half of oz.
We’ve got enough annual leave up, that we’ll still have our normal incomes coming it…which is fabulous.
I’m working extra’s everywhere though, to try and save. Plus, we’ve just gone and upgraded our van…we thought the 17 1/2 foot would be fine…but decided that the bed was so damn uncomfortable we couldnt deal with it….it’s only a double, closed in on three sides…lots of climbing all over each other. So. We upgraded. Now have a big van (20+foot!) with queen size island bed and better bunks for the kids. And more debt. Oops.
Ahhhh Julie that sounds perfect! We haven’t even looked at caravans yet. I am hoping that it won’t be too hard to get bedding for all of us! I’d love to hear your recommendations on caravans!
We live up in Nth Qld, and we aren’t spoilt for choice as far as family vans go. We only have 3 kids…finding a triple bunker was pretty tough. I’ve never seen one with 4 bunks here, they seem to just rely on dinette/bed conversions. Good Luck on finding the right one!
How very exciting! Nat my sister have 5 kids and goes camping all the time. They have a Jayco Expanda. It has 2 double beds (2 kids share one) and a set of triple bunks. There’s also has a shower and toilet.
I’m so jealous – a trip around Australia with the kids is my dream
Oh GREAT Kaz!!! Thanks so much for letting me know – we’ll def add that to the list to look at! I’m hoping it will all fall into place for us!
Morning Nat and Smiles family,
Like you I’m making a big decision to have an adventure in 2014. So much to consider. I just returned one day a week to work and am tightening the purse strings majority. Look forward to reading more on your twavelling adventures. It’s a huge leap of faith and one the smiles family will enjoy for a lifetime no doubt……
Hi Amz! Thank you so much – it certainly is a huge leap of faith. I keep saying to myself “It will be OK – it will be OK”. I hope your job is going well and that you are settling back into employment
That sounds like such a great adventure. Can’t wait to read about it (because you are going to blog about it aren’t you ???)
Have a great day and good luck with finding a job next year.
Me
Thanks Me
I absolutely am going to blog about it!
Hi Nat, when we went we tried to set the budget for $1000 a week. We thought this was very generous at the time, but there were weeks when we spent more and weeks (when we free camped) that it cost less. It depends on how many ‘touristy’ things you want to do, some are worth the money and some things not…goodluck with the budgeting…we are busily saving for our next adventure in 2014 too:)
Thanks Theresa! That’s a really good tip – and at least it gives us something to work towards! I wonder if we will cross paths somewhere in the middle of Australia!
Hey Natalie,
We did our trip in a 21 foot cormal 610 family van.. Was ideal, newish ( 4 yrs old ) and a great price. We really struggled finding a family van with bunks in our price range in WA, we found alot advertised over east tho. Budgeting is always fun, NOT, i hated that one minute you could pay $1 ish for milk and the next your paying $7. Dielse varied from $1.80 a litre to $3.40 on the nullabour we travelled and we had a strong head wind to boot. I could write for days about what to pack and what not to pack, how not to get ripped off along the way, cause alot will try, and there is PLENTY of work in the caravan parks in exchange for your weekly van site cost, you just have to try get in before the backpackers, but i wont cause i have to get back to work now. Best of luck and happy travelling, its an amazing country we have and feel so blessed every day to have travelled it at such a young age with our babies. PS i also realized i could never be a school teacher hahah home schooling is hard.. Peace and smiles
Hi Tegan, Thank you SO much for your helpful advice! It’s great to hear from people who have been there – done that! It’s also a relief to know there will always be plenty of work, as that is one thing we are counting on as we go! Hoping we can also find a van at great price! Thank you so much for sharing