My boyfriend and I spend just $24,000 a year by living in a van — here are all the things we save money on

Two years ago, my boyfriend and I left our office jobs and started living and traveling in a converted cargo van.

We spend $24,000 a year combined thanks to our new lifestyle. That's $26,000 less than we used to spend.

Here are all the things we spend and save money on from the comfort of our van.

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Not long ago, I was spending between 50 and 60 hours a week at an office in Los Angeles just to make rent for my Westside apartment, which had a cockroach problem I couldn't afford to fix.

I chalked up my financial instability to being young and “paying my dues,” something I heard frequently while working in the entertainment industry. Now, I'm working half as much as I used to and my life is brimming with adventure, thanks to a 13-year-old cargo van.

I share a 2006 GMC Savana with my boyfriend, Matt, who I met in New Zealand after I quit my job and sold everything to travel in 2016. We both left office jobs — his in Bristol, England — to achieve something bigger than what we were achieving from our desk chairs.

Read more: I quit my LA office job to live, work, and travel in a converted cargo van — see the incredible photos of how I live

Living in a van is our way of being able to afford traveling the world. Matt and I have cut our spending from when we were living in cities from $22,000 and $28,000 a year, respectively, down to $24,000 for the both of us combined — all while working less and having more fun in the process.

Here are all the ways our beloved van, Birdie, saves us money.