A MUM-of-three has told how she and her workaholic husband ditched their jobs to travel around Australia in a caravan.
Haydyn and Jess Richards, both 34, along with their kids Connor, seven, Indiana, four, and Mackenzie, two, have travelled over 20,000 miles since making the drastic change in 2021.
TIKTOK: @jessrichards935A mum of three moved her husband and three kids into a caravan to travel around Australia[/caption]
Hadyn and Jess have embraced life on the road and continue to rent out their houseInstagram/@richardsroundoz
TIKTOK: @jessrichards935What was supposed to be a one-year adventure turned into an indefinite escapade for the family[/caption]
And the couple haven’t looked back since they started their journey from the small Aussie town of Quairading.
After two years on the road, they have no plans to stop.
Jess has always dreamed of a nomadic lifestyle, but her “workaholic” husband wasn’t easily convinced.
However, he had a change of heart after having kids.
Jess said: “We realised that they grow up too fast and we wanted to make the most of their early years.”
Then in June 2019, a “dreamy” trip to the west coast of Australia solidified Hayden’s plan to start a new, nomadic lifestyle.
“We fell in love with the little snippet of the Kimberley that we saw and that was the catalyst for us to commit to making our distant dream into a reality,” Jess told DailyMail Australia.
A few months later, Jess and Haydyn put down a deposit payment on their home-on-the-wheels, making adjustments like raising the ceiling for Haydyn’s impressive 6ft 4in height.
It took two years of preparations before actually setting off on the great journey.
The couple rented out their house to a single tenant to manage their mortgage and saved on storage by locking up belongings in the kids’ bedrooms.
Haydyn is a diesel mechanic and Jess is a nurse, but they cut the ties with their jobs and switched to earning through their online businesses.
“It would mean that one parent was stuck at the caravan in a foreign environment whilst the other half went off to work, hence why we pursued income we could generate online which we absolutely love,” Haydyn said.
What was supposed to be a one-year adventure turned into an indefinite escapade.
“We love what Australia has to offer, and it’s such a great mix, you can park your caravan on world-class beaches and literally have million-dollar views at your door,” Jess said.
“Caravanning is a great way to see Australia properly because you literally can drag your house with you wherever you go and spend as much or as little time as you want in a certain spot and then you have your car with you to go off and explore.”
Despite the rising costs of living, the savvy parents spent just under £37,000 ($70,000) in their first year of travelling. Now they share their tips and tricks for saving money.
To cut down the costs, they plan their meals thoroughly with a big weekly grocery shop, and they store food in the large fridge and freezer in the caravan.
“We plan our meals out for the week so we know exactly what we need and we don’t end up buying unnecessary or excessive groceries,” said Jess.
The couple also cut down on alcohol, stopped ordering takeaway as often, and rarely ate out.
But the most “controversial” hack that Jess shared is diluting the milk with water.
“We buy milk in three litre (full cream) bottles, decanter it into two 3L bottles then water it down, so we get six litres from the price of three,” she explained.
The kids seem to love it and the parents get to save extra pennies.
In love with their new lifestyle, the couple now helps others to switch to remote working.
“Part of what we do online is help others get set up and started in the online world,” Haydyn said.
“We are pretty firm believers that if you aren’t doing anything online to earn an income and diversify, you’ll get left behind.”
For parents who want to travel with kids, Haydyn and Jess recommend sticking to a routine but also having the flexibility to “go with the flow”.
“Don’t get too bent out of shape if things don’t go to plan. Kids can have a meltdown at the drop of a hat and make life difficult,” said Hayden.
“If it means you have to change the plan then so be it, your better off coming back when everyone is in a better mood!”
Similarly, another couple ditched their high-flying life to move their children into a campervan and travel the world.
However, the parents have revealed one dirty downside to life on the road.
The family have had to adapt to living on the road with the small space they’ve gotInstagram/@richardsroundoz
TIKTOK: @jessrichards935Hadyn and Jess still enjoy a good night’s sleep on their double bed[/caption]
TIKTOK: @jessrichards935The kids share a block of three bunk beds in another part of the caravan[/caption]
TIKTOK: @jessrichards935Hadyn and Jess described caravanning as ‘a great way to see Australia properly’[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
