A young, smitten and broke Polish couple became famous travel bloggers after purchasing a janky van and traveling the world together on eight bucks a day.
Life is what you make of it as 28-year-old travel bloggers Aleksandra Ślusarczyk and Karol Lewandowski have proven.
The young lovebirds had little money in their bank accounts, but that didn’t stop them from fulfilling their burning desire to see the world.
In their early twenties, Ślusarczyk and Lewandowski decided to purchase an old van for $600 and refurbish it with a new paint job.
After stocking up the vehicle with tent and food supplies, they managed to visit over 50 countries by allowing themselves to spend only $8 a day.
Within six years, the two have managed to put over 93,000 miles on their 1989 VW T3 van across five continents. Lewandowski explained that the main expense in their budget is fuel. However, when others come along for the ride, the cost is split. He wrote on BoredPanda:
“We travel slowly and often stay in one place for a few days, so we save on fuel.”
The two are able to save major bucks on accommodations because they sleep in the van or in tents wherever they go, whether it’s at a beach, on a cliff or in the mountains. They also spend wisely on food and cook for themselves. He wrote:
“The food we buy in supermarkets and eat what we cook — we do not pay for restaurants. For example, in Australia we ate kangaroo steaks because it was the cheapest meat.”
One of the things they’ve learned on the road is how to repair their van. According to their website, the couple have experienced over 50 car failures during their journey.
As for hygiene, Lewandowski wrote:
“We have our own electric shower and 150 liter water tank on the roof so we don’t pay for showers. Sometimes we just use rivers or lakes.”
Their blog has gained popularity around the world and was awarded the title of best blog of the year in 2014 in Poland. The two have also made guest appearances on TV stations in Poland.
When traveling between continents, the couple have their van transported by ship.
The cost is sometimes sponsored by people and companies who do it in exchange for free advertising with logos on the van.
Now their income is supplemented by travel blogging, which allows them to stay on the road and work remotely.
Ślusarczyk and Lewandowski have published two books about their journey as well. They also do freelance photography for company advertisements in exotic locations.
