I am writing this post for two reasons: first; because one of the questions we get the most is “how can you afford to travel all the time?” Second, to expand on my answer and share with you some ideas on how to travel inexpensively. The answer to the question is pretty simple – we make things as cheap as possible. Once you have the gear, which initially can be expensive, you are pretty much set. On most of our trips I keep a daily log of our spending to keep us in check but also so we know what are trips are costing us. For example, last weekend we spent $215 which was actually really expensive for a regular weekend trip. The breakdown was this:

+Gas $30 (and we still have half a tank left)
+Box of wine&a few cold beers $55 (and we still have lots of wine left)
+Eating out for lunch $45
+Doggie Daycare $85

The only one of these costs that was even really necessary was the gas – and well, putting our dog in daycare but that is not an ordinary cost for most. We only ever include what we buy after we leave the house or bought specifically for the trip – food brought from home is not included in our costs.

Brendon is a throttle junkie so most of our trips are done on the motorcycle so packing light is always the main focus – we probably can pack the equivalent of what one person could carry on their back for a hiking camp trip – maybe a little more. As a result, on long trips we need to make stops at grocery stores to restock. We also try to avoid eating out at restaurants when we can. This saves us TONS of money.

For snacks: I always have energy balls in the freezer – they are super quick and easy to make plus they are packed with protein. I usually make 2-3 different kinds and freeze them in a big bag so we have some choices.

My favourite recipe is this one:

Mix ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds AND toasted sesame seeds, ¼ cup hemp hearts AND Rolled Oats OR Quinoa Flakes,  ½ cup dried raisins OR cranberries, ½ cup dried fruit like peaches OR apricots – chopped, ⅔ cup dark chocolate chips. In a separate bowl mix 1 cup peanut butter, ¼ cup honey, 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract, ¼ cup cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Roll into balls (makes about 20-30) and then roll each ball in shredded coconut. I lay them out on a tray and freeze them before tossing them into a ziplock for storage.
Other snacks might be:
– teriyaki turkey jerky (I get a big bag from Costco, it lasts a few trips and is the price of one bag of shitty beef jerky at a gas station)
– boiled eggs
– trail mix (I buy everything I want from a bulk food store and mix it myself)
– fresh fruit that doesn’t bruise easy or need to be in the fridge (apples, bananas)
– pre-cut veggies
– crackers, canned oysters, meat, cheese & pickles (could even be lunch)

Meals:
– Usually for breakfast we have oatmeal. It is lightweight, won’t go bad and most importantly, easy! Sometimes we toss in chopped up apple and cinnamon (we have a small box with little bags of assorted spices in our cooking kit) or we add nuts, dried fruit, flax meal and brown sugar that is pre-mixed in a small ziploc bag.
If things are rough, you could also go get a cup of hot water from good ol’ Tim Hortons (it’s free) and eat your oatmeal in the parking lot….we did this once last year when the weather was rainy and cold. Our old cookstove took FOREVER to boil water but this won’t be an issue for us this year. – I make soup broth with leftover bones from past dinners at home and use that to make homemade soup which I then vacuum seal and freeze. This doesn’t take up much space and we can also use them as ice packs.
– I made and preserved homemade pork and beans this past winter. Pork and beans is a go to meal for us in the backcountry. I probably could have vacuumed sealed and froze these but I didn’t, for some reason. Next batch I probably will try it that way. Right now, we either bring a can or freeze and vacuum seal before we go.
– We are a huge fan and eat mostly one pot meals.. It usually goes like this: cook meat of choice, add some veggies & cook, add some beans & heat – EAT!
-Poor man’s tuna casserole: cook noodles, add a can of tuna and some shredded cheese, salt & pepper.
Sometimes we’ve even got creative and had roadside meals cooked on rocks. We bought some chicken skewers and a bag salad, and voilà – lunch!