In Money Talk, readers who have chosen a different lifestyle share their finances with us. This time, it’s travel-loving family Michel (45), Yvonne (42), and their daughter Lise (7), who made the bold decision to sell their house and hit the road in a campervan – just before Lise reached school age.
After years of traveling through Europe, they now have settled in Austria. In this Money Talk, they open up about their journey toward financial freedom, balancing work and family life, and how they continue to shape a lifestyle rooted in freedom, adventure, and conscious choices.
Tell us your story. Who are you and what do you do?
We are Michel, Yvonne, and our daughter Lise (6). Five years ago, we decided to take a leap of faith and sold our house to travel around Europe indefinitely in a campervan.
It had been a dream of ours for a long time, but one we kept postponing. When Lise was born, we felt a greater sense of urgency to make it happen. As long as she wasn’t required to attend school, we had the opportunity to turn this dream into reality.
But it wasn’t just about traveling. It was also important for us to spend those early years together as a family. We wanted to give Lise a carefree childhood without stress, alarm clocks, and constant pressure.
It was important for us to spend those early years together as a family.
Why did you decide to travel fulltime in a campervan?
The idea actually started back in 2010 during a trip to New Zealand. As part of a round-the-world journey, we spent four weeks traveling in a campervan. The feeling of freedom was unforgettable. Having your home with you at all times while waking up in a different beautiful location every day stayed with us.
Even then, we told ourselves: one day we’ll do this closer to home, because there’s still so much beauty to discover in Europe. After spending another ten years caught up in the rat race – with a bigger house, a more “important” job, living from vacation to vacation, and increasingly wondering, “Is this really it?” – we remembered that promise and decided it was finally time to make it happen.
You’ve since emigrated to Austria? How do you like it?
We moved to Austria in 2024 when Lise reached school age in the Netherlands and we had to decide what we wanted to do next. Lise was eager to attend school and spend time with other children. By then, we already knew we didn’t want to return to the Netherlands, so we chose the country that felt most like home to us besides the Netherlands: Austria.
We absolutely love the lifestyle Austria offers. Every weekend we explore stunning natural surroundings, and we spend plenty of time outdoors during the week as well. We live much more in tune with the seasons, as each season brings new outdoor activities and experiences.
Life here feels a little slower and less rushed than what we were used to in the Netherlands. On one hand, it’s a dream to live in such a beautiful place. We live where many people come for vacation, and that definitely feels like a privilege.
Life here feels a little slower and less rushed than what we were used to in the Netherlands.
On the other hand, we’re very aware that we live in one of Austria’s more expensive regions, which contrasts with the financial freedom we enjoyed during our years of travel thanks to our low living expenses.
We regularly ask ourselves whether the benefits still outweigh the higher costs – and so far, the answer is yes. For now, we’re staying and remaining open to whatever the future brings.
Are you satisfied with your current financial situation?
We certainly can’t complain about the comfortable lifestyle our current financial situation provides. At the moment, our lifestyle is funded primarily through Michel’s work as a freelance IT consultant.
One area we’d like to improve in the short term is creating more passive income streams. Michel’s consulting projects are often long-term engagements, so once he secures a contract, we’re usually in a good position for a while. However, finding new assignments can sometimes take time, which means having a healthy financial buffer is important.
That’s why we’re currently working on building additional income streams that can continue generating income during periods between contracts, reducing the pressure on Michel’s consulting work.
One area we’d like to improve in the short term is creating more passive income streams.
How do you define financial freedom, and why is it important to you?
For us, freedom means being able to do what we want, where we want, when we want, and with whom we want.
Financial freedom supports that vision because it allows us to choose when we work, what kind of work we do – or whether we work at all – without financial considerations dictating our decisions.
You only get one life, and we want to spend as much of it as possible doing things that genuinely make us happy.
Financial freedom creates space for passion projects, work that may never generate income but still brings fulfillment. It also creates more opportunities for travel, family time, hobbies, friendships, and meaningful experiences.
In short, it gives us the freedom to spend our time on what matters most without constantly feeling financial pressure.
And finally, money provides peace of mind. Financial freedom reduces stress when unexpected expenses arise, whether it’s a broken appliance or a large bill that needs to be paid.
What is the next goal or dream you’re working toward?
Right now, our focus is finding a balance between income and expenses that still allows us to feel free.
Since moving to Austria, that balance has shifted somewhat. The contrast between the freedom we experienced while traveling and our current situation is quite noticeable.
The contrast between the freedom we experienced while traveling and our current situation is quite noticeable.
Over the coming months, we want to explore our options regarding buying a home in Austria versus continuing to rent. Our goal is to reduce our monthly expenses, and housing costs are currently one of our largest fixed expenses.
What insights or ‘aha moments’ did you experience during the Financial Freedom Coaching Program?
We’ve always had a good understanding of our finances. Michel grew up working with Excel budgets, so tracking money has been second nature for a long time.
However, we used to spend a lot of time reviewing transactions and updating spreadsheets to ensure we weren’t accidentally spending money that was already allocated to future fixed expenses.
One practical change that was part of the Financial Freedom Coaching Program has been using separate bank accounts for fixed and variable expenses. This turned out to be a real eye-opener. It’s incredibly simple, yet highly effective. It significantly improved our financial clarity and made managing our money much easier.
Using separate bank accounts for fixed and variable expenses turned out to be a real eye-opener.
Another big step has been defining our BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) and creating our vision boards. That made our journey toward financial freedom feel tangible and real. More broadly, the program made us even more aware of what’s possible and how important it is to set meaningful goals.
We now dedicate time every Monday evening to reviewing our finances and discussing our plans – a ritual we call Money Monday.
Sometimes it’s a quick review of account balances and expenses. Other times, we use the time to explore financial opportunities or discuss future plans. Because we do it every week, our financial goals remain top of mind and we continue making progress.
If you could change one thing about your finances, what would it be?
In the short term, we’d like to rebuild a larger financial buffer. Moving to Austria reduced our savings more than expected, which has reintroduced some pressure to work and created concerns about periods without assignments or unexpected expenses.
For the long term, we would like to have more guaranteed passive income. That would provide peace of mind and allow us to work because we want to, not because we have to.
It would also create more time for passion projects that may not generate immediate financial returns – or even for adventures that may not produce any financial return at all, but are incredibly valuable in terms of life experiences.
Finally, what is your best advice for people who want to pursue a similar lifestyle?
Start early.
In this case, the saying “time is money” is literally true. The power of compound interest becomes increasingly significant over time.
The earlier you start, the sooner those powerful later years arrive. That makes it easier to reach your goals and gives you more time to enjoy the freedom you’ve worked so hard to create.
Related blog articles
Did the story of Michel & Yvonne inspire you? Check out these related articles to get more information:
The Power of the Big Hairy Audacious Goal
Set up your bank accounts for financial success
The Financial Freedom Coaching Program
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