HOW TO AFFORD A CAMPERVAN

Phil and Kimberley wanted a campervan, but had no money. Still, they decided to go ahead and look, then find the money, somewhere! They talked about their ideal campervan in great detail, watched lots of YouTube video tours of Sussex Campervans and browsed websites galore. They even made “dream boards” to work out how they would want the interior to look. Then they visualised their ideal lifestyle, with more travel and leisure time. They were on the brink of ordering a built-to-order campervan, even though they still didn’t have the funds, when Phil met a financial advisor. This man looked at Phil’s CV and asked if he had any pensions from all the workplaces he’d listed. “Maybe…” said Phil vaguely. He duly wrote to all his former employers to ask if he had a pension with them - and he discovered that there were no less than seven forgotten pensions! “It was like winning the lottery,” said Phil. As soon as he reached 55 he could draw money from one of his pensions - and that was how he paid for their campervan.

ACHIEVING THE DREAM

Phil and Kim are “Living, laughing and loving life as we travel full-time in Tut the campervan,” and keen to share all the positive things they have learned from divorce in their 40s, finding love second time around, and making a radical lifestyle change in their 50s. This autumn they enjoyed a six-week campervan tour of the Scottish Highlands, before lockdown 2. ”What a fantastic experience it has been. Phil found us a beautiful spot in the woods to wildcamp the penultimate night near to The Trossachs National Park. It was frosty so we cosied up in Tut and reminisced about our time here in Scotland,” says Kim. They’re now starting their next adventure - moving to Portugal with their campervan and building the next season of their lives together.