How this Australian couple quit their jobs and went mortgage and debt free to live life on the road

An Australian couple has told of how they quit their jobs, sold their house and plan to live their life on the road with no mortgage or debts indefinitely. 

Tamara and Joey, from Victoria, sold their family home last December with the plan of living in their caravan and travelling Australia with their two daughters Suri, nine, and Meadow, eight. 

Speaking to 7Life, they said they were nervous to uproot their lives to live on the road but decided to take the plunge anyway – and have no regrets.

Tamara (right) and Joey (centre) sold their family home last December with the plan of living in their caravan and travelling Australia with their two daughters Suri (far left) and Meadow (right)

‘Why work all your life to retire and then drop dead?’ Joey asked. 

‘If Covid has taught us anything, it is that life is too short. You don’t know what tomorrow will bring,’ Tamara said. 

The family-of-four have few bills and are living off the sale of their house and some savings.

Tamara, 44, admitted she had a tough time leaving her job as a hairdresser and telling her clients she wouldn’t be returning but said she will pick up work when she needs to make an income while travelling. 

The family-of-four are living off the sale of their house and some savings in their custom-built caravan and plan to travel Australia

Joey was working 12 hour shifts at a winery and hopes to find odd jobs along the way especially when the family head to Western Australia’s Margaret River wine region.  

The 40-year-old dad plans to teach the girls himself with their school, which they left earlier this month, agreeing to keep in touch with the occasional video call. 

Residing currently on the banks of the Murray River not far from their old home south of Mildura in Victoria, the family plan to head towards the Northern Territory to chase the warm weather. 

The self-sufficient van was built for off-grid living with solar panels and lithium batteries able to store more than 600 hours of electricity

While they have no set plans on where exactly they’re going and when, they intend to live out of their custom-built, self-sufficient caravan indefinitely.  

The van was built for off-grid living with solar panels and lithium batteries able to store more than 600 hours of electricity. 

It has high ceilings to accommodate Joey’s 200cm height, a queen bed and bunks as well as a fully-equipped bathroom and kitchen with a coffee machine, air fryer and microwave. 

After selling their house, the pair bought a 20-foot shipping container to store valuable and irreplaceable items like furniture, family photo albums and the girl’s trophies. 

Residing currently on the banks of the Murray River not far from their old home near Mildura in Victoria, the family plan to head towards the Northern Territory to chase the warm weather

After tying up all their loose ends, leaving their 9-to-5s and committing to a life travelling, Tamara said she was inundated with messages online.

She said people were saying they always wanted to do the same or were waiting for the kids to become old enough. 

‘The truth is there is never the right time, you are never going to have enough money, the kids are never going to be the perfect age. You have to be brave and take the plunge,’ she said. 

To follow the family’s journey, click here.