After having just £2.67 in his bank account and racking up £18,000 worth of debt, James Ruddick managed to turn his life around and get out of financial difficulty. When he split up with his partner, he had to sell his three-bed house, and the painful breakup saw him move into a van.
But it turned out to be the best thing the 50-year-old had ever done. He knew he needed a change, and was also fed up of the cost of living crisis, leaving him without any money to enjoy life after he’d paid his bills. So he sold all of his belongings and house to pay off his debts and now travels around Europe, spending just £250 a month.
“I had a lovely three-bed house,” James from Carlisle said. “It really was nice, but I thought, why am I paying all of this to be in a three-bed house with just a dog and not have any money left at the end of the month? About five years ago, a relationship ended that had lasted almost 15 years.
“That left me with £2.67 in the bank and £18,000 worth of debt. The house had to be sold, which paid off almost all of the debt, but not all of it. I bought several houses, renovated them and sold them but the work I was doing at the time went completely wrong.”
He revealed the whole thing “fell apart” which made him stop and reassess what he was doing. “All my wages were gone by the end of each month. I had a van for years that my ex and I used to go away [on long weekends].
“It was a much simpler way of living and I found peace in that. So, I sold the house and took the plunge. I sold everything I had apart from a few personal items and set off on a journey in the van.” He bought a 2008 Mercedes Vario for £25,000 in late 2024 and it was ready to move in to.
However, James wanted to give it some upgrades such as adding more solar panels and installing a fridge-freezer. Now he’s fully immersed in a nomadic life with his Labrador, Bruce, and he’s fully off-grid apart from having a mobile phone with limited internet.
He started his adventure with Bruce across Wales and the south of England before James began volunteering at music festivals and the unpaid gigs allowed him to park up for free while enjoying meal vouchers and sometimes even free drinks.
Even the cold weather doesn’t stop him, as when the temperature dropped, he spotted an advert for a house and pet sitter in Portugal and jumped at the opportunity. From there, he made his way down the Spanish coastline to Tarifa, then up the coast to Valencia and Benidorm.
James said: “Bruce and I are completely off-grid, completely off the system, apart from a mobile phone with limited internet. You do feel like you’re on your own but the peace and freedom are amazing. I’m much happier now. Before selling, I went to a local council and told them I was really struggling.
“I explained that I was likely going to have to sell my house and asked about housing support – but they couldn’t help. I had no doctor because I couldn’t find one, no dentist either and I started questioning what exactly I was paying into the system for. I was working hard but couldn’t even afford a holiday.”
He said seeing money come in and out all the time with nothing to show for it was “getting too much” and since moving into his van he’s “never looked back”. He shared: “To be able to travel at your own pace, in your own home, park wherever you like and enjoy better weather – it is an incredible experience. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long, long time.”
But despite not having a steady income, the nomadic traveller manages to live on just £250 a month, whereas previously, as a homeowner, his monthly bills were £1,200 a month. He manages to live frugally by keeping food costs to a minimum – only paying for road tax, MOT, insurance and a cheap phone plan.
Now back in the UK, James says he has more festival work lined up until August and after that he has his sights set on Italy. He said: “I’m incredibly lucky and fortunate to be able to do this. I wasn’t forced into it – I could have rented a very small place and continued working a 9 to 5 job.
“But to me, that was just existing I didn’t want restrictions I didn’t want to just pay bills and sit at home alone. It doesn’t matter how much money you have – when you’re sitting around a campfire having dinner, everyone is equal. You wake up and think, should we stay another day, drive somewhere new or find a different beach?
“I’m at peace now – that’s the best way to describe it. I should have done this years ago.”
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