Parents travel the world on a shoestring with their two young daughters - after selling all their belongings and quitting the NHS jobs that meant they never spent time together

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Parents who felt they weren't spending enough time with their two children because of their demanding jobs decided to take their daughters out of school so they could travel the world as a family. 

Former paramedic Chris Jackson, 35, and his paediatric nursing student wife Donna, from Hertfordshire, set off with their daughters Ellie, eight, and Miley, six, who they now homeschool on the road in July last year. 

They left their rented house and raised thousands by selling all their belongings via Facebook and car boot sales, taking just four suitcases.

After travelling around the US and visiting five other countries, including Costa Rica, Canada and Aruba, while documenting their adventures on Instagram they are now planning the next stage of their journey.

'We decided to travel as we weren’t spending enough time together as a family. We were both working opposite shifts at the NHS, my last year studying was very stressful and a lot of hours working,' Donna told Femail. 

'So once I finished my degree we had originally decided to take some time off, in which we decided to travel.

'There is no right moment to go, if you’re already dreaming about it then you’re already ready. If anyone is already thinking about going then I just suggest they do it.'

Christmas in Philadelphia! Chris Jackson, 35, and his wife Donna, from Hertfordshire sold all their belongings so they could travel the world with their daughters Ellie, eight, and Miley, six

Costa Rica was one of the highlights of the trip so far, according to Donna 

Miley and Ellie who were in Year 1 and Year 2 respectively when they left the UK are being homeschooled by their parents who insist they can learn more in the real world than the classroom.

For instance, they have visited live volcanoes in Costa Rica rather than studying them in geography and they also have the opportunity to learn other skills such as scuba diving.  

The family share their adventures on their Jelly Bean TV Instagram account where they have more than 100,000 followers and often get free hotel stays in return for a mention on social media. 

'We don’t always get free hotel stays so we will stay somewhere cheap when the time comes,' Donna explained. 'We also eat on a budget. We will cook our own meals when we can or eat out at cost effective places. 

'We always search out a supermarket near to where we are staying so we can stock up on supplies to keep costs low. Sometimes we get free meals at hotels we stay at which is great.

'We have made some money while we travel, not anything substantial yet, we are still figuring that part out, but our aim is to work remotely so we can fund it long term.'

When it comes to visiting attractions, they often get free tickets from hotels or work with the local tourist board to get complimentary passes.  

'Here in Toronto we are working with the board currently and we visited the aquarium last night and have tickets for other attractions in the city,' Donna explained. 

'We also contact them directly to get tickets. For example, Legoland in Florida was done directly.'

The family have travelled around the US visiting locations such as Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Florida, Utah and New York. They spent two week in Costa Rica and are currently in Toronto, Canada. 

So far they have spent £11,000 on their travels, mainly funded by selling their belongings, but they are learning to manage their money better and are now getting more free hotel stays.

'We have learnt to budget better along the way so we are always learning how to save money now,' Donna said. 'Since the end of October we've been getting 90 per cent of our hotel stays for free.'

Next month they will return to the UK for a few months before setting off on a year-long adventure in June, taking in Cambodia, Vietnam and China.

The girls, pictured in The Bahamas, are now homeschooled by their parents as they travel 

Ellie practicing her snorkelling at De Palm Island in Aruba. Although not attending traditional school, she's learning new skills on her travels 

The girls enjoying a boating trip with a friend in Norway 

Chris with his two girls at Zion National Park nature reserve in Utah 

'We have enjoyed all the places we have been, Costa Rica was definitely a highlight for us as it was such a drastic change in culture and scenery,' Donna recalled. 

'There was so much for us to learn and experience together we really enjoyed it.'

Although life on the road may sound a little lonely, Donna insists the girls make friends and get to spend lots of time with people their own age.  

'Philadelphia and Utah were also a top highlight, mostly because of the people we met and new friends we made,' she said. 

Miley relaxing in her favourite hammock during the family's visit to Aruba 

Celebrating Christmas in New York: The family will return to the UK next months ahead of travelling to Asia in June 

'We spent time with other families and was great for our kids to hang out together and be around welcoming people.'

Of course, life on the move has its downsides, including long delays at airports and sleeping on the floor in departure lounges. 

'We’ve even had to make a bed in our suitcases for the girls to lay in,' Donna said. 

'We’ve also been detained at customs in Aruba. But it’s all part of travelling and realising what really matters in life. We take too much for granted in day to day, and worry about things that really don’t matter. 

'Its been a great learning curve for us all and to come out the other side and really appreciate life and family.'

Having the time of their lives: The girls taking a dip in the pool in Aruba 

For anyone else planning to do something similar, Donna's advice is to simply just get on with it.  

'The lifestyle isn’t for everyone, but if its something you want to do then just go for it,' she said.

'There are plenty of support groups on Facebook that we use, for homeschooling advice and travel advice from other families so you are not alone. 

'I urge anyone who is thinking about it and wants advice to get in touch we are happy to help anyone out with information. 

'Just try to make a plan of where you want to go, research prices and try to have flexibility, especially if you are budgeting as its how you get the best deals. Set your goals and go achieve them.'