Our original dream had been to retire at age 55. When that time came we found that full retirement was just not financially feasible. We could, however, take 6 months off and work 6 months. Six months off was better than no months off—you do what you can. About the same time, we got the idea that we might like to try fulltime RVing. Now that we had worked all these years on this retirement plan, how would we adjust our budget to accommodate RVing?
Before we did anything too drastic, we wanted to be sure full timing was what we really wanted. Our first 6-months off was only a few months away, so instead of spending a lot of money on a camper, we just bought a bigger tent and a couple folding cots. We had everything else we needed for camping. That first summer we spent in Colorado and loved every minute of it. We were outside, we were hiking and exploring the country. We were convinced we would love RVing. But we had a little problem—we still had to work 6 months of the year.
We went back to the budget to see what adjustments needed to be made to accommodate 6-months on the road. We learned that first summer that tenting was good for a week or two, but was difficult for an extended time. I guess the main problem was cooking and eating outside in all kinds of weather. We felt we would be more comfortable in something that was somewhat more self-contained but we didn’t want to spend a lot of money and we also had the issue of where to store a camper during the working months. Additionally, we had a relatively new Honda van so we wanted something that it could tow. A pop-up camper seemed about perfect.
Making that decision brought on a whole new set of questions. Where would we get the money for the pop-up, the additional insurance costs, the additional fuel cost, etc. It occurred to us that if what we really wanted to do was fulltime RVing then we needed to be thinking like fulltimers. We didn’t need a house!! Neither did we need two cars. The money allocated to electricity, water, sewer, taxes, insurance, maintenance fees, car registration and tags could all go to the pop-up. That problem solved, a new one came in its place. We could spend the summer months in a pop-up but we could not spend winters in Tennessee in a pop-up. A little research and investigation proved that it would be cheaper to rent a small apartment for the winter than keep the condo.
We spent 2 summers in the pop-up and had a blast. Moving into an apartment each fall and out again in the spring was not so desirable. So back to the budget we went and back to the RV dealerships. One thing that had been a great blessing that we had not counted on was that Gene was able to continue working for the company where he had been working for many years rather than at a minimum wage temporary job. That allowed us to continue saving his excess salary. With a few adjustments to the budget (seasonal campground fees were less than apartment, furniture, and storage unit fees) and a good trade in on the Honda, we felt comfortable with purchasing a 5th wheel.
With an RV large enough to live in it would require more fuel to tow, a larger, more expensive campsite, and a pretty good pile of money for maintenance. The best solution for providing for that money was to continue to work for 6 months each year for a couple or three more years. That’s really not so bad. It’s not our dream, but having 6 months off really boosted your moral and went a long way toward making those working months better. Plus, we were technically fulltime RVers.
So, now that we are on the road, how do we adjust the budget for rising fuel costs? Answers tomorrow.
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