While I'm reconsidering.........

[ecarbone]

How about a new thread?
Budgets!
Being single, how is your budget affected? Obviously food expenses are less but do you spend more to keep yourself occupied? Do you travel more (ergo more fuel) so that you can meet up with other groups? Do any of the experienced singles wish to share their budget experiences with us newbie's?
This should spark some discussion!!

[ecarbone]

How about a new thread?
Budgets!
Being single, how is your budget affected? Obviously food expenses are less but do you spend more to keep yourself occupied? Do you travel more (ergo more fuel) so that you can meet up with other groups? Do any of the experienced singles wish to share their budget experiences with us newbie's?
This should spark some discussion!!

[GraciesMom]

I was planning to go to New Mexico and Arizona anyway, and I learned about a LOW rally and an Escapees Rally down there after the fact - so I'm changing my plans a little to go there. As much as I want to go to the irv2 rally, I'm not driving all the way to Ohio. Ohio is no place that I desire to see right now - all my plans are in the southwest. And the gas to go there would be - wow!!

My plan is to only travel around 300 to 600 miles a month. That will keep me within my $300 a month travel budget. I have a budget for each month - because I'm saving for the gas to go back to Alaska.

I like to eat out but I usually make two - even three meals - out of what I order. I bring it back and reheat it. Whoever said two can eat as cheaply as one? Maybe for one meal . . . .

I do like to go to all the major events when I'm somewhere . . . but I don't go places jut to keep myself occupied. I like my down time and I have a lot of hobbies. And there are lots of free things to do just about everywhere you go - museums, Old Town shopping, historic sites, free shuttles. And if you get a local paper you can find all kinds of free activities for locals that you can join in on. Everything from singles dances to singles picnics, etc. So you don't feel like a 5th wheel.

I think the biggest thing is to make a budget, plan ahead, and try to stick with it. (Unless you see this INCREDIBLE piece of jewelry at the Indian marketplace that you can't live without . . . )

[IslandMomma]

I also plan to travel no more than 200 miles a week and some weeks I may just stay put if I find a nice spot. That is related to costs of course but also to pace of life and my plan to deliberately keep the travel less stressful than has been true in other forms of travel in the past.

I like my own company fairly well and I expect that very few of my own hobbies and activities need to be left behind. I also expect to have time to develop new interests and pastimes as well, as the adventure progresses.

I like to 'tour', regardless of how I may travel and whether I travel alone of with a partner or friend. I expect those expenses would vary little whether traveling alone or as a couple because most involve individual admissions. Like GM above, I would not spend money just to stay busy.... That is easy enough to accomplish in other ways...So much is free for the taking, if we only choose to avail ourselves of it. Also, let's face it...none of us are really roughing it in our units generally and if we get bored, we can resort to computer or TV or whatever. For that matter, if we are really bored, we can just move on!

I must admit that I have already booked two caravans in 2009, both to places I have desperately wanted to visit for years. The tours like these for me are less about the traveling companions (but who knows how important those may become?) and more about the organizers putting together cost-effective packages I could not hope to replicate on my own.

I don't care how you look at it, one is always cheaper than two. Also, keep in mind that people I met traveling last month who had been full-timing for several years even said the travel was cheaper than they had initially feared (and that was couples) and many were already using other ways to compensate for rising fuel costs, like more creative exploration of potential boon-docking sites...

The world could be your 'oyster', ecarbone. What else has you freaked?

IM

[GraciesMom]

Bravo Island Momma - well said!!