Planning the budget

[Kurtsara]

Originally Posted by Pyropete

Oh no no.. I live in my house. I am waiting for retirement before I go full time. 4.5 years left. Been waiting for this since I was 8 years old on my first boondocking trip with my grandpa (and subsequently twice each summer). I don't even have my own 5'er yet. I use my best friend's Montana (best friend since 5 years old) and usually do about 2 weeks at a time 2 or 3 times a year. But yah, full time is what I had been dreaming of since I was a kid. When I go out in my friend's Montana I never want to come back and always get p'd off when it's time to come home hehe.. LOVE the full time lifestyle as well as boondocking. Huge rock/fossil/metal detecting nerd so I was staying in the low/high deserts and the forests in MT, ID.


But yes, I live in a normal single family two story house with a shop in the back and 2.5 acres of land, mostly in the back where the pond is.

got it, I thought you were on the 2.5 acres now in a rv.

[Barbaraok]

Originally Posted by Itchytoe

Then what's the kicker? What qualifies someone as a full timer if not living in an RV all the time without a sticks and bricks?

State of mind. If you don't have a sense of adventure, of wanting to move and see new things, even if it is only 100 miles down the road, your RV never moves, then you are living in an RV instead of S&B of some type, but you aren't RVing.

[okcnewbie]

Originally Posted by Barbaraok

State of mind. If you don't have a sense of adventure, of wanting to move and see new things, even if it is only 100 miles down the road, your RV never moves, then you are living in an RV instead of S&B of some type, but you aren't RVing.

Friends of mine in Michigan have parked their RV's in a particular wooded park together and spend the summer and fall hunting, fishing, sitting around fires and riding 4 wheelers. No matter what it's called it sure seems like a great way to get away.
Believe it or not it's only 1000 dollars for the whole season.

[Pyropete]

Originally Posted by Kurtsara

got it, I thought you were on the 2.5 acres now in a rv.

Almost wish I was! That would knock out half of what I needed to go full time lol. I was going on the cheap with my first 5th wheel. 35' Keystone Cougar (2-4 years old) with FLS. 30-35k I see them for on rvt and rvtrader. I am 95% sure I will love it even after a year so going on the cheap just to make sure this is what I want. Then if it turns out I want to stay fulltime then I will sell the cougar and get something more 4 seasons like a new arctic fox (even though I am not in love with the floor plans). They are too well made to pass it up. I could live with the watching TV in my kitchen heh.

[Pyropete]

Originally Posted by Barbaraok

State of mind. If you don't have a sense of adventure, of wanting to move and see new things, even if it is only 100 miles down the road, your RV never moves, then you are living in an RV instead of S&B of some type, but you aren't RVing.

Agree.. I will always be on the move. That's one of the things I love about fulltimers. So free to do as they please!

[Itchytoe]

Originally Posted by Barbaraok

State of mind. If you don't have a sense of adventure, of wanting to move and see new things, even if it is only 100 miles down the road, your RV never moves, then you are living in an RV instead of S&B of some type, but you aren't RVing.

That's a good answer. Short, sweet, and direct. I like it!

[full_mosey]

Originally Posted by Ted Lambert

Has anybody ever compiled a list of savings? I mean just by dumping the house.

Four pages of jabberwocky and no list yet!

[Moodywelman]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

I didn't say that's what we spend. It's a good average of what others spend. Some can go lower (we did) and some much higher. Just depends where you stay and what you do.

I think we did our “full time” gig at the absolute best time.
1. We were young and fit enough to really enjoy ou4selves and
2. It was a different RVworld.

We bought a new ‘88 Chev dually and a new 38’ Teton 5th wheel with a 4’ satellite dish and a washer and dryer. The dually was also “loaded” and I had a 45gallon aux tank installed and an under drive gear splitter. Total cost for both was around $65K.

We fulltimed from ‘88-95, spending some 270 nights per year in Thousand Trails. Our ANNUAL dues was $160 until the merge with NACO, then it was $260.

We travelled from park to park over all 48 contiguous states, had a grand time, and visited everything we could find. It was a fantastic time!

Our total cost of living was $900 per month - including tickets to Disney World and Disneyland and points between.
Of course that didn’t include depreciation.

One disclaimer. As retired Military we had no health insurance costs (we did have dental and optical costs) .

[Mark and Sue]

Originally Posted by HDrider

When we first hit the road fulltime in 2012 I had it in my head to live as cheap as we could, well within reason. We boondocked over 50% of the year, made sure we only stayed at places that took Passport America to get the 50% discount when we did use campgrounds, didn't go out o eat a lot and everything else that went along with living frugal. After the first year of that we started feeling like we were really just existing and not really living like we were accustomed to before retiring so we started to cut loose a bit more. We figured we lied comfortably while working so why not enjoy life more during retirement and I will be honest, we still boondock of & on during the year but we certainly do not look for the cheapest campgrounds any longer, we go out to eat at least once or twice per week, and even though we have to live to a budget we are enjoying the life style to the fullest "for us". I think if we would have stayed on the frugal path we would have been off the road by now. Everyone is different.

My wife Sue (62) & I (67) totally agree with HDRider! We just don’t feel willing or able anymore at our age to have LESS comforts than what we had when we were in stick & brick.

LIVING in an RV is very different than TRAVELING and TOURING in an RV. This MAJOR distinction needs to be made in the beginning of anyone's analysis. How long you stay at each location, significantly affects your site fee costs. Whether or not you are a member of a campground membership association such as Thousand Trails also will GREATLY reduce your overall costs, but will dictate your travel locations. We chose not to be members.

The costs to RV in a Class A Diesel Pusher can be all over the map! You can see this by reading all of the various answers posted in this thread. Only YOU can determine what those costs will be with proper equipment selections and accurate expectations up front. The length, brand and year of the rig you select will GREATLY affect each and every item you need to think about. Many costs need to be accounted for, and start to add up quick:

Vehicle & RV maintenance, vehicle & RV rig insurance, full timers home contents insurance, umbrella policy, car payments, RV payments, propane costs, electric bill at your site if applicable, and the real elephant in the room,…..the massive depreciation of your rig each and every year. All these costs are in addition to your “normal” expenses such as cell plans, medical insurance, groceries,……etcetera.

To help anyone that may be thinking of adopting the full time, retired, RV Tourist Lifestyle (We are not campers really), I can offer copies of our completed “personal” budget worksheets, as well as blank sheets for your individual use. We have been full timing for 2.5 years in our 2014 Newmar Dutch Star Model 4369 that we named "Myles", and bought used in June of 2017.

Get these sheets for free by following the instructions in the description section of the attached Youtube video from our travel channel called “Our Journey In Myles.” Spoiler alert: We spent $75,315 last season, or $6276/mo., or $206.34/day.

[Mod Edit]

[katiejo]

Originally Posted by Barbaraok

Since we started full timing in 2006 it is quite possible that we are just wrong about everything. And the fact that I have talked to State Farm agents and they all say that State Farm doesn't do full timer insurance, but that they know some agents have various 'work arounds' that a few people do. If that is what you want to go with, have at it.

Exactly! My dad was a State Farm agent and I’ve been insured with them my whole life... until we went full time this month. You are very correct that State Farm does not have insurance for full timers. We bought ours from Nationwide through FMCA. The full timers insurance covers all the personal liabilities normally covered under a homeowners insurance plus the contents of the motorhome and the contents of any storage unit. Sure, you can buy “ insurance” and pay the low premium but when a claim comes, you won’t be covered when it is discovered that you don’t have another residence. The $35,000 per year expense is our goal. We shall see. Heath care is our biggest expense since I am not on Medicare.

[careh]

Originally Posted by Itchytoe

That depends on what you want insurance for.

Best thing to do is schedule a 1 hour (or 3 hour if need be) appointment with your agent and have a real conversation with him/her about what you want to be insured against. Theft? Fire? Rodent damage? Liability only? Don't use phrases like "fulltimer policy", or "full coverage", or anything like that. Talk to them in plain old English. If your agent doesn't have time for that, find a new agent. That's really what the agent's job is. Your agent can be a wonderful ally if you take the time to talk to her.

I would add... and record the conversation for quality control and training purposes ... and to ensure you ...might... have a chance at getting redress if/when your claim gets denied and the agent says 'I never said you were covered for THAT'.

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by Mark and Sue

We spent $75,315 last season, or $6276/mo., or $206.34/day.

That is extremely high. None of our full-timing friends spent near that amount.

Also, many of us who purposely choose to dry camp on public lands aren't giving up a thing. We certainly could have afforded to stay in RV parks but that's not how we liked to live. We wanted open space and beauty surrounding us; not other RVs.

Not everyone has the same goals or likes; thank goodness.

[Pyropete]

Originally Posted by HDrider

When we first hit the road fulltime in 2012 I had it in my head to live as cheap as we could, well within reason. We boondocked over 50% of the year, made sure we only stayed at places that took Passport America to get the 50% discount when we did use campgrounds, didn't go out o eat a lot and everything else that went along with living frugal. After the first year of that we started feeling like we were really just existing and not really living like we were accustomed to before retiring so we started to cut loose a bit more. We figured we lied comfortably while working so why not enjoy life more during retirement and I will be honest, we still boondock of & on during the year but we certainly do not look for the cheapest campgrounds any longer, we go out to eat at least once or twice per week, and even though we have to live to a budget we are enjoying the life style to the fullest "for us". I think if we would have stayed on the frugal path we would have been off the road by now. Everyone is different.

I understand that could be a "shock to the system" of short. You're used to a way of living then you try to live a different way and it does not feel the same.

I am the same way, but I eat out at fast food maybe once or twice a month. I am a hotdog/chili/rice kind of guy. Put white rice on the bottom, chili on top of that and hotdogs in the chili. Also cube steak, Bisghetti (spaghetti, I like calling it bisghetti after a movie that pronounced it that way). Most nights after work I am watching TV or gaming (or both at the same time). So my world won't change much. Right now I am in my 12x12 room with kitties and dog most of the night. I have about 2000sqft of the house I don't use much, if at all, so downsizing is a must.

But the point is that I live frugal and when I full time I will live the same way so it won't be a shock to the system for me like others who were used to a different lifestyle. I have been solitary for the last 20 years.

[Barbaraok]

Originally Posted by Mark and Sue

My wife Sue (62) & I (67) totally agree with HDRider! We just don’t feel willing or able anymore at our age to have LESS comforts than what we had when we were in stick & brick.



We spent $75,315 last season, or $6276/mo., or $206.34/day.

Please note this is about 2x what most fulltimers spend who have been out for a few years.