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The Monthly Cost of Full-Time RV Living: January Expenses

2/9/2016

11 Comments

 
We often hear the same thing when we meet new people throughout our RV travels—You guys must have saved up a lot of money before taking off.

The truth is...we didn't. We didn't save up a lot of money, although in hindsight we probably should've. But in the spirit of financial transparency, which we do believe is important, we wanted to share with you the truth of the matter. Primarily because we don't want you thinking this trek is all because of some elaborate planning process. We want you to understand that we just did it—plain and simple. So that maybe if you're getting the itch to do it too, you won't be dissuaded not to.

First things first, we don't live lavishly. Nor do we live this dreamy existence where we're picking fruit off trees for breakfast and bathing in hot springs every time we need a shower. Social media has been perpetuating this van life/small RV lifestyle that is extremely dreamy and attractive. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that isn't always the case. Taking beautiful photos is part of the journey in sharing experiences, of course, but it's not always desert dunes and sunsets.
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Picture
Although, okay, sometimes it is.
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But just because at times it isn't easy, doesn't mean it's impossible. I truly think that anyone can travel full-time if they really want to. It's not difficult. Part of the reason why we didn't plan 10 steps ahead before we hit the road, is because that left for a lot of time to back out. Often times when people are in the heavy stages of planning something, they tend to end up talking themselves out of it. We didn't want to do that. Vanessa and I are mostly dive-in-head-first kind of people, and when we made this decision to travel full time, we didn't want to weigh the pros and cons, talk about the negatives, or focus on anything but just doing it.

So, we did. And it was the best decision we've ever made.

Financially though, it hasn't been the easiest. We have run into issues here and there, as most people who aren't retired and travelling do. That's par for the course, we feel, and as always, it's temporary. For those full-time travelers who have an abundance of savings because they thought it through and planned and saved and scrimped—kudos. More power to you. You're able to travel freely without the burden of bills or money nagging you. 

But, we didn't do that. So we wanted to share with you all the cost of living on the road for one month, to show you that it is possible. You can do it if you want to. It's not difficult, even without a huge savings account, to travel full-time and make it your life.
RV Travel Expenses

Now, at first you may think that's a lot of money. Granted, it is. But when you split it in half, Vanessa and I are only paying $558 to cover necessities PLUS more. Do we need to spend that much money on groceries? No, we don't. Can we get rid of one cell phone? Probably, yes. January was a huge travel month so our gas was VERY high. Normally it's half that amount.

So think about it...Your bills amount to $558 a month, give or take. We still have a credit card or two that we pay separately, so it's a bit more sometimes. Realistically though, these are the numbers we're looking at. So when people say, "how can you afford it?" It's very simple. We don't need to make half as much as we did when we were standing still. Our rent alone at the bungalow in Fort Lauderdale was $1300. JUST FOR OUR RENT. This is why we needed to have full-time jobs, because our bills plus the cost of living was just too high. We needed to make more money to pay for more things.

Making money on the road isn't the easiest for most. I'm lucky to have a background in writing and copywriting, so freelance jobs make working remotely a lot easier for me. But we still like to pick up gigs here and there for extra income. Not only is it exciting to learn new trades and grow as a person, it's also nice to have that money coming in. But making money while traveling is another blog for another time.

Our goal in sharing this information is to empower you. We want you to know that it isn't impossible to travel full-time.

We look forward to fielding any financial questions you may have about full-time RV living. Leave them in the comments below!
11 Comments
Christinebaer@mysuncoastpet.com link
2/9/2016 17:06:23

I admire you both so much! Your courage, spirit of adventure and willingness to do what it takes to LIVE!
I am ready to get on the road...once again :)
Lots of Love,
Your friend,
Chris

Reply
Lacie
2/11/2016 21:19:27

Thanks so much for sharing this! As much as I love seeing all the adventures and beautiful pictures the nitty gritty details are so much more helpful.

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Stephen M
2/21/2016 17:07:54

Thanks for publishing this! It helps to know what I'd be facing if I undertook to do it. It would be a retirement thing for me and my girlfriend.

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The Roamans
2/23/2016 10:34:36

It's our pleasure, Stephen! We want to show all aspects of our travels so that whomever hits the road, knows exactly what to expect.

We're here as a sounding board if you or your girlfriend have any further questions!

Reply
Lisa Fultz
8/13/2016 16:30:48

Hey Gang, my name is Lisa. I caught your article in Suncoast Pet. Traveling with Pets... The Romans' Way was a great article. I have wanted to do this for years now. Traveling in an RV that is, but my partner in crime doesn't even want to discuss it. She gets nervous without that paycheck every week, so I don't think it is going to happen for us. We have been together for 22 years, so I do not think that iis going to change anytime soon. That and the excuse that we can't make our five cats live in such a small space. Anyway, I understand that you guys just left our area and I am sorry that we missed you. We would have loved to meet the seven of you. Have you thought about Youtubing your adventure? It could also add to your cash flow. I follow a couple that film their everyday life while sailing around the world and it has made them some cash to live on. We will keep following your blog. For myself, I will live my adventure through you. Have a safe trip.

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The Roamans
8/16/2016 18:26:04

Hi Lisa,

Thank you so much for writing, and reading our article in Suncoast Pet! I'm sorry that you aren't able to hit the road. Truthfully, Vanessa and I struggled too, with the idea of being without a regular paycheck and this past year hasn't been easy. But really, there are SO many ways to make money on the road. Although our blog does not by any means produce enough income, it's still fun to do and spread awareness and encouragement for people who want to get out their and travel. Have you guys considered traveling part time? Maybe standing still for 6 months and saving money, then traveling for 6 months? Might by a nice compromise :) We have thought about YouTube, but I think video editing and whatnot is a bit scary right now hahaha. Who knows, though? Maybe we'll give it a shot sometime.

P.S. We are currently in the middle of installing a cat door down to a storage container to hide and house our litter box and save space! Will post soon once it's installed :)

Thanks again, Lisa, for writing and following!

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Kem
8/16/2016 09:40:33

Hey ya'll! Saw some articles about Georgia on "onlyinyourstate.com" and the found myself here.. awesome project & lifestyle!

This financial guide is a great read; I like how transparent you all are. Just curious, what about health insurance?

Thanks!

- Kem

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Lisa link
1/16/2018 20:44:12

I LOVE that you both just stepped off the ledge! The whole leap of faith thing!! Love it! I am doing just that, starting a blog and hitting the road. I only have a couple of thousand and a cat! LOL! Thanks for the good info. I will be selling my jewelry at different fairs, art shows etc., in different cities. I thought I was a bit crazy, nice to know I'm not alone. Ha!! I own my RV free and clear, shes a little old but....hey!! Nothing wrong with a having a few miles on ya!
Thank you for sharing. I will be checking out your whole site! Take good care!

Reply
The Roamans
1/17/2018 17:42:40

Hi Lisa! Thank you so much for your comment. We're super excited for you to take the plunge into RV living. Owning your RV outright is incredible and will be a huge money saver down the road. Let us know when you have your site up and running--we'd love to follow along your journey :)

Ray Yee
8/25/2018 04:23:38

My wife and I are retired and have a total income of 2100 a month. Is it possible to live your life style on that amount of money?> We live in Canada and have universal health insurance. However this might not be the case if we decided to go the RV living style. What do you do about health insurance. Thanks for your informative posts. Ray/Dawn Good old Canadians eh?

Reply
The Roamans
8/28/2018 12:34:33

Hi there! Thanks so much for writing. Having $2100 a month sounds like it will absolutely work, but ultimately it will be up to you to determine how much money will fit your needs and your lifestyle. Consider if you'll be financing or owning an RV outright. If you'll be constantly traveling or stopping in different places for extended periods of time. Factor in food, gas, RV insurance, credit card debt, entertainment, and otherwise. To us, $2100 is more than sufficient, however, I would suggest trying a mock budget for what you think you will need.

Health insurance is something we had to pick up privately, and to be honest, it's not as great of an insurance plan as we would've hoped. I do know that there is quite a bit of information coming out about different health insurance plans for full-time RVers that would be worth looking into. The more this lifestyle is gaining traction, the better the options will be long term.

Hope this helped! Let us know if you have any more questions :)

Reply



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