391 weeks remaining....

So it has been a very productive last two weeks.  I started an "RV Boondockers" group on Facebook and it has almost 70 members so far. Since I hope to boondock more often than not, this will be a great resource.

In a couple of weeks I will be heading out on a two week trip up the California coast and then to the Eastern Sierras.  Hoping to find a few new boondocking spots and hit a few favorites including Benton Hot Springs.

Also I have been reviewing how much it will cost to fulltime.  I'm hoping $35,000 a year will be sufficient and that the stock market will not crash as soon as I put my life savings in the market.  Also healthcare will be changing a lot in the next few years and hope that it too will work in our favor.  I have also been looking at the CARE program from Escapees and am very impressed and feel comforted in the fact that it is there when/if I need it.

So for now I am excited again and ready to get out there, but I need to be patient and wait until the finances are right.  Continue to follow me and see where this goes; you never know how awesome it will be.

394 weeks remaining....

Well at 394 weeks we are basically in the same boat. Looking to rid ourselves of belongings and really think through the reality of giving up our home and lifestyle. Saving money is getting a little easier, but still is challenging.  It will be much easier when we don't have a place to put all the crap we buy. Looks like we want to move up the date but I'm a little scared to go too early and be without a job for too many years before being eligible for Social Security.  But so far we are on track.

Encouraging comments welcome.

396 weeks remaining....

Well not much to report on in the last few weeks. Only thing I have been thinking about is what happens if we don’t end up liking fulltiming. I know that sounds crazy, but there are no sure things. I’m glad we still have so many years left to ponder our future. What I am sure of is that I don’t want to be stuck at a desk for the rest of my life, I want to live life free to do what I please.  By following so many other fulltimer blogs I really am seeing that it is not a fulltime vacation.  Life still rolls on and life keeps coming. I’m just imaging that when it life hits you, being in an RV might be the ticket!

400 weeks remaining....

At 400 weeks even until we can get out from under these jobs, all is progressing well. Paying off debt, saving money and still enjoying life. Not much changes from week to week but the excitement builds daily. Reading blogs and listening to podcasts keep us up to date with the RV industry and what we can expect. It seems like most of the blogs I follow don't boondock as much as I think we will when we're out there living the RV lifestyle.

I dream of the days waking up all by ourselves in the middle of nowhere with only the beautiful views to greet us in the morning.I'm planning on 5 days out in the boonies and 2 days in an RV park to do laundry, flush tanks and get more water. This will help us save money when we are not workamping.

This is my sample budget for Full Timing. I hope we can keep our expenses down to this. There is a lot of cushion in here. But I wanted to make sure I am realistic in my expectations.

Any feedback from current full timers is welcome. Thanks!

401 weeks remaining...

Six month update

So after six months we are positioned to be a success. The RVing lifestyle is looking like something we can do. The reason I say that is because we love being on the road and seeing the country and love being out with no one but us. Boondocking is our favorite. Another reason is that the money it takes to keep going will be easy to obtain over the next few years. The house is rising in value seemingly daily.

A few things that I will need to do the the house before selling are installing new windows and fixing up the kitchen and bathroom. I think I can do all for under $15k. I think spending that will increase the value at least $20k and make it easier to sell our 62 year old house.

We have narrowed down our rig to used 5th wheel about 30' long.  We will start looking at used rigs in year 5 or so and wait to jump on a deal when it presents itself. Wish list will include but not limited to solar and a washer/dryer combo.

I also am getting more and more excited to start workcamping. I get emails daily listing  jobs that pay a per hour salary and space rent with full hook ups. Working in a customer service role is not something I do for a living now but am excited to start. I love helping others in need and being of service to my RVing community.

A few things to research are: health insurance, solar power, mobile internet and boondocking locations.

Next month we are going to Big Bear Lake for a few days and in October we are going to northern California and cruising down the coast taking about 10 days. Really looking forward to that trip.

402 weeks remaining...

At 402 weeks before retiring, I am feeling great.  I'm really considering smaller and smaller rigs that could be replaced more often, since they don't seem to last all that long.  This way I can keep getting "new" old rigs every few years without breaking the bank.  The first few years I really wanna get out and see things and experience what this great nation has to offer. Work camping also sounds very good -- I can't wait to get my first job on the road.

The finances are going great.  $11k of debt paid off already and excited to get it all paid off.  I have been spending for years and it feels good to start to reverse the damage.  For all you out there who think you can't get ahead, don't give up.  I thought that for years and just recently found that I could get out of debt and get ahead and still have a good life without feeling deprived.

I also recently found out that more people are following this blog but not commenting, so if you're one of those people please say hi!

Until next week, SAVE SAVE SAVE and DREAM DREAM DREAM....

403 weeks remaining...

This week I found a few Facebook groups that discuss full time RVing. This has been a great resources for question and answers for people like me planning a full time lifestyle.

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/rvdreamers/
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/ftrving/
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/livingthervdream/
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/rvtips/

If you know of more groups I should be following please use comment section below. Savings is still going well and I haven't made any big purchases or small for that matter this entire year. Well except for the inflatable kayak. But that will go with us on the road.

Had a few great emails regarding Elk's lodge camping and membership with Ingrid from http://livelaughrv.net, which was so helpful. Congratulations on completing your first year full timing. This gives me hope that I too can do it.

For all you bloggers out there, keep blogging so I know what to expect.