| We have been full time RVing now for almost 6 | | | | educated assumptions. |
| years. For the year before hitting the road, our | | | | In those 6 months concluding on Feb. 15, 2004. we |
| objective was plan, plan, plan. An important factor | | | | realized full time RVing was doable by Sept. 15, 2004. |
| was having lots of fun along the way. Included in the | | | | During the 6 months (Feb. to Sept), we found the |
| plan was how to make money. Making money on the | | | | motorhome we now live in, a Gulfstream Crescendo |
| internet seemed like the best way. | | | | diesel pusher with 2 slide,sold our house and all our |
| It all started with one of our kids' wedding. Living in | | | | furniture. My wife "needed" a small storage facility to |
| South Florida with the wedding in Connecticut had us | | | | store those "treasures" too personal to sell. |
| take 2 weeks off work to drive our car north | | | | The driving adventure started the Monday before |
| making stops in Charlestown, SC, Williamsburg, VA | | | | Labor Day of 2004! |
| and Washington, DC on the way. The wedding was | | | | The assumed budget included yard sale purchases |
| really great. On our way back home traveling down | | | | and sales on eBay. My wife is a retired children's |
| the Blue Ridge Parkway and then I-81 in Virginia we | | | | librarian and storyteller. Hopefully this could earn extra |
| got hooked! The travel bug hit us big time. We had | | | | money storytelling at libraries or schools. Neither was |
| been "talking about" retirement and questioning what | | | | consistently successful. Oh yes, we didn't have any |
| to do. Now we knew. | | | | health insurance. Too expensive, way too expensive. |
| - We didn't have nearly enough money saved to | | | | All that ended with the sudden rise in gas and fuel |
| travel the way we did going to the wedding. | | | | prices and the spiraling costs of everything else in |
| - We were both 60 years old and really wanted to | | | | general. |
| retire. | | | | Our house sale money lasted two years and we lived |
| We decided to stop the endless "talking about" | | | | pretty well. All that ended with the sudden rise in gas |
| traveling and get "into action". | | | | and fuel prices and the spiraling costs of everything in |
| This is what we did. | | | | general. |
| For the next 6 months we committed to research | | | | When we turned 62 we started to collect social |
| traveling then decide to start traveling with a start | | | | security. Social security is great but it wasn't nearly |
| date, OR stop talking about traveling and move on | | | | enough and we had to look towards the cheap way |
| with our lives. | | | | to live. No more eating out. No more golf. No more |
| - Attending 5 different RV shows. We looked at | | | | staying nice campgrounds. No more expensive |
| class "A" Motorhomes, 5th wheels and pull trailers | | | | sightseeing. |
| discovering what would fit us best. | | | | All these were too much for our income at that time. |
| - We talked to other people who traveled both full | | | | Work camping offered us a way to get rent with no |
| time and part time. Spoke to some trucker friends of | | | | cash output and sometimes some pay. This was |
| ours. Spoke to a lot of people about RVing. | | | | good but it tied us down for the entire season. We |
| - We did a serious accounting of ALL the money we | | | | had both good and bad experiences work camping. |
| spent. For 2 months keeping a detailed record of | | | | We got a part time winter job at WDW and got |
| every penny we spent was a chore. We bought a | | | | some extra money that way. All this still was not |
| book about full timing, then worked out a budget for | | | | enough for us to really live the dream. We needed |
| what it would take to full time and made a bunch of | | | | something else. |