Annual cost to fulltime

The past three years full timing and moving around the country, stationary 5 winter months; we have spent about $24,000 per year.... This does 'not' include any fixed expenses - truck, RV payments, insurance costs, Doctors, cell phone plan, satellite TV cost. These fixed costs can vary widely based on personal situations. Our cost does include Campgrounds, fuel, food, entertainment, laundromats, clothing.

schlep1967 wrote:
I understand there is no right or wrong answer to this and there are many variables. My question is, What is the average amount you spent to live as a full-timer for one year?

$10,000 - $15,000
$15,000 - $20,000
$25,000 - $30,000
more?


(EDIT: Rephrased question)

Last year, 2014. More.

We have a budget sheet on our computer. Everything we spend money on gets put on it.

schlep1967 wrote:
Not sure .......what floorplans and tech will be available by then

You answered your own question.... No one is SURE what costs will be when you want to do this (when ever that might be). And comparing todays cost to what it might be in the future is like answering the questions I asked you...unknown.

Here is my guess for when you turn 62 years old and it is as good a guess as anyone in the world can give you right now.

RV's will sell for between $400K - $3M and will all be electric and solar powered.

Campgrounds will all be privately owned and cost $10K monthly.

There will not be any gas engines built after 2025 and gas prices will be $15 a gallon when you can find gas.

SO... when you start your FULL-TIME life you will need $10M in the bank IRA and will spend $1M a year to full-time.

There I am done with this thread.

JAXFL wrote:
WOW schlep1967 Talk about not sharing information... you still have not answered the questions I kind of asked you yesterday.

Couple of questions:

1-You are 47 and you are planning ahead to full time when you are ____ or how many years from now______?
2-Do you mean full-timing as in sell the house and live in the RV 365 days a year.....Yes or NO ?
3-Is the 5th Wheel you have now going to be used then or will there be a new one that is paid for or have payments? Will the RV be paid off or will you owe on it and if so how much a month _____ ?
4-How long in one place ______ ? Are you going to work-camp if so how long each year _____?
5- What do you see as your annual spendable income after taxes at that time____?

Fill in the ______ and we can get closer to your answer.

Those are all the questions I am trying to answer for myself. With the exception of Number 3. The current 5th wheel will be replaced by then. Not sure by what as we have no idea what floorplans and tech will be available by then but whatever it is it would be paid for up front.

By learning about what fulltiming cost we can make some assumptions about what we can do later.

schlep1967 wrote:

Exactly.
You can only find this information from those that are living it. Yet it seems those that live it do not want to share it publicly. Some have and I am grateful for that. Others just seem afraid somebody will hold their feet to the fire if they tell them $30,000 and that person ends up spending more.

No, I do not share all of my finances on an open and public forum. I did give some examples of our monthly (or average nightly costs) for those budget items that are related only to fulltiming. Other things that we spend money on are personal to us. And it appears that you aren't listening carefully when people are repeatingly telling you that much of your budget will stay the same. Your grocery bill will be about the same, your dining out will be about the same, your hobbies, etc. ail be about the same.

Also, I noticed that you were asked some questions that would help everyone give you better answers and you have chosen not to answer?

For those like my wife and I that are planning ahead for a decent retirement, this information can help us plan. So we have an idea of what it will cost us the first year when we want to see the country. And maybe the next year or two if we do some work camping and only move 4-6 times. It may also tell us that we can only do this for X amount of years and that is where we need to stop so we can have our exit strategy planned.

If you are planning on fulltiming for only X number of years - assuming X is less than 5 years - then you're not talking about fulltiming but rather an expended vacation. You first have to get your mind around the idea that we are not vacationing, that fulltiming is just another way to live but with the ability to change your front view whenever the seasons change.

Also, if you are years away then whatever we say now will have no bearing on what the costs are in 5+ years. I'm sorry if I sound harsh, but you've come to ask questions, you get some answers and then are angry at the people who gave you the answers - - not a way to get good information from others who are fulltiming.


Barb

Our average the past two years would be approximately $40,000 each year. We don't make truck payments and such, but that would include all insurances and stuff.

We travel but stay put in Florida for 3 to 4 months. Resort in Florida averages just over $50.00 a day. That would include eating out 2 or 3 times a week, one Alaska Cruise, and generally buying what we want when we want.

If you don't have bills or a stick house to worry about, I would say you can travel and do whatever you want to do as full timers and stay way under $50,000 a year.

WOW schlep1967 Talk about not sharing information... you still have not answered the questions I kind of asked you yesterday.

Couple of questions:

1-You are 47 and you are planning ahead to full time when you are ____ or how many years from now______?
2-Do you mean full-timing as in sell the house and live in the RV 365 days a year.....Yes or NO ?
3-Is the 5th Wheel you have now going to be used then or will there be a new one that is paid for or have payments? Will the RV be paid off or will you owe on it and if so how much a month _____ ?
4-How long in one place ______ ? Are you going to work-camp if so how long each year _____?
5- What do you see as your annual spendable income after taxes at that time____?

Fill in the ______ and we can get closer to your answer.

schlep1967 wrote:
For those like my wife and I that are planning ahead for a decent retirement, this information can help us plan. So we have an idea of what it will cost us the first year when we want to see the country.

We travel twice a year and sit on a property we own in between. Here's some cost for the travel part.

In 2013 we spent 50 days traveling through New Mexico. Distance from site to site was 1196 miles (does not include in and around travel). No stays were longer than a week. RV sites cost = $1015.93; All fuel = $949.35; Groceries for two = $697.10; Dining Out = $361.43. That comes out to $60.48/day.

In 2013, we spent 64 days in Florida and Georgia. We had two weeks at $5/night and a monthly stay. Distance from site to site was 882 miles. RV sites cost = $1056; All fuel = $579.32; Groceries for two = $972.36; Dining Out = $319.25. That comes out to $45.74/day.

In 2014, We spent 58 days in New Mexico. Several weekly stays. Distance from site to site was 702 miles. RV sites cost = $1448.34; All fuel = $798.65; Groceries for two = $1001.80; Dining Out = $262.98. That comes out to $60.55/day.

In 2014, we traveled through Florida, Alabama and Mississippi for 59 days. No stays longer than a week. Distance from site to site was 1473 miles. RV sites cost = $1591.27; All fuel = $1041055; Groceries for two = $991.06; Dining Out = $493.34. That comes out to $69.75/day.

So if you extrapolate those travel costs for a whole year, it would cost us between $16,695 and $25,458/year.

Hope this is somewhat like what you are looking for.

jorbill2or wrote:
I see this question all the time. I think what the question really is , is how much do you spend annually ? And maybe how do you travel , moving every few days or staying out for weeks / months ? A answer I've noticed few people are willing to share, maybe s bit too personal, but I think that's what they really want to know .. Real life # . There are a few web sites and blogs that do share some info and that is helpful.

Exactly.
You can only find this information from those that are living it. Yet it seems those that live it do not want to share it publicly. Some have and I am grateful for that. Others just seem afraid somebody will hold their feet to the fire if they tell them $30,000 and that person ends up spending more.

For those like my wife and I that are planning ahead for a decent retirement, this information can help us plan. So we have an idea of what it will cost us the first year when we want to see the country. And maybe the next year or two if we do some work camping and only move 4-6 times. It may also tell us that we can only do this for X amount of years and that is where we need to stop so we can have our exit strategy planned.

schlep1967 wrote:
Here is what I mean.

What is the average amount YOU spend to live as a full-timer for one year?

Simple question.

$72,000