Taking the plunge to full timing and need advice

If you look at it as a Research Operation (looking for that perfect warm climate), you will be able to enjoy the Journey.

We intended to find a retirement site and ended up deciding being near our kids and grandkids is where we eventually want to be. So instead of an RVL in TX or FL, we bought one in N.GA.

Some folks FT on $1200/month and some folks need $5000/month

For us it was easy....we were debt free.

Bought a camping membership via resale for $950....allowed us to stay at affiliate campgrounds up to 2 weeks for $10/15 night, used some city parks/fairgrounds, COE cgs and boondocking.

Fuel was harder to control due to pricing........travel less/not as far between stays but that wasn't why we went FT.

How much $$ is needed......depends on ones lifestyle
How much do you spend monthly now???

Have you been RVing and camping or is this all a new experience? There are so many different styles of fulltiming that it's hard to give advice but for a start - Florida is expensive and can be crowded but it's warm and sunny if you go far enough south. Many fulltimers head to Texas or Arizona for cheaper monthly rates. If you don't want to stay put for a month state parks are a good option. Federal campgrounds in national parks, national forests and corp of engineer parks are 1/2 price for anyone over 62.

$3,000 a month is plenty if you don't have to pay for health insurance or have a monthly payment due on your RV. Lots of people fulltime on less.

Here are some more blogs to keep you busy :-) http://www.hitchitch.com/links.html

People do very well on $3K a month, I think you will find that you can live comfortably and adjust as needed without feeling deprived on that amount. I put a page about Budget Considerations on our blog that might be helpful to you. Make sure you have your medical insurance in the budget and do establish a maintenance/repair fund and faithfully add to it each month. We all hope that nothing happens, but yesterday we got caught in cross winds west of Lordsburg, NM and lost the shroud over our front air conditioner. Luckily, Camping World in Anthony, TX had one in stock and we're able to work us in this afternoon and get it installed. Not a huge charge, but enough that I'll move a little money out of the repair fund to cover it.

I'd also recommend you read as many blogs as you can - lots of people have them in their signature lines (like ours below) and it is a good way to find out about all of the different ways to full time.

BTW - going south in the winter really will help to keep the utilities bills at a minimum. Plus it is so nice to essentially live in shorts/polo shirts year round. :B

Barb

Lots of great information on Love Your RV, Technomadia, or Escapees. After reading about how the lifestyle works well for so many, it will take away your initial jitters.

On the financial scene are you planning to save enough each month to replace the RV as that is a very real cost; or do you plan to make payments on your RV? Many RV on less than $3000 a month without any other long term debt. Also, many have found that their RV budget is about the same as their stick and brick budget was in that they tend to spend what they make and that is their budget. If that is the case with you then you pretty much know what it will take to live on. Eating out is costly, so is staying in expensive RV parks.