Frugal living trend associated with ER

[audreyh1]

Living RV full-time is quite different than RV traveling.

In my 10,000-mile RV treks that lasted 2 months or more , I burned gasoline at expensive prices that added up to more than 2 business classes from the West coast to Europe. But that is about the only way we got to see scenery that cannot be seen otherwise.

Full-time RVers do not drive around that much. It would be too tiring, more than just about money. They are in no hurry, because they do not have a home to go back to, and a pool that may be turning into an algae pond like what we have.

I guess we were doing both. Generally did around 10K miles a year which is a loop around the US, coast to coast.

We rarely stayed in the same place for more than 2 weeks.

It was a lovely pace.

10K miles in 2 months sounds horrible. We one did half that in 3 months and I said never again. Was not willing to do those distances. It’s so much easier to travel long distances if you take your time.

 

[joeea]

I would pretty much only be in the back at night when sleeping. During the day I would take advantage of free wi-fi, electricity, heat/AC in libraries, wal-marts, malls etc. I think it would be better than spending another 20 years doing hard labor work so I can afford to spend more in retirement. My expenses would likely average under $1000/mo, maybe even half that. HI would be free(Medicaid) or highly subsidized(ACA).

Spending my days in a Wal-Mart is pretty much my idea of hell.

To each their own I guess. I'd rather work.

 

[Calico]

I would pretty much only be in the back at night when sleeping. During the day I would take advantage of free wi-fi, electricity, heat/AC in libraries, wal-marts, malls etc. I think it would be better than spending another 20 years doing hard labor work so I can afford to spend more in retirement. My expenses would likely average under $1000/mo, maybe even half that. HI would be free(Medicaid) or highly subsidized(ACA).

Would you remain in Wisconsin if you buy the van to live in? If so, would you be able to winterize it somehow? I imagine the Wisconsin winter nights can be brutally cold. I'd be too much of a wuss to attempt it myself!

I think it is a creative idea and wish you all the best, whether you decide to purchase it now or purchase something similar in the future.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Small town Wisconsin is cheap. I would live in a studio before a van. I don’t want to hang out in public places a lot.

 

[aaronc879]

Would you remain in Wisconsin if you buy the van to live in? If so, would you be able to winterize it somehow? I imagine the Wisconsin winter nights can be brutally cold. I'd be too much of a wuss to attempt it myself!

I think it is a creative idea and wish you all the best, whether you decide to purchase it now or purchase something similar in the future.

If I were to purchase this truck I would travel based on weather. Winters in Florida mostly, maybe Southern Cali once or twice over the years. Summers in Wisconsin, Upper Michigan, or Yellowstone area.

I just got the Independent Medical Evaluation report in the mail. Their Doctor says I have not reached Maximum Medical Improvement and suggests I have more testing. It could be several more months before this is settled so I don't think I will be buying this truck. Maybe some time in the future I will be able to find something similar.

 

[imoldernu]

For the five years before we retired, we spent every available weekend and vacation, traveling Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan and indiana in our beloved 72 VW Microbus. Our plan was to continue for 5 years after retirement in 1989... going cross country. A great experience including my chance to rebuild the engine.

 

[aaronc879]

Spending my days in a Wal-Mart is pretty much my idea of hell.

To each their own I guess. I'd rather work.

I work in a paper coverting company doing manual labor. On Friday it was over 100 degrees with high humidity. Then I have to work 3-4 feet from a 350 degree heat tunnel all day. Maybe it's better to work in an office than spend time in Wal-Mart but it sure as hell isn't better to do my job.

 

[imoldernu]

When we retired, in 1989, we went to live at the Woodhaven Lakes Campground, until 2004, when we bought in Liberty Village.
Cost of living for the Parkmodel is still less than $3000/yr, including Campground dues, taxes, insurance, water & sewer and trash removal.

A great life, with early retirees around our own age... busy every minute of every day. 6 to 8 couples with one objective ... fun!. Parties, cards, trips to the new Walmart in Peru, one group cookout a week, and three days a week of square dancing... which didn't seem strange at all.

For the first 3 or four years, we still did a lot of travelling with Ford camper shown in the photo.

 

[NW-Bound]

10K miles in 2 months sounds horrible. We one did half that in 3 months and I said never again. Was not willing to do those distances. It’s so much easier to travel long distances if you take your time.

I would take more time if it were possible.

But with two homes to look after, plus a 92-year-old mother-in-law, 2 months away is stretching it.

The alternative is to leave DW behind, but then it is a bit lonely on the road.

 

[tb001]

In Palo Alto, on El Camino Real, not too far from the entrances to the expansive Stanford University, there is a long row of RVs parked along this street.

I wouldn't imagine it's parents of students staying while visiting. These RVs are there year round and they rarely move at all.

I think it's probably people who work in the area but can't afford or won't buy homes at the high prices in the peninsula. Apt. rents are also sky high too.

There are no electricity or water hookups. It's a wide street, with some nice shopping centers along the way, not too far from this long row of RVs.

https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news...e-inside-the-rvs-on-palo-altos-el-camino-real

I considered this decades ago when I was living in the area and working at Stanford. At the time the RVs were mainly relatives of patients in the hospital. There was a back parking lot near the medical center where there was a semi permanent community. I seriously looked into doing at one point as a means to save for a down payment.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

When we retired, in 1989, we went to live at the Woodhaven Lakes Campground, until 2004, when we bought in Liberty Village.
Cost of living for the Parkmodel is still less than $3000/yr, including Campground dues, taxes, insurance, water & sewer and trash removal.

A great life, with early retirees around our own age... busy every minute of every day. 6 to 8 couples with one objective ... fun!. Parties, cards, trips to the new Walmart in Peru, one group cookout a week, and three days a week of square dancing... which didn't seem strange at all.

For the first 3 or four years, we still did a lot of travelling with Ford camper shown in the photo.

Looks like you had a wonderful place up in Woodhaven Lakes!

 

[NW-Bound]

In Palo Alto, on El Camino Real, not too far from the entrances to the expansive Stanford University, there is a long row of RVs parked along this street.

I wouldn't imagine it's parents of students staying while visiting. These RVs are there year round and they rarely move at all.

I think it's probably people who work in the area but can't afford or won't buy homes at the high prices in the peninsula. Apt. rents are also sky high too.

There are no electricity or water hookups. It's a wide street, with some nice shopping centers along the way, not too far from this long row of RVs.

https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news...e-inside-the-rvs-on-palo-altos-el-camino-real

Yes.

I talked earlier about RV travel, and not full-time living.

Even full-time RV'ers are in different camps. Some are retirees who have money, but want to do extensive traveling. They don't camp inside city limits, but visit national parks, and stay in public or private campgrounds. Most of these people tend to settle down into a fixed home after a few years on the road and their wanderlust has been satisfied.

The OP was talking about younger people who live in an RV to save cost. They do not have enough money to retire in the traditional sense. I read blogs of a few who work on the road, doing 8-to-5 jobs that can be done anywhere with a cell phone and an Internet connection. These young people tend to be travelers, and move about the country and live outside of city limits. They are usually more frugal than the retired RV'ers.

And then, there are people as described in the above post, who live and work in the city, but cannot afford a home, or even a rented apartment. There are a lot of these people in California.

And of course, there are also destitute people who have no jobs, very little money, and would be homeless if it were not for their RV. They are also concentrated in California because the moderate climate is more amenable to living inside a vehicle with no cooling nor heating because they cannot afford the fuel or hookup charge.

See this for RV full-timing in San Mateo:

See this for RV full-timing in Los Angeles:

This for RV landlording in Palo Alto:

 

[MarieIG]

I have no desire to live in a van, a tiny house, or a storage container.

 

[NW-Bound]

About young full-time RV'ers who are not retirees and are still working, people who are curious can easily find blogs and vblogs about that lifestyle.

A typical young couple drove their motorhome to Alaska each summer to work seasonal jobs. They drove back to the lower states for the winter, and lived off the money that they saved. This lifestyle allowed them to have some freedom, and to be able to travel instead of being tied to a regular job.

It's not for everyone. And many go back to a regular lifestyle after a few years of adventurous living.

 

[W2R]

I just got the Independent Medical Evaluation report in the mail. Their Doctor says I have not reached Maximum Medical Improvement and suggests I have more testing.

Wow, I hope this means there is a possibility of a better recovery for you in the future, than what you have experienced so far.

 

[W2R]

I have no desire to live in a van, a tiny house, or a storage container.

+1

I love my wonderful, conventional home. Now, when I was 18, ideas like that had their appeal. But I am not 18 any more.

 

[Badger]

I would pretty much only be in the back at night when sleeping. During the day I would take advantage of free wi-fi, electricity, heat/AC in libraries, wal-marts, malls etc...

I pretty much did this in my first home years ago during the summer before I had air conditioning. Fortunately at that time there were also 2 movie theater nearby that had movies for a dollar when I wasn't at the grocery store, mall, or library.



Cheers!

 

[NW-Bound]

Over the last several days I have seriously considered going to take a look at this truck for the potential of full time living. I probably won't do it because I still have a pending work comp case and need to stay local until things are sorted out. Otherwise I think I would have already looked at and probably purchased this. I'm single and plan to stay that way so it is big enough for me. It's very stealth and could therefore stay anyway there is free legal overnight parking rather than campgrounds. I could get a membership to one of the chain 24 hour gyms for showers. It would be doable and cheap. Maybe I should just buy it and store it until my case is settled?

https://appleton.craigslist.org/rvs/d/appleton-toyota-micro-rv-off-grid/6932210644.html

I would pretty much only be in the back at night when sleeping. During the day I would take advantage of free wi-fi, electricity, heat/AC in libraries, wal-marts, malls etc...

Last winter, twice when I went to the library I saw a class B RV like the one below parked there. Obviously, the owner was inside the library enjoying himself in a comfortable chair reading newspapers or surfin' the Web. I think it was most likely a snowbird. At night, he could just go park somewhere on a quiet residential street, and the people in that neighborhood are none the wiser.

The winter is mild here, and one can survive very well with no heat at night. Right now, the lowest temperature at night is still 90-92F, and one would be miserable sleeping inside a vehicle.

I think that if you take up this nomadic life, it's worthwhile to spend more money to get a used class B for more comfort. There's a toilet, shower, kitchen, sink, fridge. Everything for one to live in comfort.

 

[Teacher Terry]

In the rehab field 2 years is considered maximum medical improvement.

 

[RobbieB]

I've driven across the country in a van. Slept and "knew" my girlfriend in a van. It was her daddies van too!

But that was when I was 20 and I'm done with that crazy.

 

[Oz investor]

In the rehab field 2 years is considered maximum medical improvement.

should i be MORE worried now ?

my device was implanted in March 2017 ,my outpatients appointments have increased ( seemingly to 3 monthly now ) and the FDA has extended the study trail from 3 years to 5 years .

( and no-one has even suggested i start rehab yet )

 

[Calico]

If I were to purchase this truck I would travel based on weather. Winters in Florida mostly, maybe Southern Cali once or twice over the years. Summers in Wisconsin, Upper Michigan, or Yellowstone area.

I just got the Independent Medical Evaluation report in the mail. Their Doctor says I have not reached Maximum Medical Improvement and suggests I have more testing. It could be several more months before this is settled so I don't think I will be buying this truck. Maybe some time in the future I will be able to find something similar.

Following the weather makes a lot of sense!

I do sincerely hope that additional testing and PT will result in a measurable improvement in your physical condition. You are far too young to have to be dealing with these issues.

 

[Teacher Terry]

OZ, no that’s for workers compensation to decide if a injured worker is likely to keep improving. Nothing to do with your situation.

 

[joeea]

I work in a paper coverting company doing manual labor. On Friday it was over 100 degrees with high humidity. Then I have to work 3-4 feet from a 350 degree heat tunnel all day. Maybe it's better to work in an office than spend time in Wal-Mart but it sure as hell isn't better to do my job.

I guess we all have our personal hell.

I suggest that everyone try hard to find a job they can enjoy, or at least tolerate. For me, I liked most of my jobs, loved some, and hated a few. The latter I left as quickly as I could. I know that I'm luckier than most, in that I was able to find a great career that made my years of study pay off in a big way.

To me, enjoying every day as much as possible is the right way to live a life. For me at least, that requires as little Wal-Mart time as possible.

To each their own. I wish you well in your lifestyle.

 

[ckelly78z]

The "#VanLife" crowd are generally the younger folks that make fantastic, colorful videos of their everyday life with epic sound tracks, and drama filled pauses for effect. Their ultimate goal is to finance their nomad life with creating "subscribers" on YouTube, and inserting adds inside of their videos. I have seen plenty of these vids, and can say with certainty, that they are strive for the Martha Stewart (unatainable) romantic view of living life in a van....Ah to be young, pretty, and free !