Dive and and Just Do It?

[DaisyMae50]

I am so sick of how I am living right here and now.  Plan or just fly by the seat of my pants?  Who did what and would you do it again?  Does all the planning really help in the end?  Thanks for sharing your insights.

Daisy

 

[cyndi]

Planning and preparation are two different things. Planning may not be as important as preparation.

There are things you can do to prepare for plans that can and will go awry.
~Emergency fund
~Carrying enough food, water and blankets to get you through a breakdown in the middle of nowhere
~Leaving word with friends or loved ones where you are and where you're heading next
~Some form of emergency road service
~A cell phone provider with good coverage in the regions where you travel

 

[Willy]

Had a VW van with nothing in it when I first started. Just threw my crap in and took off..never looked back either. ..Willy.

 

[user 423]

DaisyMae50:

Get as familiar as you can with your vehicle. I don't mean that you need to be able to fix it but you should be informed about what kind of maintenance is required.

Neglected maintenance can kill your ride or it can kill you.

 

[RollingOm]

I am so sick of how I am living right here and now.  Plan or just fly by the seat of my pants?  Who did what and would you do it again?  Does all the planning really help in the end?  Thanks for sharing your insights.

Daisy

Planning works for me, but I have to be flexible too, so planning and adjusting to unexpected changes as I go along, i.e. rolling with the punches

Not planning can take you from the fire to the frying pan 

RollingOm

 

[Technomad]

I know the struggle. I’m torn between buying something off the shelf and going with my original plan to build— I don’t actually want to build, I just want to go.

But going nomadic will not change who you are or fix problems in your life. It’s not an escape, it’s just a lifestyle.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[maryann1976]

I really relate to this. I tried two conversions and now I'm on to option #3. One was a scion conversion. I gave that up for a van conversion. But I got one w/ a natural gas tank. I thought I could get it removed but I couldn't without risk to the engine. Then the guy I paid to help convert took the money. I gave up and got rid of the van. (The tank wasn't going to work long term and this forced me onward).

Now I don't know what to start on: car, van, SuV, or get a truck to get a mini camper on it later. I have a scooter that I use for everyday travel now. I have no idea what to do. I'm back in analysis paraylsis . I still want to do this and now I can do weekend camping so I need to make a decision....

 

[GeorgiePorgie]

But going nomadic will not change who you are or fix problems in your life. It’s not an escape, it’s just a lifestyle.

I lived overseas in South East Asia for 25 years and it was an adventure from beginning to end. I had a successful business and traveled constantly as hotel rooms are incredible cheap.
I have always wanted to see more of the USA, but mostly refused to pay the ridiculous hotel prices, so have missed a lot of places. I don't expect magic, now that I am back, I am hoping that being able to see things I've never seen and trying all the local foods will cut down on the constant boredom I feel in the US. However, I will probably have to work for the rest of my life as not a lot of hours of Social Security. Figuring out an income while living in a van is a real concern to me.

 

[Ticklebellly]

I don't know your capabilities and skills. Sometimes to much planning leads to a long long period of getting ready but never doing it. Diving in may lead to burnt bridges left behind. If you have a safety net should it all go wrong and you have to bail, just go for it and embrace the learning curve.

 

[Annie W]

Planning and preparation are two different things. Planning may not be as important as preparation.

There are things you can do to prepare for plans that can and will go awry.
~Emergency fund
~Carrying enough food, water and blankets to get you through a breakdown in the middle of nowhere
~Leaving word with friends or loved ones where you are and where you're heading next
~Some form of emergency road service
~A cell phone provider with good coverage in the regions where you travel

All obvious measures that the OP hopefully has taken care of.
re the Emergency fund, how much of the $2 million (spoken of here in forum by a man) for Retirement, should people have on hand ?
or is thousands enough?

 

[RVTravel]

I thought the old number was 6 months expenses in the emergency fund.

 

[Almost There]

re the Emergency fund, how much of the $2 million (spoken of here in forum by a man) for Retirement, should people have on hand ?
or is thousands enough?

An emergency fund is different from retirement savings.

An emergency fund, ideally, should be big enough to fund the replacement of at least the engine or a transmission.

I like having an emergency fund big enough to pay for staying in a motel and replacing the entire vehicle if the SHTF. Yes, my insurance would reimburse me but they can often take their own sweet time. I'd rather be able to do it tomorrow and then wait for them to cough up. Much more comfortable and I'm in control that way. Besides which, my insurance policy is 'replacement cost' which means I pay, they reimburse me. If I can't buy, they aren't paying. And they just might argue over what I had to pay to replace the van itself...we'll argue later, I want the van on the road NOW!

Retirement savings is what you need to have to supplement your retirement income.

The old calculations that said you needed XX% of your working income were based on one maintaining that same lifestyle to which you had become accustomed when you were working. You know the one...mortgage, 2 car payments, golf course fees, 3 vacations in foreign lands a year, etc. etc.

Retirement savings and how much, depends entirely on the individual and varies from really modest to actually needing that 2 mil sitting in investment accounts. Do most of us have that 2 mi...hell no. Do most of us need that much...not those nomads who hang out around here...

 

[Victor]

I'm answering this question from my experience: Plan or just fly by the seat of my pants?

Definitely plan to meet your basic needs. The most important are your physical needs.

Food = If I'm really hungry I might dumpster dive. If I'm kinda hungry I might check out soup kitchens or food pantries. If I'm low on cash I might eat rice and beans with a multivitamin (came across Huel recently). If I'm doing okay I'll grocery it up. If I'm doing great I might eat at a restaurant. Since I have a job I eat almost completely at restaurants.

Clothing/Warmth/Cooling And Sleeping= you probably can make do with what you have but if your in warmer or colder climates you may need to fill in the gaps. I'm in the NE and have had nights as cold as -22 but I'm perfectly warm because I was prepared for it. (I shy away from heating units in a small car but if you use heaters make sure you get fire and carbon monoxide detectors. Be aware of signs and symptoms of cold and hot weather injury.

Car = Shelter so be sure you have a contingency plan. As long as you have answered most of the important questions like car loan or repair, insurance, gasoline usage. I have a job with unlimited over time so I don't keep a cash buffer. I can float a month on credit. I can get an apartment within a month. I could move back to my parents [cringe]. I could get a hotel - as mentioned above. I could get another vehicle within a month and a half if I had to - or immediately on credit. I also have complete backpacking gear so I could live out of my camping gear. Other options you may want to be aware of are temporary shelters, churches, or social working agencies in the area you are in. Know what you are comfortable with and not comfortable with and try to know the answers to what you would do before you have to do it. (this is preperation). Also there is AirBNB, Couch Surfing and WOOF all which are popular.

After meeting your basic needs make sure you can meet your safety needs. Stay aware and alert. Know what your capabilities are and aren't. Learn how to keep yourself safe by being in public when meeting people, not going off with people until you get to know them. Remember to lock your doors at night and try to park in well lit areas. If your boondocking take extra precautions to be aware of your surroundings and safe. Carbon monoxide and fire detectors and possibly fire extinguishers may fall into this category.

After meeting your safety needs, your all set. Go out there have fun. If you don't have money take up a hobby that doesn't cost much. A knife can give you hours of work learning bushcraft. An instrument hours and hours to master. You don't have to spend money to have a good time.

In general, try to take one step toward your ideal life every chance you get. Little steps turn into building what you envision. - Good Luck - Stay Safe! And what they said: problems tend to follow you until you confront them and deal with them head on. If your running to van life or car life to run away from something don't - confront the issues head on if you can. A lot of the problems we have stem from the way we think, act or feel about something. And when you avoid dealing with the thoughts behaviors or feelings that create the problems in your life you still have the thoughts feelings and behaviors and the problem will pop its head up no matter which way you choose to live.

Again, good luck.
Oh - and Read as much on this site as you can. There is so much good stuff here!!!