Money/job issue is my biggest obstacle to living the RV life

[GaiaGoddess]

I have wanted to live in an RV for years now. Over the years i have researched every aspect and analyzed my life and have came to the conclusion the only thing stopping me is lack of money & my inability to earn money independently. In other words, I don't think I am cut out for location independent ways of earning money. I have always struggled to find and keep jobs. I am unable to save money because my bills always come to more than my income does, resulting in high credit card debt and being forced to live with my mom when I need to which makes me depressed because I hate living there. Right now I finally found a job that keeps my head above water but it's because I work 60 hours a week, which means I have very little free time. I am living in a trailer park, only $285/mo lot rent, but it depresses me that I can't live much cheaper than this and I still can barely afford to get ahead. I want an RV, but I can't save anything and I can't afford payments. My car is almost 10 years old and I know i will need a new one at some point but then I will have to move back in with my mom in order to afford payments again!

Getting a 2nd job is impossible, I am already working 3pm-1am and I sleep right up until I go to work. I also only have Sundays free but I need those days to get things done and try to have a life. I desperately need to escape, I need freedom so bad but I can't get ahead in order to do it. I am 43 and single so I have no help from anyone and not even close to retiring. I have tried to earn money online in various ways (affiliate marketing, selling art, blogging, running websites) but I am not cut out for that kind of work, it feels like a chore after the initial excitement wears off and then I lose interest. I've always struggled to find satisfying work because I have a lot of issues getting in the way (a circadian rhythm disorder, a phone phobia, introversion, no college experience). It's hard enough for me to find a normal job, let alone a location independent one. Lots of people have suggested things to me but i have already thought of them and there is always some reason why it wouldn't work. I feel like I am doomed, I am trapped in this prison of slavery and I can't get out.

I guess my question is, do any of you have the same problem(s) as me and found a way to solve it?

 

[mayble]

GaiaGoddess, I share your frustration and it certainly is discouraging, but it can be done.  Every single dime that you can squirrel away is a step forward.  
If you move in with mom that $285/month in savings would add up pretty quickly.  Or how about a roommate to split expenses?  Maybe not ideal situations  but remember it's only temporary.  We can endure most anything if we know it's short term, and it's something that gets us closer to our goal.
What sort of work skills do you have?  Basic office skills can get you some gigs with temp agencies.  Search the workcamper sites for info about seasonal work - everything from park concessions to Amazon warehouse to agriculture.  You can live and work in one area for a time and then move on.  Point being, you don't have to be location independent - you can still earn money without being tied down permanently to one spot.
This forum is full of mostly helpful people who have come from all backgrounds and found their way here.   Keep reading and join the conversations.  It helps me stay motivated and encouraged.  You'll get there.

 

[highdesertranger]

my first thought is to get out of debt. stop spending money, the only money that goes out is for essentials. cut those credit cards up and get them paid off asap. I know once you dig that hole it's no fun getting out but to continue digging doesn't help. once you are out of debt then you can start saving. you will be surprised how much you can save with no debt hanging over your head. highdesertranger

 

[ArtW]

Even if you make minimum wage, at 60 hrs /week, you're earning close to what I earn
That is livable money, if you're frugal, even with over 4k in credit card debt (yup, I been dumb, too)
Pare down those expenses

 

[Queen]

my first thought is to get out of debt.  stop spending money,  the only money that goes out is for essentials.  cut those credit cards up and get them paid off asap.  I know once you dig that hole it's no fun getting out but to continue digging doesn't help.  once you are out of debt then you can start saving.   you will be surprised how much you can save with no debt hanging over your head.  highdesertranger

Excellent advice.

GaiaGoddess, you sound as though you've lost all hope.  Feeling hopeless, feeling as though you have no control makes it so much harder to dig into the problem.  In the steps HDR outlined above, pick one thing, set one small goal, then move towards accomplishing it.  One little step at a time, one small goal at a time, you will start to feel better and more confident as time goes by, and you'll be thrilled to see your goal is doable.

 

[cyndi]

GG, You can do this!

I went from $60,000 a year to $17,000. I had the bills that came with a $60,000 salary. I was very lucky to have any income at all. I ended up homeless for 4 years. But, that allowed me to pay off the debts and save some money. I volunteered my time and met some awesome people who appreciated my work ethic, found me a cheap living space and then I saved until I found my moho.

Throughout this time I founght (and sometimes still do) battles with depression, social anxiety and PTSD. Focus on what you CAN do not what you can't.

 

[lterry]

I'm not location independent either - I have a sticks and bricks job. I've been doing the parking lot thing for a long time now. So, it can be done. You can track my progress on the Weaning Project thread.
If you absolutely have to get a new vehicle soon, get a van. Your home and vehicle can be the same. No more rent, though you might end up with a new payment which you might have done anyway with getting a new car. But I suggest a small loan, if one is absolutely necessary, not a $10,000 one.

 

[mockturtle]

If, as you say, you have credit card debt, it would be best to pay that off before attempting the RV life. You don't want to carry any debts while living on the road and you should have at least a small emergency fund.

 

[NickTheoBennett]

Also, if your credit card debt is that insurmountable bankruptcy is an option. I know it is dreaded by a lot of people, but I went through one a few years ago and it was relatively painless. A bankruptcy attorney will generally offer free consultations and will be able to tell you after looking through your finances is the court will wipe out your debt. Just be honest with them about everything! Lying to your attorney about anything is a bad plan.

 

[akrvbob]

If at all possible trade your car for a minivan and move into it. Keep working your job but pay yourself the rent money every month by paying it into your debt. $300 a month is $3600 a year.

At the same time you'll be gaining nomad skills and self-confidence in your ability to survive and thrive. A couple details:

1) See this as a rebirth into a whole new way of living and thinking. Adopt it as personal challenge and as an opportunity to completely change your life, your thoughts, and your hopes. Who do you want to be? Set out to be that person--the true authentic self you were born to be, not the obedient, wage-slave drone society molded you to be . You are so much more and so much better than what they've been telling you!!!
2) get a 24 hour gym membership to shower and maintain your health
3) start taking advantage of food stamps, food banks and soup kitchens. You are the working poor who is doing everything you can to pull yourself up, don't feel even a little bit bad about taking advantage of all the safety net available to you.
4) Nearly everything this society has told you is a lie, don't hesitate to throw it all out and start over living life on your own terms and following your dreams.

I've been where you are and I know how much it looks hopeless and helpless, but I can assure you that for me it was the VERY BEST THING that ever happened to me!!!! It opened my eyes to all the horrible lies this society has been feeding me and allowed me to break its chains. So can you!
Bob

 

[Reducto]

I was in a similar situation to you when I started the poker dealing thing:
https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Making-a-living-as-a-traveling-poker-dealer

It's not location independent but I at least get to move around and pick which jobs I want. I'm at the extreme end of the introvert scale and find I have plenty of alone time to recharge.

I could probably survive just fine only working during the summer and going on unemployment the rest of the year but I've been working more to get everything paid off and some savings built up.

The biggest barriers are the cost of the class you'll need ($1000-1200 normally, but occasionally free/cheap classes come up) and getting your head around how the poker world works and how you might fit into it. Most people seem to find it very strange and foreign, but it all makes sense when you are in it for a while.

 

[DannyB1954]

There is a saying that you can not solve a problem with the same mind that created it. I Recommend a book by Anthony, (Tony) Robbins named Awakening the Giant Within. A library may have it for free to read. We have to change the way we think about things. It is the difference between doing the right thing because we want to instead of because we have to. One way is a pleasure, the other way a chore.

Let me give an illustration. Let's say you want to stop eating candy. If you see candy and say I wish I could but can't. You will feel deprived and short changed. If you can convince yourself that you do not want that sticky sugary substance in your life, and would rather have a carrot, leaving the candy alone is not hard at all. We can dictate to ourselves what we want and don't want. Find a way to convince yourself that saving is more fun than spending and you will save more than you spend. We reward ourselves with purchases. Find a way to reward yourself by saving. Maybe something like if I save $50 this week I get to do something that I enjoy. You may need to start out with a smaller amount, and when that becomes painless, go larger. Doesn't matter how much you make, you can still be flat broke most of the time by spending.


It is not a matter of If you can do something that you desire, but rather how do you get it done.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I think you got some really good advice and unfortunately getting the advice was the simple part.........now it's your turn to take control and make it happen.

By no means will it be easy, at times it will downright suck, but i guarantee if you stick with it, in the end it will be the most rewarding thing you've ever done.

 

[DannyB1954]

$6 a day for a fancy coffee is over $2,000 a year. Things add up when you do them constantly. Could you convince yourself that once a week is OK, Or that the house coffee at half that cost is what you would like? Watch your habitual spending.

 

[GaiaGoddess]

If you move in with mom that $285/month in savings would add up pretty quickly.  Or how about a roommate to split expenses?  Maybe not ideal situations  but remember it's only temporary.  We can endure most anything if we know it's short term, and it's something that gets us closer to our goal.

There is no room here for a roommate, my 2nd bedroom is crammed full of my stuff, it's not that big of a trailer I live in. I have never been able to sleep with other people around anyway, every time I live with someone my sleep gets disrupted. And living with my mom is not an option due to the fact that I got seriously depressed living there, so for the sake of my mental health, I can't go back there. I lived there for 5 years and thought about suicide more than I care to admit. I would rather be homeless than go back there.

What sort of work skills do you have?  Basic office skills can get you some gigs with temp agencies.  Search the workcamper sites for info about seasonal work - everything from park concessions to Amazon warehouse to agriculture.  You can live and work in one area for a time and then move on.  Point being, you don't have to be location independent - you can still earn money without being tied down permanently to one spot.

I have no office skills other than typing but that's nothing nowadays, lol My skills are mostly factory related, I have worked in factories for 20 years of my life total. I have also worked in a few restaurants and a few hotels but I quit those jobs due to stress, I have a phone phobia due to introversion/social anxiety and I get physical symptoms whenever I have to talk on the phone or deal with customers or the public. I also have a circadian rhythm disorder that prevents me from being awake in the mornings/early afternoons so I can only work nighttime jobs. So hopefully someone here knows of some good paying nighttime jobs where you don't have to deal with customers, lol That's why I work in factories most of the time, the hours are later in the day and I am only talking to my coworkers and only if I want to. But unfortunately factories only want you if you have a solid history, not bouncing around from job to job. They want stability and people who will stay there.

 

[GaiaGoddess]

If at all possible trade your car for a minivan and move into it. Keep working your job but pay yourself the rent money every month by paying it into your debt. $300 a month is $3600 a year.

I love that idea, but I live in Minnesota and for 9 months out of the year you need heat, you will need to be rich in order to run your vehicle 24/7, lol

3) start taking advantage of food stamps, food banks and soup kitchens. You are the working poor who is doing everything you can to pull yourself up, don't feel even a little bit bad about taking advantage of all the safety net available to you.

The only reason I don't use those things now is because I am very into organic healthy food, I have been to a food bank before and it was all canned garbage, boxed meals, stuff that isn't healthy at all. One of my hobbies is cooking so I really need to keep that going in my life, I love making my own homemade healthy food, mostly organic.
 
I totally agree with you about society and how we've been lied to...I've been awake to that truth for a decade now and that is why I hate living like this, we are not free at all!

Thanks for your reply!

 

[GaiaGoddess]

There is a saying that you can not solve a problem with the same mind that created it. I Recommend a book by Anthony, (Tony) Robbins named Awakening the Giant Within.  A library may have it for free to read.  We have to change the way we think about things. It is the difference between doing the right thing because we want to instead of because we have to. One way is a pleasure, the other way a chore.

Let me give an illustration. Let's say you want to stop eating candy. If you see candy and say I wish I could but can't. You will feel deprived and short changed. If you can convince yourself that you do not want that sticky sugary substance in your life, and would rather have a carrot, leaving the candy alone is not hard at all.  We can dictate to ourselves what we want and don't want. Find a way to convince yourself that saving is more fun than spending and you will save more than you spend. We reward ourselves with purchases. Find a way to reward yourself by saving. Maybe something like if I save $50 this week I get to do something that I enjoy. You may need to start out with a smaller amount, and when that becomes painless, go larger. Doesn't matter how much you make, you can still be flat broke most of the time by spending.


It is not a matter of If you can do something that you desire, but rather how do you get it done.

I might have read that book, or something similar, I have it on my computer actually. I do a lot of personal development reading but I don't think it's as easy as reading a book otherwise my life should be perfect right now, lol

It isn't that I spend money for pleasure, I need it for bills, lol If I saved $50 a week, that means I'd have to choose between paying my rent or eating.

 

[GaiaGoddess]

$6 a day for a fancy coffee is over $2,000 a year. Things add up when you do them constantly. Could you convince yourself that once a week is OK, Or that the house coffee at half that cost is what you would like? Watch your habitual spending.

I am so glad I'm not somebody who needs that crap! I only drink water. I don't even drink alcohol, milk, soda, tea, nothing but water since it's free.

I honestly can't think of anything that is habitual spending, I don't have that much money to spend so there's no way I could even do that. i don't smoke cigarettes, either.

 

[Mobilesport]

You probably have the sleep disorder because your trying to avoid people during the day time because of your social anxiety , you should face your fears and conquer them .

 

[GaiaGoddess]

my first thought is to get out of debt.  stop spending money,  the only money that goes out is for essentials.  cut those credit cards up and get them paid off asap.  I know once you dig that hole it's no fun getting out but to continue digging doesn't help.  once you are out of debt then you can start saving.   you will be surprised how much you can save with no debt hanging over your head.  highdesertranger

Yeah I'm working on my credit card, it's currently higher than my bank account, lol The problem is I have nothing left over after bills except the minimum payment so that's what i've been doing for the last year. I'm trying to sell things but having no luck.