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

[GaiaGoddess]

Right there, you got to the heart of your issue!!!!

Your meat will cook into a lovely loaf in ANY pan - its certainly NOT conducive to downsizing to even think that a 'meatloaf pan' is in any way essential...

...and then you get some help for your impulse shopping issues because when you are.living on a budget with a high debt load you just don't.

It doesn't sound like you actually have a lack of funds issue but that you have quite a few lack of control issues.

I didn't have any pans for the oven though, what other pans are there? I have a pizza pan but you can't make meatloaf on a flat surface, lol

 

[GaiaGoddess]

Bonus of buying less stuff/using what you have - it's better for the earth. Every single thing you buy has costs to the environment. The larger that thing is (5th wheel) the more impact it has. I assume that given your name this is a big issue.

I don't want a big one, the smaller the better. I am really liking the Scamp 5th wheels, they're not much bigger than a regular Scamp, which are smaller than other travel trailers. I don't see how the size of the trailer makes a difference to the environment though, it doesn't have an engine, and trust me if I could buy one made of hemp I would, lol

 

[GaiaGoddess]

Another thing to consider: the research shows that it is experiences not things that leads to happiness. There is typically a short burst of satisfaction after a purchase (I'm assuming very short for a meat loaf pan) but experiences last forever. If you stop buying things, you'll get to the experiences sooner.

It's one of my major reasons for heading towards van dwelling - I want to see new places, savor new experiences, new people. Most of that can be done free or cheap. No reason to go to Disney World for experiences when there is an entire country full of beauty, waterfalls, beaches, museums, free concerts.... What is it you really want? What are you willing to do to get it?

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/10/buy-experiences/381132/

An earlier post of my has disappeared probably because it was considered too abrasive. The fact is though that if you don't get it together, you'll lose out on a lot that life has to give. Sometimes tough love is the only answer. I hope you do pull yourself out of your current state, but I suspect the chances are slim.

As I said earlier - Prove me wrong.

lol Funny, I shared that very same article on Facebook yesterday! It must be making the rounds! Obviously, I wholeheartedly agree, which is why i want to live in an RV so I can travel and have more experiences and meet more people. The $1.00 meat loaf pan I bought isn't going to stop that from happening. I love meatloaf and i'm not going to keep having my mom make it for me, cooking is one of my hobbies and it brings me great joy, if i want to make my own meatloaf damnit I can! lol

 

[GaiaGoddess]

Hello,   I would like to tell you my experience in needing more $$$$$ than what my full time job at the time offered.   I found P.T. work to add to income, two times I was working 3 jobs, not EZ however it was what I NEEDED TO DO to reach my Goal financially.  

 MY schedule looked like this::   Dairy Queen asst mngr.    M, T. W, Thu.  5pm to 10:30pm.....Fri off,  Sunday  8am to 10:30pm.... TENNECO TRUCK STOP  2 nights a week go right from closing DQ and cashier until 6am.   Best Western   asst. housekeeper   2 or 3 days a week...8am to 1pm on the days that I hadn't  worked 2 JOBS the night before.    This was in the mid 1980s 

During my "Divorce From Hell" in 1978 & 1979  I worked  M thru F 7am to 4pm ON the build line for SHASTA Travel Trailers.  Wed. 6pm to closing I bartended at a dude ranch on the only night it was open to the public...I got to HEAR  Tom T Hall, Brenda Lee, Boxcar Willies and other entertainers of that era...I didn't get but a few looks because I was too busy on my second job of the day.... In my "spare"  time I also worked for a research co. doing phone surveys from my home and also door to door product placements and traffic patterns in retail stores so business's could know what product areas their customers were drawn to while in the stores.

I am not WONDER WOMAN   I simply knew what I needed to do to get the funds neccessary to keep out of debt and replace vehicles or repair them when needed...and pay the lawyer of course.  There are many jobs that can be done with a somewhat flexible time to work,  week end evenings childcare in your home or theirs,  house cleaning for others, cooking meals for ill or elderly, siiting with adults who may need p.t. help running errands and I'm sure many more that I can't think of.

On two occasions I've relocated to a new state or area right when they became # 1 on USA highest unemployment list.  In SD I went to work BEFORE I had finished unloading my car!  In AL within 4 days I had a pt waitress job,   within 3 days I was a full time cook.  I worked there 2 yrs and attended business school part of that time.  I did this with an 8th grade education driving  cars that usually needed to "be jacked up and another run under them" they were so old and derelict.

In both SD and AL I also purchased either a house or a mobile home on my income without credit cards or bank financing for either purchase.  I was a self supporting single parent and I did what needed to be done.

In life we sometimes have to give up our wants to get what we need.  It's always a matter of personal choice from the time we roll out of bed.  You seem to know what you want.  You asked for help with ideas in the best way to accomplish your goals.  Other than winning the lottery I can't think of anything else other than what has already been offered to you.  Only you can decide what to do to reach your goals.

Jewellann

I would definitely call you "wonder woman" after working that much! I am no stranger to working long hours though, for nearly 3 years I worked 12 hour days for 42 days straight each time. I didn't do it for the money though, I did it because they gave us free housing and I desperately needed to get out of my mom's house. I understand giving up wants to get what we need, I guess for me my mental & physical health is more important than money.

 

[GaiaGoddess]

Thanks, message received and understood. I'm butting out of this thread. People need to find their own bottom. Maybe everything in this thread will sink in later - a year, 2, 10, maybe never. Up to her.

It's not a matter of it sinking in. Apparently some things are important to me that other people are willing to sacrifice on. But I am still not giving up, there is a way, I just have to keep looking.

 

[AngryVanMan]

High GaiaGoddess, my post was meant to be illustrative, not prescriptive. Demonstrating excesses of our culture and ourselves, and also the fat that can be trimmed out of our budgets if we want to direct that money elsewhere.

People lived in -30 degree climates for many years before the cell phone was invented, freezing to death randomly on the highways was not a large concern, at least not since the modern roadways and radio was invented. Now that you can have any old non-activated cell phone in your glovebox for emergencies to dial 911, a free call for help is easier than ever! (And having male genitalia will not keep me any warmer as far as I know, but I do keep blankets in the trunk in the winter. )

If you really think that you'll get an inheritance that will pay off the credit card, that would be an awesome opportunity for you to get your finances in tip top shape with an emergency fund, budget, and a lot less worrying over money in the future!

 

[GaiaGoddess]

The numbers don't add up.  Based on your lowest paycheck you should be getting a minimum of 1344 a month (320*4.2).

I forgot to add the $84 a month for car and trailer insurance. Any extra i have goes to my credit card, so that varies each month. Also remember I have emergencies that come up, it isn't all just bills I have to pay for. I had to replace my bathroom faucets, water meter, i had to buy a set of steps that was about $500 (the insurance company said I had to in order to get home insurance), i had to pay the guy to fix my toilet and my frozen water pipes, then there's also Christmas and birthday presents for family including 2 young nephews who I usually spend about $30 on each because I am their only aunt and they are my only nephews and they are young enough to where they will get upset if you don't buy them enough stuff, lol

Also, your budget contains the recurring costs but you don't mention anything about the occasional meals out or other things you may do on your day off.

I was counting meals out in with my food budget. Everyone thought $500 was so high, but that was including eating out and also household items, toiletries, etc.

Keeping a storage unit will totally break any budget.  Work on digitizing photos and other paper things.  Try to get your possessions down to just a few boxes that you might be able to keep at your mom's or in a friend's basement.  If you have heirloom furniture give it back to your mom.

My mom won't let me keep anything at her house. When I moved out a year ago, she was on me constantly to come get the rest of my stuff, I still have 7 books there that she keeps telling me to come get!! BOOKS!! So yeah keeping anything at her house is out of the question. Digitizing my photos sounds like a lifelong project, I have about 20 photo albums plus a whole bag full of hundreds of photos that I ran out of albums for. I don't really trust saving them to a computer or a flash drive though because I've had both fail me and I've lost everything, more than once.

You mention that you sleep the entirety of the time you aren't working.  Even assuming this is only on the 10 hour days that's still 12 hours of sleeping.  Even the most strenuous job shouldn't require that much sleep.

I never said I sleep the entire time I'm not working, lol Wow...I usually sleep from 5 am-1:30pm, give or take. I am usually not even sleeping that whole time, but that's the time I am in bed. So 10 hours working, 1 hour getting ready for work & showering after work (total), 8 hours in bed, that leaves me with 5 hours leftover. Every day I cook food for work which takes between half an hour and 3 hours depending on what i make. Cooking is one of my favorite hobbies so I know it sounds absurd to spend that much time on it but it's one of the things that brings me joy so I don't compromise on that. After work I also do dishes, do laundry, clean, catch up online, etc. On my days off is the only time I can mow my lawn and that takes 2 hours. I try to see my boyfriend and my friends and my family on weekends too. I don't spend much money on entertainment, it's mostly gas to drive to see my family and friends (they don't live in this city). I usually just hang out at my friends house and we watch movies there so that's free, sometimes we cook together so we all pay an equal amount to buy the food. Sometimes we go to movies but maybe once or twice a month. 

Since you are into crafting have you thought about opening an Etsy store?  I'm pretty sure the cost is minimal until you sell something.  ebay and Amazon also have private stores that you can investigate.  Other online work includes textbroker if you can write articles or leapforce and lionbridge if you can commit to at least 10 hours a week.

My plan was to sell stuff on Etsy, but I am not real good at making crafts and haven't had the time to work on that. So far the stuff I have made are really poor quality, not good enough to sell so I just give it to people for birthdays and Christmases. I am better at photography, but so far I haven't made a single sale. I have never heard of Textbroker, Leapforce or Lionbridge, i'll check them out, thanks![/quote]

 

[GaiaGoddess]

Turn extra lights off, turn the heat down and AC up.  Use windows and curtains to level the temps and dress warmer when it's chilly.

I usually only have 2 small lamps on in the room I'm in, I don't use large overhead lights. I never run my AC unless i have company over and they always say it's so hot in here, lol I get cold easily. So in the winter I keep my place at 68 degrees and I always wear fleece head to toe.

Try to find online work so you can deduct part of your internet as a business expense.

That is something I've been trying to do for years, lol I have tried having websites and blogs, I have tried affiliate marketing, I have tried surveys, all those sites where you do small things for a few cents, it's just too time consuming to add up to anything. My blogs and websites failed because i either didn't have time to keep them going or I lost interest, usually both. I have so many interests that I need to move around a lot, I can't just focus on one for very long. And all the times I have tried to make money through one of my hobbies, it took the fun out of it because then it felt like work. For example I worked in a kitchen because I love to cook, but it was nothing like cooking in my kitchen. It was stressful, I couldn't create my own recipes, there are too many regulations so youre constantly worried about people getting sick, I will never work with food again.

Coverage is location dependent.  Revisit your plan and see if switching to a no-contract plan through Cricket or Virgin mobile or other non-big-name service providers will still work for you.  I think all of them use the Sprint network so look at Sprint coverage in your area.

Wow Sprint is horrible!! I just checked their map and there are a lot of locations near me where I'd be roaming! Also where my home is, it says the coverage is only "fair", with just one bar. That is why I love Verizon, everywhere I go, even if it's the middle of nowhere North Dakota, I get full bars. It isn't my phone service that is expensive, it's the data plan. I usually end up going over (because i have the cheapest plan), so it adds extra on to my bills. But I have never seen a plan for unlimited data. Someone suggested a mobile hot spot thing (a jetpack?) but I don't know much about these, i'm still researching them. I dont know if that is something i can easily carry around with me in my pocket wherever I go.

Practice gas-saving driving, combine trips, don't travel with an overloaded vehicle.  

Well right now my car is overloaded with all my camping gear but that's only because I have no room in my trailer or my shed for it, and I've been going camping a lot so this way it's already in my car. As for saving gas, my biggest gas expense is driving to see my family and friends which is an hour round trip each time. I wish I didn't live so far from them, but I moved here because it's cheaper to live, I actually couldn't even afford any places in my hometown.

Your food budget is crazy but I'm thinking it's a guess.  Keep track for a few months and see if you can make changes.  Rice and beans are healthy and also very cheap.  So are cabbage, fruits in season and sometimes frozen veggies.  Use beans to stretch meals so you use less meat and eat vegetarian a couple times a week or a meal a day.

I have kept track of my food budget, that's how I know it's about $500 (including eating out and household items). I guess food only is more like $400. I buy a LOT of rice, actually, lol Right now in my cupboard I have 4 different kinds of rice. I love beans too. I think my most expensive food item I buy is grass fed beef and hormone free cage free chicken and eggs. That stuff is important to me though, morally and health-wise. I do have high standards when it comes to food but I compromise in ways other people don't, for example I NEVER buy soda, milk, orange juice, tea, coffee, etc. The only thing I ever drink is water. I also don't buy junk food, so no bags of chips, no tv dinners, no candy, etc.

 

[GaiaGoddess]

You can get a Verizon unlimited 3G phone and hotspot for $15 a month, hotspot alone for $5 a month. Not as fast but usable.

Where are you seeing this? I am on their site right now and the cheapest plan I see is $35, I think that's the one I have right now.

You can get a Ringplus phone with up to 3000 minutes, 3000 text and 3000 Mb's for nothing a month but it is on Sprint.

It's free!? But yeah, Sprint, ugh. I would be roaming alot plus only get 1 bar where I live. My phone is the only way I can keep in touch with my family, I need it to be 100% all the time.

On AT&T you can get Freedompop GSM sims for as little as 99 cents. Each is only good for 200 minutes, 500 text and 700 Mb but spend what you do on one months bill and you will talk text and data coming out the wazoo.

99 cents a month? These last 2 deals seem too good to be true (well, minus Sprint's horrible coverage, lol)...why doesn't everyone have these if they are so good? Not saying they don't exist, I just feel like there has to be a catch.

 

[GaiaGoddess]

There is a law of the universe that says if you want what someone else has, you must do what they did. The harsh reality is most of the people had to make priorities and sacrifices to get what they got.

Another truth is that nothing changes until something changes. You will keep getting the same as you have gotten as long as you keep doing what you have been doing.

I disagree completely with both of these statements. There are many ways to do anything. Unless you're talking about becoming a good musician or athlete, obviously practicing is the only thing that everyone has to do the same, but as far as making money, achieving a certain goal, there is more than one way. I have TONS of books on how to do specific things and they aren't the same. Also, things change even if you don't make changes. Lots of things just happen that you have no control over that force changes to happen. Or you meet the right person, or you happen to come across a certain piece of information or knowledge. Or you get the right job. There are too many variables to say you need to change something...just living life involves changing. Things fluctuate, events happen. 

Dozens of suggestions have been made. What are you doing differently now?  Talking gets nothing done. Doing is what is necessary.

If talking on a forum gets nothing done, why do people talk in here? lol Trust me, this is necessary.

I'm also cooking as I post in here, and making a list of ebooks I want to write. I'm reading a book called Ebooks the Smart Way.

 

[GaiaGoddess]

No, by progress I mean finding something that will actually help you

It isn't within my control if i find something that can help me...but I still have to try.

I will add that taking a day off for whatever isn't 'unpaid overtime' the definition of overtime is over 40hrs a week that you actually worked

Obviously I know I'm not getting paid for it if i don't work 40 hours first...I'm just saying, sometimes I work extra time only to have that extra money evaporate when I take time off. For example I usually work 10 hours a day, so lets say I work 10 hours Monday-Thursday, that's 40 hours, and I would have worked another 10 therefore giving me overtime but if I need to take that Friday off, I get no overtime that I otherwise would have had. OR one week I'll work 10 hours each day all 5 days then work Saturday too, but then need to take days off the following week which erases all the overtime I just worked.

 

[GaiaGoddess]

When they take payroll taxes they base it on the amount you made for the week will be the amount you make every week all year.....so yes sometimes it seems like it's not worth working the extra hours but at years end come tax time, you'll get a bigger refund once it's all adjusted for your actual yearly earnings.

Our overtime is mandatory, I can't opt out of it. Also, I don't get a refund, I had to pay $300 this year for not having health insurance.

 

[GaiaGoddess]

People lived in -30 degree climates for many years before the cell phone was invented, freezing to death randomly on the highways was not a large concern, at least not since the modern roadways and radio was invented.  Now that you can have any old non-activated cell phone in your glovebox for emergencies to dial 911, a free call for help is easier than ever!  (And having male genitalia will not keep me any warmer as far as I know, but I do keep blankets in the trunk in the winter.   )

That is why I need a phone with good coverage, lol And I didn't mean having male genitalia helps you stay warmer, I meant if you're a man, you're less likely to be abducted or raped if you are stuck somewhere alone at the mercy of passerby to save you.

If you really think that you'll get an inheritance that will pay off the credit card, that would be an awesome opportunity for you to get your finances in tip top shape with an emergency fund, budget, and a lot less worrying over money in the future!

Yeah, it will be enough for that for sure. But I am not going to make any plans until I know exactly how much I will get. But even if I am able to buy myself a trailer and possibly a new tow vehicle, I still need to figure out a steady income plan that is location independent. It would be nice though, if I could quit my job so that I could work on that. I feel like the extra hour or two a night isn't enough, that blows by in no time just by researching, lol

 

[AngryVanMan]

Well I can understand the minor safety concerns with not having a cell phone, but it's irrational for a man or woman to fear abduction, rape or murder roadside. Best I can tell, there have been 675 cases of sexual assault (175 cases) or murder (~500 cases) on highways nationwide in this country since 1979.

You have about a 1:250,000 chance of this happening to you over the course of your entire life. You do have a 1:242 chance of being killed in a car accident, however. Or 39 times more likely to die from falling over than falling victim to roadside crime - making a padded helmet a far better investment than a cell phone. Death by lightning, dogs, salmonella, avalanches, and venomous/poisonous plants are all more likely as well. This should not realistically be of concern to anyone.

Perhaps the most glaring oversight, a cell phone is never going to stop a crime of opportunity - but if you've got your padded helmet on, you could try to ram the perp with your noggin, or take it off and swing it by it's strap like a medieval flail weapon!

 

[gcal]

I think what she is most concerned about is being stuck at night in a snow bank with a dead car at 30 below.  When we lived up north back in the Bronze Age, we used to carry substantial gear, including flares and sleeping bags in our cars during the winter for that reason. I got my first cell phone after we moved down south because of our financial collapse, when my old beater died in the middle of the boonies in a roaring thunderstorms while I had a cast on my foot. I was angry and frustrated because that problem had, supposedly, just been fixed. But I knew it wasn't life threatening. Someone finally came by and let me used his cell phone. 

Being poor down south in an inconvenience. Being poor up north can be a tragedy.

 

[jimindenver]

Where are you seeing this? I am on their site right now and the cheapest plan I see is $35, I think that's the one I have right now.




It's free!? But yeah, Sprint, ugh. I would be roaming alot plus only get 1 bar where I live. My phone is the only way I can keep in touch with my family, I need it to be 100% all the time.

99 cents a month? These last 2 deals seem too good to be true (well, minus Sprint's horrible coverage, lol)...why doesn't everyone have these if they are so good? Not saying they don't exist, I just feel like there has to be a catch.

In the communication section you will see threads by me on the Verizon 3G for $5 a month unlimited and the sims. The sims are 99 cent the first month and free after that. You will need a unlocked GSM phone or buy one from them. I use a old Galaxy S4 I had or for $30 I picked up the hotspot. I have 12 sims ($12) that I shift most of the data from half to the other half for use in the hotspot, then I use what's left on the first half in the phone for calling and texting. That gives me 9 gigs of 4G AT&T on the hotspot and 2400 minutes of calling for nothing a month.

With each deal there are caveats. The ping time on the sims is high so you can have lag while calling. It can be a pain to pay attention and swap them out. The Verizon 3G is unlimited but the speeds are not chest thumping. Still for $5 a month or $15 with calling, it's the best deal going. Sprints coverage can be good in a a city but at best you will be on 3G out and about.

My plan is to not care whose network covers a area. I have devices or phones on each.

Verizon 3G hotsopt cost $35 every 6 months for unlimited data.

Freedompop provides both Sprint and AT&T coverage and once I bought the device or sims, it is free month to month.

RingPlus gives me 3000 minutes/ texts and Mb on Sprint for free every month. I do pay $10 for a extra 2 gigs.

My most expensive device is on T-Mobile at just under $20 a month for 5 gigs of high speed, unlimited 2G and Binge on. It doesn't sound great but I can stream Netflix day and night if I want to, it's unlimited. (Netflix is $7.99 a month)

So for $35 a month I have coverage on all four carriers in one way or another. Even sitting here injured waiting for my back to heal I haven't been able to use up the high speed allotments, I rarely turn the Verizon 3G on.

 

[AngryVanMan]

I think what she is most concerned about is being stuck at night in a snow bank with a dead car at 30 below. ...

That's what I thought too, which is why in my first reply I wanted to address the 'cold issue' and why you don't read about people turning into popsicles on a regular basis while driving back and forth to work or to friend's houses. That second reply you quoted was concerning her specific objection about crime worries.

I think what she is most concerned about is having an excuse for every behavior and spending habit she has. I don't have a problem with that, but I'm not totally sure she understands that her financial situation and poor spending habits is more likely to cause harm or have severe negative consequences vs. the various "health and welfare risks" rationale being put forward in an attempt to dismiss the suggestions she's solicited so far.

As it stands, she appears to spend more money in her household of one than I spend for a household of two, while making considerably less income. I don't know what her true annual income is or what her true total spending is, but the baseline I'm working with is she makes 12-something per hour and works more or less full time and spending everything she earns. A 12/hour full time position has about $19,500 take-home pay per year, which is about $3,000 more than we currently spend annually with health insurance and 2 vehicles on the road.

 

[ArtW]

That is why I need a phone with good coverage, lol And I didn't mean having male genitalia helps you stay warmer, I meant if you're a man, you're less likely to be abducted or raped if you are stuck somewhere alone at the mercy of passerby to save you.

While this does, very rarely, happen, it's an irrational fear based on false premises and dishonest fear mongering
AVM already gave you the rape and abduction statistics, now I'll give you this one
Men are 5x more likely than women to be the victims of random violence
my likelihood of being hit by as car on purpose, attacked and beaten by random violent people, robbed, or killed while stranded on the side of the road are greater than your likelihood of rape or any of the other things i just named
when bad stuff happens to us it's not as widely reported
as far as rape, well, men for the longest have been 'incapable' of being raped, due to the definition of the crime, and the wording of the law still prevents a man who's been 'Roofied and ridden' from being named a rape victim, the CDC categorized that as Sexual Assault: other, under the sub heading: Made to penetrate
you'd be shocked how close the numbers are, actually, when you take that into account
Rape is not a gendered issue, it's only a gendered legal definition

 

[LivingandLearning]

Hi, Gaia,

When I first started contemplating nomadhood, it was very hard to imagine being without the things that I thought were important. As I started to explore and venture out, I realized that the comforts I thought were important were a burden. I know it's hard to believe. When I am out in a van (sometimes with my husband and son--yes in 1 van) life is essential and important and easy to be a part of. It makes me feel alive.

I find life in the city to be overwhelming and over-stimulating. I survive my life in the city and wait for opportunities to get on the road again. I have children at home that need a mother. I try to balance my desire to hit the road with my love and responsibility for them.

I agree, a shower is a lovely thing. If camping out in the boonies, it is possible to rig a shower. If going through cities, it's easy to get a shower at the Y (we have a membership).

When the nomadic lifestyle came to my attention, I thought I needed an RV. I started plotting buying a second-hand RV. I put a lot of energy into this effort when it occurred to me that I might not really like it. So, I rented an RV for a weekend. You know what? I didn't like it. I didn't feel connected to my surroundings, and I found driving it to be a pain. (Although I do love Tony and Karen's set-up and might be willing to drive one of those...)

With a van I feel really free. I'm not limited by size requirements. I can normally park in a regular parking space (although I am in a 15-passenger long van).

It sounds like, with the exception of a regular income, you have what you need to contemplate this lifestyle. Since you have your camping goods already in your car, you are ready to go at a moments notice. When you go camping, contemplate what would really be essential to make that your life. Maybe you'll find you don't really want to make that your life, and that will be valuable information to you. Maybe you do want to make that your life and you will find more opportunities as time goes by. Maybe the little nest-egg from your dad will make that possible.

While I have a cluttered city house, I hate having anything extraneous in my van. Here's what we have found necessary for a happy, comfortable life on the road:
* a comfortable place to sleep
* a convenient way to access our clothing and hygiene essentials
* a place to go to the bathroom (check out the bucket threads and videos)
* a way to keep bugs out--screens for the windows
* a camp stove and propane, a small saucepan, a fry-pan, and now I'm adding a small pressure cooker for beans and rice to save fuel, a way to store food
* water for drinking and washing
* a way to charge our electronics
* cup holders!
* friends are good, but not entirely necessary...you make more on the journey

I can't remember what kind of vehicle you have, but it may be possible to lose the tent and sleep in the car. Many people here manage to live in small cars and SUVs. You may find that the stuff you thought was essential is just getting in the way of you really living. As you go out on your time off, you can think about what's working and what's not. It's not all or nothing. I think most people would tell you it's a process. My van is going though it's third remodel to become more functional for long-term dwelling.

Just a thought.

I wish you the best,
Tracy

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I say just keep doing exactly what you're doing. You aren't willing to make any changes which means you aren't going to see any changes. You've convinced yourself that there's no place in your life that you can make any improvements whether it be to your budget, your spending, your stuff, your needs, your wants, etc. Sounds like you've already figured it all out to me, nothing more I or anyone else can add to the subject to convince you otherwise.