Real Life Emer Fund Draws 1yr 4mos on road

[highdesertranger]

control arms are a normal wear part. any part that moves needs to be replaced eventually. the more moving parts means that eventually more parts that need to be changed. highdesertranger

 

[Jora]

And eventually if we stay out long enough we will need to replace the entire vehicle!  I am listening to tropical storm Rosa hit my roof and I love it out here.

I will be bringing my resume to the big tent this year in Quartzsite and looking online as well for my first nomad job.  

That plus social security will do it I hope.

 

[bullfrog]

Coolworks.com will get you to alot of listings for work also. Most people don't realize traveling in a vehicle with all your living needs puts more wear on the vehicle. Add to it the amount of dirt roads we go over to boon dock and even just getting in and out of it several times a day will increase the amount of wear. It is not the same as driving an empty car to work on nice smooth pavement once each day, going to the store once a week and vacation once a year. It can cost less than a house to live in a vehicle but much more than just owning a vehicle while living in a house!

 

[SLB_SA]

Read that other thread too, & the more read of "Savings accts, bonds, investments, stock market, 401k's" etc. etc.
the more I think that just owning a little plot of earth & mostly growing own food makes the most sense.
This way Travel can be limited to under 2-3000 miles/year (no one to force moving every 2 wks, or even less).
with minor maintenance, the Honda is doing well.
And you can grow what you value eating within reason for good health.

I have been wondering if this is practical.  I have looked online at vacant lots in Pahrump, NV and saw some for under $2000.  There would be property taxes and liability insurance but, with a fixed address (but no buildings), could one get cheaper and better rv/van/trailer insurance?

I just saw this story: Amazon raises minimum wage to $15 for all US employees https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/02/amazon-raises-minimum-wage-to-15-for-all-us-employees.html

 

[becida]

I absolutely agree we always need a way bigger emergency fund than we think.  We can only do what we can only do for each of us personally.

I also know life is expensive.  Repairs and medical situations can deplete a fund in a flash.

But we all put away what we can.  

Life is a series of risks, an emergency fund is needed. But like you said "We can only do what we can only do"....

I was talking with someone about the emergency fund a couple of days back. Yes it's needed, & yes you can skimp on living today to save up for a bigger fund. 

But I'm at the point where there is a difference between a "big" emergency fund and living better tomorrow. 

Right now I'm living my tomorrow.  The emergency fund is for "just in case"... 10% to the fund & living well today is better than 25% to the fund and eating rice & beans today because that's all I can now afford.

Balance... "Today" is just as important as "an emergency fund for tomorrow" is.

 

[MrNoodly]

My malfunctioning eyes and brain keep reading the title of this thread as "Real Life Elmer Fudd..."

 

[travelaround]

Thanks to Almost There, Becida (Rob) and Bullfrog for the encouraging news of job possibilities for older women! I will have a good emergency fund, but at age 66 think it would be best to work as much as I can while I'm still younger than I will be at the end of my journey, if you know what I mean.

My mother traveled in RVs for quite a few years, from her retirement until ... well, on her last trip she was driving a class B RV and stopped by to see me - I think it was about 2003 - and then she drove to a RV site she liked to visit in Southern CA, and suddenly her spine cracked from osteoporosis. She spent the last 20 years of her life living in Rockport, Texas, in a mobile home and RV park there. She passed away only 6 months before Hurricane Harvey destroyed the town. Just saying this as one never knows when their health might fail, so I want to keep building my savings so long as I can, while I still can.

 

[becida]

Thanks to Almost There, Becida (Rob) and Bullfrog for the encouraging news of job possibilities for older women! I will have a good emergency fund, but at age 66 think it would be best to work as much as I can while I'm still younger than I will be at the end of my journey, if you know what I mean.

When I first workcamped at Adventureland I was 60  & one of the youngsters there! I was working on the cable car thingee that never stops helping people off, my partner & I were talking. Seems she'd been married for over 50 years at that point! 
She & her husband worked Adventureland regularly out of their RV.   The work was fun and the extra few thousand at the end of the season didn't hurt.

 

[travelaround]

Cool job, Rob - so maybe I should apply at Silverwood, the largest theme park in the Northwest, which is sort of up the street and around the corner from here. About 15 miles, maybe? That could be fun. Thanks for the idea... I wonder if they'd let me park my van there and live in it all summer? Well, it's a thought. There's another place up in the Bitterroot Mountains (Idaho Rockies) called Silver Mountain.

 

[becida]

Adventureland is geared up for workcampers. The people running it were good (it's a family), the fellow workers were good too.  I really enjoyed running the rides too.
I heard enough stories to get the idea it's not like that everywhere (amusement park wise).

But you never know unless you look! 15 miles is not far at all..

 

[frodo2222]

I started the nomad life on 4/13/2017 with a 2000 Ford Expedition. Total cost to purchase and road ready the vehicle with tires, tune up and needed repairs was $6797. This did not include the hitch rack, awning or any containers, shelving, etc. for living in the vehicle. The vehicle had 128,000 miles on it at the time and the mechanics said it was in good shape.

I had what I thought was a large emergency fund. Two weeks into my trip the air suspension system was making terrible noises. Had it replaced by a coil spring conversion kit, $1357. In February 2018 after the RTR, heater core failed, $678.93, repaired, but then the AC did not work, $417 to fix the bungled heater core replacement.

Most recently in August 2018, front brake pads, calipers and upper control arm replacement, $1356.79.

These repairs were unexpected and urgent, total car repairs $3809.72 for one year four months time. On top of this I needed a dental crown in Flagstaff, $1585. I did not go to Algodones because it was summer and I have a dog and did not want to leave her in the car in 100 degree heat. Also felt better with an American dentist, at least until I know more about Algodones.

Total emergency fund draw: $5394.72

Please have a sizable emergency fund before you hit the road. It might be a good idea to choose a vehicle based on reliability rather than size. I chose bigger because I have a large dog and yes, it cost me. Once the dog passes on, I am planning to downsize to a newer Toyota or Honda for greater reliability (hopefully).

I had been planning to live on social security of $1100/month. I am rethinking that as it would take me more than a year to replenish my emergency fund with such a low income. I will now be looking for some part time employment. I love this life, but had not been expecting so many emergency fund draws. I am now more realistic as to expenses.

I wanted to share today so that new folks are financially ready when they hit the road. There is no such thing as too large of an emergency fund.

well it sucks that you had so many issues the number one thing you can do to live on low amount of money is learn how to do repairs yourself if you're going to go to a mechanic for anything in your vehicle you're going to spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars YouTube it's a great way to do it and all those repairs that you have done you can do yourself unless you're handicapped in some way for less than $1,000 for all the parts I drive a 93 Dodge and I've had to do some work on it but I paid a thousand dollars for it and I put 90,000 miles on it over the last few years and it runs better than when it when I bought it but I do all my own work one of the thing is if you're going to be on the road is find a place where you can be part of the year without putting a lot of miles now if you want to do like some folks and move every two weeks here and there you can't really fix that but I live in the park where I pay $700 a year I can leave my vehicles here, somebody gave me an RV that I use a storage so there's a lot of ways around it but if you're going to have people do the work for you then yeah it's going to cost you an arm and leg.. PS I make less than a thousand dollars a month on social security