Many people hit the road in the hopes of getting out from underneath the burdens of rent or a mortgage. This is certainly a big positive, but there are unique costs associated with the lifestyle. Below, I've outlined 12 tips that can help you make the most of life on the road while minimizing costs.
It makes good sense that this is number one -- this site is, after all, geared towards boondocking, or "dispersed camping". Boondocking is the best method to drastically cut your cost of living.
When most people think of living on the road, they picture established campgrounds with amenities and paid slips that run anywhere from $10 to $100+ per night. This is still a great option, especially if your rig isn't equipped with solar panels for electricity. It will likely cost much less than you would pay for rent or a mortgage, but the costs still rack up.
Boondocking, on the other hand, is free. Half of the West is federal and state land that is free to camp on for 14 days in one spot, at which point you have to move 25 miles to another spot.
Even better? Boondocking allows you to truly get out into the backcountry. If you hunt around, you can find some truly amazing views unobstructed by noisy neighbors and vault toilets. The downside is, you'll have to find alternative means for going to the bathroom.
Totally worth it.
I've never been a fan of driving slowly. It is understandable to want to drive faster if you're just taking a week-long vacation, but living on the road means you're not in a major hurry to get anywhere.
Put on an audiobook, set your cruise control to 65, and ramble through the country. Appreciate the landscape around you. This is a much more fuel-efficient way to travel.
No matter the size of your rig, it's probably going to guzzle gas if it is equipped for living. If you don't want to be at the pump 3 times every day, slow down how OFTEN you move. If you're boondocking (tip 1), take advantage of the full 14-day parking limit, especially when you find a good spot.
Buying bulk is awesome. When you find something you enjoy eating on a regular basis, there is no reason not to stock up.
I love pasta. I could eat pasta every single day. So whenever I'm at a place where I can receive mail and I'm running low, I order 20 pounds of pasta. I built my rig with this in mind and have relatively copious amounts of storage.
The beauty of things like pasta, rice, flour, and other raw ingredients, is that they're extremely cheap, to begin with. Find the high-calorie staples that you like, and buy them in bulk.
If you're driving a lot, things will go wrong. It is simply a cost of the lifestyle. Unless you want to foot the bill for mechanic visits, learn how to perform basic maintenance tasks yourself.
Change your own oil and all of your fluids. If you didn't install your electrical system yourself, spend some time figuring out how it works and how to fix it. Learn basic plumbing and how to winterize your camper if necessary.
Another fuel-related tip -- primarily because if you're not staying in campgrounds, fuel will likely be your number one expense.
GasBuddy is an app that allows you to compare gas prices in your vicinity. Sometimes the difference will be negligible, but overall, the savings can really add up.
Highly-populated areas, and defined tourist areas, are very expensive. I rarely stop in cities, and if I do, I don't spend the night.
It's easy for me because I don't really like cities, to begin with. This is good because there is a whole lot of country out there that is (in my opinion) more beautiful and much cheaper.
Every area with fun things to do will have an on-season and an off-season. In many of these places, the costs of living can drop precipitously within the span of the week.
Weather usually dictates what is considered "on-season". Depending on the location you're looking at, the weather could be nearly the same a few weeks before or after "on-season", and the costs of the area would be much lower.
It's fun to go out to eat. But restaurants are a HUGE cash sinkhole. For me, eating out is a very rare treat -- for example if I'm visiting a friend I haven't seen in a while.
All other times, I'm making batches of food on my propane stove and stores them in plastic containers in my fridge.
There are some awesome membership clubs for RVers. They come with all sorts of benefits, and I originally joined them to meet other folks on the road.
Additionally, some of them have deals with campgrounds spread across the US, and you can get a nice discount whenever you want to stay in an established space.
The most popular clubs are Good Sam and Escapees, both of which I am a member.
If you're staying in less populated areas, you'll naturally be surrounded by miles upon miles of relatively untapped wilderness. There are a lot of amazing experiences to be had with only a minimal investment.
Skiing, hiking, rock climbing, bushcraft, meditating on a cliff, reading a book, watching a movie on your laptop.
The possibilities are endless.
This actually comes naturally, as living in a small space will dictate that you downsize considerably. Really consider what you need to be happy, and leave everything else at home. Keep that which gives you joy, of course, but we often have things just to have them in the modern world. That is not sustainable, especially on the road.
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