Living and working full time from an RV is a dream that many people in the Philadelphia area have, and you may be among those people (after all, you’re reading this article).
And even if you don’t want to go on big long road trips across the country all the time, you can still easily travel around the Philadelphia area in your RV. As Outdoorsy writes, “There are more than 15 state parks within easy driving distance of Philly.”
Nonetheless, one significant factor that convinces many people who want to live the RV lifestyle not to go through with it is the perceived cost.
If this is also a factor that has been on your mind, here are three steps you’ll need to take in order to afford the RV lifestyle:
Step #1 – Create A Budget
This may be the most simplistic advice for saving money anyway, but it’s so important. Making a budget just means that you are keeping track of your costs to make sure that your expenses never exceed your income. You can keep track of your budget on an Excel-like spreadsheet.
In the case of living in an RV, the different costs that you will need to have on your budget include, but are not limited to:
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RV monthly payment
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RV insurance
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RV maintenance
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Fuel (gasoline or diesel)
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Propane
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RV parks and campground nightly fees
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Laundry
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Entertainment/Impulse Purchases Budget
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Wi-Fi
Of course, you’ll also need to include other regular expenses too such as taxes, health insurance, and so on, but in the case of living the RV lifestyle those are the above costs that you should take into account the most.
Step #2 – Save Money
This may also seem like overly simplistic advice for affording the RV lifestyle, but still, it’s very much worth repeating.
Simply saving just a few dollars here and there can really add up. For example, if you’re going to be spending two to three weeks at a particular RV park, it would really save you money if that park was only five or ten dollars less than another park up the road.
Other ways you can save money include, but are also not limited to:
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Limit your times eating out (and focus on meals that will last several days)
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Limit your impulse purchases
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Shop around for lower fuel prices
Step #3 – Figure Out How To Work (and Make Money) On The Road
Living the RV lifestyle means that you’re going to need to run your business from the road, so you’ll essentially need to bring your office with you.
To this end, have a dedicated workspace set up in your RV complete with a desk, office chair, Wi-Fi router, computer, mouse, file cabinets, external hard drives, printers, and whatever else you may need.
In addition, always set aside dedicated work time each day, to find the right balance between your professional life and having fun.
Affording The RV Lifestyle
The RV lifestyle is probably more affordable than you may think it is. Budget yourself appropriately, cut your costs whenever appropriate, and make money while on the go are the three steps you will need to take to afford it.
