Jaimie Hall Bruzenak/Alice Zyetz
Retire to an RV-The Roadmap to Affordable Retirement Living by Jaimie Hall Bruzenak and Alice Zyetz
Are you considering the RV lifestyle? Is it for you? Can you afford to retire AND travel 365 days a year? Retire to an RV provides you with the information to help you make that decision. It not only combines the authors’ knowledge, but also 41 solo and couple RVers have contributed their experiences in all aspects of RVing throughout the book. This ebook addresses key questions and areas that those considering the lifestyle want to know.
Says Mark Polk of RV Education 101, “Retire to an RV-The Roadmap to Affordable RV Retirement is by far the most comprehensive guide to full-time RVing I have ever seen. It is easy to read. In addition to getting the authors’ knowledgeable information on all these topics, the opinions and comments from numerous other full-time RVers cover all of the bases. For anybody planning, or just considering full-time RVing this is a must, must read. Great ebook!”
Nick Russell, publisher of Gypsy Journal, says, “Presented in an easy to read and understand format, Retire To An RV-The Roadmap To Affordable Retirement Living, is an excellent introduction to the RV lifestyle that I wish had been available when we started our own full-timing RV adventure 11 years ago! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak and Alice Zyetz have put together a wealth of excellent information that will help you decide if making the transition to the RV lifestyle is right for you, and how to make it happen.”
This pdf ebook is 202 pages and chock full of information. It will retail at $17.47. As an introduction, from April 15 through the end of the month, you can get $2 off. See the table of contents and more information.
At RV Lifestyles with Jaimie last Wednesday night, the theme was Frugal RVing. Because of the nature of RVing, you can be much more flexible with spending on a number of items. Your choices can affect how much you spend on camping fees and fuel, probably the two biggest categories you can control on a daily basis. There are many ways to reduce expenditures in both categories. (See “Ten Tips for Saving Money on Camping”)
Our guest speaker for the evening was Marianne Edwards, author of four Frugal Shunpiker’s Guides to RV Boondocking for Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas. She and her husband, Randy, have made lifestyle choices so they can spend extended time in the U.S. yet spend very little money. They have chosen to travel in a Roadtrek van. Though they have no solar panels, they boondock nearly all of the time. I loved how she described their frugal choices: “We’d rather spend our money while awake than while sleeping!”
A few tips she shared on our show:
- Save propane by filling the grill surface or a pot when you use it to cook rather than cook only enough for one meal. Marianne freezes the extra, then they eat it for a second or third meal.
- Nearly all WalMarts will price-match a competitor’s sale price. You have to ask, though, and present the flyer to the cashier.
- Always have a Plan B when boondocking, in case you are asked to move. (This has only happened to them three times.)
Marianne also shared the process she goes through to get permission to camp so the owner is reassured you aren’t planning to set up long-term residence. They have it down to a science—in 2008, they traveled five months, spent an average or $1100 per month and spent a total of $91 on camping!
Marianne calls herself a “shunpiker.” According to Webster’s Dictionary, shunpiking is the practice of avoiding super highways, especially for the purpose of driving on back roads. She and Randy have found all sorts of free places to camp. She shares the places they have found and many tips in each of the Frugal Shunpiker’s Guides.
Frugal RVing is a way of making your choices count so you have money to spend on what is important to you. You might cut back in camping or stay in one location longer so you can enjoy area attractions and sample the local food. In a house you don’t have the option to cut back on your house payment or the rent for a month; RVing you do. In the RV lifestyle, much of your recreation and entertainment can be free or low-cost. Having these frugal tips are like tools in your tool chest. They are ready to use when you need them.
You can purchase the Frugal Shunpiker Guides singly or as a set. If you’d like to see the whole Frugal RVing presentation, go to RV Lifestyle Wednesdays with Jaimie and click on Frugal RVing. The session includes the recorded playback session plus all the handouts and articles that go with it. And, for April, the price is discounted 15 percent as part of Workamper Education Awareness Month.
If you want to read more, go to http://community.icontact.com/p/rvlifestyleexperts/newsletters/feb-2008-pt-2/posts/5458977479910809879. Also, you could put you can subscribe at http:/www.rvlifestyleexperts.com
We finally sold the house and are living fulltime in our RV...with the dog. Follow us as we travel and explore the country. I'll be interviewing people along the way that I think will be of interest to others.