Budget Worksheet/Full-timers - Montana Owners Club

TheCoachPotatoes · 03-10-2007, 04:05 AM

While on the RV Newsletter today, I clicked on a link that had a budget worksheet to help determine what your costs will be if you decide to enjoy the full-timing life style. It might be a useful tool in determining your needs and what your expenses will be. There are some expenses you will no longer have and some new expenses you will have. No one who is a full-timer will be able to tell you how much it will cost, because we are all different and our circumstances are all different. This should help to customize it to your own particular situation.

http://www.rvhometown.com/HTML/Artic..._Worksheet.pdf

refocused · 03-10-2007, 11:58 AM

Thanks for posting that - should be very helpful!

S

Chuck and Carol · 03-10-2007, 12:00 PM

Thanks for sharing that. I printed it out and one of these days we will sit down and figure what is best for us.

Carol

The Oldguard · 03-10-2007, 01:32 PM

Thanks for the great post.

Okie Guy · 03-11-2007, 01:00 PM

Thanks Al. I have been trying to compile a list of these worksheets. This is a great help.

therebnme · 03-12-2007, 04:50 AM

Thanks for the worksheet.

exav8tr · 03-12-2007, 05:06 AM

Great worksheet, Thanks. Looks like I have some homework to do.....Going full time in July. Never RVed yet....Hrd to come up with "Full timing Costs" when I have never been part timing.....But will make it work....

tweir · 03-13-2007, 02:50 AM

Thanks for the post---I think I'll try & re-work it into an EXCEL spreadsheet---that way I can run various scenarios and have the "math" done "real time".

rvfirefighter · 03-13-2007, 03:07 AM

I do not see how you can fulltime and travel in an RV on a set budget. I have been on the road for almost 6 years and my budget fluctuates all the time. The only part of my budget that stays the same is my pension.
We save more by eating out less when we spend more in other areas. Camping is essentially the same when traveling, we save in the winter months by staying in one place for longer periods and receive a monthly rate. We also save on diesel fuel during these periods by not traveling.

richfaa · 03-13-2007, 10:24 AM

Well we are not full timers but long timers.We have been on the road since Dec 12th. We did a sort of budget just for the drill but did not consider the expenses we would have paid anyhow if in a stick home Like Health insurance, life insurance, auto insurance, food, etc.Example if a full timer you may not have house payments and property taxes but you have campground fees 365 days a year. You do not have house maint but you have camper maint.We have thus far been under budget but as RV firefighter says there are way to many variables. We just looked at all our expenses stick house and long timing and if we came out the end of the month with 1.98 left over we are good.In our case if we were to full time I think we may just about break even.Full vs long timing. If we did full time we would have a bunch of money in the bank from the sale of our home but in a way it is there anyhow in the form of equity that increases every year.I an not convinced that full timing is less expensive in every case. It is however a great way to live...on the road all the time..

TheCoachPotatoes · 03-13-2007, 11:09 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by rvfirefighter

I do not see how you can fulltime and travel in an RV on a set budget. I have been on the road for almost 6 years and my budget fluctuates all the time. The only part of my budget that stays the same is my pension.
We save more by eating out less when we spend more in other areas. Camping is essentially the same when traveling, we save in the winter months by staying in one place for longer periods and receive a monthly rate. We also save on diesel fuel during these periods by not traveling.

I have to agree with you on this. However, I still feel it could be a useful tool to some who are weighing whether or not to go full time. Not everyone can follow a budget, but it does help to guide you. If you spend too much one month, you have to be more careful the next. It really is not that much different than living in a stick house. We all have expenses!!! I have heard a lot of people on this forum questioning others as to how much does it cost to be on the road. My point is, it will be unique to each person. I just happened to come across this and thought someone out there my find it helpful.

FulltimeFollies · 03-13-2007, 01:56 PM

A good discussion on fulltiming and its cost.
Richfaa, I would point out that rv park fees in no way come close to any mortage in todays world. I doubt if most fulltimers spend as much on fuel or maybe a little more than most working stickbrick owners do in their search of the perfect paycheck. I suspect you own two cars and drive them fifteen thou a year or so , each.
Your taxes and insurance on your home is way more than ours is. Everything else is about the same, with the exception of the utilities. Most fulltimers, I suspect do not pay park fees 365 ayear.
I am not including the one or two year vacationers. True fulltimers. Your analaysis is correct in the insurance of health and life. The maintenance on your home must reach proportions of five times as much as on an rv. Unless you mean the 300.000 dollar moho that take 3000 for tires and 25000 for an engine.
Since we started in 82, our expenses have risen from 600 a month to close to 1800 a month. Our bank account has risen dramatically due to fulltiming and its relatively low cost as compared to same living in a stick brick .

Any tool, discussion or info for future fulltimers is wanted and I suspect desired. They like to see what it really cost and what those cost are based on. I for one woudl love to see everyone fulltimer on here post their monthly budget. I bet it would open some eyes.

richfaa · 03-13-2007, 06:25 PM

Well full timing is not out of the question for us and we listen with interest. It depends on where you live and what your financial condition is. Our home in Northern Ohio can be worth 6 or 7 times its worth in other parts of the country and the property taxes can be accordingly higher. Some of us may have large mortgages, others none or very small. Rough calculations indicate that it might cost us more to full time. Example our total for Mortgage, taxes, and all utilities at our stick house is under @ 850.00 per month. It is costing us about that much long timing for the same services..Our fuel cost on the road is way higher than at home with our Honda Civic. We also have not degraded our standard of living or quality of life, retired, long timing, or full timing.

rvfirefighter · 03-14-2007, 02:31 AM

I can agree with parts of everyone's thoughts to this question. I am constantly looking for ways to save money on things I must have and that will leave extra for unexpected things. I save more money in the winter months due to the fact that I have developed a southern route that puts me in places for a longer period of time and off the road. But I had to replace tires on my truck last month and another unexpected repair that you can not plan on.

I did save money this year by changing auto insurance companies that will cut that expense by one-third. The biggest saving I had when we decided that we were going to fulltime was becoming a resident of Fla. No state income tax compared to Georgia, lower license fees.

My house was paid for, so I did not have a house pmt. but I save on gas bill in winter, no electric bill, no property taxes, water bill, house repairs, etc. But my entertainment expense has gone up.

I feel you can live cheaper fulltime than in a house, but you are not traveling anywhere.

Okie Guy · 03-14-2007, 04:34 PM

I have been maintaining the rv and the house all winter. I spend more on propane for the rv than the house but I could cut that back a little with the electric heater. If your hanging out in one spot for quite a while I agree the rv is cheaper, but you can't beat the security of a stick house in a thunderstorm.

rvfirefighter · 03-15-2007, 09:43 AM

Okie, now you are getting into another discussion. Sometimes nothing is enough protection. I am here in Fl. and the poor kids in Enterprise Al. the school was not enough protection.
I can't worry about everything.

FulltimeFollies · 03-15-2007, 10:25 AM

Double post.

FulltimeFollies · 03-15-2007, 10:32 AM

Why in the world would anyone stay in cold weather? Isnt that what fulltiming is all about anyway? No hot or cold weather? Aint life grand!

15000 miles a year at 10 mpg average, takes 1500 gallons of fuel at 2.50 a gallon , cost 3800 bucks or 325ves per month , add in another 50 a month, 375 a month. Parks cost 400 a month or 4800 a year, add in another 500 or 5300 a year. Our last house payment was 978 a month plus insurance and taxes and utilities. Total monthly charges, and we could not MOVE IT was, over 1600 per month. So no way could we live in our old stick brick for what we live in our rv for. We spend less than 5.00 bucks a month for propane and no more than 40.00 for elec. Our total insurance amounts to 1600 per year on rv an truck.
So our total TRAVELING, RENT, ELEC, AND TAXES cost us 1100.00 per month. Since we owe no other person or anything any other money, we do pretty good without the house. Of course we put aside 500 a month for ourselves and have since we sold the last house, we are way way ahead and a heck of a lot happier. Isnt 1000 miles a month enough for traveling?

richfaa · 03-15-2007, 02:09 PM

Like we alluded to.. everyones circumstance are different. The blanket statement that full timing is less expensive that a stick house is not valid. Our stick house monthly expenses are about 1/2 of fulltime follies. We would have to find less expensive parks as we have not yet stayed in one for a monthly rate of less than 500.00.Our yearly insurance cost for Truck, Rv and the 04 Honda civic are not 1600.00 per year. In our first long timing adventure we find that we like the lifestyle and do not look forward to going home in April. Full timing looks good to us..BUT..we are doing find jusr as we are. Everyone needs to cruch their own numbers..and yes the example budget worksheets are a good tool.

rvfirefighter · 03-16-2007, 02:26 AM

Fulltiming in an RV is a Lifestyle for a person who likes traveling, adventure, different places, meeting people, outdoors, etc. You should not choose Fulltime RVing for any reason than this. If you need a house so be it, but my decision when we started this adventure changed as time went by and now I have not arrived at the end of this adventure.

We will have a house again, where it will be, I don't know, things in my life continue to change. I feel I could live cheaper in a house, but that house would still fit my budget or lifestyle.

I have met many a person in RV's and some just traveling, it is not for everyone and it is not cheap.

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