Some make sacrifices. Stay out of restaurants unless it is a special occassion. Christmas & birthday gifts was usually stuff that is needed rather than bling. Buy a car, take care of it, run it to the ground. Don't worry about what the neighbours drive or how often they replace it. Seldom travel & do it economically. Repeat for over 30 years before buying 1st, & last, RV, a used one, then spending 5 months a year on the road.
Boat: 32' 1996 Albin 32+2, single Cummins 315hp
40+ night per year overnighter
We always worked hard and lived modestly. We did not buy everything "The Jones's" had..we felt it was more important to save for our future retirement. We invested wisely and did okay. We don't have the biggest or the fanciest, we have a comfortable Class C and we are happy, we feel very fortunate. One more thing to remember, lots of babyboomers are losing their parents and often they are left an inheritance.
I don't have one of those huge coaches, but did save enough towards retirement to buy one (or a smaller boat, or a small house on a lake) should I want to do that, while putting two kids through college on a single non-managerial salary, about what GS-9 to GS-11 might have made. That's one way.
Another way is to sell out the equity in the house you no longer need.
Another way is simply to borrow the money.
Part of it is reaching a balance between income and expenditures so that you can save, then saving instead of spending (or borrowing past capability to pay). But to save, you do have to get to where you are not hanging on by a thread.
I stay away from the RV parks that are full of big motorcoaches, and use campgrounds instead. That means I am still saving, $5 to $20 a night instead of $300-400 a week to park with the big guys.
* This post was
edited 04/28/12 04:52pm by tatest *
All this reminds me of something that i happened to hear at a local grocery store the other day..There are two brothers that live our little west texas town. They just make avg money but have to have the best and are hocked up to their eyeballs!!I know because they have told me. New pick-ups--cars--rvs--motorcycles--jet skis and on and on. They came by the store on their new Harleys and two older men sitting there drinking coffee said THERE GOES SEE ME #1 AND SEE #2!!I couldn't help it i laughted my head off!!Well, I guess they are having fun but it will catch up with them one of these days.Sorry but just had to share this.
My wife and I bought an 11 year old rig 2 years ago. We were the only ones in the used section looking at such "old rigs", everybody else was in the "if you have to ask you can't afford it" section.
We ended up buying/financing a rig that needed some cosmetic work but was in very good shape. After repainting the front (long story), the rear bumper and spending a few days detailing the heck out of the rig we felt the rig was presentable... errrrrr I felt it was presentable, the wife always thought it was.
One of our first trips while driving through a campground I heard a woman say as we drove by "now there goes a camper!" and I did a double take, she couldn't have been talking about ours?!?
When we got situated in our spot, she and her husband stopped by and told us how they dream of owning a rig like ours some day. It puts things in perspective for sure because up until that point we were wishing we could afford some of the newer rigs we saw in other campgrounds we had been in and wondering how the heck they could afford them.
Now, we are just glad we have the rig we have and don't care about the other newer rigs we see while camping though we appreciate them and hope to be able to afford one someday.
1999 Class A HR Endeavor LE 36WGS - Ford Triton V10 - F53 Chassis - HWH Levelers
No kids, Basenji/Shepard mix named Loki - Trust me, the name fits!
2009 Escape XLT Deep Blue - Toad - ACME EZE-Tow Dolly My RV Blog
westernrvparkowner wrote: As for uppity rich people, these forums have a whole lot more posts about people questioning and implying that the large rig owners are snobs and elitists than posts from the big rig owners complaining about the little people. In my experience, the big rig owners are hard working people who have earned the right to buy what the heck ever they want. They are not trust fund babies and Hedge fund managers, they are educators, small business owners, doctors, accountants, lawyers, project managers, farmers and the like. The only thing they have in common is they are hard working, usually educated and have a love of some of the aspects of RVing, be it the ability to travel on a whim, the ability to sleep in their own bed every night (very important to many sales and management people who have spent many a night in hotels and motels traveling for business), or just the ability to leave the city and get out where there is nature and elbow room. It is a shame that success in this country has evolved into a trait that is not celebrated, but instead is derided. Everyone who makes more money than you do must have cheated. Envy, even when disguised as righteous indignation, is wrong.
CincyGus wrote: After reading a few of these responses, I had to come back and repost. I'm going to tell you a little story about a man I know. He was an old farmer that worked his whole life from before sun up to dusk. I came to meet him when he was about 45 or so. I saw him about every day or so, either driving his old rattletrap pickup or his John Deere tractor towing a piece of equipment from one field to another as he worked his land and some other he leased year to year. Finally got to know him when I bought horses as I would occasionally buy hay from him. Never saw the man in anything but a pair of thread bare overalls or a pair of jeans and work shirt. Always clean but looking like they were about wore out. Always thought what a nice guy that had worked so hard and long his entire life and just squeaked by a living, making just enough to buy a used pickup when one would die to replace it, barely enough to keep clothes on his back and his family fed as the song goes. No his name was not Jed ;-)
One day I was buying hay from him and he was telling me he was going to finally retire and turn the family farm over to his two sons who were in their 30's and had worked by their dad's side all the time I knew him. He was in his late 60's by this time but could pass for a much younger man and was still in great shape physically. I congratulated him and didn't think much of it until the next time I went to buy hay about 3 months later and in his driveway sat a tour bus that would have made Dolly Parton jealous. I asked his son if they had visitors and he said "No, thats Dad's new ride. Dad said he's seen all his land his whole life and while he was still able, he figured he'd go see if everyone else's was as nice as his was." with a smile.
It made me feel good that this man that had worked hard his whole life and I thought had struggled mightily had just lived well below his means and was now taking full advantage to enjoy the fruits of his labor. It also made me realize I should never assume what I think I know as correct because some people just look at and live life much differently than I.
In this day where success is often looked at suspiciously because so many live way past their means trying to keep up with the Jones, we could use a few more like the old farmer. Then we could elect them to government and have a chance in this country of passing on something to our children besides an interest payment.
Tazymae wrote: This is certainly none of my business and I'm sure you will tell me so BUT how in the world can some people afford these huge "coaches"??????
I feel like a step child in this RV park. My little teeny 18 ft TT.
We are baby boomer age and cannot now or ever be able to afford anything like I am seeing. We just got out of a tent this year after 40 in a tent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am just curious and no one has to respond to this nosey question
I agree with the previous poster about his 1999 Endeavor. If you are looking at a truck + truckcamper or a truck + TT, a used coach can actually be a cheaper way to go. If I were to buy a used diesel-dually + a used TC or TT I would probably be in the 30-40K range.
Currently there are multiple lightly used (< 50K miles) 10 year old Cummins/Roadmaster Endeavors (38-40') for south of $40K. Those things depreciate like crazy, and the overconsumption of the "aughts" is really driving down used prices.
I now live in a 100,000 house with motors and wheels.
Taxes on the sticks and bricks were about 3,000 a year
Taxes on the rolling mansion about 400
Electricty, Natural Gas, Water/Sewer around 250/month.. I have two campground memberships which cover all summer and 2/3 of the winter less than 100/month and less than 120 a month for the remaining 1/3 of the winter.
How can I NOT afford it?
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business
Kenwood TS-2000 housed in a 2005 Damon Intruder 377
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