| Financing Your Adventures If you think this page is about how to get a cheap loan for 100% of the value of your RV, or you think I'm going to give you tips on improving your credit score so you'll qualify for a home equity loan, you are sorely mistaken!! We all know that nothing comes for free. Aside from getting an inheritance, winning the lottery, or being born a Hilton, we have to work for what we have, and that includes future plans like living in an RV and traveling the country. By living more simply and getting rid of the stuff that is holding you back financially, you can achieve your dream of living in your RV or boat, or traveling the country. Ever since Rich and I decided to pursue our dream of retiring early and having more quality time together, we have been living on less than we make and saving what we can. This means cutting coupons, eating out less, and shopping sales. One thing we have learned to live without is clutter by downsizing and living more simply, is that we have opened up so many possibilities; we are no longer tethered to our jobs because of our too-big house and our "stuff." The savings thermometer on the left is our visual reminder of our savings goal. Instead of $, I used percentages of how much we need to achieve financial freedom. Right now we are at 20% of our goal. When we get to 100%, then we can go on the road fulltime in our RV. You can download your own savings thermometer here. You can find more information on saving money at the following links: Financial Basics SimpleLiving.net Dave Ramsey Funny thing, how I used to be a total spendthrift, and now I am amazed at the consumerism of the typical American household. I mean, can you believe people actually go to the mall for FUN?! Walking around like a mindless zombie with my credit card dangling from my hand, waiting to be taken advantage of by some well-trained salesperson isn't my idea of fun; I'd rather spend some quiet quality time with my family or go do something like take a walk. Of course, when I walk into an RV show or a place like Lazy Days, I still look like a drooling zombie, but I digress.... We sat down and figured how much we would like to have saved up before we hit the road, so when we settle down again, we will be able to pay cash for our next house. I have printed out the savings goal thermometer to the left, and have it displayed on our fridge for us to look at frequently. This is a visual reminder of what we want to accomplish with our money. I have downloaded this thermometer so you can track our progress with us. I have replaced dollar amounts with percentages of the total and will update it frequently. We haven't given up on everything we like to do, however, but spending more "purposefully." Our family values time spent traveling, so we tend to reserve our fun money for things like camping, an occasional ski trip, snorkeling when in Florida; you get the idea. Need help with your finances? There are a lot of great resources out there, and I have added a few of my favorites. Here is a link to a little of what I've learned over the years about general financial basics.: |
Our Savings /
Goal Thermometer
Goal Thermometer
| Follow Us to An Early Retirement |
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| We Rv 4 Fun |