As nervous as homeschooling made me, the budget may be the most frightening element of this endeavor. In preparation for this adventure, we have made a lot of financial preparations. We have a cushion. Most of our debt is paid off. And the average cost of the trailer plus RV park rental is still significantly less than our previous housing costs. Those are all positives.
But…
There are so many variables. Our gas costs will vary based on state, month of year, and frankly whatever happens in the market. Some weeks we will be driving hundreds of miles and some very few. This is a concern. Ditto the above for propane — our chief source of heat in the winter and cooking.
Another variable. We ant to explore and attend and learn. Some things are free. Some offer discounts. Some are just plain expensive. Again, based on location and hard to predict. We don’t want to miss a special experience because it’s not in the budget but we also don’t want to get into debt.
And we can’t forget food. I have been a massive couponer. I had my loyalty cards which I compared and stacked with clipped coupons. I then stocked up on our favorite foods when they were cheap. This is not possible in a travel fridge. Also, we all know food on the road is tricky. You either eat out, expensive and usually junk, or cold, never a favorite with the kids.
My heart is palpitating as I type this.
I don’t want to spend our entire trip frantically tracking every penny but obviously, I don’t want to run out of money before the trip is done. How do I plan for so many variables without losing my mind?
How do you budget with so many variables? Do you have any tips or advice? Have you ever budgeted on the road? If you have any suggestions, I am all ears!
We work from the road- easy for us “work from home types”. But, it helps.
It is a good point. I am trying to get a few projects from the road to supplement the retirement income. Anything I can do from the computer, I can do on the road. I’ve just got to hustle them up.
🙂
Traci