Cost of RV Living Full Time First 6 months, Detailed Breakdown & Mistakes

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

It was very tempting to exclude some of our expenses to make the Full Time Lifestyle seem more affordable, BUT we were committed to telling the whole truth about what our first 6 months really cost. Many of our expenses were one-time purchase and won't apply to most people considering the lifestyle.

[@keithnorris8982]

Makes sense to me.

[@elizabethroblyer5615]

Enjoyed the info!

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Elizabeth, thanks. We do try to inform - and TRY to entertain 😅 Alice

[@BarbMMH]

Thanks! Very enlightening!

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Glad to hear it

[@taratluvoutrspace]

Very helpful

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Glad you think so!

[@horizon42q]

Excellent

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Thanks. Our 1 year vid is coming soon, Alice

[@billb672]

Looking to go full time in 2022. SO glad you included the one time expenses and separated them. Keep the videos coming and the drone shots.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Bill, drone shots are getting harder to do - if you want to be legal 🤣. Our 1 year is coming up in February so we hope to put out a year expense. Thanks for watching. Alice

[@sherriweber7105]

I rewatched this video Alice and Larry! This is all great tips on money spent rving. It’s good know so you don’t go over board with money. It’s hard not spend too much. Thank you for doing this video it helps and it gets you thinking.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Sherri, many people forget that our biggest money was spent for one time purchases that many people won’t want AND while Larry still had a full time job. Thanks for rewatching. Hopefully our new vid will be out Sunday. Alice

[@sherriweber7105]

@@DownsizingMakesCents Oh ok good! Can’t wait to see it.

[@srbh41413]

Great and honest summary of costs. Very helpful. Really appreciate and enjoy your style; detailed without belaboring and just the right amount of “fun”. Your investment in the gear surely shows in the production value, as well as the effort you put into getting angles and creating graphics. Also, the lights really keep your image clear, even when the sun changes (other videos). On drones, have you been following the various KZbinr struggles with droning in National Parks? Might be a good topic for the techno guy. You deserve way more subs. One more here, anyway.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Wow. Thank you so much. We try are best to be honest, thorough but not go on and on. Larry works very hard on all the tech stuff. Drones are harder and harder to use. We don’t risk it anywhere we know it’s not allowed. Some KZbinrs do. We don’t think it’s worth it. We really appreciate you noticing how hard we work. Thank you. Our 2020 Firsts video should be out Saturday. 😃 Happy New Year. Alice

[@DiggingRob]

The lighting looks great ....worth the expensive

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Rob, thanks. Larry works hard on presentation and sound. Thanks for letting us know it makes a difference, Alice

[@andrewk1916]

Wow! thanks for the great run-down of the numbers like this! I couldn't say that all the video equipment really adds to the unless you shoot a video or two just using the phone and a go pro to show the difference in the quality. I assume there is a vast difference, but until you see it it's hard to appreciate. One aspect in your solar videos is a few thoughts on how much you have to use your solar system to justify the huge cost. I realize that there is no substitute for off the grid energy and the large storage bank and large capacity inverter allow you to use everything you have without question. Coupled with your honda generator and you can sustain that boondocking for quite awhile outside of dessert or Southeastern USA climates in the summer. Long-pole to the boondocking after the power is water. But a Berkey can go along way to solving the potable water issue if you have a water source. It would be interesting to see if you use more Forestry/Army Corps of Engineers/Land Management type locations to help offset the solar costs. Thanks for a great video! Cheers!

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Andrew, the video and camera equipment is more about Larry’s satisfaction. A viewer may not see a difference, but Larry does. Plus this is his hobby. He gave up many when we sold the house. As for solar, it’s more about the opportunities it opens up then offsetting the cost. For instance, I wanted to camp in the Everglades National Park, but only dry camping was available. Plus, it got in the mid 80s and we could run our AC for a bit because we had solar, lithium, generator and soft start for the AC. We do plan to dry camp some more in the future. Thanks for your thoughts, Alice

[@philgriswold2133]

Some eye opening number for sure.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Phil, just remember we did have a lot of set up costs and other costs unique to us, Alice

[@philgriswold2133]

@@DownsizingMakesCents I completely understand. We have bounced this around so many ways and we just don't seem to be ready to sell the retirement house and go full time. As you guys have said in several videos, each couple is different and you can only hope to find what is right for you. Enjoyable content and I enjoy the multiple cameras, mics, lights, etc.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Well said. We all have different wants and needs. And thank you so much for your kind thoughts. Alice

[@bryanseverino3674]

I should have watched this video before asking the Legal Address question! Yes, you need all those cool cameras, microphones and gadgets for the KZbin channel. They're one time purchases.......every year or so, and when the next/best model comes out! Thanks for being open with the expenses, helps us in the planning process.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Bryan, no worries. Thanks for understanding about the gear. A lot of people comment on the high quality of our videos. That’s the gear 🤣 We are always glad to hear we have helped in some way. See you soon, Alice

[@divegirl4811]

Thanks for being so transparent. You need to keep an RV maintenance / projects category (maybe will replace the one time RV purchases). You know you will need new tires sooner or later, one of your systems will break down and need replacing, or you will find some cool new project/product that you want add for comfort - like Starlink, or air con improvement, or a tankless hot water system. Just like a house, you need a maintenance budget.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

I agree, we have had to spend money on rv Maintenance stuff like truck oil changes and fuel filter changes tires have also been very expensive. I need to do an update on this video now that we are over 2 1/2 years into our journey and we have had to spend a lot of money on repair and maintenance. Larry

[@kayseacamp]

Thanks for the honest breakdown. Y'all def need to shop for a better phone plan. Y'all can definitely save a nice amount there. Also reevaluating the life insurance might be something y'all wanna look into. That of course is dependent on if y'all are FI or not. Thanks for mentioning that Thousand Trails pass. I had no idea about that and I looked into it and it sounds like a killer deal.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Kasandra, funny. Some of what you mentioned is discussed in our next video - a look at our costs our first YEAR full time. If you saw Larry’s I Quit video, then you know we are no longer stuck in Florida but that is our state of residence. Hope you watch the next video. And please give us your thoughts again. Alice

[@davidchrissypoulin6104]

My wife and I wanted to thank you for this video. You were absolutely the most thorough and honest in your review of your expenses full timing. It was really a great share! Keep up the good work.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

David, thank you so much. We knew some people would give us a hard time because it’s more money than a lot of people say. But we are trying to keep it honest. Plus almost have we’re expensive one time purchases not everyone will choose. It helps when we get comments like yours. Thank you. Alice

[@davidchrissypoulin6104]

@@DownsizingMakesCents I should have added that we are Floridians. We live in New Smyrna currently, my wife's family is from DeLand and she works there. Great place to walk around (she loves it there). Just thought we would add that since you mentioned your Florida roots. Good luck with the travels!

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

We lived in DeLand for 23 years. My husbands mother and brother lived in New Smyrna for many years. It truly is a small world. We consider DeLand our home port ❤️ Alice

[@doughasson2073]

Thanks for the honesty. All I can say is wow

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Doug, someone has to give real numbers. But remember half of it is one time purchases. And Larry still has a full time job. Next 6 months will be different. Alice

[@DeweyBone]

I gotta say, the great lighting, high video resolution, scenic back drop, the visual aids, and your married banter kept me to the very end of the video. So yeah, it was worth it. Last thing I need is another rv couple to subscribe to, but y’alls videos are pro level and you’re being yourselves, so here I am. Subscribing.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Erik, thank you for noticing and appreciating all it takes to put out a video we can be proud of. And thanks for putting up with our “banter.” It’s just they way we are- after 35 years together. We are working on our 1 year full time cost video now. But we are trying to make it a bit shorter. We shall see. Thanks again, Alice

[@shedflips]

The $5k is a lot on youtube but the videos are extremely well done and I expect it will pay you back in spades eventually. Very impressed with the quality.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Larry says the equipment is really for his new hobby since he gave up so many when we sold the house. And thank you for the compliment. Larry tries to learn some new technique almost every new video. Alice

[@GalvanicFantasyYT]

Thank you for a super helpful video! I really appreciate the time you took to break the cost down in detail. So helpful for those of us who are also planning our escape. 😃

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Just remember Larry is still working full time. We just took some months off. So we bought the big ticket items while we can afford it. Our next 6 months should be cheaper 🤞 Alice

[@Joe-cu4hi]

Ok, its 5:42 pm on Sunday and I’m totally addicted to you both, your subjects and humor! I’m afraid I’ll have to unsubscribe if I cant stop this binge watching 😂

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Joe, I spit out my drink reading this 🤣. It’s great to hear we make you laugh. We hope we also saying something intelligent 😉 Please don’t leave us 🤗 Alice

[@Joe-cu4hi]

I’m multitasking by eating my lunch at work and watch more of your great content videos 😊 If I may suggest, 1. looking into Term Life insurance and lock in a rate for 10-15 years. 2. My son watched this episode and mentioned that he hated “renting” adobe software so he paid for “Final Cut pro” 3. could your boys receive your mail at their home and send you what you want and discard the junk mail? You can sweeten the deal by allowing them to keep their stuff in your storage that they are not paying for 😂

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Joe, sorry for late reply. I don’t know how I missed it. I’ll tell Larry about Final Cut. We do have some things delivered to the kids, but they rent an apartment and it won’t be long term. Larry would like all Life Insurance gone, but for now we reduced it. Thank you so much for being able to watch our videos and still enjoy lunch 🤣 We do really appreciate every comment. Thank you. And thanks for the giggle, Alice

[@FernTheCamper]

Great breakdown. This can be such an eye opener for so many. Great learning curve for your first 6 months! Stickers and pins do add up... but you know... it's all part of advertising for your channel lol. We do gluten free - and there are certain tricks to learn... we buy bags of teff flour, rice flour, coconut flour and flaxseed and make our own GF basics. It saves so much and it's a lot healthier than the stuff at the grocery stores which is filled with excess sugars (meaning more inflammatory). We're also eating so much more fresh fruit and veg which can add up, but we're eating less because the lack of fillers oddly make us less hungry, not more. Also (sorry) did you know peanut butter is anti-inflammatory? Not the sugared stuff, but the natural ones made of just peanuts... and it's so nutritious. It's saving us so much on cash and excess foods and we're feeling so, so healthy! Sorry for the long comment lol. Great to see you, and happy 6 months!!!

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Wow. Thanks for the tips. I’ll relay this to Larry. The gluten free and his RA is a real issue. That’s why we wanted to do this now. The expenses are like setting up a new house. That’s why we bought a used RV. The next 6 months will be totally different. I appreciate long comments 😂. Thanks. Alice

[@michaelwhiteman723]

Thanks that scares the heck out of me. But thanks for the whole information. Mike GMC 3500 Denali and brookstone 344FL

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Michael, remember, we have some costs that others won’t- like the solar and KZbin equipment. Plus, we spent the money then while Larry still had his full time job. So it very well could be cheaper for you. Alice

[@michaelwhiteman723]

@@DownsizingMakesCents I understand that but you really opened my eyes to some of the things that actually happen when on the road, I’m soon retiring from my 37 year UPS job and I think we might try going away for a month first. We do weekends and 2 weeks vacations. I’ve got a lot to learn and you two have taught me so I thank you

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

That’s smart to do a long trip. It makes a huge difference when packing the RV. Good luck. And feel free to ask any questions. We aren’t experts but we’ve seen a lot already 😅 Alice

[@TheLakingc]

Do you have a vid on the address and mail issue? We do a lot of online shopping, too. Thanks for your videos. Some i am rewatching now.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

We don’t have a video on that. We use Traveling Mailbox. They are fine for mail but not for packages. Every campground we ask if they accept amazon- that’s most of our online shopping. Otherwise, we have things shipped to our kids. We were already Florida residents, so that wasn’t hard to change address- just time consuming. We also made sure we went “paperless” as much as possible. Alice

[@TheLakingc]

@@DownsizingMakesCents Thank you 🙂

[@RVOnTheWayside]

People who say you are not truly a full-timer if you are not doing this or that. That is a No -True Scottsman logic fallacy. Storage doesn't prevent you from being a full-timer. You can let that go you guys. That was a really great break down. For us solar was not an option, it was a necessity. If we ever changed rigs, That would be an expense we would pay upfront, every time. We should have tracked this as well, but that would require something I do not have. Patience. 😂 great video you too and we are glad you left that blooper in there. Love you guys! ❤️👍👏 Donovan & Jodi

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

I’m a bit sensitive to criticism. So why have a KZbin channel you may ask? 😂. Yes. Solar is a necessity. Once Larry leaves this job and we are free to go cross country, we will really use it. You are the first to mention the blooper. Maybe no one else got that far 😂. Thanks 🙏 Alice

[@RVOnTheWayside]

@@DownsizingMakesCents Always! ❤️ We really do try to watch all of each video we comment on.

[@4runner4ever83]

Just saw this video and subscribed. That was a lot of expenses in six months. i can understand that you need a few things especially in the first few months. soon, that expense will go down. do you really need it all? i don't think so but if you have the money to spend, why not. for those with very limited budget, that's a lot. thank you for the info.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

We decided while Larry still had his full time job, that would be the time to pay for these big ticket items. The lithium batteries were crucial- especially dry camping. We are so glad we spent that money. Everyone had different camping styles. You need to budget accordingly Alice

[@robertm9866]

I can totally see spending that much starting out no doubt little here little there but sounds like you have pretty much whatcha need so hopefully here on out you’ll cut back on the bigger ticket Items and save $$$. As far as food yes it can be expensive either way but thanks for the video watched it till the end 😃

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Robert, we planned the expensive items while Larry still had a full time job. So that helps. But things are going to change. We haven’t been eating out much at all- just take out when we see our kids. So we know we spend less now. Thanks for hanging in there until the end. Alice

[@michelmichael8957]

Hi Larry and Alice. Thank you for your videos. Very educational. This comment is for Larry. I am a Canadian and my parents would go from Canada to ft- Lauderdale fla. Without stopping. I was just a kid. I hated it. They would brag to family members on how fast they got there. It was like a competition. I tell you. They cured me. I told myself NEVER will I travel like that. So I never did. I much traveled like Alice but well balanced. Larry I guess it's the Canadian in us. Lol.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

When I was younger I would drive from Pompano Beach straight through to Oakville Ontario without stopping except for gas 24 hours, I still like the all nighter‘s but Alice is not up for it, haha. Larry

[@twbelieves]

You guys are the best. Most people should be able to relate thanks.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Tom, thanks. We hope we can help someone. Alice

[@twbelieves]

Check out Consumer Cellular

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

That’s a good way to save money on phone, but we have to have a significant data plan for KZbin and social media.

[@sprinstrailscamptails]

Awesome guys! Thanks for the reality of it "all". Perfect!

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Karen, thanks. Some people didn’t like to hear not everyone can do this life on $1,000 a month 😂 Alice

[@sprinstrailscamptails]

Oh my gosh! So true. We stil have to eat and have our normalcy in life. Plus, some of us like to go and do also. 👍 Not many do actual budgets in life but they'd be amazed if they did! It's eye opening.

[@AL_Traveler]

My wife and I enjoy ya

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Paul, I’m glad. We hope we have more to offer in the future, Alice

[@edwardmcgowan5044]

Certainly makes me think and “prepare” better. Thank you.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Edward, we have some big ticket costs that not everyone has. But we counted everything else too. So we do hope it helps. Alice

[@markfitzpatrick5782]

Great information Thanks

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Mark, we just want to provide accurate numbers. Luckily most of our one time big expenses are finished. Like setting up a sticks and bricks. Alice

[@BluWaveOdyssey]

We spend a ton traveling in our travel trailer. Probably $5k a month. Of course, we don't boondock. Our biggest expense is RV parks and gas. We do like to go out to eat, but Debbie does do some cooking. I believe it's doable to cut costs, but we're having a blast. Also, we're able to work and make money as we travel. That helps a ton.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Bob, we know the costs will go down because our big ticket items are bought plus we see which places are the cheapest. We will do more TT for sure. Yes. Larry is still working so the cost doesn’t hurt yet. We he isn’t, we will really cut down. Alice

[@dc71vwvw]

Great vid. Thanks for the great info.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Doug, sorry it was so long but we didn’t want to miss any category. Alice

[@oldfartsadventure]

I would love to see an update to this video. 44K for 6 months seems a lot to me, so I would love to see how much less you are spending now.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

We did a video on our first year, check it out. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4Czamxoopikqdk We are going to do another video on our first two years in February 2022, even i am interested to see how that turns out. Larry

[@georgelimpert4349]

I made it to the end. Thanks, now I’ll be watching again with my wife. We’re still looking forward to full time Rving Good info and good presentation.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

We are getting ready to make the first year costs, I hope we spent a lot less in our 2nd 6 months. Glad you found it helpful. Larry

[@sherriweber7105]

This is all good to know! Thank you so much for this video! Safe travels and stay safe.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Sherri, thank you for visiting again. We just want to be honest so people can be prepared. Alice

[@ben8burns]

A very informative channel, love the Algonquin shirts as this is one of our favorite places to camp.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Rob, thanks. We always hope we provide some good info. And Algonquin is amazing. We can’t wait to go back. Alice

[@JOnTariO]

Hey Guys - This is absolutely the VERY BEST breakdown of what you are in for to begin your full-time lifestyle. We validate/understand your figures - 100%. When we started F/T in 2005 it was to downsize from our apartment after downsizing from our homes but we continued working full time at our careers for another 8 years traveling ON to CA for 6 weeks at Xmas yearly. We kept minute records of our expenses because I knew the 20 inch pipe spewing money every week (half of which seemed to be going directly to The Canadian Govt. in the form of income or sales tax) would eventually be shut off and replaced with a money pipeline that was only 2 inches and worked monthly. (sidebar: a 42' Glendale Titanium 5er, hunkered down in Southern ON during a Polar Vortex that lasted 2 weeks of February when the windchill stayed a constant -40' F/C both scales meet, will use one 30 lb tank of propane per day - we were also using two 30 inch Pelonus oil heaters as supplemental heating - end sidebar - We started our retirement in 2013 splitting our time between ON and OR where Tari's parents lived, helping to look after them during their final years. During the Spring I use to remark "6 months is too short a time for all the preparation and bother to travel south to the US as we needed 9 months to stay away from the Canadian Cold. Also the bureaucratic paperwork was endless as Homeland doesn't talk to IRS and visa versa - Hell, I'm too old to work - Hell I don't want to work - all I want to do is lay in the sun or ride my Harley instead of a snowmobile and spend $22,000 while I'm down here." There Is Your Validation - that's the figure we came up with year after year when we stripped out all the project, bucket list travel, none fixed optional F/T .... expenses. I hope this helps and encourages you to keep up such good work with an interesting delivery. Best wishes - travel safe, T&J

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Julian and Tari, wow. Thank you so much. Some people have definitely had some negatives to say about our expenses even though we explained about half is one time purchases- what I call now “set up” costs. I love the analogy. We do know that when Larry no longer has his full time job, we will have not much coming in. That’s why we are trying to get the big ticket items out if the way now while we can afford them. Plus, a friend of ours had a good point - thanks William from Camper Life - since we finally left Florida, we kind of were in vacation mindset. Especially since we visited our 1st National Park as RVers. And coming back to Canada as RVers for the first time. We know we will spend less in the future. We said as much. We have considered doing the 6 months US and 6 months Canada but it sounds like it might not be cost affective. Plus I don’t see me in Canada for 6 months. It’s sold cold and it’s just the start of September? Yikes. Thank you so much for all your support and info. We hope we can meet some day. Alice

[@ejmtnt]

How long will you have to camp to make up those battery cost up for the cost of a Generac Generator?

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

The solar and lithium was more about opening up options then saving money. But we plan on boondocking out west next year - not much in east coast. Alice

[@bmwrider1931]

I hear ya About RA. I was just Diagnosed so if you have any good suggestions I would like to hear from you. So far it has been very hard on me.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

First find yourself the best rheumatologist in town, try a few until you find one that you can trust, you will be together for a long time. Get it under control as soon as possible to avoid permanent damage. I tried a few biological drugs but, humira has helped the best over the last three years. Have a plan for flare ups, I used steroids and stong pain pills to get me through these frequent episodes. Reduce physical and emotional stress if possible. Exercise often, but be gentle on your painful joints. Be patient with your treatment. I’m on my 6th year of RA, it sucks but can be managed. Hope this helps, Larry

[@jackiemartinez7260]

Valuable info, thanks!

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Jackie, we just want some real numbers out there. Alice

[@TwoCaptainsOneShip]

Good job, lots of info to pour over, if I had to critique this, we don’t need the hands up for every category, 1,2,3...21..., we know how to count. You guys certainly aren’t the only ones who do it so do t take offense, I see it all the time and it’s weird to me. Safe travels, glad I found you guys, your doing good work and giving great information.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Chip, funny thing is we realized half way through we wish we didn’t do the numbers 😂. Thanks for the honesty. We do try to give information that can be useful. I hope you find another video helpful. Alice

[@TwoCaptainsOneShip]

@@DownsizingMakesCents I’m sure I will find plenty helpful! Thanks for allowing me to be open. I’m not one to complain and I truly appreciate all the hard work you guys put into the videos!

[@debyarger3084]

Wow, well I had considered a you tube channel,but I'm going to stick with my blog. We already have the drone, go pro and computer. But there are already so many out there doing channels not sure it's worth it. We went with a inverter generator instead of solar, way cheaper and more dependable being that we live in Michigan. We have two sets of age group of grandkids 22 - 14 years old and 5-3 year olds.we want to be able to give those younger ones the same attention and memories that we gave the older ones. So we won't go fultime where we are traveling 365 days a year. Thank you for being honest with the cost. 44,000 for six months is almost our yearly income before retirement. We will be out there on a shoe string budget using harvest host,national forest and BLM land and state parks.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

KZbin is not for everyone but you won’t know until you try it. Our first 6 month and 1 year expenses are high but there are a lot of start up costs in there. We are really trying to get our yearly expenses under 36k per year. This year we are committed to living on less because I don’t have a job or an income anymore. Larry

[@twbelieves]

Your income should be on the spreadsheet and would lower net net

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

We didn’t share our income because I still have my old job, we will include income when we figure out ways to make money on the road, it will be interesting

[@user-mt4zr5kp7h]

I can attest to that! 43k in my case! But I'm doing much better now, and would do it again in a heartbeat! ☺

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Glenn, funny. Most people thought we spent out of control. But we did say we had a lot of set up costs in there. We expect out cost will go down every 6 months. We are loving this lifestyle, too. And we always appreciate the share, Alice

[@user-mt4zr5kp7h]

@@DownsizingMakesCents thanks! Yeah in our case here, it was all down to not knowing what we were doing, despite all the research. A large portion was actually on gas for the generator because I didn't trust my solar setup. Turns out that was a huge waste because I've been running without the geny for the most part now and it's ran like a champ! We live and we learn and that's half the fun! Cheers!

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

💯 We have learned so much. Do you have a Microair Easy start for your AC?

[@user-mt4zr5kp7h]

@@DownsizingMakesCents oh you bet! Went to hook it up, but it kept tripping off because my backup geny was too small (inverter blew out so I'm waiting on a warranty replacement) to start it properly in order to learn the new curve. Was waiting on a fuel pump for my big geny which had shit the bed on me and it just arrived so I got that up and running yesterday. Today I have a solar install at a friend's place, and then tomorrow it's back up on the roof to finish setting up my easy-start. I've had it over a year but was always too busy lol. Anyway, that's probably what killed my inverter prematurely, so again, live and learn lol. I also have a low frequency split-phase inverter coming this week, so that should eliminate any future concerns about heavy loads! I'm a tinkerer so I'm really enjoying the lifestyle, apart from the expenses I didn't forsee ☺

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

You and Larry would get along great. He loves to tinker too.

[@lifeisgood141]

I only eat non-organic with chemical food. No expensive equipment needed unless you are making a real movie. ATT has this plan deal that I got for 2 years - $25 per month for 8 GB of data with unlimited text and voice, but you have to pay for the whole year - $300. Survey shows that most people only use 3-5 GB of data per month (unless you watch movie and upload videos), you don't need unlimited.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

That is a incredibly great deal you got on your phones, wow. Between streaming and KZbin we use about 300-400 gigs of data a month. I know that is a lot but that’s what we use the small amount of money we make on KZbin to pay for. I don’t need fancy equipment to make the videos, i could probably do almost the exact Same videos on just our phones. I really like learning about the technology it it very interesting to me. Now that I quit my job, we are going to have to find ways to reduce our monthly expenses. Thanks. Larry

[@twbelieves]

Thousand Trails seems to be the way to go. Why not use them more?

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Tom, you are right. We should use it more. It’s like a break from the state parks where there is so much to do. TTs save us money. We are trying to stay at them more. Alice

[@williamquestmagic]

Hang in there Alice...things will get better. But you guys need to cut a lot of non-essentials. You won't be able to live on retirement with these expenditures. Believe me. But I love your videos because they HELP me tailor my lifestyle also. You guys are great. bill in Florida

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Thanks for the encouragement. Almost have our expenses were one time “set up” costs so we know we won’t be spending that much again. Plus Larry still has a full time job- he’s just on medical leave- so now is the time to spend the money, not when we are without his salary. Thanks again for the support. We are definitely getting some negative feedback. But are committed to tell the truth and not only show rainbows. Alice

[@TheLakingc]

How has the solar affected your weight? I see you are in the woods...my preference...how do you handle solar then? ❤

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Solar added about 400 lbs, we have to use our 2000 Honda to charge the batteries in the woods. Larry

[@stanleydeen2639]

Tell Larry to go to Dunkin’ !! It’s cheaper and better 😁😂

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

😂 I’ll let him know you said so 😉 Alice

[@lynnsmith5155]

Great stuff!! That'll keep a lot of people off the road........

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Lynn, 🤣😂. Our expenses are different than others- like KZbin. But if honesty scares them off? Just do lots of research and know what can of full time life you want. Alice

[@orange281gt]

Nice detailed breakdown of your costs. I only have 1 fur baby. A 3 year old Boxer named Chewie. Definitely gives me some things to think about for my planning.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Chewie is such a great name for a dog. I do plan on making a video about dog must haves- so much to film, so little time 🤣 Alice

[@ruthanderson1758]

Great info for anyone considering full time.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Ruth, just remember the solar and being KZbinrs are expenses not all have. Alice

[@ruthanderson1758]

@@DownsizingMakesCents - I agree completely but I'm betting there are still a lot of costs that the average person wouldn't consider.

[@tomstephens2689]

Your health insurance cost was a real shocker to me until it was mentioned that your employer pays most of it. The wife and I are also in our late 50's and would love to go full timing, but two major roadblocks give us pause. First would be the health insurance. If you are self employed, or unemployed, health insurance is somewhere around $24,000 a year. This is insane, so work is the answer until medicare kicks in. The second is social security. As I understand it in order to maximize the payout ya gotta keep working until you qualify for the payout. Your lifelong benefit is based upon how much you pay in to the system over the last ten years prior to retirement. I see full time RV living in our future, but it might have to wait another eight more years. Ouch!

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Tom, our latest video is about how Larry finally quit his job. He also talks about health insurance. We ended up getting new health insurance through the marketplace. Since we aren’t making much money in 2021 so we qualified. I hope this helps. Alice

[@tommywieringo6640]

I noticed that y'all have AT&T for cell phone service maybe this might be helpful I work in remote areas and I have Stright Talk unlimited talk text and data 10 GB hot spot for 60.00 a month and it uses all the towers AT&T VERIZON Sprint T Moible. I get service where ever I working at.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Tommy, that’s awesome it works for you. Is $60 per phone? We actually just did a new video about our new internet set up. This has been working great. Thanks again for sharing your info. I’ll tell Larry, Alice

[@tommywieringo6640]

@@DownsizingMakesCents yes 60 dollars per phone but I don't need a booster or nothing.

[@tommywieringo6640]

@@DownsizingMakesCents they also have a satellite phone that gets service anywhere but I think it is expensive

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

@@tommywieringo6640 we did look at those. Pricey. Alice

[@LuckyDawgProductionsModerator]

Awesome video sharing your expenses for your first six months as full-timers. I like how you broke it down into different categories, and how you listed grand totals to include or exclude certain big purchases at the end. Alice, I think Larry is onto your plan not to cook for him (not really). Haha Funny how Alice says the KZbin expenses will go down if Larry stops buying crap for KZbin. Haha. Really good and informative video, Alice and Larry.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

We have been getting a few negative comments because the total was high. But we tried to make it clear that we are setting up a new house so those costs at first will be up. Plus we are new to full time. About the cooking, Larry actually does most of it. Yes. Hopefully no more gadgets 😫. Thanks for coming by. Alice

[@scottb1053]

Hi I watch another guy he has nomad internet service that might save you some money on ur phone bills not sure though

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Scott, thanks for the suggestion. I’ll pass it on to Larry, Alice

[@ZinaWinter]

Great video! As a bookkeeper, I love the financial videos! Love the shirts, been to Algonquin many times, have done many, many portages (Larry's shirt) as hubby prefers back country camping. My dream is a RV, maybe someday...

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Larry is the numbers guy and the portage guy 🤣. He used to do an Algonquin canoe trip for about ten days. It did it for years. We got our shirts at Algonquin Outfitters. RVs have pluses. And minuses of course. We try to keep it real. Alice

[@dschephigh1]

Wow, thats way to much money for sure. No way we could do that. You must have a super retirement. I wanna do it for 28,000. I believe it's obtainable.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

We had some high one time costs while Larry was working full time. We don’t expect the cost to stay like this. It made sense to spend the money now before he quit his job. No two budgets are the same. You have to figure out what works for you. Alice

[@maidymartinez]

Just a tip regarding your Amazon credit card: redeem the points for cash towards your statement rather than redeeming the points toward purchases on Amazon. If you pay on Amazon with the points it reduces points awarded on next statement. Love you guys, don't have an RV but watch you guys to relax. Keep up the great content!

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Maidy, great tip about Amazon. I’ll check that out. We help you relax? 😂🤣. I still need to put out my waterfalls in the Smokies video. My Instagram is more fun and up to date instagram.com/p/CEm883OBi9o/?igshid=g98wl0djsb82 Alice

[@SantosChronicles]

This is a thorough breakdown. We love Quicken to do our budget also. Alice loves her stickers and magnets. Good idea on the life insurance. I like how Alice covers her basis that Larry is “accident prone.” Go watch TENET, one of the best movie I have seen. I went early on the day when it was empty.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Karl, we are definitely getting some crap about how much we spent even though we made it clear they were one time “set up” costs. I am buying very small souvenirs. I’m not the only RV KZbinr that collects magnets. We HAVE to keep his insurance. We’ve been paying into it for so long. I’ll look into that movie. Thanks. Alice

[@SantosChronicles]

Downsizing Makes Cents TENET will hurt your brain. Go watch it as long as you like The Matrix or Inception. If not, skip it. I like how honest you guys were about your expenditures. I was always curious.

[@stevelee6667]

@@SantosChronicles yea tenent was not good

[@gaylejackson4487]

I'm blown away!

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Gayle, by our complete honesty I hope 😂 Just keep in mind that most of the cost is one and done. Alice

[@gaylejackson4487]

I get it, my first year was killer too.

[@SantosChronicles]

2 Drones!!! Now that it is intense. I’m glad I’m not the only one spending money on KZbin equipment. For Epidemic Sound, you guys need to put the link where if someone clicks it and gets it you get a free month.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Karl, the second drone is a smaller one to be legal in Canada. Hopefully that’s it for KZbin equipment. Thanks for the link tip. Alice

[@SantosChronicles]

Downsizing Makes Cents Now that makes sense. I did hear Canada has super strict laws on Drones.

[@sherriviz1055]

900 a month for food?? I raised 5 kids plus their friends and for a household of 7 we ate for less then 600 a month abs that was also including dog food. It didn’t cover school lunches or eating out.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Sherri, I am the youngest of 7. My mom was great at saving money. We don’t eat out. And Larry has to eat gluten free which is much more expensive. We spend the same amount now as we did living in our sticks and bricks. Alice

[@keithnorris8982]

I'm gonna think about how you came up with these numbers. I believe a fairer comparison would be, how much more or less it cost going full time compared to living in your house. Personally, I'm selling my house after 6 months and I see little or no difference living full time. I'm holding off on selling my house to to be sure this is for me. I'm going full time the first of 2022. I live alone, have a 32 foot Montana 5th wheel, which will be plenty for one person and everything is paid off. I'm 78 and will probably full time until it's time to retire to a senior housing. What sa you? -keith

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Keith, sounds like a good plan. We plan on having a home base at some point. We sold the house because it was just too big and too much to take care of. We see ourselves having a small cabin or cottage but still traveling. For us, it’s not about the money but the lifestyle- Larry’s health is already better. See his video about quitting his job kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5bQmWaweJqjh9k Let us know how it goes, Alice

[@keithnorris8982]

@@DownsizingMakesCents Hi Alice, I'm happy you kids are doing your thing and Larry is improving. I really waited to long but was always, what I believed, to busy. To cut down my expenses I will be offering entertainment in exchange for docking. I perform magic, Ventriloquism and balloon animals. I can do family, adult and children. I think I'll stay at 54 or older campgrounds.most of the time. I can teach the adults how to make balloons for their grand kids even a few magic tricks. They always enjoy learning. I hope I meet you two one day... "you're great folks." Kindest regards, -keith

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Keith, Larry would love to learn how to do balloon animals. That’s so cool you have so much to offer. Even now, we get too busy to enjoy the area. We need to enjoy the whole reason for the big change. Thanks for all your support and we hope you get to do all you want 🤗 Alice

[@keithnorris8982]

@@DownsizingMakesCents I'll teach him. The kids love it. I'm sure we'll figure out how to cross paths. I am so excited about my new "big" adventure:-)

[@ronaldslater7755]

Great video to convince me to never get my dream full-time RV. Those expenses are way more than my income.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Ronald, remember we have expenses many others don’t. It also depends on your dream RV and what lifestyle you want. There are people that can do it for 1,000- 2,000 a month Alice

[@alessandropineiro4427]

Those one time items can really add up 😲

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Alessandro, yes. So it was better to do it while Larry still has his full time job. This is our full time home so there are set up costs. That’s why we bought used. Alice

[@donholcomb4060]

WOW!! Thats insane!!

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Don, remember that at least half was one time big ticket costs that other RVers won’t need. Plus we are going to do more TT. And once we leave Florida, we will have more changes to boondock. Other people do it for less. Everyone has their own lifestyle. Alice

[@llyolf]

youtube toys (er I mean TOOLS) are important. :-D

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Paul, I like how you clarified 😂 We just had that conversation with some RVers where we are camping. A gator crawled out of the lake and Larry could film it with our super zoom. It will be on our next Everglades camping video. Alice

[@davidholliman4117]

Love drone shots ! 😂

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

David Holliman David, I do too but don’t tell anyone 😁. Alice

[@AdventureEncounters]

Lol... Larry, keep the insurance, especially after your bloody head incident! I was always under the impression that rv-ing was way cheaper... the parks are even more expensive than I thought as well! Yep...I totally agree with the KZbin category! The drones are the best and the most expensive sometimes lol, but they do make the video that much better! Lol...the solar...'i do have a few more spots' 🤣. Great video guys! 👋👋

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Yes. He needs to keep his insurance 🤣. We hope now that those big one time items are out of the way, it will be cheaper. State parks are cheaper than provincial parks and you get water and electric. Drones are pretty awesome. Solar is definitely worth it, especially once we leave Florida and can boondock. No more solar- for now 😅. Thanks for another great visit. Alice

[@gkeller9958]

If you’re trying to live cheaper, you failed. If you have the budget and enjoying yourself’s , well that’s worth every penny. I stayed out west for a year on $15,000 as a single person. Boondocking was the key to save money, but found the nicest places to wake up to in the morning was a bonus.Relocating once a week plus a paid rv site about once a month for an address to collect pkgs. Diesel was my biggest expense, but wasn’t any higher than yours. When I moved, it was only a hundred miles or so at a time. Just followed the weather

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

We specifically showed that the biggest costs were the one time purchases. Basically to set up our RV. Unfortunately the zone where Larry needs to be for work has no boondocking. Plus in Canada there is no free boondocking. Once we are free to travel, we will boondock and save money. Two people, two dogs, a bigger rig, plus KZbin, plus expenses dealing with Larrys health will cost more than the life you are able to live. But thanks for sharing your viewpoint. Alice

[@darisanshanger1616]

:-) “That crap you bought” fun stuff guys!!

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Darisan, I’m half kidding 😂. I do believe we can cut down in the tech. Alice

[@SawltyDawg2009]

where is the link yall talked about to "The Dry Campers"

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Mark Hart ll fix that. Sorry. Moving day. Ugh 😫

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

Mark they are doing my solar install right now. Mike is the best in the business. I researched him very hard before choosing him. Now that I have meet him and his wife in person I am even more assured I made the correct decision. My install will be done early next week. If you have any questions from the customer side please feel free to reach out.

[@angiejones3437]

This is a what not to do video!😂 Love it though!

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Angie, we do make it clear we had big one time purchases and categories not everyone will have. And yes, we are trying to spend less. Plus everyone has their own styles of travel. Larry still has a full time job at this time. That makes a difference too. We were being honest and knew we would get some flak for it. Alice

[@alanj7306]

Angie lol 😂. That’s exactly what NOT to do. Definitely more expensive than living in a house.

[@JUSTINANDCHRISTINA]

Ok in your defense the solar electrical is important for you since you are in a warmer climate, boondock and have a bigger rig.. and you do not have the vip thousand trails to stay in a place more often.. We only use the iphone to film or edit.. that is a little tooooo much.. guys 7000$ us is definitely not sustainable- thank goodness your rig is paid for.. I say food is an essential luxury that will keep your medical expenses lower because you will be healthier.. Good job..

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Thanks. We have definitely needed the solar in Ontario. Half our sites have no electric. We will be able to boondock and save money and go to more TTs in the future. Luckily most of the big items are bought and done. Thanks for the support. Alice

[@JUSTINANDCHRISTINA]

Downsizing Makes Cents Sorry about that.. Csmp grounds in Canada 🇨🇦 are much much more basic and smaller compared to most of the US.. in Quebec, unless it is a luxury KOA they have even fewer luxuries..,

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

We love the feel of most of these places. We just never been somewhere with no water hookup. But that’s Ontario. We are still loving our time here.

[@winginitwithjohn8451]

Good video guys, but geez, those are some high numbers. Lots to look forward to when the solar starts paying for itself. C'mon Larry, let's see the solar install part 1.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

John, the solar will pay off when we can boondock after Larry leaves his current job. The big expenses are hopefully done. It’s just part of getting ready. Lots of people want the solar video. It’s coming but slowly. Alice

[@EmanM45]

Wow, that is a lot of money. But, not so bad after one time expenses. I will do the best solar setup I can when I am ready

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Eric, yes the one time expenses were about half. Larry still needs to do his solar video. He wants more time with it so he can fully explain his system. Lots of info out there to help you with your solar when you are ready. Alice

[@earlribaudo4807]

What do you do for a living?

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Earl, Larry sells surgical spine equipment. He’s on leave right now. I am a college instructor. But I haven’t taught since we started downsizing and fixing the house to sell. Alice

[@earlribaudo4807]

@@DownsizingMakesCents Thank you.

[@bkishiro]

Thanks for sharing all the info, things I wouldn't have thought about. Seems like $10,000 would be a good budget for one time RV purchases for a newbie.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Beth, thanks for “getting it.” Of course not everyone is going to get solar or have a KZbin channel - and a husband that is way into tech 😂- so our one time purchases combined may be unique. But we planned for this before we went full time. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts. Alice

[@florrodriguez8809]

No!!!!!!! 🥴

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Which part?

[@virginia_in_the_rearview]

Poor Alice, Larry is such a techie!! 🤣

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Lisa, glad you are #teamAlice 😂. You have no idea about all the tech. But he’s a wiz at editing videos so... Alice

[@TheDryCampers]

LOVE my (Leanna) iPhone 11 Max Pro! We just upgraded mine from the 11 Max to Pro and I love it! We purchased it for our social media and KZbin as well! It's worth it! Mike MIGHT even go to iPhone from Android this fall...Idk, we'll see! lol The fuel # is definitely low for full-time travel, but we also are mad travelers HAHA Alice, you need a car like mine - I have a Ford Fusion Energi (hybrid) so it's very efficient if you're going to be following! I'm actually excited because we're going to pick up my car here soon and I'll have it while we are in the southeast so that I can see my family, yay!! Yes, full-time RVing insurance is so different, but definitely worth it! BAHAHAHA - Alice, I feel like we should keep those life insurance policies on our guys, for sure! It's cool that you put the subscriptions in your budget, because a lot of people don't think about those items! Good points about the traveling mailbox and packages. I like how you kept up with the laundry expenses, since we use cash, I totally forget to account for that. Fur babies = worth it expenses!! We actually spend a lot more than the average person, I think, because they ARE our only children - they're worth it! We are both givers, hands down, so we spend a lot there as well. Wow, that's a lot of money for the KZbin category; however, we have done the same thing - maybe not as much $$, lol, but ours is also a business expense. Oh my, thank you for the shout out!!! Our package with the same 1200W (specifically the 325W Rec N Peak solar panels aka you have to have the roof real estate for those specific panels) and 4 Battle Born Batteries plus one easy start is currently (as of September 2020) about $12,440 (without any vendor discounts). Great overview of your expenses for sure! You guys have been the most detailed that we've seen for sure! And so accurate!

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

You win for longest comment ever 🤣❤️. iPhone does help a lot. Once Larry actually is retired, fuel cost will go up for sure. I have a Prius but my older son has it now. Some people don’t know you need special insurance if you are full time. Life insurance for sure 😂. We put in everything. That’s why other people’s numbers can be lower. We keep it real. Dogs are so worth it. The one time purchases are what killed us. But most of that is fine. We need an easy start though. Thanks for not crushing us and realizing we just want to be accurate. We will always give a shout out to you guys whenever it fits 🤗 Alice

[@AndrewPattersonProfessional]

Your channel's production quality is great. cut that KZbin budget!

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Andrew, thanks for the compliment. hopefully we have bought what we need but production looks good because of the gear. Plus, Larry gave up so many hobbies due to his health and downsizing. I kid but really he can buy whatever makes him happy. Alice

[@vincentsaputo1757]

be safe have fun

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Vincent, thanks. We are doing our best. Alice

[@VELOPERS]

THATS REDICILOUS

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Dave, which part? 😅. Yes. We spent a lot but we have wants and needs not everyone will have. We explained about the big ticket one time costs. Plus Larry is still working full time so we wanted to buy now before he quits. Alice

[@VELOPERS]

@@DownsizingMakesCents I guess i'm kind a minimalist still in a sticks home which i own outright making plans to sell and hit the road. I live on $1250 a month for everything inc. house taxes. I do everything i want. When i leave im budgeting $1500 mo. i refuse to succumb overpriced attractions or consumer items. Things that matter the most in life do not have to cost money.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

We have reduced quite a bit. We definitely were major consumers before we sold our house so we have actually cut costs a lot

[@Barchenhund]

Damn it ain’t cheap. Enjoy your adventure; you only go around once. Cheers 🍻

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Robert, many do it cheaper. We are working on that but we also want to enjoy our time. Alice

[@valeriebradleylensing166]

I hope you don't place too much emphasis on who defines full time RVing. You are full time on the road. You have a storage facility...ok, so when you decide to not be full time, you will not have to re-buy items, keepsakes etc. Whether or not you have storage, you are still full time! Makes Cents!

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Valerie, thank you. We just have seen some negativity about our storage. I appreciate your support for sure. Alice

[@laurietopp9953]

From Saskatchewan, Canada and would love to full time. Lol hubby doesn't want to drive. I always thought it would be cheaper than s&b

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Laurie, some people do it much cheaper than us. If you take out the big ticket items, it is cheaper than mortgage, several car payments, boat payment, toys, etc. We did downsize but now hopefully we can cut the cost. Alice

[@catlink8998]

Wow. I've full-timed off & on since the late '80's. Your 6 months would pretty much fund me for 4 years. Guess it's like anything, most people max out whatever they have.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

It’s all perspective. Half of our costs were one time purchases. If you bought a house, would you not have some extra one time costs? I think it’s great that you could live much cheaper as a couple with two dogs and medical issues and a KZbin channel like us. 👍 Alice

[@spencermccart2611]

Ok guys . I have been watching all sorts of full timers. Chrome from van city van life only uses that phone and it's great lighting blah blah blah . Ya don't need. Larry can play more with the editing a music and Drone footage.lol thanks for the vid. I leave in 1.5 weeks for the West Coast. Who do you guys follow if any on KZbin

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Spencer, I agree. We don’t need all the fancy equipment for KZbin. But it is Larry’s hobby and he still has a full time job. Hopefully we have bought what we need except for a few small items. We do follow other channels but we don’t like to say. They are RVers with rigs around our size or bigger. So #teamAlice about KZbin equipment? 😂. Alice

[@donbryant5551]

WOW, are you guys still in vacation mode??

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Don, if you see the cost breakdown, it’s more about getting everything we need for full time. Did you see the summary costs at the end? Alice

[@donbryant5551]

@@DownsizingMakesCents Yes, I did. I've enjoyed watching you guys since you started, you keep it real. Keep up the good job (with all that expensive equipment) lol. Look forward to the next one.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

DON BRYANT Don, hopefully we are finished buying the expensive stuff 😂🤣. Thanks for recognizing we are just trying to be honest. Alice

[@thomas4315]

Storage? Never.... you know why they are tons of lockers they sell in bidding ? They are tuber & joke how people are spending 20-30 thousand storing junk, worthless things that are of no value. But only to them. Try do the math, after 1 yr you are paying double what you brought if for. After 2 yr your are nuts. You should have just sold it. Go to a used item store now. Stores are dumping new items cause they need constant new merchandise. Like me today. I brought a new hand coffee grinder, that 59-65 buck. A new PS3 game 40 buck value.and a pasta storage push button lock. 10 buck value. It came out to 16.80 they gave me discount 62 so I only payed 12.50 for 110.00 value . It's a throw away society. If it sentimental it should be with you. Or it not. LOL

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Thomas, you are so right. We need to get rid of it. We finally gave our kids their stuff we had in storage. The biggest problem is all the photos and antiques. But we are working on it. But we don’t know if we will full time forever. We see ourselves getting a very small place in the future. We shall see. But I agree. We live in a throw away society- but that doesn’t mean we have to be a part of it. All we have left in storage our things we actually may use or need again. Alice

[@thomas4315]

Everybody say that, not forever I get a house in the future. should have given all your stuff away as many did. Iam very logical. I have seen friend that have arthritis and the best is to stop wear now, cause you will have to endure pain without pain killer majors of time. All pain killer use nsaid or aspirin. Stomach bleed as it thin you blood. If abuse it. He was to his job, at first sign. Or he be in a wheel chair by now. Hr of Inflation is catch 22 its bone on bone. To beat it' start train the wife to take over duties and get experience driving and hook up. Why? You know what coming & This delay the wheel chair the amount of wear decide it. Arthritis is about our joints are ball and socket joints. And that thin sac of lube in between for some reason is empty. And the pain is from inflammation of bone to bone wear. That why they take the wheel chair out. as the more daily wear the night you suffer. Can't take pain killer every night. Or you get more problems Runner many develop arthritis later. If she can run the rig by her- self few women do that. Than you have jump ahead. Another option. As Last place you want to be is in a wheel chair stuck at home. That not living. You would be dreaming to go get a rv. So the decision would be. What the right rig, and how not to run out of saving. Look up this vitamin somaflex. I been taking it for insurance to build up that sack of lube. It's expensive but the reviews are good only company that I know that's tryed it

[@thomas4315]

But watchout somafex has white willow plant that a pain killer.. So it could hide pain that a warning that your doing wear. www.florahealth.com/en/herb-encyclopedia/white-willow/

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Pain meds do mask the problem, making it worse. Soma flex looks interesting, the original source of aspirin. Thanks for the link. Larry

[@RENE-vm8ce]

what you did is hit the Indian casinos

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

Rene, I’m guessing you mean we threw our money away? Obviously the solar will pay off more once we don’t have a work zone. The camera equipment is Larry’s hobby too. You can’t put a price on sanity. The truck cover was a necessity. So I’m not sure if I understood your comment? Please clarify if you want. Alice

[@jmmccrary]

It seems like you sold all your stuff to go full time and then bought a bunch of stuff.

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

That is so funny, in some ways true. I have always had a lot of hobbies, i had to give up, drone racing, RC car racing, RC helicopter and planes, windsurfing, computer building etc and sell all that stuff so we could live in an RV. I didn’t know at time I was going to get into KZbin so much and Start accumulating so much stuff again. It’s my fault, i don’t really need all that stuff, i just like learning new skills like, filming, editing etc. I guess I need to downsize again, lol. Larry

[@tedolson8349]

You're wasting your money on buying organic meat I am farmer and there is more penicillin in those farms then others save your money and buy Angus beef

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

I unfortunately mostly have to stay away from red meat, it just does not agree with me anymore. Larry

[@mommyofthree8271]

Love your video quality, however yall are spending too much!!!

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

I agree, we are working on our first year expense spreadsheet preparing for the video, our expenses have come down. The first 6 months had a lot of start up costs. Larry