Yes, it has been four years and hopefully many more to come. We are loving the lifestyle and feel very fortunate to be able to continue our travels. Maybe it’s the accountant in me, I’m always interested in comparisons year-to-year and this blog is helping us track and remember places and timing – not so easy for the aging mind!
A quick recap of a year with not as much travel, more time with family, and planning ahead.
Review of year four: Leaving Michigan in late August, 2020 we stopped for a visit in Maryland before spending six weeks in North Carolina for the birth of our fifth granddaughter, Norah Danielle. Great family time before heading to Florida for a November 1st arrival.
October and November were hectic with the declining health of Jim’s mother, Mary Ann. She passed away in November. Thankful for her almost 90 years and the way she cared for her family.
In Florida we enjoyed our first year at our new spot in Siesta Bay after committing to staying two seasons. This turned out to be a very good move for many reasons; really enjoyed the improved lot and location.
We spent Christmas in Michigan and most of February in North Carolina and Maryland. My work starting picking up in January and kept me busy through April. Again, very happy with the arrangement and my ability to work remotely from any location.
We enjoyed the Florida winter and tried to take long walks most days.
We arrived back in Michigan the first week of May and got busy on a few RV maintenance projects and other improvements. Lots of nice time with family and friends, including a trip to northern Michigan in July.
So, with a little less traveling this year, we still enjoyed familiar stays at Siesta Bay, Cherry Hill Park in MD, Jordan Lake State Park and Matthews Campground in NC, and Indian Creek Campground in MI. One of the new parks we stayed in – Traverse Bay RV Resort near Traverse City was a treat!
Camping & Fuel Expense: A look at our numbers proved to again be very steady and predictable. Camping expense was slightly lower for the past year at approximately $43 per night. Our fuel expense was down this year due to less travel.
A note on camping reservations: We have talked to a lot of RVers (weekenders to full timers) who have found park/camping reservations harder to get, especially in popular areas and time of year. This can be a little discouraging and takes some of the spontaneity out of traveling; so for us planning ahead is more important than ever.
Cell Phone, Internet, TV and Mail Service: This expense ticked up slightly due to increase in fees. The purchase of a MO-FI booster/router in the RV was a great addition to improve cell and internet service. Food expense was up slightly, dining out was down and groceries up (no surprise there, right!).
Health Care: We stayed with Liberty Health Share, and our monthly premium increased significantly to $499/month. Still a good option for us with Medicare enrollment coming up for us in the next year. Other health related expenses were down thankfully due to good health and finding lower prescription costs.
RV and Car insurance: This decreased some when we shopped around and went through a new agent that specializes in the RV insurance market. Overland Insurance Services out of Arizona may be worth checking out for full time RVers.
Repairs & Maintenance: This is where we spent some extra this year, including replacing our mattress and adding a desk and chair; all good improvements we are happy with. Jim continued to do needed scheduled maintenance items.
Remote work: I am still grateful for my remote working arrangement, including tax season for MRPR and continued work throughout the year on an as needed basis.
After four years, we have found our budget to be fairly consistent and predictable making it easier to plan. Just like owning a house and life in general, we know we will have unexpected repairs and expenses come up, so it is important to be prepared and flexible.
Fifth Year: Starting this year off with our long awaited trip west, taking us back to Florida by the end of October. Winter will be spent in Florida; with a 10-day trip planned to the Keys in early December and we will attend a Discovery Owners Group rally near Tampa in January.
We will travel to Michigan for Christmas and then settle in FL until Spring. I expect to be busy during tax season and will have to spend some time planning the next year. Lots of destinations to consider, we’ll keep rolling on for the foreseeable future.
Life In The RV Lane 