New? Are you full timing on Social Security?

[cmartin748]

And am fortunate to have a one to return to

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by cmartin748

I met a couple while camping at AEP ReCreationlands (free camping) that have been full-timing for 25 years.They sold everything and used his daughter address for their mail. Together they earned around 1100 per month. I didn't ask from where. They were in their early sixties and were both going to get a small amount of SS @ 62. Her mom died and left them some property so thay had to take some "time off" lol to sell the property for a few thousand dollars. They stayed south in winter and slowly north in summer. They were both on Medicaid but I don't know why. Seemed very happy. Said they mostly "dry" camped and were still able to put money aside.

Looks like this is in Ohio, but there are similar opportunities available in other states. Here's a very interesting link: https://www.aep.com/environment/conservation/recland/

[Glenn Baglo]

My back yard is a lot nicer, and more private, than most campgrounds.
It's why we often come home early.

[mary and bob]

Originally Posted by Bill Nolen

One suggestion that I haven't seen offered....or maybe I overlooked it...is someone who owns a home can rent it out while they try out full-timing. The rent received should cover any mortgage and insurance costs.

That way they will still have a home to return to if full-timing doesn't work out.

I'd suggest that a person wishing to do that considering letting a Real Estate Broker. who manages Rental Property, manage the property for you. They should properly screen any renters to ensure that the rent is paid!

Bill

Years ago we met a retired couple that did this. Rented out their house and traveled. Northern states in the summer, southern states in the winter. Did the east coast one year, central states the next, then on to the west coast the next year. And they still had a house to go back to when they felt their traveling days were over. A house they knew and liked, in a location they liked, with friends and family in the area. Good idea Bill

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

My back yard is a lot nicer, and more private, than most campgrounds.
It's why we often come home early.

We too have a gorgeous back yard, but alas, we have endlessly explored it. There is soooo much out their on this continent we have no explored yet.

[TCMac]

I love this forum. I get the daily emails and really enjoy reading the new posts. I am still a few years away from retirement but am planning on full time RVing.

One suggestion I would make is to try full timing for a few months in a local camp ground or KOA camp to see how you adjust. I went through a divorce 3 years ago and lived full time in my 5th wheel during the divorce. Spent the winter in a three season camper so had to do some work to get it not freeze up but even with that headache I really enjoyed it. The cost was cheaper than my sticks and bricks home and I believe I would be comfortable and get by on SS alone. I will have another small pension in addition to SS when I retire plus debt free and a paid off camper and truck so I should be comfortable.

I really enjoyed reading this thread!!!

[Bob Miller]

I try to balance the best of several worlds in retirement.
Judy and I both have houses, hers is on Lake Chelan in WA, mine in SoCal. Needless to say, Alaska Air gets a lot of our spare change.....


We both rent out extra rooms/suites. Rental income takes care of all of the house payments and utilities, and we always have someone in both houses when we are on the road. And, we still have our own homes to come home to..... Plus, we become snowbirds by default.

[honda03842]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

We too have a gorgeous back yard, but alas, we have endlessly explored it. There is soooo much out their on this continent we have no explored yet.

The known can be wonderful, it can even be the best there is but it remains the known. If you are not excited by the new, if you don't wonder how and why, extended travel may not be for you.

I am forever wondering. Today I went down to learn how our campground sewer plant works. There's just something to learn every day.

As we drove to Alaska, Ginny virtually read the Milepost to me so we could lean what there was along the entire route. Ginny is very much into the journey and not the destination. Everywhere you go there's something you probably can not imagine.

I do understand the sometimes need to focus on the destination for an assortment of reasons but it can become ones only way to travel, long driving days, few stops... In your road route and in yo if you just extend yourself a little there's much along the way to enhance your life.

If all you do is talk football with your wife you can eventually expect a glazed look. Wonder about her and her thoughts and she'll wonder about you.

[Bob Miller]

My Grandmother (1898-1989) was a woman before her time. In 1960 she retired and, with a 1958 Studebaker station wagon and a 12' travel trailer, she hit the road for 6 months, 2 years in a row, alone. And she didn't even learn to drive until after my grandfather passed away 5 years earlier.


Her secret: (to stay on topic) "Every town in America is famous for something, just stop and ask". Back then her (Canadian) smile got her everything from information, to a place to park for the night, to free dinners, to a lot of long time friends. About ten years later, one of the 4 husbands she managed to outlive, also came to be as a result of those trips. No question about it, for her times, she was a Hottie.....


I've looked a lot and it's pretty hard to find a place that's not famous for something when I ask....

[Uplander]

So far answers to this post indicate only Norm and Ginny are full time, retired and collecting social security....so my question to them is simple...are you spending only social security income to finance your travels, gasoline costs, camping costs, food costs, insurance costs etc ???...or are you finding it necessary to dip into other cash or investment income to finance your life style?

I know what I get in social security monthly after taxes and Medicare insurance costs and I would not be able to maintain our lifestyle on social security alone.
We shop at Walmart and not Whole Foods. We dine out at restaurants a few times a month...sometimes more ...sometimes less. We buy our clothes on sale or at outlet shops to save money and we pay our state sales taxes, state income taxes, town and county real estate taxes, school taxes on our real estate and there is no way I can see anyone making ends meet on what social security pays.
Suggest you do a real budget...include it all and I believe you will come up short.

I firmly believe there is no way to live in comfort and enjoy life on social security alone. Retirement should be enjoyed and not just a survival endurance test.

Save a lot while you are working....you will need every dollar you save.

[honda03842]

Originally Posted by Uplander

So far answers to this post indicate only Norm and Ginny are full time, retired and collecting social security....so my question to them is simple...are you spending only social security income to finance your travels, gasoline costs, camping costs, food costs, insurance costs etc ???...or are you finding it necessary to dip into other cash or investment income to finance your life style?

I know what I get in social security monthly after taxes and Medicare insurance costs and I would not be able to maintain our lifestyle on social security alone.
We shop at Walmart and not Whole Foods. We dine out at restaurants a few times a month...sometimes more ...sometimes less. We buy our clothes on sale or at outlet shops to save money and we pay our state sales taxes, state income taxes, town and county real estate taxes, school taxes on our real estate and there is no way I can see anyone making ends meet on what social security pays.
Suggest you do a real budget...include it all and I believe you will come up short.

I firmly believe there is no way to live in comfort and enjoy life on social security alone. Retirement should be enjoyed and not just a survival endurance test.

Save a lot while you are working....you will need every dollar you save.

We're decidedly different than many.

We traveled 7.5 months a year. For almost all that time we owned a home that for some years the home barely saw us. That home cost us about $10,000 a year to own. The balance of our yearly expenses were typically paid for by SS or 'equivalent cash'.

I say equivalent cash because for the first years we were not old enough to collect SS, we started the adventure when we were 58. None the less our yearly living expenses were the order of $36,000 a year plus the $10,000 cost of the house.

As a result over the 15 years we owned it we spent $150,000 on the house. Initially Ginny thought we'd be coming back, that I would return to my workaholic ways. By the time we agreed to sell it the world was in turmoil and in many ways still is.

In retrospect it was a significant error. Without the house we could survive on SS or the equivalent.

We have always lived comfortably. Our best thing is that we personally don't need a lot to live well. Ginny is very happy with a $1 McDonald's hamburger or a PB&J. Our first 6 months out we each had 75 PB&Js, we kept track because we thought it was funny, we really are silly kids. Most of the time we ear in the rig, and always breakfast in the rig.

Our first 10 years we wrote down everything we spent. Of course food, gas and RV parks were less in the early days.

We have only camped at Walmarts once but have parked in numerous Federal Parks, Passport Parks and Escapee Parks. We generally say away from the high density tourist campgrounds. We rarely park in a FL coastal park.

We pay very little in the way of taxes. Our state does not have a sales tax or state income tax. I work to minimize federal taxes.

We only own one vehicle and keep it for 10 years. We buy very low maintenance cars, and rarely bring it to a dealership.

If you ever meet us you'll recognize how happy we are, that we are comfortable with life, our travels and each other. I suspect if we had more money we'd give it away.

Now that we're really old, we don't worry about money very much. Our kids have told us to spend our savings. We don't seem to need to do it.

We have a $15,000 house in FL, monthly maintenance in our beautiful Escapee park is $120 a month, those who've stopped by know our park.. We spend about $75 a month for electricity and $70 a month for insurance. The total cost to live in our FL home is less than $300 a month, heated pool, grass cut, warm weather and a fraction of what we get from SS. And the yearly taxes on our house, yearly is $35. Isn't this a great country?

We have never lived on a budget but writing down every expense daily makes you conscious of money. 15 years have taught us a lot.

We have friends who have fair incomes but spend money in ways we don't. We always have small used rigs. We know friends that have an outfit with them for every holiday..we do none of that... no matter what Ginny wears I'm happy.

I'm wandering now..I can go on and on about our RV life. It has provided a wonderful background for our lives.

[rita in ma]

Norm and Ginny, I am from Plymouth Ma and go to NH frequently. I am looking for a Scamp in New England and have had no luck all summer looking. I am selling my pop up Starcraft 2007, and hope to use that money for a down Payment on a 13' Scamp. Do you ever see any in your travels? I too am camping on my retirement monthly paycheck. I notice that when I look here, no prices are posted. Making it difficult to shop.

[honda03842]

Rita,
We no longer have NH as a residence.

Do you use Craig's List? You can create a search that covers a 200 mile radius from your home.

[debandsue]

So many different people and situations. Okay here is ours: we are a lesbian couple of 27 years and fulltiming in a Casita for the past year. We have a monthly income of less than $3k/month (social security and small pension). Can it be done? Hell yes. Easily? Not always. We struggle with healthcare and saving for emergencies. We still owe on our tow vehicle but no other debt. We love each other, love our Casita and the desert southwest. (The New Mexico state parks are an awesome bargain.) While we cannot have everything, we have a lot (including eating out). Money is not everything but it is not nothing either. I wish I could meet more people who are like us and less like the big rigs on vacation.




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[Cathi]

The OP may say this is all going off topic again LOL but I will respond to you anyway. It won't be political or religious!

I think you have it there as to why there are fulltimers who are thrilled to be full timers: they do not like their jobs or their houses necessarily, and the hassle and maintenance, and they want to be free of all of that. And the next place when they do not like where they are sitting because of the neighbors, weather or something else, they hook up and go.

You like where you are and your life in general. They often do not but then there is the interest in seeing the country and learning about other places and people. You may have the kind of set-up that they would like and they may go looking for it in their travels. They know they have to end up somewhere off of the road.

I think you are right on the money situation in that they can manage it as full timers if they managed it before. The ones on SS manage with SS. It is really irrelevant as to whether the income is SS or some pension or something else. People do what they have to do to find free or low cost parking if they want to be out there, as that is likely the biggest drain.

Originally Posted by P. Raz

My parents were raised during the great depression. Their experiences and behavior had a big influence on me. Early on I learned that when I worked I was trading hours of my life for money. Debt was something to be avoided if possible. As such I'm more a saver that a spender. I also try to avoid anything that involves a contract or has fees. I prefer pay as you go. In retirement I'm debt free.

Unlike Norm, full timing or even long term travel does not have the draw for me. I'm good for about a month and then I'm ready to go home. I like where I live, though I admit by March I've had enough of winter. I like my woods; walking or snowshoeing with the dog. I like my garden. I enjoy cutting firewood in the summer and spending hours tinkering in my shop any time of year. This is home and I guess I'm a homebody at heart.

I would suggest that folks who were good money managers prior to retirement will be good money managers after retirement whether they are on the road fulltime or not. And more likely than not they will not be living on just social security alone but if they had to, they could. Raz

[Cathi]

See below starting with New Mexico --- (problem posting)

Originally Posted by debandsue

So many different people and situations. Okay here is ours: we are a lesbian couple of 27 years and fulltiming in a Casita for the past year. We have a monthly income of less than $3k/month (social security and small pension). Can it be done? Hell yes. Easily? Not always. We struggle with healthcare and saving for emergencies. We still owe on our tow vehicle but no other debt. We love each other, love our Casita and the desert southwest. (The New Mexico state parks are an awesome bargain.) While we cannot have everything, we have a lot (including eating out). Money is not everything but it is not nothing either. I wish I could meet more people who are like us and less like the big rigs on vacation.




New Mexico is a good deal but do you leave in winter? I know it is often below freezing even in southern NM. Even at Quartzsite, it is freezing now. Are you Escapees members? That can get you some inexpensive parking. Do you do any volunteering or workkamping to get free hookups for a few months?


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[varmint]

Hi Jason,
My wife and I are not full timers. We are on Social Security. We have been out for a 4 month period with our Scamp and have a feel for what full timing would be like.

I'm a sailor also. I have friends we have known for just short of 20 years. They sold their home in about 1995 and lived on a boat about 4 yrs. They sailed from Michigan, through the Erie canal to New York City, on to Florida with a couple of trips to the Bahamas. They sold the boat in 1999 and bought a stick built trailer of about 20 ft and a truck to pull it. They were full timers living in the trailer for the next 12 yrs. They were volunteers 5 months a year at a north Michigan marina where they got a free camping spot with utilities. This would be much like being " a camp host". In the fall they would go to Texas

[varmint]

Sorry, I accidentally posted early. They would go to Aransas, Tx. They grew old and health concerns forced them to buy a 60 ft trailer in a park near Lansing, MI, close to their kids. At this point the gal was really happy to have a home again after about 20 yrs and the man was senile. It worked for them and they lived on a shoestring but one size doesn't fit all.
We did spend 4 months in our Scamp last year. We tried to use federal parks whenever possible. Craters of the Moon nat monument cost us $5 a night. When we got to Yellowstone it was full and we camped 1 night just outside of the park for about $40. Most National Parks ran about $16 a night. We found it easy to get a camping site at National and State Parks on Sunday - Thursday but weekends often need about 3-4 week in advance reservation. In popular spots during peak season it is nearly impossible to get into some Parks. Ortuna Lock Corps of Engineers Park is an example, in southern Florida. Private parks can be expensive but monthly stays are much cheaper. We get about 15 miles to the gallon towing and about 22 when unhooked. We have an outdoor grill which I use often. A 1 lb canister will grill 8-10 times. We hit the stores about every 3 days or so to provision. We often eat out when we're on a trip shopping.
Full timing on Social Security is probably possible for most. Traveling in a Scamp is travelling "small". We were the smallest trailer at most every private park we stayed at. Social Security alone just means a bit smaller.
I find an AARP study that put the median SS income for a male in 2012 at $16,295 and a woman at $11,999. Thats about $28,000/yr. Half of us would have more and half less. I think it's doable for those in the middle and above. Again, one size doesn't fit all.

[kirkman]

Guys and Gals this thread is going great I'm learning a lot.
Thanks! 👍🏼


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[A Storgard]

As I indicated before, we will soon be full timers if all goes according to plan. We have already needed to revise our itinerary as a result of the Cdn dollar value. I have noticed that most people posting are from the U.S.A., Are there any Canadian full timers that can give insight into lower cost parks/and perks we could take advantage of in Canada?
I enjoy reading everyone's posts. keep it up ��