budget | Live Work Dream | RVing Lifestyle Design Blog

Show Me the Money: Hard Numbers from a Year on the Road

September 4, 2023June 3, 2008 by Rene

One year ago this week, we drove away from Humboldt County in a daze. We couldn’t believe that we had really pulled our sabbatical off, and year on the road seemed like an eternity. Little did we know that it would fly by seemingly as quick as a two week vacation. We have so much to say about our epic journey. But for now, let’s start with the hard numbers.

Thanks to the meticulous Quickbooks expense tracking I’ve done over the last several years, and Carol White’s Live Your Road Trip Dream book budgeting templates, I was able to put together a budget that works for us. In short: we came in under budget, and the money we’ve saved will enable us to continue to live this lifestyle for at least the next year if we choose to.

If you’d like to see the technical details, a PDF with summarized numbers is here. But if spreadsheets make you snooze, then here’s a quick summary of my numbers for the year, and some ways we saved money:

Live Work Dream Expense Report: March 2008

September 14, 2015April 4, 2008 by Rene

The end of March marked the end of the first quarter of 2008. Back in the old days of running the business, I used to measure all of our accomplishments and setbacks by the end of the quarter. It was a time to celebrate or drown our sorrows. But this time, for the first time in years I’d totally forgotten that the quarter had ended. …

Live Work Dream Expenses February 2008

September 14, 2015March 4, 2008 by Rene

Well, our Workamping savings are a thing of the past, and February gave us a current reality check of what our expenses look like when we just play tourist and go out looking for all of the cool music, food and entertainment we want to experience.

Our biggest expense last month: fuel. We went over our budgeted amount for the first time ever. This is mostly because we went 1600 miles out of our way (round trip) for a quick trip back to California to visit my family. More on our L.A. experience later.

Live Work Dream Expenses January 2008

September 14, 2015February 11, 2008 by Rene

The costs of an RV road trip for one month in January 2008.

Live Work Dream 2007 Expense Summary

September 14, 2015January 9, 2008 by Rene

Whew, what a relief. I just crunched our trip expenses from June to December, and found that we actually came in under budget by almost $12,000! How did we do it? By over budgeting, being ultra careful about things we chose to see and do, and Workamping. Now, this nice little savings is going to allow us to continue our journey even longer than we originally planned, by at least 6 months or so.

Now, let’s talk money. Pay attention; here are some important lessons we learned:

Live Work Dream Expenses November 2007

September 14, 2015November 30, 2007 by Rene

Our RV road trip sabbatical budget and expense report for November 2007, just prior to Workamping gig in Florida for winter.

Live Work Dream Expenses October 2007

September 14, 2015November 3, 2007 by Rene

A summary of our RV road trip budget living expenses for the month of October 2007

The Numbers: September 2007 Budget Figures

September 14, 2015October 4, 2007 by Rene

Ideas, tips and worksheet for creating a road trip budget forecast plan.

Our RV Travel Budget Results, August 2007

September 14, 2015September 4, 2007 by Rene

Even when a fulltimer hits the road, the drudgery of paying bills doesn’t stop. My paperwork got a lot lighter since we sold our business, but I still have to push some around. Especially when we receive a package of mail from Jim’s fabulous sister, who’s handling our PO Box for us.

Which Shall It Be: Bankruptcy of Purse or Bankruptcy of Life?

September 4, 2023August 4, 2007 by Rene

Finally, I have our budget numbers for our first month out. But keep in mind, there’s no such thing as a “budget” when you’re on the road; it’s in reality, a “spending plan.” As the super frugal CFO of this family, these circumstances are difficult for me at times. Maybe this is why many people who want to do this kind of trip never do, because spending money while not working is terrifying.

When we decided to take the gamble and go on this trip, we put the following passage from the Sterling Hayden book Voyage: A Novel of 1896 in our bathroom medicine cabinet, for daily inspiration;