We are one month into our journey and are scratching the surface of this new lifestyle.  There are things we took for granted in our sticks and brick home and things I do miss.  In this blog, I want to touch on some of the questions we have gotten so far related to money.

Budget 

With much research and calculating, I created a yearlong budget. Spreadsheets and numbers both light my fire and cause me incredible stress. With all the number crunching I realize that I have grossly under and overestimated a number of categories. As head financial guru of the Hintermeister household, this was a slap to the ego. Having never drug a house around before, I did my best guessing. Groceries and household items are much more expensive than I thought. We haven’t eaten out much due to cost, food sensitives, and what to do with the dog. James says we eat out all the time- sitting at the picnic table at the campsite. Yep, I get to experience his humor every day. Still, shopping in small quantities does cost more. Standing in a grocery store aisle confronted by an $8 tag on a dozen eggs had us rethinking a few recipes for the week. Home improvement expenses continue to pop up yet they are different when the home is on 4 wheels. Broken cap replacement for the stinky slinky, roof sealer, water filters, etc. Nothing crazy expensive thankfully but it all adds up. So far, diesel fuel has been cheaper than I thought. This helps as it is one of our biggest expenses.  All of these budget categories will get refined the longer we live on the road.  I hope.

Shopping

We only have so much storage so our shopping habits have changed.  No more buying in bulk and having multiples on hand “just in case”. It felt very odd the first time I bought a four pack of toilet paper rather than my usual 24-roll mega pack. Cleaning out our cupboards and pantry before the move, I embarrassingly found a few items years past their expiration date. Am I alone on this? Now, our food and appliance storage is equivalent to two cupboards. No fear of losing that box of rice or onion soup mix in the back. We also work to “eat down” the fridge and freezer so we have less chance of spoilage during our travel days. Definitely less wasted food out here on the road. Never in my days did I worry about two glass containers next to each other in the cupboard or fridge. Now I do as there is an increased chance I will have a messy cleanup when we get to our next site. Stores are different too.  If you are like me, I went to the store and picked up the same brands (generic ketchup- no thank you) and knew exactly where everything was. Many of my favorite brands are not available in certain parts of the country so we are constantly trying new things. Which is great unless you really need comfort food tasting exactly like it does when you are home. Store layouts are different too.  In Minnesota, alcohol and wine is purchased at the liquor store. Elsewhere you can put beer and wine in the same cart as your eggs and bread! I felt naughty. My cereal, which is normally at eye level in Minnesota, is buried on the bottom shelf or non-existent here in Virginia.  Who knew that Western Dressing was not universal either. I spent 15 minutes in the aisle trying to explain to a young grocery store worker what Western Dressing was and how we have it in Minnesota. It went something like, “no, it is not stuffing, nor made in Texas, it’s not western in nature, it’s a little spicy but Minnesota spicy and certainly not French but it’s like French.” I could tell he wasn’t following me and left him a bit stunned as I thanked him and moved on. Still, it has been fun to try new things and we are grateful that we have access and means to good food. 

Deliveries

Back home, packages in front of the door was just another common part of our week. I admit I tried getting home before James so he wouldn’t necessarily see how many or so that I could see what he ordered. Getting deliveries on the road is much easier than years past however you have to time it right.  Our current campground allows for Amazon and other deliveries. None of the other campgrounds we stayed at did so far.  If we really needed something that we couldn’t get in a local store, we would have to look for a local drop site or ship to a friend/family member that lives nearby. This has made us ask ourselves if we want the item or need the item. Who am I kidding, does it matter? I hold the purse strings really tight unless the skort is really cute or my energy drink supply is running low. Perhaps this is why James has his own account for his bike stuff… but I digress. The other challenge with ordering is delayed shipping.  If they can’t get the order to us by the time we leave, we have to cancel the order or it is a nice donation to the campground. Once the campground accepts the package it is “delivered”.  There are lots of discussions such as, “the website says it can get it here by November 14th however we leave on the 16th, should we risk it?” One of us likes to play the game of chance more than the other. The reality is that on the road, much more planning is done in ordering something than simply pressing a button.    

Laundry

Gone are the days of throwing a load in to a clean washer and returning hours later, or the next day, to throw it in your clean dryer.  Each place we have gone has different laundry experiences.  Some campground laundromats are beyond gross and some are clean. No lie, one washer at a campground looked like they washed dead ducks in it. There were brown streaks, red stains and tons of pin feathers. It could have been a pillow with crayons that accidently got in there but I am sticking with the dead duck story. They all charge different amounts from $6 to $14 for a wash and dry. Folding tables have varying degrees of cleanliness too. Some campgrounds don’t have laundry services so we get to experience local laundromats. Simple visuals on the fronts of machines aren’t so simple to me.  I have found asking for help saves burning clothes- yes things do melt in commercial dryers- or adding soap to the wrong compartment. This is one way to guarantee snickering and judgement from the regulars. I also don’t feel comfortable leaving my clothes while they are washing and drying so a lot of time is spent on the computer while laundry is being done. I’m not sure what I think will happen but I don’t want anyone touching my clothes that I wear day after day after day after…. Our current campsite has a rec room next to the laundry machines. This has been my favorite experience so far as I was able to put a puzzle together. Simple pleasures. We have been asked if we were going to buy our own washer and dryer for the camper.  I have heard mixed reviews on them so it is a strong maybe.  It is another thing bouncing down the road and could break or leak. I’m not a fan of breaking or leaking. They also add weight which is precious in our mobile abode. In our size rig, they would be smaller and I am told that they hold very little clothes and take a long time to wash and dry.  Some of the people we have met that have them, said they use their washer and dryer for undergarments and delicates and use the campground facilities for their sturdier clothes. This wouldn’t even be a question in a house.

Healthcare

The cost of healthcare is astronomical in America. I tried to get into all my annual appointments when I was employed. A good check from head to toe helped send me off with a clean bill of health. I do worry about the “what if’s” as we currently have a “catastrophic” plan that basically covers ER visits after a hefty deductible. We still pay a good amount in premiums and will need to pivot if something comes up.  Many of the people we meet work fulltime on the road and get their healthcare through their employer or are of Medicare age. There are groups out there too that are basically self-insured as well as Christian groups that have their own plans. Amazon has healthcare options too for a very low cost as well as other private businesses. We are not spring chickens so healthcare is on our minds. It is something to re-look at if this adventure continues past a year. For now, we are praying we don’t get sick or injured. Again, something we didn’t worry about back home.

One of the lessons we have gleaned in this journey is how much we have taken for granted in our “old life”.  Groceries, laundry, purchases, healthcare, we didn’t even think about them, we just used them. While we cannot fully comprehend other people’s experiences, there is a new appreciation and compassion for those living in food deserts, the cost in money and time of doing laundry, and fear of getting sick or hurt and how to afford it. We are so appreciative of our family and friends as they provide a safety net as well as all the people we are meeting on this amazing journey. We are blessed.