25 More Money-Saving Tips

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SAVE MONEY ON MAINTENANCE AND FUEL BY KEEPING YOUR WEIGHT DOWN:

 1.    Every six months or so, go through all your storage areas. If you haven’t used something in six months, consider whether or not you really need it.

 2.    When you purchase something new like a shirt, get rid of something old. Consider donating it.

 3.    Look for book exchanges at RV parks where you stay. Trade an old book for one you haven’t read.

 4.    Libraries often have shelves of books they no longer want that are priced very reasonably. Also, look for a box or shelf with older magazines. Some may still be interesting reading or have useful articles.

 5.   Go to the library for a morning or afternoon to read the latest issues of your favorite magazines.

 6.   If you are in an area for a while, check into getting a library card. You can check out recent books. Many libraries have a movie/DVD section as well.

 7.    Carry dried foods instead of cans.

 8.    Tools are heavy. Carry the minimum ones and borrow the others.

SAVE MONEY ON PURCHASES

 9.    Obtain an “America the Beautiful-National Parks and Federal Recreation Areas Pass” for $80 if you’ll be visiting more than 4 or 5 parks. You’ll save on admission fees.      

10.   Seniors 62 and over pay a one-time fee of $10. The Access Pass for those with a disability is free.

11.   Volunteer at least 500 hours for the National Park Service and receive a Volunteer Pass good for the next year that gives you free admission.

12.   The RV lifestyle is casual. One dress-up outfit is more than enough. Jeans and t-shirts are the basic uniform. If you need something a little fancier, you might be able to pick it up at a thrift store.

13.   Eat lunch out instead of dinner. Often restaurants have the same menu but the prices go up at dinnertime. Prices for buffets in casinos go up sometime in late afternoon but the menu is the same.

14.   Use your stove and oven in your RV to cook with instead of eating out often.

15.   Buy clothing and household goods at 2^nd hand stores. If you need an outfit for one event, you could find just the thing at a low price. Donate it back when you are finished with it.

16.   Make your own entertainment. Play cards, read, watch videos.

17.   Trade books and videos with friends.

18.   Shop on sale days at the market.

19.   Buy fewer processed foods. They cost more. Cook a double batch to have a ready-made dinner another day.

20.   Vacuum seal your food (fruits, veggies, meat) to keep longer without spoiling. Machine is sold at RV shows

21.   Slow cook in crockpots if you have a hook-up

22.   Grow your own herbs rather than pay the high prices for them in the market.

23.   Eat leftovers in stir-frys, stews, etc.

24.   Stick to your shopping list.

25.   Look for discount coupons in local papers offered by restaurants and attractions. Some areas offer discounts on certain days. For example, in San Diego’s Balboa Park, each museum has a free admission day.

These tips are adapted from the free handout, “Tip of the Week: 52 Ways To Save Money Living the RV Lifestyle,” that Jaimie Hall Bruzenak and I wrote as a gift to people who subscribe to our free online newsletter “RV Lifestyles.” Sign up at our Web site  to subscribe to the newsletter.

This blog will be dark for three weeks. I’m off to Israel from November 10 - December 3. As part of my money-saving goals, I’ve been saving travel miles for years so I wouldn’t have to pay for a round trip ticket for this once-in-a-lifetime journey.

Safe and frugal travels,

Alice Zyetz

25 Money-Saving Tips

To help our readers in these troubled economic times, all of us were asked to blog about saving money on the road. Here are 25 tips.

SAVE ON MAINTENANCE

1.     Weigh your RV regularly to make sure it isn’t overloaded and that the load is balanced evenly. Save your transmission and tires. For trailer owners, make sure your tow vehicle Is rated for the load you are towing.

2.     Check the water level in your battery regularly and add more as needed.

3.     Cover your tires when parked in one spot for several days. This protects tires from UV damage. Most RV tires get more wear and damage from sun than driving. Read more

RV: Which Type is Right For You?

Last week’s blog was devoted to understanding some of the criteria to use for choosing an RV. This week I want to look at the pros and cons of different classes of RVs. Although last week I mentioned that solo women tend to buy motorhomes, that’s not an absolute rule. Many also buy trailers. Especially now that we’re trying to improve our mileage, it seems easier to make lighter trailers than lighter motorhomes. Read more

How to Choose the Right RV for You

Many of the comments you made after the first blog entry relate to how to choose an RV, especially for women starting out. There is no simple answer. It depends on how often you plan to use your rig, where you want to park, how much experience you’ve had in the past, how much money you have to spend, and more.

Generally speaking, women traveling solo tend to buy motorhomes. They are easier to park, easier to hook and unhook the toad (if they even use one) rather than a tow truck, and easier to depart rapidly if a situation proves threatening. But even that is not a strict rule. Some women prefer driving a truck and hauling a fifth wheel or travel trailer. My guess is that they’ve had some prior experience. One of my favorite comments made by a solo woman (a trailer devotee) was, “I don’t worry about being in an unsafe situation and feel I have to hook up immediately. I don’t put myself into those environments.” Read more

Working on the Road

Yes, I know the whole idea is to retire and NOT work any more, but it is a great way to stretch your retirement dollars (which may be taking another hit as we speak). Plus, many of your RV family actually enjoy their RV jobs. Often they are in beautiful locations, they get to explore the out-of-the-way gems on their days off, they meet lots of great people, and often have reduced rates for special attractions. One couple worked in Branson and saw all the shows at reduced prices. Disney workers can go to other Disney parks.

What kind of work can you do?

Read more

If You Can Drive a Car, You Can Drive an RV

Wow! 33 comments as I sit down to write this entry. You have brought up great questions and many of you have already shared your experiences, support and encouragement to each other. I am overjoyed that there is this much interest in the subject. It will take quite a while to respond to all your concerns and requests so I am grateful to those of you who are offering great advice to each other. For those who want to get started and can’t wait until I cover all the topics, visit RVing Women  for excellent information. Also my writing partner, Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak, and I wrote a book on Solo RVing available at our Web site.  

In addition to all the options for a good full-time rig that have been mentioned, I suggest you look at the Safari Trek in which the bed is raised and lowered. The advantage is that in a 27-foot rig you can still have a full living room and a fair-sized kitchen area, and at night have a queen-sized bed. I believe Holiday Rambler makes a similar model. I always recommend that you buy used for your first rig so you maintain the value if you discover (which most of us did) that you really want something else after the first few years.

My topic this week is the importance of driving the rig if you are traveling with a spouse. In the 15 years I’ve Read more

A Woman’s View — Introduction

Welcome to a new blog: RVing from a Woman’s Perspective. Many of the existing blog entries are designed for men and women, but over the years I’ve found that when women get together, there is a special language for communicating. This is no different within the RV lifestyle.

I envision this blog as a safe place to ask the “stupid” questions, talk about feelings about being on the road, and generally find a community of women for those days when you are traveling or parked by yourselves. This blog is designed for ALL women, whether traveling solo or with a partner or spouse. Read more