Expense Check

Lots has been going on since we left Polson. Our trip across Montana, Wyoming and Colorado was uneventful and lots of fun, just the way we like it. It's great to be back in our home state of Kansas. And, guess what? Much to our surprise, it feels like home! We're looking forward to our month in Kansas City and spending time with family and friends.

For now, I'm sitting in the laundry at the Salina KOA with another camper and a young aspiring songwriter who's capturing her lyrics with crayon in a coloring book while Spongebob Square Pants blares on the TV. Seems like as good of time as any for a quick blog post. There have been many subjects I've been meaning to write about. But, seriously, there just hasn't been enough time!

This subject was inspired by soon-to-be fulltimer Dee, who asked how our expenses are working out since we've been on the road. We'll cross the two-month mark very soon (already!), so I'm happy to provide a very newbie report on the subject.

Of course, this is just one couple's experience. There's nothing right or wrong about it. It simply is the way we've approached things. And our approach is just one of the infinite possibilities out there.

In the process of budgeting our monthly fulltiming expenses, we decided a couple of things. First, we wanted to err on the high side. Second, we didn't want to try to do this on the cheap. Now, don't get us wrong. We like to save a buck anywhere we can, but we wanted to give ourselves plenty of breathing room, and not ever feel like we're really pinching pennies. After all, our mission in fulltiming is to explore and enjoy life!

So how are we doing so far? We're very pleased to report that we are just under budget.

What have we learned about managing our expenses so far? Lots!

Fortunately, our two biggest expenses so far are the two things we can most easily control: fuel and campground fees. With 16 stops in our first two months, we have really been on the move. Most of the time we're paying the daily rate at campgrounds, which means we're not getting a break there. And, as we've learned, every time we fire up the moose we're buying gas. And, even though gas is much less expensive here than it was on the coast, it's still a big expense. September will be very interesting because we'll be parked in one spot and enjoy our first ever monthly rate for camping. Of course, we're also planning to have a bit of maintenance done on both vehicles. So, we'll see how that works out.

We've had a few one-time expenses that we're attributing to just getting started with this lifestyle. After all, we didn't know we needed an air compressor. But, we're sure glad to have one. The lesson learned for us in that is there are always going to be things you don't think of and expenses you don't plan for. By budgeting more than we realistically think it will take to live this lifestyle, we have room for things like that.

It's early. But, so far our budget seems to be working out just fine. With a couple months just about under our belts, we're actually ahead in the game of managing our expenses. Most importantly, we're not worrying about it.

Our advice for future fulltimers out there: When it comes to your monthly budget, aim high!

Planning in Polson

It's our last afternoon in Polson, Montana. Our two weeks here have been great fun and very relaxing. But, tomorrow it's time to move on. The price we have to pay for extending our trip here is spending the next three nights in three different places as we make a beeline for Colorado. Even with crummy wifi, it was worth it!

This two-week stint has been our longest in one spot. Contrary to our old beliefs, we weren't struck with boredom or hitch itch. These 14 days gave us plenty of time to get to know the area, wait for the weather and see everything we wanted to see, including Glacier National Park. Yesterday, we made time for a 10-mile bike ride along a nice bike path and through a gorgeous subdivision we imagined living in one day. (We can dream!) You just don't get to do stuff like that when you're in one spot for a few days or even a week.

All that said, we are ready to get on the road again. We spent today making preparations. I spent much of the day in serious planning mode, working through our beeline route and possible stopping points from here to Kansas City. I also finished up one of my big to-dos for this stop: I made a bunch of reservations!

The first "leg" of our fulltiming adventure was planned for months before our departure. And, we've executed that plan flawlessly. Over the last two weeks we reminded ourselves that after October 1st we don't have any reservations anywhere. And, especially in the winter, we're going to need them. It's not that we need to book ourselves solid. After all, one thing we want in this lifestyle is flexibility. But, when the temperatures drop up north and the snowbirds go south, we want to have a nice place to call home.

It takes time to research and plan when and where to stay. Don't get me wrong: I love this stuff. Fulltiming has brought out my inner planner! But, I need to remember to make time for this vital task. Paul and I are making a great team when it comes to planning our journey. We have wonderful conversations about what we want to do and what we don't want to do. Then, I'll do some research and we talk about it some more. When we have it all figured out, I take care of the details. It works!

The planning we've done in Polson has resulted in month-long reservations at two spots in South Texas this Winter. We couldn't see ourselves spending an entire season in one spot just yet, so we decided to add some variety to our Winter and split it up. We also made a reservation for a one-month stay next Summer in Idaho. It's not like us to plan so far ahead. But, if you want a good spot near Yellowstone in the Summer, it's what you have to do. We also freed up six weeks this Fall to do some yet-to-be-determined exploration. We had planned to spend the time in Texas wandering around and establishing our residency in that state. But, we can get everything set up when we head to Texas in January. So, now we're looking for wonderful places to travel in October and November. How fun!

Let the planning continue.

On Air

We waited out the weather for a few days, then gave up and made trips to Kalispell and Missoula in the rain. And, no matter what the weather, we're headed to Glacier National Park tomorrow. What will be will be.

One of the things that has surprised us since we started fulltiming is how difficult it is to get air for the tires. It's something we never had to think about as weekenders: Our storage spot had an air hose near the entrance. If we needed to air up before a trip, it was within easy reach. On the road, however, it's another story. We've found air hoses that were everywhere except anywhere we could be. They're frequently "around back" or right in front of a line of delivery trucks waiting to drop their goods at the station.

We decided to take matters into our own hands and carry our own air. Having never owned or shopped for an air compressor before, we were in uncharted territory. We took every chance we could find to research the subject online. And, these days (as our faithful readers know) the very act of getting online has proven to be quite a challenge. At last we had the information we needed to make an informed decision. With that, we went shopping.

The winner, for us anyway, is the Porter Cable 6 gallon 150 psi "pancake" portable air compressor. It weighs in at 30 pounds and has all the capacity we need to top off the 10 tires we travel on whenever they're running low. The Home Depot in Missoula had it on sale, so we brought one home.

Paul put the cute (but really loud) little red thing through its paces this morning and got it properly "broken in". Then, he went to work on checking and topping off the tires on the moose. (We'll check the squirrel tomorrow!) It's really great to be able to do this chore in the comfort of a campsite, instead of in a remote corner of a gas station. An added bonus is now we can check the tires when they're cold, like we're supposed to. Turns out this is one of those nifty things we didn't know we needed before we hit the road, but we're sure glad we have it now.

We'll miss searching in vain for accessible air hoses at every fuel stop. Really, we will.

OK. Maybe not.

Waitin' on the Weather

It's a rainy day here in Polson. In fact, it's been pouring for nearly 24 hours. But, we don't mind. We've used the falling water as an excuse to nap, read, watch TV, bake cookies (yum!), make a few phone calls and play online (when we can snag the network). Needless to say, we're managing to be lazy and relax quite well.

We feel for the people who are spending a precious week of vacation here. Today may have been the one day they planned to drive to Glacier, or some other day trip. They either made the trip anyway, juggled their plans or just scratched it off the agenda while they sat inside somewhere. The forecast calls for rain again tomorrow. One day down of a vacation week due to rain is one thing. Two could be a real bummer.

With seven nights left in our stay here, we should have plenty of time to take a sunny day trip or two. But, for right now, we're just waiting on the weather.

Please Hold

With rain in the forecast, we decided to forego exploring Western Montana today and take care of a few remaining odds and ends in our transition to this mobile lifestyle. On the to-do list were calls to the US Post Office, DirecTV and CitiBank. Two hours later, essentially nothing was accomplished. We spent most of our time on hold.

It’s become apparent that not all of our mail is being forwarded to our new address. So, we placed a call to our local branch of the USPS. We never enjoyed going there in person. It was no better contacting them by phone. It required two calls, after spending a good 20 minutes on hold, and a request to speak to a supervisor. The supervisor has our name and number and will call us back. (Uh huh.) Meanwhile, our confidence in getting all of mail is plummeting. (We can only imagine how a government-run health care system would run!)

We have been DirecTV customers for eight trouble-free years. We’ve enjoyed many of their premium services and have recommended the service to family and friends. With a satellite dish on our moose, we transported a receiver from house to coach for each weekend adventure. Everything worked great. When we tried to move our service from stick house to a rolling one, things got complicated. Before we moved, we were advised to initiate the transition once we were on the road. (Long, boring story.) So, now that we’re parked in one place for a couple of weeks, we thought it was time to start that process. After nearly 30 minutes on hold and a very frustrating conversation, we’ve decided to postpone the process until we are parked in Kansas City for a month. If we start the process on the first day we arrive, and keep our fingers crossed, we ought to have everything in order by when we head south on the last day of the month.

Paul placed a call to Citibank to submit a change of address so that our year-end tax documents would be mailed to the proper address. (Lord knows the post office won’t forward it!) The Citibank employee advised us to call back after January to submit the change. (Say what?) A transatlantic transfer to a supervisor (while we were on hold, of course) remedied that situation quickly.

As I’ve been writing this post, Paul has just placed a call to our mortgage company. They sent an escrow settlement check to our old address. Why? We don't know. And, of course, the USPS did not forward it. Like Citibank, he wanted them to have the proper address to send our stuff at year-end. After working through the maze of the automated response unit, he’s finally found the option to talk to a real person. And, guess what?

He’s on hold!

Reflections from Newbie Fulltimers

We've been on the road for just over a month. Or, so the calendar says. In a way, it's flown by and feels like a long holiday. But, much more, it feels like Bend, Oregon was three months ago.

One thing's for sure. We're still newbies at this fulltiming gig. But, some 30 nights freshly under our belts, we thought we'd pause for a moment and reflect on our first month on the road.

We've had the great pleasure to have many wonderful conversations with many wonderful people across the Pacific Northwest over the last month. So, we'll capture our reflections by sharing some of our most frequently asked questions.

Q: How do you like fulltiming?
A: Simple. WE LOVE IT!

Q: What has been your biggest surprise?
A: Some people have heard us answer this question in stereo. So, it's unanimous. Our biggest surprise is how busy we are! When we were cookin' up this plan, we thought we would have finished several books, pedaled hundreds of miles on the bikes and constructed a quilt by now. Not so! Instead, like we said, we've had the pleasure of meeting up with lots of great people. We'd rather have it that way!

Q: What's your favorite moment so far?
A: Oh, that's a tough one. We've seen so many wonderful places and people already. But this first month, we'd have to say our favorite moment was pulling away from Oakland and passing through the Caldecott Tunnel for the last time (in a long time, at least). How often do you get to relish in those moments where you truly realize a dream? After all the planning and preparation, that moment was something very special.

Q: What's your favorite thing about fulltiming?
A: That's easy. Meeting people.

Q: What's your least favorite thing about fulltiming?
A: That's easy. Lack of wifi. (Don't get me started!) Honestly, in the year we were weekenders, we had dependable wifi just about everywhere we went. As fulltimers, dependable wifi has been rare. Very rare.

Q: How's Bullwinkle doing?
A: Better than we expected! Our motorhome is performing perfectly (knock on wood) and is surprisingly spacious. At 32-feet, we thought we might be feeling a bit cramped by now. But, quite the contrary. We have plenty of room!

Q: How about Rocky?
A: OK. We know our vehicles don't really have a personality. But, if our Jeep could talk we think he'd be pretty happy. We've taken him out of the city and into the country. He's where he was built to be! He's rolls so happily behind the moose that we hardly know he's there. He's gotten dirty and grungy and clean again. And, we just love exploring the places we park in our squirrel. We have the perfect toad!

Q: How are the cats doing?
A: We couldn't be happier. They are doing great. The moose is their new home. They're very comfortable here. And, they love that scenery changes every so often. In fact, our girl kitty is the most adaptable of us all. We could learn a lot from her! We're so glad they're with us and doing so well.

Q: What's your biggest learning in your first month on the road?
A: How quickly you can feel at home in a new place...thanks to technology, helpful people and your own intuition.

Q: Any other insights you'd like to share?
A: America is one beautiful country!

Q: What advice would you give people considering fulltiming?
A: It's never too early to start purging. Other than that, ask somebody who's been doing this longer than we have. We're still newbies!

Confessions of a Former Weekender

It's Sunday morning here at the Sea-Tac KOA, and I must confess: I am one happy camper.

Why the mid-morning giddiness?

You see, check out time is fast approaching. The weekenders are streaming out of here. I feel for them. Really, I do. They'll drive today, get their rigs stored away and arrive home with fresh memories of a fun weekend and loads of laundry to do. They'll spend their evening gearing up for another week of work.

Been there. Done that. Have the t-shirt.

While I'm happy for these good people that they were able to have a little weekend getaway, I'm happier for those of us who aren't checking out today. With each passing minute this morning, this big campground has more of what we like: Breathing room, quality power and (let's hear it for) wifi!

Yes, they pack 'em in pretty tight at this KOA. Nothing like getting to know your neighbors by hearing every word of their dinner conversation over their picnic table, which is four inches from the dining table in your house. This morning, neighbors all around are gone. That leaves us plenty of room and gobs more privacy.

We're the first to admit we don't know much about electricity, especially in an RV. Beyond knowing how to plug the thing in, we knew that we needed a voltmeter. So, we bought one and plugged it in. Occasionally, we actually look at it. Usually, it's happily pegged on 120, which is in the green, so we assume that's good. In this big, busy and hot campground, our voltmeter was teetering between red and green, which we assume is not so good. We watched it carefully for awhile and monitored our own power consumption more carefully. Thankfully, we made it through the night without anything blowing up. (Of course, we also assumed that if our voltage got too low our Surge Guard would trip. But, we don't know much about Surge Guards either!) This morning, fewer campers means a lighter load. And, our voltmeter is happily sitting at 120 once again.

You've heard me rant about wifi. May I have just one more moment? As much as I didn't like not having wifi in Port Angeles, I knew from the start it wouldn't be at the campground. So, I wasn't disappointed. This KOA advertises free wifi. (Although, at over $50 a night for a site, it's not exactly free!) In fact, we selected a site that said wifi was available. When we arrived last night, I fired up the laptop and it saw the network. (Imagine my delight!) But, could I access the internet? Nope! Why? Too many users. But, this morning, I'm so pleased to be able to log right on and visit all of my favorite sites.

Life is good.

You know, back when we were weekenders, one thing I loved were the waves we'd get from remaining campers when we pulled away on a Sunday morning. I thought they were wishing us well. Now I know they were really happy to see us leave.