30 Ways To SAVE MONEY RV LIVING Full Time!
Wondering How To SAVE MONEY Living in an RV FULL TIME? Here are 30 Ways To SAVE MONEY RV Living Full Time! So, if you are Full Time RV Living and curious about How To RV on a BUDGET, CHEAP or FRUGAL then these tips, tricks, and Ways To SAVE MONEY While RVing are for you!
In this video, I’m sharing ways we save money as full time RVers living the RV lifestyle! These are Simple tips to save big $$$’s. So if you’re Living in an RV to save money then watch and learn How To Save Money in an RV – $100’s Per Month! These are some of the BEST Cheap RV Living tips I’ve picked up on the road while Full Time RVing.
Full time RV Life can be stressful if your finances are not in order, but after this video you’ll know the secret to RV LIVING CHEAP! So Don’t cancel your RV Plans or QUIT RVing, check out these Ways to save money living in an RV full time and Keep Camping! Because this lesson is all about How to save money while RVing!
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30 Ways To SAVE MONEY RV LIVING Full Time!
- Work Camping or Camp Hosting
- Stay Longer at One Location
- Travel in Off-Peak Seasons
- Use Gas Buddy App
- Buy a Used RV
- Utilize RV Memberships and Clubs
- Boondock or Take Advantage of Free Parking
- DIY Maintenance
- Use GoodRx App for Prescription Savings
- Drive Slower
- Use Fuel Additives
- Consider a Smaller RV
- Avoid Driving with Full Tanks
- Prefer Electricity Over Propane
- Reduce Weight in Your RV
- Find Free or Discounted Activities
- Perform Preventative Maintenance
- Consider Weather and Climate Before Traveling
- Save Money on RV Parts
- Keep and Stick to a Budget
- Ask for Discounts
- Check and Maintain RV Tire Pressure
- Use Rewards Credit Cards
- Eat In or Cook at Home
- Insulate Your RV
- Avoid Rush Hour Driving
- Use Instant Pot or Slow Cookers
- Utilize Solar Power
- Take Advantage of Free WiFi
- Plan Ahead
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Here is the transcript from the video:
Wondering how to save money, living in an RV full-time today, I’m sharing 30 ways that you can save money Living in an RV Full-time whether You Are on a budget cheap or just a little frugal, let’s face it. RV living can be stressful, especially if your finances Are not in order, But after those video you’ll know the secret to RV living Cheap. And if we haven’t officially met, I’m bloggin Brandi from RVersity a University for RVers. If you wanna RV like a pro, I’ll teach you Everything. I know, just be sure to subscribe and hit the bell icon. So you’re notified each and every time I publish a new video.
1. Work Camping or Camp Hosting (aka Workamping)
Consider work camping (aka Workamping) or becoming a camp host. If you’re not sure what that is, that means that you work for the RV park, the state park, or whatever place that you’re camping at. And they usually will let you stay for free or at a discounted rate. And sometimes you might even get paid. And some other amenities might be included. It just really depends on who you work for, the RV park, and what all they have to offer there. But it’s a great way to save money, especially on your RV rent, and amenities.
2. Stay Longer in One Location
This second way to save money while living in an RV is to stay Longer or stay one location for a longer period of time. If you’re staying at RV parks, nightly and paying one off rates for short term stays like weekends or a few days, you’re paying the highest cost out there. If you can stay weekly or better yet monthly or longer, then you’re gonna get the cheaper prices. I actually stay at RV park. I’ve lived here for about a year, but I sign a one year lease every year. That way, this is my home base and I can come and go as I please, but I do pay a cheaper rate for that lease or longer term. So I went from paying 30, 50, or a hundred dollars a night to now I pay probably about 14 or $15 a day. It just depends on my electricity bill and what all I use for the month.
3. Travel in Off-Peak Seasons
The third Way To save money, living in an RV is to travel in off peak seasons. So why do you think they call ’em snowbirds? If they go to Florida or travel down to the warmer climates during the winter weather it’s because one it’s better weather and two, they save money. Who’s go one to Disney world When it’s below freezing? Nobody. If you wanna save money, traveling in your RV, or even going to attractions and places, then it’s best to go into off peak hours. Even during off peak seasons, RV parks usually will have an off peak rate and an in season rate or a peak season rate. So one’s usually more than the other.
4. Use the GasBuddy App
The fourth way to save money Living in an RV is to download the Gas Buddy app and use it. If you’ve never used the Gas Buddy app, it is a great way to track down the cheapest gas prices around whether you’re in an RV or in your car. I will use this on my travels and I will look up the gas stations that are on the way and that are close by. And I will find out which ones have the cheapest prices. And then I will go and fill up there as well as I will make sure that they’re RV friendly.
5. Buy a Used RV
the fifth way to save money while living in an RV has to do with the RV itself. And it is to buy a used RV. I would look for an RV that is one to three years older. My RV is a 2018 and I bought it a year older than what was coming out at the time. So you wanna shop around and also be willing to travel. Plus a new RV comes with a year’s worth of problems, and you’re the one that gets hit with the depreciation. So it’s better to buy a used RV.
Someone else has already worked out all of those issues and you don’t have to worry about ’em. You don’t have to get hit with the depreciation and your RV’s probably already set up and ready to go and you save money. And if you’re not sure which RV is right for me or how to buy the right RV. I talked about that in these videos here, I put a playlist together. You can check that out. After this video, I’ll put a link in the description below
6. Utilize RV Memberships and Clubs
The sixth way to save money while living in an RV full time is to take advantage of RV memberships and clubs. I wish that I would have known about these a long time ago and really dove into them, but paying to join into some of these RV membership and clubs, especially if they’re on your route or places that you like to go can really save you a ton of money.
Now there’s good ones and bad ones, but I’ve saved up to 50% on campground prices to even camping for free for an entire year. You definitely wanna check into the ones that might fit your RV Lifestyle. I use passport America. I’ve done the thousand trails, camping pass, not the full blown membership. And I’ve also done things like the good Sams and Koa rewards. So sometimes if I know that I’m gonna be using these parks often or a lot, or I really like them, I will invest in the membership so that I can save money while I’m camping there.
7. Boondock or Take Advantage of Free Parking
The seventh way to save money, living in your RV is to Boon-dock or take advantage of free parking. As much as you can, this could be dry camping or dispersed camping. Sometimes you can do this at national parks. Um, we call this BLM bureau of land management. There are tons of places that you can park in camp for free from rest areas to truck, stop and travel centers, to some department stores. It just depends where you’re at on if you can park there or not for free. I usually say, think like a trucker. And if the truckers are parked there, usually you can park there, you know, but also consider parking outside of major cities because you’ll pay a lot more to park or not be able to find and parking in major cities versus you can find parking outside.
I did make a video about what Boondocking was. You can check that out here after this video, and you can also Boon-dock at the campground. So if you just disconnect from the campground, electricity or water, whatever your bills might include, you can just go off of your battery power or even your generator and save some money on your electric bill. Of course depends on what fuel you use in your RV. But there are different ways that you can boon dock within the RV park.
8. DIY Maintenance
The eighth way to save money while living in a RV is to learn how to DIY everything. You need to be a do it yourself, or you can’t just run to have somebody else fix everything or pay someone else to fix everything, or even rely on the RV dealerships. You’ll be waiting a while, either on them or parts and service. A perfect example of this is my roof. I actually paid someone to help me in the RV park. I bought the supplies at home Depot and they helped me DIY my roof. So I res refilled my roof and helped with any kind of water leaks. I didn’t have any leaks, but I just wanted to prevent that. So someone came over and helped me do that here in the RV park.
I paid them a little bit and I saved a ton of money. If I would’ve got that done professionally, it probably would’ve cost me a thousand dollars. It depends what kind of roof I was getting, but to have this whole roof done, I think I paid about 150 bucks, maybe 200 to just get the supplies and have someone come over here and help me. And we did it in just about an hour.
9. Use GoodRx App for Prescription Savings
the ninth way to save money while living in an RV is to download and use the good RX app. You can save a ton money on prescriptions. So if you’re traveling in your RV, you’ll know when you start to get prescriptions that you kind of wanna start saving money on this. And it depends where you’re at and where you’re going, but you can figure out the cheapest prices by having this app on your phone.
10. Slow Down Your Driving
My 10th tip for saving money while living in a RV is to slow down, both driving and in your RV life, I stay about 55 miles an hour, but you wanna slow down in your RV, not only to save on the cost of fuel, but also to be able to enjoy the journey. And I talk about how much it costs me to fill up my RV in this video here, which you can check out in the description below.
11. Use Fuel Additives
the 11th way to save money while living in an RV is to use a fuel additive. If you’ve never heard of Lucas, it’s an additive. You put it into your fuel tank, whenever you fill up, it has helped me save probably about two or three miles per gallon. I will get in addition to whatever I would normally get. And if you’re towing or you have a lot of stuff in the car that helps. Also, the Lucas oil, helps lubricate the seals and everything within the RV, as well as I put it in my smart car. So I put it in the RV and I put it in my smart car and it just helps to keep everything running. And it helps me save money on fuel.
12. Consider a Smaller RV
My 12th tip for saving money in your RV is to buy a smaller RV. I’ve lived in a travel trailer, done the van life thing, and now am in my motor home. But I do that because I wanna be comfortable. I’ve lived the smaller life and it just didn’t fit my lifestyle. But I can tell you having a motor home has its pros and cons. So I talk about that this video here, which you can check out after this video.
13. Avoid Driving with Full Tanks
the 13th way to save money while living in your RV, I would almost assume this is obvious, but don’t drive with full tanks. That includes your gas, diesel, propane, water, sewer, and even your tow car. You don’t wanna have full tanks. The more in water that you have and fuel that you have all of that weighs. So the more weight that you’re dragging around, the more that it costs to move it, the little tip is to empty your tanks. Before you leave the campground and try to travel with only as much water that you need while you’re trying traveling. If you don’t need it, then you know, don’t fill up your tanks with that and only put as much gas as you need to get where you’re going, and then maybe fill up whenever you get there before you park that way. You’re not dragging all of that around with you.
14. Prefer Electricity Over Propane
The 14th tip that I have for saving money in your RV is to don’t run things on propane when electricity is an option. So use electricity when it’s available. I learned this the hard way this winter, while I was stationary living in my RV, which I talk about in this video here. But I ran out of propane and I actually couldn’t move the motorhome to go get more propane and I couldn’t get it delivered. So I had to learn to use electricity in the RV, which I normally would do, but it’s a really big motor home. So you have to learn how to use space heaters and fans and portable devices in your RV versus propane. So propane’s obviously more expensive and sometimes harder to get depending on where you’re at. And you’re gonna have to fill that up all the time. Versus if you’re hooked up in an RV park and you have electricity, it’s there and it’s available. And I think I pay about two or $3 per day and electricity bills versus propane.
I would probably be paying. I don’t know, double that or triple that if I had to fill up my propane in my RV. And this also depends on the type of RV that you have, because some of your appliances and things in your RV may run on propane versus electricity. Versus in my RV, they may run differently.
15. Reduce Weight in Your RV
My 15th way to save money while living in your RV is to reduce the weight in your RV. You need to travel light and downsize. You really do not need as much as you think, and it costs money to move all of that stuff around. So I know I said that it costs money to move all the fuel weight around, but it also costs money to move all of that stuff around as well. I talked about how to downsize and the essentials that I keep in my RV in this video and playlist, you can check out here.
16. Find Free or Discounted Activities
My 16th way to save money while living in your RV is to find free or discounted activities, go to happy hours, check out the lunch specials while you’re local. I always research places before I go. And then whenever I get there, I will tell you, I use Groupon religiously. I talk to bartenders, camp hosts, other campers and the locals. And I find out about discounts and where they like to go. So I like to live like a local. I don’t always go to all the touristy things, even restaurants and fast food places. I download their apps so that I can save money at places like McDonald’s or Wendy’s. I will honestly get on these people’s email list or download their apps, just so that I can save a dollar or get a free meal or free fries or free Frosties. And I do save a lot of money. The other day I was in the McDonald’s drive through and I scanned my app and my meal went from like $6 to $2. And the lady said, Ooh, that’s a good deal. And I was like, I know, right? So when the McDonald’s employee, you’re saying, wow, that’s a good deal. That should tell you something.
17. Perform Preventative Maintenance
The 17th way to save money while living in an RV is to perform at preventative maintenance. So this is things like oil changes, making sure that your tires are inflated and changing things like your air filters, resealing your roof and doing the seals on your slide out. You wanna regrease those, but you really just wanna take good care of your RV and do a lot of preventative maintenance so that you don’t have any big major problems come up. And it also maintains the value of the asset that you have, and this includes topping off your batteries as well. So I kind of learned that the hard way, but if you have batteries, especially acid batteries, make sure that you top those off with distilled water. So that was a big learning lesson for me.
18. Consider Weather and Climate Before Traveling
My 18th tip for saving money while a living in a RV is to consider the weather and climate before driving, it costs more money to move the RV or even live in the RV when you’re driving or living in conditions that are windy, wet, hot, cold, those extreme temps do take a toll on the RV and it, it costs more to move the RV around in a windy condition. And it also costs more to heat the RV in a cold climate, or it might even cost more on the RV’s systems whenever you’re in a really extremely hot climate, you have to use the AC as well.
19. Save Money on RV Parts
The 19th tip I have for saving money while living in an RV is to save money on the parts that you buy for your RV. So you can check out camper id.com to find some of the lowest prices around on RV parts, as well as eBay, I would check for used parts or even new parts on ebay. So I find a lot of things that I need for my RV on eBay.
20. Keep and Stick to a Budget
My 20th tip for saving money while living in an RV is to keep a budget and stick to it. So you need to have a budget and keep a budget. But if you don’t have your finances in order and you plan on RVing, then it’s gonna be really hard. If you don’t know how much money you’re spending, how much money you’re making and how much your RV life is really costing you. So I broke down the cost of my RV living expenses in a video that you can check out here and I’ll drop a link to it in the description below.
21. Ask for Discounts
Number 21, for ways to save money, living in an RV is to ask for discounts, can it be willing to negotiate? So this is really helpful at RV parks always ask, Hey, do you offer a discount for a AAA military 55 and up good Sams. They will usually offer some kind of discount or tell you how you can save money there. Or you are always looking for a discount or some type of promotional add-on. So if they can’t give you a discount, they might say, Hey, I don’t have a discount, but I do have some free tickets to this attraction, or here’s something else that I have to offer you. So anytime, I’m staying at an RV park or going out to eat or doing anything, buying food, clothing events, I’m always looking for how I can save money. So literally I go to Google and I search promo codes, discount codes, or I just simply call and ask.
22. Check and Maintain RV Tire Pressure
My 22 tip for saving money in an RV is to check your RV’s tire pressure as well as to maintain your tires and just keep a good look on them. Take care of them. This has to do with safety and savings. So I’ll put a link to my viaair, my air compressor that I air up my tires with below this video, because I can’t air up my tires anywhere. I did learn that the hard way, and it depends on the size of your RV, but I have high pressure tires. And even when I had my van, I had some issues with my tires because I had dual tires. So there’s some things to learn about air of your tires, but you definitely wanna keep your tires inflated both to help with safety on the road, you don’t want them over inflated or under inflated. And it helps with savings on fuel while you travel. So it gives you better gas mileage. When you actually have properly inflated tires.
23. Use Rewards Credit Cards
Number 23 for saving money while living in an RV is to use a rewards credit card. So if you already use your credit card make sure you’re using one that offers rewards for things like travel and accommodations or food activities. We even use one of our credit cards to buy a boat. So the savings are real. You just wanna make sure that you’re using it wisely. So if you don’t know how to use a credit card, definitely don’t be getting one. But if you do have a credit card, make sure use one that has rewards points that you can use for things while you travel.
24. Eat In or Cook at Home
My 24th tip for saving money while living in an RV is to eat in the RV or eat at home. So I know it might be tempting while you’re traveling to all these foreign destinations to go out and eat all the time, but you really wanna make sure that you’re living on a budget and spend time in the RV cooking, and you can prepare your meals in advance and have them kind of spread out throughout the week, or just make sure that you take time to stop and cook food in the RV. Cuz it’s gonna cost a lot more money when you’re going out to eat all the time. Trust me.
25. Insulate Your RV
my 25th tip for saving money while living in an RV is to insulate your RV. It doesn’t matter whether it’s hot or cold. My biggest tip is to just buy some reflective or insulation. And when I say that I’m talking about this stuff, I keep this literally in my windows, in every RV I’ve ever been in. So I gave you a tour of this RV and even my van for how I keep my RV cool and heated. I’ll put a link to that reflectix insulation below my video. I cut that out and put it on all my windows because let’s face it heating and cooling. The RV is probably your biggest expense, just like it would be in a house.
26. Avoid Rush Hour Driving
My 26th tip for saving money in an RV is to not drive during rush hour. If you’re driving through towns or big cities, I kind of will check if it’s gonna be five o’clock or even in the morning, like 8:00 AM and make sure that it’s not gonna be rush hour where I’m at because the RV is gonna be stopping and going and starting and sitting in places for long periods of time. And that’s gonna cost you more in fuel. The same thing if you’re driving and all of a sudden there’s an accident, I would honestly stop RV and try and pull off and sit and wait for that to die down and traffic to keep moving that way you can save on the cost of fuel, cause it is gonna cost you more. If you’re just sitting there, stop, go, stop, go. Whether it’s traffic or some kind of accident. So plan your trips accordingly. And don’t drive during rush hour.
27. Use Instant Pot or Slow Cookers
my 27th tip for saving money while living in an RV is to invest in an instant pot or slow cookers. So you can do this while you’re moving. You can cook and keep it plugged up. Or you can do this while you’re stationary in your RV. But a lot of RVers do invest in these crockpots these slow cookers. They cook for you while you’re traveling. And they also do this because you’re called like one pot meals. So you really don’t have to put a lot of time or thought into it. And it’s usually pretty cheap to have these meals and you can save them and reheat them or reheat them throughout the week or on the road.
28. Utilize Solar Power
My 28th tip for saving money in your RV is to use solar power. If you have solar power, be a really good idea to use it because it’s free. If you don’t have solar power, it might be a good idea to invest in it. It just depends on the type of RV lifestyle that you’re gonna live. I’m living stationary. So it really wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense for me to have solar panels on my RV.
29. Take Advantage of Free WiFi
My 29th tip for saving money while living in the RV is to take advantage of free wifi, but don’t rely on it. I have gotten free wifi at RV parks, of course, travel centers, truck stops, restaurants, department stores. There’s all kinds of places that you can get free wifi. And I do talk about how I get internet both free and paid in this video here, which you can check out in the description below.
30. Plan Ahead
My 30th, tip for saving money while you’re in your RV is to plan plan plan. So before you hit the road, it’s a really good idea to all the research that you can call ahead, get all the facts and know where you’re going both before, during and after your RV life adventures. But you really wanna plan ahead before you hit the road and dive into this RV life or head off to your next destination or anything that you do in RV life. The key is planning and the best way to start planning and preparing for RV life is to have a roadmap of directions and a tour guide to help show you the way. So if you’re ready to get started RVing and RV life is calling your name, then give me a ring and let me show you the way I’m gonna put a link to my university for RVers, RVersity below this video. So you can book a call and learn more about it and see if it’s a fit for you. And we can start working together.
So now, you know, 30 ways to save money while living in your RV. But I want you to comment below if there’s one that I haven’t included and tell me which one was your favorite. So I love to read your comments. I’ll be checking them out and I’ll see you in the comment section. I’m Blogging Brandi from RVersity a university for RVers. If you like this video hit the like button below, don’t forget to subscribe. And of course, turn on the bell icon for notifications each and every time I publish. Until the next time, check out these videos here and I’ll see you in the next video. Thanks for watching.
Hey, I’m Blogging Brandi! Over 5 years ago, I traded my sticks & bricks lifestyle for a life on wheels. Quit my job, sold my house, and everything else, an bought an RV! First, was a Travel Trailer, then Van Life then Motorhome Living. Now, I help people go from feeling overworked, underpaid, and undervalued to living a life of freedom & financial security they love from the comfort of their home on wheels aka Full Time RV Living!
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