It feels terrible at times to be middle aged and have no idea what you want, or where you want to live. My mind is a constant whirlwind of longing, of wanting to drift from one place to another. That's one bright side of being poor. If you have a restless spirit you are not tied down to a career or a house.
I want to travel so badly I considered taking off a summer and tent camping across the country. My husband put an end to that when he said he could not survive in a tent for more than the occasional weekend. He did say he would consent to pare down our belongings and live in an RV so we could move frequently with little fuss.
We went over our tight budget and started looking at dealerships. There are so many styles to choose from. They kept showing us pricey models but we needed something much cheaper. We went over our income and our bills and decided what we could afford. We researched and thought of gas, propane, park fees when we would be in one place for several months, and tags and insurance as well. We knew what we could afford to spend. I will not overextend our budget.
We decided to visit one of the dealerships and fill out the preliminary paperwork. We were sure we would qualify, after all in three months we will be debt free. We had a small down payment saved up. They took the paperwork back to the owner so he could fax it in and he took one look at our income and said no way. He said our income was too low and the amount of rent we paid each month was too high. This was the cheapest house we could find when we moved to this area. They offered to sell us something much older than we wanted if we spent our entire emergency fund and maxed out our credit card for the rest. We said, "No thank you." and headed back to the drawing board.
Tent camping is out, and RVing is out, however I must move on. My wonderful understanding husband has agreed and he is still willing to pare down those belongings and MOVE! I don't know where we are going yet but I am so excited. I do know that I am looking for an area with better job opportunities. We are currently making the same yearly salary together that I once made by myself. We must boost the income while fulfilling my need to move. Does anyone have any favorite places or secret Utopias you want tell about?
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WP: Life planning! Life planning! Where are you now and where do you want to be 1 year, 2 years, 5 years from now???????
ReplyDeleteP.S. Good for you for not caving on the older-empty-the-account-max-your cards model.
April, I just re-read my post and boy am I gloomy. As far as life planning, the only thing I can picture is not being here. First on my agenda is a move, however, my husband and I are still making many plans. For three years now we have been working, paying the bills, and doing what we must do to survive. We have to align our schedules somehow and plan a few days out here and there. We haven't made time for joy in a long time. Big changes are coming up, and I can hardly wait.
ReplyDeleteI know a few people who camp host in their RV's / trailers over the summer, don't have to pay site rental and make a bit too. I've never asked how much they make though, but I think it would be a great job for someone who likes to travel a bit and likes nature. I have an RV myself and like to visit with the camp hosts, who seem to spend most of their time sitting around or driving around in golf carts.
ReplyDeleteI have a single mom friend who wants to do the camp hosting thing as well. She's a gypsy too.
Jacq, Someday, I hope to be able to do something like this, but for now it is work work work. Oh the drudgery, sigh.
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