One of then more important issues facing fulltime rver's is financial. You need money to survive, and if you are on
a tight budget as many of us are, then anything we do to save money is a great help. Other than paying OPEC,
then next largest source of spending is food. Running down to the fast food emporium everyday will not work.
Saving by buying in bulk is not really an option unless you have extra storage. Here are some things to consider
about providing sustenance.
Road Kill Mode: free, easy access, get a cheap pair of gloves in the process.
Survival Mode: Become one with nature and survival. Bugs, worms, grass, berries and leaves.
The rest of us Mode:
1) Start by clipping coupons. Use as many as you can when shopping.
2) Always look behind labels for coupons. Companies sometimes hide these coupons inside labels.......???
3) Do not be brand loyal. Store brands are the same as name brands, most of the time.
4) Use stores that double coupons. Shop around.
5) Refunds are a great way to save money. You can get money back for the products that you buy.
6) Look for 2 for items. Many store offer these specials.
7) Limit the amount you spend on food. Shop with that amount in cash.
8) Use leftovers. Many meals like stews and soups can be made out of your leftovers.
9) Check out coupon Web sites.
If you like the idea of running the roads, then fueling up your portable house may be the largest expense.
Things you can do to help save fuel consumption is to, keep tires to proper tire pressure, travel light, keep your
engine tuned, and your foot out of the carburetor. Below is some fuel saving ideas. If you spend the money
anyway, why not receive discounts or rebates.
Other things you can do to lower costs are to work camp along the way:
Trade items you don't need for something you do need.
Look to your city’s newspaper for free events.
Use the local museum or library. Usually these are free places to relax, and often offer free programs.
Go for a walk in a park. Some public parks offer walking trails, and free tennis courts.
This is a hard one. No Cable or Satellite TV. This will save you hundreds of dollars per year.
Use free wifi hot spots for Internet access. Many RV parks, and truck stops have this available.
Shop yard sales for items such as tools, clothing, books, and movies. You might get lucky an buy a $10K
painting for a quarter.
Goodwill has stores where you can purchase quality clothes at great prices.
When traveling, use free overnight parking as much as possible. Places like truck stops, rest areas, Walmart, and
church parking lots (with permission). We have even camped in a farmer's field (with permission) and offered to
help with chores.
If staying in an RV park, consider staying for the month. The longer you stay the cheaper the rate.
Travel light. The more you carry around in your RV, the heavier it is. There is a major ratio of weight versus miles
per gallon. If you don't use an item, deep six it.
If we eat out we try to have our main meal right after the lunch hour rush and still get the lower prices.
Sometimes the serving are so big we'll take some home to eat later that evening or the next day.
Use fluorescent light bulbs instead of incandescent.
Buy stuff off the salad bar at the grocery stores -- such as fresh fruit, salad veggies and greens, desserts).
Use the French onion chip dip on baked potatoes and other things instead of buying sour cream, since it is
cheaper.
My budget saving tip is to buy Ramen noodles, cook them with half of the seasoning package, since they have
lots of salt in them, then when the noodles are done, drain -- can save the broth and use as soup for another
meal -- and then add grated cheese, meat, (I've used cooked leftover meat, such as hamburger, or canned
chicken or tuna, or even cut-up hot dogs) -- then add some of a small can of mixed veggies, and some of the
canned mushrooms -- mix together and eat
Lots of meals in the Slow Cooker or on the Grill; Purchase Store Brand foods; Eat out less; Stay in one place as
long as possible; Shop in Thrift Shops; Take in Free Events of area; Ask for Senior Discounts everyplace; Share
driving to events with other RVer's; Purchase great chairs to sit out in the sunshine.
Easy meal on the road? Any left over meat or sandwich meat with fresh veggies and fruit in a 10-inch tortilla wrap.
I use ranch dressing in it and microwave it for about 25 seconds before putting the filling in it to soften the wrap.
I like to buy the mixed salad green in the bags (BoGoF)and I divide them into about 6 small storage containers.
Add me some cherry tomatoes and extra sliced peppers and olives and some sliced onion and their fixed for a
couple of days, add the dressing when you get ready to eat them. Add some left over chicken/steak to them make
a full meal out of them. I try to cook for 2 days at least that way we can have the left overs one day if we plan to
run around a lot. I have a couple of plastic divided storage plates that I can store a meal in , just add your meat ,
potatoe/noodles, veggies. That way we can just pop it in the oven when we want them.
If you buy the packages of Ramen noodles which have six individual packages in them instead of buying them
individually they are cheaper, too. The Ramen noodles are fast and quick way to fix a meal -- you can add salad
and fruit for a whole meal.
I measure oatmeal into serving sizes and put into little sandwich bags, twist tie them and put the bags back into
the oatmeal container. I've wrote on the lid how much water for each serving and time and power setting. It's
cheaper than buying individual servings . We just reuse the plastic bags a few times ..
At Flea markets and garage sale I have picked up the small corning ware pans/bowls with the longer and shorter
handles. Those can be use on the stove or microwave or regular oven too.
There are other things, which I use in glass and these work for me. I use a glass bread pan, which I use for baking
things such as bread. -- I can buy frozen bread dough, unfreeze it, then bake it -- I don't do this every single day,
but it is nice to know my bread isn't going to burn. -- I use the bread pan for baking meat loaf in it -- I don't bake
just one meat loaf but two at a time, along with potatoes and what ever else I can find room for in my oven. -- I
then use the meat loaf for the current meal, as meat loaf sandwiches or for hot sandwiches with mashed potatoes
and gravy -- then when and if the meat loaf dries out, I mash it down and use it in spaghetti. -- I pour some of the
spaghetti sauce on the noodles or spaghetti, then save some to use to make chili with. -- What is left over after
the chili is done is then used for taco burgers, which is just a plain fried hamburger patty on top of a slice of bread
with chili poured not just over it but between the patty and the bread, then some grated cheese added to the top.
I already have a small toaster oven at home and in the rv for us. At the rv it saves us from using the gas oven . I
can set it out on the counter or take it out to the patio. Of course you can't use the corning ware in it.
At Flea markets and garage sale I have picked up the small corning ware pans/bowls with the longer and shorter
handles. Those can be use on the stove or microwave or regular oven too.
I measure oatmeal into serving sizes and put into little sandwich bags, twist tie them and put the bags back into
the oatmeal container. I've wrote on the lid how much water for each serving and time and power setting. It's
cheaper than buying individual servings . We just reuse the plastic bags a few times ..
Living Cheaply
Food and drink
and the other necessities
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Paying OPEC
Cutting Food Costs
Other $ Saving Ideas:
in your own words
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