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Life Is An Adventure

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Looking for an adventure, we found a lifestyle.

To celebrate becoming an empty-nester and the arrival of a new millennium, in July of 1999, my partner, Randy, and I decided to follow a dream, quit our jobs, put everything in storage, and just take off - to points unknown. I had a vision of living like a turtle with my home on my back, having all that I need with me and slowly moving down the road to see where it leads.

For $4000.00 we bought a 1986 Roadtrek RV (a van-size RV also known as a Class-B in RV lingo) and spent another $1500.00 to get it ready. In June of 2000, we set out for our big adventure - a year on the road.

This was to be a “once in a lifetime” experience. Or at least that’s how we referred to it until we realized it’s actually no more expensive to travel – the way we did it — than to stay at home. Since then, we’ve replaced the original Roadtrek with a slightly newer model and have had four other extended adventures, each of them between five and six months long, as well as numerous shorter trips – and we don’t plan to quit any time soon.Watch for updates on future trips on my Blog page.

“How do they do it?” That’s what family and friends kept asking. Especially since they know we are not made of money. For the last 13 years I’ve earned my living as a waitress and Randy has been a house painter and general handyman. Hardly big income occupations especially since, in the months we are not traveling, we choose to work only part-time.

The question they all ask is, “How can a handyman and a waitress make this happen, not just once, but again and again?”

I’ve also got a background in bookkeeping. Yes, believe it or not, I actually enjoy keeping records. Besides keeping a daily journal of our adventures, I kept a meticulous record of every expense on each trip. This has allowed me to answer that question in terms of general information and knowledge, and back it up with precise figures.

Our total cost for 12 months on the road in 2000 was less than US $7200.00. This includes all costs associated with the trip for two people – gas, food, camping, entertainment, entry fees, repairs, phone cards, and travel-medical insurance. The records for the other extended trips in 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2011 showed a similar trend. We were able to eat well, keep traveling rather than plop ourselves down in one location, and see everything we wanted. Even at today's prices, on our most recent trip (in 2011) our total expenses for two people averaged less than US $1400.00 per month.

Here are the exact trip expenses and itinerary for those trips, how far we traveled and how these dollars were allocated. I think you will be amazed. We were.

This website was born as a response to the question from friends and relatives, “How do they do it?” When my sister and her partner purchased their own small RV and asked for advice, I realized that perhaps this was not just a question people asked and then shook their heads. Some of them actually wanted to know how we manage it.

The first Frugal Shunpiker’s Guide was written for my sister and her partner to use on their trip to Texas in March 2007. They tested it, followed it faithfully, and were amazed at what they saw, where they stayed, and how little they spent. They said that they saw a side of Texas and RV travel that they would not have discovered on their own.

I've always loved writing so I believe finding a niche to write about was just a matter of time for me but building the website was a big learning curve. I didn't have a clue where to start but a wise friend suggested I should try SBI (Site Build It!). That advice worked out very nicely and after less than two years, my website has received some incredible press. Even SBI uses me as an example of a success story

I wasn’t born an “outdoor enthusiast”. But when I hit my mid-40’s I realized I could put it off no longer - I had to get serious about my health and start to exercise more regularly. I soon found that cycling, walking, and trail hiking were much more enjoyable than sweating it out in a gym.

Traveling to hike through some of the most amazing scenery in North America has not only kept me in shape physically but it has fed me mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It opened a window into a side of myself I could not have known existed until I experienced it.

When we both decided to make that first trip happen in 2000, Randy was 49 and I was 48 years old - not ready to retire yet but also not willing to wait until retirement to get out there and live a different adventure every day.

I’m still always amazed at how big a secret this is: that this type of traveling adventure in North America can be so accessible and affordable. And that so few people are aware how easily they too can experience living in nature's splendor for long periods of time with all the comforts of home – like a turtle with his home on his back.

Also about us (something new): Boondockers Welcome, is the newest addition to our frugal travel arsenal.

Boondockers Welcome

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