There are many answers to this question, and the only real answer is what it costs YOU to live a nomadic life. The general pattern is you can do things a cheap way, an average way, or an expensive way depending on your lifestyle. Living in a vehicle can be significantly cheaper than a conventional life in a sticks-and-bricks apartment or home, but there are other costs that are higher than you may be used to.
Many nomads strive for a frugal lifestyle, but many want to spend extra to have all the creature comforts they want.
- Cheap: What you already own.
- Average: What you buy
- Expensive: What you finance
- Cheap: minimal builds and most removable builds
- Average: DIY build
- Expensive: Factory builds or luxury builds
- Cheap: Cooking from scratch
- Average: Cooking plus eating out
- Expensive: Eating out nearly all meals
- Cheap: Boondocking or stealth camping
- Average: Public campgrounds
- Expensive: Private campgrounds
- Cheap: Staying in one location
- Average: Moving occasionally
- Expensive: Always on the go
Under $1000/month
In this category you can find members of the Cheap RV Living forum, Social Security beneficiaries, disabled veterans, private pensioners, and minimalists. Boondocking or stealth camping is the norm. A campground with hookups is a rare indulgence. Often found in the company of a dog, sometimes found in loose groups of fellow boondockers.
In the United States an income of around $1000 per month may put you under the "Standard Deduction" for Federal income taxes, meaning you may not owe taxes. Your domicile state will determine if you may own state income taxes. Consult your accountant or tax preparer for tax advice, especially if you are receiving Social Security benefits or have self-employment income.
The boondocking/snowbirding lifestyle can be about $500/mo for folks who are willing to:
- pay off all their debt before heading out
- camp only on free sites
- for longer amounts of time((perhaps up to the 14 day limit)) instead of driving regularly
- cook for oneself
- have cheap hobbies like reading or hiking instead of (for example) streaming premium services over expensive mobile data plans
$1000 to $2000/month
Modern working-age nomads usually get by in this range. They will sometimes boondock, sometimes park in Walmart lots, and sometimes stay in reasonable parks with hookups. People who boondock in large Class A or fifth wheel RVs may fit in this category.
more than $2000/month
It is possible to spend way more than $2000/month but in general this category is inhabited by the comfortably retired. They can afford to drive expensive RVs and put down anchor in nice campgrounds (or even resorts!) with full hookups. Sometimes the less-eager partner needed to be bribed with luxury features.
Also in this section: Instragrammers and "trustafarians" (kids with trust funds) who are able to pawn off expenses onto tax writeoffs, sponsorships, or family trusts.
Some or all of the content on this page was originally sourced from RVWiki
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