Avoid spending too much on your RV.... all at one time.

After I had this entire post typed up, I deleted the whole thing as I was adding pictures. Bummer (sigh)! I guess it's just one of those things that inexperienced new bloggers go through sometimes. So here I am starting all over again, shaking my head at myself as I begin and try to remember what I wrote.

Our 1998 Georgie Boy Maverick. We bought her in 2016 and
have put at least 10,000 miles on her and even lived in her for
6 months. 

Some people will cringe when I say that we are not big savers. We don't have huge long term plans with our money. When we want to do something we do it if it is in the budget. If it is not at that time we save for it and then we do it. I guess you could say we're short-term savers. We're not the best budgeters, but I think we have a decent system for prioritizing what we want versus what we need. This is how we work at the things we want. 

We installed vinyl floors to replace the stained
90's green carpet. this change was made in 2017.

Our rig had an old box tv in the center. We
removed it and a handy neighbor made a door
to cover the space (more storage!!!). We
mounted a newer tv to the door. 

Let me tell you about Georgie Ann. The decor is outdated (90's greens and purples) but everything works. Beautifying and personalizing the RV is not a necessity since it all works, but it is something I want to do since it will be our home in a few years. That's why I exercise patience and do a little bit at a time. We bought "Georgie Ann" in 2016 and after a few trips, we replaced the ugly green carpet with vinyl flooring and the next year added a new stereo with Apple Car Play and a backup camera. I also make blackout curtains for the bedroom so we could sleep in. Another priority that came up was to turn our screen door into a storm door (the dogs wrecked the screen at the bottom of the door). I ordered plexiglass to fit and velcroed it up. the bottom part stays on all the time since there is no screen. The top still has a screen and we can leave the plexiglass on if the A/C is running, or remove it if we have the windows open. A need we ran into was replacing the side view mirrors on the cab.

We have made other improvements as well, but there is no way we could have afforded everything we want to the RV all at one time. We knew we would have Georgie Ann for several years, and it was best for our budget to make improvements slowly.

The Reflectix is to insulate our cabinets and closets.  Tic-Tac-Tiles for the kitchen backsplash. 

We usually have a cushion in our budget for emergencies, like a car needing repairs or an insurance deductible. But unless we have saved, large expenses all at one time can hurt. Anyone who owns an RV knows that there are surprise expenses that come up and they can hurt the pocketbook. Here's how I deal with the want to do to the RV as opposed to things that need to be done to the RV.

We know we need to fix the water damage in the cab-over of Georgie Ann. We've been saving for that pricey repair and it will get done this spring. But I want to do some beautification projects to the inside of the RV and make it homier. Buying all of the wallpaper, and paint and lights can hurt the bank account if I buy all of those things at one time. So while we have been saving to fix the water damage,  I have been buying the supplies I want a little at a time since we put the RV in storage at the end of October. Links for items purchased online are provided.

Wallpaper for the RV bedroom and the sticker we
 received for our new Good Sam membership.
The sticker will go on our "sticker wall." 

Here's my way of spreading out the purchases. Every payday (every other Friday) I get to spend approximately $50 on something for the RV. And I have also had time on the weekend for some RV sewing projects. The blue fabric was made into new valances to replace the outdated ones in the RV bedroom. And the white fabric is blackout fabric I bought a long time ago, but I finally made blackout curtains for the living area (the ones I made for the bedroom are amazing)!

Along with the supplies in the pictures, I have also used my payday purchases for us to get our first Good Sam and Harvest Host's memberships. We are already using the 5 cents off per gallon at Pilot and Flying J. We are lucky enough to have two Pilot stations nearby. Harvest Hosts will be great on travel days this summer. We can't wait to start using it.

I am really looking forward to these KULED
motion sensor lights that we saw on
Keep Your Daydream. 

My Spring Break in March will be a "staycation" as we revamp and reorganize our RV. We will be taking everything out of every compartment and cabinet and deciding what stays and what goes. I will be sharing before and after photos on our Instagram @adventuresoverobjects and writing a couple of blog posts on the subject as well. I am actually excited to start as I love working on little projects when I have the time. I hope you find time to make improvements to your surroundings whether it be your RV, home, or workplace. There are always ways to personalize the places you spend the most time. And it doesn't have to break the bank if you are patient and collect your materials a little bit at a time.

Chalkboard paint for the brown refrigerator.
Rustoleum spray paint for the ugly brass
knobs and handles.

Preparing to full-time RV... in a few years.

Lindsay and Matt Mackie in Willis Tower, Chicago 2013.

We have been working on starting our great life adventure for quite a while and we still have several years to go. In the meantime, we are going to try to make some sort of adventure out of the little things that we enjoy doing. I'm not talking about skydiving, or mountain climbing, or the adrenaline rush that many people seek. I'm talking about experiences that make us happy. Instead of collecting what I call "crap," we have decided to share experiences together. We have decided that we are done buying "stuff" unless it is useful in accomplishing our goal.

Our ultimate goal is to go full-time RVing in 2023. You may ask, "Why not now? If it's all about experiences and adventures, be spontaneous!" Unfortunately, now isn't the right time for us. Our son, who is a sophomore, is very active in sports and he should be one place during the school year. But we take him on long trips to see the USA in the summer. We have traveled from Minnesota to Kansas City, Arkansas, other parts of Missouri, southwest and the panhandle of Texas, New Mexico, Dodge City, Chicago, Ohio, and other places in between.

Lindsay, Matt, and Preston in the Chicago Bean, 2019.

Another reason we haven't embarked on our full-time journey is that I love my job (there are so few people who are able to say that)!! I am a high school teacher who instructs history, psychology, and sociology. I love what I do and I want to keep doing it. When we are getting ready to full-time, I will try to find an online teaching job so that I can work remotely.
Matt and I may not be full-time yet, but we love to share experiences and travel in our 1998 Georgie Boy Maverick Class C motorhome. We assume that we will start out full-time in "Georgie Ann" and we are in the process of remodeling her. In the meantime, we will summer travel, camp locally, and jump in the Jeep for local trips. We love to look for local places to grab some good food anytime we leave the house for the day. Please make suggestions of places we should eat when we reach your neck of the woods. The more local the better for us!

We hope you will keep an eye on our Instagram @adventuresoverobjects for before and after pictures and videos. We are also in the long, drawn-out (for us) process of downsizing. Please subscribe to our blog and Instagram to see our version of getting ready to live life on the road.

Georgie Ann...our 1998 Georgie Boy Maverick.

Author: Lindsay

Brody and Indy: Our awesome camping Aussies!!