Extreme measures for saving money...

[littlehousevalley]

My husband and I are trying to save money for a down payment on a house. We've been doing okay with paying down our debt, but are struggling with building up our house fund, actually it's in a stagnant mode right now.

So, we've been thinking of taking drastic measures, like possibly living in an RV for 6 months to a year. We would be able to save anywhere from $1,000 to $1,500 a month on rent and utilities. We're researching purchasing a used RV or renting one from a local RV park. Does anyone have experience with this? My husband and I are used to spending a lot of time together, so the closeness or lack of space, wouldn't necessarily be a problem for us.

-Little House
http://www.littlehouseinthevalley.com

[JohnD4980]

Great idea. My wife is disabled, we are together all the time. We built a 600sqft home rural on 3 acres my mom had and love it! Our total debt is 22k. Includes some student loans, house, etc.

[countingcoinsfinance]

I dont know much about rv's but i think it can definatley be done, there are several people that live in about 80 square feet per person. so compared to that the two of you in an RV should feel like a mansion

[littlehousevalley]

We're checking out an RV park today, it's in a nice area and close to where I teach.

John, I see that you built your own house. Did you find plans online or draw them yourself? How did you budget out the cost?

thanks-Little House

[trustno1]

hiya littleRVhousevalley...lol

It is a great idea. The only job worse than being a car salesperson these days is being an "RV" salesperson, lol. They can't give them away. You can get a great deal new, or better yet, buy a used one from some newly bankrupted executive who was foolish enough to buy one for fun, just before the economic ice age slid into town!

The only "problem" is "parking". A nice RV park is hard to find (with all hook-ups), and almost every community has ordinances prohibiting parking them on public/residential streets for more than 48-72 hours at a time.

I would not do it without having another vehicle for errands. But you can buy them now with automated storage space under the RV for your car!! (like a racing car transport)

[littlehousevalley]

Thanks for mentioning that finding a place to park is tough. We checked out an RV park in our area, and it is completely booked. Many of them also have 30-day limits. We're still researching.

thanks again-
Little House

[trustno1]

Another option to consider (more applicable in areas similar to where I live (Rockies)...

Search for owners of "land". In the west, there are lots of folks that own mountain property. Many of those are not their primary residence property. If there are buildings on it, they will sometimes allow you pay them rent to park your RV and "live" there (temporarily, of course). They benefit from having a "caretaker" watching out for their interests.

If it is vacant land, they are usually open to making some "extra money" by just renting it to someone who is "self-contained". (has water, sanitation needs covered on their own).

Lots of different scenarios are possible in that area.