Easily the most important part of preparing for your RV camping trip, even if it’s not the most fun, is budgeting for each the expenditures.
One of the big appeals to RV camping trips as a family vacation is that they are significantly cheaper in comparison to alternatives such as flying or staying in hotels.
Nonetheless, this does not at all mean that RV trips are cheap, and you still will need to set aside a fair amount of money.
Here are the top expenditures you will need to budget for on your RV camping trip:
Renting The RV
The first and primary cost of the trip will be actually renting the RV. Outdoorsy is an excellent resource to help you find RV’s with the best rates in your area.
How much can you anticipate to spend on renting an RV? It really depends on who you’re renting it from and on the size of your RV, but as a general rule, anticipate to spend around $100 on the low end and possible over $200 on the high end.
Assuming you spend around $150 a day renting an RV and are going on a week long RV trip, that means it would cost you around $1,050 to rent the RV for that week.
Fuel
Fuel is another large expense for RV trips. It’s no secret that motorhomes are not exactly fuel efficient vehicles.
To calculate how much you’re going to be spending on fuel, you’ll need to take the length of miles of your trip and divide it by the miles per gallon rate of your particular RV. Then, you will take the resulting figure and multiple it by the price of gasoline.
On average, an RV should get around ten miles per gallon. With the average fuel prices of today hovering around $2.60, and assuming that you go on a one thousand mile long trip, you can expect to pay approximately $260 in fuel prices for this example.
Campground
RV campground fees are actually not quite as high as you may have anticipated. They can vary drastically in price, from as low as $15 a night to as high as $200 for the luxury and in-demand locations.
Most RV campgrounds, however, will cost in the vicinity of $30 to $50. There may also be added fees for having children and pets, though most don’t (FYI, if an RV park has added fees for kids and children, it’s likely a sign that they prefer you not have them).
If we take the middle number of $40 for a week long trip, that comes out to $280 for a full seven nights. It’s certainly cheaper than staying at a hotel.
Food
You’ll need to budget for both the food you bring with you and the food you plan on buying restaurants. If you’re conscious of cost, bringing you own food will definitely be a cheaper option in comparison to eating out.
The good news about budgeting for food is that it is the expense you have the most control over. You don’t get to control how much your RV costs to rent or what the cost of fuel per gallon is, but you do get to choose which foods you want to bring with you so can keep the expense down as much as possible.
If there is another piece of advice to be given in regards to food on RV trips, it’s to plan each individual meal ahead of time, so you know exactly what you’ll be eating for each meal on each day. This is the only way you can truly take the total cost of food into account.
Budgeting For Your RV Trip
Budgeting is an important component of planning for any type of vacation. Make a list of each of these expenditures on an Excel spreadsheet and calculate how much you anticipate to spend on each one. Don’t allow any expense to be overlooked.
As a whole, going on an RV camping trip may actually not be as expensive as you think. If you’re extremely budget conscious and you want to go on the cheapest trip possible, with the cheapest RV rental, the cheapest food and campground, and with a short duration and travel distance between you and your destination, it is possible to spend less than a thousand dollars on a fun and memorable RV trip.
We think we have enough of our plates at home without another threat to worry about. We’re forever thinking about keeping things organized, making payments, and trying to find subtle new ways in which to better the atmosphere and design of our rooms. But there’s something else lurking in the darkness, too: natural disasters! With the climate ever increasingly unpredictable, a lot of homes that were ordinarily under no threat at all have suddenly found themselves in a potential disaster zone.
Learn the Threats
Before you can figure out how you’re going to handle the threats to your home, you’ll need to figure out what the threats actually are. For example, have you been receiving more rainfall than usual, and is your home located at a low elevation? Then you’re likely at risk of some sort of flooding. Alternatively, you could have the opposite problem. Some places are getting hotter and drier than they’ve ever been. If you live in an area with a lot of dry trees around, then you might have an issue with wildfires during the summer months. Whatever the potential problem is, you’ll be in a good position to handle them once you know what they are.
Perform a Review
Just because the elements have gone a bit haywire, that doesn’t mean that your home is automatically under threat. You’ll only know about how well prepared your property is once you’ve performed a review. Walk around the home, and perform a risk-assessment: are there are any areas of the home that look especially vulnerable to the weather? If you don’t know what you’re looking for, then consider hiring a professional to conduct the review. They might just show you something that could save your home from disaster once it's been taken care of.
Take Precautions
It’s rare for the elements just to batter an area without warning. That’s why we have all of those weather stations! As such, you’ll be well-served for developing a plan for securing your most important belongings once the sirens of the coming weather have been sounded. If you’re expecting heavy rainfall, then you should move all of your electrical items away from the ground floor. You may also wish to do things like invest in strong wind resistant shutters for your windows. The weather won’t be able to do your home much harm if there’s no way for it to get in!
Get Covered
It’s not what happens to you that counts; it’s how you respond that matters. When it comes to your home, that means making sure you’re sufficiently covered in case the worst should happen. Take a look at your home insurance policy, and make sure that it covers damage caused by the elements. If you don’t own your home, then you can get renters insurance from a company like Amistad Insurance Services. Most renters don’t think to get insurance, but it can be invaluable in an emergency; many policies will put you up in alternative accommodation if your property is temporarily unlivable, for example.
Load up on Supplies
It can seem like the bad weather comes in one big rush, but this isn’t always the case - stormy weather can stick around for days! And you might just find that you’re trapped in your home for a while. This doesn’t automatically have to be bad news, however. If you have enough supplies to see you through the weather, then you’ll be able to carry on until it's passed by and you can enter the outside world again. Load up your pantry with non-perishable goods, buy a few big bottles of water, and also a flashlight. You might just appreciate a few board games or a pack of cards, too.
Backup Important Documents
Your home is important, but the walls and roof are things that can be repaired and replaced. The real value of the home might just be what’s included inside. Take your important documents, for instance. Things like birth certificates, your laptop, and hard drives might be irreplaceable. For your hard copy items, make sure they’re kept in a secure spot, one that can’t be affected by water. For the digital stuff, make sure you’re keeping everything you absolutely need to keep in cloud storage, online.
Stay Up to Date
You never know what the weather is going to do in the future. The threats that exist today might cease, and be replaced by new ones. As such, you’ll be well-served by routinely reviewing your home’s defenses and making sure it’s protected from the new threats.
The weather's nice, the air is fresh, and you're more motivated to wear bright fun colors and patterns because Spring is finally here! This is also the time when people get motivated to go through their closet and get rid of things they are no longer fond of as well as add some new items to freshen up your options. But there are some items in your all-season wardrobe that get neglected and they are items that it's always worth refreshing. So when you are tossing and donating the old and making a list of the new, don't neglect these 5 items that could use a good refresh!
Underwear
We were are undergarments so much that we tend to just look past the stretching, tiny holes, or uncomfortable fit. In fact some of us feel guilty getting new underwear or bras for ourselves. Well, that has to stop. Dump out your underwear drawer and line up your bras. Get rid of anything with holes, anything that's shrunk too much, and anything that looks like you've had it for 20 years or more. I'm telling you that when the clothing closest to your skin is fresh and new and fun, you will feel so much better. Look at your bras and see if there's any parts coming apart or if the bras seem stretched and worn. Then head out to the store and find the best deal possible on some fresh undies and sparkling new bras!
Socks
Socks get so neglected and even though they get holes in them sometimes we don't even notice. The bottoms will be thinned out and until you step in a puddle inside your home in socks with a hole, you likely don't think to get rid of them. Get out all of your socks and spread them on your bed. Get rid of any that don't have matches, have holes, or are paper thin on the bottom. Then make a shopping list of the ankle height, color, and material you need before you hit the store.
Pajamas
Once again there's something to be said for feeling great even in the clothing you sleep in. I wear the same couple sets of pajamas on a constant basis so they do wear out pretty quickly. Inspect all your tops and bottoms for stretching, fraying fabric, and if anything squeezes and makes you uncomfortable it's gotta go! Then look for anything that you NEVER wear and get rid of it. I used to have tons of long sleeved pajama tops but never wore them because I get hot when I sleep, so why was I holding onto them?? Then get out there and get some new jammies!
Makeup
Makeup can actually go bad. So if you've had anything for over a couple of years it may be time to toss it. Also ask yourself why you don't wear some of the unused makeup. Maybe you just don't like the colors so then why are you still holding onto it? I go through my makeup collection every 2 years. I make a list of anything I'm running low on and then I stock up when I find coupons or deals. This is also a good time to wash makeup brushes and toss anything that's broken.
Workout Gear
If you work out on a regular basis chances are you need to refresh your workout wardrobe every couple of years. Even though we wash these items, they can still harbor bacteria over time. Check sports bras for the proper fit, replace any workout pants that are ridden with holes, and invest in some new tops to keep your wardrobe fun and motivating. I'm telling you that when you have some cute outfits to wear, you're more likely to put them on and get moving!
When's the last time you refreshed any of these items in your wardrobe?
