How to “glamp” without breaking the bank
At Sound Stewardship, we’re always advocating for innovative ways to live within your means while enjoying a rewarding life. For many people, travel is an essential part of a full life, but it can get expensive quickly. For example, many people harbor a dream of touring the country in an RV but aren’t able (or willing) to sink $100,000+ into a fully equipped rig.
Now that the pandemic has put severe limits on our exploration options, RVs and other “glamping” vehicles have become even more attractive—but no less pricey. RVs can allow your quaran-team to maintain social distancing while satisfying your wanderlust. (As long as you can find a safe and open RV campsite—some are closed due to COVID-19 measures.)
But what if you didn’t set aside the equivalent of a second house payment for your luxury touring coach? Or $8,000 to $10,000 for a deluxe RV rent-and-tow package for your next national park pilgrimage?
Enter Outdoorsy. This peer-to-peer rental site works just like AirBNB or VRBO but with RVs, trailers and live-in vans instead of static homes. Unlike traditional RV rental businesses, most Outdoorsy hosts are happy to deliver your rental rig to your destination, which drastically cuts down on your costs. Instead of having to pay mileage and rental fees for your travel time, you can simply show up to the campsite with an RV ready and waiting for you.
My family is using an Outdoorsy-rented 39-foot 5th wheel trailer for our next outing: a socially distanced version of a Jeep Jamboree in June. Our Outdoorsy hosts are going to drop it at our campsite, where we’ll get to come back to a full kitchen and bathroom after long days of off-roading.
Our Outdoorsy investigation also led us to RV parks that keep rental RVs onsite, letting guests avoid paying the high cost of either owning or towing a rented RV to their destination. We’ll be saving thousands of dollars during our trip to Glacier National Park later this summer by renting an RV at a nearby park instead of renting and driving one there.
For those of you getting stir-crazy but who also want to balance travel plans with a conservative pandemic-era budget, I recommend checking out Outdoorsy, onsite park rentals or similar services. And let us know what affordable travel solutions you find! We love sharing smart-spending tips with our clients.
Looking for a timeless, balanced approach to financial planning? Set up a call with one of our financial experts.
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