10 Ways We Afford Full-time Travel

One of the questions we get asked is, “How do you afford traveling?”

Before we go into the financial tidbits we want to share, you must know that none of our resources would have stretched this long without the Lord’s blessing. He simply multiplies what we have to offer. He is very kind to us and has prompted a few very kind people to bless us along the way as we travel.

However, we had to make the decision to travel before we knew how it would all work out. It was, and still is, an act of faith. In fact, we’d say the Lord was preparing us for this season long ago when He gave us the courage to change careers, adopt three children from foster care, and move from a comfortable house inside the city to a very small town.

These life choices have built our faith, perseverance, and endurance. All of which has been required for life on the road – volunteering, encouraging, and blessing whoever we can with our presence. Some people might call us missionaries. We like to think of ourselves as servants – ready for wherever God wants to take us next.

We are not independently wealthy as some might think. We live intentionally, that includes spending intentionally. We don't splurge unless it's a very special occasion. We ask God for what we need, try to curb our own selfish desires, and think outside the box. Below are our most helpful financial practices.

1. Give to God first

Before we got married, we attended a Crown Financial Institute training that forever changed our perspective on money and giving. They shared biblical principles for giving, saving, and spending that don’t necessarily make sense to the world. But in God’s Kingdom, they make complete sense, and we are evidence of His faithfulness.

2. Deal with Debt

We began our marriage as a Spender and a Saver. These two philosophies catastrophically collided prompting many tough conversations and some heated arguments. Fortunately, we were able to compromise on many issues and work through some hard times.

Crown taught us to apply additional principal to the lowest balance debt first while still making minimum payments to the others. Once the lowest was paid off, apply that money to the next lowest, and so on. The result is a snowball effect where the money thrown at each debt increases as one by one they are all paid off.

3. Spend within our means

It seems from almost the moment a child turns 18, credit card offers are being thrown at them immediately. Buy now and pay later has been the motto of our culture for decades. It cripples young couples and makes all of us long for what we really cannot afford.

We once had a therapist us a different phrase, “Pay now or pay later, but you will pay.”

She was referring to putting in the work now dealing with our kids’ behaviors, or putting in more work later to deal with worse behaviors by putting it off. The concept can be applied to spending as well.

It’s much easier to pay for something up front. Once you own it, you own it, and no one is going to threaten to take it away in an instant. When you pay up front, you avoid paying more than you should for an item. High interest credit cards will make everything you buy double in price. Just look on the price on the shelf and imagine doubling it every time you use a credit card instead of a direct payment. Do you really want to pay double, or triple for that burger or pair of shoes?

4. Build an Emergency Fund

Each month put something, even $50, towards a savings that is only used for a true emergency. Force yourself to seek out other options before using anything from it. Sell stuff, work extra hours, or get creative to pay off unexpected expenses before dipping into this fund.

5. Save for what we want

Not everything can be purchased without financial assistance, but it doesn’t mean you can’t make a hefty down payment if possible.

Golden began saving at 11 years old for her first car, a 1989 Toyota Celica, turbo charged. She bought it in 2001 for $3500. Unfortunately, she was sold a lemon, but it got her to and from a job for a year where she was able to save up for a new car. She made a large down payment on a brand new car and worked to build her credit by paying it off.

Cars and houses may require loans, but almost everything else can be saved for in advance and purchased outright. Don’t be fooled by the “no interest” for 12-months scheme unless you truly plan to pay it off before the 12 months. If you let it go one day over, you could be paying back interest from a year of not paying the loan down.

6. Live Frugally

Living in the United States, we are blessed beyond measure with countless options and choices for purchasing anything. Some things are made better than others, and the price will reflect that. It comes down to considering how long you will actually possess the said item and what it’s resale value will be when you are finished with it.

Most of what we buy is disposable, so why are going to buy fancy items when the cheap stuff will get the job done just as well? Invest in what will save you money. Our RV dishes cost us fifty cents a piece and they are BPA free. I don’t feel bad when one gets scratched and I don’t have to worry about them breaking as we travel. When I’m bored of the color, I won’t feel bad for replacing them a year from now since they cost me less than $10.

If we ever go to a restaurant, we typically share or take a coupon. We make our own snacks for ball games or museums, or anywhere that allows you to take your own food in. We use everything until it’s worn out, and many items get repurposed into something else. Last, we sell whatever we can.

7. Change our cost of living

In 2013, we sold our home in a booming suburb community outside of Denver. We had lived there six years and built some solid equity in the home. We took that equity to a smaller town where the house prices were much lower. We were able to put cash towards a modular home that served us well for two and a half years. It felt good to be 100% debt free and we were quickly able to rebuild our savings for future purchases.

When life circumstances forced us back into city life, we were able to get a loan for a second home while we waited for our first home to sell. Once it did, we had adequate funds to contribute to our city house, although we don’t outright own it.

However, once our third child turned 18 and all three were out of the house, we knew we no longer needed a 5-bed, 3-bath, home for ourselves. We settled on renting it for a year while we travel.

8. Sell everything, Buy an RV

Since we no longer needed the large house, we no longer needed the furniture that filled it. We no longer needed the yard tools, extra mechanic tools, and everything needed to fill such a large house.

When it came to buying our truck and trailer, we simply switched what we already owned for what we purchased. Before, we had a newer Dodge Durango, a Class C motorhome, a small boat, and a tiny home we built. We also had the same car Golden purchased in high school.

We bought a 2006 Dodge RAM truck and a 2021 Forest River Wildwood trailer. We then made our own upgrades to both to make them work the way we needed, such as building a heavy duty truck box and furniture for the trailer.

9. Volunteer in exchange for housing expenses

By serving with the SOWERS, we get to use our skills for good and get blessed with free housing/utilities. This covers a large part of our daily living expense. There are other organizations or even work camping that will cover your housing costs and perhaps even pay a wage.

Of course, we still do have expenses like food, fuel, phones, and activities. This is why saving for our trip for years in advance was helpful, and then selling all that we own has helped us maintain our time on the road.

10. Less space, Less waste

Living in 200 square feet is both efficient and practical when it comes to living on a tight budget. We aren’t motivated to buy things because we simply have no where to put them. We only get what we need or will be used up quickly.

Our living space is also our recreational space. We don’t have to pay for airfare or hotels, or the typical costs that would come from a week-long vacation. We simply park our RV in a beautiful free spot and enjoy the mountains, riverfront, ocean, or open space.

Living Simply is Satisfying

We absolutely enjoy getting to see new places and meeting new people. The day to day travel can become exhausting at times, but it’s all worth it when we get to stay put for a few days, or even a month while on assignment with the SOWERS.

Our living space is simple and easy to clean and organize. It’s tight, but cozy. Even our cat is better behaved in our small space rather than our big house. She is surprising us in her old age of 16 years.

At the end of our life, we won’t be saying, “I wish I would have made more money,” or “I wish I would have put more hours in at work.” Most people say, “I wish I would have made more time for my family,” or “I wish I would have traveled while I was healthy.”

If you have any desire to travel full-time, we highly encourage you to do it sooner rather than later. Don’t let fear or the stuff you own hold you back from letting God use your gifts in amazing ways. He provides. He supplies. He sustains. Ask Him what you should be doing next.