The Three Biggest Ways Experienced RVers Save Money

Everyone who is considering living full time in an RV wants to know how much it costs to live in an RV.

They also want to know what other RVers are doing to save money and cut their expenses.

If you like to go shopping, buy new clothes, buy the latest gadgets, go to concerts and sporting events, like new cars, want the latest cell phone, and like to eat out all the time, you're going to end up spending as much (and maybe even more) money living in an RV as you're spending now because. . .

Moving into an RV won't change who you are. You have to make a conscious effort to change your ways.

How Experienced RVers Save Money

Your best option to save money is to make changes to areas where most of your money is being spent. For example, you can't save any money by cutting back on how much you spend on shampoo because if you totally eliminated shampoo, it wouldn't save enough to matter.

To save money, you have to cut back in the areas where you're spending a lot of money.

#1. Don't eat out very often. Make it a special occasion. If you eat out a lot, then it's no longer a special occasion. Also, skip the chain restaurants and the tourist places. Eat at the local mom and pop places, and you will get to experience the real cuisines of the area.

By the way, that dish in the picture at the top of the page is one of my favorites from Red Rocker Inn Bed and Breakfast in Black Mountain, NC, You won't find that in any chain restaurant.

#2. Don't waste food: Even if you eat most of your meals at home, you may still be wasting a lot of money by throwing away too much food. One way to save a lot on food is to start planning every meal by first looking in the refrigerator and seeing what leftovers you have and then thinking what you would need to add to those leftovers to make a good meal. This approach will take some planning.

Be creative and sometimes serve things that wouldn't normally go together. I know, you have to draw the line somewhere, and I agree, turnip greens and waffles don't go together.

Here are two options to consider. You can put almost anything in soup. Make some cornbread to go with your soup, and you will have a delicious meal. A word of advice. Be sure to set the butter out early. Trying to spread cold butter on cornbread doesn't work. By the way, Southern Living Magazine had a lab run some test and concluded that butter could be kept on the counter at room temperature for up to three weeks. You do need to keep butter in the dark to protect the flavor, so don't use a butter dish with a clear glass cover.

Another way to use up leftovers is to add some eggs and cheese and make a quiche. You can put almost anything in a quiche.

We're all guilty of leaving leftovers in the back of the refrigerator too long and then throwing them out. Stop throwing away food, and you can save a lot.

I heard a comedian say one time that he would like to be rich enough some day to be able to throw leftovers away right after a meal instead of putting them in the back of the refrigerator and throwing them away a week later.

3. Practice wise grocery shopping: We all know ways to save when buying food. We just don't do it. Cut out junk food, shop at discount stores like Aldi, and buy mostly real food--beans, rice, veggies--cut back on protein and high-priced cuts of meat. Also, watch fruits and veggies closely and be sure to eat them before they go bad.

Bottom line: Practice the three techniques I've described here, and you can save a lot (and I do mean a lot) of money on food.