#9 The $1,500 RV Mistake That Taught Me More Than Any Budget Ever Did

In this episode, I’m sharing the truth about my $1,500 RV mistake—and the budgeting lessons no one talks about.

What started as a fun, spontaneous trip turned into an expensive wake-up call. And if you’ve ever told yourself “it’ll be fine” when spending… you’re going to feel this one.

We’re talking about real-life budgeting—not the perfect, color-coded version—but what actually happens when life, emotions, and impulse decisions collide.

Inside this episode:

•  The exact mistake that cost me $1,500 
•  Why “fun spending” can quietly wreck your budget 
•  How to plan for experiences without blowing your finances 
•  The budgeting shift that would have saved me thousands 
•  How to recover financially after an expensive mistake (without shame) 

If you’ve ever overspent on a trip, justified a purchase in the moment, or felt regret after spending… this episode will hit home.

Because budgeting isn’t about being perfect—it’s about learning how to bounce back smarter.

Transcript

Welcome to the Budget Divas Podcast. This show proves that you can pay off debt, budget like a boss, and still live your best diva life.

I’m your host, Jen Trinidad — budgeting coach, mystery shopping queen, and solo mama rebuilding after losing my husband in 2023.

This podcast is part money makeover, part pep talk, and part real-life story. We do budgeting with lashes on and lattes in hand because you shouldn’t have to sacrifice everything you love just to get your finances on track.

Every week, I’ll share practical tips, money mindset shifts, and how I went from paying off $90,000 in debt to helping other women pay off debt and live freely too.

Let’s talk about how to slay your financial goals with style, grace, and a whole lot of heart.

Because even on a budget, you’re still a diva.

Welcome, everyone, to another episode of the Budget Divas Podcast.

I’m so excited today because I have my friend Christine Schwartz on the podcast to talk about RVing, budget travel, and what first-time RVers need to know before hitting the road.

I recently had an RV experience go wrong — very wrong — and we’re going to talk about that in today’s episode.

But first, Christine, thank you so much for being here. Tell us more about you and how you got started with RVing.

Hi! I’m so excited to be back. I love talking with Jen, and yes, in today’s podcast, you’re going to hear about her RV horror story. We’re also going to talk through some tips and tricks to help you avoid some of the mistakes that can happen as a beginner RVer.

My RV journey started about 12 years ago. I’ve been traveling solo with just my kids and me for 12 years. I think my husband has come maybe five times in 12 years. It’s just not really his thing.

My platform is really about empowering and equipping women at whatever stage of life they’re in. Whether you’re single, married, widowed, a grandparent, or in any other season of life, if you enjoy getting outside, being in nature, traveling, and exploring in an RV on a budget, you can do it.

I’m here to help you learn the tips and tricks in the beginning stages so you don’t make the same mistakes I did — and some of the same mistakes poor Jen experienced too.

I started RVing with my kids when they were very young. I think my oldest was in fifth grade, and now he’s 21, if that math adds up.

My camping looks very different now. A lot of times, it’s solo. It’s me running off to RV shows across the country by myself. I recently took my daughter to college in Florida and drove there in the RV. We turned it into a 10-day RV trip and even added another kid to come along with us.

We also spent my son’s 21st birthday at the Disney campground. I drove from Denver to Florida by myself, parked the RV in Orlando, picked up my son and husband, and then drove from there to Houston for my other son’s baseball tournament.

So it looks very different now than it did when all the kids and I were camping together, but I love it. It’s a piece of who I am, and I’m here to share some tips with you and Jen on how you can make RV travel part of your life too.

So good.

One of the things I always put in my budget that is really important to me is travel. But I am not a good companion when I’m in a car for more than three hours at a time.

Recently, we flew to Los Angeles and then drove up to Vegas. It was like a six- to seven-hour drive with traffic, and I was not in a good mood.

So I’m excited today because I feel like maybe if I’m in an RV — not the RV horror story version — but if I learn more from you, maybe I’ll have a better RV experience next time.

That’s very true. Being in a car is very different from being in an RV.

I was just like you, Jen. Back when I lived in Ithaca, New York, I used to visit my friend in Delaware at least once a month. It was a four-hour drive, and I thought I was going to die. I literally thought, “This is my max. I can never go more than four hours. Just get me there.”

Now, the kids and I can drive much farther, but it’s interesting that you say that because RVers often talk about the 3-3-3 rule.

Basically, it means don’t drive more than three hours, don’t drive more than 300 miles, and try to arrive by 3:00 p.m.

Now, I break all of those rules, and you may too, because life happens. Some people work, and it just doesn’t work for everybody. But it is a good estimate.

GPS time does not equal RV drive time because you have to add in gas stations, stops, stretch breaks, and all of that.

So if you type in wherever you want to go for the day and it says three hours on Waze or Google Maps, that’s a good estimate for one day because that’s about your breaking point. Nowadays, it’s about mine too. I used to drive much longer, but now I eat too much candy and drink too much coffee if I drive much more than that, and I can’t lose that weight as quickly as I used to.

So I try to follow that rule a little bit too.

I love that. I’ve never heard of the 3-3-3 rule, and that’s perfect because a drive from Los Angeles to San Diego, or vice versa, is about two hours. I can tolerate that. But anything more than three hours? You’re right. It starts getting crazy.

So let me start off by telling you my horror story. Don’t hurt me.

In December, Danny had some time off from work, so we decided we were going to Los Angeles to visit his family. Then, with one of my bright ideas, I said, “Hey, why don’t we take the family on an RV trip and go somewhere fun?”

I really just wanted to see snow.

Originally, it was supposed to be just his parents. Then we invited his brother. Next thing you know, there were eight of us in an RV.

We booked the RV through RVshare, which is another story, but I don’t think I’ll be using RVshare again.

When we booked it, we looked at the pictures, bought the insurance, and thought we were good to go.

But when Danny picked up the RV, it was total chaos. It did not look like the pictures at all. It looked old. There were problems. We took pictures and noted what wasn’t working. One of the issues was that the RV didn’t extend all the way like it was supposed to.

But because we had already rented the RV, I don’t think there was any way we could have gotten out of it at that point, right?

No. At that point, you’re pretty much locked in.

Usually, rental platforms have three different cancellation options. It depends on the website, but I call them easy, medium, and difficult.

The difficult option usually means you have to cancel a month out. The middle bracket is usually around two weeks, and the easy option might be around four days prior.

But once you’re there at the RV, unless there’s something seriously wrong with it — like it won’t start — you’re probably locked in, or you’re going to lose your money.

Yeah. So we decided, “All right, we already have the RV. We’re going to make the most of our trip.”

We got back to his parents’ house and packed everything because, of course, if you want to add sheets or anything else, there’s an extra charge. Fortunately, because we were coming from his parents’ house, we were able to bring all the bedding, kitchen supplies, and food we needed for the RV trip.

But for eight of us, including two little kids, it was crazy.

Because the RV didn’t extend all the way, we were in such tight quarters. That’s why when I was texting and calling you during the trip, you were like, “No, no, no. Next time you RV — actually, your first time RVing — make sure it’s just the two of you so you can get used to the process.”

I wish I had listened to that advice because it was total chaos with too many people all at once.

Yes, and that’s a great tip. Sometimes we learn things through life experience.

You’ve taught me so much about budgeting, and I still do it wrong all the time. Sometimes you know in your head what you should do, but real life gets in the way. You were trying to be nice and accommodate his family, which is totally understandable.

So for those listening, if you have a choice up front and you’re trying to decide who to bring, don’t bring all the cousins and extra people the first time. It’s stressful.

Jen came with me to Colorado for an event, and she drove with me. Even after doing this for 10 years, I think we had to pull in and out of two different gas stations without getting gas.

There are situations where you pull in and realize, “Nope. I can’t make that spot. That’s too tight. This doesn’t have the right exit. That person is in my way. I can’t make the turn. I’m leaving. I’m out.”

Sometimes I’ll go to a Love’s, pay more, and be able to get through where the truckers go.

You’re making decisions like that, and it’s hard to do when you have kids, extra people, and everyone talking. You really need to concentrate.

If you’re solo, that’s fine. You can pull over, stop, and make those choices on your own. But if you have someone else with you, they can help you.

I always tell my kids, “Look for an in and out.”

At a gas station, with my 35-foot RV, I need an entrance and an exit. I cannot go into a gas station that only has one entrance because that usually means it’s going to be too tight, and I may not be able to get out.

So if you have another person with you, like you said, if it had just been you and Danny, one person could have been watching for things like that.

It also depends on the size of your RV.

Jen had a Class C, which means it was a drivable motorhome, but not a huge bus-like Class A. She still had to be careful at gas stations, turns, and two-lane turns.

There’s a lot going on in your mind that you have to learn and be aware of. Even after 12 years, it comes naturally to me, but I still have to be aware, and I can’t be distracted.

Having all those people in the RV definitely would have made it more difficult, and I can see how that contributed to your horror story.

Totally.

I love that you mentioned you’ve been doing this for 12 years and things still happen. I’ve been budgeting for years, and things still happen with money too.

Even planning this RV trip on a whim, I knew I needed to adjust my budget because there would be more gas involved and maybe more food stops, gas stops, and all the things. But we were still not expecting everything that happened.

One of the mishaps was when we decided to drive to the Grand Canyon.

When we got to the Grand Canyon, there was a specific RV parking lot just for RVs, but there were cars parked in the RV lot. It was so crowded that people were double parking.

As Danny was trying to make a turn, he swiped the side of another car that was double parked.

That was the first mishap.

Because the RV already had so many scratches on it, you couldn’t really tell what damage was from what. We called the insurance company, got the other driver’s information, and went on our way.

That was the first thing that happened. It didn’t completely ruin the day, but it definitely put us in a bad mood.

Then the next day, we drove to Utah. At that point, we were over it. We wanted to stay in a nice hotel, take a hot shower, and regroup. It was January, it was cold, the baby was crying, and we just needed a hotel room.

As we were making a turn, Danny hit some trees. We thought the branches would just fall and it would be fine.

Nope.

The branches completely ripped off the awning on the RV.

That was another added expense and another insurance claim.

Long story short, we filed both insurance claims. RVshare didn’t get back to us right away, they kept our deposit, and then charged us another $1,500 for the damages.

So it was a lot of money out of pocket.

That’s why I wanted to bring you on today. Tell us your RV tips, budgeting tips, and first-time RVing tips so people can avoid these kinds of mistakes.

I actually learned something from you too.

You told me about your mishaps about two weeks before I was going out to Quartzsite, Arizona, which is a big place for boondocking.

Boondocking means you don’t have hookups. You are fully self-sufficient. Everything you need is in your RV. You need fresh water, you need empty black tanks, which is your sewer, and you need to be prepared to stay out there without hookups.

You had just told me about your RV experience when I was booking a rental from Cruise America. I was flying from the Florida RV Show to the Arizona Quartzsite RV Show, and I didn’t even have time to pick up my own RV. So I rented from Cruise America to create content and show people what it’s like to rent from them.

Cruise America is another RV rental company. Jen mentioned RVshare, and there are several others. Cruise America is very corporate. RVshare is a little more in between corporate and individual people renting out their own RVs.

When I was choosing my insurance level, there were different options to choose from. I chose the highest level because of what happened to Jen.

I never choose the highest insurance. I’m usually the person who tries to skip rental car insurance because I think my car insurance will cover it. That’s the budgeting side of me. I’m always trying to save on insurance.

But my husband said, “After what happened to her, even though you’ve been doing this for 12 years, get the insurance.”

So I did.

I didn’t need it, and I didn’t have any problems. My experience was very different. With Cruise America, I got my deposit back while I was standing there checking out.

But a lot of that is because I’ve been doing this for a long time. It was my fifth time going to Quartzsite, and I had the camping angels in my favor. Jen did not this time.

And it can happen to anybody.

That’s something to remember. Don’t beat yourself up. The money out of pocket stinks because you think of all the other things you could have done with that money, but it can happen to anybody, whether you’re on the driving end or the receiving end.

There are a couple of tips here.

When you’re going into a national park, you need to know what your RV can fit into.

I cannot park in a national park with mine because I have a travel trailer, also called a tow-behind. I have my truck and then a 35-foot travel trailer behind me, which puts me at about 60 feet total. So I can’t fit in the long RV parking spots Jen is talking about, but she can.

A lot of people who rent a Class C motorhome, like the ones you see from Cruise America, can fit in those long RV spots.

It is one of my biggest pet peeves when cars park there. If you are listening and you drive a car, please don’t park in the RV spots. It drives RVers crazy because cars can fit in regular car spots, but RVs only have a few options. If those spaces are taken, you may not be able to get out and enjoy places like the Grand Canyon because there’s nowhere for you to go.

Sometimes I end up parking on the side of the road, which I do not recommend, and then I’m worried we’re going to get a ticket. I’m telling everyone, “Quick, go look at the Grand Canyon and run back!”

So one tip is to really know the layout of where you’re going.

Places like the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone usually have RV spots for Class C motorhomes. If you have a travel trailer like me, you may need to leave it at the campground and drive in with just your truck.

I have been able to take my tow-behind through some places, like Skyline Drive on the East Coast. I was able to get all the way through that national park with my travel trailer and pull over because they had plenty of room in their parking areas. But I researched it ahead of time and knew I could fit.

So do your research.

Yeah. One of the things I didn’t realize was how expensive gas is when you’re renting an RV.

It makes sense because it’s a heavier load and you’re going long distances, but I didn’t realize how often we would have to fill up during a six- to seven-hour drive.

That’s a great point, and it really ties RVing and budgeting together.

You can save money RVing compared to staying in a hotel, especially if you have a big family. We have six people, so when I was deciding whether to drive from Florida to Houston after a parents’ weekend and my son’s 21st birthday in Orlando, my husband said, “Why don’t you just drive to Houston? We’ll have the RV. We’ll save hotel costs for the last night. We’ll get reimbursed for your flight.”

So I did.

But here’s what people need to understand when towing or driving a Class C RV: you’re getting about 8 to 10 miles per gallon.

If you drive a Tesla or a regular fuel-efficient car, that probably sounds shocking. But it’s very normal with an RV. Whether you have a motorhome, a large Class A, or you’re towing, 8 to 10 miles per gallon is common.

I’m lucky if I get 12 miles per gallon.

If I’m driving straight through, I fill up about every three hours max. If I’m doing an eight-hour day, I’m probably filling up three times in one day.

I have a 30-gallon tank in my truck, and each fill-up can be around $65 to $80.

There are some things you can do to save. I recommend Open Roads, and I can give Jen a link to include. Open Roads is a card you use instead of your debit card, and you can save a significant amount. If you have diesel like I do, you can go through the trucker lanes.

Even when I don’t have my RV attached, I can use it. It looks funny because it’s just my truck next to all the semis, but it works.

On travel days with my travel trailer, I’ve saved up to $20 in one fill-up. There’s no other free membership I know of that saves that much. That can be $60 a day in savings if I fill up multiple times.

You won’t always save that much; it depends on the gas station. But the minimum I’ve saved is usually about $7 per fill-up, which still adds up.

They also opened it up for gas now. It used to be just diesel, but now it can be used for gas too.

So that’s one way to save on fuel, but you definitely need to budget for gas.

Jen always asks me what the most expensive part of traveling is. It’s not campgrounds. It’s gas, 1000%.

I can stay at a campground anywhere from free to expensive, depending on where I am.

Harvest Hosts is one membership option. You pay a yearly fee, usually less than $100, and you can stay at thousands of places across the country. Through the app, you can find wineries, breweries, alpaca farms, churches, people’s houses, animal sanctuaries, and more.

I’ve stayed at all of them.

It’s fun because once you pay for the membership, you get experiences. You’re not just staying at Walmart or Cracker Barrel to make it through the night. You get an actual memory out of it.

My daughter once went to use the bathroom and came back saying, “Mom, there are pigs by the bathroom.” You never know what you’re going to see.

We stayed at a goat farm once, and the owner told me, “The goats might climb on top of your truck.” So I put a moving blanket on top of my truck just in case the goats climbed up overnight and scratched it.

You never know what you’re going to get.

County campgrounds can be around $25 to $35. State campgrounds may be around $35 to $45. KOAs can be around $65. Then you get into destination places where people really want to go, and those can be much more expensive. I’ve paid up to $175 a night in the Outer Banks, and I cringed, but that was the going rate.

In general, RVing can still cost less than a hotel.

Because gas is such a big part of your budget, my tip is that I personally don’t stay at campgrounds on travel days if I’m getting in late, unless I’m following the 3-3-3 rule. For me, with kids’ sports and my work schedule, that doesn’t always happen. Half the time, I don’t even leave until after 3:00 p.m., so getting there by 3:00 is not realistic.

If I’m pulling in at 8, 9, 10, 11, or midnight, I don’t want to pay for a campground and then have to check out by 11:00 the next morning. It feels like a waste of money.

But when you’re brand new to RVing, you may need to do that until you’re comfortable.

If you have an onboard generator, like Jen did in her drivable motorhome, you can be fine overnight. If you have a travel trailer like me, you may need an external generator unless your RV comes with one.

That can get complicated, but it’s something to be aware of.

You can stay at Walmart, Cracker Barrel, use a Harvest Hosts membership, or stay at some rest stops. Those are close-to-free options that help you budget so more of your money can go toward gas and your destination, like the Grand Canyon.

I love those tips because that’s exactly what happened to us. We didn’t get to the campground until 11 or 12 at night, and then we had to check out the next day. You’re right — we lost money there when we could have stayed at a Cracker Barrel or Walmart.

And I love what you mentioned — Harvest Hosts.

Yes, Harvest Hosts is a paid membership. Open Roads Gas and Diesel is free. Harvest Hosts is paid, but it’s very affordable, and if you do any RVing, I think every RVer should consider it.

It’s more exciting, especially if you’re traveling with kids or you don’t want the Walmart view.

Of course, it depends on your goal. If I’m pulling in at 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning, I don’t care what the view is. I just want to sleep.

But if you’re getting somewhere at 3:00 p.m., you may not want to hang out in a Walmart parking lot. You can’t put your chairs out or create a camping setup there.

At Cracker Barrel, you can shop, have dinner, watch TV in your RV, and wake up the next morning. It gives you options.

With Harvest Hosts, I’ve stayed at wineries, done wine tastings, stayed at lavender and chocolate farms, and even had someone take me in her car to an Amish market and sit with us while we shopped.

Some of our best memories outside of campgrounds have been through Harvest Hosts, which is amazing for a membership that is less than $100 a year.

If you’re looking to budget and travel, I highly recommend checking it out.

Of course, your situation matters. If you’re only taking one trip for a week and you’re coming from Hawaii, where RVing is different than it is on the mainland, you may not want to pay for a full membership. But if you’re taking multiple trips a year, it might be worth it.

I love that because how fun is it to wake up at a winery or animal sanctuary and experience something you might not get at a normal tourist spot like the Grand Canyon?

We are foodies. We love spending money on food. I would rather spend money on a great meal than clothes. So whenever we go out, we’re asking, “Where should we eat? Where can we have a great dinner or lunch?”

How fun would it be to stay at a Harvest Hosts location and experience what they have to eat or offer, especially since we’re from Hawaii and separated from the continental United States?

Exactly.

When I’m trip planning, that’s another question I get often.

In the beginning, I did the same thing you did. I stayed at KOAs, checked in late, checked out the next morning, and agonized over the money I spent because we literally just went to bed.

If you’re more comfortable doing that as a beginner, that’s okay. We’re trying to give you options because some people are like me — my comfort zone is wide. I’ll try anything.

Other people need everything planned, cleaned out, and organized. A lot depends on your comfort level.

These are options I’ve tried, and they work well. So base your trip on your personality.

There are certain places you do need to plan ahead. What I usually do is pick my end destination. For example, I knew I was going from Denver to Orlando to Disney for my son’s 21st birthday. I didn’t care where I stayed between Denver and Orlando because it was just me.

If I’m with the kids, I may pick a Harvest Hosts location or a campground in the middle.

When I took my daughter to college, we turned it into a 10-day road trip from Denver to Florida. We made the best memories. Everyone else flew there in a few hours. We had the time of our lives.

Because I had my RV, I was able to stay for three weeks. By the time I left her, it was September. Other parents had to go home after a couple of days, but I was still there.

I wasn’t imposing on her. She wanted me there. She would come by, we’d do laundry, get coffee, go boating, have a campfire, do nails, and watch the same DVDs we’ve seen a million times.

We made memories out of the college drop-off.

We went camping down the Guadalupe, stayed in the French Quarter in New Orleans, spent a day exploring New Orleans, stayed at Disney, and went to Disney World. That was all part of dropping her off at college.

My husband flew out and had to go back in two days. His experience was stressful — fly, move, fly back. But ours became an adventure.

That’s why people ask, “Why would you RV?” It goes back to Jen’s point. You never know what you’re going to get, but you cannot get that experience just flying somewhere and staying in a hotel.

When I wake up in the morning at a lake, the beach, an animal sanctuary, or anywhere unexpected, I realize you don’t know what you’re missing if you only book the hotel and the flight.

You can’t always plan these moments. You can’t pay for them. You have to go out, explore, and do it.

Your experience won’t be exactly like anyone else’s. It becomes your memory and your family’s memory.

I was listening to a podcast yesterday, and the person said that when they travel with their family, they email everyone an itinerary. Every second of the day is planned.

I thought, “Wow, that is so different from how I travel.”

When I travel, yes, I have certain places I want to visit and certain restaurants I want to try, but I like to go with the flow. If we change our minds and want to drive somewhere else instead of going to Disneyland that day, I love having the freedom to do that.

I don’t need to know where I’ll be every second of the day. That’s what I love about your trips. You had a trip planned to see your daughter in Florida, but along the way you stopped at all these places. You just let the adventure happen.

Exactly. That’s my personality, and I’m sure people who are the opposite are cringing right now.

But it’s okay to be either type of traveler. We can all be friends.

My aunt Bonnie is very organized. She shows up to the campground with a crockpot meal already made. That is not me. I don’t have any meals planned. I do my shopping, and I have everything in the refrigerator the kids might possibly want, but nothing is made.

It’s all good. We complement each other.

You have to know your personality and travel style.

If what Jen described stresses you out, plan your trip. Say, “I’m going to drive three hours.” There’s an app called RV LIFE, and you can enter how many miles or hours you want to drive. It will show you campgrounds in the area, including free options.

They also started working with Harvest Hosts, so you can filter by that too. You can add gas stops and plan the route in detail.

If you are super organized and need to know all of that, there is an app and a way to camp that works for you.

For me, that level of planning stresses me out. It gives me anxiety because it’s not my personality.

If I think I’m going to get to Omaha tonight, but I’m two hours short, tired, and it would be dangerous to keep going, then I feel like I failed. Now I have campground reservations to cancel, and sometimes they refund you and sometimes they don’t. Then I feel behind, and the whole trip feels off.

But if I have a general idea and I’m two hours short, I can say, “Okay, great. There’s a Cracker Barrel. We can play chess and get breakfast in the morning.”

I’m not stressed because Omaha was just a general goal.

The next day, I start fresh and ask, “What’s three or four hours from where I am now?”

There’s a way to do RV travel for everybody. Don’t try to copy someone else’s style. Make it work for what allows you to enjoy the experience.

That’s so good.

In my regular nine-to-five life here in Hawaii, everything is scheduled. I know what I have to do in the morning, afternoon, and at night. So when I travel, I want freedom.

Yes, there are certain places I want to visit and certain places I want to eat, but at the end of the day, I like to see where the wind takes us.

Another thing I love about an RV is having access to a full kitchen and bathroom.

When I book a hotel, I’m not looking for the most expensive Four Seasons with the fancy bar, restaurant, and five pools. I’m looking to see if they have a kitchen because I might want to make breakfast in the morning instead of spending $100 at the restaurant downstairs.

What I love about an RV is that you can bring your own supplies.

I recently learned about a trend on TikTok where people were saying not to use the coffee maker in hotel rooms because people were using them to wash underwear. Yes — it’s gross.

That is so bizarre. I don’t really use TikTok, but I’ve heard people talk about it on podcasts too. They said not to use hotel coffee makers because housekeeping only cleans the outside, not the inside. Who would think to clean the inside?

So on our last trip to San Diego, I said, “We’re going to Costco, buying a hot kettle, making coffee that way, and bringing our own cups because I’m not using the hotel room amenities.”

That’s what I love about RVing. You bring things from home, or if you own your RV, you already have your own things in it. You know it’s clean because it’s yours.

Jen, I love that topic because the more I talk to you, the more I realize we are so on the same page.

I love that about RVing too.

Honestly, I don’t like staying in hotels because it’s stressful to me. I wonder, “Did they clean the blankets? What is this stain? Why is this here?” When I use the shower, I think, “How many people have stood here barefoot?”

Now I’m going to have to think about the coffee pot too.

I just don’t prefer hotels.

Flying is stressful too. I once flew Southwest one way, and the bag limit was 50 pounds. But I took Frontier back, and the bag limit was 40 pounds. I was nine pounds over, and they were trying to charge me. I was pulling things out at the airport trying to figure out what I could put in my bag.

It’s stressful.

So I keep my RV stocked and ready to go. I always say I could leave at a hurricane’s notice and have everything I need in that RV.

I don’t take anything out except food.

In the summer, I even leave my clothes. I keep shoes, supplies, and everything I might need. If I realize there’s something missing, I get it right away and it stays in the RV.

My RV is my happy place and safe haven. There’s almost nothing I need.

I keep batteries, scissors, fire starters, my robe, towels, marshmallows, a toolbox, foil, propane, a propane fire pit, and a wood fire pit in my truck. I’m ready.

When I go on a camping trip, it’s stress-free when it comes to supplies. I add groceries and go.

Going back to budgeting, you can save so much money.

Yes, you’ll spend more on gas, but you can save on hotels. Campgrounds can range from free to around $65 or $75 on average, depending on where you are. Some are more expensive, especially in popular destinations.

Where you can really save is food.

Like Jen said, we love eating out. My kids have expensive taste. They like steak and seafood.

So we might pick a steak or seafood restaurant at our destination, but on travel days, we’ll have sandwiches, grocery store sushi, salads, or pre-made food from Walmart. It’s not like we’re only eating peanut butter and jelly.

We try to stay self-contained in the RV on travel days. If someone wants a snack or drink, they get it from the RV. I’m not buying it at the gas station.

If you want candy, go to the dollar store ahead of time and throw it in the RV.

That helps so much because when they order the T-bone steak later, I’m not freaking out because we haven’t spent money on food all week other than groceries.

I stock my refrigerator before we leave and try not to grocery shop again for about two weeks. We may pick up small things here and there, but I also use Walmart delivery to my campground all the time.

I don’t waste time grocery shopping because I’m there for fun. I do Walmart delivery, and they bring it to my campsite. I’ve done it probably 20 times.

Someone once commented that I was lazy, and I said, “I’m not lazy. I’m smart. You’re at the grocery store while I’m at the Grand Canyon.”

I use Walmart delivery all the time too. I get free delivery through one of my cards, and paying a tip for someone to deliver groceries is worth it.

I’m not spending 20 minutes driving to Walmart, finding parking, spending an hour in the store, probably buying more than I should because I didn’t stick to my list, and then coming back to put everything away.

Instead, I order it, have it delivered, and I’m ready to make dinner or lunch. It’s convenient, not lazy.

Exactly.

They come to the campground, and if the campground requires a gate code, you meet them at the front. Campgrounds usually don’t want you giving out the code, so you can track the delivery and know when to meet them.

Another big budgeting area is alcohol and coffee.

Not everyone drinks, but if you do and want a glass of wine, it can be $12 to $16 at destination places. You can bring that into your RV before you leave, even if you’re renting.

You can stock up at Walmart, the grocery store, or wherever you shop.

For coffee, I only like Starbucks K-Cups. I’ve tried every coffee, and I just can’t. So I bring my coffee with me. Then I can drive past Starbucks because I have what I like in the RV.

My kids like the bottled Starbucks drinks. At Starbucks or a gas station, they might be $4 each. But at the grocery store, I can buy a four-pack for a better price.

So I think ahead: What are the things the kids will want me to splurge on that I don’t want to buy at a gas station?

The only thing I really have to plan for RV trips is groceries. I order them, cool down the refrigerator the day before, load everything in, and we’re ready to go.

There are definitely ways to budget. Some things, like gas, you can’t control as much. But there are many things you can control, like food, coffee, alcohol, where you camp, and whether you use gas savings apps.

With Open Roads, you can see gas prices within 50 miles of you. Use that because gas can vary by a dollar per gallon within five miles, and that adds up fast. On my tank, that can be $30.

I’ve gotten pretty good at budgeting because I travel so much.

One of the biggest tips is: don’t give up the food you care about, but don’t spend on the food you don’t care about.

For me, I don’t care about breakfast or lunch on travel days. I care about meals at my destination.

That’s amazing.

When we went to San Diego, we went to a breakfast place, and for just the two of us, it was easily $100. So yes, if you’re RVing or trying to travel on a budget, save money on breakfast and lunch.

That can also add to the experience.

Some of my favorite RV memories are cooking while camping. I don’t know if my kids appreciate it as much as I do, but I love getting to a campground and cooking food over an open fire.

My kids love seafood, so I’ll buy a big slab of salmon and cook it over the fire. I have a grill rack on a stick that you push into the dirt or sand. We’ve done it on the beach too.

I can’t even describe how good it tastes. We’ll cook salmon, asparagus, potatoes, and other food outside. My outdoor speakers are playing, I’m drinking a glass of wine, and my kids are sitting around the campfire.

We’ve done it at the beach and so many other places.

It becomes this amazing meal where we’re sitting around, talking while we cook, and making memories together. It’s not like being at a restaurant where you’re irritated because you’re hungry, waiting for food, and then having to tip whether the service was good or bad.

Cooking at the campground is part of the experience.

I used to make breakfast and dinner over the fire, and my kids would say, “Mom, you don’t have to start the fire for everything. Just give us a Pop-Tart.”

Sometimes I don’t think they appreciated the breakfast and lunch, but honestly, I was doing it for me too.

Drinking coffee in the morning while the sunrise comes up, listening to music, cooking over the fire — it brings down your stress level like nothing else.

I’m self-sufficient. Everything is there. It’s just me and the experience.

That is totally a picture-worthy moment — having your coffee in the morning, watching the sunrise, overlooking the lake, and just being at peace.

I love it.

You’re getting me excited because after that RV horror story, I am determined to RV the right way next time and not have so many expectations.

I think that’s one of the biggest things I need to learn too. When you’re trying something new, just go with the flow. If it doesn’t work out perfectly, that’s okay. You learn, and you get better next time.

As we wrap up this episode, tell us your top three tips for someone who is just getting started with RVing. And also, where can people find you? I know you post daily and share so many great tips on RVing the right way, getting started, and showing your adventures so people can get inspired for their next trip.

My number one tip is: don’t wait.

If RVing is something that has been tugging at your heart, don’t wait for somebody else.

My husband always says to me when he’s frustrated, “You’re not a gypsy. You’re not a nomad.” And I’m like, “Yes, I am.”

If that’s in your heart and you’re a nomad at heart, don’t wait for someone else.

People are different and like different things. If someone has already communicated to you that they don’t want to go camping or RVing, and you’re holding out for them, they probably are not going to change their mind. They may not like it, and they may bring your experience down.

So go without them.

We can do things with other people, but we can also do things alone.

If you’re a woman out there and you have a significant other, or you don’t have a significant other right now, but RVing interests you, you can do it on your own.

Women often worry about safety. I always say the campground feels like growing up in the ’80s. People let their kids run around at the playground. Everyone talks to everyone.

Of course, use your gut and be safe. I take precautions. I have a security camera and other safety tools. But overall, the campground life is something you don’t fully understand until you experience it.

If you’re worried about mapping, there are apps. If you’re worried about driving, there are ways to practice.

Start with a smaller drivable motorhome. There are small ones that work for two to three people. You can even rent a U-Haul and drive it around because that’s similar to what a smaller Class C feels like.

Practice in a parking lot. Get orange cones from the Dollar Tree, Amazon, or Walmart and practice turning. That’s one of the hardest things to learn.

Go to an empty parking lot, like a church on a weekday when it isn’t busy, and practice.

Get comfortable before you go, but don’t let fear hold you back. And don’t wait for somebody else because they’ve probably already shown you whether they’re a traveler or not.

My second tip is: don’t let the fear of budgeting stop you.

We all have bills to pay. We all have things we need to budget for. But don’t let the fear of the unknown hold you back.

I know this sounds crazy, but other than gas, I spend less money on the road than I do at home.

People look at me and think, “You travel all the time. You must not work.”

But I work on the road, and I work a lot of hours on the road. I could do a whole podcast on that.

For me, work and play go together. I work so I can play, and they’re not separate. It’s all part of my lifestyle.

Even if you work a nine-to-five, you can still make RVing work. You can take a Fourth of July trip, a Memorial Day trip, or a weekend trip. You can still make it work if you’re in the office during the week.

My third tip is: allow yourself the freedom.

If you’re type A, I’m not asking you to change. But keep your eyes open to the opportunities that exist in the RV world.

There are so many experiences I can’t fully describe because yours will be different depending on where you go, who you go with, and how you travel.

It’s your journey to experience.

You’re never going to know what you’re missing if you let fear, budgeting concerns, or other people hold you back.

And when you try it, you are going to have mishaps.

I felt terrible for Jen, but she really didn’t do anything wrong. She was trying to be kind and include Danny’s family. That’s normal.

She doesn’t need to look at this experience and say, “That happened, so I’m never going again.”

She can look at it and say, “Next time, maybe Danny and I will go alone so we can concentrate, have more space, and have less chaos.”

You learn from each step.

RV life is a lot like that. No matter how long you’ve done it, things will go wrong. You’ll have leaks, mishaps, parking issues, and unexpected costs.

Don’t look at it as failure. Look at it as part of the journey.

Sometimes it costs money, and that stinks. But if you love this, don’t let it stop you.

Keep going and get out there.

You’ll have memories when you’re 60, 70, or 80 that other people won’t have if they never took the journey. You’ll have a different life, a different adventure, and different memories.

I encourage you to try it because it is so rewarding. I cannot imagine my life without RVing. I would give up my house before I gave up my RV.

I love that so much.

I love your sense of adventure and how spontaneous you are on the road.

If people want to learn more about RVing, where can they find you?

My handle is @RVMamaof4. That’s RV Mama of 4, with the number four.

You can find me on all social media platforms with that handle, so whichever platform is your favorite, you can find me there.

Awesome.

Thank you so much for being on the podcast today and sharing your RV tips, budget travel advice, and all of your experiences.

I hope everyone takes this to heart, and if they want to start RVing, they start exploring what that could look like for them today.

Thanks, Jen. I appreciate it.