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Travelinana wrote:In one of the threads we were talking about insurance costs. It brought another very concerning expense we travelers must always watch and that of course is fuel. I have made a personal decision that I will travel 5000 miles a year for the next 5 years. I'm pushing 68..weight bearing exercise and I know that 5 years might be all I want or all I am allowed. I did the math (I know others have done this but doesn't hurt to see it again). In an ideal world I would have $3 gal..at 10 mpg that's 500 gals per year or $1500, $4-$2000 $5-$2500 In 5 years I am looking at $7500 (ideal world) up to $12,500. I know it's possible it won't stop at $5 and in that case one must make a hard decision. Do I give up my dream over $5000? I think not! So for those of you planning that Alaskan trip, just give up a couple of movies or eat outs per month

You are right, Nancy. It is what it is what it will be. The only advantage to those of us retired is that we don't have to do it all in two weeks. We can choose to drive every day, or not. Stay and play awhile without putting fuel in the rv every day.

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Nancy, I agree with you in theory. However, other costs are skyrocketing, too - food, insurance, electric, household goods, medical care, prescription meds (wine is out of this world... YES - wine IS a necessity!).

So, for some (more likely, many), it can come down to a choice of being able to afford a necessity or a luxury. I feel so sorry for young families with little kids. And elderly people on small fixed incomes. It's ugly out there these days.

The End.

(ON EDIT: That "The End" kinda read nasty, like I was mad or something...it surely isn't meant to be. Just me being silly...nuttin' round here to get mad over, except You-Know-Who.)

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Everyones theory and opinion on this topic is correct,(for them). Yes, not only fuel but groceries , everything is going up. If we are fortunate enough to choose and be able to do this life style, we pick our priorities and it means different for each of us and we also have different reasons for doing as we do.

Different areas of our country, items will be cheaper or much higher then we are used to. Depends on where we want to go and what we want to do. To do these things we want and hope to do, some will make sacrifices of things that others think are sooo important. However we get to do our dreams, we all have to consider ourselves sooo Fortunate. We are so lucky, to have the opportunity to make this choice.

Travelinana, you've figured what you want to do and the expense it might be to do this plan. Good thinking and stretched over the year, your totals don't sound bad to me at all. I don't do a lot of the extras that some do. My fun thing is to go on the road. So all meals out, movies etc., are all saved up into my travels.

I am sooo grateful that I am able to still travel ,Its a real blessing to me. I don't take this fact for granted, and I do intend to go on the road, in spite of anything for as long as I can. Clothes may get a little worn out, I may loose some weight (thats a good thing) and I may be setting in some park longer then planned but I will be out there for as long as this dream is granted to me.

I will add, that the price of just living anymore is a really upsetting situation for so many, and I feel so bad for them and in what ever way I can help , I will. Buying my gas and doing my thing will help businesses, people have jobs etc, etc. etc.

Happy travels, Everyone, however you plan and are able to do it,
CArol

I am pushing 69, and I agree that I need to spend the next 5-10 years well because I could easily have medical or physical problems, so while gas costs are high, I am still going to travel.

I have been putting together a spreadsheet for my travels over the next several months, and some months I will just not drive very far. Others will be very expensive ones, but I think they will average out. I am going to try to use shuttles in national parks and my bike when I can.

Life is too short to wait for gas prices to go down.

My 2 cents...since I will be taking my gd to Texas this summer to spend time with her dad, fuel will be a big expense. However, if I booked 2 airline tickets, factored in a rental car for a couple of weeks, hotel, food, boarding expense for the pets, etc...it is still probably less expensive to travel in the rv than to fly. On top of that, I am much more comfortable being in my home on wheels, my pets can come with, I can eat out or in.

It really boils down to personal preference. I know some that have limited income too. I have no income at this point in my life and I'm stretching my savings until I am old enough to start living off my retirement. So, if sticker shock from fueling the rv doesn't kill me, I intend to travel as far and as often as I can. When the money runs out I'll stay put till I figure out what comes next.

I would hate to give up the dream because of fuel costs...let me rephrase...I will NOT give up the dream because of fuel costs. The dream may have to be adjusted and fine tuned, but I won't give it up.

Paulette wrote:I would hate to give up the dream because of fuel costs...let me rephrase...I will NOT give up the dream because of fuel costs. The dream may have to be adjusted and fine tuned, but I won't give it up.

Your whole comment was so well-said, but what I quoted just resonated with me.

Yep, what everyone said...to each her own. Many of us are of an age or have health issues that say every day is a blessing. Some of us been blessed to have survived life threatening things. Every day some of thank God that we woke up on the top side of the earth. Fuel prices are a concern. Will it stop me driving down the road? No with a qualifier...I may stay a little long in one spot with Suite Pea but Herbie still zips around at about 30 mpg. So I can go a long way with Herbie and Suite Pea will keep me comfy at night and provide me a place to sup and sip with friends of long standing and newly found.

I just told my brother today that I would be broke when I got back from Alaska. He said, not a problem if you stay here you will be broke also!

I do hope that some of you have some associated petro stocks and are getting some (well actually lots) dividends from them. I know that one of mine in a 401K has done great for the last 5 years.

Property taxes have been going up, also. The farm taxes have increased by $35 a year the past 4 years....yep go figure that one out. My Flaming Hot cheetos have gone up to 3.49 from 1.49...go figure that one out. Yep they have dropped off the shopping list until they get below 2.50. Just eat more beans and cornbread where ever you are. As much as things change, they are the same.

My coffee (which I need) has gone from 7 and 8 bucks for a canister to almost 12. I shop the sales for coffee. If you live on the fear of fuel going up it will ruin your enjoyment of travel. I was warned last year about fuel costs when traveling and never ran into any serious problems and enjoyed the summer.

Life is way too short to let the price of fuel worry us. Get out there and enjoy, we are not promised tomorrow.

Fuel was about $.25 to $.35 when most of us were very young. Wages have also gone up since then too. Sometimes you just have to keep things in perspective. More power to our women who have planned ahead and are working toward their dream trip.

longdog2 wrote:Fuel was about $.25 to $.35 when most of us were very young. ...More power to our women who have planned ahead and are working toward their dream trip.

I don't think I EVER EVER imagined gas would climb from $0.25 to $5.00+ per gallon and possibly even more. I might do the percentage increase math on that, but I'm too tired....

I think most of you feel that you'll sacrifice other things to be able to continue traveling. My point is that many people do not have further choices to cut back...they have cut back all they possibly can. I personally feel sad that any leisure time must be must be eliminated for necessities. It wasn't that way when fuel was $0.35/gallon.

The thing that really amazed me during my trip back from the north this weekend were the numbers of large motor homes and fivers that were heading north. I couldn't believe how many there were. Not so many of more modest RVs. Bankruptcy is rampant in this country, and sometimes (not always), it's very frustrating that I have to pay a portion of those $500 boots you just had to have, and then you declare bankruptcy...

Oh, my goodness. I just ranted.

As kind of a sarcastic joke about 25yrs ago I made the comment that the government was working hard at making us so involved and focused on surviving that in the end we wouldn't have the energy, time and resources to fight them anymore. That they would pass laws to turn us into as close to a police state as could be gotten away with.

I am thinking that it's no longer such a sarcastic joke anymore.

I'm not so sure it's the government working against us, as it is people's greed - I have to have THAT right NOW.

I remember years ago, I looked at a 5# bag of potatoes for $2.50. I could not afford it. I got teary-eyed and frustrated because I could not afford a $2.50 bag of potatoes. But I did not buy the potatoes on credit. I did without them. Such thoughts are no so prevalent today.

This is an interesting thread. I'm not giving up my dream of doing my thing on the road either. I am going to take a short hiatus though. I have found over the past year of hauling and camping, that I am getting bored just staying at the campgrounds by myself. I want to be out on the open road, enjoying the sights, seeing new things and places. Going to the state parks around me here is beginning to become too much same old and I don't have the time to go out to different ones cause of time, distance and money. Since I am not on my SS yet and only working summers, my budget has gotten tighter with rising fuel, food and other things as well as maintaining my S&B. With a new boss at work, I don't know how my work schedule is going to play out either. So with all that in mind, I am selling my current TT, putting the money in the bank and sitting tight for a year or so, keeping my eye out for another rig in the meantime. My big dream is to travel the western states in two years and I intend to see that through. I will save money from emergency road service, any regular service and insurance on my TT, as well as gas and camping fees. Doesn't sound like much, but does add up. I'm also considering trading my gas hog truck for a better gas vehicle. Right now I am considering leasing a Ford Flex for two years, then when I turn that in, get myself a small rig and hit the road. 24 miles to a gallon of gas is far better than the 14 to 18 I am getting on this truck right now. It will, if I play it right, also reduce the amount of monthly payments I am making, so more money saved there.

It will also give me a chance to do some day trips around MI that I haven't done in awhile and perhaps even go visit some of my family downstate, something I haven't done cause of my trucks lousy mileage. I know I can leave my TT sit here, but I also know it will deteriorate and is worth more now than it will be a couple of years from now. I also want to get something different with a bit more storage and outside storage. RV manufactuers are changing and responding to small vehicles and lighter weight rigs and in two years, who knows what might be out there. I know there are a few others on this forum who have had to do the same thing, but we have not given up our dreams, and when the time comes, we will fullfill them. Course if in the meantime I find something I think I can afford and swing payments for, the whole picture changes

Way back in 1965, I got my first teaching job. It paid a whopping $5,200 a year, and gas was $.31 cents a gallon. $10,000 a year was a VERY comfortable salary, and I remember thinking that someday I hoped to make that much money per year.

Even with my husband's salary, things were very tight for us, and I remember having to budget for gas for our two cars. We were barely able to buy groceries for a week when he was laid off, actually even when he was working.

I am glad to have worked this long. The people really suffering are those who are on a fixed income because they are retired or those who "retired" even when they didn't want to.

Gas will be a consideration for me, but slow travel will be my mantra.