My schedule has flown out the window again, so I am in the wrong spot or the incorrect day, I forget which, something like right pew, left church or is it a one way street that dead ended.
I fell in love with the current campground at Welaka, Florida so I am still here, extending day by day, but I need to shake a leg, make a plan then mosey on down the highway.
Now that I've sewn up my future workamping schedule, many are calling to ask me to come workamp with overlapping dates. Some are places I would love to go, but once I've committed to a workamping gig, I don't want to change. I like to keep my word, honoring my prior commitments.
Once I get my writing income better organized (ha ha ha!) or maybe I should say, once I get it at a living wage, I won't be taking on so much workamping. But for now, for me, it's an end to a means, a way to keep me rolling in my wheel estate.
I've learned how to turn a trip to the grocery store into an adventure when I am workamping. Many folks lament the fact I don't have a car or alternate transportation. They say driving the motorhome to the grocery store must be expensive. But for me, it's worked out far cheaper not to have a car. For what I spend on gas driving the motorhome on errands, I couldn't even begin to afford a car, insurance, maintenance, and so on. Usually I do my provisioning and errand-running when I am traveling between campgrounds anyhow, so there are no extra costs involved.
I like to live eco-friendly. One less person running around the overcrowded streets in another dang car, is good for the environment (the one less car). I think it's hilarious that the folks who scream and holler about tobacco smokers, never say a word about the huge amount of pollution filling our world from this excessive love affair with individual car ownership and a propensity to drive one solo, each and every day, on multiple trips, no matter what. Frankly, I am so glad I get to avoid driving and riding in cars every day.
Lately, traversing around in my motorhome as I approach the location of my next workamping assignment, I am truly amazed at the heavy traffic I keep finding myself driving through. I wonder, is ANYBODY at home or at work because it seems like everyone is in their car on the roads 24/7. Where did all these crowds of folks and their vehicles come from?
In my 22 year absence from America while living and working overseas, it appears to me, upon relocating back to America, that in the past two decades or so, car ownership and people has multiplied by 10 to 20 times or more.
However, once I am workamping for awhile, I have to eventually bust up camp to go shopping for food. This is not as bad as it sounds. It does force me to clean and organize for the trip. Getting better organized is always a good thing. Well, it's a major hassle, but worth the effort. I usually make a day of it,when I go grocery shopping, looking for free entertainment after shopping, such as exploring a public park or dog park.
My friends that sold their fifth-wheel RV to relocate to Brazil, gave me a mountain of food and other gifts. So I've thrown my menus out the window, to start planning around the new food inventory. My grocery list to feed me for the next two weeks, only contains 4 items now. Wow! My friends have no idea what a HUGE help all this food is. Also for my birthday, I received unique goodies from friends, fans and "framily" including several boxes in the mail of organic foods. So if you are hungry, just stop by my place for the menu du jour. Feeding friends is 99% of my annual entertainment budget. Living "efficiently" means the entertainment budget is practically zero. But feeding "framily" is fun and entertaining, something I enjoy. A leisurely meal with great conversation al fresco in a gogeous campground... What more could I ask for?
I've decided there is going to be no car in my future at all. Traveling solo, I find it so much easier to just deal with the wheel estate only.
However, I am considering saving up for an electric bicycle like this one on Amazon. You can pedal or use the battery or both. That way if I go bike riding to the store or somewhere and suddenly get tired (a mega medical problem that plagues me) I can flip the switch to the electric motor, then get back home again. Of course part of the problem is the cost of the accouterments I need to go with the bike, that drives the price up higher. Harley needs a basket up front to ride in, then I want a basket in back for shopping. Then there is the ding-a-ling bell, the night light and the locking cable, so I can lock it up when I am not riding it, the bike rack to haul it out back of the wheel estate, the helmet for those states that insist you wear one, and so on. At the rate I am going, and what with all the other wheel estate repairs that pop up when you least expect them, well saving up for this could take a very long time. But I am patient...
The number one consideration about living efficiently on a tiny budget is PATIENCE. No impulse shopping allowed unless it's a fantastic bargain and something already on the wish list. This is assuming the funds are even available to take advantage of the fabulous bargain. Otherwise, tons of patience, planning and waiting can save one massive bucks. I am constantly having to re-sort the priority list. For instance, my wheel estate needs some critical repairs that I just can not do on my own. So I am going to have to hire those jobs out and the sooner the better, but first I have to more or less plan ahead.
My brain just gets overloaded some days. What to do first?
But having friends pack up to move overseas and bestowing loads of useful items upon me has certainly had a wonderful advantageous impact on my efficient budget.
I am so lucky!
Best of all, I woke up alive and I feel great.
And the sun came up.
I took this photo at sun rise on
October 2011
Beautiful sunrise pic! And how cool that must have been to gain those goods. Like a kid at Christmas! Yay! If I were closer, I'd help you with some of the RV issues...even if I got an electric bike, riding it from Texas to Fla might take awhile...and my bum would hurt.
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