Author Topic: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?  (Read 21650 times)

rob in cal

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if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« on: May 26, 2014, 03:43:57 PM »
  I've been reading up on Lynne and Tim Martin who sold their house in Paso Robles CA in 2011 and since then have travelled all over.  I think they rent a place for a few months  and then go on to their next location. Haven't read their book yet.  Basically, for someone who plans on travelling alot this makes sense.  Why have a big chunk of capital tied up in a home if you plan on living elsewhere for a majority of the time anyway.  I think they do rent a storage unit, and it looks like their daughters have fixed residences that they go back to to spend holidays with them. 
   Still, the overall idea is intriguing, especially if one can free up alot of capital by selling their original residence.

SDREMNGR

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2014, 04:19:49 PM »
Go look on RV full timer forums.  They have it down pat on how to maintain residency in no income tax state and how to forward mail and all the things involved in not having a permanent residence.

mc6

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2014, 08:08:38 PM »
Huh.  Sounds appealing.

vern

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2014, 08:21:30 PM »
Billy and Akaisha have been "homeless" for over twenty years.

http://retireearlylifestyle.com/

Russ

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2014, 08:22:26 PM »
Go look on RV full timer forums.  They have it down pat on how to maintain residency in no income tax state and how to forward mail and all the things involved in not having a permanent residence.

yep. one of these days I'll be "moving" to South Dakota.

NinetyFour

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2014, 08:27:33 PM »
I have thought about going this route, as well.  On the other hand, I live in a wonderful town and I have a house with an accessory dwelling unit.  The ADU is a small gold mine in my back yard.  Some would say I'd be crazy to give it up.  But we'll see where I am financially in 5 years or so.

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2014, 06:43:37 AM »
I assume people who live this lifestyle pay no state income taxes.  Not that that's a make-or-break item, but it just occurred to me.

I'm glad it works for them, but I wouldn't like it myself.  I like to travel, but I also like to come home to MY PLACE. 

Thegoblinchief

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #7 on: May 27, 2014, 06:50:43 AM »
I assume people who live this lifestyle pay no state income taxes.  Not that that's a make-or-break item, but it just occurred to me.

I'm glad it works for them, but I wouldn't like it myself.  I like to travel, but I also like to come home to MY PLACE.

My wife is currently dead against full-time travel for that reason. I'm currently trying to learn about urban homesteading and such, so I also like the appeal of a permanent base, at least during the growing season.

Both of us will probably want to move to a similar size house but on acreage. I'll give up some bikeability but I like being away from other folks.

Spartana

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #8 on: May 27, 2014, 05:27:01 PM »
This is what I am in the process of trying to do now. Selling the house to raom about for a few years. It's something I have been trying to do since I FIREed years ago. But having pets (and then inheriting some more) meant it was very difficult so I have stayed owning a home and just travelling part time. Now I am down to one small dog and am looking forward to becoming a homeless wandering waif.  House is going up for sale soon and then I'll be free to go as long as I want, to where ever I want. Unfortunately I can't do it as I would like - basically getting rid of everything I own to be a grungy backpacker travelling the world under my own power and renting an apt or room for several months a year in places I like - so I am looking at options I can do with a small dog. 

The RV option doesn't appeal to me at all so am looking at other options. So far I'm deciding between 3 different things: 1).Being car less and doing full time biking around the US with the dog in a trailer (tried it a bit and it is difficult for a variety of reasons). 2). Doing a long road trip in my vehicle with the dog and bringing my bike to ride as much as possible. This option requires me to buy another vehicle - probably a compact car. 3). trying to do the grungy backpacker thing with the dog overseas (at least in Europe).

#2 looks to be the best option. I would probably mix it up with tent camping and budget motels while travelling between places, and renting a furnished off-season vacation home for a few months at a time when I want to stay put in some cool place.

Years ago I read a book titled "Cashing in on the American Dream: How to retire at 35" by Paul and Vicky Terhorst (they are friends with Billy and Askita mentioned above). They gave up the jobs and home to become PT's (Perpetual Travellers) decades roaming the earth and living in various places. They are older now (60's?) and more settled but a very interesting life. You can google them for info. I have already gotten rid of everything I own except my bike, trailer, clothes and a small box of important papers and photos. The rest (furniture) will be donated to the Salvation Army. So I won't need a storage unit and my sister will keep my one box!
« Last Edit: May 27, 2014, 05:48:08 PM by Spartana »

Spartana

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2014, 05:40:14 PM »
I assume people who live this lifestyle pay no state income taxes.  Not that that's a make-or-break item, but it just occurred to me.

I'm glad it works for them, but I wouldn't like it myself.  I like to travel, but I also like to come home to MY PLACE.
If you are a resident in a state in the US that has income taxes and have some kind of taxable income, you will still have to pay state taxes even if you don't actually own or rent there but have things like a drivers license, vote, etc..  However, lots of full time travelers (RVers and ex-pats alike) will establish residency in a state that doesn't have income taxes (Texas, New Hampshire, umm... some others) even if they don't technically live there so they can avoid paying state income taxes (still gotta pay the Feds though). They just use a friends or families address or set up a mail box at a Mail Boxes etc... place so they have an address. I will use my sister's address when I travel full time so will retain my Calif state residency, drivers license, vehicle registration, insurance, etc... and will have to pay state income taxes if my taxable income is high enough to do so (it won't be). The Feds also have an ex-pat tax that is levied on some people who are US citizens but live abroad.
« Last Edit: May 27, 2014, 05:58:43 PM by Spartana »

Spartana

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #10 on: May 27, 2014, 05:43:36 PM »
Also wanted to add that my house in SoCal is paid off but it holds a sizable amount of my financial assets (the rest is a monthly military/government pension). When I sell my house I will have to find a way to protect that cash and, hopefully, let it grow a bit as it is my "future house 'stache" once I'm done travelling and want to buy another place (if I decide to do that). Not really sure how to do that except stick it in cds. So that's something to think about if you sell your house and will need to invest that money for the future.

Bateaux

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #11 on: May 27, 2014, 11:56:33 PM »
We may be shopping for a state to claim residence.   Florida has no income tax and we may live on a boat for a while.  The boat would be registered in Florida as well.

swick

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #12 on: May 28, 2014, 07:58:06 AM »
Interesting thread. I have thought a lot about this and would definitely be up for consideration when we are FI.

When I was backpacking around the Middle East, I met an amazing couple from the UK and traveled with them for quite a bit. They had sold their house and were doing the slow travel round the world wherever they felt like going. I kept in touch with them and they had split up about a year and a half into their travels. Apparently traveling full time with your partner can be trying and you have to have a super rock steady relationship for it to work. 

We would probably do it with an eye to finding a cheaper country we love that we could eventually retire to.

limeandpepper

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #13 on: May 28, 2014, 08:26:41 AM »
This is quite possible for us... though we are in the fortunate position of being on great terms with our families, and they are happy to be our home base.

Apparently traveling full time with your partner can be trying and you have to have a super rock steady relationship for it to work. 

Interesting, what do you think makes it particularly trying? I've heard of people saying that you can drive each other crazy being together 24/7 while travelling, but I haven't experienced that. Granted, our travels so far are only about the length of a month, each time. We are embarking on a bigger adventure soon, so I am curious.

arebelspy

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #14 on: May 28, 2014, 09:43:52 AM »
Absolutely part of the plan for me.

We're going to FIRE in about two years, and our plan for the first year is to get an RV and travel the US and Canada.

After that we plan to slow travel the world, renting apartments (not hotel rooms) for 1-3 months at a time and moving around to various locations in South America, Europe, Asia, etc.

We won't own a primary residence at that time.

Right now we own way too much stuff, so I think downsizing from our 400 sq. ft. condo (that we're currently living in) to an RV will let us shed a bunch, then a year later downsizing from an RV to two suitcases will get rid of the rest, until we basically have all our possessions in a couple of bags.

I can't wait.
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NinetyFour

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #15 on: May 28, 2014, 10:53:41 AM »
Just curious--do you know what type of RV you be buying?  (Assuming you do not already have it.)

arebelspy

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #16 on: May 28, 2014, 11:00:46 AM »
Just curious--do you know what type of RV you be buying?  (Assuming you do not already have it.)

Nope. Research into that is one of my pre-FIRE to-dos.

We'd like a Class B, around 22-25 ft.
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travelbug

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #17 on: May 29, 2014, 12:26:40 AM »
This is our plan too.
We may settle down again, we may not. There are a lot of families living nomadically, many,many blogs.
We will be FIRE so will not have to work on the road but having a location independent job and some passive income gives a flexible lifestyle.
Our family is 2A2C and we homeschool (unschool) which will morph into "wordschooling" a term some families have coined for exploring the world as a basis for education.
I would be able to live this way for forever, but DH and my youngest child may end up wanting to have a base. If this happens we will buy somewhere and still travel for 3-6 months a year. We can either house swap or rent out our residence.


Spartana

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #18 on: May 30, 2014, 02:58:37 PM »
I'm curious (nosey!) what kind of budget you guys are planning on each month. I know some things - like buying even a used RV, fuel for it, insurance, maintenance, nightly or monthly camping fees at an RV park, etc... - can be very expensive. Same with travelling overseas and renting an apt or house for several months at a time. Both can be frugal - boondock in the RV, rent a cheap off-season apt or room in an inexpensive country, tent camp,  etc... or they can be very very expensive. As I said above, because I'll be doing full time travel with my dog, I'll need to stay in N. America and also will need a vehicle. But after adding up all the cost to buy an RV or camper van, it's actually much cheaper for me to just use a compact car and rent a small off-season vacation rental for a season or even just a regular apt. So what's your budget going to be? Big spender or frugalista?

YK-Phil

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #19 on: May 30, 2014, 03:11:55 PM »
Things change so much (in my head) that I am no longer sure i want to settle down anywhere when I am FI. A month ago, I was gung ho about buying a nice piece of land in Nanaimo and building my dream tiny house, do some sailing and gardening in the summer, and do some slow travel in the winter, three or four months at the time, possibly teaching ESL in SE Asia. But after seeing what $50,000 could get me in Prince-Edward Island or Nova Scotia (a charming old cottage on 20 acres on the ocean), I am no longer sure of what I want. For that price, i could also get myself a little farmhouse in my grand-parents' village in Catalonia. So until we know what we want, and because a 7-year old cat is part of the equation for a few more years and is a non-negotiable item for my wife, we will likely get a small RV and travel around Canada, the US and possibly south of the border with the cat. Going abroad in winter is still an option if I can find a (final LOL) solution for the cat. But the final solution might also mean the end of my marriage :D

paddedhat

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #20 on: June 02, 2014, 01:35:38 PM »
Go look on RV full timer forums.  They have it down pat on how to maintain residency in no income tax state and how to forward mail and all the things involved in not having a permanent residence.

yep. one of these days I'll be "moving" to South Dakota.


 There are some interesting developments in this area. Currently, SD. lacks a workable ACA health care option for those younger than Medicare age. The RV boards are discussing that, with a low population, few providers, and no one offering a PPO that will allow for care out of state, it's a dead deal for the moment.

Texas also did something profoundly stupid by requiring a mandatory, in state, vehicle inspection before renewing vehicle registrations. They have a huge number of RVers, trucking companies, oil companies and traveling construction workers based there that will be really screwed by this new law. It was apparently done to prevent residents from having to get two separate windshield stickers every year, but, as is typical, nobody really though it through. The state claims that they will be able to resolve the issue before the law goes into effect. If not, there are tens of thousands of RVers that will be leaving Texas as their choice of domicile. The "Escapees" RV group runs a large mail forwarding service in Livingston TX, has opened branch operations in FL. and is researching TN. to serve their customers if Texas continues to drop the ball.

arebelspy

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #21 on: June 03, 2014, 09:35:56 PM »
Go look on RV full timer forums.  They have it down pat on how to maintain residency in no income tax state and how to forward mail and all the things involved in not having a permanent residence.

yep. one of these days I'll be "moving" to South Dakota.


 There are some interesting developments in this area. Currently, SD. lacks a workable ACA health care option for those younger than Medicare age. The RV boards are discussing that, with a low population, few providers, and no one offering a PPO that will allow for care out of state, it's a dead deal for the moment.

Texas also did something profoundly stupid by requiring a mandatory, in state, vehicle inspection before renewing vehicle registrations. They have a huge number of RVers, trucking companies, oil companies and traveling construction workers based there that will be really screwed by this new law. It was apparently done to prevent residents from having to get two separate windshield stickers every year, but, as is typical, nobody really though it through. The state claims that they will be able to resolve the issue before the law goes into effect. If not, there are tens of thousands of RVers that will be leaving Texas as their choice of domicile. The "Escapees" RV group runs a large mail forwarding service in Livingston TX, has opened branch operations in FL. and is researching TN. to serve their customers if Texas continues to drop the ball.

That's good to know.  What resources would you recommend to monitor that situation?
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Stacey

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #22 on: June 03, 2014, 10:05:25 PM »
Just curious--do you know what type of RV you be buying?  (Assuming you do not already have it.)


We'd like a Class B, around 22-25 ft.

Awesome!  We would have gone with a Class B, as well, had we not opted for the van and then car/tent route.  But a year of traveling has certainly not gotten it out of my system.  While we're not traveling at the moment, we're also not settled.  We hope to settle somewhere soon, but I can guarantee that we'll be back out on the road in the future.  I definitely look forward to hearing about your plans.  Also, I think I owe you some figures for our trip.  I'll shoot you a pm one of these days.  :)

arebelspy

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #23 on: June 03, 2014, 11:24:37 PM »
Just curious--do you know what type of RV you be buying?  (Assuming you do not already have it.)


We'd like a Class B, around 22-25 ft.

Awesome!  We would have gone with a Class B, as well, had we not opted for the van and then car/tent route.  But a year of traveling has certainly not gotten it out of my system.  While we're not traveling at the moment, we're also not settled.  We hope to settle somewhere soon, but I can guarantee that we'll be back out on the road in the future.  I definitely look forward to hearing about your plans.  Also, I think I owe you some figures for our trip.  I'll shoot you a pm one of these days.  :)

Great.   :)

The wife and I loved reading about your travels!
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

paddedhat

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #24 on: June 04, 2014, 09:43:22 AM »

That's good to know.  What resources would you recommend to monitor that situation?

There are three voluminous forums for anybody who is thinking about the full time RVing lifestyle.

1.  irv2.com  which is probably the most knowledge packed of the three. Heavy into brand specific knowledge on repairing and maintaining all kinds of rigs. Lots of great folks who will go way out of their way to help you.

2.  rv.net  This one is a mixed bag. Lots of activity, lots of knowledge. Owned by that putz, Marcus Lemonis, who has his ego inflating TV show where he saves businesses by buying a stake and telling everybody how stupid they are. Heavy on advertising, he also owns Camping World, a great place to avoid, generally. That said, the site can be very valuable.

3. rvnetwork.com   This is the forum of the Escapees club. They are a great organization that has all kinds of interesting things going. They are heavily involved in correcting the current mess in Texas, as they have tens of thousands of Texas "residents" who use their base in Texas as their address when on the road.

arebelspy

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #25 on: June 04, 2014, 09:54:24 AM »

That's good to know.  What resources would you recommend to monitor that situation?

There are three voluminous forums for anybody who is thinking about the full time RVing lifestyle.

1.  irv2.com  which is probably the most knowledge packed of the three. Heavy into brand specific knowledge on repairing and maintaining all kinds of rigs. Lots of great folks who will go way out of their way to help you.

2.  rv.net  This one is a mixed bag. Lots of activity, lots of knowledge. Owned by that putz, Marcus Lemonis, who has his ego inflating TV show where he saves businesses by buying a stake and telling everybody how stupid they are. Heavy on advertising, he also owns Camping World, a great place to avoid, generally. That said, the site can be very valuable.

3. rvnetwork.com   This is the forum of the Escapees club. They are a great organization that has all kinds of interesting things going. They are heavily involved in correcting the current mess in Texas, as they have tens of thousands of Texas "residents" who use their base in Texas as their address when on the road.

Thank you so much!  I'll check them out.
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If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #26 on: June 04, 2014, 10:12:59 AM »
... so I think downsizing from our 400 sq. ft. condo (that we're currently living in) to an RV ....

Badass.

We lived in a 900 sq. ft. 2 bdrm 1 bth house for 5 years and felt a bit cramped. 400 sq. ft. blows my mind. I've recently thought living in one of those tiny houses on a trailer could be fun, so maybe with my new mindset I could pull it off at some point in the future.

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #27 on: June 10, 2014, 04:19:40 PM »
... so I think downsizing from our 400 sq. ft. condo (that we're currently living in) to an RV ....

Badass.

We lived in a 900 sq. ft. 2 bdrm 1 bth house for 5 years and felt a bit cramped. 400 sq. ft. blows my mind. I've recently thought living in one of those tiny houses on a trailer could be fun, so maybe with my new mindset I could pull it off at some point in the future.
a guy I know and his wife moved from a largish house to a houseboat with 250sf. He loved it and said it was one of the best things he ever did. He has since sold that (and divorced - guess his wife wasn't as thrilled as he was living in a 250 sf boat:-)!) and moved into a fifth wheel trailer on 5 acre in Oregon. He has some larger outbuildings and a smaller camper he takes on long trips (when he isn't bike touring that is) and lives in for several months at a time boondocking (free camping). He said there is plenty of room for himself and girlfriend.

Bateaux

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #28 on: June 11, 2014, 09:35:08 PM »
I thinking we will live aboard a sailing vessel for abkut ten years then do ten years with a class B.  I love the Mercedes 24 footer.  Gets nearly 20 mpg.  Tons of free camping out there. 

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #29 on: June 12, 2014, 01:01:18 AM »
seems most people doing this - or any kind of travelling - are coupled up. Anyone else doing it/or planning to do it (travel long term without a home base)  solo?

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #30 on: June 12, 2014, 01:26:04 AM »
There's quite a few people who have blogs who are doing it solo. One woman I was following for a while (sorry I forgot the name) started with a partner (the were both 50-ish women if you are searching) and when they split she opted not to take the RV but to continue on alone camping in a car. If you do some googling you should be able to find them.

I've spent large chunks of my life traveling solo and there's a lot of advantages. It pushes you to make more of an effort to be sociable. I also find that people go out of their way to help you, invite you to eat with them etc when they realise you're alone (I'm female, not sure if it would be as easy for a male).

You do need to be aware of what you're doing if you give up residence though. I have several friends who seem to have endless trouble due to not having a state of residence (or not actually living in the one where they claim residence). I'm not really sure of the details, I just know that life is set up in a way that assumes everyone lives somewhere and they don't make it easy if you try to break the mold. I've posted quite a bit about hassles I have due to not having a country of residence... a bit more extreme I know but I bet some of the problems would be the same.

RetiredAt63

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #31 on: June 12, 2014, 05:41:21 AM »
I know, I am thinking about BC (posted elsewhere) because last winter was such a pain and it is such an amazing Province.  But two of my Grandparents were from the Maritimes (which gives a social "in" some places) and housing prices are amazing, and the gardening climate is OK.  Three-four months away in the winter takes care of snow.  As Canadians we have to watch our time out of country, or we mess up our health care - probably the main disadvantage to our system.  My sister and BIL travel a lot, and she keeps careful track of time out of country.  The dog is the other factor - she is 7, in a breed that can live to 15.

The discussion has mostly been from Americans - any Canadians out there doing this?  How do you handle taxes and health care?

Things change so much (in my head) that I am no longer sure i want to settle down anywhere when I am FI. A month ago, I was gung ho about buying a nice piece of land in Nanaimo and building my dream tiny house, do some sailing and gardening in the summer, and do some slow travel in the winter, three or four months at the time, possibly teaching ESL in SE Asia. But after seeing what $50,000 could get me in Prince-Edward Island or Nova Scotia (a charming old cottage on 20 acres on the ocean), I am no longer sure of what I want. For that price, i could also get myself a little farmhouse in my grand-parents' village in Catalonia. So until we know what we want, and because a 7-year old cat is part of the equation for a few more years and is a non-negotiable item for my wife, we will likely get a small RV and travel around Canada, the US and possibly south of the border with the cat. Going abroad in winter is still an option if I can find a (final LOL) solution for the cat. But the final solution might also mean the end of my marriage :D

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #32 on: June 12, 2014, 06:01:38 AM »
I find the RVing lifestyle interesting.  Not sure I would do the full time myself, but I follow a couple blogs to see what it would be like.  Here are a couple of them:

http://www.gonewiththewynns.com - no really MMM lifestyle, but videos are pretty good.  Full time

http://rvsueandcrew.net - definitely MMM lifestyle, boondocks on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land for free/next to nothing, full time

http://www.technomadia.com - full time, coders

http://www.frugal-rv-travel.com - definitely MMM, but not full time.  They travel about 6 months of the year.

There are a number of people who are doing this.  Many are doing it while still working.  A client of mine at my former employer did this after retiring.  I was surprised by the low cost of his lifestyle ($700-800/month).  He would move every 2-3 weeks.  Last time we spoke, he had visited 14 states in the last year alone. 

NinetyFour

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #33 on: June 12, 2014, 06:39:00 AM »
seems most people doing this - or any kind of travelling - are coupled up. Anyone else doing it/or planning to do it (travel long term without a home base)  solo?

If I do it, I would most likely be doing it solo.

I'm not sure I will completely give up my residence, as I have a sweet set up (including a rental) in southwestern Colorado.

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #34 on: June 12, 2014, 07:45:59 AM »
I will be doing this solo. 

IMO, the best way to handle the address issue is to find a friend/family member that does not mind receiving your mail and another that will store any specialized gear that you may need in the future. 

Russ

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #35 on: June 12, 2014, 08:07:41 AM »
planning on going solo here as well

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #36 on: June 12, 2014, 09:24:41 AM »
There's quite a few people who have blogs who are doing it solo. One woman I was following for a while (sorry I forgot the name) started with a partner (the were both 50-ish women if you are searching) and when they split she opted not to take the RV but to continue on alone camping in a car. If you do some googling you should be able to find them.

I've spent large chunks of my life traveling solo and there's a lot of advantages. It pushes you to make more of an effort to be sociable. I also find that people go out of their way to help you, invite you to eat with them etc when they realise you're alone (I'm female, not sure if it would be as easy for a male).

You do need to be aware of what you're doing if you give up residence though. I have several friends who seem to have endless trouble due to not having a state of residence (or not actually living in the one where they claim residence). I'm not really sure of the details, I just know that life is set up in a way that assumes everyone lives somewhere and they don't make it easy if you try to break the mold. I've posted quite a bit about hassles I have due to not having a country of residence... a bit more extreme I know but I bet some of the problems would be the same.
Thanks for the info. I also have done tons of solo travelling - even while married as hubby wasn't into that (probably why I'm divorced now :-)!). I personally love doing solo travel but it seems most people I know would never do it.  I will maintain both my state and national residency (Calif in the USA) so have that covered. Would love to do a bike tour but with my dog it's hard so will stick to car camping type travel and just bring my bike and trailer to use on day trips. However I can dream and this is my current favorite website:  http://www.skalatitude.com/p/wow-women-on-wheels.html
« Last Edit: June 12, 2014, 09:44:51 AM by Spartana »

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #37 on: June 12, 2014, 02:13:08 PM »
I will maintain both my state and national residency (Calif in the USA) so have that covered. Would love to do a bike tour but with my dog it's hard so will stick to car camping type travel and just bring my bike and trailer to use on day trips. However I can dream and this is my current favorite website:  http://www.skalatitude.com/p/wow-women-on-wheels.html

Are you planning on only doing the travel thing part time? If you are going to be traveling full time why would you maintain residency in California? It makes for an extra 15% tax on your income and its not like its a swing state so your vote is less likely to matter there. If you establish residency in Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington or Wyoming, you instantly make your stash go 15% further?

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #38 on: June 12, 2014, 02:52:38 PM »
I will maintain both my state and national residency (Calif in the USA) so have that covered. Would love to do a bike tour but with my dog it's hard so will stick to car camping type travel and just bring my bike and trailer to use on day trips. However I can dream and this is my current favorite website:  http://www.skalatitude.com/p/wow-women-on-wheels.html

Are you planning on only doing the travel thing part time? If you are going to be traveling full time why would you maintain residency in California? It makes for an extra 15% tax on your income and its not like its a swing state so your vote is less likely to matter there. If you establish residency in Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington or Wyoming, you instantly make your stash go 15% further?
Well I'm fortunate enough (or unfortunate enough depending on how you look at it) to have a very low taxable income so won't have to pay any state taxes in Cal - or Fed taxes for that matter. So since I'm currently a Calif resident, and will use sister's address for all my mail, etc.., I'll just keep it unless I actually settle down in some place permanently.

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #39 on: June 12, 2014, 06:56:36 PM »
Solo would be way easier, but I happen to like my SO.  ;)
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #40 on: June 12, 2014, 09:42:38 PM »
I love the discussion about living in an RV, which I plan on doing at some point, but am I hijacking the thread to ask people's budgets living abroad/slow travel? I've planned on $20,000 a year but would love feedback.

I'm not yet there myself, but I read plenty of blogs around the topic and many do it for right in that range, 20-25k.  Even the more expensive/lavish ones tend to only be 35-40k, and their expenses are quite extravagant, IMO, that can be cut down (i.e. eating out budget of 1200/mo, for example).  So I think 20k for a single person is totally doable.  Add in some travel hacking to get $500-1000 in free airfare with minimal work (more if you want to put in some time), shouldn't be a problem, especially if you're willing to medical tourist it for health stuff.
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

Russ

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #41 on: June 12, 2014, 10:05:03 PM »
20k sounds pretty workable to me too, based on what I've read

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #42 on: June 12, 2014, 11:13:39 PM »
We plan on going overseas from Australia, to USa, Europe, Asia, South America and wherever else after that. We plan on budgeting 1k per week, but have 2A2C and know that we will not spend that much.

Many families we have spoken to that live well spend on average 3k per month including all flights, passports expenses, food, sight seeing, etc etc...


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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #43 on: June 12, 2014, 11:21:53 PM »
Was planning on about $1,500/month when I wanted to do the homeless grungy backpacker thing for a few years. Now with doing road trips and a mix of camping, budget motels and house rentals  I haven't really calculated the actual costs. I also need to buy a new vehicle as I have a 14 year old truck with a shell and a V-6 (and a gas guzzler) and need something newer with better gas mileage. Still hope to stay in the $1500 - $2000 per month range though  and maybe less if I stay in one area for any length of time. Of course if I could share expenses with someone I can cut that drastically so might go that route if I find someone interested and compatible. 
« Last Edit: June 12, 2014, 11:25:50 PM by Spartana »

shadowmoss

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #44 on: June 13, 2014, 08:24:02 AM »
There's quite a few people who have blogs who are doing it solo. One woman I was following for a while (sorry I forgot the name) started with a partner (the were both 50-ish women if you are searching) and when they split she opted not to take the RV but to continue on alone camping in a car. If you do some googling you should be able to find them.


http://www.thegoodluckduck.com/

At least it sounds like you are describing that duck.  :)

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #45 on: June 13, 2014, 09:16:37 AM »
Texas also did something profoundly stupid by requiring a mandatory, in state, vehicle inspection before renewing vehicle registrations.

Tax-Free New Hampshire also requires a rather rigorous in-person vehicle inspection that must be passed yearly.

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #46 on: June 13, 2014, 06:25:53 PM »
Would love to do a bike tour but with my dog it's hard so will stick to car camping type travel and just bring my bike and trailer to use on day trips. However I can dream and this is my current favorite website:  http://www.skalatitude.com/p/wow-women-on-wheels.html

Hey, Spartana, I just spent a few minutes perusing the Women on Wheels site.  How cool!  Makes me want to quit the job and head out on my bike!

By the way, I think those of us who plan to be solo travelers should keep in touch so that our paths might cross and we could do some traveling together.  (Of course, then we'd no longer be solo travelers...but you know what I mean.)  Spartana, how soon do you plan to sell your house and hit the road?

Spartana

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #47 on: June 13, 2014, 06:46:53 PM »
Would love to do a bike tour but with my dog it's hard so will stick to car camping type travel and just bring my bike and trailer to use on day trips. However I can dream and this is my current favorite website:  http://www.skalatitude.com/p/wow-women-on-wheels.html

Hey, Spartana, I just spent a few minutes perusing the Women on Wheels site.  How cool!  Makes me want to quit the job and head out on my bike!

By the way, I think those of us who plan to be solo travelers should keep in touch so that our paths might cross and we could do some traveling together.  (Of course, then we'd no longer be solo travelers...but you know what I mean.)  Spartana, how soon do you plan to sell your house and hit the road?
That site is awesome isn't it - very inspiring!.

Going to hang onto it until Nov. to avoid paying capital gains taxes when I sell, so sometime by next spring or sooner I should be house free.  So for now I'll continue to do what I have been doing the past few years and travel p/t a couple of months at a time for several months a year.  Prefer to go in late spring and early fall for about 2 to 3 months at a time as it's less crowded, better weather, and much less expensive. I'll admit it's very nice to have a home-base, especially since I co-own the place with my sister and she is here most weekends so can watch the place, but really would rather be house free as I'd rather be unencumbered so I can stay somewhere longer if I want.

So where/how/what/when are you planning to go? Any set plans yet or will you work them out once you aren't working any longer?

NinetyFour

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #48 on: June 13, 2014, 08:12:27 PM »
Would love to do a bike tour but with my dog it's hard so will stick to car camping type travel and just bring my bike and trailer to use on day trips. However I can dream and this is my current favorite website:  http://www.skalatitude.com/p/wow-women-on-wheels.html

Hey, Spartana, I just spent a few minutes perusing the Women on Wheels site.  How cool!  Makes me want to quit the job and head out on my bike!

By the way, I think those of us who plan to be solo travelers should keep in touch so that our paths might cross and we could do some traveling together.  (Of course, then we'd no longer be solo travelers...but you know what I mean.)  Spartana, how soon do you plan to sell your house and hit the road?
That site is awesome isn't it - very inspiring!.

Going to hang onto it until Nov. to avoid paying capital gains taxes when I sell, so sometime by next spring or sooner I should be house free.  So for now I'll continue to do what I have been doing the past few years and travel p/t a couple of months at a time for several months a year.  Prefer to go in late spring and early fall for about 2 to 3 months at a time as it's less crowded, better weather, and much less expensive. I'll admit it's very nice to have a home-base, especially since I co-own the place with my sister and she is here most weekends so can watch the place, but really would rather be house free as I'd rather be unencumbered so I can stay somewhere longer if I want.

So where/how/what/when are you planning to go? Any set plans yet or will you work them out once you aren't working any longer?

I don't have any set plans as of now.  I will probably be working for at least another 5 years.  (I got rather a late start in the mustache building.)  However, I teach, so, in theory at least, I have summers off (though this summer will be full of work somehow).

One idea is to go teach abroad for several weeks during the summers.  But when I finally pull the plug on the job, I would like to buy one of these Four Wheel campers (and possibly upgrade my 10 year old truck) and hit the road (in the US, Canada, and maybe Mexico).

http://www.fourwheelcampers.com/index.php/products/for-minimid-size-trucks/eagle-5-10-4-door/

As I mentioned upthread, I'm not eager to sell my house, as I rent out my house and live in the small accessory dwelling so it's a pretty sweet deal.  Who knows, though, I may feel differently about the house 5 years from now.

Another thing I would love to do (and could be done during a summer) is hike the Colorado Trail from one end to the other.  (I happen to live at one end.)

I have lots of ideas/dreams!!

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Re: if you love to travel, how about no fixed residence?
« Reply #49 on: June 13, 2014, 09:43:44 PM »

That's good to know.  What resources would you recommend to monitor that situation?

There are three voluminous forums for anybody who is thinking about the full time RVing lifestyle.

1.  irv2.com  which is probably the most knowledge packed of the three. Heavy into brand specific knowledge on repairing and maintaining all kinds of rigs. Lots of great folks who will go way out of their way to help you.

2.  rv.net  This one is a mixed bag. Lots of activity, lots of knowledge. Owned by that putz, Marcus Lemonis, who has his ego inflating TV show where he saves businesses by buying a stake and telling everybody how stupid they are. Heavy on advertising, he also owns Camping World, a great place to avoid, generally. That said, the site can be very valuable.

3. rvnetwork.com   This is the forum of the Escapees club. They are a great organization that has all kinds of interesting things going. They are heavily involved in correcting the current mess in Texas, as they have tens of thousands of Texas "residents" who use their base in Texas as their address when on the road.

Thank you so much!  I'll check them out.

I am very interesting in learning about doing something similar. I had thought TX or SD would magically work as a residence but it's concerning that plan may not work. I tried poking around on those sites but the threads I read seemed to be heavily focused on the retired (over 65) folks that don't have to worry about obamacare. I probably just suck at searching but if you find out more details people keep us posted.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!