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Our Budget Plan and Some Statistics
The Fergs - Our Full Timer's Budget
Since we have been on the road full time, I have tweeked our budget several times. Here is the newest plan we are living by. Each to their own..... this is ours.
These are the part of the budget that we can control. These vary month to month depending on how much and where we travel.
Note: These figures are from 2021, South Dakota resident, fulltime RVers.
| $ Bugeted | |
| Campground & RV Park Fees1 | 225.00 |
| Clothes2 | 40.00 |
| Entertainment3 | 35.00 |
| Food - Dining Out4 | 80.00 |
| Food - Groceries5 | 525.00 |
| Fuel - Diesel for Truck6 | 150.00 |
| Gifts & Tithes7 | 220.00 |
| Household Items8 | 105.00 |
| Maint - RV9 | 35.00 |
| Maint - Truck10 | 35.00 |
| Misc11 | 90.00 |
| Dr & Meds12 | 25.00 |
| Propane13 | 15.00 |
These are our fixed costs each month.
| Health Insurance - Allen14 | 138.59 |
| Health Insurance - Donna15 | 105.06 |
| RX Insurance - Allen16 | 15.30 |
| Rx Insurance - Donna17 | 15.70 |
| Verizon Wireless18 | 145.44 |
| Dish Network19 | 66.04 |
| Amazon Prime20 | 13.86 |
| Visible Wireless21 | 25.00 |
| Mini Storage22 | 69.00 |
| Clubs, Memberships, & Annual Bills (per month) | |
| Thousand Trails23 | 53.54 |
| RPI24 | 13.33 |
| Escapees25 | 3.16 |
| Elks26 | 8.79 |
| Passport America27 | 3.66 |
| Good Sam Roadside Assist28 | 10.00 |
| Truck Liscense29 | 23.67 |
| RV Liscense30 | 38.42 |
| Truck & RV Insurance31 | 149.17 |
| The Fergs.com32 | 4.15 |
| MS Office 36533 | 8.89 |
| CostCo34 | 4.58 |
| Sams Club35 | 3.75 |
| Disney Plus36 | 6.32 |
| 1 Password App37 | 2.99 |
| XM Radio38 | 3.75 |
- Campground fees include any additional fees like 50 amp service or Internet, etc..
- Clothes.
- Entertainment (entrance fees, movies, books).
- Food - while dining out.
- Food - groceries. Meals at home.
- Fuel - Diesel for Truck.
- Gifts & Tithes, Holiday or Birthdays.
- Household Items (cleaning supplies, detergent, toiletries, paper towels, TP, etc.)
- Maintenance for RV.
- Maintenance for Truck.
- Misc. - anything not listed.
- Medical - Dr co-pays, Meds, OTC
- Propane - RV, BBQ, Firepit
- Heath Insurance - Mutual of Omaha Plan G for Allen.
- Heath Insurance - Mutual of Omaha Plan G for Donna.
- Rx Insurance - Wellcare RX PDP for Allen.
- Rx Insurance - Wellcare Value Script PDD for Donna.
- Verizon Wireless - Unlimited Plan, Samsung Galaxy S9 & S10
- We own our equipment and use the Dish Network Pay-As-You-Go Plan
- Amazon Prime
- Visible Wireless (Unlimited Internet)
- Mini Storage - Yuma, AZ
- Thousand Trails - RV clubs and memberships.
- RPI Preferred - Resorts Parks International - RV clubs and memberships.
- Escapees - RV clubs and memberships.
- Elks - RV clubs and memberships.
- Passport America - RV clubs and memberships.
- Good Sam Roadside Assist. - In case of a breakdown.
- Truck Liscense - South Dakota
- RV Liscense - South Dakota
- National General Insurance through Miller's Insurance for Truck & RV (South Dakota).
- Thefergs.com - our website & email
- MS Office 365
- Costco membership
- Sams Club membership
- Disney Plus Subscription
- 1 Password App Subscription.
- XM Radio Subscription.
Campsite Fees and Fuel for RV get adjusted each month due to our projected travels. Leftover money goes into savings for Emergencies & Unexpected Expenses.
There you have it.
That is $ 2,512.16 per month (for us). You can spend more or less. This is just the way we do things. As of April 2021.
It is all up to you.
____________________________________________________________________________
Some Interesting Statistics.
Full timing started July of 2012 (house sold), retired June 3rd, 2013, hit the road in September 4, 2013!!
___________________________________________| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | Totals | |
| Thousand Trails | 141 | 22 | 51 | 60 | 125 | 262 | 162 | 142 | 100 | 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 939 |
| KM Resorts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 11 | 0 | 47 |
| RPI | 0 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 24 | 43 | 38 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 140 |
| Elks | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 18 | 9 | 17 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 71 |
| Escapees | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| Passport America | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Good Sam | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| Boondock | 84 | 14 | 31 | 18 | 71 | 50 | 101 | 40 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 406 |
| Moochdock | 68 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 65 | 0 | 10 | 19 | 79 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 299 |
| State Park/National Park | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 12 | 15 | 11 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 65 |
| Corp of Engineers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Casino Parking | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 27 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 72 |
| House Sitting | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 68 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 118 |
| Camping World | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Other | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 36 | 66 | 105 | 73 | 15 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 346 |
| Yuma Ferg Base | 37 | 230 | 255 | 84 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 630 |
___________________________________________ Total miles we have driven the truck (since 11/5/2020) - 15,712 miles
Total miles pulled fith wheel (since 12/1/2020) - 3,652 miles
Miles driven Truck In August - 423 miles
Miles pulled the RV In August - 0 miles
Highest price of diesel used - $ 3.679 5/11/2021 Placerville, CA
Lowest price of gas used - $ 1.369 2/28/2016 Chevron at Livingston, TX
Number of States camped in - 25
Longest drive between camp sites - 520 miles (Oct 12, 2020)
Shortest drive between camp sites - 0.5 mile
Number of States Geocaches found in - 24
___________________________________________
Monthly Stats (Last Month)
Stats for August 2021 - 31 Nights
Total nights camping
- Elks - 0
- Thousand Trails - 0
- Moochdock - 31
- Boondock - 31
Average Cost per Night - $0.00
New States Camped In - 0
___________________________________________
Year Eight On The Road Stats (Full and Part-Timers)
September 2020 thru August 2021
Miles towed/travelled - 7,006
States vsited - 6
States Camped In - 6
New States - 0
Number of times setup camp - 40
Average days camped per stop - 9.16
Campground fees for the year - $369.06 $1.01 per night
Highest average camping fees Month - $2.96 per night for September
Lowest average camping fees Month - $0.00 per night for several months
___________________________________________
Year Seven On The Road Stats (Part-Timers)
September 2019 thru August 2020
Miles towed/travelled - 935
States vsited - 2
States Camped In - 2
New States - 0 Number of times setup camp - 12
Average days camped per stop - 30.41
Campground fees for the year - $125.00 $6.25 per night (20 nights)
Highest average camping fees Month - $21.25 per night for December (4 nights)
Lowest average camping fees Month - $0.00 per night for most months
___________________________________________
Year Six On The Road Stats (Part-Timers)
September 2018 thru August 2019
Miles towed/travelled - 5,884
States vsited - 6
States Camped In - 6
New States - 0 Number of times setup camp - 33
Average days camped per stop - 11.06
Campground fees for the year - $510.00 $1.40 per night
Highest average camping fees Month - $9.88 per night for April (30 nights)
Lowest average camping fees Month - $0.00 per night for most months
___________________________________________
Year Five On The Road Stats (Full and Part Timers)
September 2017 thru August 2018
Miles towed/travelled - 6,647
States vsited - 7
States Camped In - 7
New States - 0 Number of times setup camp - 40
Average days camped per stop - 9.1
Campground fees for the year - $1,798.97 $4.93 per night
Highest average camping fees Month - $21.44 per night for October
Lowest average camping fees Month - $0.00 per night for Feb, June, Aug
___________________________________________
Year Four On The Road Stats
September 2016 thru August 2017
Miles towed/travelled - 8,610
States vsited - 10
States Camped In - 10
New States - 0 Number of times setup camp - 62
Average days camped per stop - 5.89
Campground fees for the year - $1525.70 $4.18 per night
Highest average camping fees Month - $15.36 per night for August
Lowest average camping fees Month - $0.00 per night for Sept, Feb, June
___________________________________________
Year Three On The Road Stats
September 2015 thru August 2016
Miles towed/travelled - 7,802
States vsited - 10
States Camped In - 10
New States - 2 Number of times setup camp - 48
Average days camped per stop - 7.63
Campground fees for the year - $1258.38 $3.44 per night
Highest average camping fees Month - $12.05 per night for December
Lowest average camping fees Month - $1.14 per night for May - August
___________________________________________
Year Two On The Road Stats
September 2014 thru August 2015
Miles towed/travelled - 8,830
States vsited - 14
States Camped In - 14
New States - 6 Number of times setup camp - 71
Average days camped per stop - 5.14
Campground fees for the year - $2173.74 $5.96 per night
Highest average camping fees Month - $12.24 per night for September
Lowest average camping fees Month - $0.97 per night for August
___________________________________________
Year One On The Road Stats
September 2013 thru August 2014
Miles towed - 9,252
States vsited - 19
States Camped In - 17
Number of times setup camp - 69
Average days camped per stop - 5.29
Campground fees for the year - $2612.17 $7.16 per night
Highest average camping fees Month - $14.55 per night for September
Lowest average camping fees Month - $0.25 per night for June
___________________________________________ ___________________________________________
Our Membership Campground Statistics
Good Sam Club - We are lifetime members of the Good Sams, and take advantage of the 10 percent discount when traveling, if there is nothing better available.Elks - We belong to Yuma Elks Lodge # 476 in Yuma, AZ. As traveling Elks, we have access to many camping opportunities at Lodges and Elks parks around the contry. Good places to stop. Good prices.
Escapees - We plan on visiting some of their Rainbow Parks, SKP Co-Ops, and Discount Parks while we travel. And they produce a great magazine.Harvest Hosts - A great option for one night stops. Usually boondocking. Winerys, brewerys, farms, attractions, etc. we make purchase while there.
RPI - Resort Parks International - We obtained this membership when we bought into Thousand Trails. There are many parks out there that we can stay in for up to 2 weeks at a time for only 10 bucks per night. This will be our second choice when we are unable to get into one of our 'free' membership sites. There is a yearly fee.
Enjoy America - This membership also came with our RPI membership. These parks are all over, but restrict the discount to week days only, or a discount on the 3rd night or other such options. Similar to Passport America
Passport America - Good for 50 percent off campground costs. Some conditions apply. Many parks to choose from. Good for us when there is no TT, or RPI parks close by.
Thousand Trails - There are many types of memberships available. We bought a used VIP Platinum membership that includes all the TT preserves and NACO and Leisure Time Resorts too. We can stay up to 3 weeks at a time at no cost and then move to another preserve with no time out of the system and no waiting period. We also get to make our reservations 120 days in advance. After purchacing the membership, there is a yearly 'maintenance fee'. We recently added the Trails Connection. This adds over 100 parks nationwide. See below for our initial costs and yearly usage stats.
Thousand Trails
| Date | Amount | # of Nights Per Year | Avg. Cost Per Night | |
| Purchased | Nov 2011 | $ 1450.00 | ||
| Transfer Fee | Nov 2011 | $ 750.00 | ||
| 1st Year | 3 | |||
| Yearly Maintenance Dues | Jan 2012 | $ 649.00 | 33 | $ 19.67 |
| Yearly Maintenance Dues | Jan 2013 | $ 649.00 | 100 | $ 6.49 |
| Yearly Maintenance Dues | Jan 2014 | $ 626.72 | 142 | $ 4.41 |
| Yearly Maintenance Dues | Jan 2015 | $ 610.54 | 162 | $ 3.77 |
| Yearly Maintenance Dues | Jan 2016 | $ 620.08 | 262 | $ 2.37 |
| Yearly Maintenance Dues | Jan 2017 | $ 620.69 | 125 | $ 4.97 |
| Yearly Maintenance Dues | Jan 2018 | $ 628.58 | 60 | $ 10.48 |
| Yearly Maintenance Dues | Jan 2019 | $ 641.49 | 51 | $ 12.58 |
| Yearly Maintenance Dues | Jan 2020 | $ 642.55 | 22 | $ 29.21 |
| Yearly Maintenance Dues + TC | Jan 2021 | $ 988.12 | 141 So Far | $ 7.01 |
| Total $$$ Paid In | $ 8,876.77 | |||
| Nights Camped | 939 | |||
| Average Cost per Night | $9.45 |
After the initial purchace and transfer, we have really benefitted from this membership.
Bought through a re-seller.
Our yearly dues are $1,391.50 for all our club memberships, which is just $ 115.96 per month. We just have to spend 5 nights a month in our parks to make it all worthwhile.
Figures are current through February, 2021. Numbers seem a bit high now? Not to worry....they go down every month!
Comments always welcomed
Either via email or the Contact page.. Thanks for reading.
Cool Stuff!
Here is some of the RVs we have owned, some of the fun places we have visited, and pictures of us having fun! Click on the picture to get a bigger one.
A full time RV life - the way to go!
Thank you for stopping by, hope to see you down the road!
