Frugaldoc's journal

[thef0x]

I can't pretend like I understand the complexity of dealing with your situation but I also occupy a similar space with my business: I'm doing good despite having to provide solutions for a system that is inherently broken and morally questionable. My own solution is to focus on the good I'm doing while using my wallet and vote to try to instantiate change.

My customers and my customers customers need what we provide and it really, truly is a good deed to help them. Simultaneously, I'm advocating against my direct interests with my vote and donations to political candidates.

Sorry for being vague but I guess I'm trying to say that it's possible to be doing good even in a bad situation / system. There's no moral incongruity in that.

[frugaldoc]

@white belt
I had considered the reserves but it seems like the worst of both worlds: a financial hit, mind numbing work during your duty weekend, and an expectation as a senior officer you are putting in 20+ hours of uncompensated work per week. Also, as an O-5 one can't just attach oneself to any reserve unit. There are limited spots for O-5 and above and one might be forced to fly to their unit every month.

@thef0x
Your way of dealing with working within a broken system is the same attitude I try to adopt. When I am educating residents I feel like I am playing my part in producing the next generation of doctors, which is a benefit to society. There is a certain absurdity to modern, standing militaries of vast scale. We were in a meeting the other day and the comment came up that "In this scenario, the Commander would be willing to accept loss of life to accomplish the objective." Not an uncontroversial statement in our day to day business but that day it struck me as odd. I thought, "Why don't we ask the people who are probably going to give their lives if the objective is worthwhile?"
---------

On a less philosophical note, I completed my 2024 taxes which allowed me to calculate my savings rate for 2024. I finished the year with a saving rate at 81.9% of my net income. It was another year where taxes outstripped my personal spending but that is the price one pays for a moderately high income. I wonder if I can keep it that high when I move to California next year. I have a potential idea that might help me but I don't know if it is wise.

There is an RV park in Oceanside, CA that is not too far from the beach. They have spaces for RV's <24 feet at a cost of $900/month. I could buy a used 22' Airstream and live in it. Instead of the $3500-4000/month I would spend on rent, I would spend approximately $2000 (if one spread the cost of the RV out) plus I would still have an RV at the end of my time in California. There are two potential problems I see with this plan:
1. I have never spent a single night in an RV, let alone lived in one.
2. I would need to buy a full size truck to pull it. The used Subaru Outback I planned to purchase wouldn't do the trick.

Still, it sounds like a fun idea and I think it is time I start trying things out even if they end in failure. Financial freedom means one has the freedom to look like a fool and still carry on with life. However, I am curious what people on here who have lived in an RV long term think of such a plan.

[AxelHeyst]

If you plan to just keep the trailer parked there long-ish term, or at least 'for the time being', you could rent/borrow/finagle a truck to tow it there without having to actually own one 24/7. If you change your mind later and want to travel around more often in it, buy a truck then.

Airstreams are expensive but I think they hold their value generally. Probably a low-cost-of-failure experiment.

You've spent considerable time living aboard a ship. I can't imagine you'd find Airstream life intolerable. Give it a go. Nobody is like "oh man, I lived in an Airstream next to the beach in California in a well managed RV park for a few months and it was the worst thing ever."

ETA: **ALSO* no one is like "I had this idea to live in an Airstream next to the beach in California, but then I didn't. Hooray me!"

Unless of course you come up with an even cooler-to-you idea, in which case do that instead.

ETA2: Assuming living close to other RVers and the 'small' floor space doesn't bother you, the most likely thing to bother you is fixing stuff. RV stuff is, in generally, not as durable as normal-home stuff because they're not designed for 24/7/365 occupancy. Airstreams will be better than most, but still odd annoying things will break. It's a part of RV life.

[mooretrees]

As a small family living in a converted school bus, I love the tiny space. We’re two adults and one 7 year old plus two small dogs for context. I was tired of the big house (really wasn’t big but still too much to manage) so I was really excited to see what tiny house living was like. I think if you’re curious about it, then it’s worth trying out. You have a built in end to it if it doesn’t work.

I second what Axel said about renting a truck, probably a decent way to avoid buying an unnecessary truck. Especially in a bigger city, it seems easy to rent whatever you need.

I am curious what you decide!

[Ego]

There is an RV park in Oceanside, CA that is not too far from the beach. They have spaces for RV's <24 feet at a cost of $900/month. I could buy a used 22' Airstream and live in it. Instead of the $3500-4000/month I would spend on rent, I would spend approximately $2000 (if one spread the cost of the RV out) plus I would still have an RV at the end of my time in California. There are two potential problems I see with this plan:
1. I have never spent a single night in an RV, let alone lived in one.
2. I would need to buy a full size truck to pull it. The used Subaru Outback I planned to purchase wouldn't do the trick.

The trailer park is inexpensive for a reason. My guess is your neighbors would be young grunts from Pendleton. Your BAH must be close to $5000/month. For that you can rent a place near the beach in Del Mar. I don't believe it is possible to use your BAH to finance the airstream or truck, so you would be throwing that tax-free money away. If you will be at the hospital on Pendleton then your commute would be doable. Oceanside to SD would be absolutely brutal. If you will be at the hospital in SD then you will have to come south or spend much of your life in your car.

[white belt]

@white belt
I had considered the reserves but it seems like the worst of both worlds: a financial hit, mind numbing work during your duty weekend, and an expectation as a senior officer you are putting in 20+ hours of uncompensated work per week. Also, as an O-5 one can't just attach oneself to any reserve unit. There are limited spots for O-5 and above and one might be forced to fly to their unit every month.

I'm not that familiar with Navy Reserve but in the Army Reserve the only people putting anywhere close to 20 hours a week of work are maybe those in Command and that seems high even for them. Medical field is always weird so I can understand that maybe it's harder to find slots at your rank with your specialty. One of the draws of the Reserve is it's part time so almost everyone has a separate full time job that pays the bills.

There is an RV park in Oceanside, CA that is not too far from the beach.

There are 4 military MWR marinas in the San Diego area: https://www.militaryliving.com/post/mil ... nsive-list

The MWR marina at Coronado still allows liveaboards according to their website: https://sandiego.navylifesw.com/program ... fff25c50a8

The price list is from 2023 but advertises $14 per foot and then $125 for liveaboards which would put your monthly rent at $405 if you have a 20 ft boat. Boat maintenance is probably a bit more time and $$ than RV maintenance since it's in the water and such. I could also understand if you're burnt out from spending too much time on boats (probably ships given your specialty?). If it's something you're interested in, then it's probably worth calling around to all the marinas to get on the waitlists since I wouldn't be surprised if they are long.

If you do go with the RV route, I would also call around to any military RV parks in the San Diego area and see if they allow long term stay for Active Duty (they might but not want to advertise it on their website).

[white belt]

The trailer park is inexpensive for a reason. My guess is your neighbors would be young grunts from Pendleton. Your BAH must be close to $5000/month. For that you can rent a place near the beach in Del Mar. I don't believe it is possible to use your BAH to finance the airstream or truck, so you would be throwing that tax-free money away.

As long as you're not trading your BAH for on-post housing, then you just get it as a pile of tax-free money each month regardless of what you spend on housing (it works differently if you are overseas). I considered living in a van at one point on Active Duty in a HCOL area just to pocket as much money as possible. For a few bases I lived on, on-post housing had been privatized, so basically you just payed rent instead of the base tying it to your BAH. Naturally I lived in the cheapest 3-4 bedroom housing (which usually meant old) and split it with several officer roommates who also did the same thing, so we all pocketed a lot of BAH each month.

[Ego]

Ah.... I assumed it was use-it-or-lose-it because the service members who rent from us need to provide a copy of a lease.

Fiddlers Cove is very nice.

[white belt]

Ah.... I assumed it was use-it-or-lose-it because the service members who rent from us need to provide a copy of a lease.

Fiddlers Cove is very nice.

It's possible there are differences between the services and I'm less familiar with Navy/Marine Corps policies. I don't think I ever had to provide a copy of a lease, but it's usually big boy rules for officers so that could've been why. I wished there were more Army posts in SoCal but alas at least I got to visit San Diego on a work trip once.

[jacob]

There is an RV park in Oceanside, CA that is not too far from the beach. They have spaces for RV's <24 feet at a cost of $900/month. I could buy a used 22' Airstream and live in it. Instead of the $3500-4000/month I would spend on rent, I would spend approximately $2000 (if one spread the cost of the RV out) plus I would still have an RV at the end of my time in California. There are two potential problems I see with this plan:
1. I have never spent a single night in an RV, let alone lived in one.
2. I would need to buy a full size truck to pull it. The used Subaru Outback I planned to purchase wouldn't do the trick.

Still, it sounds like a fun idea and I think it is time I start trying things out even if they end in failure. Financial freedom means one has the freedom to look like a fool and still carry on with life. However, I am curious what people on here who have lived in an RV long term think of such a plan.

We lived in a 34' class-A between 2008 and 2011. I answered quite a few ERE-related RV questions in https://earlyretirementextreme.com/freq ... -questions

Some comments on your plan:

• RVs depreciate like a car.
• Airstreams look sexy but are also very expensive. I don't know if there are any advantages beyond looks.
• The TT is in my (now informed) opinion the best choice for long-term stay. If you get a T-valve for your propane and pick a park where each site has its own water and sewerage, you can just hook up permanently and leave it there.
• If you don't need or plan to travel around, you don't need a truck as long as you know someone with a truck who can help you move.
• I'm not an expert on hauling, but for a 22' TT, you only need a 3/4-ton truck and might even be able to get away with a 1/2-ton or a big SUV. Like boats, the bigger or more complicated it gets, the more expensive it gets. What made you decide on 22'? Why not 19'? Also see below about slide-outs.
• Only buy a white RV. Manufacturers like to be fashionable/irrational with their paint schemes, but darker colors get so much warmer inside in the sun. Not a good "feature" in CA.
• Curved roof only, never flat because rainwater pools. (We had a flat roof. AAAARGH!)
• Never park on soft ground (rust from vegetation underneath). Never park under a tree (sap + hours of "roof drumming" from water drops after the rain).
• Equipment breaks just like on a boat. Avoid gadgets---especially if they are going to make holes in your roof. Pick manual versions of everything that is offered with servos, automated switches, etc.
• Stabilizer jacks are really nice unless you enjoy that boat feeling whenever someone walks around or there is a gust of wind.
• You also want a ladder, preferably mounted on the TT, to get onto the roof.
• A/C is a need. Without A/C, you're looking at 120F inside on a hot summer day.
• If you're going much further north, consider an insulated RV. Arctic Fox is a popular brand. Otherwise, there's just a very thin layer of plywood between you and nature in the winter. Heater(s) are a strong want.
• When/if your fridge dies, replace it with a residential unit.
• Slide-outs is a choice between extra space or extra weight. (Again, avoid the motor, turn a crank by hand.) Even one slide-out makes the interior very roomy. Otherwise you're 8' wall-to-wall max. However, slide-outs are also very heavy so the added axle weight subtracts from the luggage weight and might bump you up to needing a bigger truck.
• Mobile home parks are much cheaper than RV parks, but not all mobile home parks are equally nice. Typically you'd find them on google satellite or by driving around (bring a pic of your RV). Unlike the campgrounds, they're not heavily advertised.
• Many campgrounds offer seasonal rents at a big discount.

[frugaldoc]

I get my full BAH (around $4250/month) regardless of the cost of my dwelling. I'll be stationed at Pendleton (at the hospital) so living in Oceanside makes it a short commute. I used to live in Carlsbad Village and could make it from my place to the hospital on Pendleton in 10 minutes or less. I despise long commutes. I never could understand why people would live in Temecula and spend two hours per day in their vehicle just so they could buy a house and "not throw money away on rent."

I don't know much about RV costs but there seems to be plenty of Airstreams <10 years of age for around $40k which seems reasonable.

@jacob: Thanks for all the helpful information. I'll definitely study the information in the link you provided. There is obviously lots I haven't thought about. I did like the idea of being able to use my RV when on leave to explore more of California so having a truck would allow that. As far as the 22' vs 19', it was just a decision based on reviewing floor plans. I am not married to the idea of any particular size. And thanks for the Arctic Fox info. As I would take this up to Vermont when done with the Navy, one that can stand the cold weather would be nice.

[frugaldoc]

Finished the 25.1 patrol today. My desire to live in an RV completely evaporated when I returned to my house and walked into my office with its desk facing a wall of windows that overlooks the harbor. Weakened even further when I filled my bathtub up and had a nice, hot bath. And lord how I have missed having a bidet.

Last night may have been the last night I will have had to sleep on the ship. Time to start slowly emptying out my stateroom for the inevitable move in a few months. Since I walk to work that will likely mean a slow process of putting a couple of items in my backpack each day and carrying them home. I realize now that I had too many books mailed to the ship. I have a small library to schlep back to my house.

[jacob]

@frugaldoc - Well, if you're completely open-minded, also consider a teardrop. This can be pulled by the Outback. Also, if you haven't made up your mind, a teardrop is a less expensive mistake. Floor plans vary a lot. Likely in the shorter <20ft RVs the first thing to sacrifice would be the shower.

A good way to think about the lifestyle is one a range (also see ERE book) stretching from a fully self-contained house with rooms for hobbies, etc. to sleeping under open sky. A small RV is somewhere above glamping but below a large RV (diesel pusher with its own washer-dryer setup inside the bus) which again is below a 1bd apartment ... in terms of utilities and amenities but perhaps more importantly how close or far away you are from nature. I mean the nature thing literally. You'll feel the weather in an RV albeit not as much as in a tent, whereas you can pretty much ignore it in a stick house.

I presume you've been on a yacht? The interior operations of an RV is quite similar. For example, the toilet requires a few more operations than pulling a lever to flush. The stove/oven is tiny and fickle. Tanks need to be emptied on a weekly basis. It's a 5 minute operation, but it's still something you have to think about unlike in a stick house where function is just taken for granted. Ditto checking propane levels. Going by footage, I'd say a 22ft TT corresponds to about a 45' yacht in terms of living space. Convert by a factor 2-2.5 in terms of length.

Stuff is also a big factor. RVs are really designed for vacations and so in terms of stuff they'll accommodate the amount of stuff that one would typically bring on a vacation: 1 duffel bag per person. If the RV sleeps 4, figure 4 bags of stuff. Of course, you can stuff more stuff into the RV but it's going to look like "hoarder's paradise". If the dream is to sit inside all day surrounded by your stuff, an RV is not for you The idea is that the RV is the base camp but that you otherwise spend most of your time outside whether that's literally just outside around a campfire ... or on the beach or at a job.

Add: If the goal is to explore/see all 50 states, strongly consider a conversion van instead. See @C40's journal. Also https://cheaprvliving.com/ which was one of my original inspirations for ERE.

[frugaldoc]

@jacob I have never been on a yacht, unless you count the 844ft long ship with a 2.7 acre flight deck that I sometimes live on.

The "stuff" issue could be my undoing. I have less stuff than most but I do have a lot of books and use them frequently and repeatedly. Also, my Alpha Strategy items take up space: a negligible amount in a 2 bedroom apartment but would be difficult to store in an RV. There is much to ponder here.

We had heavy seas up until today when we pulled in and my body had become used to the shifting floor beneath my feet. So much so, that when lying in bed tonight (on land), the bed felt like it was moving. I have never had that happen before.

[frugaldoc]

Airstreams are expensive but I think they hold their value generally. Probably a low-cost-of-failure experiment.

You've spent considerable time living aboard a ship. I can't imagine you'd find Airstream life intolerable. Give it a go. Nobody is like "oh man, I lived in an Airstream next to the beach in California in a well managed RV park for a few months and it was the worst thing ever."

ETA: **ALSO* no one is like "I had this idea to live in an Airstream next to the beach in California, but then I didn't. Hooray me!"

@AxelHest
Great points all around. And living on a ship should prepare me for almost any living condition. In an RV at least there won't be people dragging chains along the flight deck at 2am.

Also, I started listening to your podcast. Enjoying it. A nice change from FIRE stuff which has grown repetitive. And it is nice to hear the voices and stories of some of the contributors on the forum. Makes me feel like, "These are people I would enjoy hanging out with even if my life seems to be much different than theirs."

[frugaldoc]

I've been away from this site for a bit. Turns out getting romantically involved with a mid-tier FI content creator for a few months can sour you on the whole movement, especially when you peel back the curtain a bit. But I am returning because I feel the people here are working towards sustainable futures using reproducible methods to achieve financial independence and greater overall life satisfaction. I don't think people here are using this as their platform to sell their course, event, consulting services, podcast, or book that could have been a blog post or two.

So, while I haven't met any of you in person, I do appreciate you.

In other news, I have my Surface Warfare Medical Department Officer (SWMDO) board today which I am woefully unprepared for it. But I have decided to just wing it. I'll have a bunch of people sit around and ask me for intricate details of their particular warfare area. Of course, no one ever asks them to regurgitate detailed medical knowledge.

Other than these things, life goes on. My portfolio took a hit but as it is a fairly diversified, risk parity style portfolio, it hasn't done too badly. I have even had to sell some gold to reduce my exposure.

[Veronica]

Welcome back and happy Easter Frugaldoc!

I also took at bit of a break from this site, as I was really trying to focus in on my career and just stacking skills and cash as furiously as I could.
I was feeling much better about my progress (and still do!) until my position at harvard med school was recently taken away from me during all of this ongoing funding nonsense.

I'm still not sure what I'm going to do, but with the ERE mindset I've learned here I know that I will be fine.

[frugaldoc]

Veronica- so sorry to hear about your job loss. What's next on the horizon? Yes, the ERE mindset will help for sure.

While it wasn't my finest performance, I did pass my SWMDO board today and the CO will pin me with my warfare device tomorrow. I did better on weapons systems and operational topics compared to damage control and engineering. It is a big weight off my shoulders now that it is done.

Promotion board meets in a few weeks. I do hope I pick up 0-5; not because I am status conscious but rather there a great number of tools I know that may pick up rank this year and I want to be on equal footing with them.

[ertyu]

Congrats!

[DutchGirl]

I don't think people here are using this as their platform to sell their course, event, consulting services, podcast, or book that could have been a blog post or two.

Gee, thanks. That said, please buy my course on solar panel energy hacking, for three easy payments of $49...

Putting all craziness on a little stick (Dutch saying, meaning putting aside all the jokes, getting back to serious stuff), congrats on passing the tests, and glad you're doing okay and are weathering this stock market volatility.

@Veronica, I'm also sorry to hear about your job loss (booooh!), but I'm glad you picked up skills and experience, and hopefully your shiny resume and personality lands you a new interesting and pecunia-producing job soon.