Transition To RV Life And Remote Work: Everything You Should Know
In a time when the world offers numerous opportunities to anyone seeking them, transitioning to an RV life could be a great option for those who want to change their lifestyle. Contrary to popular belief, living in an RV is not as expensive as it seems which is why having a remote job can support you well enough. Hence, here’s everything you should know about transitioning to an RV life and remote work.
#1 Do Your Research
First and foremost, you need to do your research. As cliché as it sounds, doing the necessary research before you dive into your new RV life is one of the most important things you will need to do for this transition. This research is meant to help you plan everything and prepare you for the new lifestyle you will be adopting. There are many things you will have to learn, but once you do, they won’t seem as difficult as they may have at first.
Moreover, the research you do about what it’s like to live the RV life will help you decide whether you actually want to make the transition. You need to be prepared for the fact that it isn’t going to be easy. There are many downsides to living the RV life and working remotely, so you need to be prepared to deal with them. If you are absolutely positive that you want to make this change, you probably won’t be surprised by what you discover during the research.
#2 Plan Ahead
Once you do the research, the planning stage begins. To some, it may seem even more tedious than the research, but it’s a necessary step before you actually start “doing” things. One thing you need to do is set the date for the start of your transition. And then, once the date is in place, you will need to make a checklist that you will follow. Here are some things to include on your checklist:
- Find Campers: Your new RV life will help you meet many new people, but it’s your responsibility to be the first one to reach out and find new campers to connect with.
- Start Decluttering: Decluttering your home and then decluttering your RV regularly will help you get rid of all the unnecessary things that take up valuable space.
- Organize A Garage Sale: Once you start decluttering your home, you can organize a garage sale to sell the things you will no longer be using.
- Research Health Options: After transitioning to an RV life, you will be dealing with health care differently, so you need to know what your options are.
- Set Up Your New Job: Getting a remote job is an essential part of transitioning to an RV life which is why you will need to plan ahead for it.
- Select A Camping Location: Though many people get an RV to travel, some decide to settle down in one place, so you will need to select a camping location for the RV.
- Choose A Mail Service: As with health care, mail will need to be handled differently, so you will need to choose a mail service wisely.
- Cancel Utilities: Once you leave your home, you will need to cancel utilities, so you don’t have to keep paying for them.
#3 Schedule the Transition
Though now you have a starting date for your transition and a checklist you will be sticking to, you still need to create a schedule for your transition. This schedule will need to be more detailed and will help you take everything one step at a time and organize the process a bit more. You don’t want to have too much chaos during your transition.
At the same time, having a schedule will also help you define your goals better. Your main aim is still to successfully transition, but there will be milestones you will want to achieve along the way. All of them will need to be put on your schedule (e.g. fix the sink, buy paint, sell the maternity clothes).
#4 Manage Your Budget Wisely
One thing that many new RV enthusiasts forget about is budgeting. Though transitioning to and living the RV life is not as expensive as it may seem at first, it still requires proper financial management if you want it to be a success. In other words, you can’t just start transitioning without calculating how much you will need to spend on the many aspects of an RV life.
For instance, you need to calculate your regular expenses such as on-the-road utilities, gasoline, food, etc. At the same time, you need to calculate your initial expenses for the transition itself such as repair supplies costs. Of course, there will definitely be some unexpected additional expenses that you can’t predict but planning your budget as much as possible can help you get ready for such situations.
#5 Buy Your Supplies
To really start your transition to an RV life and remote work, you will need to buy the necessary supplies to use for the transition and beyond it. Such supplies can range from RV equipment to materials you need for renovating your RV. They could also include new clothes or houseware you purchase specifically for your new RV life, especially if you are getting rid of your old stuff and selling it or giving it away.
The best way to keep your supplies and check and remember to buy all the necessary items is by making a list. You can alter it as you go about with the transition but keeping it as the foundation of your supplies purchase is your best bet. Make sure to include certain items on it such as RV equipment, renovation supplies and equipment, new houseware and clothes, services you plan to use for renovation, and so on.
#6 Set Your Work Goals
Even as you start your transition to an RV life, you should also remember about your transition to remote work. The two need to be organized and carried out at the same time to make the process smoother. After all, your RV transition will impact your current job while your new job will have to sustain your RV transition, so the two are interdependent. Consider checking some helpful articles like 5 Secrets of Leading Remote Team Meetings in The Most Productive Way to give you an idea about what to expect from remote work.
To start your work transition properly, you need to set goals for your job and change your mindset. If you want to be earning the same amount as you did before, set that as one of your goals for when you start looking for a new job. Likewise, if you want to have more freedom, make that your goal. At the same time, you need to change the way you think about your job as you will now be working remotely instead of in-office.
#7 Give Your RV A Makeover
If you just bought an RV, especially a used one, it’s good to give your RV a makeover. This will pretty much be your new home from now on, so you need to make sure that you like the way it looks. If you bought a new RV, you probably chose the one you liked most (but you might still want to add some décor here and there). If you bought a used RV, you will probably want to fix some things and give it a new look.
The most basic things you need to take care of are the areas inside your RV like the kitchen, the toilet, and the shower. You should also repair the furniture if it’s broken or replace it completely. Once all of that is done, you will only need to give it a nice aesthetic makeover to make it look good – not just feel comfortable.
#8 Move Your Things to the RV
After your RV is all nice and beautiful and everything is working well inside it, you can move your things to the RV. These include anything from the photographs you want to hang around to the clothes you will be wearing. Here are some tips on how to do this more effectively (even if it seems simple):
- Transfer the essentials first. You don’t want to be stuffing your RV with things you will end up not using later.
- If you find that you have too many things to fit, consider leaving some at your permanent home or selling them altogether.
- Place your things around smartly. Fill up all the space and move around different items if you see that they will fit better in a different place.
#9 Join RV Clubs and Meet People
As mentioned above, you will need to be the one to find and reach out to other RV enthusiasts. Of course, as you get on your journey and start living the RV life, you will come across other RVers all the time, but at the beginning, it’s your responsibility to initiate the first contact and grow long-term relationships that will be beneficial both to you and to your new friends and acquaintances.
The best way to do this is by joining relevant RV clubs. These can be local (if you are parking your RV in a particular space) or online communities. Online forums, groups, discussion boards, and communities can be particularly useful because they let you connect with RV enthusiasts located anywhere in the world. Then, as you travel, you will be able to meet these people face-to-face, share experiences, and get advice.
#10 Transition to Your New Job
When it comes to working remotely and transitioning to this new kind of job, there are several options you have:
- Stay at The Same Job: Sometimes, you will be able to stay at your current job and just do it remotely. If you are a writer or a photographer, ask your employer whether you can work remotely.
- Find A New Job: Another option is to quit your old job and find a new one. Browse job boards or try to find job opportunities through the people you know. The process is as usual.
- Create Your Own Business: The last option is to quit your current job and create your own business. This is by far the most difficult one if you have never had a business of your own, but it can be a great endeavor for someone living in an RV.
In all three cases, you will need to make sure that you have a space for working. In other words, you need your own office in the RV. Decide where your workspace will be and make sure that it is comfortable and organized.
#11 Start Using Social Media
This might be a weird tip, but you should actually consider using social media if you aren’t doing so already. As an RVer, you will be experiencing things most people aren’t which is why you can expect many users to take interest in your content. At the same time, having at least a single social media account can help your business if you decide to start one as you transition to an RV life.
As Travis Brown from the custom writing reviews site Online Writers Rating puts it, “Nowadays, there are social media influencers of all kinds, so pretty much anyone can gain a social media following. You just need to post high-quality content consistently in whichever niche you choose. As an RV enthusiast, you will probably want to run a personal blog which you can also use to promote your products or services – or work with sponsors instead.”
#12 Celebrate Your RV Transition
Transitioning to an RV life is no different than buying a new house. Naturally, you need to celebrate this accomplishment once your RV transition is complete. It doesn’t have to be something big, but you need to acknowledge the fact that you did so much to make this big change in your life. You bought and renovated the RV, got rid of the unnecessary things in your life, transitioned to remote work, and did all of that successfully!
#13 Keep Your RV in Order
But even as you have transitioned to an RV life, the journey isn’t over. You need to keep your RV in order if you want to enjoy this new lifestyle. Cleaning it regularly is a must – just like you would clean your house. Make sure to have enough supplies at all times and always keep the emergency items with you.
You can also consider transitioning to a more mindful lifestyle if you aren’t leading one already. This includes recycling the things you use and repurposing them in different ways. You can also thrift clothes and buy various used items instead of purchasing new ones every time. In addition to that, buying only the essentials will prevent you from overstuffing your RV.
#14 Choose Your RV Living Location
As mentioned earlier, you might want to live in your RV in a single place instead of traveling. In this case, you will need to choose your RV living location such as a campground that you can live on year-round. You can also choose to camp randomly from one place to another without actually traveling far. Yet another option is to buy a piece of land for your RV or rent it out. This option can make receiving mail easier.
Whichever option you choose will need to work best for your particular circumstances. For example, if you have children living with you, you will probably want to stay in a single local community instead of traveling to ensure that your kids can go to school. On the other hand, they could be homeschooled in which case traveling is a great option.
#15 Stay Connected with Family and Friends
Last but not least, as you start traveling in your RV (if you decide to travel rather than settling down), you need to stay connected with your family and friends. This is especially important for those who don’t live in the RV with family members or a group of friends, but even if you don’t live in the RV alone, you still need to keep in touch with those you care about.
When you transition to an RV life and start working remotely, it’s easy to stay in your bubble because you won’t have to leave your home as much as you used to. In addition to that, you might start traveling the country or from country to country which will make it even easier for you to care only about your solitary life. This is exactly why staying in touch by using different means is so important for your mental and emotional well-being.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, transitioning to an RV life could be one of the best decisions in your life as it can provide you with the opportunities you don’t have now. Follow the tips in this article to make the transition smooth and find a good remote job to sustain your new lifestyle.
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