by Hope
Update: Read below for my original post. But the day after I wrote this, I was offered a significant enough local contract to decide to stay put. It’s not enough to pay the bills yet, but it is enough to make staying put the best decision financially for now. We will be going with Option 2 for the time being as far as housing goes; the kids are thrilled for a number of reasons! I won’t start the new contract until sometime in March so still scrimping to get by for now…but I am so grateful.
As of May 1st we will be homeless, meaning we must move out of our current apartment and without a job, I will not be able to qualify for any other housing. This has been a HUGE stressor for me since learning about it in December.
You’ve probably figured out by now that I am willing and open to most anything as long as I have some time to get used to it. I’m very open to thinking outside the box. So here is what the plan is currently:
Option 1: If by April 1st, I do not have a job that keeps us here (or forces us to move elsewhere):
We will be packing most of our stuff and putting it in storage. We will then hit the road to travel for 4-6 weeks, staying mostly with family and camping. I currently have a route mapped out which takes us across the center of the US via St. Louis and Denver, down the California coastline and then to my parents in Texas via New Orleans. I hope to take the kids to the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and other places that they might not otherwise see, some I haven’t seen. We will then return to VA for the summer while I continue looking for a job and doing odd jobs. Income at this time will consist of adoption assistance for the twins and my part time income from my current part time job. Yes, we will have gas expenses, but we will no longer have rent, utilities and several other monthly bills. It will not be a luxurious trip, but I think it will be a lot of fun. We are calling this plan….The Nomad Experience! See below on where we will live when we return to VA.
Option 2: If I have a job by April 1st that requires us to stay here and/or when we return from the Nomad Experience:
A family friend with quite a bit of land and a couple RVs has offered to let us live on their land in a 10 person RV (where they have a hook up for water and electricity) for FREE. So we will be putting most of our stuff in storage when we have to leave the apartment and moving with just the necessities to the RV at least temporarily – I am thinking the first two months of the summer.
Now obviously, if I get a job out of state, etc. we will move there and rent a place. But since our #1 goal is to stay here if at all possible, this free living situation will either 1) let us live here while I continue to look for a job or ideally 2) let us live for a couple of months on a much smaller budget letting me catch up and get ahead a bit.
So right now…that is the housing plan come May. RV living is certainly not ideal but with far less stuff, a summer with activities and the twins working and driving themselves, I think it will be manageable and even a fun adventure. Did I mention the land we will be living on has sheeps, pigs, goat, chickens, turkeys…how fun will that be? Or at least a new experience for my city dwelling kids!
Hope is a creative, solutions-focused business manager helping clients grow their business and work more efficiently by leveraging expertise in project management, digital marketing, & tech solutions. She’s recently become an empty nester as her 5 foster/adoptive kids have spread their wings. She lives with her 5 dogs in a small town in NE Georgia and prefers the mountains to the beaches any day. She struggles with the travel bug and is doing her best to help each of her kids as their finish schooling and become independent (but it’s hard!) She has run her own consulting company for almost twenty years! Hope began sharing her journey with the BAD community in the Spring of 2015 and feels like she has finally in a place to really focus on making wise financial decisions.
I am rooting for you Hope. I know this has not been easy, but you have pulled through like a champ. I am so very proud of you.
If you have time, read Box Car Kid’s blog. She lived with her 4 adopted children in an RV in CA for several years; had to move to CA b/c of her son’s medical issues and then lost her job. She’s moved into a trailer on family land in IN, gotten her Master’s in Education and is teaching. Still trying to dig out of the hole, but they enjoy living on the land & having their animals. It may not be an easy journey, but you can do this!
I think a couple months in an RV with goats, sheep, pigs, etc., will be fun! Really nice of the friend to offer this. It’s a great adventure!
Acutally both option 1 and option 2 sound enticing to me!
It’ll be a fun and aventerous experience for a few months.
I hope you will find another IT job soon – time will go by quickly before that day comes 🙂
Your a strong mom and you have all been through too much. Travel if even forced will be good for your soul and leaning on friends will be good for your heart. Stay strong and find your peace despite the storm around you all…
When I was 12, my family lived in an RV in our driveway for a few months while our house was renovated from flooding. While it was a tight fit (and way too much closeness for an introvert), it was a good experience. Option 2 will be a great fit.