Tuesday, April 15, 2014

The WHY behind Our Decision to Sell it All and Hit the Road

I have been talking for months about a huge lifestyle change Todd and I are planning to adopt by selling all of our possessions (including our home),purchasing a Class A and traveling all over the United States.  Since coming out with our future goals, we have been met with several different reactions (and many questions!). 

I decided to write a post about why we decided on this lifestyle change and what keeps us motivated to continue to work toward our goal.

Freedom
I would say the number one reason for this change is freedom.   We are tired of being tied down to the house and the maintenance it requires as well as keeping jobs we don’t necessarily enjoy to help pay for said home and upkeep.  We want the freedom to do as we please, where, when and how we please.

Simplicity
We have really been focusing on trying to simplify our life as much as possible and a move into an RV would be the epitome of simplicity.  You cannot fit much into a 330 sq. ft. space and are forced to live with only what is truly needed.  The amount of stuff that we’ve accumulated over the years has taken a toll on us physically and mentally.  Having the realization that within a few years, we will be living in an RV has really helped us to consume less.  When I go out shopping with my mom (she is a browser), I find items that I like and would tend to buy.  Now, I know that what we are taking in the RV will be minimal, and there is no room (or purpose) for such tchatzkies.  We have definitely been more mindful of our purchases to ensure that the item will fit into our lifestyle.  We are looking at quality and usability over quantity for the items we are purchasing.

Adventure
Todd and I enjoy adventure.  We like to see new places, experience new things, and what could be more adventurous than traveling the United States and Canada.  We honeymooned in Alaska back in 2007 and we look forward to driving across Canada to stay in Alaska for a couple of months before coming back to the contiguous US!  We have a long list of places we would like to visit, and by making this commitment, we are hoping to witness all of these landmarks before we get too old to truly enjoy them! 

Savings
Even though I am always trying to stretch a penny, this is not the main reason we decided to live in an RV.  Moving from a 1,890 sq. ft. home to living in a 330 sq. ft. camper will require far fewer resources and therefore {theoretically} cost less than owning a home.  I have always had a dream of living a self-sufficient life and though this is not 100% possible in an RV (can you say gas guzzler?), it is one step closer to being self-sufficient.  We have plans on installing a 250W solar panel on the RV and supporting local farmers with fresh {in season} produce while on the road.  The goal is to sell our primary residence and make a “home base” for a few months every summer on the ½ acre property we own next door.  This will allow us to grow and preserve our own vegetables and to harvest all the fruits we have been attempting to establish since moving into the house 7 years ago!

I am sure there will be many challenging times between now and when we hit the road (as well as when we are on the road!)  Todd and I have never spent more than a week and a half underfoot, in tight living quarters and with two 75+ lb dogs in tow!  Even though we have been met with some doubts, we are still as excited about our adventure today as we were over six months ago when we originally talked about the possibility of selling it all and moving into an RV.  If all else fails, we will have a paid for home and RV and we can continue doing what we’ve been doing.

What are your thoughts on this adventure? 
Do you think we will actually go through with it?

Have you ever considered living in an RV?

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Shameless Plug

Late last month, I decided to become an Independent Consultant for a company called Paparazzi Accessories.  I found them by mistake online, and when I learned more about the company, I was extremely excited to jump on board with them!

Paparazzi Accessories is a jewelry and accessories company that was started in 2008 by two sisters who loved jewelry and sold it at parties.  In 2011, they decided to take on consultants, and that is where I am today.  Paparazzi Accessories are fun, fashionable and most importantly of all...AFFORDABLE!  All jewelry is $5/each for necklace/earring sets, earrings, bracelets and headbands.  They offer a children's line called Starlet Shimmer and those pieces sell for $1.00/each!


I decided to join the Paparazzi Accessories team because I thought this would be a great opportunity for something to do while we are on the road, not to mention to help make up for the recent decrease in my income.  I like jewelry but I rarely ever buy myself anything because I am infamous for losing it!

When I received my starter kit from Paparazzi that included 100 pieces of jewelry, I was amazed at the quality of the product.  Paparazzi is able to sell their product at $5/piece because there is no overhead!  Similar pieces sell at Kohl's for quadruple what Paparazzi charges.  I will admit, some of the jewelry is a bit big and blingy for me, but it looks great on others.

I am writing this post to inform those of you who have never heard about Paparazzi Accessories about the product, and if you are interested, please feel free to contact me about the inventory that I have available!  Right now, I have over 200 pieces of jewelry and over 50 pieces of children's accessories in stock.

If you are interested in keeping up with the new product I have available, please feel free to "like" my FaceBook page, All Occasions Jewelry.  To view photos of the jewelry that came in my starter kit, please click on my photo albums.

Also, this Saturday, April 5th at 7:00PM EST, I am hosting my first FaceBook Party!  To join the party, please click here and select "join."