I decided getting an RV might be a good idea when I started trying to figure out what my retirement looked like. At that time, I was 62 years old. That was two years ago.

At first, I thought I would buy a sailboat and sail around the world. Sailing has always been a passion of mine. Then I finally came to the conclusion sailing a yacht would be super hard because I am single. It would also take me far from home and it would be hard to work remotely. You see, I’m waiting until after I turn 70 to think about retiring because I haven’t done a good job saving money (I’ve tried hard) and need as much social security as I can get.

Then I thought about buying a beach house. In order to afford one close to the beach, I’d have to buy a fixer-upper. I didn’t mind doing this because I like working on my own house. The problem was, I wouldn’t have time to do any of the work myself because I was still working full time as a college professor and running a consulting business on the side.

I already lived in a house that was far too big for me because it has a swimming pool and a large yard. I typically spend about eight hours each weekend cleaning and taking care of the house. The last thing I wanted to do was spend my limited free time taking care of another house.

After Hurricane Irma, I realized if I had an RV, I would not have been stuck in my house—with no electricity—for one whole week. The idea took hold and the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much sense it made, so I started preparing and doing the research.

I spent hours on RVTrader.com looking at the different brands and models and the prices for new and used. Of course, I was drawn to the million dollar models. That wasn’t going to happen. I watched YouTube videos and found a blog (heathandalyssa.com) that described what it was like to travel and live fulltime in an RV. I finally stopped at Orlando RV and had a salesperson explain the different systems and features to me. For example, I didn’t know the difference between grey and black water.

The first model I fell in love with (that was at a reasonable price point) was the Jayco Precept 31UL. It had all of the bells and whistles. Even though it wasn’t as expensive as the fancier models, the sticker price was still $135,000—which was more than my first house. I walked away from the dealership knowing this was for me.  Now all I had to do was find the money to buy one.

I started by paying off my debt. Every month, I also saved as much as I could.  And it was hard. Some months I could only put $50 in my savings account and other months it was $100. It was frustrating. I picked up another client and started saving more, but had no personal time because all I did was work.

I knew I wanted a newish RV. I knew that buying a brand new one meant I would take a major hit on the resale price.  Since I would be traveling alone, I wanted an RV I could handle on my own and wouldn’t break.  Buying a used RV meant I might not have the support of the dealership, which worried me, and I would be inheriting someone else’s problems. I went to a couple of RV shows and kicked tires, opened cabinets, and stood in the shower to make sure I could shave my legs.

It’s funny how sometimes a bad thing can turn into something good. When I went to Colorado over the Christmas holiday, three thugs broke into my house and stole a bunch of stuff, including all of the jewelry I had collected since I was a kid. I watched them on video surveillance as they ransacked my house. Unfortunately, by the time the sheriffs arrived, they were gone. Here is the video of them tearing my house apart. The bastards!

When my insurance company settled with me, I didn’t buy new jewelry; I used the money for the down payment on a new RV.