When you think about having a vacation, one thing that is undoubtedly on your list would be an RV. An RV is an excellent option to have when you either want to go hiking or camping. You’re all excited to go out in the wild and experience nature firsthand until you look at RV prices online, and none of them is within your budget.
Brand new motorhomes like trailers and RVs are labeled as luxury vehicles that can amount to a small home in the real estate industry. Even the secondhand ones can be pretty steep in price. However, don’t lose heart as there are still ways to buy an RV without breaking the bank in the process.
Here are some ways for you to save money to purchase an RV on a tight budget.
Start Saving
The first thing you should do if you want to buy something that isn’t in your budget is to save money as much as you can so there’s not much financial burden on you on the day you need it. People always make excuses such as not having any extra money on their accounts currently, but in reality, it’s not about how much money you can shell out; it’s about how you spend your money. In short, it’s all about attitude and discipline.
There are a lot of ways you can save money daily, and while they only give you a few dollars in a day, little by little, you can save tons of money in the end. The first thing you want to do is save every little change you have in a piggy bank or any container. Giving at least a dollar every day in that piggy bank can give you at least 30$ every month.
You can also cut off things you don’t need in your everyday life. For example, you start your day with a latte from Starbucks. Do you need to buy coffee in Starbucks every day? Or how about gas money? If you can just walk to your office, you can probably start walking and not spend any money on gas.
One thing you can also do to save money is to cook more in the house rather than eating out. If you’re regularly eating out of the house, you are probably shelling out 100$ per month, which is pretty significant if you stop eating out to save money.
Pool Your Resources
If you plan to go with your friends on vacation around the countryside in an RV, you can pool your money together to buy an RV. People nowadays love to go on group vacations, not just because it’s more fun in a group, but also to reduce the money and resources you spend on the entire trip.
However, one downside of going together is that every one of our schedules doesn’t go together, so there’s always the possibility of one postponing, which lowers morale and will prompt the others to cancel as well.
Shop Around
If you’re big on renting RVs now and then, you’d probably have a dealer that you contact when you want to rent an RV. This is a good move generally since you’ll want to strike up a friendship with a dealer so you can get discounts occasionally.
However, this dealership that’s your go-to place in renting RVs might not have the best prices in town. That said, you should also do this when buying an RV. Don’t settle for an RV that is cheap enough for you and shop around for RVs that are even cheaper. Loyalty can only get you so far when it comes to prices. A reasonable consumer should always look for ways to strike up a good deal anywhere.
Not only that, competition is good for you as a consumer since every dealership will come running to you with greater deals than their competition. That said, you should always be on the lookout for the prices and RV loans. The dealership down the street might have a better deal than what you’re looking at right now. You never know.
Look For Used RVs
Since you’re on a tight budget and are not particularly looking for a brand new RV, you might want to look for well-maintained second hand RVs. RVs depreciate over time, so it’s only natural for their prices to go down as well.
That said, you should be on the lookout for RVs that have a few years of use already. And no, this doesn’t mean that you should buy an RV that is old and rusty. Look for slightly older models with 2-3 years of usage. You would be surprised by the discounts you’ll get.
Not only are used RVs cheap, but you’ll also always be on a better negotiating table with the dealership. Used RVs are hard to sell since people tend to buy new ones more. That said, dealerships want to get rid of their used ones while they’re still viable. If you consider this and play your cards right, you might get an even lower price and probably a few perks on your purchase.
Customize Later
One of the downsides of buying RVs is that it’s very rare to buy a customized one. Most of the time, you’ll customize it yourself to get the features you need. And customization doesn’t come cheap.
That said, when buying an RV, don’t be afraid to buy a basic model. Think of it as a long-term investment, like your home. Down the line, you’re going to have a few improvements needed to be done, and tackling them one by one is an excellent financial move. Customizing it all at once will give your finances a strain since, as mentioned earlier, customization doesn’t come cheap.
Takeaway
The very best way to purchase an RV on a tight budget is to be smart with your money and to always be on the lookout for a chance to save a little bit of money. Also, don’t be in a hurry to buy an RV since it’s a decision that should be met with the utmost attention and patience. If you’ll be smart about it and follow all the steps earlier, you’ll be able to buy an RV without breaking the bank.
Author Bio
Lauren Cordell is a blog writer and owner for three years with popular topics on travel, lifestyle, food, interior designs, credits, and insurance. She resides in California in her camper, which she likes to call home and office on the go. She is a young bachelorette who finds solitude with her fur babies a gift. Lauren plans to travel and go to a new destination when this pandemic is over.
