Larry Hansen describes why it takes much less money to be a Workamper than he thought it did in Episode 145

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Today I am going to speak with a gentleman who did some research on the RV lifestyle, which convinced him that he would not need nearly as much monthly income to support his travels than he thought he would.

Larry Hansen is an RVer from Florida who hit the road five and a half years ago in a 22-foot travel trailer. He gave up a career in banking and stock trading to enjoy more freedom to travel. He did not just jump into the RV lifestyle willy-nilly to see what it would be like. He conducted a lot of research before deciding to pursue the lifestyle.

Larry was living in The Villages, which are 17 special purpose communities in central Florida that represent one of the fastest-growing areas of the country. He was working in banking at the time, but really hungered to do something else.

Because he liked traveling, Larry considered becoming an on-the-road salesman. But, while investigating that option, he stumbled across some YouTube videos about Workamping and learned there was a lot of demand for people with customer service and management skills, which he had in abundance.

Workamping would fulfill his desire to travel all over the country. But, because he was only 46 years old, couldn’t touch his retirement account or collect Social Security, Larry still needed to support himself for a many more years. But, he knew most people spend 60% of their income on housing and related costs, like electricity, water, property taxes, etc.

As a single person, Larry knew he didn’t need much space in which to live, so an RV was a perfect fit. Because Workamping jobs typically offer free or deeply-discounted full-hookup sites, any money he made could be used to pay for food and experiences.

His biggest monthly expenses include a cell phone, streaming services, insurance and memberships to different RV organizations. When Larry has less money, he does less things. When he has more money, he gets to do more things. But, Larry said he has not touched a dime of his savings to support himself on the road for nearly six years.

He made a great point that after doing research on the RV lifestyle and Workamping, he realized it really was an inexpensive way to live. Now he has the ability to travel wherever he wants to go and have fun by working for people who really want him to be there. It’s a short-term position and then he gets to move on to a new adventure.

Larry discovered there is so much work available for Workampers that his travel schedule is set a year in advance. He has the security of knowing where he is going to be, what money is coming his way, and what his responsibilities will be.

At one time, Larry was married and living the American dream with a house, picket fence, dog and all the trappings that came with maintaining that lifestyle. But, he wasn’t very happy. After downsizing into a 160-square-foot travel trailer, he has the least amount of material possessions he ever had, yet he is the happiest he has been in a while.

He attributes that happiness to the fact he gets to travel and work with people who also share the same passions he does. He has made a number of friends during the past five years who will remain friends for the rest of his life. Not many people can say that about their co-workers.

Larry also discovered that winter Workamping jobs typically pay more than summer jobs.

He set a strict rule for himself that he will not accept a Workamping job without speaking to someone who has already worked for the company doing the job he would be hired to perform. He likes to know what the expectations are before he accepts a job.

Larry has received some fun perks while Workamping. He enjoyed free golf at a private course in Wyoming. He has met some Hall of Fame sports players when working at stadiums for spring training. Several times, he has received an activities card for free or discounted admissions to restaurants and activities near where he was working.

His final word of advice, like it is with so many other Workampers, is to do it now. If you think Workamping is something you want to do and you would enjoy doing it, then don’t wait, jump in do it now and because you’re not guaranteed another day. Even though Larry was 46 years old when he started, he wished he had known about Workamping 10 years earlier.

You can check out some videos Larry has made that chronicle his adventures and various Workamping jobs by looking for his HansenOnTheRoad YouTube channel.

That’s all I have for this week’s show. Next week, I will be speaking with someone who has the most unique Workamping job I’ve heard about. He’s a commercial airline pilot who also travels full time in his RV. I’ll have that interview on the next episode of The Workamper Show. Thanks for listening!