When most people think of RV life, they imagine driving cross-country and waking up to a new place every day. We knew buying an RV would provide flexibility for us, but the reason Jeremy chose to work temporary jobs is because that option adds another layer of flexibility to the RVer. And even those doing short-term travel can benefit by making some money on the road!
Last summer, we bought and renovated an RV and decided that taking on temporary jobs made the most sense for where we were in our journey together. We could travel, work, and take our home wherever we went. It has proven to be a great way to live a more flexible life, for these three reasons.
1. No apartment lease
Traveling in an RV made sense for us because Jeremy wanted to work temporary jobs in possibly different parts of the country. I didn’t want us to stress about moving and paying deposits on apartments when we could invest in a home that we could pay off and own in the end. Living in an RV is often much less expensive for those needing to move for a temporary job – even if you are just renting it!
2. No long-term job commitment
Because neither of us was sure about what we really wanted to do for work, Jeremy decided he wanted to try working temporary jobs as a park ranger.
While they do not provide benefits like insurance and health care options in temporary positions, it allows him the opportunity to figure out what he wants to work toward in the future. If you are unsure of the work you’d like to pursue, working temporary jobs is a great way to get experience without having to commit if you aren’t ready.
3. When you’re done, you move on to somewhere else
This was very important to the both of us. I have spent most of my life living on the cusp of a nomadic lifestyle, and Jeremy had moved around for the better part of a decade. Neither of us was wild about staying in one place for longer than we felt comfortable.
Working temporary jobs provides the unique opportunity to try out a new place, environment, and people. If we like where we are, we have the option to stay, but if we are ready to move on by the end of an assignment we can drive our home away.
Working temporary jobs is not for everyone. We have started talking about pursuing a more permanent option for ourselves in regards to work, but being able to live in different places, meet new people, and experience a new way of living is invaluable to any way of life.
Think about renting an RV for your next temporary job assignment to test it out!
