The Price of Gas Really Doesn’t Matter
The good news is that there is no reason to cower in the corner of your RV trying to avoid the gasoline bogeyman,” asserts Carol White, author of Live Your Road Trip Dream – Travel for a year for the cost of staying home. White, who along with her husband Phil, took off and traveled the country for a year, know more than a little about how much it costs to travel for an extended period. “Gas prices were fluctuating like crazy then also, and we weren’t sure what to really expect, but we did know that the price of gas wasn’t going to prevent us from getting out and seeing our great country,” Carol confirmed. “We knew that in the overall scope of trip expenses, this was not going to be a ‘deal breaker’ for us.”
(PRWEB) May 3, 2005 -- “The good news is that there is no reason to cower in
the corner of your RV trying to avoid the gasoline bogeyman,” asserts Carol
White, author of Live Your Road Trip Dream – Travel for a year for the cost of
staying home. “While none of us are thrilled about the new reality of gas
prices, this is not a reason to cancel your travel plans, particularly if you
are planning that dream trip of a lifetime.”
White, who along with her
husband Phil, took off and traveled the country for a year in their Pleasure-Way
class B motorhome, know more than a little about how much it costs to travel for
an extended period. When they budgeted for their trip initially, they planned on
an average of $1.75 a gallon for gas. When they returned, 37,500 miles and a
year later, their actual average cost had been $1.56 a gallon. They paid as high
as $2.35 a gallon in California, and as little as $1.22 in
Georgia.
"Although some RV owners are concerned about fuel prices, the
added cost is only a small part of the equation and not an overriding issue,"
observes David J. Humphreys, president of the Recreational Vehicle Industry
Association (RVIA). "For most RV owners, the advantages of RVing–such as greater
flexibility, control and comfort–outweigh the higher costs of fuel," he
concludes.
“Gas prices were fluctuating like crazy then also, and we
weren’t sure what to really expect, but we did know that the price of gas wasn’t
going to prevent us from getting out and seeing our great country,” Carol
confirmed. “We knew that in the overall scope of trip expenses, this was not
going to be a ‘deal breaker’ for us.”
“As it turned out, at $1.56 average
over the year, it represented only five percent of our total budget and it was
only our fifth largest expenditure,” Phil added.
Carol went on to update
their information, “We recently recalculated our actual budget, using $2.25 as
the average price over the same 37,500 miles, and it only moved the expense to
eight percent of the total cost, and still the fifth largest
expense.”
Phil and Carol go into great detail in their book not only
about budgetary concerns, like gas, but also provide would-be travelers with
tips about everything from what to do with your house and cars, to how to manage
relationships while you are gone, to what to do about mail, bills and
investments.
The Whites, who are definitely upbeat about encouraging
others to get moving from the “dreaming to the doing,” laugh when describing the
most often asked question: How to be with your travel companion on a 24/7 basis.
Phil provides a decidedly unabashed answer when he suggests, “You learn
those two precious little words ‘yes, dear’ early on!” He continues on a more
serious note adding, “You really learn to support each other on your off days,
which you will both have. This is much easier than at home, because it is just
the two of you with no outside influences to be considered. You really get to be
two kids again, and it is great fun.”
Their final piece of advice? Don’t
let the price of gas keep you from living your road trip dream. You will never
forget or regret the times that you spend exploring your fondest travel ideas –
whether it is a road trip like ours, a sailboat trip around the world, a trek
through Asia or backpacking through Europe. The planning basics are the same
regardless of the destination – and the White’s book is ready to help you plan
your trip of a lifetime.
For more information on planning your trip, or
to invite the Whites to speak to your organization, go to their website at www.roadtripdream.com. The
book is also available from online retailers or your favorite
bookstore.
About RLI Press:
RLI Press is a full service publisher of
travel related materials. Incorporated in 1999 by Phil and Carol White, RLI
Press is a DBA of Retirement Lifestyles, Inc., an Oregon Corporation.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/5/prweb234882.htm