Traveling All 50 States On a Budget

Where did you start and where are you now?

@MOORE INCOME That is absolutely fantastic! Do it Now! Good motto!

Have fun.

That’s so awesome and memorable for you and your wife! Thanks for sharing. Perhaps check Groupon, Airbnb or YMCA. Some gas companies have rewards points. But you seem to really be saving by camping or staying with friends and family! 

You should write a book from the act of preparing for it financially to the end of the trip.  

I am not booking accommodation in a hotel anymore since I find AirBnB cheap and at the same, I can cook my meal whenever I go from one place to another. 

Wow! Fantastic and can't wait to follow your and your wife's adventure!  What a dream to fulfill!  I have a question about camping in your car. Are you staying at campgrounds, rest stops?? My question is not only about saving money, but a safety inquiry.  

I'm in tune with Margarette Stein, we've recently become avid AirBnB fans for anything longer than overnight, especially when traveling with other family or good friends.

If you are staying at campgrounds, many offer free space in return for hands on working, although most are looking for seasonal campers. But it doesn't hurt to ask.  It can be as simple as raking sites to trash pickup.

Congratulations on such an adventure! I hope you guys enjoy the rest of the trip. What great memories. 

@NanaWaller14 Sorry I took so long to respond. We started in North Dakota and are currently in Indiana which is State #29 for us.

@PiNaY Yes we definitely like Groupon! It is a great way to save on fun activities and sometimes even food.

We have Groupon Select which gives us an additional 25% off local activities so we get some pretty sweet deals.

The other day we visited an old battleship in Baton Rouge,  LA that with normal ticket prices would have cost us $24. On Groupon we got in for just around $13!

@MsKimberly I have had several people tell me the same. Writing a book about it is definitely something I would like to do.

@Moore Incomee  I think you could do that at Amazon.com online.

Moore Income posted:

@NanaWaller14 Sorry I took so long to respond. We started in North Dakota and are currently in Indiana which is State #29 for us

@Moore Income Any favorite states?

@MsKimberly I know that my wife and I have been to at least 13 states together. Florida, GA, TN, SC, KY, IN, IL, IA, MN, AL, AR, and a couple of others. We have lived in several of those states. It was fun traveling in our younger years. Now we have to stop often, get out and walk around, but we still would like to do the same as other posters by visiting many other states. If people are prudent Penny Hoarders, they can do it quite inexpensively. I hope all who aspire to do this have fun doing so and continue to save while doing it.

@AverageJoe  What were your favorite states and states that you did not care for and why?  How did you end up living in various states?  Was it because of your job?  Did you experience culture shock?  I visited Paris, France for three weeks and had culture shock.  Not sure if I would now.  That was back in high school.  

@MsKimberly I was born in Indiana and my family moved to Illinois, where I was raised from age 7 to 18. At age 20 I moved to Wisconsin to attend Bible College that was not run by one church individually, and when I went home for Summer vacation, I found  out my parent were moving us to Georgia. Growing up in Illinois, I liked it, but after all of the Caterpillar strikes, I was ready to get out of there. Georgia was a nice place to live, and I met my wife there. But, there was a bit of culture shock involved. I, even in the days when I was thin, I had dark skin (I'm part Native American), and people thought I was Mexican. I was profiled several times living down there. The same went for MN when my wife and I lived there. We lived down in the SW corner of the state in Granite  Falls, and there were many illegal immigrant workers. My wife and I lived in IN for a while to help my grandfather when my grandmother was found to have dementia. We finally had to move back to GA to get work. Living in Bloomington, IN, a university town, the jobs weren't as plentiful then. But, my parents did need help in GA with their business, so we moved back. 

Though I had spent a lot of time during my teen years in MN, and we had lived there, I don't believe I would go back unless it was to study family history around Bohall Lake there. I was born a Bohall but was adopted by my mother's second husband. MN is NOT one of my favorite states, and though my mother  and a sister live in IL now (my brother and his wife moved to FL from there two months ago), I wouldn't go back to IL for anything unless I had to. There's nothing there for us now. When we retire we've talked about doing so in GA or SC. I have lots of nieces and nephews around GA, NC and SC, and a sister as well. One sister passed away in GA this past June from breast cancer, and her husband still is there, as is my wife's family, or at least most of it. Tennessee has been nice, but it's getting to be overly crowded, even in the rural areas.

@MsKimberly I loved the states of Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, the natural beauty of Yellowstone National Park and the mountainous regions takes my breath away.

Our favorite stop so far on our trip was at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. The clear blue water and the surrounding scenery was breathtaking and awe inspiring!

I hear those states are beautiful. I've had two half-brothers live in Montana, one recently moving from there to Alabama and then back to the Louisville, KY  area to be closer to our father. He lived in Missoula and the other one lived in  Butte, but both have some wonderful pictures of the areas they were in.  If I could handle the cold, I'd retire in Montana or Idaho. I hear they are great states to retire in. 

AverageJoe posted:

@MsKimberly I was born in Indiana and my family moved to Illinois, where I was raised from age 7 to 18. At age 20 I moved to Wisconsin to attend Bible College that was not run by one church individually, and when I went home for Summer vacation, I found  out my parent were moving us to Georgia. Growing up in Illinois, I liked it, but after all of the Caterpillar strikes, I was ready to get out of there. Georgia was a nice place to live, and I met my wife there. But, there was a bit of culture shock involved. I, even in the days when I was thin, I had dark skin (I'm part Native American), and people thought I was Mexican. I was profiled several times living down there. The same went for MN when my wife and I lived there. We lived down in the SW corner of the state in Granite  Falls, and there were many illegal immigrant workers. My wife and I lived in IN for a while to help my grandfather when my grandmother was found to have dementia. We finally had to move back to GA to get work. Living in Bloomington, IN, a university town, the jobs weren't as plentiful then. But, my parents did need help in GA with their business, so we moved back. 

Though I had spent a lot of time during my teen years in MN, and we had lived there, I don't believe I would go back unless it was to study family history around Bohall Lake there. I was born a Bohall but was adopted by my mother's second husband. MN is NOT one of my favorite states, and though my mother  and a sister live in IL now (my brother and his wife moved to FL from there two months ago), I wouldn't go back to IL for anything unless I had to. There's nothing there for us now. When we retire we've talked about doing so in GA or SC. I have lots of nieces and nephews around GA, NC and SC, and a sister as well. One sister passed away in GA this past June from breast cancer, and her husband still is there, as is my wife's family, or at least most of it. Tennessee has been nice, but it's getting to be overly crowded, even in the rural areas.

@AverageJoe You have done a lot of traveling!  I don't think I would want to live in Illinois because everytime I think of it I envision windy Chicago, and all the crime there.  Even though I know Illinois is a big state, I never felt like I had to go there. Sorry to hear of your sister passing away, but glad you still have other family members.  I have family and friends in Florida.  They all love it there because they hate the snow where we grew up.  Yet, when I think of Florida, I think of crocs, etc.  I find that scary.

Moore Income posted:

@MsKimberly I loved the states of Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, the natural beauty of Yellowstone National Park and the mountainous regions takes my breath away.

Our favorite stop so far on our trip was at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. The clear blue water and the surrounding scenery was breathtaking and awe inspiring!

@Moore Income  Beautiful picture!  Natural beauty is something that would draw you. When you want to retire, you want scenery and peace/quiet.  

@MsKimberly Where have you lived? Illinois was okay in some places, but if you live where Caterpillar is a majority employer, it's not the best. I lived in Pekin while growing up, but in Decatur during 2nd and 3rd grades 50 years ago~ Man that takes me back! My wife and I moved back to Pekin 3x after we were married, but Caterpillar always seemed to be getting ready to or had gone on strike. So, we'd go where the work was. The most beautiful state I've lived in is Tennessee.

@AverageJoe I have always lived in Pennsylvania.  There are areas I would not want to live in this state.  I live in Mechanicsburg which is a few miles from Harrisburg.  Harrisburg has changed over the decades--more crime.  Mechanicsburg is a nice and quiet suburb.  I have heard that Tennessee is a lovely state with warm people.

@MsKimberly I have two nieces, one is married with no children, and the other is not married and has two children and a sister in law who live in the Pittsburgh area. My wife had her sister there and the other one in Union, SC. In the 35 years we've been married, my wife and I have NEVER gone to PA. We neither one found it appealing. We're not saying the state is bad, but we just never had good luck there. My sister in law has stayed there because that is where her daughter and grandbabies are. My cousin just moved from the Philadelphia area to New Bern, NC to help with my aunt who was diagnosed with dementia. I've been in Pittsburgh one time in my life, way back in the 1970's. Then the steel mills were just starting to close and move out to other countries. It was sad to see. I loved the Amish area's though. 

It is true. Tennessee has some of the most friendly people I've ever met. I have many distant relatives all over the state, many whom I've never met. There are many jobs coming here and many companies moving in. Nashville, Murfreesboro and Clarksville are all growing at record paces with over 100 people a day moving into Nashville, 70 a day into Murfreesboro and Clarksville. No income tax in this state, but, they DO find other ways to tax one to death...

This is so exciting!  I look forward to seeing your updates and learning more about how you and your wife pull this off.

@AverageJoe  Pennsylvania is not for everyone.  A cousin of mine and a friend moved from here to Florida.  Both said they would never move back.  I like it because I am familiar with it and lived here all my life.  The four seasons also matter to me.  Having visited Philly many times, I would say that is not a place I would want to live.  Nice restaurants and cultural events is something you will find there, but I would not feel safe.  Keep us updated about your adventure!

Wish I would have known you were in Indiana--that's my stomping grounds.  I work for a hotel now and could have gotten you a discount.  I've traveled widely as well and know some places worth checking out.  If you go through central Texas, check out the town of West--it's a Czech town with amazing kolaches.  The best shop is Czech Stop.  If you go to Waco, Baylor University has the flag that flew over the Alamo on the second floor of the Student Union Building, or SUB. It also has the world's largest collection of secular stained glass in Armstrong-Browning library, the Dr Pepper Museum, and the Texas Ranger Museum and Hall of Fame, which is worth a visit if you like the Old West.

@BeckAtsila We try to go to Indiana every year but aren't always successful. We have relatives in the Corydon, Indianapolis, Bloomington, Brown County and Pekin areas. My birth father lives in the Corydon area. We're going to be going up to visit him and several cousins who will come in from Oolitic, Bedford, Mitchell and Bloomington while we're there. It will be the first time I've met them. We love to travel when possible. It's always good to have friends and family where one goes. 

AverageJoe posted:

@MsKimberly Where have you lived? Illinois was okay in some places, but if you live where Caterpillar is a majority employer, it's not the best. I lived in Pekin while growing up, but in Decatur during 2nd and 3rd grades 50 years ago~ Man that takes me back! My wife and I moved back to Pekin 3x after we were married, but Caterpillar always seemed to be getting ready to or had gone on strike. So, we'd go where the work was. The most beautiful state I've lived in is Tennessee.

No kidding!  I was born in Decatur--my father worked for ADM.

@MsKimberly My cousin just moved to NC this year to help care for her mother who is suffering from dementia. She lived in a suburb of Philly for 15 years. She loved it there, had her own business and was very happy living there. She didn't LOVE it at first, but it became home to her. She was raised in Terre Haute, IN where my uncle was a professor at Indiana State University. I once almost moved my us to PA, but I was told there was some kind of tax people had to pay to work there. It was a foreign concept to me, so we decided against it. In the nearly 36 years my wife and I have been married, we haven't once gone up there to see my SIL and our two nieces and our great-nieces. It's just so hard for us to travel with me being disabled and my wife having rods in her back from having it broken in the wreck of Dec 2015. My sister in law would like us to come up, and we're considering it for next summer. She would like my wife to start a business with her making knit caps, gloves, scarves, etc. Part of that money would be going to charities like St. Jude and other children's hospitals as well as to cancer research. We've lost many members of our family to this dreaded disease, including my little sister this past June from breast cancer. Isn't Mechanicsburg a suburb of Pittsburgh or close to it? If we come up, we would love to meet a fellow Penny Hoarder! Blessings, my friend.

@BeckAtsila I lived in Decatur when I was in the second and third grades. I went to Lincoln Grade School both years and had Mrs. Zuttermeister in 2nd grade and Mrs. Harrington in third. Of course, as I've stated that was 50 years ago. I'm sure they're long gone and departed to be with the Lord. It was Mrs. Zuttermeister who discovered that I was dyslexic and had my parents get me a reading tutor. By the end of the year, I was actually reading on a college level! I'm thankful for her and for her dedication to her students. What schools did you go to? I lived at 418 N. College Street and my father worked in the shoe repair store there. I remember walking through our back yard and the church parking lot behind our home to go down to Buckmaster's grocery. I had some good times and friends there. Please, tell us a bit about yourself ie, how long you've lived in Decatur, where you went to school, etc. My best friend is a pastor in a small town not too far from Decatur in Pana, and I candidated for a church to be pastor twenty some odd years ago in Hillsboro. Have a wonderful day!

AverageJoe posted:

@MsKimberly My cousin just moved to NC this year to help care for her mother who is suffering from dementia. She lived in a suburb of Philly for 15 years. She loved it there, had her own business and was very happy living there. She didn't LOVE it at first, but it became home to her. She was raised in Terre Haute, IN where my uncle was a professor at Indiana State University. I once almost moved my us to PA, but I was told there was some kind of tax people had to pay to work there. It was a foreign concept to me, so we decided against it. In the nearly 36 years my wife and I have been married, we haven't once gone up there to see my SIL and our two nieces and our great-nieces. It's just so hard for us to travel with me being disabled and my wife having rods in her back from having it broken in the wreck of Dec 2015. My sister in law would like us to come up, and we're considering it for next summer. She would like my wife to start a business with her making knit caps, gloves, scarves, etc. Part of that money would be going to charities like St. Jude and other children's hospitals as well as to cancer research. We've lost many members of our family to this dreaded disease, including my little sister this past June from breast cancer. Isn't Mechanicsburg a suburb of Pittsburgh or close to it? If we come up, we would love to meet a fellow Penny Hoarder! Blessings, my friend.

They do take taxes out of your pay.  I love Philly, but would not want to live in the city.  Surely, the suburbs would have less crime.  That sounds like a fantastic idea--making knitted items and giving part of the funds to St. Jude.  We have lost family members to cancer, too.  My mom died from lung cancer.  No, Mechanicsburg is not a suburb of Pittsburgh.  Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania.  There are what we call the East Shore and the West Shore.  The East Shore are the suburbs right in the capital city of Harrisburg.  The West Shore is right there, but it is across the river.  I live on the West Shore.  It is 8.4 miles from Harrisburg.  It is between 2-2.5 hours from Philly.  I love where I live.  Thank you so much!  I would like to meet you, too!  Blessing to you and yours!