Downsizing in Retirement? But where?

Downsizing was on everyone's mind. The stress people endure just because of a lifetime of clutter they have accumulated added to the retirement dilemma and limited income and you have the perfect reasons for wanting to live in something much smaller.

Park Model in RV Resort

Once the decision has been made to move the question is where? People as asking themselves Should we sell our house here in the north and buy something smaller for much less in a warmer climate? It has occurred to me that we might need to rethink what we are doing.

It is a temptation to sell here in Portland, Oregon, for example, because a person can buy something in the Southwest USA for less and have disposable income left over to have MORE fun right now. When the weather is warm in the winter that person will be at home while all those snow birds are living in small resorts. Sound about right doesn't it?

RV Resort Bocci Ball Tournament

Then summer comes...it gets very hot in the southwest in the summer. Those people want to do the snowbird thing in reverse and fly north to find some cooler weather. BUT, it is very expensive and there is really not that much available in the way of short term rentals for vacationing people. A hotel or motel is not affordable at all. Most people spend a very short period of time in the north. Better than nothing I suppose.

Snowbird Friends

It might be that downsizing to a smaller place in some location that is perfect in the summer would be smarter. When you came back north you would be at home and probably near your families and friends. The spend less on your winter location. The southwest is ripe for the picking when it comes to snowbird living. There is so much available at a reasonable price, especially in RV resorts. Even purchasing a small park model like we own is possible for less than $20,000. You will have a more fun than you ever imagined but not be tied to so much responsibility.

It is just a thought. Downsize at home in the north and snow birding small in the southwest has been our choice and I am so grateful that we have decided to do that. We live in a place that those coming north could not afford to visit for very long. Life is good!

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Note: I happen to think that Idaho has some of the best locations for downsizing. Check out McCall for your small home in the north. It is gorgeous.

 Summer

Should you be a snowbird or not? YOU get to decide!

It really doesn't matter! This is the third age you are about to enter. You can travel or not this year and do something totally different next year. This is the time in your life when you are given the freedom to change your mind. How cool is that!

But if you decide to travel this year or for the rest of your life and you have a partner in life, you need to make sure that you are both on the same page in the playbook. You need to make soup and talk to each other. It is important.

If we decide to become snowbirds, how can we abandon our family? You fill in the blanks here but it is something you need to face.

1. What are we going to do with all that time? All retirees are faced with the inevitable time together 24/7. Being a snowbird is the perfect answer to getting away from all your friends and family. You can build this new stage in your life into something you have both dreamed of in a fresh environment. You need to find dreams you can share so talk...A LOT. Air those dreams out in the cold light of day. Ask yourself if you are being realistic. See He said Maine - She Said Florida
2. Where will we go? This is where you begin to explore the possibilities of the snowbird lifestyle. You can follow interests in hobbies, work, education, travel, time with grandchildren and so much more. I even love the idea of visiting movie locations or authors home. Get out there a do stuff (a high tech word I use a lot). This is a time for the learning to begin anew and you will never regret it. 
3. Should we delay the dream of being a snowbird? A woman told me several years ago that her husband wanted to travel but she "was just not ready". They owned a horse. He died last week. They never did travel. Delay if you have to but do it for the right reasons. 
4. How will we pay for this? Hopefully you have been watching your finances a long time before retirement day comes. If you haven't you probably will have to delay some of your dreams. It would be nice if retirement travel were an entitlement but it isn't. It is as simple as that. The sooner you start planning financially the bigger those snowbird dreams can be. 
5. I want to do so many things so why am I afraid?  Many treat retirement as the final destination in their real life. Please keep in mind that retirement is just a junction in the road and you get to go the direction that will work for you. If you realize that you didn't go the right way, go another. You will find a lifestyle that works for you. There is no one size fits all retirement life.
6. Is travel my only option? If you travel, I think your family will benefit from your new passion. But it does not matter if you travel or stay at home and start or get more involved in a hobby. You will be a more interesting person and your children /grandchildren will enjoy hearing about your life adventure. 
7. Have you been the go-to parents for your grandchildren? It may be that by the time you retire your family will be ready to fly on their own at least for a little while. Keeping ourselves busy will allow them to do that.

Making your dreams come true may be easier than you think. Living very simply is a good thing and you can make your dollars go further. For example, smaller house may be in the picture. There are many options.

So remember you can do this. Go slow. Find your comfort zone.Your family (son/daughter-in-law/grandchildren) may need you to leave town for a while. Lifelong learning will make retirement meaningful. You will be retired a long time so enjoy. Slow down. You don't need to do everything the first year. Best of all, for once in your life, it may be all about you!

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RV Rookie Hits the Road (foxnews.com)
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What does a snowbird's life LOOK like?

I know, it all sounds so wonderful...retirement, travel and maybe even a second home in Arizona or Florida. But don't you really having a hard time visualizing the life? If you have a great deal of money, it will look one way. If you don't, it will look another.

Our Tucson Arizona home...a park model on the corner!

Then there are those of us that live like we want to live. We probably even make choices that are less costly than they need to be but just fit our personalities. I thought maybe today I would give you a little glimpse into a very simple lifestyle. That is the one we live.

If you have any questions, just leave a comment! I you chose this lifestyle, how would you want to live?

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Our park model front porch after dark.

Flower Garden in front of our park model.

A special treat...golf at the Tubac Resort

The historic Presidio District near downtown Tucson

Outdoor plaza in the Presidio District

Just because!

Golfing with friends

My hand-me-down table and chairs...spray painted

Bocce Ball Tournament 

Taken on Arizona National Golf Course

Sightseeing in Tubac

Yes, it does snow and rain in Tucson Arizona

Rodeo Week Dance at the Elk's Club

Pink Martini concert, the Tucson Symphony

Our RV resort pool

Counting: 25 questions ask "What do you WANT to do in retirement? "

There are so many choices for that second adulthood that follows retirement.  Should we travel the world, buy a second home in a warmer climate, move permanently to a warmer climate, move closer to our children, stay at home and pursue hobbies, go back to school, work part time, become a snow bird, take up Rv travel? Making a rational and financially sound choice requires that we sift through the choices carefully.

Arizona Friends...a wonderful surprise in our retirement life!

I woke up in the night thinking about how my husband and I could have fulfilled our retirement dreams more responsibly. I am not a retirement counselor...I am a retiree leading the snowbird life. We went blundering through the early years of our retirement without a clue as to where the path would take us. Yes, it has been an adventure but I am coming to realize the time (and money?) we could have saved if we had been clearer about what we wanted out of our retirement life. It was not until we actually knew what we wanted that we made good choices. Here are 25 question I think will help you and, if you have a partner or spouse, the other person in your life gain an image in your minds of what your retirement lifestyle might look like.

1. When were we the happiest in our life?
2. Could we do some of the things we miss out on doing when we were young? 
3. How much money will we have after the dust has settled?
4. Would we prefer a 55+ community or do we need to be near a community that includes children?
5. What are our hobbies both physically active (golf, tennis, hiking) and relaxing (cards?)
   
6. Can we make friends easily or do we even need friends to have fun?
7. Would we want to move to a new location permanently? How would we afford that?"what
8. Do we prefer to be outdoors or indoors?
9. How long can we endure being away from our family?
10. Is it possible that what we dreamed about is not what we will want for an extended period of time?
11. If we decide to follow a dream and then don't like it, will we be ruined financially or otherwise?
12. How much time do we want to spend together/apart?
13. Is living in a small space going to work if you decide to become a snowbird on a small amount of money?
14. Do we still want to work part of the time?
15. Can we find a way to finance our snowbird lifestyle by working at a resort?
16. Can we stand hot or cold weather?
17. What are the health issues we need to keep in mind?
18. Are we willing to live in a community that is not like home?
19. How far away do we want to go?  List a few possibilities.
20. If we leave the country, (USA or Canada) will there be problems with visas and laws?
21. How old will we be when we cannot travel anymore?  
22. How will my insurance coverage affect where I decide to spend my winters?
23. Is the family in agreement over what we decide to do?
24. If one refuses to take a step toward what the other wants will that one regret it later?
25. How flexible and adventurous are we?

I suggest that you print this list and both partners fill in the answers separately.  It will start a conversation that will help you get a clearer picture about what life after work can look like.

Dream the dream but hold onto the reality...oh, AND always spend money less than you have.

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Counting: 10 How to be a Snowbird - Nuts and Bolts Ideas

My husband and I have been traveling in the winter for so many years it is old hat for us now. I forget that there are always beginners that need to learn the ropes. I suppose I should share a few ideas with you that are buzzing around in my brain.

I would like to say that we "normally" leave at a specific time but there is no such thing as normal. We are just like the hummingbird that is still hanging around using my feeder. We do what we want when we are free to do what we want.

Mt. Shasta, California in the Winter

Park Model Interior

Snowbird Lessons: (more here):

1. Travel plan: We always travel so we will avoid bad weather. The snowbirds I know that come in January are generally flying in.  The have bought an inexpensive car to use while they are in the resort. If they come early in the fall and leave in April they can generally drive without bad weather worries
2. Two of everything: Since we own a park model in an RV resort, we usually leave all our spices and staples in two places. But after the trip to Mexico where we had a small kitchen, I think I am going to come up with a portable spice stash that I can carry with me. Spices are very very expensive but it is not easy to cook without them.
3. Clothes: When I came home last Spring I did not bring my winter things with me thinking I would be back in Arizona in October. It was not a smart move. I have sorted, classified and give away a lot of things. By condensing my wardrobe down to a "movable closet size" I have saved money and time.
4. Storage:  You have to know that living in a very small space requires us to be creative with our storage. It is a bit like living on a boat. Every nook and cranny is used. For example, we need new suit cases. When I buy new, I am going to get the duffel bag type, maybe at REI. They will have rollers and a ridged back. I think that this type of suitcase will solve storage problems because they lay flat and can go under our bed. 
5. Gas: Gas is a real consideration when we are traveling right now...the cost is outrageous. If we were to travel across country, we would take that into consideration when we planned our route. California, for example, has added so much tax and environmental requirement to their gas it has become very expensive. I admire their efforts but we will try to avoid buying as much as we can in that state. We fill the tank as close to the border as possible before entering the state.
6. Save on Utilities: This one way we can afford to travel. The expenses are reduced dramatically. We always put everything on vacation at home. Gas company, water/sewer, garbage, tv service, internet service and electricity. If we don't turn off the electricity but decide to turn off the water (floods inside the house are a very bad thing) we always turn off the water heater. It will burn up without water.
7. Security system: We have allowed a friend to store their car in our garage in the winter in the past. They paid us a little rent but better yet they came to give the house a check. That is very good. Our rain gutters clogged last winter and I think there would have been damage if they hadn't been checking on things. But when we have no one to check we turn on our security system. All the signs are in the windows and the system is visible from the front and back windows. We also make sure the rain gutters are cleaned thoroughly.
8. Yard Work: A friend asked us about our yard. In the northwest, our yards go to sleep in November and wake back up in May. It sleeps while we are gone. If we leave before November, we clean the yard up, pull flowers and vegetable so no mess is created when it frosts. No worries there.
9. Arrival Schedule: We always time our arrival in our RV resort for morning. We can open it up our park model, shop for groceries and heat it or cool it before bedtime. Most snowbirds in our resort do this. It does not even seem possible to arrive late in the day. We will have been gone for 6-8 months. Things will need to be done inside the park model. If we were still in our RV we did very much the same thing. Hooking up in the dark is not any fun and you can actually do some damage to your RV.
10. How long to stay:  I need for you to know that snow birds do go home in the spring. It gets very hot. By the middle of April the park will be empty as will resorts all around. My advice is don't pay to stay beyond that time. You will not like it. We had friends that paid rent in advance and were committed for May. They regretted spending the money for something it turned out they didn't want. It was very hot and empty for the last month. I'm just saying!

So there you have it.

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Related articles

Retirement and Aging: You Might be a Snowbird if......!

Snowbird Lifestyle:
Celebrating my husband's 76th birthday in Mexico!

Jeff Foxworthy is a very funny guy. His "You Might Be a Redneck If..." routines are hilarious. I know I might be a redneck sometimes and I know that because I have watched his routines. That is where this blog is coming from today. Thank you Mr. Foxworthy for making me think. 

Snowbird season is in full swing right now here in Tucson, Arizona. Our RV resort is filled to the brim with people ages 55-90+. Most everyone will be gone within a month but for now the landing area for people escaping the snow is very busy.

I was watching our Bocce Ball tournament yesterday and it occurred to me that we snowbirds are an odd breed. We are not old and yet we are not young. When we enter the gates of the park, our ages change in subtle ways. We learn lessons, sometimes the hard way, that people are often not what they seem and living near those people can be wonderfully strange. Personally, I love everyday I am here.

If you don't respect people that are older than you or don't have as much education or are even a bit quirky, please don't come here. Entrance into our world makes everyone equal. You will not be happy when you find that people you had thought odd or old will beat you at Bocce or cards. If you are annoyed by people acting silly and that don't take games seriously, you won't like it here.

In the end you will be a very jealous of the lobster fishermen. In fact, people that love a simple life come from every occupation and area in the world. You will be very surprised! After you retire and you don't have a "job" or "salary" to define yourself, you are going to find out who you really are.

You might want to be a snowbird if....

1. You love to meet new people.
2. You are a lifelong learner.
3. Adventure is part of your life.
4. Judgement of a different culture is not part of your nature.
5. You respect people that do not share your lifestyle.
6. You love to play tennis, hike, play pickle ball, bocce or cards.
7. You need or want to live a frugal yet full life.
8. You have always dreamed of sunny days in the winter.
9. Travel is in your blood.
10. You are not afraid of new things or places.
11. You expect to live a very long time and live your life so that you can enjoy it.

Granddaughters very exciting visit to the car wash!

We do poke fun at ourselves. As Jeff Foxworthy would say "You might be a snowbird if..."

1. Changes in the weather tells you when to fly south.
2. You discover that you can live in less than 400 square feet.and have everything you need but have a 4 bedroom house waiting in the north.
3. You get beat at Bocce by someone 80+ and you are not surprised.
4. You forget that it is Monday.
5. Fishfry becomes a part of your weekly routine.
6. The whole day can revolve around a dance or a chili feed.
7. You have friends from around the world that come back to your landing area just to see you.
8. For the first time in your life all the young people back home want to live like you.
9. You wear your pajamas to visit in the street.
10. You eat dinner at 4 pm and have breakfast right before you go to bed.
11. You lay your pajamas out on the end of the bed at 5 so you can get to bed faster.
12. Happy Hour is VERY important.
13. You walk around in circles in the park and call it exercise.
14. The high point of your day is adding 5 pieces to the park jigsaw puzzle.
15. You show up at least an hour early for every event so you can get "your spot" in the room.
16. The people around you know all of your stories...sigh!



Jack is over 90 and the best Bocce player I have ever seen.

17. When it is time to go home, you don't want to leave because it is not nearly as much fun back there.

I would love to see you here in Rincon Country East RV Resort in Tucson AZ. Look me up. I live in Space #74.

You will recognize the place...I am the one with the beautiful flowers! My name is Barbara.

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The Saguaro Cactus is gone...it tipped over
in a summer storm several years ago.

 Older post from 2010, How to be a snowbird!

Snowbird: How do I find a place to rent?

I received this question yesterday from a reader: 

It's wonderful to hear of other single travelers out there. How do you go about finding places to rent in different areas? 

Boy can I relate to this! I remember feeling like a babe in the woods when we first started out. My husband and I traveled across the county in a small class c motor home. We stayed in trailer parks, and RV resorts. In those days we carried a Good Sam Directory and depended on our very new cell phone to make reservations as we went along. I always dreamed of finding a 10-10-10 rated park. The rating assures quality, service and location. I was never disappointed. On that trip we only found one on our route. It was right here in Tucson.

A CROWD GATHERS...NO MATTER WHAT WE DO!

If you are thinking that a resort like the one we spend the winters in would work, I think the RV directories are a good place to start. Woodalls, CampUSA, Good Sam Club are well known and reputable. Amazon has a large selection available.You can, for example, go to Tucson in a directory, see what the resorts are and how they are rated. You can do the very same things for areas in Texas, Florida or any other state. Then you call the park and see if they have park models for rent. Most of the resorts do that very thing.

You have to understand that the reason I recommend an RV resort is because you will be immersed in the social life of the park immediately.  If I were single, that would be very important to me.

However, if you are not interested in something like this, you can find rental agencies that do nothing but rent to snowbirds. Here in Tucson we have an agency called Home Away that might work. Put snowbird rentals or RV resorts in (city of your choice) in the google search line and begin shopping.

I hope this has been helpful.  Any other questions?

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List of post on How to be a Snowbird here.

Life in the Winter Desert....Tucson, Arizona

It looks so warm but I am wearing a sweater, corduroys and shoes with sock!
Tubac Arizona (iPhone with Zoom Photo App)

Local Tucsonians claim they can tell where people are from by the clothes you wear. If they are a frozen north visitor, they will wear sandals and short pants...period.  In fact, being the optimistic sun seeker that they are, they probably will not even bring a pair of warm slacks or a sweater/coat. After all, this is Arizona right?

Well, here's the deal. It is winter in Arizona too. I know. I could not get it through my head for the longest time. I just didn't want the pecan trees to lose their leaves and the flowers to frost or freeze. It was just un-American and wrong. I left the state of Oregon to come to a place that is warm and when it wasn't I was disappointed. Then a light came on. Oh, it is winter here too. We can be outside and do just about anything we want on most days. But, it is winter so we need to dress like we are semi-smart. When we do we are very comfortable. Actually, it is just perfect!

As the years have gone by, I find myself acting like a local. I get cold when it is 60 and look around for warmer clothes. We like to turn on our little fake fireplace and put lots of covers on the bed. We revel in the cold and appreciate the warm. When the temperatures dropped to under 30 degree a week ago, we just hunkered down. I cooked great food and we enjoyed a good book. I think we must be getting the drill down. We are officially expert snowbirds!

Come on down...the weather really is fine...I promise!

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Planning for snowbird season: Where do I go?

NOTE:  More information here.  If you mention my name (Earl/Barbara Torris) you will get $100 off on the first month's rent!  (A repost for your information)

You know that little cabin in the woods, at the lake or even near the beach that you dreamed about when you were young. It was the one you wanted to share with your growing children on the weekend or even just in the summer or the winter. You didn't spend much on it if you actually bought it and eventually you sold it or turned it over to someone else in the family. Now you have retired and you dream of spending the winter in a warmer climate but when you go online and begin to look at renting you know that the expense will be just too much for your budget. Where is that little cabin, the easy to own not permanent but just what you want for the next few years?  Believe it or not, in Tucson, AZ there is an equivalent that may be just what you are looking for.

   
Here in the desert where the temperature are very mild in winter, a group of seniors gather in "doll houses" perfect for two, three, or even up to six month of the year. We play golf, swim in the pool, dance several times a month, play cards, create in workshops that meet our needs and live inexpensively.  For many of us this is our little cabin in the woods!


ABOUT TUCSON, AZ
We have chosen to settle down in a Tucson, AZ. RV resort for the winters. Rincon Country East RV Resort is located on the the eastern edge of Tuscon along the Pantano Wash. We are very near to Davis Monthan Air Force Base and the Saguaro National Park East. Views of mountains to the East and North remain largely unobstructed.  But the view to the west is the most important.  Anyone who has lived or visited Tucson will tell you the sunsets are the most spectacular you will ever see.
   
Tucson is so beautiful. Even though it has a population nearing 1 million in the metro area, "The Old Pueblos" has managed to retain a very small town feel. Outdoor activities are abundant. People in this resort hike and bicycle into the Saguaro National Park. Golfing is so close by that one is tempted to walk to the course and shopping either at the base of the Catalina Mountain or in the art community located in Tubac, AZ provide some great opportunities to find just that perfect piece for your collection.  Fresh vegetables from nearby Mexico and California are abundant and relatively inexpensive. In fact, we find the cost of living to be very affordable.

Sunrise, Tucson, AZ, Rincon
Country East RV Resort

There are two types of living arrangements in this resort.  You can come with your RV and rent a space or you can buy/rent a Park Model.  These very small houses are a little over 350 square feet.  That does not include an Arizona room that can be a simple glassed in porch or an additional living space.  A large percentage of the spaces here are filled with these "park models" and many are for sale or rent.

Birthday Celebration in the Arizona Room

Park model kitchen lit for the evening

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If you are looking for the perfect location to spend your winters, the ones you have been dreaming about, come on down and join us. You will find the retirement lifestyle you have been dreaming about. 


WHO DO I CALL?
Rincon Country East:
8989 E. Escalante Rd.
Tucson, AZ 85730

Toll Free 888·401·8989
Phone 520·886·8431 

Come on down.  We'll keep the cactus lit for you!

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They didn't call HGTV's Yard Crashers!

Back Patio's Summertime Look

Technorati Tags: HGTV, lifestyle, travel

Seriously, our front yard look like a neglected vacant lot when I arrived home from Arizona 2 weeks ago. I live in the Portland, Or. metro area.  Things grow here fast and well...even weeds. Six months with not one whit of care left our flower beds littered with leaves and a million sprouting maple seeds.  All I could think was that someone in the neighborhood could have called the HGTV Yard Crashers and tv cameras would appear.  The lady next door would tell the tv people how she could hardly wait for them to clean up the trash so she would have something beautiful to look at. I would be embarrassed.

If you are a snowbird that owns two places, you know what I am talking about. This is one of the dilemmas that faces us each year.  There is a need for us to keep our home's appearance up if for no other reason than to make it look as though someone is at home.  Nothing invites trouble more that a house that looks abandoned.

Timing is one solution that comes to mind right away.  Here in the northwest we can leave in late October and arrive back in late April.  The yard just sleeps while we are gone.  Even as bad as ours looked, the spring rains were keeping everyone else from doing more maintenance too.

Landscaping services really don't charge that much around here.  I have a neighbor that pays $60 a month to have her very small yard mowed and flowers trimmed or a tree shaped up once in a while.  That is something that would help a lot.

In some situations, a house sitter can be helpful.  The sitter can do some yard work as part of their sitting job.  I always dream I will come home to clean windows and maybe a house sitter would do that for me.  Golly, wouldn't that be nice.

So, HGTV has not shown up.  We have cleaned, raked, bagged leaves and planted 40 petunias.  It actually looks like someone lives here again.  Good for us!  As for the window, that remains for another time.

Have a lovely day.

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Is being a snowbird right for you? An Interview with me by Satisfying Retirement Blog

Is being a snowbird right for you?  I know that most retirees have toyed with the thought at one time or another.  I am a snowbird and live with my husband and a cat named RV in Oregon for 6 month and Arizona for 6 month.  I guess living the lifestyle makes me somewhat of an expert on both the daily living part put also the financial cost for owning two pieces of real estate.  So Bob Lowry over at Satisfying Retirement invited me to be interviewed and talk about the pros and cons of this way of living.

Being a Snowbird: Is it the right choice for you? was the title of the interview that contained 8 thought provoking questions.  Bob submitted the questions ahead of time and I wrote the answers at my leisure. Writing for an interview is one of those interesting experiences I wish everyone could have.  I think you learn a lot about yourself when you begin answering questions about your lifestyle and the world you live in.  And that was not even the best part.  When the comments began coming in, it turned out that people had other questions on their mind.

• What do you do with your mail when you are gone 6 month?, 
• Are people in Arizona friendlier than in Oregon?, 
• How do you take care of taxes and do you pay taxes in both places?, 
• What about licensing your car?, 
• Will I be able to stand living in a small space with my husband and a dog?, 
• How do I convince my "homebody wife" to travel with me?, 
• Isn't having two places twice as much work?, 
• Will you call me and have tea when you get back to Oregon?

...and so it went.

I wrote a response to each question and you can visit Being a Snowbird on Satisfying Retirement anytime.  I think you will enjoy it.

Oh, by the way, I love your comments or questions so don't hesitate to click on the comments and fire away.

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Bob Lowry is a fellow blogger and has written a book called Building a Satisfying Retirement that is available on Amazon. (The ad in the sidebar will take you to the Amazon information.)  He is also included in a book called 65 Things to Do When You Retire, 65 Notable Achievers on How to Make the Most of the Rest of Your Life

SNOWBIRDS TIPS! TRAVEL ON THE SHOULDER OF THE SEASON!

Wanna be a snowbird?  Thinking about doing some traveling?   October and April can be the best months in the year here in Tucson, Arizona.  Here are some hints with links that will help you.

October and April can be the best months in the year here in Tucson.  Snowbirds normally arrive sometime from November-January and leave at the end of March or sooner.  Golf rates go down after April 15 and back up again around the first of December. The reduction in prices also happens with all the rentals in the area too.

Many people that I know started their snowbird life here in the southwest by renting an apartment.  I have never actually done this but those people that live around me have  stayed in apartments during their first few years here.  I never could get a grasp on how to do that.  When one of my friends told me how they did it, I was surprised at how easy it could really be.

While some snowbirds rent their apartment in advance, our friends just came to town with a box of kitchen necessities, toiletries, clothing, bath towels and a set of bedding.  They brought an inflatable mattress that they used as their bed...there are some wonderful styles now that will even support overweight people.  They found an unfurnished apartment near a local golf course and signed a short term lease.  Then they headed for the thrift stores where they picked up a couple of chairs and a table.  After they learned more they even went to a rental furniture store and rented some furniture so they could be more comfortable.  At the end of the season they donated what they had purchased back to the thrift stores.  They golfed on the money they saved by living this way.  They saw it all as a wonderful adventure!

You can rent furnished condos but they are very expensive. Even renting a furnished park model here in this resort can cost you up to $1800 per month during high season. (Take a look at Arizona Snowbird Rental). If you are ambitious enough and willing to live modestly for a while during the shoulder of the season,  you can keep the cost down.  Our friends did this for many years and then discovered our RV resort's park models and bought one.

If you are planning for next season you had better get busy and do something now!  Snowbirds are traveling home but you can bet they will be back next year...and there will be more than ever. If you are traveling on the shoulder of the season, you will find that making arrangements for your stay will be a lot easier.

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