Having Less, Living More: Rachel and Nick

My husband is a pastor and we moved to Burbank, CA almost seven years ago. We took over a very small church and set out to replant it. God blessed and it has grown! We decided to live in an RV to save money for the future and to live more of a simple life. We bought a Mallard M33 2017 from Heartland. It’s a 36ft travel trailer.

We are stationary, but we have enjoyed living with less and having something to call our own. For years we have wanted to own a home and it’s been impossible for us with the housing market here. We are here for good, so instead of getting discouraged, we became creative in how to stay! We love the simple life and one day, if we own a home, I’d love for it to be under 900 sq ft. It’s really all we need. We’re living in under 300 sq ft right now, so that would be a mansion for us!

I’m Bringing A Blanket Next Time

When we were renovating, I decided to stay the night and paint. The trailer was parked a long ways from where we lived and my husband took the kids home. I stay and painted till around 3 in the morning before the temperature dropped and I was freezing. I tried the heater…no propane. Newbies. Anyway, I looked for a blanket, a towel, anything to keep me warm. Nothing. So I made myself as small as possible and crammed into my kid’s tiny coat closet with an IKEA bag wrapped around me till 6 am when my husband came and rescued me. Southern California doesn’t get that cold, but boy, I felt like a popsicle and sore from being in the fetal position for three hours.

Adjusting To Smaller Living

Our kids have adjusted to living small and think it’s the best adventure! I would recommend this life because it teaches so many valuable lessons. Living with less and spending time together.

We’re finally getting to a great spot financially because living with less has helped us save more! It is worth it to live this way for a year or two to help take the stress of finances off your shoulders. It has helped us realize how important setting up budgets and goals are.

Repairs and renovations have been a learning curve, but I’m thankful for many other Instagram accounts that have helped us figure out problems we’ve had. We also love helping new full-timers with questions!

Having everyone so close together is another learning curve. It’s been good in so many ways, but sometimes it can get a little crazy. I’m thankful for a nice yard where the kids can go and play! Another big adjustment is being okay saying “we live in an RV”. To most people, it sounds crazy!

No Plan For This Family

We’ve decided to not have a set plan! Maybe whenever God opens up the door for a home, or perhaps another RV!