A Taxing Time In The Boonies….
There’s no good way to say this, so I’ll just come out and say it -> we’ve been doing taxes. It’s horrible I know, but this time of year for those of you within these borders, it’s a rather inevitable event. What this means is that Paul and moi have been stuck inside the RV slogging through reams of marginally comprehensible tax code in the futile attempt of getting our proper $$ to the government….wherever it is those $$ go. This doesn’t exactly make for great blogging, but it does explain why you haven’t heard from me for the past few days.
But there’s also an interesting twist to all this. For once, believe it or not, I’m not completely dismayed with my tax slog and there’s a few good reasons why.
First is that our mobile lifestyle has significantly simplified our income and taxes. Not only have our income sources narrowed significantly (it’s all investments these days), but going fulltime RVing has given us advantage of several tax benefits that we didn’t have before, the biggest being we no longer have to file a state form (yeah!). They’re not magic bullets and for those of you (like us) that have to file K-1’s (woe be to us all) you’ll still be buried in tax paperwork purgatory, but every little bit sure helps.
Second is that we have a beedin’ fabulous view. We’ve spent most of this Easter week back in the boonies at Las Cienegas National Conservation Area. This time around we opted to try out the Cieneguitas camp area, and we were once again rewarded with utterly stunning views and total, complete isolation. Being here, soaking in this natural beauty, bathing my soul in the wild, swaying grasslands for the princely sum of absolutely nothing, I’m actually rather content with my tax dollars. I wish I could chose where they all went, but this is one contribution I’m very, very happy to make…and working with a view like this is not too shabby…
Lastly I chose to be here. It may not seem like much of a thing for those of you living elsewhere, but I’ve chosen this place and this life. I would go one step further and say I’ve worked very hard to get here….from frugal living & saving money (since the day I started earning), getting debt-free, earning my green card (no easy task), snagging my soulmate (OK, a fair bit o’ luck involved in that one, although I did work for it too…maybe one day I’ll tell you that story :)) and ultimately changing our lives to a mobile lifestyle. If the price we pay is a yearly week of tax slog, well then so be it…
A very philosophical post I know, but then sometimes these taxing times make me rather introspective. We’ve got another few days of Turbotax to go, and one big city stop to stock-up and re-charge the rig, but then we’ll be right back out in the boonies to take advantage of our government-given dollars 🙂
Have a happy Easter everyone!
Nina, I thought the story of you and Paul started in a CY meeting/presentation to TJR.
We have our MH ready for a trip to New Orleans, FL, Smokey Mountains and a few months of fact finding to make sure your tax dollars are spent unwisely.
We really enjoy your blog and Pictures.
It’s a part of the story…just a part 🙂 In fact TJ was the first person at Cypress to “discover” we were going out. Quite the event at the time, I tell you.
Enjoy your trip! Sounds like you have a great one planned.
Nina
It’s my very favorite time of the year to be poor! Painless taxes and free TurboTax! Tax Freedom, in case any of your readers qualify.
Excellent link! Thanks so much for sharing it!
Nina
we just send it to someone else…that is how I deal with this horrific time of the year…glad you are enjoying your neighborhood…
Sadly the three times we used someone else (all professional tax attorney’s) they ended up filing our returns wrongly, and we had to re-file years later. Painful times. So, we do them ourselves now. That way we *know* they’re done properly, or at least we know who to blame if they aren’t.
Nina
First, tell your readers about paying taxes in Hong Kong.
Yeah, I sure miss those 1/2 page tax forms. Just sign and you’re done. Wish it was that easy here!
Nina
That was us in the picture you took. Are you in the same site? We absolutely love that place – like a second home to us. Ajo is next. Enjoy
YES…we’re in exactly the same site. Such a lovely spot!
Nina
Looked again and it was our site. Thank dear hubby and enjoy the firepit!! He loves doing that.
Sadly the ranger came by our last day and tore down that beautiful fire-pit. Seems they don’t like you to build fire-pits at the site. They do allow fires…you just have to tear them down afterwards and leave the site as you found it. So, it’s all bare now. Sorry!
Nina
We were really envious of you two this last week with our ‘free for all’ campground park. Our first three weeks were rather quiet but then last weekend the flood gates opened and hundreds of loud, over bearing children arrived. The park has been an absolute nightmare. We were so glad to be leaving today. In three years of traveling we have never had an experience like that.
We arrived at a park south of Moab, off the beaten path, to find very few people and no children!! It is so quiet. But…I still love reading your posts with your beautiful locations and solitude. After this last week, solar panels sound like a great idea. Who knows!!
Your photos are just beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
Good luck with those taxes!!!
It gets pretty crazy at Spring Break. We’ve learned to try and find out-of-the-way (or unpopular) spots for the big holiday week-ends. I don’t always manage to plan just right, but I try my best. The public parks go nuts during the big vacations. Boondocking or less popular private parks are usually a better idea.
And yeah…might as well go get those panels…you’re going to be dedicated boondocking-lovers before long 🙂
Nina
Looks like a perfect place to spend some tax dollars, or the time to get some of them back.
Indeed it was!
Nina
Hi Nina and Paul I have really been enjoying your posts. My husband and I (and our son) full time in our motorhome as well and are in Phoenix right now. I have an intro letter I would like to send you about a magazine I am starting – can you send me your email address? Thanks! Nicole Beck Editor at MERGE Magazine
Looks like a lovely spot to take care of decidedly unlovely business. I agree with Jil, we give it to someone else to take care of! Enjoy your solitude, see you soon.
Sue
It was a simply spectacular spot. Wish we could have stayed there longer, but our travel plans are ramping up for UT in April 🙂
Nina
Talk about a coincidence. Or maybe it was some sort of segue, but I *just* forwarded a copy of something I scanned on the weekend off to the “tax Dudes” before coming over here. And that’s no April Fools joke. 🙁
Happy Tax Time! (too late for Easter wishes I guess).
Well there you go…great tax minds think alike?
Nina
We are slogging through filing right now too. It would make it a lot more pleasant to be able to designate where I want my tiny piece of it to go. Wonder how many wars we could fight if the people had control of the purse. The parks’ budgets might go up for a change. Ah what a dream. You have definitely chosen an absolutely gorgeous spot for your work. Stunning pictures.
Yeah, I really wish I could chose too! Many of my $$ would definitely go towards public land and parks!
Nina
What a drop dead background to deal with the dreaded number game…how nice to have that done for the year and hoping you come out on TOP! In the words of Mark Twain – “The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin.”
LOL…good quote! We’re very, very almost done. Just making sure there are no last-minute changes w/ our investment forms & we’re good to go.
Nina
I am so envious of your view today as I prepare to leave a cramped RV park in Tuscon. We have been full timing for two years. My fondest memories are of remote campsites in NF and BLM areas. I can’t explain the joy I feel when we are out in the open spaces. Unfortunately we max out the tanks in our 40 ft diesel coach at 6 days. How long are you able to stay out before you have to dump? Any pearls of wisdom about reducing grey water etc? Good luck with the taxes.
Oh there are LOTS of ways to extend those tanks. We usually manage 2 weeks easily and, with extra conservation, 3 weeks before we need to dump and refill. That’s 100 gallons of water for us, plus whatever we lug around in our portable 5-gallon Coleman.
Here’s some ideas for you:
Going Water Green = Conserving Water On the Road
Back to Boondocking Basics -> 8 Steps To Get You Into The Wild
Nina
No state form? Are you not registered in any state for voting, etc.? I know we have to do state taxes, so how does that work for you?
We’re registered in South Dakota which has no state income tax and no investment income tax. So no state form for us 🙂 We pay yearly registration fees for the rig and car, but that’s it.
Nina
The sky in your pictures is amazing! Wow! Its just so pretty…and ‘this guy’ looks like he’s in heaven! 🙂
Some day my husband and I plan on being full-time, too, so I took your tax comments to heart. Thank you.
http://findingfernweh.blogspot.com/
Missed you guys in Oregon, missed you in San Diego, and missed you in Arizona. I hope this finds you both well. Just thought I’d drop a line and say hi from Austin TX (for another week or so). Cheers.
Sorry we missed each other! Enjoy Austin! I imagine you guys will be heading north soon to escape the heat? If you get to UT lemme know. We’re spending most of this month there.
Nina
” I wish I could chose where they all went…….” Since no one has any certain idea or proof where one’s actual tax dollars truly go, or in what proportion, it would be a valid approach to presume any thing you’d like about it. For the sake of a satisfying rationalization, just believe that your actual dollars this year ended up funding the BLM budget, and nothing else. Or pick a new agency each year (FS, NPS, etc.) and “fund” that one. It makes for happy thoughts, and cannot be proven absolutely false anyway. Anything to relieve a little springtime stress.
‘Tis a pleasant fantasy and I will willingly linger a while 🙂
Nina
It looks so blissfully peaceful out there. Safe travels wherever you are headed next. 🙂
Late checking in…your kitty looks so happy. Is he running free at your boondocking site? We have an orange cat that is indoor/outdoor (backyard only, he doesn’t hop the fence, and I wonder how happy he’ll be inside a rig. He’s probably trainable for a jacket (excellent little personality). Just wondering if you feel comfortable letting him wander around your site….
Our kitties are both old and tend to just wander close to the RV or sit in a chair next to us in the sun. We have leash/jacket-trained them both and we do leash them if we’re in a crowded area, but in the boonies we’ll often just take them out unleashed. We never leave then unattended, of course.
Nina
Sounds wonderful. I really enjoy hearing about your travels and still have that travel gene. Have to wait a couple of years though….