Debt Doesn’t Mean You Stop Living
When you’re buried in debt, one of the first things people do is shut down everything that brings them joy. No more family trips. No more activities for the kids. No more fun. Steve Rhode and Damon Day push back on that instinct in this episode, showing how you can enjoy life on a budget and even turn some of that fun into extra income.
Turn Your Travel Trailer Into a Side Income
Damon bought a travel trailer for his son’s baseball travel league and quickly realized it sat empty most of the month. So he started renting it out through online platforms and earned $600 to $1,000 per rental. Even renting it out just four or five times a year covered his trailer payments.
The math works especially well compared to hotels. A hotel room at $200 per night for a family of five adds up fast across six tournaments a year. A campground spot might run $25 per night. When you factor in cooking your own meals instead of eating out, the savings compound quickly.
“When they say ‘oh, we gotta stay another night, we made the championship, that hotel’s $250,’ I’m like, ‘oh yeah, my night’s $25. I don’t mind staying more days.'”
— Damon Day
Discount Camping That Actually Works
Passport America ($44/year) gives you 50% off at participating campgrounds. Use it once or twice and you’ve made your money back. Some parks rotate in and out of the program, but it’s a solid deal if you’re flexible.
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Harvest Hosts ($79-$119/year) offers free camping at over 700 wineries, breweries, farms, and museums. Many Walmart locations also allow free overnight RV parking.
Quick Expense Cuts That Add Up
Steve switched two unlimited cell phones from AT&T to Consumer Cellular and saved $125 per month. Dollar Shave Club runs $5 per month for razor blades. Soft soap works just as well as shaving cream and costs almost nothing. These aren’t dramatic lifestyle changes. They’re small adjustments that free up real money.
Side Hustles That Work Around Your Schedule
The gig economy gives you something that didn’t exist a decade ago: the ability to earn money on your own schedule without answering to an employer. Uber, Lyft, Amazon delivery, Postmates, freelancing on Fiverr, or secret shopping through Field Agent all let you turn spare hours into debt payments.
One of Damon’s clients, an older gentleman still working full-time, started driving Uber and Lyft in the evenings and weekends. He was pulling in an extra $1,500 per month and throwing all of it at his debt. It wasn’t fun, but he saw it as a means to an end.
A Craigslist Cautionary Tale
Damon drove 10 hours from Colorado to Oklahoma to pick up a travel trailer he found at a great price. He needed a fifth wheel hitch and found one on Craigslist for $500. The box had the right model number on it. The hitch inside was the wrong model. When he called to get his money back, the seller’s boyfriend answered the phone, clearly under the influence, and told him it wasn’t his problem.
The lesson: meet Craigslist sellers at a police station, verify exactly what you’re getting before paying, and don’t assume the product matches the box. And if things go sideways, know that sometimes the $500 lesson is cheaper than the alternative.
This Show Is For You
The Get Out of Debt Guy Show with Steve Rhode and Damon Day is where real talk meets real advice about money, debt, and the messy parts of financial life. No shame, no judgment, just practical information. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and visit GetOutOfDebt.org or DamonDay.com for free help.
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Key Takeaways
- You can rent out your RV or travel trailer when not using it, potentially earning $600 to $1,000 per rental to cover your payments.
- Passport America membership at $44 per year gives you 50% off at participating campgrounds, and one or two nights of use pays for itself.
- Harvest Hosts offers free RV camping at wineries, breweries, farms, museums, and even golf courses for a $79 to $119 annual membership.
- Switching cell phone carriers from major brands to alternatives like Consumer Cellular can save over $125 per month on your phone bill.
- Side gig platforms like Uber and Lyft let you set your own schedule, and some people earn an extra $1,500 per month to throw at their debt.
- When making Craigslist purchases, meet sellers at your local police station parking lot and verify exactly what you are buying before handing over cash.
- Being in debt does not mean you have to stop living. Finding creative ways to reduce expenses or earn side income can help you enjoy life while paying down debt.
Full Transcript
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Episode Introduction
Steve Rhode: Hi, this is Steve Rhode, your Get Out of Debt Guy from GetOutOfDebt.org. Here’s the latest practical money, credit, and debt advice to help you enjoy life more.
Steve Rhode: The podcast you’re about to listen to comes with a warning. Not every effort to produce information and interesting content is a true work of art. Sometimes it’s just a hot mess. And today’s show is one of those hot messes.
Having Fun on a Budget: The RV Strategy
Steve Rhode: What we’re going to talk about this week is being in debt doesn’t have to be the end of having fun. And you have created an interesting way where the type of fun that you want to have, you’ve managed to turn it into a little business on the side.
Damon Day: We bought a trailer about two years ago because we were traveling a lot with my son’s baseball. And so we thought it’d be better to get a trailer instead of spend money on hotels and plane tickets and all that stuff. Then I got this idea that it sits there a couple of weeks out of every month, why not rent it out to other families that want to try RVing?
Damon Day: I only rented it out a couple of times a year, but I made about anywhere from $600 to $1,000 per rental, depending on how many days. I had to decline a lot of rentals because we were using the trailer. But those four or five times I rented it out at least covered the cost of the payment.
Steve Rhode: When you’re deep in debt, you’re depressed, you’re saying no to your family all the time and your kids want to do something. These travel leagues can be a money pit.
Damon Day: Kathy and I, we kind of have this constant struggle between not wanting to deny your kids an opportunity, but at the same time trying to be financially prudent. So our direction was, what if we could find a way to turn it into not just another baseball tournament, but a family trip, vacation, whatever you want to call it.
RV Costs and Savings
Damon Day: You can get a small trailer, you figure your payments are going to be $200, $250. And if you buy a brand new one in the low $20,000 range. Then you’re going to have to store it, which depending on where you live could be $30 a month up to $150 a month.
Damon Day: When you start adding up hotel rooms at $200 a night for three or four nights per tournament, plus airfare for five people and a couple of animals, paying for a small RV with the gas to get there is certainly a lot more economical.
Discount Camping: Passport America and Harvest Hosts
Damon Day: PassportAmerica.com, the yearly membership is $44 a year and they advertise themselves as a 50% discount camping club. For $44 you can’t go wrong because if you use it one or two nights out of the year, you’re going to make that money back.
Steve Rhode: There’s this website called Harvest Hosts, harvestHosts.com. It has listings for free RV camping at 709 wineries, breweries, farms, and more. These are places that want you to come and stay and you can park on their property for free. It costs $79 a year membership.
Damon Day: A lot of Walmarts let you pull in their parking lot and just set up. We just get the family and the dogs in there and maybe make some dinner and pop the slides out and go to sleep, and that’s free.
Side Hustles and Making Extra Income
Steve Rhode: One of the easiest ways to reduce your debt is to reduce your expenses. I switched my phones from AT&T to Consumer Cellular. For two unlimited cell phones and 20 gigs of data a month including unlimited calls and texts, it’s 75 bucks. I saved $125 off my AT&T plan.
Steve Rhode: Dollar Shave Club is five bucks a month and you get razor blades. You can use soft soap and lather it up instead of shaving cream. I haven’t paid for shaving cream in probably five years.
Damon Day: I’ve had clients that have actually had a lot of success with things like Uber and Postmates. With this whole sharing economy and the technology, it’s just crazy. The opportunity for somebody that’s hungry and motivated to make some extra money is almost unlimited.
Damon Day: I had a client about a year ago, an older gentleman still working. He became an Uber and Lyft driver. He was hustling. He would go out after work every night, at least one weekend day, and there was a time where he was pulling in an extra $1,500 a month, just throwing all of that at his debt.
Steve’s Uber Debt Advice Story
Steve Rhode: Here’s the ultimate Get Out of Debt story by Uber. I request an Uber in Florida. The driver picks me up. He’s his very first fare ever. He asks what I do. I said I’m a consumer debt expert and I help people with financial problems. And he broke down crying.
Steve Rhode: We pulled over in a parking lot and had about a 30-minute conversation about his financial situation. He had been laid off and decided to do Uber to make some cash quickly. He felt much better about things and was enthusiastic about working the Uber gig in his spare time between looking for a job.
Damon Gets Scammed on Craigslist
Damon Day: I needed to buy a larger trailer but didn’t have the proper fifth wheel hitch. The one I ordered wasn’t going to get here in time. I purchased the trailer in Oklahoma, about 10 hours from Colorado, because it was a lot cheaper.
Damon Day: I found somebody on Craigslist in Tulsa that supposedly had the hitch I needed. Got the hitch, everything looked right, right model number on the box. Come to find out it was the wrong model number and it would not fit on my truck.
Damon Day: When I called to get my $500 back, her boyfriend answered the phone. The guy was not all there, slurring his words. He said “Sounds like you got a problem then. I don’t refund money.” At that point I knew this was going sideways in a hurry.
Damon Day: The irony of the whole thing is the hitch they gave me was worth more than the one I was trying to buy. It was actually $100 more. But it just wouldn’t work for my truck.
Steve Rhode: The warning I always like to give people is that generally you can always meet the seller or buyer in the parking lot at your local police station. They’re happy to be there if you have any concerns.
Damon Day: That was the first bad experience I had on Craigslist. But the lesson is when you’re dealing with strangers on the internet, things can go sideways fast, especially when substance abuse is involved.
Show Wrap-Up
Steve Rhode: I love our listeners, but truly they are getting what they pay for and it’s worth everything.
Steve Rhode: This is Steve Rhode, your Get Out of Debt Guy. If you want more advice or you want some free help, be sure to visit me at the GetOutOfDebt.org website. And while you’re at the site, don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast for even more practical tips and advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make money renting out your RV or travel trailer?
Yes. Websites exist that connect RV owners with renters. Damon Day earned $600 to $1,000 per rental and covered his trailer payments by renting it out just four or five times a year.
What is Passport America and is it worth it?
Passport America is a $44 per year camping membership that gives you 50% off at participating campgrounds. If you use it even once or twice a year, it pays for itself. However, some parks may leave the program over time.
What is Harvest Hosts?
Harvest Hosts is a membership program starting at $79 per year that provides free RV camping at over 700 wineries, breweries, farms, museums, and attractions across the country.
How can I have fun while dealing with debt?
Focus on reducing expenses rather than eliminating activities. Switch to cheaper phone plans, use discount camping memberships, consider side hustles to offset costs, and look for creative ways to turn hobbies into income.
What side hustles can help pay off debt?
Driving for Uber or Lyft, delivering for Amazon or Postmates, freelancing on platforms like Fiverr or Upwork, using Amazon's Mechanical Turk for small tasks, or becoming a secret shopper through services like Field Agent.
How do I avoid getting scammed on Craigslist?
Meet sellers at a police station parking lot, verify exactly what you are buying matches the listing, and be cautious of deals that seem too good to be true. If a seller refuses a refund for a misrepresented item, consider filing a police report.
