Rolling with the economy
Moving from house to recreational vehicle brings financial relief
Staff writer
As housing and utility costs continue to climb across Marion County, some families are making unconventional choices to stay afloat.
In the Mazza family’s case, decisions were made to regain financial stability. They chose to move into an RV.
The breaking point, Stacey Mazza said, came when utility bills began to rival, and sometimes exceed, rent.
“We were paying more on our electric bill than we were for rent,” Mazza said.
Living in a two-bedroom home, the family routinely paid around $600 a month for electricity, with one bill reaching as high as $850. Gas added another $100 to $150 monthly on top of $600 in rent.
Altogether, housing and basic utilities alone often pushed their monthly costs well beyond $1,300. That was before factoring in vehicle payments, insurance, food, and other necessities.
“It was absolutely ridiculous,” Mazza said.
Despite her husband’s steady income as a truck driver, Mazza, who is on disability after cancer treatment, said, the family struggled to keep up.
“We were just paying to live in the house,” she said.
Now living in an recreational vehicle, the family’s monthly housing costs look very different.
After purchasing a fifth-wheel camper, they moved to a lot at the VFW, where they pay a flat $550 monthly rate covering utilities. Their RV payment and insurance total about $350 per month.
Combined, their housing and utility costs now sit around $900 monthly, hundreds less than what they were paying before, even in a typical month.
The change has resulted in estimated savings of $1,200 to $1,500 per month.
Those savings have brought something the family hadn’t experienced in years: stability.
“We’re not struggling to pay our bills. We’re not scraping for change,” she said. “We actually have stuff in savings now.”
Freed from constant financial pressure, the family now can afford everyday activities that once felt out of reach — things like dining out, buying clothes for their growing son, and setting money aside for the future.
“It’s allowed us to live the lifestyle that we used to have,” Mazza said.
The move required a major adjustment. The family sold most of its belongings and transitioned into a 44-foot camper shared by two adults, a teenager, and their pets.
Despite the reduced size, the family gets along just fine, Mazza said.
“It’s actually pretty peaceful,” she said.
There were early challenges, including frozen pipes during the winter, but those issues were temporary and part of the learning process, she said.
More important, the change has given the family flexibility, both financially and physically.
“We’ve got our whole house on wheels,” she said. “If we want to go travel, we can go travel.”
Still, the family remains in Marion for one reason: their son.
“If it was up to my husband, we’d be out of here tomorrow,” Mazza said. “But our son loves his school.”
They plan to stay until he graduates, using the financial breathing room they’ve created to build savings and prepare for what comes next.
“I hope to actually have some money in savings,” Mazza said.
For Mazza, the decision to leave traditional housing wasn’t just about cutting costs. It was about regaining control.
“We’re just trying to be financially stable,” she said. “And this works for us.”