- Chris Mott and his wife used their $250,000 inheritance to buy a truck and trailer for travel.
- Their time is split between exploring the US and spending time with family in Washington.
- They have no regrets about how they decided to spend the money.
One day in 2022, my wife answered the phone, as we were expecting this call. It was her sister letting us know that their mom had passed. At age 90, 'Nana' was gone. She died the way she lived, surrounded by family, in the house where she had spent nearly 60 years.
I had left work in my mid-50s, not necessarily by choice. My wife and I were in the process of selling our house and moving from Southern California to Washington state to be closer to our son's family, but we hadn't figured out where we would live yet.
In the middle of that, Nana had a heart attack and had been in hospice for nearly a month before her heart finally gave out.
There's an old saying that the only certainties in life are death and taxes
Nana had planned for her death. Her house and car were paid off, and she had some savings, most of which was an inheritance she had received 15 years prior when her mother passed.
Her house sold for $750,000, and the proceeds were divided among her three children. She also set aside a separate savings account for my wife and me since we had been helping take care of her and her house since her husband died.
After selling costs and legal fees, my wife and I received $250,000 in December 2022.
We always knew that one day my wife would inherit part of her mom's estate
We never calculated that money into any of our retirement plans. We decided to wait until the time came to determine how to use the money.
Receiving an inheritance can be like winning the lottery. This was a once-in-a-lifetime event for us.
Though Nana had never specified how we spent the money, we felt a need to be thoughtful. Nana had worked and saved her whole life and wanted her money to go to her kids for something good.
When Nana received her inheritance, she used it wisely. She paid off her house and debts, set aside some for future needs and emergencies, and used the rest to travel the world — all things she had wanted to do and was finally able to. We decided to take a page from her book.
We chose to take our life on the road
Of the $250,000 inheritance, we spent $95,000 on a new Ram 2500 pick-up truck and $85,000 on a 30-foot fifth-wheel trailer. After another $15,000 on upgrades and accessories, the trailer became our house.
We next spent $5,000 on materials to build a parking pad in the side yard of my son's half-acre property in Vancouver, Washington. The remaining $50,000 went into savings.
Life for us is now smaller and simpler
We stay with my son, his wife, and our granddaughter in the warm summer months. We take her on picnics and visit museums, the zoo, and the library. We even go on weekend camping trips with the whole family.
Sometimes, she'll come to our trailer for a sleepover. When the winter frost sets in, my wife and I hook up the trailer, say a tearful goodbye to the kids, and head south, searching for warmer weather.
Our 290-square-foot trailer has all the comforts of home
We have a queen bed, a bathroom with a shower, a kitchen, a 40-inch television, and even a fireplace. We travel the US, visiting national parks and monuments and seeing the sights as well as family and friends.
While we cook most of our meals on board, we sample the local cuisine at all our destinations. Our satellite service lets us have regular video calls with the kids. Every couple of weeks, we stop at a post office and drop off a postcard or package filled with souvenirs and little goodies for them.
We're heading to Anaheim to meet the kids for Christmas at Disneyland in December
Then, we'll start our sojourn east, through the southwest deserts, to the Grand Canyon, Texas, and the Gulf states.
Next we're going to Key West, Florida, then staying 10 days at the Fort Wilderness campground at Disney World, a bucket list item for us. When the spring thaw starts, we'll turn north and then back West. Our destination is simply someplace we've never been before.
It was a risk retiring early and traveling the country
The biggest challenge is finding a place to stay. Since the pandemic, many more people are living an RV lifestyle.
We have to keep our water tanks full, refill our propane, find gas stations and grocery stores, and places to dump our waste tanks. Nothing works without electricity, so we need a place with good sun so our solar panels can charge up our batteries or a place to plug in for a day.
There was nothing more important to Nana than family
Every year, she hosted a Thanksgiving dinner in the backyard of her tiny postwar bungalow. Over 60 people could be there, watching football, chatting, eating, and kids and grandkids running around or playing with the old toys and games she kept in the closet for them. Nana loved it.
I think she'd be happy that our new lifestyle allows us to spend this time with family and go to all the places we've always wanted.
We haven't regretted how we spent the inheritance even for a minute.
Want to share your inheritance story? Email Lauryn Haas at [email protected]