Savvy saver, 38, who earns $58,000 a year reveals how she’s built up a fortune worth hundreds of thousands by moving into an RV – and is now on track to become a MILLIONAIRE by age 45

A 38-year-old woman who earns $58,000 a year has revealed how she saved hundreds of thousands of dollars by living in a camper full-time.

Carly DeFelice, originally from Fort Worth, Texas, appeared on a recent episode of CNBC makes it series to share her life advice.

The 38-year-old, who has a finance degree, lives in a 20-by-8-foot RV that she bought for $14,000 cash.

She revealed that her annual living expenses are $25,000, which she says is “super low” because she is debt-free, and she now uses the rest of her salary to save and invest.

Carly, who is now a community manager at a co-working space, has shared her own journey to financial stability.

Her family was not wealthy when she was growing up and she took on a range of jobs to earn her own money, including babysitting and refereeing football matches.

She graduated with a finance degree in 2008, just as the recession hit, and was left with $35,000 in student and car loans.

Carly decided to learn how to install home security after having previous experience selling the systems during her school summer.

She paid herself $50,000 a year through a business account and managed to pay off her debts – a feat aided by her low $500 rent.

The financial expert eventually decided to set up her company, Best Money Class Ever, to provide personalized financial advice to other adults.

She then decided to try “tiny living,” which led her to purchase the camper — along with an SUV — for $14,000 each.

After settling into the trailer in Austin, she sought community in a co-working space, where she later became a manager.

Carly, who now runs her business in the evenings and weekends, also revealed how she creates her budget.

'I keep it super simple. I look at my fixed costs versus my flexible costs. I average what I spend on utilities, and then I have my health insurance, my car insurance, I have RV insurance.

“It kind of is.”

She continued, “The main expense I have with my RV is the lot. So the camper is paid for myself, but I do have to pay to park it.'

Carly said she often has to deal with “unexpected expenses,” but she is always prepared.

“The most important thing is that I have an emergency fund, my emergency savings. I have over a year's worth of expenses in the bank for a rainy day.'

While discussing her daily expenses, the savvy saver revealed that she only withdraws $120 a week every Friday.

She said, “I buy my necessities first – so groceries, gas for my car – and then what's left is happy hours and hanging out with friends.

“It really takes the guesswork out of budgeting. It's like, can I afford something? Can I buy this drink or whatever? Look at my wallet. If there's money, I'll get it.'

Carly, who also contributes $1,000 each month to a Vanguard investment account, is part of the FIRE movement: Financial Independence, Early Retirement.

She explained, “What you really want to do is you want to build assets that are 25 times your annual living expenses.

'Then you can safely withdraw four percent and effectively live on that for the rest of your life.'

Carly revealed that she had built up a savings pot of more than $100,000 by age 26, adding, “What that means is I can just make that money grow and work for me.”

She now aspires to be a millionaire by the age of 45, claiming: 'I've mastered the art of being incredibly social. I have a great social life and am also good and save my money.

“And I think the way I've found balance is that I realize it's the experience with my friends that matters.”

The saver continued, “If I reach that million dollars, I would be assured of not having to bring in any income from a standard job or from my business.

'For me, however, that is not the end goal.

'I feel that time freedom is part of the financial independence that appealed to me.

'I wanted to have the freedom to spend my time the way I want.

'I don't necessarily want to retire. I want to spend my life reaching people and helping people change things with money.”

Carly's CNBC Make It episode has received over 78,631 views to date and many mixed reactions.

One person wrote: 'I'm so happy for her!!! She's refreshing and her best money class sounds so helpful! I wish her all the best!'

Another person added: 'Wow. She is amazing and very driven. Good luck to her with her other goals.”

But other commenters weren't sold on her choice to live in an RV full-time.

One person wrote: 'This lifestyle is cool and all, but I feel like there's never anything in between.

“You live so frugally that you basically just work to save, or you spend so much that you work to pay off debt (but depicted in a way that shows you are living a successful lifestyle).

“I'm not sure why only those extremes are always shown in a positive light?”

'This is depressing. Cut your expenses to the bone to retire early. With a finance degree, she could have easily made six figures a year and achieved the same goal with a better quality of life,” a third person wrote.

Progressive Insurance Surveyed 501 Americans living in an RV full or part time to better understand lifestyle trends.

According to the survey, 59 percent of 35 to 44 year olds and 70 percent of 25 to 34 year olds work remotely.

When it comes to getting internet in an RV, 52 percent of RVs use a hotspot, 35 percent use public Wi-Fi, 21 percent use satellite, and nine percent use co-working spaces.

Millennials who live in an RV at least six months a year (69 percent) and 21 percent have no other permanent home.

When it comes to the biggest lifestyle challenges, 45 percent say it's finding good camping reservations and 42 percent say it's driving and maneuvering the RV.

When it came to gas prices, 40 percent said it was the biggest obstacle, while 37 percent said it was a lack of storage space and 36 percent said it was a lack of personal space.