Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. “The less money you spend, the less you need to make” is our motto. ???? At the beginning of each year, I produce an expense report for the previous 12 months. This is the most recent one, for 2021.
Our first yearly expense report (2016) can be found here, the report of 2017 is here, the one for 2018 here, our 2019 expenses are located here, and our total costs for 2020 are documented here.
These reports include ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and a 60-pound dog. We adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019. Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast. The utility cost refers to phone data plans with AT&T.
In 2021, Mark, Maya, and I traveled in our campervan Zesty for three months (in California and Mexico) before selling it, drove across the USA in a rental car for one week, lived in the “room above the garage” at my in-laws in Massachusetts for five months (to change gears), and headed to the southwest again in our new-to-us truck camper T&T (Thirsty the truck and Temp the camper) during the last four months of the year.
(As always, click on photos or hover over them to read captions. Note: a bug must have slipped into my most recent WordPress update, because I can’t move photos around within my galleries anymore. The result is that my images are not shown in chronological order. My apologies.)
Despite our fears of spending way more than our annual average in 2021, because of inflation and the rising costs of living and fuel, our final sum is pretty close to that of the previous year. The reason: we received a few thousand dollars in credits after issues, claims, customer support calls, and points from using our trusted Chase credit card. Years past, these points went to flights which then didn’t get recorded in my expense reports. Last year, they went against groceries (during the height of Covid) at 1.5X their value and towards credit card payments. If you’re interested in a new credit card that offers 60,000 points (a value of $600) when you spend $4,000 in the first three months.
Our main expenses, just like other years, were the camper and groceries ($328 a month, which appears pretty high). The biggest chunk of vehicle money went to fuel, insurances, parts, and maintenance. Why is the maintenance amount ($53) so low then, you ask? Because we received $1,907 from a claim when a third party put a scratch in the side of Zesty. We managed to buff it out ourselves and used the money against other camper projects. We also sold $1,600 worth of accessories that came with our “new” truck and our camper.
A lot of “cash” went to plane tickets (to Belgium), our trip across the country in a rental car, a root canal and crown for me (which I had done in Mexico), an early Covid test for me, and a Shingles shot for Mark (both in Arizona). We hope to cut these kinds of expenses down in 2022. But other surprise costs will pop up, no doubt!
Did you know that taking care of one dog can cost upwards of $800 a year? The dogfood category was higher than usual, because we stocked up on bags of it for our trip in Baja, where they don’t sell high-quality kibble with salmon. Of course, Maya is worth every dollar!
Unlike our drinking out category, which is minimal, dining out (on patios and take-away) took a big bite out of our budget. This has to do with birthday celebrations and reconnecting with friends. We also spent quite a bit on gifts in 2021, part of that for an Airbnb “weekend” in Bahia Concepcion, Baja California, Mexico, for Mark’s 50th birthday.
Utilities are what they are. We are bummed about the high propane costs, because we prefer a fridge that works on electricity; hopefully we can solve that issue later this year by replacing it. Internet is what keeps us connected and in Mexico, we pay for drinking water. I decided to add our Arizona campground expense from December to this report (and updated last month’s as well), to avoid “hidden costs.” Sure, we usually don’t stay in RV parks and this amount was incorporated into Mark’s wages, but it was still something we paid for. Hopefully, never to be repeated.
The other two categories we might be able to do better with this year are household and alcohol. The first one contains items we needed to equip our new camper (which will only be repeated somewhat if we change gears again). As for the booze, beer, and wine, we are social drinkers and enjoy a glass on the weekends and when hanging out with friends. No excuses needed. I’d say we did pretty well with the bottom part of the report underneath. Who else spends $30 a year on clothing? 🙂
In conclusion (and to our relief), 2021 seems to be another average expense year, in which we succeeded to live on around $16,000 a year, which amounts to $1,333 a month. It proves to be a feasible goal, especially when we leave the first world…
Cheers to friendship, with Denise
(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)
Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.
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February 1, 2022 at 22:59
Taking care of a dog for $800 a year? I’ve never come close to that figure. Vets aren’t cheap, and we’re big suckers who would do anything for our dogs.
Wow! You made off like a bandit with the scratch to Zesty. That must have felt pretty satisfying to know that you could buff out the scratch yourselves.
February 3, 2022 at 12:59
Haha, Pete!
Yes, most dogs are probably more expensive than Maya. It depends on how many vet visits happen every year. I totally agree. Because we travel, we shop around with vets as well, comparing prices and reviews. Luckily, we didn’t need to buy more of her medicines (Apoquel) for itchiness. Depending how that evolves in 2022, we might face another expensive refill, at $2 a pill.
By the way, we’d do anything for our dogs as well. 🙂 I’m sure higher bills are on the horizon whenever she gets older and sick.
Yes, you are right about the insurance claim working out. That was a big chunk of money we got to spend on other maintenance projects!! But, as you know, when it comes to claims and customer support, you have to be determined…
February 2, 2022 at 00:06
th new camper and truck are so nice.
Happy belated 50th to your other half –
and I enjoyed the update!
February 3, 2022 at 13:00
Thanks, Yvette. You are right, the truck and camper are nice. Way too nice, actually. We are in the market for a “crappier” one. 🙂
February 2, 2022 at 03:01
Amazing budgeting. looking forward to reading about your next adventures.
February 3, 2022 at 13:03
Thanks, Rosie! Happy to have you following along. We are looking forward to new adventures later this year.
February 2, 2022 at 06:19
You living purposefully, pay attention to the environment, and enjoy Maya. I doff my hat to another year of economical living. Simply amazing, Liesbet! 😀
February 3, 2022 at 13:05
Hi Marian! You are so good with your wording and conclusions. I should have taken English lessons from you at some point in my life! 🙂 Thank you for the kind words and kudos. They always mean a lot to me, coming from you. Happy weekend!
February 2, 2022 at 09:02
You still make it work. And anyone who thinks pets are cheap is an idiot. They are like having a kid!
February 3, 2022 at 13:07
Good point, Alex! There are a lot of similarities between having children and having pets – yet a lot of differences as well. But one thing is for sure: being a caring and loving dog owner is not cheap. 🙂
February 2, 2022 at 10:28
Interesting as always. The amount you live on monthly is less than my mortgage! Sigh.
Curious–I know inflation is exploding here in the US. Is it true also in Mexico?
February 3, 2022 at 13:11
But, after you pay off those mortgages, you will have a house, Jacqui. We won’t have anything. Ever. But that’s okay, for now. 🙂
Interesting question and observation: in Mexico we haven’t noticed inflation as much as in the US. Prices in grocery stores – and for fuel – are similar than last year. We have noticed that prices for some campgrounds have gone up. I don’t think this has to do with inflation, though. In my opinion, the reason is that so many campers are flooding Baja right now (as opposed to last year and maybe even before) that property owners know they can charge more money. And, they are right. They are getting their higher fees for campsites without problems. You can’t blame them… It’s a situation of “supply and demand” in these cases.
But we are glad the cost of living is similar to last spring.
February 2, 2022 at 12:33
Hi, Liebet – I always read your Monthly Expense Report with great interest. You remain an incredible inspiration — and a great friend to the environment. Oh, and I 100% agree — Maya is TOTALLY worth it!
February 3, 2022 at 13:13
Haha – any dog is probably worth it, but Maya in particular. Although, she remains to be a handful!! Thanks for keeping my spirit up with your comments! This year, we will try to find a balance between frugality and enjoyment. 🙂
February 2, 2022 at 16:02
I discovered that annoying bug with the galleries too. Grrr!
February 3, 2022 at 13:15
Yikes! I’d like to say I’m glad I’m not alone, but I’m not glad this is happening to you, too, Anabel So. Very. Annoying. I hope WordPress fixes this bug. I don’t have the internet to deal with it right now, so I hope enough other users complain about it, so the next update will fix it. Hard to know when to update and when not to… If this doesn’t get fixed, I’d hate to keep using the galleries…
February 2, 2022 at 16:38
Wow, well done! I’m amazed you managed to stay close to your desired budget when you had SO many unexpected expenses. Here’s hoping you get everything in T&T set up exactly the way you want it in 2022!
February 3, 2022 at 13:17
Thanks, Diane. At the moment, we are still leaning towards buying a different, less fancy camper to put on our truck (which we will certainly keep). If we can find one. Prices have gone through the roof!! We haven’t been able to locate one so far, after five months of being on the lookout. Hopefully once we return to the US, we have better luck.
February 3, 2022 at 18:33
You two are an inspiration, Liesbet! Thanks for sharing your techniques. You are much braver than I am. I couldn’t handle a nomadic lifestyle. We moved way too often when I was a kid, so I long for roots. So much money and resources are wasted on fashion and high maintenance clothes. Kudos to you for your approach. It’s once area where I save lots of money. Happy travels!
February 4, 2022 at 12:19
I agree with your statement about money (and resources) wasted on fancy things like designer clothes and furniture. Even bred dogs. So many amazing dogs are available for adoption… Anyway, don’t get me started! 🙂 Congrats on saving money in the fashion-approved clothes category! And, I totally get people enjoying a home base or the occasional travels. That – honestly – makes more sense than what we are doing, haha.
February 6, 2022 at 18:14
Liesbet, I am sure the return on your investment in Maya is well worth it in cuddles and good company. A clothing expense of $63 is mind boggling As always, I marvel at your resourcefulness.
February 12, 2022 at 15:01
Thanks, Suzanne. Sorry for the late reply. I was without usable internet for the last few days.
I think our categories probably fluctuate a lot, depending on our needs. The clothing category, more than likely, will be higher in 2022, since I could use a new pair of hiking shoes before we head to South America. 🙂
February 13, 2022 at 21:51
I think you did excellent. And your alcohol for the whole year is about what we do in two months. Since you are social drinkers I assume the only way to cut that category is to cut down on the amount of friends you make on your travels – but that seems unlikely.
My clothing expense would have been minimal this year except that I lost a bunch of weight and decided to treat myself with new jeans from a department store.
February 16, 2022 at 00:41
Hi Duwan!
I love your comment about our social drinking and making friends, haha. I don’t think we will cut either down this year. 🙂 Definitely not now that you two have joined us.
Buying new clothes because you lost weight is the perfect excuse! I should do that as well – lose weight. I do need new shorts, hiking boots, and a rain jacket (don’t have one of those) before our next adventure, so my guess is that our clothing expense will go up this year.
Looking forward to your annual expense report! In writing or verbally. 🙂