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A Life Less Ordinary

Category: Nomad Life (page 1 of 14)

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – April 2025 (Argentina)

Expenses - image

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. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 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 and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally and out of pocket where needed.

Mark, Maya, and I traveled throughout Argentina in  Thirsty Bella for the entirety of April. The last week, we mostly stayed put to save money, as the numbers were adding up quickly again! This way, we managed to keep our expenses within budget, despite a massive splurge, for which we used some donation money. 🙂

Previously, I mentioned the dollar was getting stronger against the Argentina peso, but that was short lived. After a week or so, both presidents, the local one and the US one, made changes that decreased its value. Argentina is becoming cost-prohibitive for us, so we are wrapping up our stay in this country.

Because of the uncertainty of the US economy thanks to the one in charge, we – as well as most Americans – have lost a bunch of our savings, causing more insecurity. The ripples are felt internationally, of course. On a personal level, we are working more than usually to make up for some of the losses. My blog updates might become less frequent, since there will be less to report and we’ll be stationary for longer periods of time.

On to the expense report of April. I will add some ways we try to keep our costs down. Fuel is the highest category once more. We drove about 1,700 miles (2,700km) in a month, which is a lot for us. We are ready to leave Argentina, so tried to cover ground north and east. Because of the lower exchange rate, the increased price per liter, and our crappy fuel economy of 10 mpg, our gasoline cost for this stretch was $524. Insane.

Still in the car category, $19 went to toll roads. Due to the height of our truck camper, we get charged twice as much as a normal car, which adds up at $4 a toll. We tried our best to avoid the booths as long as the extra distance wouldn’t be more costly in gas or the dirt roads wouldn’t become too annoying or time consuming. For our fifth oil change on the continent, we bought a $2 bucket.

We tried to be careful in the grocery stores, only buying items on sale and produce that was affordable.

Two factors influenced our $364 food cost in April: together with our friends Heather and Jon, we bought heaps of meat ($100 worth) and ingredients for side dishes when visiting European friends in Maipu, near Mendoza, for two nights. We wanted to give our ex-overlanding friends a break, culinary and financially. Unbeknownst to us, there was another (hungry) couple staying on the property.

And, our budget was relieved a bit by food items given to us by Heather and Jon, before they stored their camper in Mendoza and flew to the US for the summer. I am still enjoying their cheese, butter, and mayonnaise!

Our big splurge for April was a fancy lunch out at a Michelin-star restaurant (Zonda) in Luján de Cuyo with our friends. We figured it would be our only chance to ever eat in a star-rated place, so we decided to celebrate everyone’s anniversary early. Ours would be the end of April and theirs sometime in May.

Zonda was an exclusive affair and we enjoyed the different courses with wine pairings, but, since all of us have eaten in similarly renowned establishments before (Mark and I in the US, Belgium, Peru, and Bolivia) and could compare, we found the portions meager, the menu slightly uncreative (three dishes involved sorbet), and the service less professional than expected. That being said, the food and wine were tasty and of excellent quality and the company and fabulous time together trumped it all!

This seven-course meal set each couple back about $300, including tips. In our case, we finally used the generous Christmas donation from our supportive and kind follower HR and another donation of MD to set off the expense. All donations have now been used up.

I also treated myself to a three-scoop ice cream ($2) following the lead of Jon and Heather, which, believe it or not, had not happened since last September. It had been six months since I grabbed my previous ice cream treat from my mother-in-law’s freezer! Ice cream is still affordable in Argentina. Now that I know this, I might repeat this experience.

Just like in March, we only ate out once, also for a special occasion, which means that our other meals were cooked at home; it’s healthy, tasty, and affordable.

Regarding alcohol ($76), Mark and I bought wine from grocery stores – we enjoy red Malbec and white Torrontés the most in Argentina – and had a little “stock-up” at our favorite winery of all times, Giaquinta in Tupungato.

The utility cost went up because of the worse exchange rate. Our Starlink antenna for internet is registered in Argentina, so this affects our total. Half of the monthly subscription price is reflected here, since our business pays for the other half. We topped up our propane tank as well, for $17. All the water we added to our tank in April was free.

Most of the month, we camped for free in nature and on the edges of cities, which was a mixed bag between noise and peace.

Two nights, however, we stayed at a campground called Valentin Storage to see our friends again and to focus on chores like an oil change, cleaning the car and camper, and laundry.

I was out of birth control pills, which I usually get for free in the US or buy abroad for $1-$2 a month. Not in Argentina! When I finally found a pharmacy that carried the medicine with the correct balance of ingredients, I was charged $8 for one strip. I bought it, thinking I wouldn’t find it elsewhere. After checking one more pharmacy in Córdoba and being quoted $5 for the same thing, I bought it and returned the other pack by walking another mile. Yes, we do those things to save a few dollars. Don’t get me started on the hassle involved when we discover the supermarket receipt is incorrect! 😊

Mere dollars went to laundry (I did one load of sheets, towels, and heavy clothes at the campground and washed everything else that month by hand), sending a fax to a health institution for Mark to get Power of Attorney for his mom, and a museum visit for me. More about that one in an upcoming blog.

So, all in all, we kept it manageable in April, but we really tried hard to stay under our $1,300 average. We are now heading to Paraguay, counting on a cheaper cost of living. Stay tuned!

April 2025 Overview:

Car  (fuel: $524; tolls: $19; maint.: $2):

Groceries:

Dining out:

Alcohol:

Utilities (Internet: $41; propane: $17):

Camping:

Medical (meds Liesbet):

Laundry:

Miscellaneous (fax):

Entertainment (museum Liesbet):

 

TOTAL:

 

$545

$364

$196

$76

$58

$20

$5

$3

$2

$2

———

$ 1,271

(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, check out the blogs of our nomad friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Next up: Completing our year-long travels throughout Argentina

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

The Lake Districts of Argentina and Chile

Leaving Chile

It was a bit tricky, but Mark and I managed to get a vet check-up and international dog permit for Maya in Futaleufú over the span of three hours and for a total cost of $28. Unfortunately, unlike her other permits, this one was only valid for 30 instead of 60 days. It would keep us moving!

The same afternoon, we left the country and crossed into Argentina on washboard roads, aiming for six things in one week: sunnier weather on the other side of the Andes Mountains, better roads, cheaper fuel, no ferry schedules/costs that were mandatory on the Carretera Austral, an affordable laundromat, and a full propane tank. After accomplishing those goals, we’d return to Chile for about three weeks.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

In Esquel, our first town in Argentina, we failed dropping off our laundry and it took multiple attempts to find a decent camping spot. We did manage to fill our fuel and water tanks for almost half the price than in Chile!

The next stop was Rio Azul, where we planned to take a mini-break from the road for a few days and sit out bad weather. We did have to move once, because it rained so much that the river rose rapidly and we worried about being flooded.

Bariloche, Argentina

The idea was to – urgently – fill our propane tank at a depot on the way north to Bariloche. We were now on paved roads, the sun had returned, and progress was smooth. We had confirmed this depot was open on a Saturday morning, but when we arrived, desperate for gas to cook, shower, and heat Bella, the people capable of filling international tanks didn’t work during the weekend. The facility was only open to swap Argentinian tanks… Right.

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Life of a Prehistoric Nomad – Guest Post by Author Jacqui Murray

Note from Liesbet: Ever since I discovered Jacqui’s blog, WordDreams, I’ve been fascinated by her prehistorical fiction writing and characters and I’ve been impressed by the amount of research, passion, and skill that goes into creating her three trilogies that make up her Man Vs. Nature saga. Here is my review for Born in a Treacherous Time, the first book in her first trilogy, Dawn of Humanity.

Previously, I gave her a shout-out on Roaming About in 2021, when Laws of Nature, book 2 in Dawn of Humanity came out and she provided a guest article in 2022 about the wanderlust of prehistoric nomads, to promote Natural Selection, the third book in that series.

Badlands

Jacqui launched her third trilogy in the Man Vs. Nature saga this year. It’s called Savage Land and the second book in this set, Badlands, was just released. Jacqui has been as interested in our lifestyle as I’ve been in that of her characters. As “modern-day nomads”, Mark, Maya, and I don’t have a lot in common with our roaming ancestors, but we are almost as curious about what’s behind the horizon! 🙂

Over to you, Jacqui. If anyone has questions for my author and blogger friend, please ask them in the comment section. She will check in to elaborate and interact.

Thank you for inviting me to your blog today, Liesbet, to talk about the lifestyle of the Neanderthal characters in my newest book, Badlands. Neanderthals lived in a vast swath of Eurasia, from the Atlantic shore to the Altai Mountains in Siberia. They migrated often in response to the movement of herds, the fruiting of trees, and the weather. Evidence left behind in their home-of-choice, caves, shows they stayed there for only a few weeks to a month before moving on.

Why were Neanderthals nomadic?

The reasons for the Neanderthal nomadic lifestyle is similar to those of today’s nomads:

  • They were hunter-gatherers. Herds moved so the Neanderthals moved. Edible plants expired or grew–tribes followed them. Their lifestyle was to use different resources in different places.
  • They lived in small groups. They moved around to find more of their kind, to mate with and pairmate–to continue the species.
  • Each group shared their skills with other Neanderthal tribes.
  • They didn’t own materials–clothing, weapons, tools, pottery, jewelry, artwork. They believed materials were shared by all. They took with them what they could carry in their hands (spears and club-like cudgels) and (I speculate) in a shoulder sack (stone tools, extra pelts, travel food, an ember to start a fire). Since they owned nothing and what they had could be reproduced, there were no reasons to establish a home to keep their belongings as we-all do.

Today’s nomads

The modern-day Hadza (also known as the Hadzabe) are historically nomadic, moving with the seasons. They have been doing this for the last 50,000 years. Neanderthals disappeared 45,000 years ago, though they didn’t make it as far south as Africa. They never would have known the Hadza, but their lifestyles overlap with a lot of similarities despite the massive difference in time.

If you’re interested in the lifestyle of modern hunter-gatherers who are as old as the Neanderthals in my story, check out this 43-minute (slow and raw) documentary, viewed by over 2.4 million:

Here is some more information about Jacqui Murray and her new trilogy, Savage Land:

Summary

Savage Land is the third prehistoric man trilogy in the series, Man Vs. Nature. Written in the spirit of Jean Auel, Savage Land explores how two bands of humans survived one of the worst natural disasters in Earth’s history, when volcanic eruptions darkened the sky, massive tsunamis crossed the ocean in crushing waves, and raging fires burned the land. Each tribe starring in the story considered themselves apex predators. Neither was. That crown belonged to Nature and she was intent on washing the blight of man from her face.

In Endangered Species, Book One of the trilogy, Yu’ung’s Neanderthal tribe must join with Fierce’s Tall Ones—a Homo sapiens tribe–on a cross-continent journey that starts in the Siberian Mountains. The goal: a new homeland far from the devastation caused by the worst volcanic eruption ever experienced by Man. How they collaborate despite their instinctive distrust could end the journey before it starts or forge new relationships that will serve both well in the future.

Cover Badlands

In Badlands, Book Two, the tribes must split up, each independently crossing what Nature has turned into a wasteland. They struggle against starvation, thirst, and desperate enemies more feral than human. If they quit or worse, lose, they will never reunite with their groups or escape the most deadly natural disaster ever faced by our kind.

Join me in this three-book fictional exploration of Neanderthals. Be ready for a world nothing like what you thought it would be, filled with clever minds, brilliant acts, and innovative solutions to potentially life-ending problems, all based on real events. At the end of this trilogy, you’ll be proud to call Neanderthals family.

Book information Badlands:

Print, digital, audio available: http://a-fwd.com/asin=B0DFCV5YFT

Genre: Prehistoric fiction

Editor: Anneli Purchase

Author bio:

Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular prehistoric fiction saga, Man vs. Nature which explores seminal events in man’s evolution one trilogy at a time. She is also author of the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers and Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. Her non-fiction includes 100+ books on tech into education, reviews as an Amazon Vine Voice and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics.

Excerpt of Badlands

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Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – March 2025 (Argentina & Chile)

Expenses - image

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. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 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 and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally and out of pocket where needed.

In March, Mark, Maya, Thirsty Bella, and I left the Carretera Austral in Chile and explored the Lake Districts in that country and in Argentina.

We hopped back and forth between Argentina and Chile a couple of times.

Before I get into our expenditure details of last month, I want to say something about our income. Throughout my blog posts, I mention that we both work on the road. Yet, some of you are still surprised about us trying to make a living, not being retired (will we ever?), or the extra challenges that come with the need to earn money.

Mark and I have been nomads for 20+ years and we have had several jobs during that time. (I elaborate on those in my sailing memoir Plunge.) Otherwise, we couldn’t have traveled this long and this far. And, no, we don’t have rental income or a property anywhere. Our camper – and whatever it holds – is all we own, apart from a few boxes of memorabilia, stored with family in Belgium and the US.

At the moment, since my translation and proofreading jobs have dried up, Mark and I both work as freelancers, completing different tasks that aim to improve AI. While Mark’s work is straightforward, steady, and poorly paid, my projects are sporadic, specific, complicated, and with a higher hourly rate. Rarely, our monthly income covers our expenses. We still have to dig into savings to support ourselves. That’s the reason we need to spend less money. We always try…

Which brings me to our expenses of March, during which we did not succeed to live frugally. As a matter of fact, it was an expensive month. But if you look at the details, it is easy to understand why our total reached $2,000; many hundreds of dollars above our average.

As you’ve come to expect, the car category is the highest again. We actually left Chile to cover a substantial distance in Argentina, where the gasoline is cheaper, before returning to Chile. Still, we spent $419 on fuel. Since motor oil (as well as any imported products) are cheaper in Chile than in its neighbor, we bought enough for our next oil change (7 liters), at a price of $49. The rest of the “car money” went to tolls ($4) and a parking lot for a hike ($3).

Filling up with gasoline in Argentina

The extra category that made our total “jump” was an occurrence that we usually attend to in April or May: Mark’s annual summer visit to Massachusetts for health care and family reasons. He and I were loosely chatting about where in South America he should leave from in July, while Maya and I stay behind. I’m confident we will be in Brazil by then, so he looked into plane rides from São Paulo (more affordable than Rio de Janeiro), and, before I knew it, he had booked flights, because the price was right. Indeed, $435 for a return journey between São Paulo and Boston is a good deal!

Our grocery bill went up again, because we bought a few things in Chile that are not available, or twice the price, in Argentina. We do feel $400 a month for food shopping in third world countries is on the high side. To be honest, we can’t wait to reach cheaper countries again after more than a year of expensive shopping.

And, since we would leave Chile indefinitely in March, we stocked up on Maya’s dog food ($200) as well, for reasons mentioned above – it’s either not available or more expensive elsewhere in South America. Unless Brazil surprises us! Now, she can keep eating her high-end, salmon-based, chicken-less kibble for another six months or so. We needed a new international health permit for her to cross into Chile as well.

Mark and I went rafting in Chile, which you might have read about in my previous post. Yes, for the privilege of almost drowning, we paid $188. Other than that unfortunate glitch, it was a lot of fun. I’ll mention here that the US dollar kept devaluating against the Chilean peso. So, while a year ago 1,000 pesos amounted to one USD, this was not the case anymore in 2025. Another reason the scales are shifting towards Argentina again, where the US dollar is becoming stronger.

Mark celebrated his birthday on March 1st, so we could potentially have added all our activities for that event under the gift category, but we didn’t. The rafting trip is mentioned above and other related expenses below. Because we changed plans, we arrived in Futaleufú that day, allowing us to enjoy a fabulous, fancy dinner at an excellent restaurant. The cost was $80. The other $11 for “dining out” went to empanadas and a portion of French fries bought at street stands.

We only ate at a restaurant once in March and that was for a special occasion. All the other dinners were cooked and consumed at home.

A bottle of Bacardi rum and a myriad of Malbec, Carménère, and Chardonnay wines constituted our $56 bill for alcohol. Thanks to a donation from MD, this number wasn’t higher. 😊

Dinner al fresco

While we were heading north on the Carretera Austral in Chile (where no facility fills propane bottles), we were running low on propane gas, causing us to be super careful using the heater. We often felt cold inside the camper. This precaution allowed us to reach Argentina, where American tanks can be filled, either at depots or by the gravity-fill method. Unfortunately, the facility we planned to get our tank full again didn’t have crew on Saturday morning to help us out, despite the depot being open…

This meant we had to make it to a bigger town before noon (when businesses close for the weekend), namely Bariloche. Three attempts later, we found a man willing to sell us propane… at the crazy price of $5 per kilo (or $45 for a full tank). Since we were in a bind – our tank was utterly empty by then, because we had confidently run the heater in the morning, thinking we’d get propane an hour later – we had him fill half our tank. Only to repeat this cautious and stressful procedure a month later. Our next camper will NOT have a propane system.

And we paid the usual monthly subscription to Starlink for our satellite internet ($36). Our business takes care of the other half. A better exchange rate in Argentina saw a slight drop in this fee.

Mark never wants anything for his birthday, so we went rafting and I bought him some goodies – Belgian-style beer and homemade jelly – in a small grocery store. This year, I didn’t even have access to a Western-style supermarket to spoil him.

On his birthday, we also went out for a drink at a brewery in Futaleufú, something we rarely do. It was nice to just listen to music and relax on a patio with Maya. Until it got too chilly.

Anyone who follows us on Facebook might have seen multiple series of photos of us doing laundry in the icy Patagonian rivers. We continued that tradition in March, since laundromats are, really, very expensive.

One shop charged $1 per piece of clothing; sheets, sweaters, towels, and jeans didn’t count. Well, those are the exact items that are difficult to hand wash! Luckily, lake water is warmer than river water! We eventually found a shop where we dropped off our sheets and bigger items for a total of $10.

The last two categories were peanuts. We bought more painkillers, since the container of Tylenol we brought back from the US is going fast, due to my frequent headaches and migraines. And, we needed a new spray bottle for a bleach solution to attack the mold created by condensation and frigid weather.

Every night in March, we camped for free. We enjoyed most of these quiet places in nature.

In April 2025, we will still be driving a lot – this continent is big – but we will do our best to stay within our budget.

March 2025 Overview:

Car  (fuel: $419; oil: $49; tolls: $4; parking: $3):

Travel (flights Mark):

Groceries:

Dog (food: $197; permit: $28):

Entertainment (rafting):

Dining out:

Alcohol:

Utilities (Internet: $36; propane: $17):

Gifts (B-day Mark):

Drinking out:

Laundry:

Medical:

Household:

Camping:

 

TOTAL:

 

$475

$435

$395

$225

$188

$91

$56

$53

$19

$11

$10

$4

$2

$0

———

$ 1,964

(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, check out the blogs of our nomad friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Next up: The Life of a Prehistoric Nomad – a guest post by author and blogger Jacqui Murray

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

The Real Patagonia – Welcome to the Mountains of Southern Chile and Argentina

Ushuaia, the southern-most city of the South American continent, was a pleasant surprise with its excellent free camping, well-developed trails, and beautiful mountain scenery. But, by the time we left in our camper, Mark and Maya had been there for five weeks and I for over three, due to my 10-day trip to Antarctica.

Needless to say, Mark was more than ready to head north again, especially since the weather had turned rainy. So, from the moment I disembarked the MV Ushuaia, we topped up our propane tank, received copies of our dog paperwork from the friendly attendant after asking for this favor, and left. Mark had taken care of groceries, fuel, and drinking water during my absence.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

We made decent progress that first day I was home, but I felt like I was thrown right back into our challenging lifestyle. Extremely strong headwinds made the drive dangerous and ruined our fuel economy. We lost an hour at a fuel station near the border with Chile, because they were out of gas. We waited for the tanker to supply the station and filled up our truck and a jerrycan. This container travelled at my feet and was leaking profusely, spilling liquid and fumes. At the border in Chile, officials took all our beans and lentils, which had never been a problem before. And, the next morning, we woke up to a flat tire!

Day two started with a tire repair kit that didn’t work, us installing the spare tire before the relentless wind picked up, and Mark discovering that the flat was caused by the car reversing onto a screw that had fallen off our own camper due to all the bumpy, gravel roads! Irony is ever a big part of our lives. We left Tierra del Fuego on a ferry and continued our journey north to the real Patagonia, covering a chunk of miles every day.

That day ended unexpectedly as well. We had parked at the only level spot, in front of a small, seemingly abandoned boat that rested on the grass, not on a trailer. At 10:30pm, commotion outside had us up and about. You guessed it. Exactly on this particular Sunday evening, someone needed to pick up this particular boat! So, we moved. This one had us laugh out loud…

A detour to Punta Arenas was necessary to get our tire fixed with the last local cash we had and to stock up on groceries, Chilean pesos, alcohol, and Maya’s dogfood. You have no idea how much Mark and I had been looking forward to visiting these decent, affordable stores. We could finally splurge on a few items that are unavailable or unaffordable in Argentina!

The next town in Chile, Puerto Natales, also required a stop for more errands. We dropped off our dirty sheets, towels, and jeans, made dentist appointments for teeth cleanings, topped up with potable water, took Maya for a walk, and did work and research while waiting for our laundry to be done. I started to feel sicker and realized I must have picked up a bug on the expedition ship.

One of the main attractions in this part of Patagonia is Torres del Paine National Park. We had found an amazing free camping spot in iOverlander, one that friends had recommended, and looked forward to resting up and working in this pretty location, across from a river and the incredible park.

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Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – February 2025 (Argentina & Chile)

Expenses - image

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. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 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 and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally and out of pocket where needed.

In February, Mark, Maya, Thirsty Bella, and I explored an attractive part of Patagonia. The first week, we drove north in Argentina and the rest of the month, we bounced on the gravel, potholed Carretera Austral (Ruta 7) in Chile.

While it is still summer in the Southern Hemisphere, the rainy weather has made our time here less pleasant. But more about that in future posts.

This expense report could well be the most straightforward one ever. Nothing complicated, unexpected, or weird happened. And, despite fuel being at an all-time high (I say this every month) at $670 (!), we stayed on budget. This record amount accounted for more than half of our expenditures in February! Blame all the driving, the awful roads, and the high fuel prices in Chile ($6/gallon).

Our grocery bill is back on track at around $300. We didn’t come across “real” supermarkets, so have been buying our bread at bakeries, our produce at vegetable shops, and other necessary goods at convenient-store like establishments. We buy what we need, rarely what we want.

Once we reached Chile, we ate out again! Empanadas in Cochrane that consist of ground beef, boiled egg, an olive, and a raisin (beware of the pit in the olive; yes, many dishes containing olives down here, like pizza, still have pits); a tasty fish lunch in Tortel; an incredible pizza in Puerto Rio Tranquilo; and a set lunch menu in La Junta. None of this was cheap, but the total remained under $100.

As usual, most of our meals were cooked and eaten at home. I’ll never tire of Mark’s cuisine, but when he’s busy, working, or tired, I take over.

We also paid for excursions in February. An intended highlight was a boat tour on stunning General Carrera Lake to the famed Marble Caves ($54). The trip didn’t really go according to plan, but we still enjoyed the experience. And, the three of us walked up to Las Manos in Cerro Castillo, to observe rock art in the form of hand paintings ($6). I’ll report on these Chilean attractions later.

Our engine still contains two generic injector coils that we purchased new in Bolivia over a year ago and that we ideally replace with OEM ones. Mark ordered one on Amazon (he always waits for the best available price – one more to go) and, when discovering that an unopened tube of caulk had gone off after we separated our camper from the truck for a repair, we had to hunt for caulk locally. Again, we only found a temporary solution. These two items brought the camper repair category to $58.

Life is more enjoyable with a glass of wine, so we spent $54 on alcohol: some local beers for Mark and a few bottles of wine for both of us. The $39 for utilities went to our monthly Starlink subscription. The exact amount depends on the exchange rate for Argentinian pesos. Our company pays the other half. Filling up with potable water was free.

For once, we needed to stay at a campground, because we had to wash the car, take our camper off, and fix parts of the box. We managed to keep it to one night.

In general, we wild camp and avoid official campgrounds for several reasons (just like marinas when we sailed). Boondocking/wild camping is free, offers privacy, flexibility, and natural surroundings; you don’t have to reserve or register; and there is no check-out time. So that’s what we did the other 27 nights in February. Although we were rarely alone then, too!

The last item of this month’s expense report is laundry ($10). Mark and I have been washing, rinsing, and drying our clothes and linen in nature most of the time. The river water in Patagonia is extremely cold, but the sense of accomplishment – within our own time and space – after finishing a load, or three, is immense. That being said, we do wish laundromats get cheaper as we head north, especially since it has been raining non-stop, lately. This means lots of dirty clothes and no option of drying anything out.

The grand total for February was $1,307, so right on track. But we do need to start spending less on fuel!

February 2025 Overview:

Car  (fuel):

Groceries:

Dining out:

Entertainment (Marble Caves & Las Manos):

Camper repair:

Alcohol:

Utilities (Internet):

Camping:

Laundry:

 

TOTAL:

 

$671

$306

$94

$60

$58

$54

$39

$15

$10

———

$ 1,307

(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, check out the blogs of our nomad friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Next up: The real Patagonia!

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – January 2025 (Argentina & Chile)

Expenses - image

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. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 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 and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally and out of pocket where needed.

My apologies for posting two expense reports in a row, but we have been very busy driving, sightseeing, and dealing with the demands of life on the road. I returned from Antarctica a month ago and I still haven’t had time to organize my 1,000 photos and videos. That highlight post will take days to create and it’s already the second half of February, so first: our expenses for January 2025!

Mark, Maya, and I spent January in Thirsty Bella, split between Argentina and Chile. The first part of the month, we explored the bottom of the world. Then, I “cruised” to Antarctica for ten days. From the moment I disembarked again, we left Ushuaia and traveled north, crossing Tierra del Fuego and entering Chile. We finished back in Argentina. During these exploits, we paid $500 for fuel.

The car category was the highest, as always. In addition to fuel, we handed over $10 for a self-serve carwash in Ushuaia after driving on wet gravel roads for weeks and 7,000 CLP ($7) went to a tire repair center when entering Chile. It was the exact amount of cash we had left from a previous visit. Lucky!

What was not lucky was how we happened upon this tire puncture… I swear, you can’t make this up. On that first night after leaving Ushuaia, we camped along a remote dirt road in Tierra del Fuego. All the rattling had loosened a screw from our camper, which had fallen on the ground and landed in our track. You guessed it… We backed up onto the screw and discovered a flat front tire in the morning!

The tire repair kit we purchased in the US didn’t work. We had to solve the issue before the strong Patagonia winds started, which would make it unsafe to jack up the car. Mark succeeded in putting the spare tire on in an efficient manner and after an hour (30 minutes wasted on trying to insert a plug first), we were back on the road. Good thing we didn’t have a ferry reservation!

Groceries cost the same as last month ($366) – we finally discovered decent produce in Punta Arenas, Chile, and its cost was half than in Argentina – and we cooked pretty much all our meals as per the usual.

We managed to find another bag of Maya’s special dog food (salmon-based without chicken) in the same city. That stuff is pricy at $100, but it’s a big bag (18kg/40lbs), which should last two to three months, depending on us adding brown rice to her diet. We embraced this particular bag, since it was the last available one in the city!

Our utilities category was higher than usually. The monthly Starlink subscription ($40; the other half is paid by our business) and propane gas ($13) were similar to other months and all our potable water was free, but I spent an extra $35 for internet access on the MV Ushuaia to communicate with Mark. This was a high fee, since I only planned to send one WhatsApp message per day, but it was the lowest amount of data I could buy. This service was through Starlink as well, which meant Mark and I were chatting solely via satellites.

We had medical expenses of $79, since we were both due for teeth cleanings. It was easier spending this money than planning around dentist schedules, as we were both sick and camped at a lovely spot across from the spires of Torres del Paine in Chile. We had to postpone the appointment once.

I believe our alcohol cost ($64) was similar to last month, except, this time we focused on liquor instead of wine. Punta Arenas in Chile – a shopping paradise after dealing with little food availability and high prices for months in Argentina – has a duty-free area, so we stocked up on special booze like coconut rum, Amarula, Tito’s vodka, and 7-year-old Flor de Caña rum. Each of these bottles cost less than $14 apiece. If you know anything about rum – and our favorite brand – you’ll agree this is awesome. Ironically, Mark and I stuck to a mostly “dry January,” which means we still have all of this alcohol! It’ll last a while. 😊

There was a “drinking out” category for January as well. All me. I treated my roommate to a shot of old-fashioned, Argentinian “Old Smuggler” whisky, enjoyed one traditional, Chilean pisco sour, and shared a bottle of red Malbec with table mates on the ship. This added up to $25. You only live once!

Mark, Maya, and I took a $20, 30-minute ferry with Thirsty Bella, leaving Tierra del Fuego to return to mainland South America. We managed to just drive on without waiting. Thanks to that time spent on our flat tire, probably.

As is becoming habit, we washed most of our laundry by hand in January. And, while it is summer here, I can assure you that the glacial river water is freezing cold. Sheets, towels, and jeans were dropped off and picked up clean and fresh in El Chalten, Argentina, for $15.

Mark and I paid entrance fees ($13) for Glacier National Park in Argentina, to witness the incredible Perito Moreno glacier. That will be for a future blog post. Other hikes and excursions were free.

The last category is “gifts.” I bought myself a magnet with our route through Antarctic waters when I was on the expedition ship. I couldn’t resist.

My Antarctica magnet; the only souvenir I bought on this trip.

Actually, the three of us enjoyed two take-out dinners as well, both from the same place, a “bakery” in Puerto Natales, Chile. Their burgers and seafood empanadas were delicious! We used the last of our donation money (except for a special occasion one we are still saving) for these splurges.

Oh, and we camped for free everywhere in January. It was a mixed bag of quiet and not-so-peaceful nights.

And that wraps up a decent month, financially. We stayed under our average of $1,300, probably because I left for ten days and Mark stayed put in Ushuaia during that time.

Early drive through Torres del Paine National park – a freebie

January 2025 Overview:

Car  (fuel: $481; maintenance: $17):

Groceries:

Dog (dog food):

Utilities (Internet: $75; propane: $13):

Medical (dentist):

Alcohol:

Drinking out:

Transportation (ferry Chile):

Laundry:

Entertainment (Perito Moreno glacier):

Gift:

Dining out:

Camping:

 

TOTAL:

 

$498

$366

$100

$88

$79

$64

$25

$20

$15

$13

$5

$0

$0

———

$ 1,273

(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, check out the blogs of our nomad friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Next up: Antarctica! (Hopefully.)

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Annual Expense Report of a Nomad – 2024 (Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, USA, Belgium, Uruguay)

Expenses - image

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 2024.

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, our total costs for 2020 are documented here, those for 2021 are detailed here, 2022’s financial summary hides here, and you can find our full expense report for 2023 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 US East Coast. The internet cost is for our Starlink’s monthly subscription fees. We bought our satellite dish in Lima, Peru, in September 2023.

In 2024, Mark, Maya, and I drove from Bolivia to South America’s tip, passing through Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina in our truck camper Thirsty Bella. We also took a three-month break from the road in Massachusetts, USA and Belgium.

On this multiple-year South American overland journey, which started in November 2022, so far we visited Colombia for six months, Ecuador for three, Peru for five, and Bolivia for a month and a half.  We continued with a couple of months in Chile, a month in Uruguay, and about eight months in Argentina. That’s a lot of driving.

So, it is no surprise that the biggest expense category for last year was, once again, our vehicle ($6,248!), with $3,587 going to fuel.

Maintaining the F350 truck cost over $2,000, since we had a $600 spark plug issue in Buenos Aires, we bought four brand-new tires in Chile, and we keep on buying new ignition coils, generic ones in Bolivia and better ones in the US.

Furthermore, liability insurance for the MERCOSUR countries, obtained in Argentina, tripled within four months ($412) and we paid $123 in parking fees and $68 for tolls. Yup, Thirsty drank a lot of money in 2024!

More than $3,000 went to groceries, which was a couple of hundred dollars more than last year. I guess we can blame the insane inflation in Argentina for that. Although, because of it, we only buy necessities. We hope that wherever we spend the bulk of our time this year, life will be cheaper.

The travel category was a big one ($2,357), because the three of us flew to both our home countries, an extremely rare occasion. We enjoyed this break from the road, since we’ve been roaming about fulltime for 21 years now. This amount bought us return flights from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Boston, MA, and from Boston to Brussels, Belgium, plus one checked bag for the last leg.

Maya had her most expensive year as well at over $1,200. Not because she got sick, however. All those international health certificates and export permits added up, especially when two of them had to be obtained in the US. Our little family flying “home” is not only logistically challenging…

In 2024, Mark and I also purchased high-quality dogfood for $300 and pet supplies for $134, and gave vet clinics $130.

Our alcohol expenses remained similar to 2023 at around $600. We mostly bought decent, local wines at $4 a bottle.

Money spent on gifts ($554) went up a bunch, because there was a wedding present involved, on top of the usual birthday and Christmas gifts. And, Mark and I offered my parents thank-you tickets for a musical as well, because they were super generous over the summer.

Computer costs ($548) include keyboards and hard drives, a new tablet for the car, another router for Bella, hosting fees, and software. Leave it to Mark to find the best deals for all of this.

We spent only 1/3 of last year’s amount on dining out ($478). You can definitely blame the insane increase of prices in Argentina for that. Plus, we received donations for this splurge as well, some of which I am saving for 2025. I have to admit that because of our frugal attitude towards restaurants, our quality of life feels like it has gone down. Way more cooking and dishes and fatigue!

Utilities, camper repairs, clothing, and household supplies were on par with 2023.

Internet, propane gas, and water are necessities in life. For our interior, we could use a new DC-DC charger and a bathroom faucet, as well as household batteries, poop bags, sheets, and wine glasses. We also bought a jerry can to carry extra fuel.

The entertainment category wasn’t high, at $234, since we’ve been avoiding the steep national park entrance fees in Argentina and Chile and focused on free activities, like hiking, and more affordable visits. The most expensive excursion we booked in 2024 was an amazing day trip on the Salar (salt flats) of Uyuni, Bolivia.

As far as yearly clothing for two people, we didn’t go overboard. New hiking shoes, shorts, and jeans for Mark and two pairs of pants for me cost $134 in total.  The only reason the “Health & Fitness” category went up was our increased awareness and actions towards improved dental hygiene. We bought a water flosser, an electric toothbrush, and better toothpaste.

Transportation covers the use of Uber, cable cars, and taxis when we were camped on the outskirts of cities and our annual bank charge was a bit higher than before, because of a mistake with a (usually free) ATM fee.

I’m not sure if $100 a year for laundry is expensive, but, since drop-off prices in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay are super high, we have been washing more and more clothes by hand, saving a lot of money. Self-serve machines in South America are very rare.

Mark and I only paid for camping once in 2024, which is hard to believe. Ten nights of fees went to Zapparancho ($83) near Buenos Aires, Argentina, because we needed a base to get ready for life on the road again after our summer break. And, we needed to fix a few things in a convenient location. This was also a good place to donate a lot of clothes and gear we didn’t use anymore.

Mark and I had bloodwork done in Bolivia, which makes up the $74 for medical costs. The miscellaneous category includes things like a voluntary contribution for being towed out of the sand in Northern Chile and an assortment of copies.

Getting towed out of the sand after a frightful twelve hours in Northern Chile

Another amount that has decreased a lot in 2024 is “drinking out.” Again, with current prices in bars and restaurants soaring, we are just as happy to have a drink at home. Especially since, surprise, decent bottles of wine in Argentina have remained very affordable.

I want to mention two more things in this expense report. First, thank you to everyone who has contributed a donation. We really appreciate this. Not only does it lower our annual costs, but it makes us smile and realize that you appreciate these blog posts and following along with our adventures.

Our only dinner out (with a friend) during our five weeks in Ushuaia

And, to be completely transparent, there was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and cost for me, Liesbet, at the end of 2024. I paid for a ten-day trip to Antarctica in January, which I will report on soon. It was super expensive, but as cheap as possible. I spent $5,752 on the “cruise” ticket with money I had saved up in Belgium, which is why it’s not reflected in our annual budget. This includes a $15 bank fee and $37 for mandatory insurance.

In conclusion, our 2024 total of $16,661 is a little bit higher than our $16K average of the last two decades. This boils down to just under $1,400 a month. Let’s see what 2025 brings!

2024 Overview:

Car (fuel: $3,587; maintenance: $2,057;

insurance: $412; parking: $123; tolls: 68):

Groceries:

Travel (plane tickets):

Dog (permits: $658; food: $299; supplies: $134; vet: $130):

Alcohol:

Gifts (B-days, Christmas, wedding):

Computer (hardware: $355; hosting: $127; software: $66):

Dining out:

Utilities (internet: $336; prop.: $73; water: $13; Skype: $5):

Camper:

Entertainment:

Health & Fitness (haircuts, vitamins, teeth hygiene):

Household:

Clothing:

Transportation (Uber, taxis):

Bank fees (Chase visa card):

Laundry:

Camping:

Medical:

Drinking out:

Miscellaneous (towing, copies):

 

TOTAL:

Donations:

 

GRAND TOTAL:

 

 

$6,248

$3,087

$2,357

$1,221

$595

$554

$548

$478

$427

$417

$234

$153

$144

$134

$131

$102

$97

$83

$74

$67

$27

———

$ 16,944

– $ 283

———

$ 16,661

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

And that’s a wrap! If you are enjoying these posts and would like to help out with our expenses maintaining this blog, please click on the donate button underneath, in the side bar, or in the menu bar on top. I promise Roaming About will remain an ad-free website. Thank you!

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.

Next up: Antarctica! (Or the January 2025 expense report.)

Donate to Roaming About to help maintain this website.

Unparalleled Ushuaia – The End of the World

Mark and I were not looking forward to arriving in Ushuaia, Argentina, after entering the island of Tierra del Fuego and enjoying its stark beauty, but less so, its strong winds. It was an irrational fear. Not because reaching the “end of the world” was daunting; it’s never the end of the road for us.

Ushuaia – More attractive than we expected

We stalled, because Ushuaia is a city and we don’t like staying or running errands in cities. They are loud, busy, congested, and annoying. Ushuaia did not offer a different experience – we hated driving around and not finding parking – but… its surroundings were extraordinary, unexpected, and jaw-droppingly beautiful.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

We were soon drawn to the views and the hikes and ended up staying for five weeks. Mark anyway. I went on a little side adventure, while he and Maya patiently braved the strong winds and heavy downpours for those ten extra days. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Before reaching Ushuaia proper and the so-called end of the road, we attempted a loop hike in the mountains. That circuit didn’t work out (no signs or paths were detected), but the trail to Twin Lakes still offered a bit of exercise, peace, and mud for all three of us.

Ushuaia

Upon arrival, mid-December, we had to pose by the Ushuaia sign, of course, like thousands of other overlanders have done. For many, this is a serious milestone as they will have driven the entire Pan-American highway from Alaska to Ushuaia. It means their epic road trip and journey has come to an end. Most of them rush to a port from here to ship their vehicle back home, or they sell it in Argentina or Chile after 6-12 months on the continent. It took Mark, Maya, Thirsty Bella, and me exactly two years to get here from Cartagena, Colombia!

Our arrival dread changed into excitement upon witnessing this sign and the mountainous surroundings. The innumerous white caps on the famous Beagle Channel, coloring the water more white than blue, was a telltale of how windy this area gets. We better got used to it from the start!

The first plan of action, even before running errands, was to find a decent spot to replace our rear brakes. On day one in Ushuaia, we took the camper off our truck and Mark started this day-long project, while I stood by for assistance. The wind and dust weren’t helping and – of course – something had to go wrong.

Continue reading

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – December 2024 (Argentina & Chile)

Expenses - image

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. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 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 and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally and out of pocket where needed.

Mark, Maya, and I spent the entire month of December with Thirsty Bella in Argentina, apart from two days in Chile during which we only paid for a ferry.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

True to form, the car category was the highest, with about $500 going to fuel to cover the 700-mile (1,000km) distance from Puerto San Julian to Ushuaia and then exploring the southern tip of the continent in earnest. As you will notice in an upcoming post, Ushuaia has a lot to offer!

Over $150 went to maintenance for our truck. Mark finally bought a complete repair manual for our 2016 Ford F350, since we try to do all engine work ourselves. We shopped locally for brake cleaner and a C-clamp in order to replace our rear brakes. Of course, during that process, we faced an issue when one of the brake caliper pins appeared to be seized.

After trying to get the part unstuck with heat, twisting, and banging, Mark managed to remove the caliper and – after more attempts to loosen the pin – I wrapped it and hitched a ride with our friends to town, where I enlisted the help of a mechanic to separate the parts. It didn’t look promising, but after an hour of blasting heat, banging, and some mate drinking, Edgardo from Gato Garage in Ushuaia succeeded to separate the caliper pin. Cost: $50.

Mark also ordered two new sets of caliper pins in the US, to start fresh in the future. We used the pristine ones we brought to finish the brake job.

The camper and the truck are united again.

The grocery category was less than last month. Prices in Argentina are still soaring, but the exchange rate against the USD is improving and we didn’t splurge as much as other years for our Christmas and New Year’s Eve dinners.

We cooked and ate all but one of our meals at home in December, including special dinners on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.

My annual tradition in December is to create calendars for dear family members. Every month of the year has a page-size photo of Mark and me (and, ideally, Maya as well) in different locations of our travels. It has proven to be a perfect gift for loved ones and, this way, we are somewhat close by.

Sunset at 10:30pm or so on Christmas Day

As mentioned before, throughout December, Mark moved all our email addresses, domain names, and webhosting services to different companies. What prompted this mammoth task was BlueHost’s annual rates going through the roof, with the three-year subscription more than doubling in price.

Mark dealt for weeks with switching our hosting, domain, and email services.

Because of the research and switch, this blog has become cheaper to maintain and should load quicker with Easy WP. The sign-on year is affordable ($20), but prices will go up to about $100 a year. We also paid the annual fees for our email hosting ($10) and the other $30 went to our domain registrations for 2026, as we had already paid for 2025, which was transferred. We hope to recover the fees for Roaming About blog maintenance through donations within the next three years. One person already helped out, so our thanks go to MD.

Now for the less boring stuff… We stocked up on wine and beer for the holidays ($55), paid for half of our monthly Starlink satellite internet subscription (the other half is paid by our business), and topped up our propane tank. This happens more frequently now, since we run our heater quite a bit in the cold south. Even though it is summer!

To enter the island of Tierra del Fuego, we needed to hop on a ferry in Chile and cross the Strait of Magellan. The $21 ride lasted about half an hour. Just enough time to cue and pay for the privilege. Hence the transportation category in December.

I am going on a “solo” adventure in January, which I will detail in our annual expense report for 2024, and for this, I needed warm, waterproof pants. Our friend, Jeff, could miss a pair, so I bought them from him.

Layering up for my 10-day expedition to…

We lucked out with laundry last month by finding the cheapest laundromat of Argentina in Rio Gallegos. Because of this, we dropped off four baskets of clothes and linen and had about everything we own washed, dried, and somewhat folded for $13. If only we’d pass through again on our way back north!

And, because we had to cross through a small part of Chile to reach Ushuaia, Maya needed another health certificate from a registered vet in Argentina, plus an official international permit from the agricultural department SENASA. The trick to save money here is time. If you want this permit on the day of application, it costs $40. To retrieve it the following day, you hand over $20. And, if you are willing to wait three business days, the cost drops to $2! Guess what we did?

Another vet office visit to obtain paperwork for Maya in Rio Gallegos

Mark went to a bar with our friend, Jeff, one afternoon, hence the drinking out category, and the three of us enjoyed a decent meal at the same “pub” (La Cabaña) in Ushuaia after a streneous hike in the mountains. Mark and I used “old” donation money for our burger dinner and accompanying drinks. It had been a long time since we found eating out worthwhile in Argentina! Thank you, MB and MD for this lovely splurge!

All our hikes and entertainment last month turned out to be free activities.

Filling our water tank with potable water came without a cost as well – at fuel stations or the fire station (los bomberos).

We didn’t pay for camping in December and I am happy to report that most of those sites were pretty, quiet, and peaceful. Yes, we are enjoying Ushuaia! 😊

December 2024 turned out to be an average month regarding our expenses.

Note: I will be (mostly) offline for the next ten days, so I won’t be able to reply to comments here and on Facebook until I return. Thank you for being patient! 

December 2024 Overview:

Car  (fuel: $502; maintenance: $160):

Groceries:

Gifts (family calendars):

Computer (web hosting & domain fees):

Alcohol:

Utilities (Starlink internet: $40; propane: $11):

Transportation (ferry Chile):

Clothing (warm pants Liesbet):

Laundry:

Dog (vet: $10; permit: $2):

Drinking out:

Dining out:

Camping:

 

TOTAL:

 

$662

$364

$78

$60

$55

$51

$21

$20

$13

$12

$10

$0

$0

———

$ 1,346

(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, check out the blogs of our nomad friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Next up: Unexpected Ushuaia

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

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