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A Life Less Ordinary

Category: On a Budget (page 9 of 14)

Monthly Expenses – September 2019

October 9, 2019 / / 45 Comments

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 the two of us. 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. Since June 2019 - we adopted Maya on June 4th - we have a dog section as well. 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.

For the month of September, Mark, Maya, and I lived and traveled in our camper van, Zesty. This was interspersed with multiple-day visits to destinations in Quebec and Maine and nights at an Airbnb, a friend's house, a motel, and a hotel, courtesy of my parents, who joined us on September 19th. The generosity of ma and pa kept our expenses lower than they would have been, as they chipped in for groceries, fuel, and a national park pass and treated us to restaurant meals.

Our battery problem started in Halifax and continued on Cape Breton
Our friends Alex and Dave jump started us for the last time in Cavendish, PEI.
They had our size battery in Summerside, PEI.
Swapping our old, defunct car battery for a new one

Despite that, September was still an "average" month, due to camper projects, an expensive bridge toll, and personal splurges. We purchased a new car battery on Prince Edward Island, several parts and tools to fix the van this month, and a few drinks and meals out.

Splurge with food and drinks at the Evermoore Brewery in summerside
Lobster roll! Our first and only one this year.
Confederation Bridge ranks as the most expensive bridge we ever crossed.

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Monthly Expenses – August 2019

September 11, 2019 / / 8 Comments

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 the two of us. Under groceries we incorporate all the 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 Mark's vitamins and 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.

Mark, Maya, and I are living  and traveling full-time in our van again, recently in the Maritimes (East Coast) of Canada. That - and a "surprise" hurricane - explains the delays with my blog posts, as we don't have a cost-prohibitive data plan in this country. Ironically, we still pay for the one in the US without using it. Luckily, it is quite easy to find free WiFi here in libraries, visitor centers, Tim Horton's, McDonalds, Walmart, and Canadian Tire, among other businesses. Usually, we briefly stop to grab emails and send the next batch, prepared offline.  Once in a while - ideally on a rainy day - we do more effort to find long-term internet.

Boondocking in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia

August was an average spending month, I'd say, except for the extras, like my dentist visit in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, a haircut before we left on our adventure, and new shoes and flip flops for Mark. But, every month has something special in store! I was tempted to put that $8 for parking under "camping" as we spent the night on the same lot in Halifax, but, parking there is free between 6pm and 8am, so - once again - we boondocked (or "urban camped" in this case) for free and had a nice evening out on top of it.

This is a great brewery in Halifax. Dogs are allowed inside and outside and you can bring in your own (or take-out) food!
Maya enjoys going out with us, whenever possible.

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Monthly Expenses – July 2019

August 5, 2019 / / 23 Comments

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. 🙂 Since July 2018, Mark and I have been combining van life in our Zesty and house and pet sitting, which we did full-time before that. The best of both worlds! 

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for the two of us. Under groceries we incorporate all the 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 Mark's vitamins and 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 first week of July was spent in our camper van (Ontario, Quebec, and Vermont). The rest of the month, Mark, Maya, and I have been living with my in-laws in Massachusetts. We are hitting the road again this weekend.

Using our friend Ryan's driveway (and tools) to replace Zesty's brakes this past weekend.

As usual, the biggest expense category was Zesty, as we had to drive all the way to Newburyport, MA and planned more projects.

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Monthly Expenses – June 2019

July 9, 2019 / / 16 Comments

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. 🙂 Since July 2018, Mark and I have been combining van life in our Zesty and house and pet sitting, which we did full-time before that. The best of both worlds! 

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for the two of us. Under groceries we incorporate all the 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 Mark's vitamins and 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.

I'm a bit late with my expense report for June. The excuse: a long and challenging ride east with soaring heat and humidity, mediocre camping spots, no internet the last week, an anxious dog, and little time for anything other than driving, searching for shade, and outdoor activities. More about that later. The entire month of June was spent in our camper van Zesty and we have no more house sits lined up.

Driving into Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Scenes on the road
Mark drove the entire way, usually no more than four hours a day.

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Journey East (Part One) – The Art of Boondocking

June 28, 2019 / / 51 Comments

Why East?

After almost three years of house sitting and van living “out West”, it is time to leave our most favorite area of the United States and spend the summer and fall “back East”. We both have doctors’ appointments, my citizenship interview happens in August, and Mark’s aging parents can use help. Also, our van has never been to its place of registration and family and friends can’t wait to meet our newest crew member, Maya. From our home base in Massachusetts, we hope to explore the Maritimes in Canada as well. 

(Hover over the photos below or click on them to read the captions.)

The Art of Boondocking

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know Mark and I rarely pay for camping, which is reflected in our monthly expense reports. This means we practice the art of boondocking, also called dry camping, wild camping, and sometimes urban camping (in cities), without a fee involved: we park our camper van for one night or more on BLM land, National Forest land, or areas where this is allowed.

Our favorite boondocking site in Kanab, Utah
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Monthly Expenses – May 2019

June 8, 2019 / / 21 Comments

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. 🙂 Since July 2018, Mark and I have been combining van life in our Zesty and house and pet sitting, which we did full-time before that. The best of both worlds! 

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for the two of us. Under groceries we incorporate all the 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 Mark's vitamins and 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 first ten days of May, Mark and I house and pet sat in Albuquerque and the rest of the month we lived in our camper van in Kanab, Utah while volunteering at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. I made a comment in my last expense report that May would be an expensive month for us. It was... extremely expensive... triple the amount of April, because of our camper van.

May is the month in which we pay for our annual van insurance, which increased to over $1,000 this year. That's usually what we aim to spend (but rarely achieve) every month for all the categories! We also purchased a new alternator and pullies for the engine, which Mark replaced himself in Kanab, Utah. It was a day-long project. He can now call himself a car mechanic, on top of a boat mechanic. 🙂

Taking the engine apart…

… and fixing it, at Napa Autoparts in Kanab, UT

Outdoor workshop

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Monthly Expenses – April 2019

May 5, 2019 / / 18 Comments

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. 🙂 Since July 2018, Mark and I have been combining van life in our Zesty and house and pet sitting, which we did full-time before that. The best of both worlds! 

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for the two of us. Under groceries we incorporate all the 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 Mark's vitamins and 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.

Lake Powell near Page, AZ

In April, Mark and I lived and traveled in Zesty for the first week. The rest of the month, we house and pet sat in Albuquerque, New Mexico. No crazy expenses this past month. We went out for lunch in Navajo Nation to try Native American food.

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Monthly Expenses – March 2019

April 7, 2019 / / 46 Comments

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. 🙂 Since July 2018, Mark and I have been combining van life in our Zesty and house and pet sitting, which we did full-time before that. The best of both worlds! 

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for the two of us. Under groceries we incorporate all the 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 Mark's vitamins and 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.

In March, our van was our home as we traveled the length of Arizona and dipped into Southern Utah. That explains the higher than usual diesel cost for the month. Our back suspension had a crack in it and needed a new bracket. After bargaining down with an Eastern European mechanic in Phoenix, starting at $450 (!!), he quoted us $300 for the job. He definitely tried to take advantage of us. Maybe because we have a "fancy" camper? Maybe because of our Massachusetts license plate? Mark did some research online, ordered the parts himself, and did the work within half an hour for $50!

Our trip on the water revealed a few of Lake Havasu’s replica lighthouses

Leaving the little channel by casino ferry

Havasu Landing on the other side of Lake Havasu is situated in California

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The Value of One Dollar

March 27, 2019 / / 50 Comments

“It’s only a dollar,” most people say when they spend it. But a dollar here and there amounts to many dollars. You can all do the math. Mark and I are frugal beings. We save a dollar here when checking our supermarket receipts and challenging mistakes. We save a dollar there not buying a treat. We save several dollars by looking at GasBuddy to find the cheapest diesel in our area. Being conscious about our spending habits “saves” hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year. We say “Nope, let’s not buy that grill for our camper yet” until it drops in price and we convince ourselves “We don’t need more stuff.”

Other times, we agree we shouldn’t go out for dinner or join people to have a beer at a bar. These outings are expensive; we can eat and drink for much less at home. Often, we promise ourselves we’d use the money we didn’t spend on splurge A for splurge B another day. That day, of course, never arrives. This is our way of life – whether we like it or not, it allows us to stretch the money we have.

One of these months I hope to write a more detailed blog post about how we manage to make our money last and offer tips of how we stay on a tight budget, but today I wanted to share a few examples of how one dollar can be “stretched”. It’s only a dollar, but it can mean so much more.

East Jesus art scene
Our view from the Cadillac in East Jesus
TV screen interpretations

Recently, one dollar gave us: Continue reading

Birthday Weekend Abroad

March 13, 2019 / / 69 Comments

When you live together 24/7 in a small space, it’s incredibly difficult to surprise your spouse. How do you sneak out and make your way to a nondescript store without your absence being noticed? What do you answer when asked “Where have you been?” Or, how do you order a gift online without an address? When we were house sitting, there was an opportunity to intercept the mailman and hide the package, but now that we travel full-time in Zesty again, I was at a loss about what to get or do for Mark’s birthday on March 1st. Believe it or not, but it was stressing me out. It’s one of the few events we celebrate, so it has to be done in style, despite my husband saying he didn’t care.

Before – Dodge
After – Mercedes

Ever since we’ve owned our Mercedes Sprinter Westfalia camper van, Mark has wanted to change the Dodge grill with the Mercedes one. These two engines are exactly the same, but for some reason, the van was “branded” as a Dodge when imported from Germany in 2005. The little Dodge emblem on the hood was immediately replaced, only costing a few dollars. But the grill replacement was vetoed by me. $70 for something cosmetic? That money would be better spent elsewhere on the van. After 1.5 years in our possession, Zesty was still driving around as a half Dodge/half Mercedes. Mark was getting antsy. He found the Mercedes grill on sale, and I said: ”Great! That’ll be your birthday gift.” I have to agree, our van looks much better now.

Installing the new Mercedes grill

Yet, a car part doesn’t constitute a good birthday gift. Continue reading

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