Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

Category: Sightseeing (page 8 of 19)

Annual Expense Report of a Nomad – 2022 (USA, Mexico, Colombia)

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 2022.

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, and those for 2021 are detailed 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 utility cost refers to phone data plans, initially with AT&T and at the end of 2022 with Google Fi.

It feels like 2023 has only just started, yet we are already a month into it. Crazy how time flies. I better publish our 2022 expense report, before the February 2023 one is due!

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

In 2022, Mark, Maya, and I focused on purchasing, fixing, equipping, and upgrading our current truck camper, a Lance 830, in the Pacific Northwest and Colorado. Before that, we explored the Baja peninsula in Mexico for 3.5 months. We completed the year in Cartagena, Colombia, happily reunited with Thirsty Bella, which we had shipped there from Texas. I also visited my home country of Belgium for two weeks, but my parents took care of me there. 🙂

Last year was relatively expensive, especially if you add the one-time cost of shipping our truck camper to the mix (see below). We better live extra cheaply this year to make up for that!

The highest category in 2022, by far, was our car and more specifically the fuel. Over $4,000! We purposefully decided not to drive to the East Coast over the summer (to visit family, friends, and doctors), because of the exorbitant gasoline prices. But we did make it to the southern tip of the Baja peninsula in Mexico (and back) with our previous Cirrus camper and ended up driving huge distances to find and pick up our current truck camper in super expensive California. I can’t say any of that was planned, but such is life – our life anyway.

Vehicle insurance and maintenance for our Ford F-350 each cost over $600 as well. We prepped the truck for this extended adventure in South America, which included spare parts, oil and filter changes, and a tire rotation and alignment.

Mark and I have periodically discussed our annual high prices for maintaining and fueling the vehicles and sailboats we own(ed), which made us realize that we could easily use this amount for plane tickets to house and pet sit internationally. As a matter of fact, that was the plan… before we adopted our Maya, three years ago. That’s when the South America trip became our goal. Then, Covid arrived.

Groceries is the second-highest category and averages $268 a month. Not bad. This is always the most straightforward subject. What is there to say? Everyone needs to eat. In our case, we stick to a healthy, mostly plant-based diet and consume 95% of our meals at home. Here in Colombia, we eat out a bit more, because it’s affordable.

Travel costs went to plane tickets for Mark, who needed to fly to Massachusetts twice (once from Mexico and once from Oregon) for family and healthcare reasons. Our dining out expense was almost a grand as well. I’d like to say it will be less this year, but even though food is much cheaper here, we probably will eat out more, so things might even out. We will see.

Everyone knows that taking care of a dog isn’t cheap. In Maya’s case, we spent over $900, mostly on food, her anti-itch medicine (Apoquel), and one expensive vet visit enabling and preceding our move to South America.

Maya getting ready for her exam, extra shots, and international health certificate

Our utility cost for 2022 also seems high at $800. The majority of that went to internet, unsurprisingly, but almost $200 was “wasted” on propane, thanks to the ordinary fridges put in RVs. Even though they are called 3-way fridges, they run inefficiently when using their DC power source. We don’t use AC, because we never plug into power. When using an RV fridge solely on propane, we emptied two full 20-pound propane tanks every month, and that’s being careful by monitoring the temperature and adjusting the settings.

Like fuel, propane gas prices swung through the roof last year. Filling our two tanks cost around $40 every month and there was the hassle of finding propane places that actually filled tanks instead of just swapping them out. Tractor Supply and U-Haul used to be safe bets but they aren’t anymore.

Because of all these reasons – the hassle, money, research, wasted trips and phone calls, worry of running out of gas, and lack of freedom – we replaced our propane fridge in Thirsty Bella with a 12V compressor fridge that we can easily run with the power created by our solar panels. In Mexico we paid for agua purificada (purified potable water) to fill our water tank.

Another big – and extra – expense was a new hybrid computer/laptop for Mark. That section underneath also includes hosting fees for our website and some software Mark bought. When it comes to adult beverages, my husband and I occasionally like to drink beer (only Mark) and wine and usually have one bottle of hard liquor around. There is no space for more. Our preferred alcoholic drink is rum with fresh juice, ice cubes, and a slice of lime.

Gifts include the annual calendars I create for our Belgian and American families, gestures (usually bottles of wine or dessert goodies) we bring when invited for dinner, a contribution to utilities when we stay on someone’s driveway for a while, Christmas gifts for friends we end up traveling with, excursions we do with our nieces and nephews, and birthday presents for each other, although I don’t recall any of those in 2022.

Household items are improvements for our life inside the camper – cooking, storing, light fixtures, … – and the camper category resembles materials and tools required to keep our home on wheels running. This last amount is low, because it does not include the money spent equipping our camper for South America, which we consider part of its purchase price and not maintenance cost. I will write a separate post about this in the future.

In the US, we always camped for free, but because we traveled in Mexico for a third of the year, there is a substantial accommodation cost as we tend to stay at campgrounds there once in a while. Some of this category’s amount was spent in Colombia, on camping and a hotel.

The clothing expenses were higher than the previous year, because we made sure to have decent pairs of hiking shoes, rain jackets, jeans, and shirts to hold us over for a few years. In 2023, we hope this amount, in addition to the “computer” section, is negligible.

Drinking out is self-explanatory and transport covers taxis (in Colombia), Uber (to get to Houston airport from Galveston), and public transportation when we visit Massachusetts. Customs and Immigration fees were mostly paid in Mexico for tourist cards and towards a new Belgian passport for me. Luckily, those are now valid for seven years instead of five.

Cashier’s checks cost $15!

Banking costs went to our annual credit card fee and a cashier’s check to pay for our Lance camper (yes, that costs extra money). Health & Fitness includes vitamins (Mark) and occasional haircuts (me). This amount should mostly disappear as well. We gave up on the vitamins (don’t want to deal with it here), we keep cutting Mark’s hair ourselves with clippers, and my twice-a-year haircuts should cost a quarter of the price in South America.

We spent less than $100 on entertainment. Most of our hobbies, like hiking, visiting natural attractions, writing, and reading are free. We never visit museums or pay for expensive activities. Last year, we bought two sets of snorkel gear (still to be used) and paid the entrance fee for a few parks.

Our medical cost is usually minimal, but last year Mark had to pay for an expensive Covid test in Mexico and I had two new pairs of prescription eye glasses mailed to an address out west. My husband chipped in for his dad’s memorial service (miscellaneous), we paid for laundry in Mexico (the rest of the year we managed to use the facilities of friends), and a small amount of money went to postage.

Sunrise along the Baja Peninsula

Extra one-time costs for 2022

One big expense not included in this annual report is the $5,497 we paid for shipping and agent fees to transport our home on wheels to South America for a multiple-year adventure.

So, what would have been a decent year in general at $16,809 (which is about $800 more than our average, not bad under the circumstances of inflation and super high fuel prices) is not so great anymore when you add the $5,500 of shipment costs to the mix. That’s around $22,300 in total. Let’s hope the year 2023 will be a fraction of that!

2022 Overview:

Car (fuel: $4,394; insurance: $666; maintenance: $631;

tolls: $19; parking: $16; registration: $10):

Groceries:

Travel (plane tickets Mark):

Dining out:

Dog (supplies: $413; food: $224; vet: $268; import: $11):

Utilities (internet: $552; prop.: $179; water: $48;

dump stations: $8; Skype: $5):

Computer (hybrid: $728; hosting: $40; software: $11):

Alcohol:

Gifts (B-days, Christmas):

Household:

Camper:

Accommodation/Camping:

Clothing:

Drinking out:

Transport (Uber, tip escort, taxis in COL):

Customs & Immigration (new passport L, tourist cards Mex.):

Bank fees (Chase visa card, cashier’s check):

Health & Fitness (haircuts L, vitamins M):

Entertainment (snorkel sets, parks):

Medical (Covid test M, mailing glasses):

Miscellaneous (memorial service):

Laundry:

Postage:

 

TOTAL:

 

$5,735

 

$3,211

$1,086

$954

$916

$791

 

$779

$574

$483

$364

$307

$302

$266

$188

$166

$147

$129

$126

$94

$85

$51

$41

$14

———

$ 16,809

(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.

Donate to Roaming About to help maintain this website.

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – December 2022 (Colombia)

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.

The first two weeks of December, Mark, Maya, and I still stayed in Airbnbs in Cartagena, like the majority of November, to wait for our camper’s arrival from Texas. This was followed by a night in a hotel close to the port where we picked up our truck camper, Thirsty Bella, on the evening of the 14th. Rule #1 in developing countries, “Do not drive at night,” was immediately disregarded. We didn’t have a choice. Luckily, nothing was hit or damaged on that first drive.

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

We paid for all these nights with credit card points, depleting our account, leaving us with no buffer for a break from the road in the future. All because we had to wait two extra weeks for our vehicle. Oh well. We were beyond happy and relieved to be reunited with our home on wheels.

After spending the first night on a hot and humid parking lot, we put in many more miles to reach Mompox, a World Heritage Site, for another night at a hotel. It was too uncomfortable to sleep in the camper. The other accommodation expenses went to campsites without hookups (just parking, sometimes with the availability of showers, toilets, a shared kitchen, and a laundry machine), which seem to range between $2 and $4 a person per night. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but $8 a night does add up for us, so we try to combine free camping andcampgrounds.

December was the first decent expense month since Mexico in February. We stayed under $1,000 for the three of us. The highest categories, “groceries” and “car,” were close, but not that crazy.

What we saved in groceries, we spent in eating out, by the looks of it. Again, this pastime in Colombia is affordable, but $8 dinners also add up after a while. Another balancing act is needed.

We did cover a bit of ground in those first two weeks on the road, but with gasoline at $2 a gallon, we don’t worry too much. The $40 insurance (SOAT) cost covers our vehicle for liability for three months. Our cost for tolls was actually higher than stated – amazing how many toll roads (Northern) Colombia has, and they’re expensive all things considered – but we received a refund for our toll device and credit we returned to Massachusetts before leaving the country.

The gift category should fall away next month. As usual, I created and shipped calendars to my family in Belgium and the US. Each month of the year exhibits a photo of the two or three of us in a different location. This way, we are somewhat present in the households of our loved ones. And we bought small Christmas gifts for our new friends Sheri and Jeff, whom we met up with several times over the last two months.

Propane is cheaper in Colombia than in the States, but it is a pain to obtain nevertheless. That’s why we changed our propane fridge out for an electric one that efficiently works on our solar panels. This way, a full propane tank (20 pounds), used only for cooking and heating, should last months instead of weeks. For internet, we still use a Google Fi global data plan, but we already have been warned this will be suspended next month, so we will need to find another, local solution in each country. We’ve been working on that.

I’d say our alcohol consumption was average last month, despite it being the holidays. Beer and rum are cheaper than what we purchase in the US, wine is similar in price. The only reason there is a clothing expense is because Amazon messed up one of the refunds before we left. Therefore, we were recharged for a pair of jeans.

We didn’t plan on buying dog food for Maya in Cartagena, since we carried plenty of it with us on the plane, enough for the expected three weeks there, plus an extra Ziploc bag in case four weeks of waiting were required. Not five, though. Luckily, we found food that she wasn’t allergic to and once Thirsty Bella arrived, carrying heaps of dogfood, Maya could go back on her usual diet. The meds we bought are herbal drops that should calm her down during all the stress and anxiety from Colombia’s daily firecrackers, bottle rockets, and fireworks.

Our drinking out cost is negligible – we usually prefer to have happy hour at home – and the low entertainment amount went to the entrance fee of Los Estoraques National Park in Playa de Belen, where we camped for almost a week as well.

Last month, we managed to only pay $2 for water, a donation to a friendly and helpful family along the way, and do laundry for free at the Airbnbs we stayed at.

The total amount for shipping our truck camper from Texas to Colombia was $5,500, which is not included in this report as it is a one-time cost. Because moving our vehicle between continents was so expensive, we plan on making our time here worthwhile. A few years of slow travel should do it! 🙂

December 2022 Overview:

Groceries:

Car (fuel: $194; insurance: $40; tolls: $14):

Gifts (Christmas & New Year):

Dining out:

Utilities (internet: $50; propane: $9; water:$2):

Alcohol:

Accommodation:

Clothing:

Dog (food: $20; meds:$3):

Drinking out:

Entertainment:

 

TOTAL:

 

$249

$248

$125

$99

$61

$47

$44

$31

$23

$6

$4

———

$ 937

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.

Donate to Roaming About to help maintain this website.

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad – November 2022

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 East Coast.

Even though the three of us have been “stuck” in Cartagena for over a month, November went by fast. For once, we didn’t care, because the sooner we would be reunited with our camper, Thirsty Bella, the better. Guess what? We are still waiting. But the end of that is coming near.

This is where the RORO car carriers dock in Cartagena Harbor

Mark, Maya, and I flew from Houston, Texas, to Miami, Florida, on November 7th. From there, we continued on to Cartagena, Colombia, the following day. Since the 8th, we have been apartment hopping in this hectic, dusty, hot, and humid city, not spending a lot of time in tourist areas but immersing ourselves in the noisy and affordable Colombian way of (city) life.

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

We booked our plane tickets in early October,  using credit card points (valued at US$590) and we managed to do the same for our airport hotel in Miami (US$112) and five Airbnb rentals (the equivalent of US$945 in total, so far). The estimate was to be here for three weeks (an important factor for packing our belongings, toiletries, and food for Maya, all in carry-on luggage), but we will have been here over five weeks by the time we pick up our vehicle at the port. I will elaborate on the why another time.

On our last week in the US, we bounced between uncomfortable overnight parking lots and parks, meeting up with friends and preparing our vehicle for leaving the country.

The last weekend saw us finalize everything at and in the convenient house and driveway of friends.

Then, camper drop-off and moving day happened, followed with the rest of the month living in Cartagena. We had a lot of extra expenses in November, yet we managed to not go too far over our average budget.

I am now reporting on camper costs as well, because the basics of our conversions, improvements, and upgrades were finished in October. I will post a separate report about buying and equipping Bella in the near future. This camper category was the highest by surprise, because, you know, nothing goes as planned…

A lot went wrong when Mark finally dropped our camper off at the port of Galveston, which caused added stress on an already logistically stressful day, but I will just elaborate on one episode for now.

There are quite a few rules if you want to ship a vehicle abroad. One of those, regarding campers, is that the propane tank has to be empty and a certificate to prove this is required. We called the issuing company in League City to inquire about the certificate and were told those are only provided for fixed tanks. We had a portable 20-pound tank, so should be fine. Our tank was empty. Our tank was newish. We taped the purchase receipt to the tank, just to not get into trouble.

Nope. Not enough. We needed the certificate. It was 2pm in the afternoon. The port closed at 4pm. Our plane left that evening. We didn’t see an option for Mark to leave Galveston port, drive to League City 40 minutes away, get our tank certified – or buy a new one with a certified receipt – and get the vehicle cleared for shipment, plus visit Customs, before four. Oh, and the escort to guide you through the port costs $50 per hour and once you’re ten minutes over that, a second hour is charged…

Phone numbers of port escorts on the day of our drop-off

Mark called me (I was waiting in a public park with Maya and all our luggage) and we concluded we only had one choice if we wanted to catch our plane: remove the tank from our camper and leave it at the port. This was a huge problem and complication: our tank had US fittings, fit snugly in its compartment, and all our cooking and heating facilities (including hot water and grill) depended on this particular set-up, which we would not be able to find and reproduce in Colombia (different fittings and tank sizes).

Waiting for Mark in a Galveston park

We were screwed and almost gave up on this whole journey (for the first time). Employees, including Mark’s escort Kaylyn, understood, but there was nothing they could do. Mark continued the drop-off and clearing out procedures and joined me in the park. We felt defeated – and homeless – without even having left the US.

On that picnic bench in Galveston, we brainstormed. We had another hour to kill before airport focus was upon us. A crazy idea emerged, one that would be hard to pull off…

Mark called his escort Kaylyn, asked her if she would be able to deposit a new propane tank inside our camper if we had someone deliver it. The answer was surprising, but music to our ears: “Yes.” Question #2: “Would you be willing to pick one up if we order it? We will pay you for your help, of course.” Another “yes” followed and life looked up again.

Dealing with the propane tank disaster

Over the next half an hour, we called the propane place in League City and paid for a new tank and its certification, emailed them Kaylyn’s information, and copied her on any correspondence with Baygas Propane. Our angel called us three days after we arrived in Cartagena. She had picked up the tank and needed instructions about where to put it – and how to get there. We walked her through storing the new tank safely and securely inside Bella, made sure she locked our home properly again, and sent her $100 as a thank you. Hence our high propane cost last month…

This is where Kaylyn wrapped and stored our new propane tank (we think)

The other amount paid for the camper went to protection (wood to board up the windows and tension rods to keep them in place) and gear to potentially fix our fridge issue. It was our goal to have a fully-working (brand new) fridge before shipment, but that failed.

Buying cut plywood at Home Depot and storing it for a few days – back and forth from the bed of the camper to the back seat of the truck

To bring Maya into Colombia, we needed an international health certificate and a couple of extra shots. That required a vet visit of multiple hours and approval by the USDA; an expensive ordeal. The temporary import permit for Colombia was only $11 and took an hour of red tape.

Back in Houston, we treated our generous and hospitable friends John and Harriet to a Thai take-out dinner. The rest of the eating out category was spent in Cartagena – one “expensive” meal and drinks for my birthday ($60 for two people) in a nice restaurant and the rest on local food.

The grocery category was low – we needed to eat everything up before leaving the US and Colombia is cheap. We still cooked most of our meals to save money and eat relatively healthy. After we recovered from being sick the first ten days, our Venezuelan friend Nathalie, who lives in Manga, Cartagena, invited us over for a yummy salmon-pasta lunch.

We didn’t spend a lot on fuel last month, only enough for dock workers to move our truck on and off the boat(s). Your gas tank can only be 1/4 full. We had a last-minute tire alignment and rotation done two days before we left.

Transportation was another extra category. The Uber from Galveston Island to Hobby Airport in Houston cost a whopping $50 and we have been getting around Cartagena in local taxis. The price for the port escort was also $50.

Cab in Manga’s flooded streets

Our monthly amount for internet went up. We finally retired our amazing unlimited AT&T data plan that was $35/month for years (we sold it on) and switched to a Google Fi worldwide plan, sharing an account with our friends Duwan and Greg. After the initial set-up fees incorporated in this report, the new monthly amount should be $50 for 50 gig of data.

The only other thing worth mentioning is that I finally spent the second half of Mark’s birthday gift for me from last year (November 2021) on goodies at Trader Joe’s. I totally forgot I had some “credit” left for that! As I write this, I’m eating my final dark-chocolate-covered almonds from the US…

November 2022 Overview:

Camper (propane tank: $220; parts: $87):

Dog (vet + certificate: $260; import permit: $11):

Dining out:

Groceries:

Car (maintenance: $131; fuel: $24):

Transportation (taxis: $75; port escort: $50):

Utilities (internet):

Alcohol:

Gifts (B-day Liesbet 2021):

Drinking out:

Postage:

Clothing:

 

TOTAL:

 

$307

$271

$224

$164

$155

$125

$62

$52

$24

$10

$5

$2

———

$ 1,401

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.

Donate to Roaming About to help maintain this website.

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad – October 2022

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 East Coast.

October was a rough month for us, in terms of discomfort, stress, frustration, and bad luck. Nothing, truly nothing, went according to plan. But we persevered and, once again, friends came to the rescue. I’ll explain when going through the numbers.

Mark, Maya, and I arrived in the Houston area of Texas several weeks earlier than planned, because our brand-new, state-of-the-art $1,400 Isotherm fridge had to be replaced under warranty. The most economical way for us to arrange this (from Colorado) was by picking up a replacement 1,100 miles away, in Seabrook, Texas, ideally as soon as possible. This would give us “plenty of time” to make sure fridge #2 worked as advertised and expected. Well, it didn’t, and to this day – now out of the country – we are trying to diagnose the cooling issue. We bought extra tools and gear to keep working on this in Colombia.

Delays of the ship that would bring Thirsty Bella to Cartagena had us pinned in Eastern Texas even longer. And, believe me, there is another story coming about that as well. This post of last month was just the beginning. I think Mark and I could produce our own drama series or soap opera by now!

But, let’s get back to our expenses. The grocery category ($354) was on the high side, because we had emptied our fridge the previous month, since it had to be replaced and we had no cool space in 100-degree Texas to store perishables. So, we started over, with a similar goal: finish eating all/most of the food by the time we’d leave the country.

Texas is big, but we figured that once we had reached Houston and Galveston (from where our camper ships), we’d stay put for the month. Fuel is pretty much the cheapest in the country here. Yay. Maybe we could get by on one tank?

Nope. The weather chased us around, from county park to the beach, onto the mainland, and back to grassier environs. Incessant heat, 90% humidity, being sandblasted by wind, and a good sprinkle of mosquitoes had us drive the two-hour distance between Galveston and Anahuac multiple times.

We also did more preemptive car maintenance ($120) in preparation for the big trip: changing the air filter, transfer case fluid (one extra top-up needed), and coolant (three flushes) in our engine. These were tasks that couldn’t be done in sand, on windy days, in parks, surrounded by mosquitoes, or during the heat of the day. The tolls were paid to cross a $2 bridge between Galveston Island and San Luis Island, where we hoped to spend a week and finally relax a bit, but the wind had something else in mind. More driving.

Mark and I bought three bags of dogfood ($131) for Maya to give us a head start in South America. Since our girl is allergic to corn and chicken (and a lot of other things), finding suitable food will be a challenge. We also stocked up on another container of her fish oil supplement ($49) to keep her coat shiny and her health optimal.

The alcohol category was surprisingly high ($81).  I guess we tried to drink some of our worries away. We also hung out with friends and bought wine and rum to share.

Our new grill in action! (Photo by Duwan Dunn)

For the first time in years, there was an accommodation cost! One we happily obliged to. Our Houston friends, John and Harriet, graciously offered us the use of their condo right on the beach in Galveston, when we met up at their house in the city, the end of September. Our only contribution would be the cleaning fee at the end of our stay. We eventually planned on using this accommodation for our last week in the US, during which time our camper would be shipped. We’d be able to see the car carrier leave from the condo’s balcony!

But the anticipated schedule was not to be, delays messed everything up, and we felt no need for a condo when we could still live in Bella. So, we cancelled our reservation for the end of October. Our camper was to be dropped off on November 7th at that point, with our plane to Miami leaving the same day…

As most of you know, Mark and I never stay in and pay for campgrounds. We wouldn’t be able to afford this lifestyle otherwise. We boondock pretty much 100% of the time, which means we camp without facilities and amenities. Not that electricity hookups would matter, since we don’t have an air conditioner on board. And this is an important factor: nobody lives, let alone camps, without AC in Eastern Texas this time of the year. After weeks of suffering from the high humidity, we finally realized why we were always the only RV wherever we parked for the night…

So, when it all became too much – the sweating, the running around, the stressing over issues and logistics, the bugs – we inquired about the availability of John and Harriet’s condo and snatched a glorious week there to cool down, take a deep breath, keep working on the fridge issue and more logistics, go for long beach walks with Maya, and… be sick. Maybe it was the AC? Maybe the culmination of everything going on? Maybe it was finally “letting go” for a bit? It was mostly Mark being under the weather last month, but now, here in our Airbnb in Colombia (with AC), it’s my turn.

The cost for our utilities ($48) was similar to previous months. It was the last time we paid for our fantastic unlimited AT&T data plan of $35 a month, which doesn’t exist anymore for new subscribers and which we managed to sell on. The rest of the amount was for propane. Frugal as we are, we only bought two gallons, since our tank needed to be empty in order to ship our camper (which is another incredible story for later). Then, Mark discovered a propane leak. It took weeks to diagnose and fix that issue, and more propane.

The last week of October, our good friends and fellow nomads Duwan and Greg joined us in Texas. We started out at Fort Anahuac Park for three nights (a permit is needed) and – contrary to what we were told previously – discovered we couldn’t stay at other Chambers County Parks for another week. The hunt for free camping in the region then had us stay at a boat ramp, rest area, and Harvest Host brewery location, finishing up at the beach in Galveston again when the wind finally subsided.

When camped at the Equal Parts brewery in Houston, our group went out for drinks and appetizers ($30) on their patio and street tacos at a Mexican food stand ($10). My (bad) Spanish was rewarded with a free Agua de Jamaica (hibiscus juice) and meat taco. ????

As always, we cooked and ate most of our meals at home, by ourselves or with friends. Mark spoiled me with his favorite recipe a couple of times: mushroom burgers on a bed of lettuce with aioli and jasmine rice.

I finally met Lexie, a fellow adventurer whose blog I have been following for years. She treated us to lunch and gifted us Texan goodies, which we savored for days.

Meeting blogging friend Lexie in League City

The money spent on household items went to yet another clock and stain and brushes for our new cabinet. I’m still baffled at how we managed to pick the perfect color from memory – no samples and no photos had accompanied us to Home Depot.

During our 24 hours in the big city, Duwan, Greg, Mark, and I also enjoyed free entertainment in the form of historic buildings, street art, a walk in Buffalo Bayou Park, a glimpse of and in Rothko Chapel, and a stroll through the impressive and fascinating Menil collection.

To top it off, our total expenses for October were not bad at all – under our monthly average. Maybe this is the start of affordable living again…

(PS: We did have $101 of Lance camper expenses in October as well – diagnostic tools and extra parts – as preparation for our upcoming multiple-year South America trip, but since we budgeted for that, it becomes part of our purchase price. I plan to write a separate post about those projects and costs in the future.)

October 2022 Overview:

Groceries:

Car (fuel: $153; maintenance: $120; tolls: $4):

Dog (food: $131; fish oil: $49):

Alcohol:

Accommodation (condo cleaning fee):

Utilities (internet: $35; propane: $13):

Drinking out:

Household (clock, batteries,…):

Computer (hosting site):

Clothing (hat Liesbet):

Dining out:

Gifts:

 

TOTAL:

 

$354

$277

$179

$81

$80

$48

$30

$24

$20

$12

$10

$8

———

$ 1,123

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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Spectacular Hike to No Name Lake & Broken Top in Deschutes National Forest, Oregon – A Photo Blog

Mark, Maya, and I spent the last week of August in the Bend, Oregon, area. We visited our friend Patti and her two dogs, Koozie and Pekoe, did a few more projects on our camper, and explored this popular outdoor town and its surroundings.

On a neighborhood walk with the dogs, we could see our destination… that mountain in the distance

We lucked out with permits for the 5-mile No Name Lake & Broken Top trail. The distance was not that long, but the elevation of over 9,000ft made us huff and puff. It was a beautiful day and the views were stupendous. As a matter of fact, this hike competes with the slot canyon one we did in Baja California Sur, Mexico earlier this year for #1 of 2022…

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

Hiking up

Snow!

No Name Lake

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Escape into Nature – Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument in Washington State

I hinted at it before: Mark and I have had some challenges the last few months, in general, and a few difficulties and issues regarding our current Lance 830 truck camper. Without going into detail just yet, we decided that our best plan of action in early July (a week before my departure to Belgium) was to head into the woods. We could use a change of scenery, needed to escape the 90+ temperatures of Portland, Oregon, wanted to test our camper on rough roads and terrain, and looked forward to camping in nature again.

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

The three of us had a fantastic time hiking in Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, sleeping in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, exploring trails and backroads, and bouncing around on the roughest roads we ever encountered (since that was the goal).

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Thursday Doors – In Picturesque, Free-spirited, and Historic Bisbee, Arizona

About a year and a half ago, Mark and I (and our friends Duwan and Greg) visited Bisbee in southeastern Arizona. Other than sightseeing and getting a good feel for this historic town’s vibe, we looked at houses for sale. Yes, there was a time that we might have gotten serious about the prospect of owning a “real” home. But, us being wandering spirits, picky, and frugal made us pass on Bisbee, a town we enjoyed exploring. I blogged about those impressions and experiences here.

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

It was in this picturesque town that I took a few photos of doors, thinking that, one day, I would join the Thursday Doors blog hop. Yeah, sometimes it takes me a while to follow up on thoughts and ideas. 🙂

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Wet & Wild Mesquite Canyon – One of the Most Spectacular Hikes in Baja California Sur, Mexico

A hike in Mesquite Canyon, located about an hour south of Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico, was on the agenda last year, especially after seeing photos about it on our friends Sandie and Karsten’s blog. They had told us how to get there, but our mistake was not writing down the instructions and neglecting to search for the approach on Google Map’s satellite image.

Hiking in the heat to find the trail last year – in vain

We found the correct entrance road in the spring of 2021, drove through the gravel pit area, parked, and explored two approaches on foot with Maya. One brought us to a gate, which we didn’t think allowed public access (it did) and the other gravel path brought us into the mountains after a couple of hot and rocky miles, before we believed this wasn’t right.

The gate was closed last year, so we didn’t proceed. The trail starts two miles past this point.

It was late afternoon by the time we returned to Zesty, so we spent the night in the peaceful environs of a gravel pit. Bummed, we gave up on this alleged incredible canyon hike. When we saw Sandie and Karsten again, they mentioned the trail started two miles past the gate.

Camped with Zesty near the gravel pit, last year

Needless to say, this hike in Mesquite Canyon was high on the list during our recent return trip to Baja California Sur. This time, we did enough research and were determined to find the trail. Except, it was Sunday and the access road to the canyon was blocked off. Despair and disappointment arrived.

Oh no, the access road is blocked!

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Agua Verde – A Remote Gem & Highlight in Baja California, Mexico

In the beginning of February, Mark, Maya, and I spent ten days on a pebble beach near Agua Verde in Baja California, Mexico. During that time, we visited this small village with our friends Duwan and Greg, in their car. Waiting for a fish taco lunch at the town’s waterfront, we spotted a protected bay with anchored boats and a sandy beach through binoculars. We decided to stop there on the drive home. Within five minutes of setting foot on that white beach and gazing at the surrounding rock formations, Mark and I concluded: “Let’s stop here for a week on our drive back north.”

Agua Verde bay

So, a good six weeks later, after we explored more of the Baja California peninsula and rounded Cabo Este, we stocked up on water, propane, and food for another nine days off the beaten path. Our first night was spent at the end of the ten-mile paved stretch of road, which then turned into dirt for another 20 miles to Agua Verde.

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

The road in

Those last 30 kilometers (20 miles) of the Agua Verde road were rutted and potholed; some were steep and narrow, down a treacherous slope, where you hoped nobody arrived from the other side. This was the second time we attempted this route. Heading down and looking ahead, clouds of dust announced opposing traffic. Sometimes, I would jump out of the passenger seat to assess the situation. On the return trip, it was more difficult to see oncoming cars. We hoped they would see our dust cloud.

At the bottom of the windy hill, the track was mostly flat but still in awful shape. The entire stretch of road, from Mex 1 (the main “highway” in Baja) to Agua Verde took us two hours and a half of being shaken. Despite our slow progress, car sickness still befell me. But it was worth it.

One-lane dirt road towards Agua Verde

Our campsite

After a last, steep descend, an empty beach opened up. We had encountered quite a bit of traffic on the drive, so we feared the place would be packed. Not so. A group of fishermen was camped for the night by the entrance of the beach and multiple sailboats peacefully swayed at anchor. We had our pick to park and chose a spot higher up. From here, we could see the protected bay on one side and the windier Sea of Cortez on the other side. Depending on shade, we moved our chairs around the camper.

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Off the Beaten Path in Baja California Sur, Mexico – Cabo Este or the East Cape

While any visit to the Agua Verde area by vehicle can only happen after taking a 30-kilometer/20-mile slow, steep, uncomfortable, and extremely bumpy ride (after another 10 kilometers/7 miles of pavement), exploring the East Cape by its access road Camino Cabo Este is even tougher and more demanding. No wonder this stretch is called one of the worst roads in Baja.

Camino Cabo Este

Luckily, you don’t have to drive the entire 100 kilometers (60 miles) of washboard and potholed dirt track in one go! As a matter of fact, it took us twelve fabulous days to complete this one-way adventure.

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

La Paz

But first, Mark, Maya, our friends Duwan and Greg, and I spent a few days in La Paz, where we found a decent parking spot for three nights. Mark and I remember the capital of Baja California Sur as a pleasant town with a good vibe and historic charm. In the last sixteen years, it hasn’t changed much.

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