Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting and relatively adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂 That being said, Mark and I seem to manage one big expense a month for some reason, whether it is camper, plane, travel or computer-related. Luckily, we live totally rent-free, wherever we end up.
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. Health insurance and costs are related to my health care as a permanent resident in the US. Mark is still eligible for free health care in the state of Massachusetts as of today. If a non-emergency were to happen outside of that state, it will be expensive! For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast. I still pay a small quarterly fee in Belgium for health care (required to retain citizenship), which I mention in my year report.
March was a decent month, apart from some one-off expenses, which appear every month in different forms. This time, it was our yearly credit card fee, which is high, but comes with loads of perks and airline miles. And, we bought a battery charger for our camper, to retain and create more electricity. More parts are needed to become self-sufficient for longer times, but Mark and I are trying to spread the purchases for Zesty, to not go overboard too much each month. 🙂
In March we also splurged on tickets for the fascinating Leonardo da Vinci "The Genius" exhibition in Albuquerque. By going in the evening on the first Friday of the month, we saved $10. Finally an expense in the "entertainment" category!
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April 9, 2018 at 13:35
That looks like a nice way to spend money in the entertainment category. It’s the type of thing I would enjoy.
April 11, 2018 at 10:17
I have been fascinated with da Vinci since I was in my twenties, so to see some of his inventions “built out”, and to learn more about him was interesting, yet overwhelming!
April 9, 2018 at 15:10
The exhibition looks great! Look after those flip flops, don’t let the wildlife get ’em! ?
April 11, 2018 at 10:23
I think I have learned my lesson about wildlife and flip flops, Anabel. And, while it was tempting to replace my ruined pair with the same one, I decided to go for a cheaper option in the end.
April 10, 2018 at 08:53
Wow, that is a great month! Lately our expenses have been higher that what we would have liked but then again we have been on the move. I am thinking they will remain a little higher this summer especially with traveling up to the Yukon where most things are more expensive. It will definitely be a challenge to keep them down as much as possible and still have a good time.
Ruth
April 11, 2018 at 10:26
So awesome that you guys are planning to explore The Yukon. Such an amazing territory! And, yes, when you move a lot, the price for fuel is high! The reason ours was so low last month is because the owners of the house sit let us use their cars. 🙂 Often, being on a budget and having a good time don’t match well… 🙁
April 10, 2018 at 21:36
Great reading this. Exhibit looks wonderful, and interesting seeing yet again there are ways to live comfortably without breaking the bank.
April 11, 2018 at 10:32
Thanks you for visiting and commenting, Silvia. I think it all boils down to priorities – do you want to live in “luxury” with all kinds of gadgets and stuff (and have a high paying, busy job to afford it all), or do you want to live a more flexible, adventurous (and challenging) life and only buy the essentials, while having time for travel, and not having to make as much money?
April 10, 2018 at 23:47
The exhibition looks like a lovely treat. 🙂 🙂 Does Mark have ongoing health issues? I may have missed this somewhere along the line.
April 11, 2018 at 10:34
Not sure how you picked that up, Jo, but yes, Mark has/had health issues that we need to be aware of at all times.
April 11, 2018 at 11:33
Just the reference to vitamins and health supplements, I think, Liesbet, and the free health care? Odd that that varies from state to state but then, I know nothing of the American health system. I thought you paid for everything. I just hope he stays healthy for you. 🙂 🙂
April 11, 2018 at 14:03
Aha! Yeah… health care is tricky business here in the US and caused us quite a few headaches the last couple of weeks. Massachusetts (our state of residence) is very liberal. The reason Mark’s care is free, is because we “sit” in the lowest income bracket. I hope so too, Jo. We are going through a rough period again, unfortunately.
April 11, 2018 at 14:05
Sorry to hear that, hon.
April 13, 2018 at 12:57
Thanks, Jo. Let us all prepare and get ready for better times. 🙂
April 11, 2018 at 00:59
This is a good reminder that it’s been far too long since I’ve gone to a museum. I second the comment to take care of your new flip-flops, Liesbet. 🙂
April 11, 2018 at 10:35
It’s a rare event for us to visit a museum as well, JH, but this exhibition was worth it. And, it coincided with Mark’s birthday, so we had no problem splurging. Those flip flops will not get a chance to become toys, food or nest building materials for wildlife! 🙂
April 14, 2018 at 14:31
I think it is great that you are getting the camper set up so you could use it for longer periods as needed. Really gives you so much versatility. Given the battery charger expense I’d say your monthly expenses are very low.
April 16, 2018 at 07:54
Right now, I have a hard time with how much we are spending, Sue. But, to be flexible, to travel and to maintain all that means investing in some parts for our Zesty. The idea is that we can be off-grid for at least a few days at a time! Our to-do list still has new batteries ($600) and solar panels ($600 – $800) on it. And a windshield replacement in the fall for at least $1000. Ouch! But, hopefully, after all that, we can be frugal again. 🙂
April 20, 2018 at 17:37
With your groceries, how often to you do grocery shopping? Do you always buy the same staple items? Do you grow anything or have groceries that don’t require you to pay money for them?
The reason for my questions is that groceries seems to be one of the biggest monthly expenses we have. We always blow our budget (maybe we need to increase our budget now that we know how expensive it is in New Zealand). We go to the cheapest supermarket and also try to buy from the local butcher or green grocer if available.
April 21, 2018 at 09:54
Hi Paul! Thanks for swinging by and leaving a comment. It looks like Mark and I have a lot in common with you and Sandra – from being a mixed couple to a mutual love for adventure to similar priorities and a minimalistic approach to life. I like the quote on your website “to experience more by living with less.” That is so us. We value memories and experiences more than stuff.
Before getting to your questions, we spent two months in New Zealand in 2014, and were surprised at how expensive it had become. I backpacked down under in 2001 and it was a very different experience. Not only financially. I assume you rarely go out to dinner and cook yourselves (the best way to save money on food)?
Mark and I do a “big” grocery shopping every two weeks. We try to last that long, but if we need a particular item that we ran out of (usually bananas), we might swing by any store to pick some up.
Yes, we always buy the same staples and – if at all possible – in the same stores. Since we are US-based, we usually combine a trip to Trader Joe’s for certain staples (goat cheese, sugar-less bread, olive oil potato chips, frozen fish and veggie burgers) and a local store for the rest. Ideally, we find a cheap store like Aldi, Grocery Outlet or El Super (Mexican store) for these items. Produce in these places is much cheaper than elsewhere. Veggies make up the bulk of our cart. Often, we need a chain store for the rest of our groceries. Then, we only buy items on sale and no-brand products. I realize these stores are not available in NZ, but there might be equivalents. Farmer’s markets and high-end grocery stores are out of our budget. We ALWAYS check our receipt and demand our money back when the prices are off. Yes, you do have to memorize the prices more or less, but by shopping in the same store, that becomes easy.
As we live “on the road” as full-time house and pet sitters, we don’t grow anything. 🙂 That being said, we have house sat at properties with a vegetable garden, but what we ate out of those is barely represented in our grocery expenses. When we lived on our sailboat, we grew spinach, mint and basil. But, the best part about being in the South Pacific (French Polynesia) is that we never spent any money on fruit and avocados, which was abundant. We either found and picked it, or were given heaps by the locals.
I think the best way to save on groceries is to cut out the spoils (nuts, ice cream, pastries) and forgo name brand products. Also, we have realized that when we are on the water or the road full-time (with less place to store things), we buy less food, especially in areas where shopping is expensive or where not much is available. In New Zealand, we bought most of our groceries in Chinese-run stores. Less choice, but cheaper and therefore, we bought only the essentials. Hope this helps. 🙂
April 29, 2018 at 21:50
Hi Liesbet, it does a lot – help I mean. Your response highlights how expensive groceries are in New Zealand. Despite being a kiwi myself (not the bird or the fruit), I hadn’t lived here for 10 years so hadn’t had the experience of buying or budgeting for food.
I also think that food may be cheaper in the US. We were there for three months ibn later 2016, but our living style was different as we stayed in AirBnB accommodation and moved every few days. Since we didn’t have our own vehicle, it meant we had to buy small and regularly so maybe our grocery bill reflected that.
Your comment regarding cutting out the spoils is a great point. We (and I really mean I) indulge a bit too much and could cut back on the niceties. That said, I run a 5 – 6 days a week so have a healthy appetite in general.
Anyway, thanks for the lengthy response. Taking it in and we will make some adjustments.
Cheers, Paul
April 30, 2018 at 08:53
You’re welcome, Paul. As a runner, I’m sure you need a healthy, stable and protein-rich diet. Everyone can cut out expenses to save money and prioritize, but what those items are depends greatly on our individual desires/needs and situations. 🙂
April 21, 2018 at 03:00
Hi Liesbet, I’ve just come across your and Mark’s life-style. The way to go! Much admiration for it. When we were young, life was very different. No such thing as gap-years and we had just emerged from a war…so everything was ‘very sensible’ and ordered…Nevertheless, before our three sons were born, we travelled a lot in the UK and when they were older, abroad. It’s such an education – only wish we’d managed more….May you travel many more miles in good health. (Hope you’re) earning through ‘travel tales.’?!
April 21, 2018 at 10:03
Travel is the best education, Joy. I couldn’t agree more. It was one of the reasons I looked forward to raising children at some point, giving them a first-hand world education. 🙂
Thanks for the well wishes. Mark and I have had many ups and downs, so I appreciate your understanding of the importance of traveling in “good health”. 🙂 As far as earning goes, that doesn’t happen through the tales, unfortunately, but we make just enough to maintain our house sitting lifestyle with our small business (as of now).
April 25, 2018 at 10:56
I just realized that I have been incorrectly calling Zesty Westy. Zesty, Zesty, Zesty. I will remember now.
Health is such a big worry. You and Mark are in my thoughts.
Jude
April 29, 2018 at 06:18
No worries, Jude. Zesty is a Westy, so she’s not taking any offense. 🙂