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!
(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
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May 2, 2025 at 17:02
hello, enjoyed the update – and hope Paraguay is enjoyable for your next stay.
I could imagine you walking the extra mile for the return and wondered why the receipt was incorrect. That likely added some stress.
Oh and how fun to splurge on enjoying the Michelin-star restaurant, Zonda. Even if it was not as nice as other similar places you have dined, very cool to experience that and I loved the photos.
May 3, 2025 at 10:19
Yes, we did enjoy the fancy experience at Zonda restaurant. It will be a while before we have another splurge like that, haha.
Actually, the receipt for my birth control pill wasn’t wrong. I’d bought the strip at $8 in that pharmacy and then found it cheaper elsewhere, so returned the first product to the first pharmacy to save money. 🙂
May 3, 2025 at 14:47
🍃🙂🍃
May 2, 2025 at 19:29
I’m glad you allow yourself to splurge once in a while. We’ve managed to find a balance between enjoying life with the occasional extravagance while remaining financially responsible. Of course, our track record isn’t perfect, but I think we’ve navigated that balance well. Looking forward to reading about Paraguay.
May 3, 2025 at 10:21
Hi Pete,
I like that term “financially responsible”. It sounds better than “frugal”. 🙂 I’m glad you two found a spending balance. Finding a balance is so important and satisfying for many facets in life. I’m often struggling with it.
We are curious about Paraguay ourselves. Hopefully we will change countries in about a week.
May 2, 2025 at 19:31
Yes, you are under the your $1,300 average. Yay!
In spite of snafus along the way, you do enjoy eating well, even in a restaurant.
I did catch the mention of Mark getting Power of Attorney for his mom, something we had to do for our loved ones too–a hard thing nevertheless.
Best wishes as you journey toward Paraguay, you two! 😀
May 3, 2025 at 10:25
Hi Marian,
I LOVE food and I LOVE eating. I’m fortunate with a husband who cooks well, healthy, and affordably. But we do look forward to eating out more often. Hopefully in Paraguay. It’s so nice not to have to worry about cooking and dishes once in a while.
Mark is dealing with some of his mom’s administrational needs, which has gotten hard at times. She had a health insurance ordeal that took three months to solve, from abroad. Sigh. But, yeah, having this POA makes things easier for him to call on her behalf.
May 3, 2025 at 17:35
Very wise balancing of expenses! I love that you also allow for splurges. Wishing you wonderful travels ahead!
May 5, 2025 at 10:47
Thanks, Donna! I don’t know what it is, but the older we get, the more careful we are with our spending. Usually, with most people, it’s the other way around, haha. Of course, the current political situation is not helping us feel confident about our currency, savings, and investments. 🙁
May 4, 2025 at 16:58
Your budget always amazes me. Jim
May 5, 2025 at 10:48
Thanks, Jim. We tried hard for April and the beginning of May. But we have more driving to do tomorrow and we are planning on meeting good friends in Paraguay for ten days, so I’m sure that’ll mean some more expenses, fun, and splurges! 🙂
May 5, 2025 at 13:04
Doing laundry while ‘on the road’ is problematic even stateside where there are numerous DIY laundromats. In my experience not only are coin op’s expensive but the washing machines are often filthy dirty and the dryers leave your clothes smelling awful!
After following along with your experiences wherein you take advantage of streams and lakes I was reminded of John Steinbecks novel ‘Travels with Charlie’ in his truck camper Rocinante. He suspended a bucket with lid in the bathroom using bungee cords. As he drove down the bumpy roads the clothes, water, soap agitated the bucket and washed the clothes clean. After emptying the grey water he refilled with fresh water and repeated the process to rinse.
May 6, 2025 at 10:32
Well, hello, John! Always nice to read from you. Great anecdote of Steinbeck’s novel. I had forgotten about that part. I can only imagine what a mess that method would produce on the crappy roads that we drive daily, though… Because, a bucket – even with a lid – will spill. But then again, it would be easier to clean up soapy water than pee (that’s a story for another time, unless you remember it from one of my blogs, haha).
All that is to say that we are looking forward to countries where self-service laundromats exist, like Brazil. And maybe Paraguay. Every day, Mark and I are “dreaming” about all the improvements that Paraguay might bring over Argentina. By now, Paraguay sounds like the promised land. But first we will bide a bit more time in this country for weather, timeline, and financial reasons. 🙂
May 6, 2025 at 18:08
I haven’t forgotten about your money laundering scheme, recalling that story always elicits a smile:-)
May 5, 2025 at 15:55
Another eventful month! I’m an enthusiastic “foodie”, so I really enjoy your accounts of meals. The Michelin-starred restaurant looked very interesting, and $300 per couple is probably not a lot compared to the cost of Michelin-starred restaurants elsewhere, but… yikes! It’s too bad you weren’t blown away by the food and service – for that price, you would hope to be. When I look at the photos of the food you’ve prepared for yourselves, it seems to me that you have your very own “starred restaurant”, for a fraction of the cost. 🙂
(And I’m drooling over your 3-scoop ice cream! Hubby and I are ice-cream-aholics – almost every time we go to town for some reason, we stop for ice cream cones!)
May 6, 2025 at 10:35
Hi Diane,
I can’t wait for my next ice cream cone! I bet you’d die having to be without ice cream for six months, like I did, haha.
Regarding the Michelin star restaurant or eating out in general in Argentina, we have come to the conclusion that the food and meal quality in this country is nothing to write home about. Add to that the fact that prices for everything double each three to six months (and that most restaurants don’t open until 8pm) and we see no reason to eat out here anymore. Except for special occasions and when convinced the food will be worthwhile.
May 5, 2025 at 18:06
I’d like to put in an order for onion rings. They look great!
So glad Maya is doing better in the camper.
That is an amazing amount of ice cream for $2.
I’m glad some donations made your splurge meal possible.
May 6, 2025 at 10:39
Hi Duwan,
We eat onion rings every five years or so, but I’ll try and convince Mark to make them in Paraguay. They’d be great with a big side salad! 🙂 Let’s hope the ice cream is affordable in that country as well.
We are so looking forward to crossing the border. But biding time right now, driving just enough to add a day or two worth of power to our waning battery (the sun sits very low in the sky this time of the year and it will rain for the next three days) and waiting until it gets a bit cooler in Posadas near the border (it’s predicted to be 90F there later this week).
Yes, we really appreciate those donations. We might stop eating out until more comes in. Not that we have any desire to go to restaurants in Argentina anymore. 🙂