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 and possible.
Despite February being the shortest month of the year, it was an expensive one for us. The first week, Mark, Maya, and I finished our time in Bolivia with Thirsty Bella. We explored Northern Chile for the remainder of the month.
As usual, the car category was the highest at $659 (!) – blame the Chilean fuel prices, our desire to get two new tires, and traveling with a dog…
Our Ford F350 pickup truck has terrible fuel economy, especially with the heavy weight of the camper in the back. We manage to drive around 10 miles per gallon; less in the Andes Mountains, more on perfect, paved roads with a tail wind. At over $5 per gallon, gasoline in Chile is pricy, so much so that we often discussed if an attraction would/might be worth the cost of driving that extra distance. I’ll elaborate more on that in a future post.
We were curious about Northern Chile, so made somewhat of a loop in this desolate and not-so-interesting part of the world. While it is always interesting to explore new territory, this detour easily cost us $200 in fuel (most of it bought as a last, tricky fill-up in Bolivia), something we don’t think was worth it.
But, because of this extra distance, we managed to buy two duty-free new tires in the “free zone” of Iquique for a decent price.
Our all-terrain tires didn’t need replacing yet, based on their use and mileage, but after the tire stabbing incident in Colombia eight months ago, we have always been worried about that extensively patched-up front tire, especially on rocky tracks. Plus, Mark didn’t feel comfortable airing down that tire if ever needed. As fate would have it, tire deflation proved necessary mere days after buying the new set. More about that in a future blog post.
We wanted the new tires in the back, so had to find a place that accommodated rotating the wheels and installing the tires, something that was not included in the purchase price. or was available there. After trial and error, we found a set of guys, who swapped the front and back tires and popped two of the new ones on the rims. With two jacks. Three, when the back of the camper appeared too heavy and stalled progress at some point. I kept mumbling under my breath, “This is a disaster waiting to happen,” as two wheels were removed at the same time and the mechanics’ attitude was very relaxed… A stressful hour!
For Chile, we needed to buy additional liability insurance, which was affordable at $11 for six months. The tolls added up to $8, we urgently needed a carwash after our sandy conundrum ($6), and we paid $2 in tips for parking attendants.
The dog category was high for two reasons. We needed to stock up on special dog food for our allergic Maya, which is available – and “cheaper” – in Chile. So, we bought two giant bags of 18kg (40lbs) in Iquique. This should last a while…
Plus, we had to deal with two export permits to prove Maya was in good health. One to cross into Chile from Bolivia and one to drive from Chile into Argentina. The last certificate is valid for a return into Chile within 60 days.
Chile and Argentina are very strict about internal and external parasite treatment for pets when crossing borders. Since we didn’t have the box or the number of Maya’s current Seresto collar, we ended up buying a new one for a steep $66. At least, it should be good for another eight months! And, the vet fee was for follow-up visits in Uyuni, Bolivia, to get her bite wound checked out and her stitches removed.
The grocery cost was average at $271, despite having to restock our fridge and pantry upon entry into Chile, since we’d eaten everything that was prohibited, like meat, fruits, vegetables, eggs, and honey.
Shopping for food can be pricey in this country, but – as always – we constantly look for the best deals, buy generic brands, avoid imported products, pick produce that is affordable, compare prices, and check our receipts. This way, costs remain manageable. No matter whether it is in French Polynesia, the Bahamas, or Chile! 😊
We splurged on entertainment in February as well, with that private tour onto the Salar in Uyuni for $116 and a tip for our guide. The rest of that $150 of fun went to the entrance fee for the ghost town of Humberstone ($13) in Northern Chile and visits to the salt statues and the “island” of Incahuasi on the Salar. Few attractions in Chile are free, so that trend continues into this month!
Mark and I bought affordable wine and extra Flor de Caña and Bacardi in Bolivia and Chile, because friends told us rum was hard to find and expensive in Argentina. The utility category contains half of our monthly subscription fee for Starlink satellite internet (the other half is paid by our business) and potable water. For the first time in six months, we had to pay for our drinking water. This happened in Uyuni, where we transferred six 20-liter (5-gallon) garrafones into our tank with an electric pump.
The miscellaneous category consists of a tip of $20 (and a six-pack of beer) for the Chileans who towed us out of a gnarly situation on the beach in Hornitos. I hate to admit it, but February was another eventful month on the road… And, we had to buy prints and photocopies to have in the car with us for border crossings and police checks. Yup. That cost $5 in Chile.
We hadn’t done laundry since running the campground in La Paz, Bolivia, so there was quite a pile to take care of. After a few failed attempts – the machines at a truck stop were broken and drop-off services took too long or were way out of our budget – we managed to get our loads done within 24 hours at a full-service laundromat in Antofagasta. The price was actually much higher, but somehow, that mistake worked in our advantage.
Mark and I enjoy good food and eating out, but that is not in the cards in Chile. Fortunately, a generous donation by our friends Duwan and Greg allowed us to enjoy a Korean dinner in Iquique. Other than that, we went out for a seafood empanada lunch in Antofagasta.
We managed to eat a lot of awesome meals at home, because the only affordable thing in this country, other than wine, is seafood!
The last and cheapest expenses of February were for transportation (a taxi ride in Iquique after a long walk and picking up the dogfood), more birth control pills in Bolivia, some nuts and bolts for a broken cabinet in Bella, and a shower at a truck stop for $1 each.
We didn’t stay at any campgrounds, but boondocked (wild camped) throughout Southwestern Bolivia and Northern Chile. So, our accommodation was free.
And, that’s a wrap for last month. Not the cheapest one of the year but we obtained some big-ticket items and hope that fuel will get more affordable from now on. Plus, we really ought to start driving less and “sitting” more. 😊
Camped for free by El Mano del Desierto – The Hand in the Desert
(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 each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.
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March 12, 2024 at 10:42
Wow. I think I’d enjoy traveling like you do if someone else solved all the problems. You two are the original Jacks of all trades.
March 15, 2024 at 15:18
Haha, Jacqui. I feel like you have to be pretty self-sufficient and a problem solver to stick with this lifestyle. Honestly, there is not one day that goes by without one or another issue, mystery, surprise, or challenging situation. Not one.
March 12, 2024 at 11:16
Always enjoy reading your monthly financial summaries, Liesbet, and that’s the same with February’s report. Love the details and photos that round out the report. Curious what you meant how the higher-priced laundromat worked to your advantage? Did I miss something?!
March 15, 2024 at 15:24
Hi Annie,
My statement wasn’t very clear, sorry. In South America, it is very difficult to find self-serve washing machines (usually, only in campgrounds, which we rarely stay at – or at a truck stop in Chile, but they were broken); drop-off services are the way to go. They either charge by the piece of clothing, the weight, or the size of the bags. It’s sometimes possible to receive the clean laundry back the same day (necessary for our sheets), but usually, it’s done about 24 hours later.
In this particular situation, what happened was that the employee told us the price. I paid too much and she gave me change back. I didn’t count the change, because Mark and I were overwhelmed with tasks and not in the best of moods.
Hours later, we discovered that she had given us too much change back, but we were too far away to turn back. It would have cost us a lot in fuel to “do the right thing.” We did talk to her on WhatsApp about this and she was happy that we acknowledged the problem and told us to “not worry about it,” as we were trying to figure out how to pay her back a different way.
March 12, 2024 at 12:37
Every time I read your monthly reports I am amazed. Carmen and I try, somewhat, to live simply and frugally, but groceries at $271 and dining out at $10, totaling $281 for 30 days of food, is beyond our apparent capabilities. Thanks for sharing these details and a summary of your recent travels. Jim
March 15, 2024 at 15:28
Hi Jim,
Funny you picked up on the food cost in this report.
While the groceries were relatively average – we are careful shoppers, who usually only buy what we “need” not what we “want,” especially if it’s imported and crazy expensive. But, the dining out category was super cheap, because of the generosity (and compassion? :)) of others.
I’m sure the dining out section will be bigger this month. Although, so far, we are being careful as Argentina is much more expensive than we thought, due to the devaluation of their peso and the prices rising daily!
March will be a much “heavier” month, since we – literally – bought really big ticket items. 🙂
March 12, 2024 at 12:41
Hi Liesbet!! You, Mark & Maya fit so much in to one month. Like Annie said I’m curious too about how the higher prices at the laundromat worked in your favor. Loved the photos, as always. The family photo is sweet. There is something about the last photo of all that is especially nice. I can’t describe it well, but it feels … peaceful. Take care and be well Liesbet.
March 15, 2024 at 15:33
Hi Lea,
I sometimes don’t know how – or why – we do it, but we rarely have free time. We are super busy. Constantly. And, when we don’t find a decent place to camp, it means hitting the road every day and being even busier…
That hand in Chile was something I was drawn to. It was a two-hour detour, but I’m glad I convinced Mark to visit as it felt special to me, too.
I’m sorry about the confusion regarding the laundry being cheaper than it should have been. I explained it in more depth to Annie underneath, but the bottom line is that the employee gave us too much change back, which we didn’t realize until much later. We tried to “fix” this, but we had left town and the lady messaged us not to worry about it.
So, this laundry event, while expensive for us, could – and would – have been worse. I’ve been doing hand laundry to make up for it. 🙂
March 12, 2024 at 12:50
Even your “worst” month looks pretty good to me.
I understand tire problems. We’ve had to replace all four, but in the States very few problems except a blow to the budget. Thanks, Liesbet!
March 15, 2024 at 15:36
Hi Marian,
Yeah, getting new tires – no matter where – is never cheap, easy, or convenient. We actually bought four new tires in the US before this South America trip, so it was a tad disheartening to already replace two of them after a year and a half. But, with a bit of “luck” that’s it for a while. We really didn’t feel comfortable with that punctured one.
Funny thing about these two new tires: the grooves are wider than in the front tires, so we constantly have to listen to the tickety tick of gravel and small rocks getting stuck in them when we drive on pavement with the windows open! 🙂
March 12, 2024 at 14:31
“Eventful” is a mild term for all your adventures! Your budget is still remarkably good considering all the extra expenses you had this month. Well done! 🙂
March 15, 2024 at 15:39
Thanks, Diane. We try to stay around $1,000 a month here, but it is impossible, because of the extra expenses of which there are at least one or two, or three, each month! Wait for this month. We bought plane tickets!! That’ll be a serious blow to the budget. I need a donation button for that, haha.
I need to write a post about our time in Chile soon and I was going to write the term “eventful” in the title, but now I’m thinking 1) every month is eventful, and 2) there really only was one eventful drama in Chile in February… Hmmm.
March 12, 2024 at 14:41
Hi,Liesbet- Like the others who have commented I remain highly impressed y your budget and your ability to problem-solve. Even more so. I greatly admire the tender loving care and attention that you give to Maya
March 15, 2024 at 15:42
Hi Donna,
Where do you keep getting your positive, supportive, and kind attitude? 🙂
I’m flattered that you think we are an inspiration and that you read the comments of other readers. As you know (from reading Plunge and meeting us), our dogs are the driving force behind practically every decision we make. And, they deserve it! Maya is living her best life now, despite (still) being a difficult dog at times. 🙂
March 12, 2024 at 17:19
I love the hand in the desert but not sure I’d like to wake up next to it!
March 15, 2024 at 15:44
Haha, Anabel. Luckily, we were parked with our butt towards The Hand, so we couldn’t see it unless we left the camper. Which was quite tricky with what felt like hurricane-force (they call it Patagonia-force here) winds! This is an awesome statue, by the way, and photos can do it justice. 🙂
March 12, 2024 at 20:19
That last shot is wild.
So many requirements to move from country to country…while here they just stream across the border for free. Sad.
I would never want to do what you guys do, but you will see far more than I ever will of this world.
March 15, 2024 at 15:47
Hi Alex,
I really wanted to check out this Hand statue in person and it didn’t disappoint! There’s a reason it grazes many guidebook covers.
I admit that doing what we do and seeing what we see – the way we do and see things – is quite challenging. There are times when I wish money wasn’t an issue and I could just be the tourist and not the traveling inhabitant…
By the way, we could also just get across the borders without dealing with any paperwork or prep for Maya, but I doubt we’d be able to leave again. 🙂 We really don’t want to get stuck anywhere and lose our freedom.
March 13, 2024 at 13:35
Although it was a more expensive month you still have done a great job with your budget. You guys are amazing. Maya is worth every penny of the money spent on her, such a gorgeous dog. Loving all your photos with her at Salar in U. Also that last photo of the Hand in the Desert, so interesting.
March 15, 2024 at 15:50
Hi Gilda,
We agree that Maya is worth whatever she needs and whatever we need to spend on her. We are actually quite happy that she hasn’t gotten into too much trouble yet that requires vet visits! Other than her bite wound and vaccination updates, and health checks for certificates. Which, to be honest, has required a lot of vet visits recently. Fortunately, vet care has been reasonably priced everywhere in South America so far.
March 18, 2024 at 11:09
A short (expensive) month, but another one full of life, Liesbet. There never seems to be a dull moment on your travels.
Northern Chile sounds lovely, but fuel prices there not so good. Any reason why only the quick visit to Chile, or will you be crossing the boarder again from Argentina?
I have to say that all the sea food looks lovely and good to hear that it’s at good prices.
You had me with my heart in my mouth when explaining about the tyre change. Those guys deserve a good pat on the back.
March 23, 2024 at 13:00
Hi Hugh,
Chile was relatively expensive, but it was the most western country we visited so far. And that was a nice change.
In this instance, we only circled the northern part, because we looked forward to exploring Argentina for a bit. It is supposed to be cheaper here, but current changes with the local currency has taken that attraction away. We plan to return to Chile multiple times and look forward to its southern part next “winter.”
About the “never a dull moment” reality of our life on the road, my upcoming blog (hopefully later today) will prove you right, Hugh!
March 18, 2024 at 17:15
Looks like as the world gets more expensive, so is your nomadic life. Imagine if you had to pay 2-3K rent on top, that’s what it costs many of us to live. You’re still doing well. And everything happens for a reason – a detour found you bagain tires! Hugs my friend. <3
March 23, 2024 at 13:03
Hi Debby,
One of the reasons we live in our camper is to not have to pay (high) rent. We couldn’t afford living in a Western country anymore, unless we would somehow pick up high-paying jobs. And then, most of that income would go to living expenses, rent, and utilities. Not travel. Now, that doesn’t make sense, right? 🙂
I really would like to find ease and comfort in the “everything happens for a reason” theory. That would cause much less stress and frustration, haha.
March 24, 2024 at 11:21
I hear you on the rent thing Liesbet. But unfortunately, we don’t find out until hindsight kicks in why something happened. 🙂
March 24, 2024 at 19:56
Yup. Hindsight is a bitch! 🙂