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.
In February, Mark, Maya, Thirsty Bella, and I explored an attractive part of Patagonia. The first week, we drove north in Argentina and the rest of the month, we bounced on the gravel, potholed Carretera Austral (Ruta 7) in Chile.
While it is still summer in the Southern Hemisphere, the rainy weather has made our time here less pleasant. But more about that in future posts.
This expense report could well be the most straightforward one ever. Nothing complicated, unexpected, or weird happened. And, despite fuel being at an all-time high (I say this every month) at $670 (!), we stayed on budget. This record amount accounted for more than half of our expenditures in February! Blame all the driving, the awful roads, and the high fuel prices in Chile ($6/gallon).
Our grocery bill is back on track at around $300. We didn’t come across “real” supermarkets, so have been buying our bread at bakeries, our produce at vegetable shops, and other necessary goods at convenient-store like establishments. We buy what we need, rarely what we want.
Once we reached Chile, we ate out again! Empanadas in Cochrane that consist of ground beef, boiled egg, an olive, and a raisin (beware of the pit in the olive; yes, many dishes containing olives down here, like pizza, still have pits); a tasty fish lunch in Tortel; an incredible pizza in Puerto Rio Tranquilo; and a set lunch menu in La Junta. None of this was cheap, but the total remained under $100.
As usual, most of our meals were cooked and eaten at home. I’ll never tire of Mark’s cuisine, but when he’s busy, working, or tired, I take over.
We also paid for excursions in February. An intended highlight was a boat tour on stunning General Carrera Lake to the famed Marble Caves ($54). The trip didn’t really go according to plan, but we still enjoyed the experience. And, the three of us walked up to Las Manos in Cerro Castillo, to observe rock art in the form of hand paintings ($6). I’ll report on these Chilean attractions later.
Our engine still contains two generic injector coils that we purchased new in Bolivia over a year ago and that we ideally replace with OEM ones. Mark ordered one on Amazon (he always waits for the best available price – one more to go) and, when discovering that an unopened tube of caulk had gone off after we separated our camper from the truck for a repair, we had to hunt for caulk locally. Again, we only found a temporary solution. These two items brought the camper repair category to $58.
Life is more enjoyable with a glass of wine, so we spent $54 on alcohol: some local beers for Mark and a few bottles of wine for both of us. The $39 for utilities went to our monthly Starlink subscription. The exact amount depends on the exchange rate for Argentinian pesos. Our company pays the other half. Filling up with potable water was free.
For once, we needed to stay at a campground, because we had to wash the car, take our camper off, and fix parts of the box. We managed to keep it to one night.
In general, we wild camp and avoid official campgrounds for several reasons (just like marinas when we sailed). Boondocking/wild camping is free, offers privacy, flexibility, and natural surroundings; you don’t have to reserve or register; and there is no check-out time. So that’s what we did the other 27 nights in February. Although we were rarely alone then, too!
The last item of this month’s expense report is laundry ($10). Mark and I have been washing, rinsing, and drying our clothes and linen in nature most of the time. The river water in Patagonia is extremely cold, but the sense of accomplishment – within our own time and space – after finishing a load, or three, is immense. That being said, we do wish laundromats get cheaper as we head north, especially since it has been raining non-stop, lately. This means lots of dirty clothes and no option of drying anything out.
The grand total for February was $1,307, so right on track. But we do need to start spending less on fuel!
(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: The real Patagonia!
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March 9, 2025 at 10:52
Interesting as always. I think a lot of us understand “We buy what we need, rarely what we want.” When my two kids arrived and I quit work to stay home with them, I only shopped sales. That became its own excitement in diversity!
March 9, 2025 at 11:11
Congratulations on staying on budget despite high fuel prices. Delicious looking meals!
March 9, 2025 at 11:43
Reading a book! Where is that construction worker’s phone?
It looks like you are eating very healthy. We are paying more attention to our diet. But on travel days, we end up eating junk – processed food that doesn’t need to be prepared and is easy to get. When we get to a place with a real kitchen we think of all the things we can make. Right now, we have an oven – and a casserole dish!
It looks like you had some nice places to stay. And nice roads, maybe?
Summer is rainy season here in Perú too. The roads are terrible.
Note for our future van – a pole to hold up a clothes line.
I wouldn’t be able to do laundry in cold river water. My hands are way too sensitive to cold. It would hurt too much. I hate that having laundry done is so expensive. We’ve only had to hire out laundry once. It was done by the guy who owned the hostel, and he gave us a discount because I provided the detergent.
Looking forward to reading about the Marble Caves and your other adventures!
March 9, 2025 at 12:19
Well, you three always amaze me. In spike of all your adventures you still manage to live on such a small amount of money. I admire your ability to do that, especially since last month half of your costs was fuel. Between Medicare, Medi-Gap, and dental insurance, those three alone cost us $900 a month and truck insurance is $140 a month. So for just insurance, we pay more than $1000 a month. Almost your entire month’s budget. Wow!!!! As aways, I enjoy following your journey. Jim
March 9, 2025 at 13:40
Finally, somewhere where gas is actually higher than what we’re paying for in California ($5.60 per gallon). Pretty wild to think that fuel makes up more than 50% of your expenses.
March 9, 2025 at 14:50
You end up with a decent list of expense every, single month. And, it looks like you are eating well too.
I remind myself that you have summer as we in Florida are coming out of winter. I’m not complaining, but the tips of my fingers are cold: 😀