Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

Tag: frugal living (page 6 of 7)

How Much Money Do We Make?

August 12, 2020 / / 50 Comments

Financial Case Study: Liesbet Collaert – Interview on The Professional Hobo

I’m excited to announce something entirely different and unique today…

Many of you know that I post monthly and yearly expense reports on this blog, without any secrecy. Yet, I have never disclosed how much money I/we actually make in a year. I’ve also been pretty vague about how we have been able to afford our nomadic lifestyle over the years and what is required to financially sustain ourselves.

All this and more insights can be found on Nora Dunn’s website The Professional Hobo, where I take part in her Financial Case Study series. Unlike most of her guests, we don’t make six figures a year and stay true to our motto “The less money you need, the less you need to earn.”

Check it out here!

Warning: Her website is advertisement-heavy.

Financial Case Study: Liesbet Collaert, Roaming About

Financial Case Study: Liesbet Collaert, Roaming About

Liesbet Collaert was born in Belgium and recently became an American, but calls herself a world citizen. She’s been a digital nomad since 2003 (sailing, house sitting, and RVing), earning money as a freelance writer, photographer, translator, and editor. Her first travel memoir is almost ready for publication. Liesbet connects with her readers on her blog Roaming About – A Life Less Ordinary, as well as her Facebook page or Instagram account.

While Liesbet’s income seems small, I think you’ll agree that she and her husband have lived an extraordinary life of travel, and by using creative budget travel tips (like getting accommodation for free) they haven’t been left wanting for much. Check it out! 

Financial Case Studies

How long have you been living/working on the road, and where have you traveled to?

Where do I start? Since I’m pretty impulsive and adventurous, my nomadic existence and means to make money developed organically. I’ve always been a traveler. One of the reasons I became a teacher in Belgium was to have a long summer vacation designed around exploring the world. I took two “leave of absences” during my first four years of teaching, to backpack in Southeast Asia and Down Under. Being frugal and passionate about travel, that’s what I used my income for. I never owned anything, making it easy for me to be flexible. The third time I left Belgium for an extended adventure, I never returned. That was in 2003.

While I didn’t need to make money during these initial escapades, as I had savings from my “real job” and I run a tight budget ship, one – of course – can’t journey forever without earnings. Darn! I think it was in 2008 – after a few years of RV-travel and getting close and personal with sailboats – that I started to create some sort of income. Up until that point, I’d cleaned a few boats for change and kept a free blog about our sailing journey on SV Irie to share our experiences and inspire others.

I traveled throughout Europe while living in Belgium until I was 27, backpacked in Southeast Asia and Oceana for two years, explored the continental US, Canada, and Alaska in a truck camper for a year and a half and Mexico and Central America for another year. In 2007, the sailboat episode followed – a journey that brought us from Maryland (USA) south to Florida, throughout the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, spending hurricane season in the Dominican Republic, and on to the Eastern Caribbean via Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. 

After three years up and down the Leeward and Windward Islands, we skimmed the out islands of Venezuela, spend time in Colombia, and enjoyed over a year in Panama. The next steps were transiting the Canal, being blown away by wildlife in the Galapagos Islands, and concluding our sailing voyage after cruising in French Polynesia for two years. Eight years after casting off (in 2015), we sold Irie in Tahiti.

Since then, we’ve slowed down a bit, house and pet sitting throughout the United States and exploring North America in our 19ft camper van Zesty. I am more than ready for tropical and exciting destinations again, whenever this pandemic allows it.

Liesbet Collaert of Roaming About sailing SV Irie

Please describe what you do for income. 

First, I’d like to point out that my husband and I are very frugal and we’ve found that being careful with expenditures allows us the life we desire – more freedom and less need to be workaholics. The way we manage our money, our aversion towards collecting material goods, and our love of simplicity are leading factors for how we make this nomadic lifestyle work – financially and otherwise.

Continue reading here…

Monthly Expenses – July 2020

August 8, 2020 / / 34 Comments

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, we both return to the East Coast.

In July, we boondocked in the woods of White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire, with Zesty for a week and stayed put in our “room above the garage” in Newburyport, Massachusetts for the rest of the month. Our time in nature cost approximately the same as not going anywhere, except for the fuel. We bought groceries and alcohol as usual and camped for free. Yet, the camper expense was higher than normal, because Mark replaced a heating element.

Our free campsite in White Mountains National Forest
Campsite in the woods – social distancing is easy
Our current home base

Early in the month, we had dinner with relatives outside on picnic tables at a brewery. That was the first time we ate “out” in months and probably the last time. We prefer take-out, which we ended the month with. Of the four items we ordered at this Thai restaurant, two were wrong. I guess we will stick to cooking ourselves from now on!

Falafels with homemade pita bread
Vegetarian goodness!
Camper meal: vegetarian pasta dish with homemade no-yeast pan-bread

And, there is a new expense category! Writing. It immediately became the highest cost of the month. Almost $500. That amount in July went to my editor and is half of her fee for the first round of (substantive) edits she performed for my travel memoir. This month, we paid the same amount and I expect two more expenses like these for the second round of edits in September.

My mother-in-law’s patio and garden
Plenty of room to social distance here, for a group up to eight people

Where we saved money is by taking advantage of a credit card offer I wrote about last month. Because of using our miles at 1.5x their value for groceries and restaurant expenses, our actual spending in July was $496 dollars less than reflected in the total underneath.

I don’t tire of this view of the White Mountains!

On paper, it was a relatively expensive month for us, about $100 above our monthly average, but that’s mostly due to a new “investment”.  I hope to earn that back one day. 🙂

I encourage any questions and thoughts in the comment section underneath!

July 2020 Overview:

Writing (editor):

Groceries:

Camper (diesel: $43; repairs: $198):

Dining out:

Alcohol:

Clothing (undies, shirts):

Utilities (phone):

Medical (Corona fee dentist + drugs):

Dog (toys):

Computer (new mouse):

Entertainment (e-book):

Accommodation:

 

TOTAL:

 

$484

$409

$241

$80

$68

$49

$35

$19

$9

$6

$1

$0

———

$ 1,401

To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the expense blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Monthly Expenses – June 2020

July 5, 2020 / / 38 Comments

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, we both return to the East Coast.

Most of June was spent away from “our room above the garage”. After six weeks of sheltering in place in this tiny, uninspiring, yet relatively comfortable setting in Massachusetts, Mark, Maya, and I loaded up our campervan with belongings and groceries and traveled north.

We self-isolated for two weeks in Lincolnville, Maine, where we helped out with renovations in a house recently purchased by our brother-in-law and his wife. We didn’t spend any money during those weeks as we didn’t do anything and didn’t go anywhere. The numbers of Covid cases in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont have always been low, but we quarantined for 14 days nevertheless.

(Captions appear when you click on or hover over the photos. I have posted more visuals of last month’s experiences in previous blog posts here and here.)

Zesty’s parking spot for two weeks
Sanding the big front porch
Replacing light fixtures
Re-purposing French doors
Kitchen in our “construction zone”
Beautiful view
Meeting halfway the deck – sanding done!
I applied stain with a brush, Mark with a roller.
It only took a day to apply two coats of stain to the sanded front porch

That visit concluded with a couple of hikes and a quick stop in the cute seaside town of Belfast on day 15 and 16, before we moved on to Kingfield, Maine, to hang out with friends for a couple of days.

Rest and a snack during a hike
Skipping eating out for lunch at a popular restaurant in Belfast
Belfast waterfront
Maya and Moose being cute
Cooling off at Flagstaff Lake in Maine
Jen with “frozen” Moose – the lake was too cold for him
Hot afternoon at the lake with friends

Next up, more relaxing with another set of friends at a lake house in Island Pond, Vermont. That was a VERY enjoyable weekend, despite the 90-degree weather. We concluded our “grand tour” with a quick “hello and goodbye” to one more set of friends met on the road last year. Again, it was extremely hot and there was no shade for Zesty. We cooled off in the woods on their property and in a swimming hole by Troy Falls. Other than the last three nights of camping in our van, we stayed inside houses.

Island Pond. our location for a long weekend with friends
Maya blends in with her surroundings
Waterfall in White Mountains National Forest, New Hampshire
Quick stop for a photo of these falls on the drive back to Massachusetts
Sunset over Island Pond

Some of the June categories were higher than usual: groceries because we stopped at a Trader Joe’s (which means splurging on goodies like dumplings, goat cheese, and snacks) and shared special home-cooked dinners, alcohol because we are social drinkers and we socialized a lot, and the dog section because of Maya’s new flea & tick collar and heartworm medicine.

All things considered, June was a decent spending month for us and the numbers underneath are accurate. But… a Covid-related action made us spend much less in real life. Let me explain. With our Chase credit card, Mark and I have been collecting points over the years, accumulating to $1,500 in cash last month. Usually, we save the points and use them for flights to Boston or Belgium. Well, that isn’t happening anytime soon, so we considered alternative benefits. At the same time, Chase announced that customers could redeem points during the pandemic for 1.5 times their value when paying for groceries and dining out, retroactive for 90 days. Our $1,500 instantaneously turned into $2,250!

Mark and I jumped on the offer, waving grocery and restaurant expenses from the previous three months and using points for all our current grocery shopping and take-out meals. To put things in perspective, a $30 food order, for example, costs us $20 as only that equivalent of points is redeemed. It’s a bit of an accounting nightmare, so I’m keeping the spending numbers in my reports equal to what we paid, not incorporating the “free money”. But, based on this fortunate turn of events, we only spent $410 of real money last month and a few hundred dollars less than recorded in February, March , and April as well.

Sorry for the confusion, but I added this explanation to provide total transparency about our expenses. At the end of the year, I will have to post two sets of numbers because of the generosity of our credit card company during these challenging times. Thank you, Chase!

June 2020 Overview:

Groceries:

Alcohol:

Camper (diesel: $87; maintenance: $17):

Dog (food: $35; health: $58):

Health & Fitness (vitamins):

Utilities (phone: $35; Skype:$5):

Dining out (pastries):

Accommodation:

 

TOTAL:

 

$412

$117

$104

$93

$56

$40

$15

$0

———

$ 837

To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the expense blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

I hope my American friends and family are enjoying their Independence Day Weekend. The three of us had a mellow social-distanced BBQ with my brother-in-law and his family yesterday.

Monthly Expenses – May 2020

June 7, 2020 / / 45 Comments

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, we both return to the East Coast.

Our “kitchen corner” and “office”
Maya enjoys her stay in this “big” room

The entire period, Mark, Maya, and I lived in a room with en-suite bathroom and a makeshift “kitchen” in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Zesty was parked in the driveway, feeling neglected. Apart from getting a thorough cleaning inside and out and having a few parts replaced or fixed. No diesel cost, but May is when our annual camper insurance is due, generally making it the most expensive month of the year.

Quiet boardwalk in Newburyport
Reminder for walkers and bench sitters

The weather wasn’t great. Being cooped up affects Mark more than me. I’m always busy with one or another writing or editing project (or attempting to make headway with my travel memoir – choosing an editor last month), happy with prolonged computer time. Walks with Maya in town involved crossing the road often to avoid pedestrians and keeping at least 6 feet distance when passing on the trails.

Being in nature is the best!
Conquering the hill
Maya is happy to be out and about

Mark found a forested, dog-friendly park ten minutes away from our home base, so he often drove Maya there for a hike. Her itchiness has improved since Florida, but we needed another bottle of Apoquel, which set us back $175 for 100 pills. It’s the cheapest option for this anti-itch medicine. Other “extra” expenses in May included flowers for my mother-in-law and one take-out dinner from a local burger joint.

Mark’s mom sent us a photo of her new Mother’s Day orchid
The average price for one pill is usually $2. Not cheap!

As often, our camper van is the most expensive category in this monthly report, but June should be better!

May 2020 Overview:

Camper (insurance: $1118; maintenance: $294):

Groceries:

Dog (drugs: $175; treats: $8):

Utilities (phone):

Dining out:

Gifts (Mother’s Day):

Clothing (flip flops Mark)

Household (propane outdoor grill):

Postage:

Alcohol:

Accommodation:

 

TOTAL:

 

$1,412

$327

$183

$35

$20

$18

$11

$8

$1

$0

$0

———

$ 2,015

To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the expense blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Monthly Expenses – April 2020

May 13, 2020 / / 32 Comments

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, we both return to the East Coast.

The first half of April, Mark, Maya, and I spent in our camper van, boondocking (free camping) and driving. The last half, we lived in “the room above the garage” at my in-laws’ place in Massachusetts. Our accommodation costs remain nil (thank you, Carol and Stan) and we managed to save our April laundry up until we arrived here, taking the necessary precautions to avoid spreading a potential Covid-19 infection.

One of our campsites on the way north in April
The building in which my in-laws have a condo
The room above the garage – our current living quarters

Usually, when we visit Mark’s parents (our current home is also our residency address), we use their kitchen and share all the meals . Because we can’t set foot in the house, we had to buy a couple of kitchen appliances, which I briefly mentioned in a previous blog. Mark’s research always pays off, as we found a big toaster oven and a one-burner induction stove (both new) for $80. To complete our set-up, we are borrowing a water cooker and a college fridge.

Our kitchen “station” with the new oven and induction stove
We love being able to use an oven, as our van doesn’t have one.
We’ve been using our oven a lot!

Mark and I did order Thai take-out for our anniversary on April 30th (this is actually one of two anniversaries; it’s complicated), but we used gift money from my parents for that, so no “eating out” category , last month. 🙂

While we might be spending a bit more on certain products in the absence of generic brands or by having to go to different stores during this pandemic, April was another decent month.

April 2020 Overview:

Groceries:

Camper (diesel: $130; repairs: $89):

Household (oven + stove):

Alcohol:

Dog (food + fish oil):

Utilities (phone):

Postage:

Entertainment (e-books):

Accommodation:

 

TOTAL:

 

$338

$219

$80

$66

$46

$35

$2

$2

$0

———

$ 788

To find out what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the expense blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Monthly Expenses – March 2020

April 8, 2020 / / 46 Comments

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, we both return to the East Coast.

How did the outbreak of the Coronavirus affect our expenses? Less than you might think. The only category that spiked is groceries. I think that happened because of our “constant” topping up of the fridge and cupboards, each time we anticipated self-isolating in the woods of Florida. But, as I wrote about previously, most of those attempts failed, so we kept buying more provisions and – in the beginning – our only choices were name brands instead of the cheaper generic brands we usually buy.

Boondocking along a river and boat ramp in Western Florida
Sunset at the boat ramp
Vultures along the waterfront
Another campground in Osceola NF, Florida, that didn’t work out because of heat, bugs, and incessantly barking hunting dogs.
It doesn’t look like a bad spot from the observation tower.
Lines (with social distancing) before the store opened, at Sam’s Club in Hilton Head

We drove a lot during our quick circle down and around and back up Florida. If we would have been able to sightsee, we would have driven more, but we would have traveled slower. We boogied north quicker than expected, because of our rising discomfort with heat, humidity, and bugs and not so much COVID-19. Therefore, our monthly fuel expenses are pretty much what they would have been otherwise. The diesel price was as low as we’ve ever seen it!

The fuel prices have dropped a lot.
This is the cheapest diesel we ever bought for Zesty. $1.99 a gallon boils down to 50 cents a liter.
Our tank wasn’t totally empty when we found this Sam’s Club/Walmart fuel station.

If it wasn’t for the recent pandemic, our entertainment and camping categories would be higher (I really wanted to visit the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg and spend time with the manatees while camping at Manatee State Park), the health topic would have popped up as I urgently needed a haircut, and doing laundry might have cost twice as much. Instead, Mark cut everyone’s hair and we did a load of laundry by hand.

Dog beach at Fort DeSoto Park, Florida
Short hair again after Mark chopped it off
Maya received a haircut as well, which helps with the heat.
Hanging our clean laundry at the campsite to dry. We found a water spigot at a park an hour away.
The netting offers a reprieve from the bugs at our current campsite

The drinking and eating out expenses can be blamed on hanging out with friends and Mark’s birthday (a self-proclaimed brewery tour) before social distancing took effect. Since then, I have been able to keep in touch with friends and family via email, social media, Skype, and Zoom!

Approach to our current campground
Boardwalk in the nature reserve
We are enjoying our daily hikes in nature, without people around.
Our current campsite
A $3 meal for two – egg noodles, asparagus, and chicken thighs.
A total spoil: cheese platter including two kinds of Brie!

All in all, March was not a bad month under the circumstances, but it is the most expensive one this year so far.

March 2020 Overview:

Groceries:

Camper (diesel: $187; registration: $12; tolls: $4):

Bank charge (annual credit card fee):

Alcohol:

Drinking out:

Dining out:

Dog (food):

Utilities (phone):

Postage:

Entertainment (dog beach @ state park):

Laundry:

Miscellaneous (printing taxes):

Camping:

 

TOTAL:

 

$433

$203

$150

$90

$66

$63

$35

$35

$11

$5

$5

$3

$0

———

$ 1099

To find out what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blog of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Monthly Expenses – February 2020

March 11, 2020 / / 27 Comments

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, we both return to the East Coast.

February was a good month and the cheapest one since April 2019. That makes two months in a row under $1,000. Let’s see how long we can keep this up. 🙂

We did spend a little bit of money on camping – happy to stay somewhere multiple nights in a row WITH smooth, groomed, comfortable grass. You know, the kind on which you walk barefoot and Maya relaxes bug-free, rolling around without picking up leaves, branches, needles, or burrs. The kind that is quite rare, especially boondocking. The surrounding area offered nice hiking trails as well.

Locks WMA near Fort McCoy – not a bad campground for a few dollars a night
Training Maya to run with a bike
(Wide) part of the Florida Trail – even the trails were grassy!
Canal next to the locks – the Florida Trail goes over it
Cute AND comfy!

Extra costs in February went to a new bike cover and the annual Massachusetts tax  for our van (both under “camper”) and to internet, propane, and dump stations in the “utilities” category. Our monthly AT& T internet (phone) bill is usually $35. Except, this amount actually gets paid every four weeks. Last month is where this caught up with us and we had to pay twice. Darn leap day!

Our shiny new bike bag – they seem to last about one year in the elements and cost $15 more than last year!

In Florida – as opposed to other states we have visited – it’s difficult to find free dump stations, so we look for the cheapest options. Once, we used a free one and decided to support this RV center’s “generosity” and buy their propane, not even researching the competition. Ha! It was the most expensive propane we ever bought in the US: $4 per gallon. In a way, we paid for this free dump and water fill-up as well.

We went to Lake Griffin State Park and paid the $5 entrance fee to dump. And go for a short walk.
The narrow boardwalk through the swamp was fun, but we could only do it so long with Maya.
Maya is tiny in comparison to this “second largest live oak tree in Florida”!

And, for the loyal expense report follower, who scrutinizes our monthly numbers: guess which category is missing in February? It’s something that was always present, but we really tried hard to keep it at zero this month (I cheated a tad by buying Mark a little bit as part of his birthday gift) …

February 2020 Overview:

Groceries:

Camper (fuel: $43; tax: $77; bike bag: $65):

Utilities (phone: $70; propane: $21; dump: $16):

Dining out:

Health & Fitness:

Drinking out:

Computer Software (Quicken):

Dog (supplies):

Gifts:

Camping:

Laundry:

Household:

 

TOTAL:

 

$270

$185

$107

$100

$34

$30

$25

$22

$21

$11

$5

$3

———

$ 813

Monthly Expenses – January 2020

February 9, 2020 / / 35 Comments

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 the two of us. 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. Since June 2019 – we adopted Maya on June 4th – we have a dog section as well. 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 East Coast.

In an upcoming blog, I’ll share a bit more about our January experiences in Florida, but for now, I’ll stick to expenses. Not a bad month at just under $1,000 but, as always, it was more than expected by the time we tallied everything.  One of our three “out of the ordinary” costs was Maya’s anti-itch medicine. Apoquel is a wonder drug, but at $1.75 per pill – Mark spent hours online to find this “deal”, if you buy 100 pills at once (usually prices hover around $2 per pill and higher at the vet) – it is pricey. Especially since Maya needs one pill a day. We discovered that CBD oil does not help with her physical discomfort.

Anything to get this sweetheart happy, healthy, comfortable!

Our other “extra” expenses were for camping and Mark’s bus transfers from/to Newburyport from Logan Airport. He used miles to get there from Jacksonville. Long-time readers know that we almost always boondock (camp for free) with Zesty. Since Mark had to fly to Boston for five days in January, I stayed at an established campground in Northern Florida – hence the camping expense for January. I have to admit that it was enjoyable. More about that later as well.

Under a bridge – between St. Augustine and Jacksonville
Walmart parking lot near Jacksonville – the least attractive option
Fort George Inlet
Boondocking in Osceola National Forest
Paid camping at Ocean Pond Campground in Osceola National Forest

January 2020 Overview:

Groceries:

Dog (meds:$175; food: $35):

Camper (fuel: $151; parking: $14):

Dining out:

Drinking out:

Camping:

Transportation:

Utilities (phone):

Alcohol:

Health & Fitness:

Household:

Gifts:

Laundry:

Computer Hardware:

Medical:

Postage:

 

TOTAL:

 

$272

$210

$165

$74

$58

$50

$44

$35

$34

$20

$12

$9

$5

$4

$4

$3

———

$ 999

Expense Report 2019

January 15, 2020 / / 46 Comments

Expenses - image

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” is my motto. ????

Our first yearly expense report (2016) can be found here, the report of 2017 here, and the one for 2018 is here. In 2019, Mark and I house and pet sat for six weeks, visited our family back east for one month, and lived and traveled in our camper van Zesty in the US and Canada the rest of the year. What follows is the break-down of how we spent our money in 2019.

The Wave in Utah

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for the two of us. 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. New for 2019 is the category “Dog”. We adopted Maya on June 4th. 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 East Coast. The utility cost refers to phone data plans with AT&T.

We drove from San Diego, California …
… to the Sea of Cortez (Puerto Penasco) in Mexico …
… to Utah …
… to Nova Scotia …
… to Florida!

Our expenses in 2019 were about $500 higher than the previous year. Considering that our new companion consumed a $1,200 chunk (mostly meds and vet costs) means that we did better in almost all the other categories. The biggest part of our camper category keeps going to repairs and maintenance. We did cover quite a bit of distance last year as well (14,000 miles), which is represented in our high diesel amount. Our monthly average for groceries remains $300.

Engine work in Utah
Changing the brake pads ourselves
New brakes!
New sliding window from Mercedes
That’s a big hole!

Another biggie last year was the price of my citizenship. With all that behind us – my US passport is waiting in Massachusetts – this year can only get cheaper, right? My main shock happened when noting our alcohol dollars. That is a lot, especially since we didn’t throw or attended many parties… If there’s one amount I want to lower in 2020 it’s this one.

US Citizenship!

We can’t get out of the gift category. We love our spouse, family and friends too much and treating them for birthdays and other occasions – with a restaurant meal or a personalized gift – is just plain fun. Our utilities went up, because we basically live in our camper van full-time – more propane and laundromats needed and when we can’t find free dump stations, we have to pay. We are currently testing Visible as our internet and cell provider, but the results are bleak compared to our monthly, quite reliable AT&T plan.

Celebrating our wedding anniversary with friends Zach and Heather in Vermont
Taking Mark’s nephew, Randall, and his wife, Rebeccah, out to drinks and dinner as a wedding gift
Meeting up with our van-friends Greg and Duwan for the third time in 2019
Birthday celebrations with new friends
Ending the year with good (boating) friends Karmen and Tom in Florida

As a citizen, I hope to obtain a new healthcare plan that includes basic dental work. Therefore, the medical category should theoretically go down this year as well. I mentioned Mark’s new SmartPhone in last month’s report and all the other amounts seem straightforward. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments.

The team responsible for Maya’s adoption: Amy, Jessica, and Jeff

The charity category is lower than last year and will not be present for 2020. I figured that the money we used to donate to animal rescue organizations should go towards Maya (and then some). If our financial situation improves, it will appear again! 🙂

Isn’t she the cutest?
Our photogenic girl
Maya has discovered toys since we adopted her
Maya LOVES running in the woods
Running on a beach is fun as well

Last but not least, I’m surprised that we didn’t spend a dime on campgrounds in 2019. Having camped  for nine months out of the year, this is good and bad. Perfect for the pocket and often for the surroundings, peace, and privacy, but not so great when it comes to comfort, convenience, and spoiling ourselves. We did get a campground break in Kentucky, as employer Amazon paid for that one.

Boondocking on BLM land in Utah …
… surrounded by red cliffs in Arizona …
… in Walmart parking lots…
… and in front of the Nashville skyline.

2019 Overview:

Camper (repairs: $2967; diesel: $1828; insurance: $1078,

registration: $86; tolls: $81; parking: $63):

Groceries:

Dog (supplies: $524; vet: $403; food: $188; adoption: $100):

Customs & Immigration (citizenship: $725; passport: $161):

Dining Out:

Alcohol:

Gifts (B-days, NY gifts, treating family):

Utilities (cell data: $351; propane: $53; dump: $10)

Health and Fitness (vitamins & haircuts):

Medical (dentist: $170; meds: $40; scan: $30):

Clothing (shoes, jeans, t-shirts):

Computer (new phone, router, hosting, Turbo Tax):

Drinking out:

Bank charges (annual credit card fee):

Travel (National Park pass, park fees Canada):

Entertainment (guided tours):

Transportation (shuttle buses, metro, ferry):

Charity (Best Friends):

Household (camper items):

Laundry:

Postage:

Camping:

 

TOTAL:

 

 

$6103

$3563

$1215

$886

$758

$708

$675

$413

$368

$240

$214

$211

$159

$150

$110

$106

$87

$70

$66

$61

$63

$0

———

$ 16,119

(Table might not load correctly on tablets – try turning the screen for better results.)

Surfing into 2020

For another (more detailed and colorful) annual expense report of full-time van-dwellers, check out the 2019 “Cost of Being a Nomad” post of our friends Duwan and Greg here.

Do you keep track of your expenses? How did your budgeting go in 2019? Any categories you’d like to do better with in 2020?

Monthly Expenses – December 2019

January 6, 2020 / / 25 Comments

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 the two of us. 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. Since June 2019 – we adopted Maya on June 4th – we have a dog section as well. 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 East Coast.

Walking Maya in the neighborhood of the campground in Campbellsville
This is where the Kentucky Derby takes place!

The first three weeks of December, Mark, Maya, and I continued living in a campground and working in Campbellsville, Kentucky. We hit the road again in our camper van for the last week of the year. The entertainment category constitutes those travels, as I took a tour of Churchill Downs in Louisville, where the Kentucky Derby takes place, and Mark and I took a guided walk in Mammoth Caves, after hiking with Maya to wear her out.

Remnants of saltpeter mining activity in the caves
Rock formations in Mammoth Cave NP

We didn’t spend money on camping as we managed to boondock during our “migration south”. The three of us made stops in Frankfort, Louisville, and Mammoth Caves National Park in Kentucky (more about that another time) and found the most amazing free parking in Nashville, Tennessee, which allowed us to explore this vibrant music city and have drinks at night.

Boondocking spot across from Nashville’s skyline
Going out for a drink in Nashville

Mark bought a new SmartPhone at a very good price after doing lots of research and waiting for the right moment. The amount underneath includes a two-month data plan, a new SIM card, and a free tablet! While in Kentucky, we HAD to try Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and its competitor Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken. We took Maya to the vet to get another opinion about her itchiness. At the moment, we are giving CBD oil a try. This might help with her anxieties as well…

Finally a new phone for Mark
When in Kentucky…
Lee’s is a competitor of KFC in Kentucky, so we had to try it out as well.

We couldn’t avoid buying more alcohol, as we planned a fun New Year’s Eve (and extended stay) with our sailing friends Karmen and Tom in St. Augustine, Florida. They put a feast together on the last day of the year and we enjoyed spending time with them and their friends on their refitted catamaran, Sauvage. More about that later as well.

After party inside the boat
Meeting Rob, a new boating friend
Karmen and Ricky playing ukulele

December 2019 Overview:

Groceries:

Computer Hardware (phone $95; router: $40):

Camper (fuel: $112; repairs: $23):

Dog (vet: $56; supplies:$53; food: $25):

Dining out:

Utilities (phone: $35; propane: $15):

Entertainment (Mammoth Caves: $34; Churchill Downs: $13):

Health & Fitness (vitamins Mark):

Alcohol:

Gifts:

Drinking out:

Laundry:

Camping:

 

TOTAL:

 

$368

$135

$135

$134

$56

$50

$47

$46

$40

$39

$20

$20

$0

———

$ 1090

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