Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

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Monthly Expenses of a Nomad – July 2024 (USA & Belgium)

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 and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally  and out of pocket where needed and possible.

While  our truck camper Thirsty Bella is stored in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Mark, Maya, and I are on a  summer break. Or is it a winter break? The first week of July, we were still in Newburyport, Massachusetts, visiting friends and dentists, but the rest of the month, we lived comfortably in my home country of Belgium.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

This expense report is a bit unusual, since my parents are generously sponsoring us while we are “home.” This is mostly visible in the grocery, dog, and fuel categories!

Maya cost us the most for the second month in a row. We had to pay for overnight shipping of her health permit from the USDA, in order to receive it in time and take her with us to Belgium. We also ordered another annual dose of heartworm pills, while my parents paid for her salmon-based food.

The car came in second, but it wasn’t our truck. Storage fees for Thirsty Bella will appear once we return to Argentina. We used my mother-in-law’s car in Massachusetts, USA, to get around, so we filled it up again before we left. And, Mark ordered special grease for Thirsty.

Our wheels in Massachusetts

When Mark spots a deal for something we need, he snatches it up. This time, it was for an annual subscription (in 2025) of Quicken, the program we use for our bookkeeping and finances. Usually, this tool costs twice as much ($120).

Since I am having issues with my teeth and gums, we ordered more electric toothbrush heads and a water flosser. Has anyone ever used one? I’m hoping it’s a game changer regarding gum disease.

And, we keep ordering more items online for our camper: electrical wire, since Mark used our spare spools to install a Starlink unit in a friend’s camper, and new bed sheets and properly sized toilet bags.

The gifts from last month’s expense report have been delivered. 🙂

Groceries came in at only $5. Not realistic in the long run; we have to thank our parents for this nice financial break. I also bought Mark a t-shirt in a thrift store, but it doesn’t quite fit and he doesn’t like it, so we see those $4 as charity.  🙂

We’ve been cooking wholesome meals at home and I’ve been enjoying the Belgian food and treats tremendously. From money I have put away in Belgium (not part of our accounting), I bought an oven for the little house we are staying in and beer for Mark.

Our friends and family have been spoiling us as well with fantastic food and drinks!

Other than that, I bought an eBook about the writing craft (nope, I’m not working on another book, yet) and we went on a lot of walks with Maya. Low costs for entertainment in July. I also wanted to point out that we slept for free and paused our Starlink satellite internet subscription for the summer, which saves us $70 (usually split between business and personal expenses.)

It’s hard to believe that our total for last month amounted to under $400 and I sure wish we could keep that up! We thank my mom and dad for this “all inclusive” stay in Belgium.

July 2024 Overview:

Dog (permits: $80; meds: $50):

Car ( fuel: $61; maintenance: $2):

Computer hardware (Quicken 2025):

Health & Fitness (teeth hygiene):

Household (sheets & bags):

Camper (electrical wire):

Groceries:

Clothing:

Entertainment (eBook):

Accommodation:

Utilities:

 

TOTAL:

 

$130

$63

$62

$58

$44

$19

$5

$4

$2

$0

$0

———

$ 387

(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.

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – June 2024 (Argentina & USA)

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 and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally  and out of pocket where needed and possible.

Mark, Maya, and I spent the first eleven days of June with our truck camper Thirsty Bella in Buenos Aires, Argentina. On that last evening, Julian, the owner of our storage spot, brought us to Ezeiza International Airport and we flew – via JFK – to Boston, Massachusetts, for the rest of the month and into July.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

For once, the car category wasn’t the highest one. Maya received that honor. Before leaving Argentina, we needed a health certificate and export paperwork for her (about $40 in total). On our first day in the US, we had an appointment with a vet to administer another rabies shot (the three-year version as that would make things easier for returns to the US) for $45. In South America, we paid between $4 and $7 for this!

We also obtained an international health certificate for Belgium that day, which cost $220 and was valid for one month. This document had to be endorsed and validated by the USDA within 10 days of our departure date and a hard copy with seals had to be mailed back to us (overnight) for another $80 (July expense). We picked it up before leaving the country and made another appointment for September to repeat this process for Argentina. In addition, we bought a bag of salmon-based dog food. I mentioned that Maya would be pricy this summer!

Mark ordered a spare propane regulator for the camper, as well as an improved DC-DC battery charger. The regulator will save us in South America (where it is not available) if the old one dies. Without this, we can’t use our propane tank. The new charger will allow us to put a higher amount of power into our Lithium battery when we run the car, which helps on weeks of little or weak sunshine.

We needed improvements on the computer front as well and ordered two external keyboards and a bigger hard drive for our Surface laptops, a new tablet for the car (which we use for navigation and music), and a router for our home base in Massachusetts.

Testing the new tablet for our truck in Argentina

Our grocery bill was higher than it should have been, based on us finishing all the food in Bella’s fridge and cabinets and Mark’s mom sponsoring most of our shopping trips to Market Basket. We contributed to a family party and bought some goodies once in the US.

Family party – We provided the cheese and salami platter as an appetizer.

Gifts are usually in order whenever we return to our home countries. This time, I bought a few presents for my niece and nephew in Belgium (still to be delivered) and a wooden sign for a friend, we celebrated that friend’s birthday, and we treated one of Mark’s nieces and her husband to a delayed wedding dinner at a Thai restaurant.

Those friends splurged us on a weekend visit, that same niece organized a family party for us, and one of Mark’s nephews took Mark and me out to dinner.

The car category consisted of fuel purchases in Argentina (we left Thirsty with a full tank so condensation – and therefore water – can’t build up) and Massachusetts, where we were fortunate to have the use of my mother-in-law’s car. Parking had to be paid at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and Puerto Madero in Buenos Aires. We reimbursed Julian for the tolls to the airport.

We used the car from Mark’s mom to get around Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

Our annual Chase credit card fee was due ($95), we spent around $50 on alcohol (beer and rum) during our stay and visits in the US, and we managed to order two dinners in Buenos Aires for $35 in total: a pizza and sushi. Both were delivered to our doorstep in one of Palermo’s parks, where we slept.

An Uber brought us and our Dutch friends to San Telmo in Argentina’s capital one day and another one brought us back. We paid Julian the equivalent of $20 for bringing us to the airport, half an hour away.

Moving on to Health & Fitness. I inquired at two hair dressers in Palermo, BA, how much it would cost to get a haircut, since I was convinced it would be cheaper than in our western countries and I wanted to start the summer with a short hairdo. Mission accomplished for $11. The other $13 went to electric toothbrush heads on Amazon.

Our $9 laundry expense was manageable in June and I visited La Recoleta cemetery for another $7, while Mark and Maya waited outside. It was pricey, but I don’t want to miss out on too many things anymore while on this South American journey. The Museum of Fine Art was free.

Household goods we purchased when prepping our camper to be left for multiple months were bleach to attack mold on our walls due to all the condensation and cold weather, and anti-moisture products to keep this issue at bay during our absence.

Apart from one night at Julian’s place for $7, our camping in June was free. We boondocked in the Palermo district of Buenos Aires. Once in Massachusetts, we stayed in the guest room of my mother-in-law’s condo.

Being Amazon Vine members allows us to order a selection of items for free in return for product reviews. Since we have to be in the US to partake, we took advantage of that by ordering as much as we needed this way, which saved us hundreds of dollars.

Mark paused our Starlink satellite internet connection for three months, so that’s less money spent. And, we still have a donation from long-time supporter Marian to use this summer. Speaking of summer, we sure feel like cheating by taking a plane from a chilly winter in the Southern Hemisphere to a hot and humid summer in the US! 😊

While June wasn’t a cheap month, the damage was manageable, knowing how much “stuff” we needed for our return to the camper.

On a side note, Mark and I had a little issue with some crisp US dollar bills we had hidden under the toilet, when our pee container overflew, because the sensor got stuck. The Ziploc bag that held the cash, leaked. We had to rinse each bill and hang it to dry! I guess we need a different hiding spot…

June 2024 Overview:

Dog (permits: $257; food: $57; shot: $45):

Camper (propane regulator, charger USA):

Computer hardware:

Groceries:

Gifts:

Car ( fuel: $147; parking: $11; tolls: $2):

Bank charge (annual CC fee):

Alcohol:

Dining out (take-outs in BA):

Transportation (Uber, airport ride):

Health & Fitness (haircut, toothbrushes):

Laundry:

Entertainment:

Household:

Camping:

Utilities:

 

TOTAL:

 

$359

$312

$296

$242

$187

$160

$95

$53

$35

$25

$24

$9

$8

$8

$7

$0

———

$ 1,820

(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.

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – May 2024 (Argentina)

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 and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally  and out of pocket where needed and possible.

In May 2024, Mark, Maya, and I (Liesbet) traveled around Central Argentina in our truck camper Thirsty Bella. Despite driving across the continent from west to east, we had a decent expense month, thanks to being careful with our budget, shopping for cheaper produce, donations we’d saved up, and emptying our cupboards and fridge.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

As often, the car cost was the highest with fuel being the ultimate winner and us ordering spare parts in the US, like new brake pads for the front and oil filters. In the middle of the country, namely in the province of La Pampa, we encountered a nice surprise: gasoline was much cheaper than elsewhere in Argentina. That, combined with a better exchange rate for the dollar, had us fill up our tank for about $2.50 a gallon! Unfortunately, that joy didn’t last long as from the moment we entered the province of Buenos Aires, prices skyrocketed again. So, we are back to $4 a gallon ($1/liter). We only paid for tolls once.

Our grocery cost for May was average. We bought some special ingredients for nice homecooked meals and appetizers with friends (like they did for us), but this was offset the last two weeks, as we started eating our stores. We want to leave as little food as possible in Bella during our impending absence.

Recently, Mark and I have been ordering clothes, dog items, and other gear on Amazon for when we visit the US. It’s like everything we own has been ripped or irrevocably damaged. I guess we are going back at the right time! For more than a few reasons…

I think these jeans are done!

We paid the usual $35 for Starlink (our business takes care of the other half) and I added $5 to my Skype account, which allows me to call my parents on their landline if WhatsApp doesn’t work (or they don’t hear the ringtone). And, we spent much more money on “propane” again, which is a story in itself. Drinking water didn’t cost us anything in May.

Because of the freezing fall weather (yes, it’s been cold and uncomfortable for weeks now) in Central Argentina, we needed to run our propane heater a lot. Usually, one 20-pound (10kg) tank lasts us three months. Not now. After a ridiculous cold spell, our gauge showed empty and we needed to make a detour to get the tank filled. Except, unbeknownst to us, the owner of the shop only had butane, so put that into our tank – and overcharged us. In tropical climates (like when we sailed), this is not an issue. In icy temperatures, however, butane is not the right choice, which we learned the hard way.

We had finally arrived in an attractive and peaceful spot by a lake. By 6am the following morning, the temperature had dropped so much that the butane – and therefore our heater – didn’t work. The only way to get the liquid gas flowing and evaporating (“boiling”) again was to pour warm water over the tank in an outdoor cabinet. Luckily, the flame of our stove was big enough to produce lukewarm fluids.

We had two options: top up the tank with “real” propane (since it was a holiday and the weekend, no store was open) or move to a town where above-freezing temps were predicted. That’s what we did. Of course, the weather forecast was wrong and, this time at 3am, we were out of luck and heat!

We saw our breath inside and shivered, as Mark put many clothes on, warmed up some water on a struggling flame, poured it over the gas tank, used the then properly working stove to heat up a massive pot of water, and repeated the process. Our heater worked!

When the heater stopped working again (meaning the butane had gotten too cold), he went outside to pour more warmish water over the tank. Eventually, he wrapped Maya’s dog towel around the tank, so, when wet, that kept the gas in operating condition a bit longer. It was a long night!

Trying to keep the butane gas from “freezing”!

We found a new propane filling station (triple checking it wasn’t butane) as soon as possible. They charged us for a full tank, despite it only being half empty. It didn’t matter!

Filling our tank again, this time with propane in San Antonio de Areco

The cold weather brings other issues with it, like heaps of condensation, turning into mold. We need to open hatches and drafty cabinets and wipe up water constantly, which keeps us shivering and uncomfortable. Because of our upcoming trip to Massachusetts and Belgium, out of Buenos Aires, we cannot leave the area and escape what feels like winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

Other items we ordered online to bring back to the camper in September are a new keyboard and cover for Mark’s laptop, strong Velcro, water filters, and a gasket for Bella, and three types of batteries.

And now is when I want to thank our dear followers and readers who donated money towards our “enjoyment” level the past months. We’d saved some of that up and received new contributions, allowing us to go out for dinner a few times (or order take-out pizzas to make the funds last longer 😊) in May. One time, we picked up cheap, basic crusts at a restaurant and added our own toppings.

Your generosity also let us enjoy some good wines, which we bought in stores and vineyards (at an average of $3.50 a bottle), and it allowed Mark and me to savor a couple of tastings at Bodegas. To us, the wonderful yet affordable wine of Argentina is one of this country’s highlights so far!

Out of character, we did pay for camping last month. We spent a few nights ($3 x 4) at municipal campgrounds with American friends, who allowed us to plug into their rig (our system is not set up for the local 220V outlets) and – for the first time in six months – have a 100% full camper battery! For two nights and days, we did not have to struggle with our power supply and usage.

When checking options to store our camper during our absence, we stayed one night ($7) at Zaparancho near Buenos Aires. More about that in a future post.

Quick stop at Zapparancho in Villars, near Buenos Aires

Most of the nights, we camped for free; sometimes in nature and sometimes in bustling towns. Guess what’s our favorite?

I am currently buying a couple of small gifts for my niece and nephew in Belgium and, lastly, dropping off dirty clothes set us back $10. We can’t wait to do our own laundry soon! As a matter of fact, Mark and I are really looking forward to a multiple-month break from the road as this lifestyle has recently become much more challenging due to the lack of sunlight (power issues) and warmth (discomfort).

We are both pleased with May’s expenses totaling around $1,000, especially since this amount includes a bunch of gear that is waiting for us in the US.

May 2024 Overview:

Car ( fuel: $366; maint.: $45; tolls: $2):

Groceries:

Clothing (jeans L; hiking shoes M):

Utilities (Starlink internet: $35; propane: $22; Skype: $5):

Computer hardware (keyboard & cover):

Camper (Velcro, filters, gasket USA):

Dining out:

Camping:

Alcohol:

Household (batteries USA):

Gifts:

Laundry:

Drinking out:

 

TOTAL:

 

$413

$244

$102

$62

$59

$36

$25

$19

$15

$13

$12

$10

$0

———

$ 1,010

(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.

Next up: Atuel Canyon & San Rafael in Mendoza Province

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – April 2024 (Argentina & Chile)

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 and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally  and out of pocket where needed and possible.

In April, Mark, Maya, and I divided our time between Argentina and Chile in our truck camper Thirsty Bella. We made some headway south, to Mendoza, and decided to hop over to Santiago de Chile for car maintenance. After two weeks in Chile, we slowly drove back to the Mendoza area in Argentina.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Our car category was huge; over $1,100 in total! A lot of that went to fuel, as always, but the biggies last month were two new tires ($326) with a $26 installation and balancing fee, a new battery for the engine ($137), and an oil change at a garage, which we did ourselves ($92). We also bought seven quarts of oil extra for our next time ($80). Mark found a spot to store those in one of our utility boxes.

We paid a total of $11 in tolls and spent some pesos on parking in Santiago when leaving the camper behind and for our rental car in Valparaiso.

Groceries were quite expensive in April as well. We joined a couple of potlucks, prepared a special dinner for seven, made daily walks to the fancy grocery store Jumbo in Santiago, and splurged on some goodies at the El Milagro vineyard early on.

We bought wine in both countries, since, you know, we are in wine heaven here. The Santiago area is well-known for the red grape, Carmenere, and Central Argentina produces fabulous Torrontes (white) and Malbec (red or tinto in Spanish) wines. Mark and I enjoy them all. We used half of a $25 “drinking out” donation for three bottles of wine at the store.

While in Chile, we decided to buy one more bag of dogfood for Maya, since that’s the place where we can find her Taste of the Wild – Pacific Stream for a “decent” price ($66 for 12kg/26lbs) and we were one bag down. Also, our remaining bags are bigger than the new one and we don’t want to leave open bags of food in the camper during our summer escapade to the US and Belgium. Maya’s new toy lasted all of ten minutes!

We didn’t go out for dinner much in April; twice, one of which was a take-out pizza in Santiago the day of our arrival ($13) and the other a lunch in Valparaiso ($12). Both times took place in Chile, which, believe it or not, is now cheaper than Argentina for most things. The devaluation of the Argentinian peso is still worsening, leading to continued price increases. We didn’t eat out here at all, last month, and cooked almost all our meals at home. The other $25 in the report was a delayed credit card charge for a dinner out in March.

Some of our followers have been generous with one $25 dining out donation (which we will use this month) and two “$25 for drinks” donations, most of which we will enjoy in May as well. For the first time ever, someone walked by our camper (in Santiago de Chile), noticed our Massachusetts license plates, checked out this blog, and treated us online to drinks, because he is also from our state! Thank you to all our supporters, followers, readers. and contributors!

As usual, $35 went to our Starlink subscription, while the other half is paid by our business. And, we topped up the propane tank for $10 in San Juan, Argentina. That usually lasts three months. We managed to fill our water tank multiple times for free in April as well.

Transportation costs consisted of splitting a rental car for the day with our friends from Meat Around The World, to explore Valparaiso (see next blog post) and the expensive fuel to get there – they paid for the tolls and we covered parking – and a useless taxi drive in Santiago. We were dropped off in the wrong place and had to walk back!

Mark ordered household items and camper parts on Amazon in the US, to fix a few things upon our return next September and we bought a new frying pan and spray bottles in Chile. Did I mention yet that anything imported on this continent is cheaper there than in Argentina?

We also paid $12 for two baskets of dirty laundry in Uspallata, Argentina, after waiting through the weekend because the laundromat wasn’t open and hearing from our friends that this cost $2 six months ago! Not willing to spend even more, Mark and I washed a basket-size worth of linen and clothes by hand in river water.

The other categories were low. Entertainment ($7) was had on two different transportation methods in Chile, namely a cable car in Santiago and two old-style elevators (ascensores) in Valparaiso. Mark ordered an app for his tablet and I needed throat medicines after being sick for over a week. A bad bug/cough had me in its grip for two weeks. Once, we had to leave our quiet camping spot in nature to find a pharmacy in town.

The only money Mark and I spent on drinking out was $3 at a pricey café in Valparaiso, where we split a juice. We also gave a small donation to the firemen (bomberos) and had our car sprayed for $1 at an agriculture spot.

We boondocked the entire month and therefore camping was free for us in April.

Our total was high again, but most of the $1,844 went to car maintenance and fuel, which were needed and made us feel productive. Without that vehicle attention, we’d have been back at our monthly average. After reaching the high numbers in that category, we really refrained from splurges and eating out. We will see what May brings!

Our group on the last night together in Santiago: Mark, Liesbet, Richie, Abigail, Zoe, Heather, Jon, and Maya

April 2024 Overview:

Car (maint.: $655; fuel: $432; tolls: $11; parking: $8):

Groceries:

Alcohol:

Dog (food: $66; toy: $4):

Dining out:

Utilities (Starlink internet: $35; propane: $10):

Transportation (rental car: $29; taxi: $4):

Camper (tape, drain USA):

Household (blade, pan, spray bottles):

Laundry:

Entertainment (elevator, cable car):

Computer (tablet app M):

Medical (meds L):

Drinking out:

Miscellaneous:

Camping:

 

TOTAL:

 

$1,106

$384

$74

$70

$50

$45

$33

$27

$24

$12

$7

$4

$3

$3

$2

$0

———

$ 1,844

(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.

Next up: A colorful day trip from Santiago to Valparaiso, Chile.

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – March 2024 (Chile & Argentina)

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 and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally  and out of pocket where needed and possible.

Apart from the first five days, when we were still in Chile, Mark, Maya, and I explored Northern Argentina in March with Thirsty Bella. This year, prices in Argentina have doubled if not tripled for gasoline, entrance fees, restaurants,… Mark and I had really looked forward to visiting this country to splurge a bit more, but inflation and the devaluation of the peso make that less affordable.

March was a very expensive month, but for a good reason. We bit the bullet and bought return plane tickets from Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, to Massachusetts and from there to Belgium. We will store our camper for 3.5 months in South America and look forward to seeing family and friends again. The three of us need a break from the road and developing countries. We hope that the high cost for the tickets ($2,300) allows us to save money in fuel and other expenses this summer. There will be another substantial price to pay for Maya’s multiple international health certificates and check-ups.

The car category ended up in second place due to our extravagant spending on flights. We bought about $360 of fuel, with one super pricey fill-up in Chile to reach the border and a few top-ups in Argentina. It hurts to know that the current price of around $1 a liter used to be 50 cents last year. We can save by not eating out or buying expensive entrance tickets, but we can’t get around our need for fuel. The $127 for repairs went to a tire valve fix and necessary car parts Mark purchased on Amazon. They will wait for us in the US.

Around $270 bought us groceries in March and were careful with other expenses, because so much of our budget went to the airlines. We cooked most of our meals at home, as always.

The eating out category was $80. It would have been higher, but a nice reader of this blog sent us a donation of $25, which we used for dinner and drinks at the Puna Vinyard in Cachi. Despite very hot, it was a super enjoyable experience.

Alcohol – mostly Argentinian wine – added up to $61 last month and we devoured every drop of it! Eating and drinking out might have become expensive in this country, but we just as well enjoy a good bottle of wine with some tapas at home. And we can honestly say that each bottle in the $3-$4 range that we have opened has been good to excellent. Mark and I kept our drinking out to a minimum: $24; all at vineyards. 🙂

Our monthly subscription for unlimited Starlink satellite internet fluctuates with a dollar or so, based on the exchange rate. We bought this system last fall in Peru and half of it is paid by our business, hence the reasonable $36 fee.

 

I spent $30 on goodies for Mark’s March 1st birthday. This included an array of Belgian beers, which I located in a grocery store in Chile. We had a lovely tapas plate for dinner that day, after a relaxing afternoon in a pretty canyon. Before that, I made him crepes with fresh fruit for breakfast and a goat cheese sandwich for lunch.

Tapas on Mark’s birthday

The entrance fees to parks and hikes added up to $16 for the two of us. I had been interested in a particular museum in Salta, but eventually skipped it as the price had quadrupled from $2 to $8. Maybe another time.

While Maya’s three-year rabies shot from the US is still valid, the countries in South America require dogs to receive those vaccines yearly. We had hoped to get her shot in Uyuni, Bolivia (where this costs $4), but the vet didn’t have it in stock, despite us arranging the appointment ahead of time.

We started looking for another vet in Tilcara, Northern Argentina, but only – and with much difficulty – found a shady office on a dead-end alley. This vet had missing teeth and said he didn’t have the vaccine. When I mentioned, “Rabies shots are important to have, no?” he rummaged through a drawer. Not a fridge. Enough red flags had piled up for us to leave.

So, when we were in Salta, Mark and I stopped our camper along a busy street to get another one-year rabies vaccination for Maya and the accompanying certificate, which we would need at border crossings. The cost for both was $14. Done!

Our campsite for one night in Salta, Argentina

We bought AA and AAA batteries, which belong in the household category, had two loads of laundry done for $6 in Cafayate (super affordable) and paid for one night at a campground in Salta ($5), where I also took a cab to get into the town center and back.

The other 30 nights of camping were free, as well as all the potable water we filled our tanks with.

Our expenses in March 2024 added up to a whopping $3,332 – it was a bad month! But, if you take out the plane tickets, we stayed around $1,000, which is our goal.

March 2024 Overview:

Travel (plane tickets US & Belgium):

Car (fuel: $357; repairs: $127):

Groceries:

Dining out:

Alcohol:

Utilities (Starlink internet):

Gifts (B-day Mark):

Drinking out:

Entertainment (park entrance fees):

Dog (rabies shot):

Household:

Laundry:

Camping:

Transportation (Salta):

 

TOTAL:

 

$2,297

$484

$267

$80

$61

$36

$30

$24

$16

$14

$8

$6

$5

$4

———

$ 3,332

(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.

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – February 2024 (Bolivia & Chile)

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 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

February 2024 Overview:

Car (fuel: $377; tires: $261; ins.: $11; tolls: $8; parking: $2):

Dog (food: $176; permits: $93; flea collar: $66; vet:$7):

Groceries:

Entertainment (Salar tour & entrance fees):

Alcohol:

Utilities (Starlink internet: $32; water: $13):

Miscellaneous:

Laundry:

Dining out:

Transportation (Iquique):

Medical (birth control pills):

Camper:

Health & fitness (showers):

Accommodation:

 

TOTAL:

 

$659

$342

$271

$150

$84

$45

$25

$16

$10

$5

$4

$2

$2

$0

———

$ 1,615

(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.

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – January 2024 (Bolivia)

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 and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally  and out of pocket where needed and possible.

January was a bit different than other months, since Mark, Maya, and I were stationary at the Las Lomas Campground in La Paz, Bolivia, with our truck camper, Thirsty Bella, for 26 out of 31 days. One of the reasons we took on the managing position for this property was to save money – or better, not spend much. But there are always extra expenses. Always. All in all, it was a decent month, though.

Surprisingly, the car category was still the highest. Fuel was manageable, since we sat still for so long and didn’t top up our tank until we left.

When we arrived in La Paz, however, we noticed sparks in our engine. Mark diagnosed this as corroded ignition coils. He managed to clean a couple, but we had to buy two new ones in Bolivia – one in December and one in January. Since they were of inferior quality, he also ordered two better ones in the US, to pick up later. Hence the $200 amount for repairs. We happily discovered the source of the rust, so this problem shouldn’t be repeated.

Tolls in Bolivia are affordable and you can sometimes reuse a ticket on the same highway.

The grocery cost was average and our exquisite dining out expenses affordable, because we were treated by others, in person or virtually. I promised previously that I’d mention the prices of our gastronomy delights in La Paz in this report.

At Gustu, the #23 on the 100 Best Restaurants of Latin America list, tasting menus cost the equivalent of $65 per person for a 7-course meal. We used gift money from my parents for that splurge.

Ancestral, the #62 on that list, offers 8-course tasting menus for $42 a person, plus $26 per wine pairing, which we split per couple. Our friend Brandon treated us here, because Mark helped him set up a new phone for an entire day, after his old one was stolen at El Alto Market on New Year’s Eve. And, we used the last bit of our gift money – and some of our own earnings – for a second dinner at Ancestral, just the two of us.

At Popular, the amazing restaurant in downtown La Paz, the set gourmet lunches cost $12 per person. We paid for that, although we received one tip from a friendly camping couple and put this towards that meal. Plus, one of you sent us a dinner donation, the day we went out for an amazing pizza meal in Uyuni! So, in January, we almost ate out for free! 😊

Mark needed to get blood work done, six months after two values were off in the US. Since it had been one and a half years since I had any tests done, I ordered a full panel at the same clinic. All these blood tests set us back $61. I wonder how much this would cost in other countries, without health insurance.

Our alcohol expense was average in January. With four small tiendas near our campground, all we had to do was walk a few minutes if we wanted to drink wine that night. Decent bottles of red, like Campos or Tentación, and white wine, like Terruño, cost the equivalent of $4 here. Beer in the grocery store is pricy at around $1.50 a can, and rum is cheaper than in the surrounding countries.

Because fuel is tricky to purchase as foreigners in Bolivia (more about that in a future post), Mark and I decided to buy an (expensive) jerry can in La Paz for the rest of our road trip through this country. We also obtained a new, small, plunger for the camper as the original one didn’t suction well anymore.

Traveling with a fuel can in the car – not ideal!

Our monthly Starlink fee remains the same at $35 a month (of which our business pays the other half). Turning it off during our stay at Las Lomas, which offers free WiFi, would turn into a hassle, so we kept paying our subscription. While settled at the campground, we used colectivos (minibuses), cable cars, taxis, and Uber to get around. The total for those services amounted to $24.

We bought a couple of things for the camper, like electrical cleaner spray (at a local store) and a door strut (on Amazon – packages in the US are piling up again), since the current one is broken and Bella’s door doesn’t stay open anymore. I had my cheapest, fastest, shortest, and best haircut in South America for $3. And, we took Maya to the vet.

The day we arrived in Uyuni, Maya was bitten by a loose dog (more about that later as well). Luckily, its owners took responsibility and paid the first vet bill of $16. We covered subsequent check-up visits, one of which still took place in January. Luckily, animal clinics are affordable here.

From Las Lomas, we left with full tanks of potable water and propane gas, and clean clothes after doing laundry. These services were free for us as camp hosts.

Once back on the road, we boondocked on the way to and in Uyuni, meaning that we didn’t spend a dime on accommodation in January. We are happy with a total of under $900, but had hoped to do better while “sitting still.”

January 2024 Overview:

Car (repairs: $196; fuel: $84; tolls: $7):

Groceries:

Medical (blood tests):

Dining out:

Alcohol:

Household (jerry can, plunger):

Utilities (Starlink internet):

Transportation (La Paz):

Camper:

Dog (vet):

Health & fitness (haircut L):

Accommodation:

 

TOTAL:

 

$287

$280

$61

$50

$45

$40

$35

$24

$14

$4

$3

$0

———

$ 843

(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.

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Annual Expense Report of a Nomad – 2023 (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia)

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” is our motto. 🙂 At the beginning of each year, I produce an expense report for the previous 12 months. This is the most recent one, for 2024.

Our first yearly expense report (2016) can be found here, the report of 2017 is here, the one for 2018 here, our 2019 expenses are located here, our total costs for 2020 are documented here, those for 2021 are detailed here, and 2022’s financial summary hides here.

These reports include ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and a 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 US East Coast. The internet costs is for Starlink hardware and monthly subscription fees. We bought our satellite dish in Lima, Peru, in September 2023.

In 2023, Mark, Maya, and I drove from Colombia through Ecuador and Peru into Bolivia with our truck camper Thirsty Bella. During this multiple-year South American overland journey, which started in November 2022, we have visited Colombia for six months, Ecuador for three, Peru for five, and Bolivia for over a month so far. That’s a lot of driving.

So, it is no surprise that the biggest expense category for last year was, once more, our vehicle, with over $3,200 going to fuel. We also bought a new hub for one of the wheels ($250), a safety kit required by local police, a cow horn just for fun, caliper pins, fluid, and cleaners for the brakes, a new taillight, grease, and oil filters. We also reimbursed the baggage fee for a friend who brought a sharp tool back from the US for us.

Other big car repair items were two oil changes ($200), which are more expensive in South America than in the US, security film for the car windows ($160), and an ignition coil ($85) with another one going towards this year already. Plus, we needed a mechanic to check a tire issue and someone else to fix six malicious punctures. Furthermore – and surprising – is the fact that we paid $151 in tolls, mostly in Colombia. These sure added up!

We extended our vehicle insurance in Colombia after deciding to stay an extra 90 days, bought liability car insurance for six months in the Mercasur countries (Bolivia and south from here), and spent a total of $55 on parking – in SA and in the US when Mark went back for a visit.

Groceries cost $2,585 (averaging $215 a month). Not bad. Probably because the dining out amount is high, at over half that ($1,542)!

Being in “cheaper” countries means that we are splurging at restaurants much more than in the US, which is reflected here!

The computer category is substantial, due to Mark requiring a new laptop and accessories, me needing a new smartphone (Google Pixel) as my original one was stolen in Cusco, and our decision to buy a Starlink satellite internet system for almost $500 in Peru. Hooking it up in our camper required extra parts and cables as well. Usually, our hosting fee is higher, but thanks to donations from you, dear readers, those costs related to the Roaming About website are taken care of.

Another higher-than-usual category is accommodation. In the US and Mexico, we pretty much boondocked (wild camped) for free 100% of the time. Because of logistical and safety issues, we have paid for campgrounds in Colombia and Peru. A third of the almost $1,000 for lodging went to renting Airbnb apartments and hotel rooms during the visit of my cousin and her husband in November and December and a two-night stay in Quito with friends.

Of course, most of our nights we still camped for free on the edges of towns or in spectacular natural surroundings. Otherwise, this lifestyle would be unaffordable for us.

Maya has lots of allergies. This means she eats a specific diet and dog food brand, which is more difficult to come by and much more expensive on this continent than in the US. Therefore, the dog category went up compared to last year. Despite us bringing three big bags into Colombia. Vet visits, on the other hand, are affordable here and our dog – touch on wood – has been pretty healthy on the road.

Even though we have our own mode of transportation, we end up spending a chunk of money for that category, no matter the location in South America. Mark has to fly back to the US once a year for health check-ups (I skipped mine in 2023) and, once we are camped near a main city, we use Uber, InDrive, taxis, minivans, tuk tuks, and cable cars to get around. Those forms of transportation added up to over $600 last year.

The category one expects to be high when traveling the world is entertainment. Yet, we often find free activities, like hikes and viewpoints. I feel we didn’t skimp on excursions in 2023, visiting plenty of volcanoes, ruins, canyons, museums, and hot springs.

Other tourist attractions that stood out were the Three Colored Mountains, the reed islands of Uros, and the Sacred Valley archeological sites in Peru and, of course, the biggie: Machu Picchu.

Our trio also paid to visit the Nazca and Palpa Lines, Gocta waterfall, a salt cathedral, and a bird sanctuary.

We used the cable car in Bogota, joined a few “free” walking tours, and I jumped off a bridge in Banos, Ecuador.

Mark and I could do better with our alcohol expenses. But, especially when hanging out with friends, it’s nice to have a drink. Or two.

A massive change regarding utilities is our acquisition of Starlink in September 2023. We now have internet at our fingertips everywhere and all the time. The price for that is $70 a month, half of which is paid by our business. Since we replaced the RV’s propane fridge with an electric, compressor fridge, our cost for propane gas went down to $50 for an entire year, compared to $180 last year. Our potable water expenses were negligible.

Every home needs maintenance, including a camper. Last year, we spent $342 on camper improvements inside and outside, like a propane hose, fridge thermostat, wood for a platform in the bed of the truck, water filters, screws, glue, caulk, and plexiglass for the Starlink installation.

More than $200 went to drinking out in 2023; either with friends or just the two of us. This includes hot beverages and juices as well.

The next categories down the list are birthday and Christmas gifts for family and friends, Customs and Immigration, mainly our three-month extensions in Colombia and a Bolivian visa for Mark, and medical, namely medicines at local pharmacies (no prescriptions are needed in most of Latin America) and a tooth exam and X-ray for Mark.

Clothing and household items had the same number attached ($125) and enriched our cabinets and drawers. I bought a wool alpaca poncho, while Mark purchased a couple of alpaca sweaters in Ecuador and shorts in the US. Other (extra) clothing was obtained with gift money from my parents. They also sponsored a biking activity and two dinners out. Our household purchases contained a new router, vacuum cleaner, camping chairs, cutting boards, ice tray, and dishtowels.

Every year, we pay a $90 fee for the use of our Chase visa card. This allows us to collect points, which then can be redeemed for flights or other items, meaning the card is essentially free.

The miscellaneous category contains more than random expenses and toilet visits, or the amount would be lower. This is where we include souvenirs, mostly for me: a leather purse from Colombia, small paintings from Ecuador, and a Pachamama (Mother Earth) statue in Peru.

We also ran into a few obstacles with our “giant” camper, like a roof in Villa de Leyva in Colombia and another person’s car (his fault) in Huaraz, Peru. We reimbursed the owners for their tiles and side-view mirror.

The two remaining items in the report are laundry – quite low on a year basis, because we stayed with friends at times, who let us use their washing machine – and health & fitness, which resembles two haircuts for me, one in Colombia and one in Ecuador. Mark and I have clippers to cut his hair every other month.

2023 Overview:

Car (fuel: $3,203; maintenance: $972;

tolls: $151; insurance: $146; parking: $55):

Groceries:

Dining out:

Computer (hardware: $1,124; hosting: $44; software: $2):

Accommodation (Airbnbs, hotels, camping):

Dog (food: $525; supplies: $116; vet: $84):

Transportation (plane ticket M, Uber, taxis, cable cars):

Entertainment:

Alcohol:

Utilities (internet: $408; prop.: $51; water: $11):

Camper:

Drinking out:

Gifts (B-days, Christmas, NY):

Customs & Immigration (extensions Colombia; visa Bolivia M):

Medical:

Clothing:

Household:

Bank fees (Chase visa card):

Miscellaneous (souvenirs):

Laundry:

Health & Fitness (haircuts L):

 

TOTAL:

 

$4,527

 

$2,858

$1,542

$1,170

$993

$725

$616

$603

$592

$470

$342

$238

$217

$205

$155

$125

$125

$93

$88

$84

$13

———

$ 15,781

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

And that’s a wrap! If you are enjoying these posts and would like to help out with our expenses maintaining this blog, please click on the donate button underneath, in the side bar, or in the menu bar on top. I promise Roaming About will remain an ad-free website. Thank you!

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.

Donate to Roaming About to help maintain this website.

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – December 2023 (Peru & Bolivia)

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 and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally  and out of pocket where needed and possible.

For part of December 2023, Mark and I parked our truck camper, Thirsty Bella, at the Quinta Lala campground in Cusco, Peru, while we explored the city and surroundings with my cousin, Griet, and her husband, Wim. After they flew home to Belgium, we got ready for the road again, met up with good friends, and made our way to the Bolivian border, which we crossed on December 19th. After a few days in Copacabana, we reached La Paz, where we’ve been stationary since, to run the Las Lomas campground for a month.

The car category was huge! Not only did we spend almost $300 on gasoline, we also had two costly “repairs,” and purchased liability insurance for six months in the Mercasur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay with Bolivia and Chile being associated states).

In Cusco, we added “unbreakable” security film to the four side windows of our truck, after reading repeated reports of foreign cars being broken into in Chile.

Before leaving Peru, Mark noticed sparks in our engine, each time he started the car. Once in La Paz, he discovered corrosion in some of the ignition coils. He managed to clean and reinstall two of them, but one had to be replaced. Our options were to buy a low-quality coil locally for twice the price than a high-quality one in the US, or to pay heavy import duties when ordering what we wanted online. We decided to purchase one ignition coil in La Paz. At the moment, one more coil is broken, so we need another part… The good news is that we figured out the cause of the rust, yesterday.

Mark works on the engine

We finally bought a tire plug kit, in case we run into a puncture problem again (like that terrible incident in Colombia). We also took Thirsty to a carwash before leaving Cusco, paid for parking when needing the car close to our Airbnb, and handed over cash at a few restored toll booths. We had gotten away with not paying tolls in Peru for months, after protesters burned most of the stations down in early 2023.

Burned-down toll booth

Our grocery bill was above average, because we went on a couple of extensive shopping sprees, after finishing all the food from the fridge and making a dent in other provisions, before we stored our camper for three weeks. And, there were lots of homecooked dinners, among which two special ones over the holidays.

We ate out quite a bit, having friends and family – and incredible restaurants – around, including a fabulous birthday dinner. Despite Griet and Wim’s generosity, we still spent more than usually in this category.

The next big and unexpected expense was a new smartphone for me. The day after my family arrived, we were strolling through downtown Cusco, ready to join a walking tour. Griet and I were chatting non-stop. In the excitement of the day and the company, I had forgotten to zip up the pocket of my sweater, which was wrapped around my waist. My phone was located in this pocket and skillfully removed from it by someone, without me noticing it.

My phone was stolen in this area, on a pedestrian stretch further down.

I couldn’t help but feel this robbery was my fault, despite being the victim and stealing being a crime. Of course, I should have zippered up! Instead of joining the Cusco Free Walking Tour, Mark, Maya, and I spent that afternoon at the main police office (a story for another day). Needless to say, I never retrieved my one-year-old Google Pixel 6a, of which I’d finally had the cracked screen replaced a month and a half prior. I was beyond bummed.

After one year, my badly cracked screen was replaced!

But, as “luck” would have it, my birthday was coming up and our Canadian friends, Sheri and Jeff, had another week at home, before meeting us in Peru. They joined forces with Mark and managed to find and bring me a new smartphone: A Pixel 7a. Mark surprised me with it, one day on a hike. Interestingly, while I’m super happy to have a good camera again, being without a phone for a month was somewhat liberating; I enjoyed taking less photos and not “having” to post them on Facebook; my main use for this device.

My new Google Pixel 7a smartphone

Our accommodation costs for last month included splitting an Airbnb in Cusco for a week with my cousin and her husband, storage for Thirsty Bella during that time, another few days of camping at Quinta Lala, and tipping a farmer in Tinajani Canyon to boondock on his land for three nights.

December is the period of gifts. I created annual calendars with 13 photos of the two – or three – of us in exciting locations for family members in Belgium and the US, we bought a bottle of Baileys for Sheri and Jeff, whom we celebrated Christmas with for the second year in a row (on a funny side note, they happened to select the same bottle for me as a gift), and we ordered an electric heater for my mother-in-law as an early birthday present.

Our alcohol expense seemed average – surprising, when celebrating the old and the new year with friends – but I have to add a note about the utilities category. We actually pay around $70 a month for our Starlink satellite internet subscription, but Mark realized that some of that fee should be put towards our business/freelance careers, hence the reduced amount of $35 for unlimited internet in this report and going forward. We also filled our propane tank, before leaving Cusco. This should last us three months.

We paid for a rickety barge crossing of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia and frequently used taxis to get around in Cusco and La Paz. Plus, we enjoy(ed) taking the cable cars in La Paz. In cities, it is just safer – and less frustrating – to keep the vehicle parked at a secure location and get around with public transportation.

The only real excursion we did in December was a strenuous hike on Isla del Sol in Lake Titicaca, leaving from Copacabana.

 

I explored a few more ruins with my family around Cusco, but those were included in my 10-day tourist ticket, bought in November.

Our friend, Jeff, and I also bicycled Death Road (aka “The World’s Most Dangerous Road”) on a long and exhausting, but fun, day trip from La Paz. I used gift money from my parents for that adventure. More about that in another post.

The remaining categories were all under $20. We went out for a few drinks with friends, obtained meds from the pharmacy for my headaches, sore throat, and birth control, sourced a few items for the camper, bought two new camping chairs that were super affordable (the only negative, we discovered later, is that none of our glasses or stainless-steel water bottles fit in the cup holders), found a muzzle for Maya so she could join us in the cable cars of La Paz, and exchanged coins for toilet visits.

Crossing the border into Bolivia didn’t cost anything and once there (and at a beach south of Puno earlier), we wild camped for free again.

Our total for December was high again, around $1,900, but we are determined to begin 2024 on a lower budget. For once, we are off to a good start.

December 2023 Overview:

Car (fuel: $288; maint.: $271; ins.: $77; tolls: $5; parking: $5):

Groceries:

Computer hardware (smartphone L):

Dining out:

Accommodation (Airbnb: $115; camping: $35; storage: $20):

Gifts (calendars, heater, Baileys):

Alcohol:

Utilities (Starlink internet: $35; propane:$9):

Transportation (barge Titicaca, taxis Cusco & La Paz):

Entertainment (Isla del Sol):

Drinking out:

Medical (pharmacy):

Camper (silicone spray, zip ties):

Household (camping chairs):

Dog (muzzle):

Miscellaneous (toilet visits):

 

TOTAL:

 

$646

$337

$251

$180

$170

$110

$58

$44

$35

$23

$18

$17

$13

$13

$6

$1

———

$ 1,922

(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.

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – November 2023 (Peru)

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 and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally  and out of pocket where needed and possible.

In November 2023, Mark, dog Maya, and I explored the southern part of Peru in our truck camper, Thirsty Bella. These last two months have been extremely busy and overwhelming, hence my delayed expense report.

We drove a lot, from Arequipa to Colca Canyon and then back to Cusco and the Sacred Valley, to meet family from Belgium. Yet, our car was not the highest expense category, last month. That honor went to Mark’s new computer and a few “accessories.”

A couple of months ago, I wrote that Mark’s laptop (needed daily for work) kept crashing. We were trying to figure out how to send his Surface back to the US and get it replaced under warranty. Being in Peru made this impossible, so we went a different route.

We are very fortunate to have a lot of (accommodating) friends. Two of them returned from the US and had space in their luggage. So, Mark ordered a new laptop, which Rodney and Heather brought back to Cusco in November. My cousin and her husband flew back to Belgium via the US and managed to drop off the broken one at a UPS box in one of the airports. A new Surface should be waiting for us whenever Mark returns to the US on his annual visit. This spare laptop will probably become mine at some point. We also needed a new router, hard drive, and Windows Office key for the arrived laptop.

Some of the packages brought back to us in Cusco by Rodney and Heather

The car category – especially gas – was high again; no surprise there. Gasoline is expensive in Peru, our truck has awful fuel economy (10mpg), and we covered big distances on steep, gravel roads. We also paid for parking a bunch and our friends brought specialty grease back from the US. But no tolls had to be paid.

Another extra expense last month (and this one) was accommodation. My cousin, Griet, and her husband, Wim, came for a multiple-week vacation to Peru, some of which to the Cusco area. I’d booked hotels and Airbnbs ahead of time and we split the accommodation costs for sixteen nights.

In the meantime, Mark and I left Bella at the Quinta Lala campground in Cusco and we used the truck to travel between sites and hotels. Sometimes, we parked Thirsty in fenced lots in towns, other nights, we put him next to Bella at the campground. Before my family arrived and a few nights afterwards, the three of us stayed at Quinta Lala in our camper.

I will write about the visit from Griet and Wim later, but I will admit now that we didn’t have the best experiences with our lodgings. Every night, there was something that kept us awake, resulting in a couple of very exhausting weeks. We surely missed our home on wheels!

We did our best to save money on other nights, by boondocking (wild camping) in nature, and enjoyed natural hot springs instead of developed termales.

Since we stayed in hotels for one third of last month, we ate out a lot, upping that category. Griet and Wim were very generous visitors, treating for dinner often. Yet, this cost ended up higher than usually.

Which lead to our grocery category being on the low end, at well under $200. We cooked much less, which meant no dishes and less time spent in the kitchen!

Mark, Maya, and I visited Colca Canyon, for which there is an entrance fee of 70 soles (US$20) per person. This boleto turistico (tourist ticket) allows access to condor viewpoints, a hike into the canyon (which we didn’t do), and a few other sites. I’ll write about these excursions in my next blog post.

To save money – and since we had already (briefly) toured the Sacred Valley – we only bought one ten-day tourist ticket for when my family arrived. I joined them at some of the archeological sites (new ones and revisits to others), while Mark did the driving, waiting, and working.

All of us did visit Machu Picchu, the end of November, which lived up to its fame and popularity. For this excursion, Griet and Wim arose early on our first day in Aguas Calientes (“base camp” for MP); Mark and I explored this site on the second morning, while my family watched Maya. More about that later as well.

As always when we have family – and friends – around, the alcohol expense goes up. Good times were had by all, which was a nice change to our regular lifestyle.

Rum tasting at our first Airbnb in Cusco

Our Starlink satellite internet fee is roughly the same every month, based on the exchange rate. We didn’t use it as much these last two months when staying at hotels and the campground, where WiFi was present, but, being back on the road now, we still love this installation and investment!

Not living in our truck camper also meant we needed to use public transportation, like taxis and Uber, quite a bit, especially in Cusco, heading back up the hill to Quinta Lala to pick up the truck or when we were camped there. Plus, the 20-minute bus ride to Machu Picchu (a monopoly) was expensive at US$14 each way. I bought a return ticket and Mark hiked down the steep steps after our visit.

Masses of tour buses for the ride to Machu Picchu

Flea collars went on sale in the US, so we bought one online for Maya and will pick it up in Massachusetts one day. Mark and I went out for drinks with friends and family a few times, Rodney and Heather also brought back an urgently needed 12-volt vacuum cleaner from the US for us (required to dry out our ceiling after fixing a couple of leaking holes in our roof; our old one had died), I bought a Pachamama (Mother Earth) statue at one of the sites (which Griet took back to Belgium for me) and we managed to drop off all our dirty laundry in Arequipa for a decent price.

In conclusion, November was another expensive month for us at over $2,000, because of the extra expenses (Mark’s new computer, our accommodation costs, pricey Machu Picchu, extra transportation, and Maya’s meds). I’d like to say that this month will be better, but it has mainly been an extension of the previous one. Maybe, we will do better next year?

November 2023 Overview:

Computer (new laptop, hard drive, router, Office key);

Car (fuel: $314; maint.: $22; parking: $13):

Accommodation (hotels: $215; camping: $86; storage: $35):

Dining out:

Groceries:

Entertainment (MP: $82; Colca Canyon: $37; ruins: $35):

Alcohol:

Utilities (Starlink internet):

Transportation (taxi & bus MP):

Dog (flea collar):

Drinking out:

Household (12V vacuum cleaner):

Miscellaneous (souvenirs):

Laundry:

 

TOTAL:

 

$491

$349

$336

$186

$176

$154

$94

$71

$63

$58

$37

$32

$16

$10

———

$ 2,073

(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.

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

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