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. 🙂 That being said, Mark and I seem to manage one big expense a month for some reason, whether it is camper, plane, travel or computer-related. Luckily, we live totally rent-free, wherever we end up.
This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for the two of us. Under groceries we incorporate all the 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 Mark's vitamins and supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor's visits. Health insurance and costs are related to my health care as a permanent resident in the US. Mark is still eligible for free health care in the state of Massachusetts as of today. If a non-emergency were to happen outside of that state, it will be expensive! For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast. I still pay a small quarterly fee in Belgium for health care (required to retain citizenship), which I mention in my year report.
May was an extremely expensive month for Mark and I. We expected the big, annual camper insurance bill of almost $1000, and attempted to keep other expenses low by doing what we always do: keep eating out and drinking out to a minimum, and only buy the things needed to eat healthy and get our camper ready for the road.
We bought bikes, then, we needed to get a rack, and a swing out hitch. Next, a bag for protection. With this contraption, our lights and license plate weren't visible anymore for traffic behind us, so Mark fabricated an extension, we moved the license plate (still waiting on an extra one), and purchased extra lights.
Then, when we noticed that a rust problem we planned to deal with in San Diego this fall was getting worse, we used our “better safe than sorry” approach to get it taken care of immediately in Santa Fe. A credit card charge of $1100, three weeks, and four attempts later, a leaking windshield persists. The issue is still hanging above our heads. We need to get it resolved before mid-June, since we’re leaving Zesty in Santa Fe during our six-week trip east. Other than these two massive expenses, we didn’t do too bad. 🙂
June 5, 2018 at 11:25
Hi Liesbet! Wow! With those enormous costs to maintain Zesty you did really really well. And only $59 for alcohol? Wow again! 😉 And you also stayed very frugal on your food. I hope that you get your windshield issue fixed and that is the LAST of those expenses for a while so you can relax a bit during your summer. The adventure continues for sure! ~Kathy
June 5, 2018 at 11:55
Oooh, Kathy… wouldn’t that be nice, to mark the windshield issue off our list. Thanks for sending positive vibes about that. We just heard that our Amtrak journey east is having problems as well, so, our bad luck seems to continue. If it wasn’t for our windshield issue, we could take the train a day earlier and not have to deal with the work on their tracks that would put us on a bus part of the way (I get car and bus sick), but we can’t trust they’ll fix it next time, so should stick to plan. Every day is an adventure, whether we sign up for it, or not.
The wine and beer do add up, but we’re not buying any liquor right now. No freezer in the camper, so no ice cubes for cocktails anymore. For that, we’d have to take another house sit. 🙂
June 5, 2018 at 12:19
I hope you do get that windshield issue fixed and done right this time.
High expenses but still lower than what most families do in a month.
June 7, 2018 at 06:57
This next visit to the body shop, it will be “now or never”, since we are leaving the area for a while. Thanks for the comment, Alex. I sometimes try to make myself feel better, knowing that living in a house would be more expensive. But, home owners usually have a much bigger income than us as well.
June 5, 2018 at 12:54
So sorry to see that you are still dealing with the windshield…ouch! I hope you find a shop who will do it right once and for all! I almost can’t believe how little money you spend on food, especially since I know you eat well. I hope we find time to get together while you are back east, although I know you have a busy schedule planned.
June 7, 2018 at 07:02
The windshield repair is under warranty, Leslie. Luckily! I’m so glad Mark picked a shop that offers that “lifetime security”. So, we have to keep returning there, for good or for bad. Next time, they’ll keep the van for two days “to make sure everything is fixed”, so we will have to live on their parking lot.
The trick about cheap grocery shopping is to buy products on sale, no-brand names, and combine two or three stores for the best prices for the goods we require. 🙂
There’s no way we will be able to make it to Rhode Island this summer, though. Or even Boston (except to arrive and leave). I’m only there for two weeks, together with Mark. One summer, we will be back with Zesty to explore the Northeast!
June 12, 2018 at 08:14
OK, we will look forward to that. Hopefully it won’t occur when we are overseas! 🙂
June 12, 2018 at 11:58
When is that going to happen?? Now, I”m curious. Are you definitely taking HaRVy to Europe? Exciting!
June 12, 2018 at 12:38
Nothing is definite, but we are making plans. Probably ship to Liverpool and travel about the UK first.
June 12, 2018 at 12:59
Isn’t that the truth… It’s why I don’t like making (or sharing) plans. Exciting prospects, though. We hope to take our Zesty to South America in a year and a half or so. We met a couple our age the other day, who are taking their pop-up truck camper around the world.
June 12, 2018 at 13:36
We know a young couple in Maine who drove their Westy all the way down to the tip of South America. I can get you in touch with them if you want.
June 12, 2018 at 15:12
Yes, I remember you telling us about them, when they lucked out with that short-lived ferry service from Panama to Columbia. At some point, it would be nice to get their info, but we are still far and long away from making that plan happen… 🙂
June 5, 2018 at 14:14
Ugh, can’t believe your windscreen problem is dragging on! Hope you get it resolved soon.
June 7, 2018 at 07:03
Thanks, Anabel. Monday might be the day, but it won’t get tested until Tuesday. Then, we have one day to plan our six-week journey east…
June 5, 2018 at 14:16
Eek! Sorry your repairs took such a large chunk of your monthly expenses, Liesbet. Let’s hope the windshield can be repaired at a reasonable cost.
June 7, 2018 at 07:06
Luckily, the successive repairs and fix attempts are free for us, Jill, because the work and material is under warranty. But, we keep changing our plans around having to return, and it is costing us a lot of money in diesel. Let alone the inconvenience of being there (Zesty is our home now), and all the stuff that they keep breaking when working on the van. We will never let it out of our sight anymore!
June 7, 2018 at 09:49
Good thinking!
June 8, 2018 at 10:56
But, not always easy. We told the guys ahead of time that we’re staying with and sleeping in the van next week.
June 12, 2018 at 08:16
I can SO relate to what you’re going through with your “home” having to go back to the shop. Is everything all set now? Keeping fingers crossed for you!
June 12, 2018 at 12:04
Oh Leslie… I know you can relate! And, you had to crash for so long at people’s homes. We were not going to let Zesty out of our sight when they were going to attempt another fix yesterday. Well, that plan didn’t work out so well. I’ll have to write a post about it, because everything is so unbelievable. But, that seems to be a part of our lives.
Anyway, we feared things would go wrong (like the other times we left him alone and many parts broke, because the workers are not careful, and it’s a 14-year-old van), so wanted to stay. But, the shop wanted us off the property for two days, so they could work. Anyway, they did set us up in a hotel room for the night, but when we returned this morning, more things were a mess, and part of the inside of the van near the windshield was broken. But… we extensively tested the window and seals (and rinsed dusty Zesty in the process :-)), and all seems fine now. They “patched” it up, so we will see if it lasts. I can’t say we feel like celebrating yet.
June 12, 2018 at 12:41
Unbelievable! We have lost all confidence in “professionals” after our dealings over the past few years. Not just auto/van repairs either, seems honest, hard working pros who “really” know what they are doing are extremely hard to come by these days. Luckily it seems we finally found one when we got our head gasket replaced…so far so good. I hope that’s the end of your windshield saga. Take care.
June 12, 2018 at 13:01
I hear ya, Leslie, and we couldn’t agree more when it comes to “professionals”. We have had way too many bad experiences, or attitudes, and it’s why we attempt to fix as much as we can ourselves. I’m glad the new head gasket is holding up. Finding trustworthy and experienced professionals is of the utmost importance, and it’s why these online forums are so helpful.
June 5, 2018 at 16:29
Sorry to hear about your leaking windshield. Hopefully this month will see it fixed properly. Your fiscal discipline is always such an inspiration to me.
June 7, 2018 at 07:07
Thanks for the compliment! Next week, we will keep our fingers crossed about this darn windshield. I’ll be over to your blog one of these days/weeks!
June 6, 2018 at 03:08
What a shame about that windshield. I can only imagine how frustrating and stressful dealing with it must be. When you’re normally frugal and have low expenses each month, it can be such a shock to have unexpected costs to deal with.
June 7, 2018 at 07:10
I knew you’d understand, Ellen. Zesty is almost like Irie. Not as expensive, but the list of projects and improvements never ends. In general, we are OK with the high cost of certain projects, but when – after paying a big sum – it isn’t fixed, that’s another story.
June 6, 2018 at 20:21
That windshield is giving me heart palpitations on your behalf. how frustrating! I hope by the time I am writing this the situation is resolved or at least a clear plan forward. Meanwhile bravo to you on the expenses.
June 8, 2018 at 10:51
Hi Sue! I still hear you cheering all the way from Canada. 🙂 Not fixed yet. After another failed attempt last week, we’re heading back to Santa Fe on Monday for the – hopefully – final round. It HAS to be fixed then, because on Thursday, we leave by train for six weeks.
June 11, 2018 at 18:14
I commend you for watching your budget Liesbet. I know these days how extra expenses seem to crop up in everyday living. And hey, sometimes you just have to treat yourself. 🙂 <3
June 11, 2018 at 20:03
You are so right, my friend, about the treating. A week ago, I bought my first ice cream in years, after biking uphill for ages and being terribly exhausted with a headache. When I saw the finish line (Zesty), there was a cafe (in Mesa Verde National Park) right there, and I stubbornly stopped and spent a full $4 on two scoops of ice cream. It was the best ice cream I ever had, and my headache instantly healed. The Tylenol might have helped as well.
June 13, 2018 at 10:01
Good for you! Now, I hope you will treat yourself more often. A simple treat like ice-cream is uplifting and we all need some of that. 🙂
June 14, 2018 at 10:36
Agreed. I always promise myself we need to treat ourselves more. Then, I see the price tags of that and decide to save the money for something else (travel-related). Hard to change that behavior and attitude. But, we can always try. The ice cream was a good start. I’m still salivating over it. 🙂
June 12, 2018 at 04:00
This is really a job well done. We juat returbed from a trip to the U.S. and as always sticker shock was huge. I’m wondering what type of health insurance you have that costs so little. I just signed up for health insurance for the first time in years and it cost quite a lot!
June 12, 2018 at 11:57
Compared to SE Asia, I’m sure you had to dig deep in your wallet over here, Peta! I hope you had a wonderful trip and stay. I’m looking forward to checking out your latest post, once things become a bit hectic with our preparations here in Santa Fe.
Mark and I are residents in Massachusetts and are under their mandatory health insurance arrangement. Mark’s health insurance (MassHealth) is actually free, because he is a citizen. I have to pay $44 a month, because I’m not a citizen and fall under the federal “Obama Care” plans. The reason our fees are so low, is because they are based on “adjusted income”. The combination of our income being very low, and Mark falling in a certain category because of past health issues, is incorporated in our fees.
July 1, 2018 at 22:10
Hi Liesbet
You and Mark are amazing.Thank you for sharing your financials with us. You prove to us we can all still live an exciting life, travel, and see the world AND do it living on a shoestring.
Thanks
Laura
July 3, 2018 at 04:12
Thanks for your visit and comment, Laura. In life, it’s all about choices and priorities. That’s what defines your path, health permitting.
July 7, 2018 at 18:48
For long stretches of my early adulthood, I lived on a very tight budget, so I can identify with your experiences. I admire your persistence in choosing frugality in order to live the adventurous alternative lifestyle you have chosen.
Jude
July 9, 2018 at 01:48
Thanks for reading, and leaving all these comments, Jude. In general, this frugal lifestyle suits me (I’ve never experienced anything else), but part of me would like to really spoil once in a while, and without regrets. Or go on a real vacation. That has been 14 years. 🙂