Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂
This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast.
How did the outbreak of the Coronavirus affect our expenses? Less than you might think. The only category that spiked is groceries. I think that happened because of our “constant” topping up of the fridge and cupboards, each time we anticipated self-isolating in the woods of Florida. But, as I wrote about previously, most of those attempts failed, so we kept buying more provisions and – in the beginning – our only choices were name brands instead of the cheaper generic brands we usually buy.
Boondocking along a river and boat ramp in Western Florida
Sunset at the boat ramp
Vultures along the waterfront
Another campground in Osceola NF, Florida, that didn’t work out because of heat, bugs, and incessantly barking hunting dogs.
It doesn’t look like a bad spot from the observation tower.
Lines (with social distancing) before the store opened, at Sam’s Club in Hilton Head
We drove a lot during our quick circle down and around and back up Florida. If we would have been able to sightsee, we would have driven more, but we would have traveled slower. We boogied north quicker than expected, because of our rising discomfort with heat, humidity, and bugs and not so much COVID-19. Therefore, our monthly fuel expenses are pretty much what they would have been otherwise. The diesel price was as low as we’ve ever seen it!
The fuel prices have dropped a lot.
This is the cheapest diesel we ever bought for Zesty. $1.99 a gallon boils down to 50 cents a liter.
Our tank wasn’t totally empty when we found this Sam’s Club/Walmart fuel station.
If it wasn’t for the recent pandemic, our entertainment and camping categories would be higher (I really wanted to visit the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg and spend time with the manatees while camping at Manatee State Park), the health topic would have popped up as I urgently needed a haircut, and doing laundry might have cost twice as much. Instead, Mark cut everyone’s hair and we did a load of laundry by hand.
Dog beach at Fort DeSoto Park, Florida
Short hair again after Mark chopped it off
Maya received a haircut as well, which helps with the heat.
Hanging our clean laundry at the campsite to dry. We found a water spigot at a park an hour away.
The netting offers a reprieve from the bugs at our current campsite
The drinking and eating out expenses can be blamed on hanging out with friends and Mark’s birthday (a self-proclaimed brewery tour) before social distancing took effect. Since then, I have been able to keep in touch with friends and family via email, social media, Skype, and Zoom!
Approach to our current campground
Boardwalk in the nature reserve
We are enjoying our daily hikes in nature, without people around.
Our current campsite
A $3 meal for two – egg noodles, asparagus, and chicken thighs.
A total spoil: cheese platter including two kinds of Brie!
All in all, March was not a bad month under the circumstances, but it is the most expensive one this year so far.
