Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

Category: Living Frugally (page 4 of 14)

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad (in Mexico) – February 2022

March 18, 2022 / / 34 Comments

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast.

Mark, Maya, and I spent the entire month of February in Baja California Sur, Mexico. It was a fabulous time for the mind, body, and wallet, once Mark returned from his 10-day visit to Massachusetts to spend quality time with his dad.

Sunrise in the Sea of Cortez
Our home beach for ten days, near Agua Verde
Walk along the beach and rocks
Beautiful waters of the Sea of Cortez
Maya in the dunes

As a matter of fact, February 2022 was a month for the books – we generally had a really good time, exploring the peninsula, discovering peaceful beaches, spending time with friends, and eating delectable fish tacos. I hope to elaborate on some of our fun Baja experiences in upcoming blogs, whenever resources allow.

Dinner at our place with Jon and Gail
Campfire with friends
Happy hour with Duwan and Greg on a hill – Cabo Pulmo

Our biggest February expense was the car again, mostly because our annual Newburyport residency tax was due. Since we sat still for a chunk of the month, the fuel amount wasn’t too bad. In Baja, Mexico, a liter of gasoline costs around 22 pesos at the moment. This is roughly $4.20 per gallon. Usually, this is more expensive than in the US. While prices for fuel have gone crazy there, in Mexico they have gone up less than 1 peso per liter (20 cents per gallon) since March 2021. Food for thought…

Rock formation with Maya
Rock with a view – Cabo Pulmo
Endless beaches along the Cabo Pulmo peninsula

We didn’t spend a lot on groceries for a few reasons: prices for produce are cheaper than in the US, we don’t care about imported or brand products, and we have eaten out multiple times, which is reflected in the higher than usual dining out category. Once a week, Mark and I order fish or shrimp tacos from a street vendor or at a restaurant. These cost around $2 a piece, of which we each consume three or four. And, there might have been an extra meal or two on top of that.

Mezcal tasting and dinner out with Duwan and Greg
Dinner out in La Paz with Duwan and Greg

Utilities include propane (which, luckily, is cheaper here than in the US), water (which we buy at agua purificado shops that have a hose to fill our tank – average cost is 13 cents per gallon or about $5 for a full tank), discharging our black tank (when we’re careful, it takes three or four weeks to completely fill Temp’s toilet tank; this has never happened – in Zesty we could only go one week), and internet. We keep our US data plan going, even though we are not using it right now. At $35/month for unlimited data, we don’t quite want to give that up, because this particular AT&T plan doesn’t exist anymore.

Ordering purified water in La Ribera

In Mexico, we use a local SIM-card and buy internet plans. Our friends Duwan and Greg (from Make Like An Apeman) had extra data the end of February, so they were super generous to let us use as much as we wanted. Most of the time, however, we are not in areas with cell (data) service. Because we make phone calls through Google Voice (over the internet), we don’t need phone plans.

Flor de Cana tasting on the beach
Birthday happy hour on the beach
Happy Birthday, Mark

We started celebrating Mark’s birthday a day early, on February 28th. I’d bought him a 7-year-old bottle of our favorite rum, Flor de Caña, and we did a tasting – adding the 4- and 5-year-old versions we already had – on our “private” beach in a remote area of the peninsula. Tip for anyone else who likes Flor de Caña rum, which originates in Nicaragua: the 4-year-old one is pretty much the cheapest rum here on Baja, at 160 pesos ($8) for a 75cl bottle!

Sea of Cortez

I joined Duwan and Greg on a day trip to the Sol de Mayo waterfall and a couple of other sites. Dogs were not allowed, so Mark stayed home with Maya. At seven dollars, the entrance fee to the falls seemed steep, but it was worth it. One could spend an entire day there, swimming, photographing, and walking upstream to smaller pools and cascades. Plus, I snuck a shower in the refreshing water!

Visiting Sol de Mayo
Sol de Mayo waterfall
Walking upriver revealed more pools and cascades
Under the waterfall

We managed to camp for free the entire month, finding some amazing places off the beaten track. As always, we couldn’t have done it without our trusted iOverlander app and tips from friends. Special thanks to Jon and Gail and Sandie and Karsten.

Playa Juncalito, south of Loreto
Parked in La Paz with Ballena Blanca for a few days
Sunset at our camp spot in La Ventana – T&T and Ballena Blanca
Camped on the small peninsula of Cabo Pulmo town
Less windy campsite in Cabo Pulmo
Beach-side camping
Beach camping by ourselves
Camped in a peaceful arroyo along the Cabo Pulmo peninsula

Our total expenses were well under average last month and we hope that’s an indication of how we can live and travel south of the border. Once we arrive in South America, we hope $800 (instead of $1,300) can become our new average…

February 2022 Overview:

Car (fuel: $159; city excise tax: $106):

Groceries:

Dining out:

Utilities (internet: $55; propane: $14; water: $10; dump: $2):

Alcohol:

Gifts (B-day Mark):

Drinking out:

Transportation (MA train Mark):

Laundry:

Entertainment (waterfalls):

Computer (app for streaming):

Dog (vet procedure):

Accommodation/camping:

 

TOTAL:

 

$265

$132

$126

$81

$41

$23

$20

$10

$8

$7

$5

$5

$0

———

$ 723

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.

Duwan and Greg also covered their month of February in two blog post: here (part 1) and here (part 2).

Sunset on the sandspit in La Paz

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Monthly Expenses of a Nomad – January 2022

February 24, 2022 / / 24 Comments

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast.

This monthly expense report is a bit delayed for two reasons: I recently posted our yearly report (and who wants to be bombarded by numbers every week?) and I have taken a step back with internet “chores,” because our data is limited, expensive, and often inaccessible. And, I’d rather explore the Baja peninsula at the moment than sit behind a computer. 🙂

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

Building a frame for our platform at the Home Depot of Yuma, AZ – another failed attempt as it didn’t support the camper enough
Using 2-inch foam as part of our platform did not work well – it compressed due to the off-set weight of the camper. We needed a new solution.
New platform, which consists of a built-up frame and stall mat
Taking the camper off the truck again in the California desert, to fix the platform
Mark lowered the bumper of the truck to make the camper fit better in its bed.
The newest platform set-up, which is much lower and thinner than ever before.

Mark, Maya, and I started our new year in the desert just west of Yuma, Arizona, getting ready for our postponed multiple-month trip in Baja California, Mexico. We had to fix a few more things on the camper and the car, like rebuilding the platform that goes in the bed of the truck for the umpteenth time and making sure the “basement” was secure. We eventually ended up dropping the bumper of our pick-up truck and taking the clearance lights off, after another improvement attempt on another Home Depot parking lot failed.

Greg helps Mark inspect the “basement” of our truck camper
Mark takes off the clearance lights on the truck and needed electricity from inside the camper to drill out the holes in order to plug them.
Thirsty without the orange lights on top of the cab – we’d already put black caps on them as a blend-in mechanism right after buying the truck.
Mark assembles the truck’s interior parts after the job is done.

While the camper was off the truck, we decided to go on our first off-road adventure to explore a bit of the area, like the “Valley of Names.” What a bouncy endeavor that was! None of us can say we actually enjoyed the jerky experience…

Our first time “off roading” in Thirsty
A bumpy ride
Extinct volcano along the way to Valley of Names
Valley of Names
Walking by hundreds of names formed by people using rocks
The Valley of Names stretches for miles!

I also needed a dental check-up (and a $10 haircut apparently) right across the border in Los Algodones before we could really head south. Luckily, none of these visits and repair tasks were expensive, so we were off to a good year, moneywise, despite a few more delays. Having friends around made everything more fun!

Strolling in the border town of Los Algodones, famous and popular for its amount of dentists and pharmacies
Walking around Los Algodones
Long line at the border to cross back into the US
Short hair again, for $10
Visit from Patti and her dogs, in the desert near Yuma
Maya had doggie friends visit.
Our friend Greg, from the blog “Make Like An Apeman” joined us for a little while as well, in between house sits.

Life in Mexico is cheaper than in the US, so we had high hopes for a less-than-average month as far as living costs were concerned. We knew gasoline would be pricey (the equivalent of $4/gallon) and ended up driving bigger-than-planned distances from the start.

Our first boondocking spot in Baja California, at Shell Beach, half an hour south of San Felipe
Sunrise on Shell Beach, along the Sea of Cortez
Expansive and pretty Shell Beach
Walk along Shell Beach
Bounty after a long beach walk

We arrived in Baja on January 12th and soon realized that Mark should leave the country for an impromptu visit back to his parents in Massachusetts. The price for that “detour” resulted in an extra $530 for flights, public transportation, parking, a Covid test, and a ten-day campground stay for Maya and me in Loreto. All our other camping spots last month were free.

The dunes of Guerrero Negro were our second stop on the peninsula, before heading south to Loreto.
Hiking in the sand dunes of Guerrero Negro
Maya digging a hole to cool off – or have fun, or get me all sandy!
Funny girl!
Resting on the dunes with my pup
Nope, we are not in the Sahara Desert…

From 2022 on, we are splitting the camper category into two parts – car and camper – to keep better track of those expenditures separately. Our Mexican car insurance was higher than stated below ($442 instead of $113), because it incorporates the refund for our American insurance, which we paused.

Camped for free in Mulege, the last stop before “settling” in Loreto for twelve days
The mouth of the Mulege River
Moonrise in Mulege
Delicious dinner after finding clams at low tide on a rocky beach in Mulege
Ospreys are abundant in Mulege

The grocery category is lower than usually, as food is cheaper in Mexico and we eat out more often for the same reason. Since our favorite rum (from Nicaragua) is available on the peninsula, we splurged buying several bottles of Flor de Cana instead of Bacardi, hence the pretty high number for alcohol. For now, we kept our affordable unlimited (and now unavailable) $35 AT&T data plan in the States, on top of buying data for our Mexican SIM-card ($27), which explains the larger number in the utilities section.

T&T in our preferred campground in Loreto
Rivera del Mar RV Park was much busier this year than in 2021.
One of the bathroom buildings at the campground in Loreto

Tourist cards for Mexico cost about $33 a person, which created an extra expense category this past month. Other than the money needed for Mark’s trip back to attend to a family situation, January had us on track for an average $1,300 month… February – so far – is looking much better. 😊

January 2022 Overview:

Car (fuel: $337; insurance: $113; repairs: $13):

Travel (flights Mark):

Groceries:

Alcohol:

Utilities (internet: $62; propane: $10; water: $6):

Accommodation (camping):

Camper (repairs):

Customs & Immigration:

Dining out:

Medical (Covid test Mark):

Drinking out:

Health & Fitness (tooth brush M, haircut L):

Gifts (B-day friend):

Transport (trains M):

Laundry:

Clothes (flip flops L):

Postage:

Miscellaneous (agricultural spray Mexico):

 

TOTAL:

 

$463

$402

$217

$98

$77

$74

$72

$67

$59

$40

$39

$32

$21

$17

$11

$10

$2

$1

———

$ 1,702

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.

Annual Expense Report of a Nomad – 2021

February 1, 2022 / / 25 Comments

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. “The less money you spend, the less you need to make” 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 2021.

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, and our total costs for 2020 are documented 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 East Coast. The utility cost refers to phone data plans with AT&T.

In 2021, Mark, Maya, and I traveled in our campervan Zesty for three months (in California and Mexico) before selling it, drove across the USA in a rental car for one week, lived in the “room above the garage” at my in-laws in Massachusetts for five months (to change gears), and headed to the southwest again in our new-to-us truck camper T&T (Thirsty the truck and Temp the camper) during the last four months of the year.

(As always, click on photos or hover over them to read captions. Note: a bug must have slipped into my most recent WordPress update, because I can’t move photos around within my galleries anymore. The result is that my images are not shown in chronological order. My apologies.)

Camped at the beach in spring, Bahia Conception, Baja, Mexico
Back on the road – waterfalls in New York state
Boondocked in Colorado on the way west – happy our Alde heater works at this altitude
Boondocked in the fall
Snow in the Black Hills of South Dakota
The badlands of South Dakota
Approaching Chicago, Illinois

Despite our fears of spending way more than our annual average in 2021, because of inflation and the rising costs of living and fuel, our final sum is pretty close to that of the previous year. The reason: we received a few thousand dollars in credits after issues, claims, customer support calls, and points from using our trusted Chase credit card. Years past, these points went to flights which then didn’t get recorded in my expense reports. Last year, they went against groceries (during the height of Covid) at 1.5X their value and towards credit card payments. If you’re interested in a new credit card that offers 60,000 points (a value of $600) when you spend $4,000 in the first three months.

Many projects occurred before we left New England again…
Mark installs the tie-downs for our truck camper
Mark cleaning up the wiring in the lithium battery he built
One of the many attempts – and expenses – to build the right platform to rest the camper on
Our friend John helps Mark figuring out an issue with the battery
Fixing some issues with the bathroom sink

Our main expenses, just like other years, were the camper and groceries ($328 a month, which appears pretty high). The biggest chunk of vehicle money went to fuel, insurances, parts, and maintenance. Why is the maintenance amount ($53) so low then, you ask? Because we received $1,907 from a claim when a third party put a scratch in the side of Zesty. We managed to buff it out ourselves and used the money against other camper projects. We also sold $1,600 worth of accessories that came with our “new” truck and our camper.

The new set-up is complete! Picking up the camper in Vermont, last August.
The pick-up truck came with a nice Tonneau cover, which we managed to sell separately.
The new owner of a big storage box, we sold off our truck camper
Getting more fuel in a small town in the Midwest
Pemex fuel station in Loreto, BCS, Mexico

A lot of “cash” went to plane tickets (to Belgium), our trip across the country in a rental car, a root canal and crown for me (which I had done in Mexico), an early Covid test for me, and a Shingles shot for Mark (both in Arizona). We hope to cut these kinds of expenses down in 2022. But other surprise costs will pop up, no doubt!

Driving east into the sunrise…
My new dentist is located in Los Algodones, Mexico
My first Covid test ($75) in January 2021, after feeling flu-ish. It was negative.
Our crappy rental car with a crappy bike rack we had to buy to transport our bikes back east.
Catching up on work and research after a full day on the road.
We stayed at pet-friendly Morel 6’s along our drive across country, last April.
Driving across the country from west to east again, in a rental this time

Did you know that taking care of one dog can cost upwards of $800 a year? The dogfood category was higher than usual, because we stocked up on bags of it for our trip in Baja, where they don’t sell high-quality kibble with salmon. Of course, Maya is worth every dollar!

Fish oil, a lovely (but costly) supplement for Maya
Birthday gift for Liesbet
Taking my mom out for dinner in Belgium for her 70th birthday
Going out for Mexican food in Benson, Arizona, to treat our friend John.

Unlike our drinking out category, which is minimal, dining out (on patios and take-away) took a big bite out of our budget. This has to do with birthday celebrations and reconnecting with friends. We also spent quite a bit on gifts in 2021, part of that for an Airbnb “weekend” in Bahia Concepcion, Baja California, Mexico, for Mark’s 50th birthday.

Dinner with friends at Mi Loreto, our favorite restaurant in Loreto, Baja California, Mexico
Friends’ get-together in Massachusetts this past summer
Celebrating New Year 2021 with friends in the desert of California
Street tacos for lunch in Baja
A fancy bottle of whiskey for the anniversary of my in-laws.
64th anniversary party organized for my in-laws
Family visiting in Newburyport, MA

Utilities are what they are. We are bummed about the high propane costs, because we prefer a fridge that works on electricity; hopefully we can solve that issue later this year by replacing it. Internet is what keeps us connected and in Mexico, we pay for drinking water. I decided to add our Arizona campground expense from December to this report (and updated last month’s as well), to avoid “hidden costs.” Sure, we usually don’t stay in RV parks and this amount was incorporated into Mark’s wages, but it was still something we paid for. Hopefully, never to be repeated.

Huerta Don Chano, a lush campground in Mulege
Laundry prices at Rivera del Mar in Loreto, BCS, Mexico
Propane filling station at Leaf Verde RV Resort
Our home for a few weeks in Arizona, while Mark worked the night shift at Macy’s warehouse in December

The other two categories we might be able to do better with this year are household and alcohol. The first one contains items we needed to equip our new camper (which will only be repeated somewhat if we change gears again). As for the booze, beer, and wine, we are social drinkers and enjoy a glass on the weekends and when hanging out with friends. No excuses needed. I’d say we did pretty well with the bottom part of the report underneath. Who else spends $30 a year on clothing? 🙂

The new bike rack solution allows us to carry our bikes with the new set-up.
Mark installed a new battery in his phone. Yes, there was smoke involved!

In conclusion (and to our relief), 2021 seems to be another average expense year, in which we succeeded to live on around $16,000 a year, which amounts to $1,333 a month. It proves to be a feasible goal, especially when we leave the first world…

Cheers to friendship, with Denise

2021 Overview:

Camper (fuel: $2,760; ins.: $1,281; reg.: $152; maint.: $53;

tolls: $40; parking: $14; credit: + $3,507):

Groceries:

Travel (plane tickets, rental car, motels, camping Mex.):

Medical (root canal L in Mex., shot M, meds):

Dog (food: $339; vet: $262; supplies: $254):

Dining out:

Gifts (B-days, Christmas):

Utilities (internet: $478; prop.: $123; water: $45; Skype: $11):

Rent (Leaf Verde RV Resort):

Household (tools, supplies, battery parts, bike rack):

Alcohol:

Health & Fitness (haircut L, vitamins M):

Customs & Immigration (new passport M, visas Mex.):

Entertainment (whale watching, parks):

Bank charge (Chase visa card):

Computer (phone batt., router, domains):

Laundry:

Clothing (flip flops M, T-shirts L):

Drinking out:

Postage:

Miscellaneous (carwash, copies):

 

TOTAL:

Credit:

 

TOTAL:

 

$4,300

 

$3,942

$2,786

$939

$855

$737

$720

$656

$529

$497

$485

$234

$187

$161

$150

$133

$64

$63

$40

$21

$10

———

$ 17,509

$    1,699

———

$15,810

(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.

Donate to Roaming About to help maintain this website.

Free Power – How Do We Get Sufficient Electricity to Camp Off-grid?

January 27, 2022 / / 30 Comments

Most of you already know that Mark, Maya, and I enjoy boondocking, also called wild or dry camping. This means we don’t utilize hook-ups (connection to electricity, water, and sewer), which are standard utilities at RV parks and most campgrounds. Not only is boondocking free (or affordable in official camping areas), but it provides us with privacy, space, and peace. We just love to spend our nights in solitude, surrounded by Mother Nature – a quiet environment, starry skies, the distant howl of coyotes.

Our RV has three tanks: fresh water for drinking, showering, dishes, and cooking; a “grey” tank to collect water going down the drains, and a “black” reservoir to collect contents from the toilet. We usually fill the fresh water tank and dump the others at dump stations. In Mexico, we buy our water at the “agua purificado” store. So, these essentials consist of the process “fill, use, dump, repeat.” But how about that other commodity called electricity? How do we collect and retain enough “juice” for our computer, lights, and few appliances? How do we manage to keep our devices charged when sitting still?

Ever since we owned our 35ft sailing catamaran Irie from 2007 to 2015, we have been fans of solar power. It allows us to be self-contained, free, and camp/anchor off the beaten path. If you are curious how that materializes in our current truck camper, Temp, please read on…

Mark and I recently installed an additional solar panel on the roof of our camper to augment the existing 160W panel that came with our “new” set-up. Last year, Mark built a 270Ah LifePO4 12V (Lithium) battery for Temp and we have been using that successfully for the past months. Our camper came with a Zamp Solar 160W roof-mounted solar panel and a Zamp Solar 30A PWM charge controller when we bought it last June. The charge controller does not work well with LifePO4 batteries, so changing that out was also on our to-do list to get the camper’s electrical system better prepared for full-time living.

We installed an additional 180W fixed solar panel from BougeRV (link here) to our existing roof rack. This avoided drilling new holes into the roof for the panel itself. We used the Z-bracket mounting hardware that BougeRV sells specifically for their panels, (see link here) which attached directly to the new 180W panel and then provided a horizontal surface to mount it on our roof rack. We also utilized their pass-thru gland for the new wiring into the camper from the roof (click link here), and received 30ft of 10AWG wire (see that link here).

Panel and accessories arrive

Unpacking the panel

Junction box

Inside junction box

Z-Brackets

30ft of 10AWG cable

Gland for camper roof

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Back in Baja (Kind of) – A Week of Dunes, Drives & Decisions

January 24, 2022 / / 53 Comments

It might not have been obvious in my previous blog posts, but Mark and I were antsy about returning to the Baja California peninsula of Mexico this winter, because we had a great time here last spring, meeting like-minded travelers and taking a welcome break after publishing a book. On this subsequent visit, we hoped to hang out with friends, explore this 1,000-mile narrow stretch of land a bit more, and relax on its many beaches. Our initial goal was to arrive in early December and stay until sometime in April.

Shell Beach vista

After multiple delays – trying to find jobs in Arizona, going to the dentist in Los Algodones, more camper projects in the desert, and a few important phone calls while still in the US with good cell service, we finally crossed the border into Baja on January 12th, six weeks later than planned. It was a good day! We had arrived back in Mexico and we could feel the stress and anxiety leave our bodies. Yet, we realized it would take a while to fully adjust to the life we intend to have: one of plenty adventures with a good balance between work and leisure, and plenty of walks for Maya.

On the access road to Shell Beach, 4WD is recommended
Parked at the end of the dirt road. We didn’t feel comfortable driving and camping on the soft-sand beach

Now that we have a 4WD vehicle (as opposed to our campervan Zesty, last year), more remote campsites are accessible and we feel that’s what a lot of Baja California is about: reaching peace and solitude surrounded by nature and the sea. One thing we noticed from the start, though, is that it’s much busier than last year. We were spoiled in 2021, when rarely a soul crossed into Mexico, and we often camped by ourselves.

A big shell!
Walking Maya on the pretty beach

Half an hour south of San Felipe is “Shell Beach” along the Sea of Cortez. This was our first stop and an awesome one. Miles and miles of empty beach, low dunes, gorgeous sunrises, clear night skies, and oh-so-quiet.

Sunrise on Shell Beach (Photo courtesy of Mark Kilty)
The empty beach runs for miles
The mountainous backdrop of our camping spot
Small dunes along the beach
A huge flock of pelicans on a sand spit at low tide
Huge sand spit
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Monthly Expenses of a Nomad – December 2021

January 14, 2022 / / 25 Comments

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for 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.

Mark, Maya, and I were supposed to spend the entire month of December at an RV park in Buckeye, Arizona. But, as with many of our 2021 goals and intentions, this didn’t happen. Mark was let go from his seasonal job at Macy’s warehouse two weeks prior than promised and expected. (There was not enough work anymore.) Despite having paid up throughout the month, we left the campground a week early after finishing several camper projects. We didn’t like it there.

Campsite #25 was our spot
Our home for four weeks
Crowded RV park with big rigs

The RV park was our highest expense in December. It was “part of the deal” and expected from the start. Most of the fuel cost went to Mark’s commute to and from Goodyear, where the warehouse is located. For anyone interested in trying the Get Upside app, which saves you money with every fill-up, follow this link. (Enter the code FE3MM7 when signing up to receive $2.22 back if you spend $10 by February 9th.)

The money going to camper and car projects (tire installation, spare water pump, hardware) could have been so much more, last month! First, we were sent a free solar panel and wiring by Bouge RV, which we installed at the campground. In return, we will compose and publish an extensive review, planned later this month. If anyone is interested in checking out Bouge RV’s website and gear, click on this link (which will bring you to their solar equipment). Use our coupon code ROAM12 for a 12% discount on any product.

Mark installing the new solar panel
Our new 180W solar panel

Secondly, we bought four Pirelli tires through Amazon and Walmart over a period of multiple weeks, which cost us tremendous time, energy, and aggravation. Everything went wrong. What a nightmare that was!!! The positive outcome was that we only ended up paying a fraction of the price we had in mind, due to Amazon’s generosity with refunds. That made up some of the income missed out on by Mark. We also used Amazon gift certificates for a bunch of household goods. The credit you see in the camper category underneath is a refund from our US car insurance after we made changes to go to Mexico.

Four tires, delivered!
Unwelcome message that did not make sense…
“Hiding” four new tires, before finding someone to finally install them.
Local Mexican tire installer
Waiting for the tire job to be done as dusk sets in
Our robust Pirelli tires
New tires – installed!

The grocery and dog categories are unusually high, because we kept stocking up on specialty items for us and dog food for Maya to consume on the Baja California peninsula this winter. Mark and I agreed to spoil ourselves with take-out once a week, while he worked the night shift. The second time this happened, our friend Greg paid us a quick visit in Phoenix. We only had a couple of hours to catch up, over a late lunch, but what a nice distraction this was. No more “dining out” afterwards, as Mark was not employed anymore. The second photo is of a cheap, healthy, vegetarian, easy, and tasty Mexican dinner: tostados with chopped vegetables and refried beans.

Our friend Greg came by for a very quick afternoon visit one day.
Easy, delicious, and healthy!

December is gift month, but we did pretty well here. I created, ordered, and shipped my annual calendars (with a photo of our little family in different locations for each month) to our loved ones in Belgium and the US. I still had the refund of my unusable Plunge banner from Vistaprint (see this writing update post) for the US versions of the calendar. And, for my birthday the end of November, I was promised a shopping spree at Trader Joe’s for goodies we never buy, namely unhealthy snacks! I spent half of my $50 allowance and am still enjoying the splurges now, after sharing the dessert items with friends earlier this month.

Trader Joe’s bounty for my birthday
A full tub of cookies!!!
Opening Christmas gifts, sent across the country by our good friend Denise
Maya loves her new toy, sent from Massachusetts by our friend Denise

Our other expense categories were reasonable. Mark finally bought a drill, which has come in really handy. I found extra t-shirts at a thrift store and did a few laundry loads, we topped off our propane tanks, and Mark took Thirsty to a carwash.

Filling our propane tanks was easy.
Convenient laundromat – if only all the machines would work!
Sparkling clean truck!

On Christmas Day, we finally had a fun afternoon outing away from the RV park. Our trio went for a decent hike in White Tank Mountain Regional Park, where a trickle of a waterfall became our destination.

White Tanks Mountain Regional Park
White Tank’s waterfall – albeit a small one – after a heavy rainstorm
Happy Maya
Sunset on Christmas Day

Like I mentioned before, I am now adding the credits from our Chase card (money earned back by using our Sapphire Preferred card) to our final total. If you’re looking for a new credit card that offers you 60,000 points (a value of $600).

Stay tuned for our annual 2021 expense report in a couple of weeks!

December 2021 Overview:

Rent (RV park):

Camper (maintenance: $279; fuel: $265; credit: + $78):

Groceries:

Dog (food: $72; flea collar & toys: $43):

Dining out:

Gifts (calendars, B-day L):

Utilities (phone/internet: $35; propane: $23):

Alcohol:

Medical (lab work, meds M):

Laundry:

Household (drill):

Clothes (T-shirts L):

Miscellaneous (carwash, copies):

Entertainment (regional park):

 

TOTAL:

Credit:

 

TOTAL:

 

$529

$466

$409

$115

$88

$85

$58

$44

$30

$20

$16

$15

$10

$7

———

$ 1,892

–    $ 84

———

$1,808

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.

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Why Don’t You Find a Job?

December 23, 2021 / / 76 Comments

Most of you know that Mark and I are not retired. We live frugally as nomads – now on the road, previously on the water. We’ve been at that for over eighteen years. I’m a freelance writer, translator, editor, and photographer (and since last year author and book promotor). Regardless of his master’s degree in computer science, Mark picks up work along the way and ran a successful marine WiFi business for nine years. Because we are careful with our expenditures, we manage to maintain a less than ordinary lifestyle without working fulltime. Combining travel with eight to ten hours of work a day is extremely challenging and close to impossible – we do have experience with that while sailing.

These last months, you might have read between the lines that a higher cost of living, inflation, and the need of camper and truck improvements to prepare for travels abroad have been troubling us. For that reason, we decided to postpone our trip to Baja California, Mexico, and work in Arizona during the month of December. I would focus on more paid projects and book promo; Mark would apply for a job, locally. How hard could that be? You’ve all seen the “for hire” signs everywhere. And experienced how “nobody wants to work anymore.” And heard the rumors about businesses dying to find employees. Right? One thing is for sure, during the holiday season, many companies do need extra help.

It was mid-November 2021, when we found ourselves in the desert of Tucson, Arizona, and Mark uttered we’d spent $1,000 on fuel to drive across the country, still needed new tires for Thirsty (costing a similar amount), and that months of research and patience to find items on our list for a better price stopped being productive. Price tags online rarely drop anymore. “I need to find a job,” he decided.

The UPS delivery job

We preferred to stick around Tucson if at all possible, despite Phoenix offering more potential with its abundance of warehouses. Mark scanned hiring ads. Delivering packages for UPS with your own car appeared to be the most profitable temporary job. We could stay at our not ideal but free camping area on the edge of Tucson, separate the camper and truck, and make good money (over $20 an hour), plus a generous mileage reimbursement and a weekly bonus. All we had to do was “cover and secure” the bed of our pickup by buying a locking cover. Hours later, we remembered one vital part: our tailgate was still in Massachusetts. It had to be removed and stored for the camper to fit.

Storing our tailgate at a friend’s place in Massachusetts

The position of driver helper earned much less money ($15/hour, no bonus) and still required commuting, but Mark found one in the area that would work. The next day – as we figured out logistics – the job was gone. We needed a different approach.

The Amazon warehouse

Our attention turned to Amazon. Longtime readers might remember that Mark worked at an Amazon warehouse in Kentucky two years ago, with a program called CamperForce. Somebody was in charge of matching seasonal employees with Amazon and a campsite was included. This time, we were on our own. Mark filled out a job application online for an Amazon warehouse in Phoenix and was approved for a nightshift.

Then, we hunted for a campground. Near the Amazon fulfillment center. For a month. In RV central of the USA. During the busiest time of the year: snowbird season. We found two RV parks on Google somewhat close to Mark’s job site – one never answered the phone and didn’t reply to our message, the other (a trailer park) doesn’t allow truck campers! This boggles our mind, as we are as self-contained as any of the bigger rigs. It sure felt like discrimination…

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Monthly Expenses of a Nomad – November 2021

December 9, 2021 / / 32 Comments

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast.

Mark, Maya, and I spent the entire month of November on the road in T&T (Thirsty & Temp), exploring New Mexico and Arizona, which explains our high fuel cost. Camping in nature was free, as usual. This was NOT what we had in mind when we left Massachusetts mid-September. It was the start of a new string of negative developments that would affect our decisions and continue well into December. Let me explain…

Nice and private free campsite in Gila National Forest, NM
Camped on BLM land near Espanola, NM
Another peaceful free campsite in Arizona

Before we hit the road in our new set-up, we had a two- to three-week house sit lined up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for home owners and dogs we are familiar with and have done repeat sits for. The owners asked us back, were going to pay us, and wanted to meet Maya. We had a destination and a time frame (mid-November), came up with a loose route, and would enjoy two months of travel and sightseeing until the sit started.

As our trip progressed, Mark and I made plans (yep, the P-word that we should ban from our vocabulary!) for our stay in Albuquerque. Other than taking care of the dogs, the home, the mail, and the yard, we looked forward to sitting still for a couple of weeks enjoying the luxuries and comforts of a fabulous house,  dealing with much-needed camper projects (making adjustments to our camper platform, equalizing the cells in the lithium battery Mark built, fixing the bathroom sink, modifying parts of the interior), doing promo work for my book, focusing on freelance work, creating an annual calendar for my family, and getting some administration in order.

We did stop in Albuquerque, NM, for an afternoon at Home Depot, for platform attempt #2.

So, when this sit was cancelled, we lost more than the prospect of extra income. We were pretty bummed, but more imminent and important, we needed to figure out where we could work on the camper for a few days. Luckily, we have a friend in Benson, Arizona, a fellow Westy owner, who agreed to our presence in his driveway for a couple of nights that turned into four. Not only did we have the space we needed, but John is also a wealth of information with a wealth of tools and scrap materials!

John, a battery expert, helps Mark diagnose what’s wrong with the individual cells.
Mark working on the sink contraption
Attempt #3 (and more money invested) for a camper platform that works
Extra project, yet tricky and time consuming: cutting the long cupboard lids in three pieces
John helped Mark with many of our projects
The separate parts are easier to open and close
A new spigot in the sink

Some of our expenses last month are related to this stay, as we – again – attempted building a different platform to rest our camper on. Maybe the third try is the charm? We modified and fixed a few camper items and installed new faucet in the bathroom. We took our friend out to a fabulous lunch at Mi Casa restaurant (look at those reviews and check them out if you pass through!) as a thank you and cooked an extensive Mexican dinner for him as well. It was a productive mid-week.

That’s not Zesty! It’s John’s Westy. We traded ours for a truck camper…
Fish tacos a la Mark in Temp – our first dinner guest!
Lunch at a Mexican restaurant in Benson, AZ
Look at those dishes! Not only tasty and filling, but pretty too.
Good find, John!

A few of November’s categories are high as we started stocking up and preparing for our winter trip to Baja California, Mexico (which has now been postponed, but more about that in another post). And we purchased special ingredients for two celebratory dinners in Temp: Thanksgiving and my birthday.

Chicken instead of turkey – the camper way….
Thanksgiving dinner, most of it made from scratch

We bought extra food for us and Maya and we took our dog to the vet for her annual check-up and a couple of vaccines. Mark needed his second shingles shot as well, which we had to pay out of pocket as we have Massachusetts health insurance that only covers us elsewhere for emergencies. On the same topic, Mark and I also received our booster shots for Covid, which were free. The family is all set for Mexico!

View for a week from our bed – Saddle Mountain BLM
Scenery along our hike
And, some saguaros here too.
Taking a breather in the shade of the mountain
Hiking in the rocky desert of Arizona
Found it! Petroglyphs at Saddleback Mountain.
It was very rocky and not ideal to walk, especially for Maya.

Free entertainment came in the form of dog walks in the desert, soaking in natural hot springs, and finding local and cultural treasures.

Black Rock Hot Springs
Maya remained on the rocks
A cold river next to comfortable hot springs
Gila Cliff Dwellings, New Mexico
Gila Cliff Dwellings, New Mexico

Without friends inviting us to use their washing machines, we have to pay for laundry again. 🙂 The amount we spent was actually higher than mentioned in this overview, but we had extra quarters left from a previous laundry expense category. And last but not least, because of our credit cards and cash back program, we received a bit over $50 back. From now on, I am incorporating these amounts in our totals, something I haven’t done in the past.

(The Chase offer of 100,000 bonus points I mentioned a few months ago is not available anymore. When signing up for this credit card now, you can earn 60,000 points when following the directions here.)

Free camping next to Saddle Mountain, AZ, for one week

November 2021 Overview:

Camper (fuel: $318; maintenance: $198):

Groceries:

Dog (vet: $116; food: $67):

Medical (Shingles shot M):

Alcohol:

Health & fitness (vitamins):

Utilities (phone: $35; propane: $22; Skype: $5):

Household (supplies):

Dining out:

Clothes (socks, flip flops, undies M):

Laundry:

Entertainment (books):

Accommodation:

 

TOTAL:

Credit:

TOTAL:

 

$516

$393

$183

$155

$88

$65

$62

$50

$46

$27

$8

$4

$0

———

$ 1,597

–    $ 54

———

$1,543

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.

Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary

Available on Amazon and elsewhere

eBook: US$ 5.99

Paperback: US$ 13.99

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad – October 2021

November 12, 2021 / / 47 Comments

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast.

Mark, Maya, and I spent the entire month of October on the road in our truck camper, getting from Illinois to New Mexico with stops in Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Colorado. Lots of driving and extra gear were the main source for our high expenses. We bought a new faucet for the bathroom, latches for the drawers (we had three break in one week – what to do with all their contents while we drove?), a grease gun, and a battery monitor. I have to stop stating that it was – yet – another costly month and face the fact that life has gotten incredibly expensive in the US. And I’m not only talking about fuel.

(As always, hover over or click on photos for captions.)

New faucet for the bathroom. It was cheaply made, so Mark needed to replace the O-ring and make adjustments to it.
Maya at the reservoir of Shep Canyon, where we stayed multiple nights.

In 2020 (and previous years), our monthly average expenditure was around $1,300. We met this goal only twice in 2021. Prices of products in grocery stores and online have risen and the cost of fuel – which I realize is still much lower than in Canada, Belgium, or Mexico – is becoming cost-prohibitive for us. Now is NOT a good time for a cross country road trip or camper life as a nomad. It’s not that we can cut more in other categories as we’re pretty careful already. Mark and I have daily discussions about our options. Sitting somewhere for longer periods of time? Finding “real” jobs for a bit? Changing gears once again?

Camped at Oliver Reservoir Recreation Area, Nebraska

In the past, readers of this blog and people following our adventures have asked us how they can support us. Why don’t we have a tip jar, pizza/beer/coffee fund, ads on the website, or a crowdfunding platform? Apart from a few affiliate links, we are staying clear of any of this. So far. The best, easiest, and most rewarding (and beneficial to you) way to support us, is by buying my book – via links on this website, as a hard copy from me personally if your address is in the US, or elsewhere online.

Trying to save money has caused us frustrations in October (and this month too). Usually, we use the free app GasBuddy, but with prices fluctuating from hour to hour, we often show up at a station to a price that is 30 cents a gallon higher than last reported. This means we drive to a different station on the other side of town, costing us more fuel – and time – to get there than it is worth buying gas for a few cents less. If the price at station #2 is, in fact, lower. More often than not, it isn’t and we end up paying a premium anyway, despite the detour.

Getting expensive gas in Bayard, Nebraska

GetUpside is a wonderful alternative. This app gives a discount at certain stations and seems to be more reliable these days. If anyone is interested in signing up, feel free to use the promo code FE3MM7 or this link. It should give you a discount of 15 – 40 cents per gallon of gas or diesel on your first fill at participating fuel stations.

Another problem is our dismal fuel economy. We only get 10 miles to the gallon in this pickup truck, which is less than half of our campervan Zesty! This reduces our radius from 500 miles to 300 miles before we need to fill up again (despite the bigger tank), is twice as expensive as before, and makes us plan our routes a certain way (as in, avoid the Rocky Mountains in Colorado). And that’s with Mark not using cruise control and being extremely aware about how he drives, which is exhausting. Even then, our fuel cost last month was outrageous – over 1/3 of our total expense – and so was the expense for propane, which also has gone up substantially compared to six months ago.

Maya with her new tracker
Maya’s big container of fish oil
Parked overnight at the Bas Pro Shop of Colorado Springs, Colorado. They allow RVs to spend one night a year here.

What else did we spend money on in October? We bought a new gps tracker for Maya. Tractive (a company Mark researched in the past) had a special, offering the device for free and an annual data fee for $84. We switched from Whistle, because Tractive provides coverage internationally and has more usable features. We stocked up on the fish oil supplement for our dog as well. This container should last at least six months.

Tasty and healthy lunch on October 1st, in Wicker Park, Chicago, provided by Peta and Ben (Photo courtesy Peta Kaplan)
Appetizers and dinner at Keith & Kavita’s place in Chicago

Alcohol was high, because we visited friends and brought stacks to share and leave. We also treated our friends in Chicago to a Thai take-out meal. On the flip side, wonderful friends treated us to lunch (thank you, Peta and Ben), dinner and fresh veggies from the garden (thank you, Gail and Jon), and other food (thank you Keith, Kavita, and Margaret).

Our TV swings out from the bed area towards the dinette.

Mark convinced me to get a Chromecast device on sale. For about $20 we managed to snatch the last one at a department store and now we actually use the TV that came with our camper by pairing it with a tablet and streaming Netflix, etc. to enjoy a bigger screen; luxury!

Entrance sign to the national park
Driving through Badlands National Park
Enjoying the American Badlands

We bought a few new items for the camper household (our cereal bowls broke after I forgot to latch one of the cabinets; our drives are VERY rough and often on bumpy dirt roads) and shorts for Mark. We also paid the $30 entrance fee to Badlands National Park and renewed one of our domain names. Phew!

Camped along the badlands of South Dakota
Little Swan Lake, Iowa
Oacoma Flats, South Dakota
Camped south of the national park, before a rain storm
Camped at Shep Canyon National Recreation Area, SD
Camped at our friends Gail & Jon’s house in the Black Hills, South Dakota
Camped for one night in the prairie of Monument, Colorado
Camped at Mountain Home State Wildlife Area in Colorado for a couple of nights

As usual, we camped for free in the most amazing places. Imagine we’d stay at real campgrounds with fees of $20-$40 a night.. We definitely wouldn’t be able to afford this lifestyle anymore! Hurray for boondocking spots and the American west that is full of them. 🙂

One of our favorite campsites, in Colorado, last month. Happy to report our heater works at 8,500ft altitude!

October 2021 Overview:

Camper (fuel: $553; parts: $207):

Groceries:

Dog (GPS tracker: $84; fish oil: $48; bone: $8):

Alcohol:

Utilities (phone: $35; propane: $31):

Dining out:

Computer (Chromecast: $21; hosting site: $19):

Household (supplies):

Entertainment (Badlands NP):

Clothes (shorts M):

Accommodation:

 

TOTAL:

 

$760

$241

$140

$77

$66

$54

$40

$35

$30

$15

$0

———

$ 1,458

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.

Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary

Available on Amazon and elsewhere

eBook: US$ 5.99

Paperback: US$ 13.99

How to Visit Chicago for Free (in a Small Camper) – Skylines & Social Times

October 20, 2021 / / 61 Comments

After New York’s natural beauty, more wonder – of a very different kind – befell me when Mark, Maya, and I approached the skyline of Chicago, Illinois. Yes, I had set foot upon its grounds twice before. Once on a wintry layover from Belgium, never venturing further than a hotel room after missing my connecting flight, and once a couple of years ago, when we swung by our friends Keith and Kavita’s home on the outskirts of the city. But I had never witnessed its majestic architectural beauty, strolled its waterfront, or parked in its quirky neighborhoods.

Chicago skyline

When our long-anticipated departure from Newburyport, Massachusetts, approached, Mark and I had to pick a route, or, at the very least, a first destination. We prefer a northern track across the United States for its scenic appeal, but we hate cold weather. Everything was dependent on when exactly we could start our journey. Luckily, that happened in mid-September and not October like last year, when a southern approach was required. So, we stated, “As long as the weather holds, we will stick to a northern course.” As I write this, we still haven’t made any southward progress! Soon…

Our goal was Chicago, a city I had heard a lot of positives about but never visited, and a place where three sets of friends would be located at the end of September… Our trio stayed in the city for four nights and had a jolly good time, without spending a dime!* 😊

(Click on the photos or hover over them to read the captions in galleries.)

Approaching Chicago
Big cities mean lots of traffic…

Six tips for a free “long weekend” in Chi Town:

1. Stick to outdoor sights and activities

We easily filled a few days by checking out Lake Michigan – with a long waterfront bike/walking trail – and several areas in downtown. The first day, we walked all the way from Lincoln Park to Navy Pier and returned via skyscraper heaven.

Chicago borders Lake Michigan
Walk along the lakefront
Entering Navy Pier
Lighthouse at the edge of Chicago Harbor
The skyline seen from Navy Pier
A little break at the end of the pier
The Ferris Wheel (Centennial Wheel) on Navy Pier is an icon in Chicago. No, we didn’t go for a ride – too expensive and no dogs allowed.
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