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. 🙂 Since July 2018, Mark and I have been combining van life in our Zesty and house and pet sitting, which we did full-time before that. The best of both worlds!
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. 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.
Lake Powell near Page, AZ
In April, Mark and I lived and traveled in Zesty for the first week. The rest of the month, we house and pet sat in Albuquerque, New Mexico. No crazy expenses this past month. We went out for lunch in Navajo Nation to try Native American food.
Navajo taco in the town of Navajo
Our grocery bill was a bit higher than usual, since we "splurge" on frozen goods and baking ingredients when we are not in our freezer-less, oven-less camper van. We topped up the fuel tank of our van, which sits motionless in the driveway. Mark had a front wheel alignment done - our maintenance expense in April - and a free tire rotation (at Discount Tires).
Glen Canyon area near Page, AZ
All in all, April was a good month, financially. It will be more than doubled in May with two big amounts going towards our van! On May 10th, we will hit the road again. We have no more house sits lined up.
May 5, 2019 at 15:31
How did Mark fix that window? Any idea why it cracked?
May 8, 2019 at 10:34
Hi Leslie!
The window cracked, because the manufacturer put a hole through the pane which wasn’t done perfectly, creating a weak spot. The hole is there with a black plug to keep it from sliding in the hinge. Mark posted photos of it on the Westy forum. It’s quite brittle and when we had our van worked on in Santa Fe last spring (the notorious windshield fiasco), someone at the shop wasn’t careful with the awning window (either leaning against it or attaching protective material) and it cracked.
Mark has not been able to fix the crack, after at least ten attempts with two kinds of solvent/glue particularly made for this. It is still leaking. He finally gave up and we put a sticker over the crack. Now, we face a big expense and attempt to replace it with the Sprinter sliding window (glass) as these awning windows don’t exist anymore.
May 6, 2019 at 04:48
Work on the van is like work on a house – needs to be done.
I know people who spend almost five hundred more than you do a month on apartment rent alone. Crazy, huh?
May 8, 2019 at 10:41
Yep – all ways of life need money and effort put towards upkeep. Except when you house sit internationally or live out of a backpack. That will have to be next! 🙂
When I met Mark in 2004 (a long time ago), he was paying US$2,000 a month for his 2-bedroom apartment in Oakland (on the border with Berkeley), California! Imagine what this would cost now… We would never be able to afford rent in a place where we might actually like to live. In the US anyway. It’s one of the reasons we live in a van.
May 6, 2019 at 15:03
I don’t know how you do it, but kudos to you! 🙂
May 8, 2019 at 10:43
Thanks, Debby. This month is another story! As long as the van expenses stay down, we can live pretty cheaply, but when they’re not…
May 6, 2019 at 15:11
I hope you both are feeling proud of how little you are spending and how much wonder you are accumulating as you pursue your life less ordinary!
May 8, 2019 at 10:45
It’s all about experiences (and wonder) in this life for us! As it is for you. The less you spend, the less you need to make (so, the more time for explorations) and … the longer the money lasts. Pretty basic stuff, really. 🙂
May 7, 2019 at 13:29
It’s really amazing how low you keep your expenses. Inspiring, but I’m not sure I could ever live up to it.
May 8, 2019 at 10:53
My expense reports offer kind of a warped perspective for most, as our lifestyle doesn’t require payments for rent, mortgage, or utilities. And, we rarely need new clothes. I don’t wear make-up and we share toiletries. In short – we live such a different life than most that it is hard to imagine (or relate to) our expenses, JH. But, it does make a point that one can see the world with little money. 🙂
May 9, 2019 at 06:54
You may remember from reading my story draft that I kept strict accounts of my expenses on my trip West. My $500.00 writing stipend had to last 5 weeks. Your figure for two is unbelievable!
May 10, 2019 at 19:45
Hi Marian! I do remember that passage in your book. Back then, $500 was worth more probably than these days. Still, $500 for five weeks on the road is pretty good. The reason our expenses are so low is because we don’t pay for accommodation or restaurant meals – very different from a usual (vacation) road trip. Those have a high price tag…
May 9, 2019 at 18:00
Wow! A frugal month for sure. And fun too from your other posts and FB photos. Where to now? I’m sure you will be filling us in as you go along. Happy travels! ~Kathy
May 10, 2019 at 19:59
April was one of the better months in regards to spending money, for sure, Kathy! All that will be out in perspective when this month. Ends. Ouch! Zesty needs some help…
We left the (exhausting) house sit today and will have to rest up for a few days, before we are visiting some canyons!
May 9, 2019 at 18:59
It makes me smile to see that there’s always room in your budget for charity, but it’s a little horrifying to compare your monthly expenses to ours. 😉 (That taco looks like it was absolutely worth the money – YUM!)
May 10, 2019 at 20:14
We could have actually saved money by buying one Navajo taco and splitting it, on hindsight. Darn! It’s tough to compare our expenses to the ones from families living in a stick-and-brick house. But, I hope they will inspire people to hit the road longterm and realize that this is possible on a tight budget.
We’ve been fans of the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary ever since we read their first book in 2005 about the founders and first residents, published in the nineties! Once we lost our own dogs, some of those “pet expenses” have been going to the rescues at Best Friends every month. And, to top it off, we are on our way to volunteer at that very Sanctuary in Utah later this month. Stay tuned! 🙂
May 15, 2019 at 18:55
Hi Liesbet, You remind me of the saying, “you have to name it to claim it.” You know what your expenses are. One of the reasons you and Mark are inspirational and succeeding in this lifestyle. Thank you for your candor and sharing:) Erica
May 17, 2019 at 09:18
Hi Erica! Thanks for reading and commenting. There are few things we can control and spending is one of them. Well, mostly, as stuff on the van breaks all the time. May will be an extremely high expense month! But, when it comes to our meals, grocery shopping, and boondocking, we surely try to spend as little as necessary. We manage to eat a healthy diet and see amazing natural sites, so all is good! 🙂