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.
I'm a bit late with my expense report for June. The excuse: a long and challenging ride east with soaring heat and humidity, mediocre camping spots, no internet the last week, an anxious dog, and little time for anything other than driving, searching for shade, and outdoor activities. More about that later. The entire month of June was spent in our camper van Zesty and we have no more house sits lined up.
As expected, a serious chunk of money went to diesel to drive our little family from Southwest Utah to Northeast Massachusetts; a distance of about 3,000 miles, including a detour through southern Canada. Most of that cost is represented in this overview. We mostly followed secondary roads (vs. highways) as we maintain a speed of 55mph - safer and more fuel efficient. We use the free app GasBuddy to find the best fuel prices and bought as little diesel as possible in Canada, where it's more expensive than in the US.
Our other big expense last month was Maya, the dog we adopted at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in the beginning of June. The adoption fee was $100. We doubled that amount, buying food, toys, and gear for her, some of which we ordered to addresses en route; most of it waiting for us at our "home base" in Newburyport. These two special expenditures considered, we didn't do too bad.
July 9, 2019 at 15:11
You still, as always, did amazingly good. I believe our trip back east in May cost a bit (a couple hundred dollars) more for fuel than yours did. You must get so much better mileage than we do or perhaps its just that slow driving.
Love the pics of Maya. And looking forward to hearing about Niagara Falls – I’m planning a trip there for October.
July 10, 2019 at 06:40
Our mileage has been fantastic the last six months: between 22 and 25 miles per gallon. We did spent more on fuel, but that won’t be reflected until my July expense report. Probably another $100, I think. And, yes, we do drive slowly. Plus, by taking secondary roads, this trip east was probably twice as long in driving hours as it could have been.
I remember driving through towns and stopping at intersections saying to Mark “I can’t believe we’re crossing the country like this!” 🙂
There’s a great boondocking spot in iOverlander, a five minute walk to the falls! We can fill you in about it at some point. I don’t remember whether Mark left a review for it.
July 9, 2019 at 15:39
Nice job, guys! No doubt the $218 expense for Maya was well worth it. Safe travels!
July 10, 2019 at 06:41
Haha. Good eye and good reasoning, Jill. Of course, Maya is worth every penny. 🙂
July 9, 2019 at 17:58
Considering that was all travel, not bad. And now you have a new expense – dog!
July 10, 2019 at 06:42
That’s right – a new expense category! So, other categories have to go (like our charity one) or be reduced. Still working on that last one. 🙂
July 10, 2019 at 21:26
You did well in spite of your extra expenditures. And after all, who can put a price on the love of a dog? 🙂
July 12, 2019 at 13:47
Isn’t that the truth!! Especially if it’s your own dog. 🙂
July 11, 2019 at 18:13
You’ve been in the Southwest so long, it’s odd to see you in New England now. Thank you for giving us a view of the country, National Geographic style.
About the expense account: You spend small and live large. WOW!
Also: Congrats to you and Mark on your anniversary. 🙂
July 12, 2019 at 13:52
Thank you for the anniversary wishes, Marian. I’m quite surprised at how many people congratulated us on that. Maybe nobody expected us to stay together this long? Or, maybe it’s because I’ve never really mentioned our anniversaries before? 🙂
And, thank you for the compliment about my photos! It is weird to have our home on wheels (and a dog) on this visit to Mark’s parents. Usually, we just swing by for a couple of weeks by plane or train. Now, there are no plans ahead. Of course, we miss the west. Nothing new there…
“We spend small and live large.” What an incredible quote. Do you mind if I borrow that one of these days? You are such an inspiration! Have a fantastic weekend, my friend. I hope to hop over to your blog space soon.
July 12, 2019 at 16:43
I applaud the longevity of your marriage for whatever reason; others probably feel the same. Travel is intensified living, and so you are thriving in close quarters. My take!
And I’m honored that you like my quote. Of course, use it wherever and whenever you like! Enjoy your weekend and don’t worry about keeping up with blogging. Your family takes priority now. 🙂
July 14, 2019 at 10:43
Thank you for all these kind words and sentiments, my friend. You are a fantastic, genuine, and considerate person!
July 15, 2019 at 18:30
You guys certainly know how to economize. I don’t remember the last time in my life I could live off $1000. Heck groceries for two of us for a month alone cost more than that. 🙁
July 18, 2019 at 09:19
Being on a certain diet and eating organic food makes for higher grocery bills, I have noticed with other people. Mark’s sister and brother-in-law’s grocery bills used to be that high as well, but they bought a lot of prepared foods and shopped at Whole Foods. I realize that food in Canada is pricier than in the US, but $1000 does seem high. We don’t buy meat often, but still splurge on certain items (like goat cheese for Mark) once in a while. 🙂
July 16, 2019 at 07:13
I’d say you did very well indeed. Yes gas is much more expensive here in Canada. I’m thinking a trip of that distance would have looked far different on the expense sheet if we were driving here.
July 18, 2019 at 09:24
Every time we come to Canada, we fill up as close to the border as we can. Then, we “milk” it until we return to the US. That being said, we did have to get a tank and a half of diesel in Ontario and Quebec recently. 🙂