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 and extensive care, we return to the East Coast.
In August, I finished up my visit to Belgium and stopped over in Newburyport, Massachusetts, for a week of medical check ups and time spent with my in-law family and friends. I returned to St. Helens, Oregon, on August 9th to join Mark and Maya in our Lance 830 truck camper.
(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)
This past month, things were slowly turning normal regarding our expenses and doing a few fun things. There were still extra costs, we worked hard on our camper, and we hit the road once more. We also shared many meals with friends.
After 11 weeks parked and camped on the driveway of friends (Ellen & Scott), we drove to the Oregon coast on august 18th to spend a long weekend with other friends (Katherine & Brandon, whom we met in Baja, Mexico this past winter), before settling into the house of yet another friend (Patti) for a good week in Bend, Oregon. This comfortable stay concluded a hot month of driving, working on camper projects, socializing, and sightseeing.
Grocery expenses were pretty high (blame inflation) and this is probably the first time that Maya hits the #2 position on the list. We are stocking up on medication for her. Her itch relief medicine Apoquel is super expensive at $2.25 a pill and that’s only when you buy 100 tablets at a time. We also bought a couple of Seresto collars (flea & tick medicine), because they were on sale. Each one of these lasts eight months.
Maya’s Seresto collars
We didn’t drive crazy amounts in our pickup truck Thirsty, so the $284 we spent on gasoline can be called “reasonable” in this climate of – still – high fuel prices in the Pacific Northwest. The computer category is high, because, guess what? I bought my very first SmartPhone. Yes, me, the person who didn’t want – and still doesn’t want – a phone. But, don’t get too excited about me joining the ranks of practically every other person in the western world. I don’t have a SIM card, so can only get online via a WiFi signal and I can’t make calls. This phone will replace my camera, which has been falling apart for years. That’s the idea anyway.
Why did I cave? My brother gave me an old iPhone8 of his and Mark discovered a deal online; we could swap this phone and receive a brand-new Google Pixel 6a phone by paying an additional $160. These phones usually cost around $450. So, I blame my husband (and my brother) for making me buy – and use – an extra gadget. Let’s hope I don’t lose/forget it or have it slip out of my hands. I’ve come close to all these scenarios already!
Because we have been staying with generous friends most of the month, “thank you” gifts were in order. And, we bought a few improvements for our household: a new set of Corelle plates and bowls ($33), an electric chainsaw to cut those pesky branches that prevent us from reaching cool campsites ($25), sturdy bags for our new Separett “composting” toilet ($27), and a non-ticking clock ($10). This last item took a lot of trial and error – and returns!
The other categories were reasonable. The $34 we spent on propane was a waste, since the valve of our tank broke right after filling it. Therefore, it became useless and we swapped it for another, less fancy, tank, paying for propane again! I had a haircut at SuperCuts in Massachusetts. Gone are the days to get one for $20 including tip. I will stop going to hairdressers, unless it costs me $10 or less, like in Mexico.
The $27 transportation amount is also unusual. That’s what I spent for trains and buses to get to my mother-in-law’s place from Boston’s Logan airport. There used to be a direct bus to Newburyport, but this service was cancelled two years ago. Instead of one hour, it now takes about three – and much more hassle – to get to or from the airport.
Our accommodation – camped on the driveways of friends or moved into their guestrooms – was free and we managed to attend a few events with no cost as well, like the Toledo Wooden Boat Show.
We paid $10 to get my new glasses shipped to Colorado, after they were prescribed to me during my visit back East. And, we reserved a particular hike near Bend, but cancelled. The fee for the permit was non-refundable. Mark, Maya, Patti, her dogs Koozie and Pekoe, and I did manage to go on another stunning and special hike in the mountains, for which Patti snatched the permit. Here is a glimpse of that one…
(PS: We did have $617 of Lance camper expenses in August as well, as preparation for our upcoming multiple-year South America trip, but since we budgeted for that (so far), it becomes part of our purchase price. I plan to write a separate post about those projects and costs in the future.)
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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September 7, 2022 at 21:04
Everything is more expensive! You can probably use this phone to make calls using Wi-Fi and WhatsApp if you wanted to.
September 8, 2022 at 11:21
Eventually, when I have it set up correctly, I’ll be able to make Skype and WiFi calls, like I do on my iPad. For WhatsApp, we need a valid phone number. that company doesn’t allow us to use our Google Voice number.
And, yes, we now notice even more that prices have gone up, because for years we memorized them when shopping at Walmart, for example. It’s crazy, though, how much more expensive some products have become – 25% or higher. We just decided not to buy honey anymore, for example, because the price for a jug at Walmart went up from $14 to $20. We will need to figure out a different way to make Mark’s granola. Or hope that honey is cheaper in other states.
September 7, 2022 at 22:25
Everything is so costly these days. I’d say you guys are still doing pretty well. Where in South America are you going? Any particular reason you’re choosing this as your next destination?
September 8, 2022 at 17:25
Hi Pete,
We are planning to ship from Galveston, Texas to Cartagena, Colombia later this year and then slowly drive and explore all the way to Patagonia and Ushuaia – and potentially back as well. We will be down there for a while. 🙂
September 8, 2022 at 07:32
So you have a phone but can’t use it as a phone? Well heck, no one else does either these days…
Gas is much more reasonable here than there but everything else is stupid expensive these days.
September 8, 2022 at 17:26
Hi Alex,
I actually don’t want or need a phone. Mark has one (and a phone number) and I talk to my parents and best friend on Skype once in a while. This suits me just right.
I don’t think prices will ever go down again in grocery stores. 🙁 The higher cost of living is one of the reasons we look forward to moving to South America in our camper.
September 8, 2022 at 09:56
Yikes to inflation. As well as labor issues. I wonder if you’ll run into that in SA. Very interesting as always, Liesbet.
September 8, 2022 at 17:28
Hi Jacqui,
Thanks for following along and commenting, as always. 🙂 The cost of living should be cheaper in South America, which means we won’t have to work as hard to make money. Apparently, fuel is not that cheap there either, though.
September 8, 2022 at 13:49
Hi Liesbet!! The price of groceries is through the roof. It’s a non-self imposed diet plan for many of us I’m sure.
Being homebound I don’t even want to tell you the last time I got my hair cut. My hair has always been long – well most of the time anyway. I have been toying with the idea of getting one of those self hair cut doo hickey things on Amazon. I’m up in the air about it – but have it saved..
September 8, 2022 at 17:33
Hi Lea,
You are so right about this non-self imposed diet plan. It’s how we feel, too. We haven’t bought chicken fillets in years, because it is so much more expensive than bone in and skin on chicken, forget about fish, and we have cut other things out that have become “unaffordable.”
Did you notice that we bought a new set of Corelle dishes (from Walmart)? I still remember your generous offer months ago about shipping us your extra set of plastic dishware. We finally bit the bullet. This was more a luxury purchase as we could have lived longer with only two dinner plates or replaced the broken ones with different plates from a thrift store.
Interesting about the hair cutting set. Mark bought a pair of clippers for $18 more than a decade ago (which he replaced once) and hasn’t been to a hairdresser since. But, most women need more than a shaved cut, including me. He often cuts my hair but can’t do layers, so about once a year I get a decent haircut for that. 🙂
September 9, 2022 at 19:08
Good for you getting the dishes you really wanted. I did notice but hadn’t commented. You both deserve a treat once in a while.
I am impressed that Mark cuts your hair!! Even if he doesn’t do layers. I cut my husbands hair but that is certainly different than cutting a woman’s hair as you said. He used to shave his head especially in the summer and I loved that.
September 12, 2022 at 14:16
Believe it or not, but I have (briefly) considered shaving my head as well. Crew cut, not all of it. Now that would make life easy. I could use Mark’s clippers once a month, just like he does. 🙂
September 8, 2022 at 14:56
You do well every month, considering inflation.
I see excitement is building for the South America trip. I want to return to see how you answer some of the previous queries. (Never a dull moment for you guys!) 😀
September 8, 2022 at 17:37
Hi Marian,
Slowly but surely, we are getting closer to our goal and destination. But we have yet to plan and book the logistics. First things first, as always.
We are currently in the midst of two giant renovation/improvement projects on the camper. Our friends in southern Colorado let us park in their shaded workshop and Mark is being helped today with these construction jobs (wooden cabinet for our new fridge and metal supports for our extra water tank) by our skilled and handy friend. Things are looking up! We have been insanely busy with all that and other stuff… 🙂
September 8, 2022 at 18:31
It must be a relief for you to see expenses coming back down into your usual range. I’m still amazed at how well you manage to live and travel on so little money!
I completely understand your alarm at the cost of haircuts. I haven’t paid for a haircut for decades. I grow it long enough to comb over my shoulders, and then it only takes a few moments for Hubby to trim it straight across the back with a regular pair of scissors. Plus, at that length I can braid it and get it out of my face completely, unlike shorter cuts that blow around in the wind. I cut my own bangs, and that’s that. Plus, when it’s long, it doesn’t need to be washed as often to keep it looking presentable. Win!
September 12, 2022 at 14:07
Hi Diane,
Thanks for sharing your plug about long hair. I used to wear it exactly like yours, but mine is thin and the opposite of volumenous (this doesn’t appear to be a word), so not as pretty and “manageable” as yours. But, yes, it was easy to have hubby cut the ends and I always wore it in a pony tail or braid, as it would annoy the hell out of me otherwise, especially when sailing.
Here are the advantages of short hair (for me): less water and shampoo use, which is good for the pocket and for the need to find and fill with fresh water. Yet, I hate how it blows around when it’s windy. Maybe I should consider growing it again. Mark likes it better and maybe you are right about the need to wash it as often…
When we live in our camper (right now, we have the luxury of a shower in the house of friends), we take a shower every other day and I always need to wash my hair on those occasions. I feel that’s already pushing the greasy looks of it…
September 12, 2022 at 17:21
I know what you mean – I’ve worn my hair short a couple of times in my life, and I needed to wash it every day to keep it looking decent. Now I wash it a couple of times a week; less in the winter when I don’t sweat as much. It does take a bit more water per shower, but definitely less water and shampoo overall. I bought a 350ml (12oz) bottle of shampoo last year, and I’ve still only used 2/3 of it. 🙂
September 15, 2022 at 11:11
You are good! It almost sounds like you are more thrifty than me, which is a rare feat. 🙂 Mark and I share pretty much all our toiletries, except tooth and hair brushes. I think a bottle of shampoo lasts us about four months.
September 8, 2022 at 19:18
Hi, Liesbet – I recognize those delicious homemade pizza. Congratulations on your new phone camera. Although I have good quality standalone cameras, I haven’t used them for years. I love the ease and convenience of a phone camera and I am pleased with the results.
You and Mark are fabulous dog parents!
September 12, 2022 at 14:09
I was actually thinking about you when posting this photo, Donna, wondering if you would spot – and remember – the pizzas. 🙂
You know what happened yesterday, which broke my heart and is still making me super bummed? I dropped the phone and it fell face down on sharp gravel, so now the screen is cracked and made the phone pretty much unusable. I still can’t believe this. We had a shit show of an evening yesterday and this was part of it. I’m just not the right person to have expensive toys… 🙁
September 9, 2022 at 15:33
Liesbet,
I can’t believe how expensive Maya’s medication is. But if it helps her it is totally worth it.
Sounds like you had a fun month meeting up with so many friends and socialising, it is impressive how you still manage to keep to a good budget.
Cost of living is getting very expensive here in the UK, fuel prices are ridiculous. The inflation is expected to get worse.
To top it all we have just lost our lovely Queen, it has been sad.
Your post and photos have cheered me up.
September 12, 2022 at 14:15
Hi Gilda,
I am so sorry about your Queen. She was well loved all over the world, but especially in the UK and Canada by the looks of it. I’m glad this post cheered you up.
While we have been making great progress with camper projects, we have new/more battles to fight… Maya’s medicine – although paid for – has not arrived yet and is lost in the mail. It came from Europe and can’t be traced down.
The new compressor fridge we just bought ($1,400!!) is showing cracks inside after the first drive and needs to be replaced somehow, which is close to impossible when you live on the road, hundreds or thousands of miles away from the manufacturer or retailer. And the screen of my new phone cracked in multiple places last night as well. So much for trying to do better financially. Sorry to be uncheerful now. Hopefully, all of this will get resolved in the end.
September 9, 2022 at 20:03
Hi Liesbet, Well done keeping your expenses as low as possible. Congrats on your new phone! I’ve been using my cellphone camera exclusively for all the pictures I post on my blog for several years. I’m happy with the results and the lightweight of a phone. Have a great weekend!
September 12, 2022 at 14:19
Hi Natalie,
That is so nice that you use your phone exclusively to take photos. They are always wonderful and a treat. How do you keep the phone from falling out of your pocket, not sitting on it, or not dropping it?
Unfortunately, just as I was getting used to my new phone, started loving it, and after taking hundreds of photos with it (we have been busy), the phone slid onto the ground yesterday and fell on the gravel, which was sharp and which ruined the screen. Sigh. I still can’t believe it. Half of the screen is damaged and unusable now. 🙁
September 11, 2022 at 09:34
I love how you blamed your brother and husband for the new phone, but glad you are going to put it to good use as a camera.
Fuel prices in the UK have dropped quite a bit over the last few months, but it’s energy prices that are now the problem. Thank goodness we have a fixed deal until next July. Are fuel prices in the U’S starting to come down, Liesbet?
September 12, 2022 at 14:22
Haha, Hugh. I do like to blame others for things in life. 🙂 The stupid and awful thing is that I dropped the darn phone yesterday and now the screen is cracked all over the top half. Just when I was starting to enjoy using it…
I heard about the high energy prices in Belgium as well when I was there (and now via emails), and how people who arranged for a fixed fee are glad they did! Let’s hope those prices come down soon as well. Luckily for us in our lifestyle, we don’t need utilities except for the occasional propane gas to cook.
The fuel prices are slowly coming down in the US, quicker in certain states than others.
September 12, 2022 at 23:47
Well my friend, we’re all feeling a pinch as the world has gotten way more expensive. A little more here and there adds up. Huge congrats to graduating to a phone! I saw in comment above someone suggested Whatsapp to use on wifi and you don’t have a Sim card. Have you considered purchasing a cheap Pay as You Go card? That way, you can buy a cheap one with minimal minutes and not even use them and have a number and be able to access wifi free where available without using your minutes? <3
September 15, 2022 at 11:14
Hi Debby,
Thanks for the tip. Yes, we could buy a cheap card to get a useful phone number, but I just haven’t been up for that. We might switch to Google Fi when we leave the country and that will allow us another phone number. WhatsApp is handy, especially internationally, but how many more apps do we need? Skype, Messenger, email, FaceTime… Sigh. Life is getting too complicated. Whenever I’m on WhatsApp, something else has to go. Probably Skype. Speaking of my SmartPhone, I managed to crack the screen after using it for one week. I’m obviously not worthy of expensive toys…
September 15, 2022 at 11:37
You are too much, lol. And I agree about too many apps. I don’t use too many. I barely ever use Skype and don’t have Iphone for Facetime. Whatsapp is the most convenient and what I use at home to speak to my long distance friends, and always when I travel. It’s just easy. I hope you find what works for you. And, stop breaking phones! Lol xx
September 14, 2022 at 18:22
OK- we’ll see if this comment goes through now that I’m back in the US. And I will copy it so it doesn’t just disappear into nowhere.
I’m glad you’ve been able to have some fun in between van projects!
I’m curios about the composting toilet you got. I hope you are going to do a post with all your rig improvements.
Do you have to use special bags for your toilet? We use compactor bags for ours. They are two ply and are very sturdy.
Cow spots inside too? I wish our van was more of an earth tone color so we’d blend in more when we are camping. But you all should blend in great boondocking in a cow pasture. I love the cow theme!
September 15, 2022 at 11:21
Hi Duwan,
Thanks for being persistent with your comments. All is fine now. My guess is that the issue was related to you being abroad. It has happened to me as well, when I was in Belgium. It doesn’t make sense, but what does these days?
We have changed so much in this camper that I am planning a series of “how to” posts with photos. Many improvements and we did it all ourselves. As a woman, I’m having some issues using the composting toilet. I am going to message you about that one of these days. It’s been busy.
And, yes, we have somewhat special bags. We were using the composting bags that initially came with the toilet, but they leaked, so Mark ordered heavier duty ones, mentioned in our expense post. They are the ones used for commodes next to beds when people can’t make it to the bathroom. It’s a tight fit in the bucket, but they are definitely holding up better.
I’m glad you like the cow theme. It’s just to add some character to our rig – we are not overdoing it with the theme – and to spread smiles. 🙂 Good eye about the interior spots. I was playing around with scrap pieces recently and enjoying free cutting small spots, so that’s how we came up with the idea to decorate the ceiling with it and add some specialness to that. I’m writing about this in my post for today. 🙂