Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

Tag: life on the road (page 1 of 2)

Annual Expense Report of a Nomad – 2023 (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia)

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 2024.

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, our total costs for 2020 are documented here, those for 2021 are detailed here, and 2022’s financial summary hides 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 US East Coast. The internet costs is for Starlink hardware and monthly subscription fees. We bought our satellite dish in Lima, Peru, in September 2023.

In 2023, Mark, Maya, and I drove from Colombia through Ecuador and Peru into Bolivia with our truck camper Thirsty Bella. During this multiple-year South American overland journey, which started in November 2022, we have visited Colombia for six months, Ecuador for three, Peru for five, and Bolivia for over a month so far. That’s a lot of driving.

So, it is no surprise that the biggest expense category for last year was, once more, our vehicle, with over $3,200 going to fuel. We also bought a new hub for one of the wheels ($250), a safety kit required by local police, a cow horn just for fun, caliper pins, fluid, and cleaners for the brakes, a new taillight, grease, and oil filters. We also reimbursed the baggage fee for a friend who brought a sharp tool back from the US for us.

Other big car repair items were two oil changes ($200), which are more expensive in South America than in the US, security film for the car windows ($160), and an ignition coil ($85) with another one going towards this year already. Plus, we needed a mechanic to check a tire issue and someone else to fix six malicious punctures. Furthermore – and surprising – is the fact that we paid $151 in tolls, mostly in Colombia. These sure added up!

We extended our vehicle insurance in Colombia after deciding to stay an extra 90 days, bought liability car insurance for six months in the Mercasur countries (Bolivia and south from here), and spent a total of $55 on parking – in SA and in the US when Mark went back for a visit.

Groceries cost $2,585 (averaging $215 a month). Not bad. Probably because the dining out amount is high, at over half that ($1,542)!

Being in “cheaper” countries means that we are splurging at restaurants much more than in the US, which is reflected here!

The computer category is substantial, due to Mark requiring a new laptop and accessories, me needing a new smartphone (Google Pixel) as my original one was stolen in Cusco, and our decision to buy a Starlink satellite internet system for almost $500 in Peru. Hooking it up in our camper required extra parts and cables as well. Usually, our hosting fee is higher, but thanks to donations from you, dear readers, those costs related to the Roaming About website are taken care of.

Another higher-than-usual category is accommodation. In the US and Mexico, we pretty much boondocked (wild camped) for free 100% of the time. Because of logistical and safety issues, we have paid for campgrounds in Colombia and Peru. A third of the almost $1,000 for lodging went to renting Airbnb apartments and hotel rooms during the visit of my cousin and her husband in November and December and a two-night stay in Quito with friends.

Of course, most of our nights we still camped for free on the edges of towns or in spectacular natural surroundings. Otherwise, this lifestyle would be unaffordable for us.

Maya has lots of allergies. This means she eats a specific diet and dog food brand, which is more difficult to come by and much more expensive on this continent than in the US. Therefore, the dog category went up compared to last year. Despite us bringing three big bags into Colombia. Vet visits, on the other hand, are affordable here and our dog – touch on wood – has been pretty healthy on the road.

Even though we have our own mode of transportation, we end up spending a chunk of money for that category, no matter the location in South America. Mark has to fly back to the US once a year for health check-ups (I skipped mine in 2023) and, once we are camped near a main city, we use Uber, InDrive, taxis, minivans, tuk tuks, and cable cars to get around. Those forms of transportation added up to over $600 last year.

The category one expects to be high when traveling the world is entertainment. Yet, we often find free activities, like hikes and viewpoints. I feel we didn’t skimp on excursions in 2023, visiting plenty of volcanoes, ruins, canyons, museums, and hot springs.

Other tourist attractions that stood out were the Three Colored Mountains, the reed islands of Uros, and the Sacred Valley archeological sites in Peru and, of course, the biggie: Machu Picchu.

Our trio also paid to visit the Nazca and Palpa Lines, Gocta waterfall, a salt cathedral, and a bird sanctuary.

We used the cable car in Bogota, joined a few “free” walking tours, and I jumped off a bridge in Banos, Ecuador.

Mark and I could do better with our alcohol expenses. But, especially when hanging out with friends, it’s nice to have a drink. Or two.

A massive change regarding utilities is our acquisition of Starlink in September 2023. We now have internet at our fingertips everywhere and all the time. The price for that is $70 a month, half of which is paid by our business. Since we replaced the RV’s propane fridge with an electric, compressor fridge, our cost for propane gas went down to $50 for an entire year, compared to $180 last year. Our potable water expenses were negligible.

Every home needs maintenance, including a camper. Last year, we spent $342 on camper improvements inside and outside, like a propane hose, fridge thermostat, wood for a platform in the bed of the truck, water filters, screws, glue, caulk, and plexiglass for the Starlink installation.

More than $200 went to drinking out in 2023; either with friends or just the two of us. This includes hot beverages and juices as well.

The next categories down the list are birthday and Christmas gifts for family and friends, Customs and Immigration, mainly our three-month extensions in Colombia and a Bolivian visa for Mark, and medical, namely medicines at local pharmacies (no prescriptions are needed in most of Latin America) and a tooth exam and X-ray for Mark.

Clothing and household items had the same number attached ($125) and enriched our cabinets and drawers. I bought a wool alpaca poncho, while Mark purchased a couple of alpaca sweaters in Ecuador and shorts in the US. Other (extra) clothing was obtained with gift money from my parents. They also sponsored a biking activity and two dinners out. Our household purchases contained a new router, vacuum cleaner, camping chairs, cutting boards, ice tray, and dishtowels.

Every year, we pay a $90 fee for the use of our Chase visa card. This allows us to collect points, which then can be redeemed for flights or other items, meaning the card is essentially free.

The miscellaneous category contains more than random expenses and toilet visits, or the amount would be lower. This is where we include souvenirs, mostly for me: a leather purse from Colombia, small paintings from Ecuador, and a Pachamama (Mother Earth) statue in Peru.

We also ran into a few obstacles with our “giant” camper, like a roof in Villa de Leyva in Colombia and another person’s car (his fault) in Huaraz, Peru. We reimbursed the owners for their tiles and side-view mirror.

The two remaining items in the report are laundry – quite low on a year basis, because we stayed with friends at times, who let us use their washing machine – and health & fitness, which resembles two haircuts for me, one in Colombia and one in Ecuador. Mark and I have clippers to cut his hair every other month.

2023 Overview:

Car (fuel: $3,203; maintenance: $972;

tolls: $151; insurance: $146; parking: $55):

Groceries:

Dining out:

Computer (hardware: $1,124; hosting: $44; software: $2):

Accommodation (Airbnbs, hotels, camping):

Dog (food: $525; supplies: $116; vet: $84):

Transportation (plane ticket M, Uber, taxis, cable cars):

Entertainment:

Alcohol:

Utilities (internet: $408; prop.: $51; water: $11):

Camper:

Drinking out:

Gifts (B-days, Christmas, NY):

Customs & Immigration (extensions Colombia; visa Bolivia M):

Medical:

Clothing:

Household:

Bank fees (Chase visa card):

Miscellaneous (souvenirs):

Laundry:

Health & Fitness (haircuts L):

 

TOTAL:

 

$4,527

 

$2,858

$1,542

$1,170

$993

$725

$616

$603

$592

$470

$342

$238

$217

$205

$155

$125

$125

$93

$88

$84

$13

———

$ 15,781

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

And that’s a wrap! If you are enjoying these posts and would like to help out with our expenses maintaining this blog, please click on the donate button underneath, in the side bar, or in the menu bar on top. I promise Roaming About will remain an ad-free website. Thank you!

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.

Wishing Everybody a Fantastic 2024

Mark, Maya, and I wish all the readers, followers, and supporters of Roaming About a fantastic New Year. May your 2024 be full of fun and exciting adventures, good health, lots of love and friendship, and satisfaction through work, experiences, accomplishments, or other pursuits!

Thank you for following our life on the road – in South America and beyond – and for the continued support through your “likes,” comments, messages, Facebook interactions, email subscription, and donations. We hope this year will bring you lots of arm chair entertainment! 🙂

We are sending you all positive vibes, genuine wishes, high-elevation hugs, and greetings from La Paz, Bolivia!

Liesbet, Mark, and Maya

Annual Expense Report of a Nomad – 2022 (USA, Mexico, Colombia)

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 2022.

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, our total costs for 2020 are documented here, and those for 2021 are detailed 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 US East Coast. The utility cost refers to phone data plans, initially with AT&T and at the end of 2022 with Google Fi.

It feels like 2023 has only just started, yet we are already a month into it. Crazy how time flies. I better publish our 2022 expense report, before the February 2023 one is due!

(As always click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

In 2022, Mark, Maya, and I focused on purchasing, fixing, equipping, and upgrading our current truck camper, a Lance 830, in the Pacific Northwest and Colorado. Before that, we explored the Baja peninsula in Mexico for 3.5 months. We completed the year in Cartagena, Colombia, happily reunited with Thirsty Bella, which we had shipped there from Texas. I also visited my home country of Belgium for two weeks, but my parents took care of me there. 🙂

Last year was relatively expensive, especially if you add the one-time cost of shipping our truck camper to the mix (see below). We better live extra cheaply this year to make up for that!

The highest category in 2022, by far, was our car and more specifically the fuel. Over $4,000! We purposefully decided not to drive to the East Coast over the summer (to visit family, friends, and doctors), because of the exorbitant gasoline prices. But we did make it to the southern tip of the Baja peninsula in Mexico (and back) with our previous Cirrus camper and ended up driving huge distances to find and pick up our current truck camper in super expensive California. I can’t say any of that was planned, but such is life – our life anyway.

Vehicle insurance and maintenance for our Ford F-350 each cost over $600 as well. We prepped the truck for this extended adventure in South America, which included spare parts, oil and filter changes, and a tire rotation and alignment.

Mark and I have periodically discussed our annual high prices for maintaining and fueling the vehicles and sailboats we own(ed), which made us realize that we could easily use this amount for plane tickets to house and pet sit internationally. As a matter of fact, that was the plan… before we adopted our Maya, three years ago. That’s when the South America trip became our goal. Then, Covid arrived.

Groceries is the second-highest category and averages $268 a month. Not bad. This is always the most straightforward subject. What is there to say? Everyone needs to eat. In our case, we stick to a healthy, mostly plant-based diet and consume 95% of our meals at home. Here in Colombia, we eat out a bit more, because it’s affordable.

Travel costs went to plane tickets for Mark, who needed to fly to Massachusetts twice (once from Mexico and once from Oregon) for family and healthcare reasons. Our dining out expense was almost a grand as well. I’d like to say it will be less this year, but even though food is much cheaper here, we probably will eat out more, so things might even out. We will see.

Everyone knows that taking care of a dog isn’t cheap. In Maya’s case, we spent over $900, mostly on food, her anti-itch medicine (Apoquel), and one expensive vet visit enabling and preceding our move to South America.

Maya getting ready for her exam, extra shots, and international health certificate

Our utility cost for 2022 also seems high at $800. The majority of that went to internet, unsurprisingly, but almost $200 was “wasted” on propane, thanks to the ordinary fridges put in RVs. Even though they are called 3-way fridges, they run inefficiently when using their DC power source. We don’t use AC, because we never plug into power. When using an RV fridge solely on propane, we emptied two full 20-pound propane tanks every month, and that’s being careful by monitoring the temperature and adjusting the settings.

Like fuel, propane gas prices swung through the roof last year. Filling our two tanks cost around $40 every month and there was the hassle of finding propane places that actually filled tanks instead of just swapping them out. Tractor Supply and U-Haul used to be safe bets but they aren’t anymore.

Because of all these reasons – the hassle, money, research, wasted trips and phone calls, worry of running out of gas, and lack of freedom – we replaced our propane fridge in Thirsty Bella with a 12V compressor fridge that we can easily run with the power created by our solar panels. In Mexico we paid for agua purificada (purified potable water) to fill our water tank.

Another big – and extra – expense was a new hybrid computer/laptop for Mark. That section underneath also includes hosting fees for our website and some software Mark bought. When it comes to adult beverages, my husband and I occasionally like to drink beer (only Mark) and wine and usually have one bottle of hard liquor around. There is no space for more. Our preferred alcoholic drink is rum with fresh juice, ice cubes, and a slice of lime.

Gifts include the annual calendars I create for our Belgian and American families, gestures (usually bottles of wine or dessert goodies) we bring when invited for dinner, a contribution to utilities when we stay on someone’s driveway for a while, Christmas gifts for friends we end up traveling with, excursions we do with our nieces and nephews, and birthday presents for each other, although I don’t recall any of those in 2022.

Household items are improvements for our life inside the camper – cooking, storing, light fixtures, … – and the camper category resembles materials and tools required to keep our home on wheels running. This last amount is low, because it does not include the money spent equipping our camper for South America, which we consider part of its purchase price and not maintenance cost. I will write a separate post about this in the future.

In the US, we always camped for free, but because we traveled in Mexico for a third of the year, there is a substantial accommodation cost as we tend to stay at campgrounds there once in a while. Some of this category’s amount was spent in Colombia, on camping and a hotel.

The clothing expenses were higher than the previous year, because we made sure to have decent pairs of hiking shoes, rain jackets, jeans, and shirts to hold us over for a few years. In 2023, we hope this amount, in addition to the “computer” section, is negligible.

Drinking out is self-explanatory and transport covers taxis (in Colombia), Uber (to get to Houston airport from Galveston), and public transportation when we visit Massachusetts. Customs and Immigration fees were mostly paid in Mexico for tourist cards and towards a new Belgian passport for me. Luckily, those are now valid for seven years instead of five.

Cashier’s checks cost $15!

Banking costs went to our annual credit card fee and a cashier’s check to pay for our Lance camper (yes, that costs extra money). Health & Fitness includes vitamins (Mark) and occasional haircuts (me). This amount should mostly disappear as well. We gave up on the vitamins (don’t want to deal with it here), we keep cutting Mark’s hair ourselves with clippers, and my twice-a-year haircuts should cost a quarter of the price in South America.

We spent less than $100 on entertainment. Most of our hobbies, like hiking, visiting natural attractions, writing, and reading are free. We never visit museums or pay for expensive activities. Last year, we bought two sets of snorkel gear (still to be used) and paid the entrance fee for a few parks.

Our medical cost is usually minimal, but last year Mark had to pay for an expensive Covid test in Mexico and I had two new pairs of prescription eye glasses mailed to an address out west. My husband chipped in for his dad’s memorial service (miscellaneous), we paid for laundry in Mexico (the rest of the year we managed to use the facilities of friends), and a small amount of money went to postage.

Sunrise along the Baja Peninsula

Extra one-time costs for 2022

One big expense not included in this annual report is the $5,497 we paid for shipping and agent fees to transport our home on wheels to South America for a multiple-year adventure.

So, what would have been a decent year in general at $16,809 (which is about $800 more than our average, not bad under the circumstances of inflation and super high fuel prices) is not so great anymore when you add the $5,500 of shipment costs to the mix. That’s around $22,300 in total. Let’s hope the year 2023 will be a fraction of that!

2022 Overview:

Car (fuel: $4,394; insurance: $666; maintenance: $631;

tolls: $19; parking: $16; registration: $10):

Groceries:

Travel (plane tickets Mark):

Dining out:

Dog (supplies: $413; food: $224; vet: $268; import: $11):

Utilities (internet: $552; prop.: $179; water: $48;

dump stations: $8; Skype: $5):

Computer (hybrid: $728; hosting: $40; software: $11):

Alcohol:

Gifts (B-days, Christmas):

Household:

Camper:

Accommodation/Camping:

Clothing:

Drinking out:

Transport (Uber, tip escort, taxis in COL):

Customs & Immigration (new passport L, tourist cards Mex.):

Bank fees (Chase visa card, cashier’s check):

Health & Fitness (haircuts L, vitamins M):

Entertainment (snorkel sets, parks):

Medical (Covid test M, mailing glasses):

Miscellaneous (memorial service):

Laundry:

Postage:

 

TOTAL:

 

$5,735

 

$3,211

$1,086

$954

$916

$791

 

$779

$574

$483

$364

$307

$302

$266

$188

$166

$147

$129

$126

$94

$85

$51

$41

$14

———

$ 16,809

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

And that’s a wrap! If you are enjoying these posts and would like to help out with our expenses maintaining this blog, please click on the donate button underneath, in the side bar, or in the menu bar on top. I promise Roaming About will remain an ad-free website. Thank you!

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

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.)

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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? 🙂

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.

Introducing Our New Home on Wheels & How Does a Truck Camper Compare to a Campervan?

Mark, Maya, and I have been back on the road in this new-to-us camper for two months now. It’s time to properly introduce our new set-up. I haven’t done this earlier, because the post would be on the longer side (and require a lot of time to create), we have been contemplating a name for the two components, and I wanted to get a feel for our home on wheels first. Some of you might have been wondering how our changed living quarters are working out, why we swapped modes of transportation/accommodation, or how a truck camper compares to a campervan.

Meet T&T

Picking names is difficult for me – my book title, our dog, our previous sailboats, the marine product we invented and developed. The decision process takes ages and the label has to be fitting. Mark and I really liked the name of our campervan, Zesty, which we sold in April of this year. Once we finally found the right truck (which we bought after the slide-in camper), more naming was in order.

(Hover over or click on photos to read their captions in galleries.)

For reasons you might guess, we have decided to call our black Ford F350 short-bed, extended cab, 4X4 gasoline pickup truck Thirsty. If you’ve followed our current expense reports, you would agree this is a suitable name for a vehicle of this caliber. Of course, our truck – like us – is thirsty for adventure and freedom as well.

Temp disconnected & rebuilding the truck camper frame in Newburyport, MA – take 1

It might come as a surprise that our nuCamp Cirrus 820 is not our ideal camper to take to South America. I’ll elaborate on why later, but we have been on the look-out for another truck camper (a Northstar Arrow U) for seven months. Because our current camper is supposed to be a temporary solution, the in-between version, we are calling it Temp. This particular brand and model – modern, streamlined, and fancy – was very tempting to buy and our #2 on the list. Add to that, that all campers can be temperamental… Since irony plays a big role in my life, I wouldn’t be surprised if we eventually end up keeping Temp, needing to explain its name with sarcasm. There is a lot to love about him.

Rebuilding the truck camper frame at a Home Depot in Albuquerque, NM – take 2

Continue reading

Annual Expense Report 2020

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 my motto. 🙂

Our first yearly expense report (2016) can be found here, the report of 2017 is here, the one for 2018 here, and our 2019 expenses are located 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 2020, Mark, Maya, and I lived in our campervan Zesty for six months and in the “room above the garage” the other six months.  We spent about $1,000 less than the previous year. The fact that we sat still for so long during “the summer of Covid” certainly has something to do with this.

We went on a couple of multiple-week trips in our van during that period, but used less diesel and replaced less parts than in 2019. On the other hand, we needed to buy a few household items to survive – read: cook – in our guest room in Newburyport, MA.

The grocery category was relatively high, probably because we pretty much cooked all our meals at home once the pandemic arrived. Our average grocery cost in 2020 was $357 a month.

Usually, I split the bigger categories up in the table underneath, but WordPress is causing me trouble, so I’ll itemize #2 and #3 here. The camper category is divided among maintenance: $1,511; insurance: $1,118; diesel: $1,110; registration: $136; parking: $14; and tolls: $4.

Writing was a new category last year, and a big one at that. The total sum for publishing my travel memoir Plunge accounts for my editor: $2,024; book cover:$175; ISBN numbers: $295; proof copies: $72; license: $35; software Quicken: $25; font: $15; and postage: $13. I still have a long way recuperating that $2,654 in sales!

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

Alcohol and gifts are pretty much in line with last year. The dog category is lower, thanks to Maya needing less drugs for her allergies. The utility category is higher, because AT&T raised their (unavailable now) monthly unlimited data plan from $25 to $35. None of the other categories stand out, except camping. In 2019, we managed to camp for free the entire year. Last January, we paid for a one-week stay at a developed National Forest campground in Florida for me (and Maya), while Mark flew back to Massachusetts.

Because of Covid, our credit card company, Chase, allowed customers to use their points at 1.5x their value for groceries (usually this rate is only valid when buying plane tickets with points). We greatly took advantage of that, since we couldn’t fly back to Belgium and… 1/3 of our groceries for “free?” We also received some credit ($310) for owning a Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Why do I mention this?  Because all these points (and credits) amounted to $3,084! So, technically, we spent that much less in 2020, which brings our total expenses for last year to $12,052 instead of $15,136.

2020 Overview:

Groceries:

Camper:

Writing:

Dog (vet/meds: $385; food: $242; supplies: $209):

Gifts:

Alcohol:

Utilities (cell data: $455; propane: $40; dump: $13; Skype: $5):

Household (oven MA, stove MA, speaker):

Health and Fitness (vitamins & haircuts):

Clothing (shoes, shorts, socks):

Drinking out:

Dining Out:

Entertainment (guided tours):

Computer (web hosting):

Camping:

Transportation (shuttle buses BOS):

Medical (drugs):

Laundry:

Postage:

Miscellaneous:

 

TOTAL:

 

$4,278

$3,893

$2,654

$836

$730

$714

$513

$253

$242

$235

$231

$217

$67

$64

$61

$48

$47

$33

$17

$3

———

$ 15,136

(Table might not load correctly on tablets – try turning the screen for better results.)

Maya at Ocean Pond, Florida

Do you keep track of your expenses? How did your budgeting go in 2020? Any categories you’d like to do better with in 2021?

Monthly Expenses – April 2020

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.

The first half of April, Mark, Maya, and I spent in our camper van, boondocking (free camping) and driving. The last half, we lived in “the room above the garage” at my in-laws’ place in Massachusetts. Our accommodation costs remain nil (thank you, Carol and Stan) and we managed to save our April laundry up until we arrived here, taking the necessary precautions to avoid spreading a potential Covid-19 infection.

Usually, when we visit Mark’s parents (our current home is also our residency address), we use their kitchen and share all the meals . Because we can’t set foot in the house, we had to buy a couple of kitchen appliances, which I briefly mentioned in a previous blog. Mark’s research always pays off, as we found a big toaster oven and a one-burner induction stove (both new) for $80. To complete our set-up, we are borrowing a water cooker and a college fridge.

Mark and I did order Thai take-out for our anniversary on April 30th (this is actually one of two anniversaries; it’s complicated), but we used gift money from my parents for that, so no “eating out” category , last month. 🙂

While we might be spending a bit more on certain products in the absence of generic brands or by having to go to different stores during this pandemic, April was another decent month.

April 2020 Overview:

Groceries:

Camper (diesel: $130; repairs: $89):

Household (oven + stove):

Alcohol:

Dog (food + fish oil):

Utilities (phone):

Postage:

Entertainment (e-books):

Accommodation:

 

TOTAL:

 

$338

$219

$80

$66

$46

$35

$2

$2

$0

———

$ 788

To find out what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the expense blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Monthly Expenses – March 2020

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.

How did the outbreak of the Coronavirus affect our expenses? Less than you might think. The only category that spiked is groceries. I think that happened because of our “constant” topping up of the fridge and cupboards, each time we anticipated self-isolating in the woods of Florida. But, as I wrote about previously, most of those attempts failed, so we kept buying more provisions and – in the beginning – our only choices were name brands instead of the cheaper generic brands we usually buy.

We drove a lot during our quick circle down and around and back up Florida. If we would have been able to sightsee, we would have driven more, but we would have traveled slower. We boogied north quicker than expected, because of our rising discomfort with heat, humidity, and bugs and not so much COVID-19. Therefore, our monthly fuel expenses are pretty much what they would have been otherwise. The diesel price was as low as we’ve ever seen it!

If it wasn’t for the recent pandemic, our entertainment and camping categories would be higher (I really wanted to visit the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg and spend time with the manatees while camping at Manatee State Park), the health topic would have popped up as I urgently needed a haircut, and doing laundry might have cost twice as much. Instead, Mark cut everyone’s hair and we did a load of laundry by hand.

The drinking and eating out expenses can be blamed on hanging out with friends and Mark’s birthday (a self-proclaimed brewery tour) before social distancing took effect. Since then, I have been able to keep in touch with friends and family via email, social media, Skype, and Zoom!

All in all, March was not a bad month under the circumstances, but it is the most expensive one this year so far.

March 2020 Overview:

Groceries:

Camper (diesel: $187; registration: $12; tolls: $4):

Bank charge (annual credit card fee):

Alcohol:

Drinking out:

Dining out:

Dog (food):

Utilities (phone):

Postage:

Entertainment (dog beach @ state park):

Laundry:

Miscellaneous (printing taxes):

Camping:

 

TOTAL:

 

$433

$203

$150

$90

$66

$63

$35

$35

$11

$5

$5

$3

$0

———

$ 1099

To find out what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blog of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Monthly Expenses – February 2020

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.

February was a good month and the cheapest one since April 2019. That makes two months in a row under $1,000. Let’s see how long we can keep this up. 🙂

We did spend a little bit of money on camping – happy to stay somewhere multiple nights in a row WITH smooth, groomed, comfortable grass. You know, the kind on which you walk barefoot and Maya relaxes bug-free, rolling around without picking up leaves, branches, needles, or burrs. The kind that is quite rare, especially boondocking. The surrounding area offered nice hiking trails as well.

Extra costs in February went to a new bike cover and the annual Massachusetts tax  for our van (both under “camper”) and to internet, propane, and dump stations in the “utilities” category. Our monthly AT& T internet (phone) bill is usually $35. Except, this amount actually gets paid every four weeks. Last month is where this caught up with us and we had to pay twice. Darn leap day!

Our shiny new bike bag – they seem to last about one year in the elements and cost $15 more than last year!

In Florida – as opposed to other states we have visited – it’s difficult to find free dump stations, so we look for the cheapest options. Once, we used a free one and decided to support this RV center’s “generosity” and buy their propane, not even researching the competition. Ha! It was the most expensive propane we ever bought in the US: $4 per gallon. In a way, we paid for this free dump and water fill-up as well.

And, for the loyal expense report follower, who scrutinizes our monthly numbers: guess which category is missing in February? It’s something that was always present, but we really tried hard to keep it at zero this month (I cheated a tad by buying Mark a little bit as part of his birthday gift) …

February 2020 Overview:

Groceries:

Camper (fuel: $43; tax: $77; bike bag: $65):

Utilities (phone: $70; propane: $21; dump: $16):

Dining out:

Health & Fitness:

Drinking out:

Computer Software (Quicken):

Dog (supplies):

Gifts:

Camping:

Laundry:

Household:

 

TOTAL:

 

$270

$185

$107

$100

$34

$30

$25

$22

$21

$11

$5

$3

———

$ 813

Monthly Expenses – January 2020

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 the two of us. 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. Since June 2019 – we adopted Maya on June 4th – we have a dog section as well. 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.

In an upcoming blog, I’ll share a bit more about our January experiences in Florida, but for now, I’ll stick to expenses. Not a bad month at just under $1,000 but, as always, it was more than expected by the time we tallied everything.  One of our three “out of the ordinary” costs was Maya’s anti-itch medicine. Apoquel is a wonder drug, but at $1.75 per pill – Mark spent hours online to find this “deal”, if you buy 100 pills at once (usually prices hover around $2 per pill and higher at the vet) – it is pricey. Especially since Maya needs one pill a day. We discovered that CBD oil does not help with her physical discomfort.

Anything to get this sweetheart happy, healthy, comfortable!

Our other “extra” expenses were for camping and Mark’s bus transfers from/to Newburyport from Logan Airport. He used miles to get there from Jacksonville. Long-time readers know that we almost always boondock (camp for free) with Zesty. Since Mark had to fly to Boston for five days in January, I stayed at an established campground in Northern Florida – hence the camping expense for January. I have to admit that it was enjoyable. More about that later as well.

January 2020 Overview:

Groceries:

Dog (meds:$175; food: $35):

Camper (fuel: $151; parking: $14):

Dining out:

Drinking out:

Camping:

Transportation:

Utilities (phone):

Alcohol:

Health & Fitness:

Household:

Gifts:

Laundry:

Computer Hardware:

Medical:

Postage:

 

TOTAL:

 

$272

$210

$165

$74

$58

$50

$44

$35

$34

$20

$12

$9

$5

$4

$4

$3

———

$ 999

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