November Expenses

First, I have to question the value to our readers of continuing to post our monthly expenses.

We started doing this during our full time motorhome days as a way to show people that you could live and travel throughout Canada, the U.S., and Mexico in an RV. And that it can be done for under $1,000 a month on average. And we did a pretty good job of proving that!

And for the last year and a half we haven't spent much time in the motorhome, but out of habit we continued to post our expenses. So now, we are working for a few months during the Canadian summer, and during the winter we are having some of our travels, accommodations, and activities sponsored by various companies. So what we spend in a month doesn't often relate to what somebody who tries to do the same activities or schedule might spend.

So if you want us to continue to post our outgoing expenses so that you can have a voyeuristic look into our life, then that's fine. We'll continue to do it. But I really don't see where the value to you is anymore. What do you think?

While you're thinking about it, here's how our month of November went...

Fuel: We drove 4,000 kms (2,480 miles) in Namibia! This was in a diesel powered truck, and diesel fuel here costs the equivalent of CAN$1.35 per litre (US$5.15 per gallon). We spent $510.86 on fuel for the month.

Groceries: For some reason, this was higher than we expected. We ate a lot of red meat, but red meat is much cheaper here. It's not that easy to get chicken though. Strange. Fruits and veggies are a bit more expensive though, so maybe that's what's adds up. Anyhow, we spent $428.63, which is not bad but we expected it would have been less.

Alcohol: Beer and wine is very reasonably priced in Namibia, and apparently we took advantage of that! Spent $139.42, and enjoyed every drop!

Miscellaneous: Not bad, all things considered. We spent $242.51. That included one last Canadian internet bill at $66, plus our first month of Namibian internet at $53 which included the hardware. And our NYC subway passes and some camping supplies and sunscreen and bbq charcoal. That kind of thing. It all adds up.

Entertainment: This was the killer. The Namibia National Parks are very expensive for foreigners. We spent $235 in park fees alone. And we had several meals out in NYC at the beginning of the month. We spent a total of $439 in this category.

Travel: $35 for trains to and from the airports in NYC.

So we spent a total of $1,795 for the month. Quite a bit more than we planned. December will be higher than planned as well, but we may never be back here again, so might as well do it right!