Well, April was the last of the expensive months. And again, when you consider that we traveled some of Mexico in the motorhome, spent time in Puerto Vallarta, and flew from there to Houston, Chicago, and Ottawa before driving half way across Canada... we did pretty well!
Whew. When we look back at what we did for the month of April, it was a pretty busy month!
We spent a total of $1,872. Here's how it all broke down...
Gasoline: Definitely a big part of our month. We spent $360 in fuel. Part of that went in the motorhome while in Mexico, part of it went in to Ruth's dad's car which we borrowed a couple of times before the little blue car was ready, and part of it went in to the little blue car to drive to Saskatchewan.
Groceries: Lower than normal, at $309. Partly because we were in Mexico for the first two weeks of the month, partly because we used up all of the food that we had in the motorhome, and partly due to the generosity of our friends and couchsurfing hosts that we stayed with during the month! Many thanks to you all!
Alcohol: Not bad, at $126. Won't be any more of that for the next few months because we don't drink in Canada during the summer.
Miscellaneous: Yikes. This category sneaks up from behind on us sometimes! $432!! A big part of that is our mailing address which we renew and pay for every April. $232 for that, and then there was insurance and registration for the little blue car, and some clothing and things we needed.
Entertainment: Not bad, at $152. Mostly just snacks and lunches, but also included $50 at the museum in Ottawa, and $25 when I went to play pool and have a couple of beers with our son.
Overnight: Our only expense here was a little bit of overnight fees for the motorhome in Mexico, and one night in a cheap motel on our way out to Saskatchewan. A total of $78. Again...many thanks to our family, friends, and couchsurfing hosts for giving us a place to rest out heads along the way. You all know that you are welcome to join us here in Saskatchewan at any time!
Travel: Our one way flights from Puerto Vallarta to Ottawa cost $206 each. So a total of $412 in the travel category.
So there you have it, adding up to $1,872 or so for the month.
The next five months will all be well under $1,000 per month as we replenish our resources in preparation for whatever travels the winter of 2014-2015 might bring!
A pretty good budget for all that you did in April, the summer will be a breeze.
ReplyDeleteYep, our main expense this summer will be food and internet.
DeleteI'd say you are still way under what many fulltimers spend.
ReplyDeleteYes, we may be under what many fulltimers spend but it is all relative to how much money people have so for us this is still too high. Our next 5 months will be much lower. :-)
DeleteI just can't get over how well you do on your budget - even in the expensive months. Great work, Kevin and Ruth.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mary-Pat, we are always aware of what we are spending our money on and there is no better way than to keep close track on it.
DeleteAnd why DON"T you drink in Canada in the summer?
ReplyDeleteTwo reasons. First of all, we can't justify the ridiculously high prices of alcohol here. But the second reason is that we're working and on call 24-7. So it just makes sense not to drink.
DeleteHope you can stay open n the Fall. We RV/waterfowl/hunt/fish from mid Sept to early Nov. Lance, Cabri and the Sandhills are always in our plans
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately our park closes Sept. 22, in fact I think most of the Regional Parks close any time between the beginning of September to the end of September depending on the park. Hopefully you will be able to make it here before we close.
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