So, grand total of expenses for the month of July... $1,685. (Keep in mind that these are Canadian dollars. For the U.S. equivalent you can subtract almost 25%!).
Here's how it all broke down...
Gasoline: We put $62 worth of gas in the little blue car. The price in Swift Current has been holding steady at $1.10 per litre (about $3.18 USD per gallon).
Groceries: Getting better, at $519 for the month. Hopefully August will be around $450 for the month and then September closer to $350 as we wind things down and use things up. If that's the case, our average for our time here would be $500 a month which is pretty good considering we eat well and we both eat gluten free.
Miscellaneous: This is the budget killer. We had a lot of electronics that needed replacing, plus some other stuff! Ruth's new laptop was $315. The new Garmin GPS was $126. The new tablet was $84. Ruth's new hiking boots were $118. Plus the internet bill at $115 and the car insurance at $55. And, I bought all of the necessary parts and tools to do the timing belt maintenance on the little blue car...a total of $230 there. In total, we spent $1,104!!
We also spent some money on flight tickets, but we now list travel expenses in the month we actually take the trip. It gives a more accurate reflection of what it costs when we do the trip itself.
A good time for you to stock up on dishwasher detergent tablets...never seen them this cheap. These are the exact same ones we use in our dishwasher here...
Finish Powerball Tabs Dishwasher Detergent Tablets, Fresh Scent, 60 Count (15 cents each)
And available on Amazon.ca here in Canada as well...
Great deal on those electronics - you got a lot for what you spent this month. Our monthly food bill is $550 but we eat really well as you do. We often have steak and shrimp. Last night we had from scratch made chicken tacos(seasoned with my own spices) as I just bought myself a tortilla press (never seen one in Canada, discovered Fairway Market in Nanaimo stocks Mexican foods including the press and Valentina sauce!). I figure the whole meal cost about $10 for 3 people including fresh made pico de gallo and sliced avocados(those are expensive here). Of course I don't include booze in that figure :) I think it is so much easier in Canada to eat really well on less - if you don't eat out. We are never that satisfied with meals out here for some reason.
ReplyDeleteWe were pretty happy with our electronics buys this month, we definitely got some good deals. It hurts on this month's budget but in the long run we saved a lot.
DeleteYou're making my mouth water talking about chicken tacos with homemade tortillas! Are they corn or wheat? I have a tortilla press but I don't have much time for making the tortillas here at the campground, we are just too busy but I did buy lots of corn tortillas in the States before crossing back into Canada and we are still finishing them up. I don't think they will last until we are headed back to Mexico though. I do buy shrimp occasionally, if it is on sale but rarely to we buy steak unless it is at a REALLY good price. We feel the exact same way about eating out!
We recently went to the Keg. I had the Lobster tail special 45 bucks, Peter had the steak classic, shared his salad, scallops and bacon and a $22 bottle of merlot. $ 116 before tip. Luckily my brother had sent a $100 gift card. What surprised us was how many people were ordering fancy cocktails and multiple appies along with dinner. Their bills had to be huge. We also believe you can treat yourself to special dinners at home, for example, ribs. We cook them to perfection better than any restaurant.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is expensive to eat out these days but it sure helps when you have a gift card! I sure hope that the meal was good?
DeleteYes, we agree it is much better to treat yourself with a good steak, salmon or something else and then cook it at home yourself along with a nice bottle of wine.
I also went to the Keg recently with a group of seniors and was surprised at how much some ate and the total cost of those meals!
ReplyDeleteIt always amazes us when we see the amount of people that eat out! I guess there are still lots of people that can afford it.
DeleteGreat price on the dishwasher tablets but I'll have to pass. I'm the dishwasher and the tablets don't taste too good.... :cD
ReplyDeletePaul, you always make us laugh! :-)
DeleteKevin :: I was just reading an interesting article on Microsoft 10
ReplyDeleteI would highly suggest it anybody that is going to use Microsoft read this article before they downloaded 10? it ,,,,,,,,,,, it's downright scary,,,,,,,
You think you had a little bit of privacy before you go to heck of a lot less now unless you follow terms and condition where you can opt out
Cut and paste this
Using Windows 10? Microsoft Is Watching
This article was fromNewsweek - 9 hours ago
Tucked away in Microsoft's terms and conditions is a substantial power grab.
I read an article too about some of the dangers. Who knows, we will all get 10 and in a couple of months it will all be over. I'm not big on the idea though.
DeleteNo worries here, we won't be getting it unless we absolutely have to! We especially don't like the fact that it automatically does updates and apparently it is something you can't turn off on Windows 10. Those updates use up lots on data when you are only on cellular.
DeleteGroceries and fuel are very expensive in Canada. We would like to summer there one year though. Maybe we need a house sitting job but who wants to leave Canada in the summer?
ReplyDeleteDon't forget about the alcohol too, Chris! ;-) Having said that you can save in many other ways too, like being able to boondock in so many beautiful places.
DeleteGas prices here in northern Ontario are $1.25 per litre. Ugh. What a rip off. Like so many others we rarely eat out at a restaurant for many of the same reasons. Preparing it ourselves is more satisfying as well as delicious. Plus, we know what's in it. Btw, Paul made me laugh as well. Too funny! :)
ReplyDeleteThat price is quite a bit more than out here in Saskatchewan, we wouldn't be happy about it either. :-(
DeleteTotally agree with you Dianne, we would rather eat in than eat out. Yep, that was a good one from Paul. ;-)