July of 2021 is the first of many months for us touring Europe in the years ahead. So, here's our expense report for the first month of our extended European RV touring.
We spent a total of $1,523 CAD ($1,220 USD, €1,029) in the month of July.
Of course you have to remember that we are not on vacation! This is our lifestyle, so we don't run out to try the best restaurants or spend money at the big tourist attractions or stay at resort style RV parks. Although we certainly do more of that kind of discretionary spending when we are in cheaper countries.
Here's how it all broke down... (note, the following figures are all in $CAD)...
Fuel: We certainly don't have a set plan, and I'm sure it will vary from month to month. But we think that we will average out to about 12,000 kms (7,400 miles) per year. In July, we put 1,100 kms (682 miles) on Max. He came to us with a full tank of fuel, and we only filled him up once. The cost was $160.
Propane: We actually have used both 11 kg propane cannisters since we set out, but have only paid to have one refilled. The cost was $44.50
Groceries: I had guessed $550 in the budget, and we ended up spending $534. Not bad, considering Netherlands is not one of the cheaper European countries.
Meals out: We spent $27 on one lunch out.
Alcohol: I had budgeted $125, and we ended up spending $140. Not bad. Just beer and wine, with a couple of bottles of sherry. No hard stuff
Miscellaneous: At $452, this was higher than expected. Our travel medical insurance was $170. Laundry is ridiculously expensive in Netherlands. We spent $40 on laundry, and did a bunch of washing by hand. Cellular internet is also expensive, and we spent $110 on that. We also bought a new camera bag at $59, and a bicycle cover at $33. (We don't have bikes here yet, but we plan to bring our bikes back from Canada at the end of September.)
Entertainment: We spent $2.70 on a walking tour map. We also did a lot of walking and exploring for free! It's actually hard to believe that we didn't spend more money on entrance fees and admissions, but there just wasn't anything that piqued our interest enough, and we found a lot of things were overpriced to us.
Overnight: We spent a total of $102. That was $8.50 for a paid app, and seven paid nights, for an average of $13.35 per night.
Travel: $62 to have our vaccination certificates officially translated to English to enable us to travel to Canada.
So, not bad.
$1,500 CAD per month is about what we are expecting to spend while touring Europe by motorhome over the long term.
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Big fires in Bodrum.
ReplyDeleteYes we have heard that and in a few other places around Turkey.
DeleteOh I like that!
ReplyDeleteYep, we are pretty happy with our expenses this past month. We certainly don't feel like we were deprived of anything. :-)
DeleteAnd my husband doesnt think we can do this on his work pension, which is more than double what you average per month for an expense.
ReplyDeleteIt all depends on how you like to travel! Our biggest savings over here has been our overnight costs because we have been dry camping and wild camping the majority of the time, Our second biggest savings has been not eating out. It will be interesting to see how our expenses will come out over the winter months when we are in cheaper countries.
DeleteIt seems in Sherman you had an RV washer, which I think was just a bucket that would spin? I may be thinking of someone else, but have you thought about that to cut costs long term? I know you would have to do it more often, but I've read good reviews about them.
ReplyDeleteYes, we did have a "washer" in Sherman but not it didn't spin. Our washer was a five gallon bucket and a plunger style washer that you would use arm power to push up and down, the same action you would use to with a plunger as you try to unplug a toilet. The issue with this is that you need access to water, plus it takes up room in Max's "garage" which we don't have much of. Instead, we have a normal size bucket and when we have access to water we put a bit of laundry in that and just hand wash it. The other issue with the other method of washing, is that it is good for clothing but not good on sheets/blankets/towels as they are just too big.
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