January Expenses

Well, it wasn't as cheap of a month as we originally planned, but we're still happy with the way it turned out.

We spent a total of $1,921 CAD ($1,515 USD, €1,347) during the month of January. We always set our budget goals low to start off with, and adjust as the month progresses. Most categories turned out higher than we expected, however we were under budget in Meals Out, and Entertainment.

Here's how it all broke down... (the following figures are all in $CAD)...

Fuel: We did quite a lot of driving during the month of January. Still, Max is fairly fuel efficient, averaging 9.3 liters per 100 kms (25.3 mpg US). We spent a total of $341 and drove about 2,200 kms as we made our way around the northern part of Greece into Turkiye.

Toll roads: Between toll roads and ferries we spent $24

Propane gas: We spent $54, which was more than we expected, but we had a two week long cold snap to make it through, and we had to stay warm!

Groceries: A little higher than expected at $457, but most of the month was spent in Greece and it is more expensive than we would have thought. Now that we are in Turkiye, this category will be much cheaper!

Meals out: We don't eat out much, as you can see from the $12.15 we spent in this category!

Alcohol: We participated in "dry January" this year, and did not drink any alcohol. It's good to give the system a break every now and again! We did not spend any money in this category in January. February is going to be low as well. Alcohol is not cheap in Turkey. It's not as expensive as Canada, but it's not cheap like most of Europe.

My first beer of 2022!

Miscellaneous: We had been right on schedule in this category up until we did some clothing shopping just the other day! We spent a total of $458. Our travel medical insurance was $175, our new clothes were $100, cellular data access was $58 (but we have enough now to do us through the month of February, and possibly March) $60 for Ruth's kidney infection doctor visit, and the rest was laundry and minor things.

Entertainment: We spent $42, visiting three different ruins sites.

Overnight: We overspent in this category, mostly so that we could have electricity to help keep us warm. It doesn't help the campgrounds in Greece are pricey to begin with. We spent $181 on 7 paid nights of camping.

Travel: As Canadians, we required a visa to enter Turkiye. The cost of the visa was $60 USD ($75 CAD) each. Also, the last time we were in Turkiye over a year ago, we had overstayed our visa. We did this on purpose due to our eye surgery. We knew we had been issued a fine when we left, but thought that it might have expired because more than a year had passed. No such luck, and we were charged $100 CAD each as a penalty. So we spent a total of $350 in this category.

So, a total of $1,921.

February should be much cheaper. In fact, we should come in around $1,300, but we have an excursion planned that may or may not come together and if it does come together, it will add another $400 or so. We'll see.

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