January Expenses

Well, January was finally back to our sort of normal expenses. Traveling in a motorhome is our cheapest way to live, and this is the first month in a long time where we didn't have much in the way of extraordinary expenses. 

But there were some.

Our total living and traveling expenses for the month of January came to $2,005 CAD (approx $1,400 USD).

That does not include Igor's roof paint or the new Starlink system that we will pick up tomorrow. They are both "capital expenses" that will hopefully be added to Igor's value.

We started the month in Valle de Bravo, and ended it in Tenacatita. We drove 1,190 kms (740 miles).

Here is an approximate map of our route...

Here's how it all broke down (all figures in $CAD)

Fuel: Gasoline is expensive in Mexico, and Igor uses a lot of it. We spent $382 on fuel, and ended the month with the tank pretty much empty!

Toll Roads: We spent $37 on toll roads.

Propane (LPG): We haven't filled Igor's tank since we left Ottawa, and it's still over 1/4 full!

Groceries: We ate out a lot during the month, so I'm actually a bit surprised that we spent as much as we did. But we ended the month with a pretty full freezer, so I guess it will come out in the wash during February. We spent $327 on groceries.

Eating out: We ate out a lot! But we love Mexican food, and it's so reasonably priced even though it has definitely increased here as well. Still, we ate out more than we normally do. We spent $326 eating out.

Alcohol: Not bad, at $163. But, that includes a case of wine that we bought at a great price and we still have a lot of it. So February should be quite a lot lower.

Miscellaneous: Higher than normal, at $364. Partly because of our internet usage, which is one of the reasons we have invested in a Starlink. The Starlink will increase our overall monthly costs, but the convenience to us will be worth it.  Consider that we spent $129 on cellular internet this month, and the Starlink will be $117 a month, but it will be unlimited usage and will always be available no matter where we are parked. Other expenses in this category were dentist, laundry, transportation, and medications.

Entertainment: Apparently we are easily entertained. We spent $6 on a cave tour at the beginning of the month.

Overnight: We spent $226 on accommodation. 

Motorhome: A total of $166. The brake line repair cost $72, and the rest was insurance and registration that we have already paid in full, but expense on a monthly basis.

So, a total of $2,005 CAD, $1,400 USD. Not bad, because we feel like we had a great month for the amount of money spent!

Of course we did also spent $386 CAD on Igor's roof, and another $350 CAD on the Starlink system that we pick up tomorrow. But these are both capital expenses.

February should be similar... around $2,000, but with different category allocations because we will have higher accommodation expenses due to RV Parks for most of the month.

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