While I wait to hit the road permanently I've been working on my travel budget.
Yes I know that money is a personal issue and everyone's situation is different etc etc BUT, without people giving their situation regarding onroad costs, us that are still currently planning our travels don't have a real starting point.
So, bearing the foregoing in mind, this is what Ihave come up with. I should point out that I am solo (and assume I still will be when I hit the road - but always willing to keep my options open), will be 59 years of age and living off savings. Should have enough for around 3 years of travel so will pick up work along the way as the opportunity arises.
Total Budget of $500 per week.
$105 Groceries including bottled water
$10 Takeaways including fast food and bakeries (people tell me you cant go past certain bakeries)
$20 Dining out
$20 Alcohol
$50 Accommodation Free/Low cost camping will be the norm
$100 Fuel (Diesel)
$20 Entertainment/Entry Fees/Sight seeing (small town museums will be my weakness)
$14 Transport (Air fares, Taxis, Hire cars) Aged parent and kids live in Perth so have factored in flights back to WA
$10 Gas (bottled)
$50 Medical (including private Health Insurance)
$15 MH Registration
$15 MH Insurance
$40 MH Service and repairs
$5 Clothes/Footwear/Haircuts etc
$5 Laundry
$21 Communication/Internet (Telstra)
In addition I will have an "Emergency Fund" and also have put aside funds to cover major tourist expenses for things that I have on my bucket list like flights over Bungle Bungles, Lake Eyre and other biggies that are must do's
Time will tell whether I am realistic or just dreaming. Either way I will be "out there" for a while.
Its not about the Destination. Its not even about the journey. Its about having the guts to go in the first place!
rayjudesmith said
02:39 PM May 6, 2018
Hi Ray,
Good to see you are thinking ahead and looking at what your costs are likely to be.
The one thing we would comment on, is fuel. We use unleaded petrol in our 1992 Patrol. We have been on the road for almost two years, July 2016 is when we set off. Fuel then was anywhere between 99c and $1.15 a litre. Places like the Nullarbor were in the high $1.70's but in February this year we were paying 1.87 a litre and a few weeks later when our cousins came across the Nullarbor they were paying $2 a litre on the Nullarbor. After Easter we headed to Canberra where on average unleaded was $1.49 a litre. We did manage to find a Woolies service station that was $1.28 a litre including the 4c discount.
We are currently in Parkes, NSW, and fuel is $149.9 a litre for unleaded. We have the Apps Fuel Map Australia and PetrolSpy and use them constantly but they are not always up to date.
We are on a pretty tight budget and these higher fuel prices are beginning to impact the amount of mileage we choose to do, daily and weekly, in comparison to when we first set off.
Cheers, all the best to you.
Ray and Jude
the rocket said
04:31 PM May 6, 2018
Paper/books, toilet, shower, birthdays/xmas, traffic fines, gambling, tolls, dentist, postage, car service, parking, xtras u think off in van, (electric cord around 120, tape, fire alarm, rain coat, car wash, buckets, ropes, torch, fan, ant stuff, oil for motor, hooks, hose fittings, maps, keys, batteries, tap, water containers, ).
-- Edited by the rocket on Sunday 6th of May 2018 04:32:25 PM
rockylizard said
05:40 PM May 6, 2018
Gday...
Ya on the right path Ray ... and it will turn out to be much easier once you actually get a few months, and kilometres under ya belt.
The good thing I always say is that I can control my accommodation costs (free/low cost camp), fuel bill (stay put for a couple of weeks) ... and if I could only stop eating i would be a millionaire.
However, if ya wanna play 'scenarios' with your known and anticipated costs, try this spreadsheet. Populate the yellow cells, <TAB> through to each one and it will give an idea of the 'cost of living' and whether you have a surplus/deficit.
Having said that, it does get easier after a few months and Km because you get a far better idea of just what 'guesstimates' were close.
Why the bottled water. Have a reasonable drinking water container and only fill when in a place with drinkable water.
Neil
rayaroundoz said
07:07 PM May 6, 2018
Thanks for the comments. Appreciate them all.
Ray and Jude - Fuel will probably be the hardest to keep under budget. Originally I had it 50% higher. The secret I think is to stay put as Rockylizard says. I am determined to go as slow as I possibly can, which will be very hard for me as I am always itching to see what is around the next corner and I just love driving. Fuel is not going to get any cheaper overall.
Rocket - mmmm. Now you have put me over budget lol. I thought about "miscellaneous" but having done my tax over the past umpteenth years whenever I put anything as misc I always had to go back and reallocate it when my Accountant queried it so I got into the habit of not having a misc column. Hopefully most of those you mentioned will get buried in one of my existing columns. Anything for my MH will go under service, repairs and maintenance. No more birthday or xmas presents. I'll steer clear of family at those times of year. They will be happy because they wont have to reciprocate. win win.
Seriously though, I get your point that there are many many things that will crop up that I haven't thought of. Its the little things that do add up.
Rockylizard - I have made up a spreadsheet like yours. In fact I think I based it on one you had on the forum when I first started looking here. Thanks. Having never really had the need or desire to budget in the past, it has been an interesting exercise living on a strict budget over the past 3 years or so while I stack away as much as I can for my "new life" on the road. It is amazing how much money we seem to waste on accumulating "stuff" and on crap.
Neil - Good point about the water. I will do as you suggested as much as possible.
As I see it I have a couple of choices. I can either stay working for anther year or more so I have more of a bankroll to start with or I can stop and work earlier along the road.
Itching to get out there.
Gary and Barb said
08:36 PM May 6, 2018
Great spreadsheet, Rockylizard! Saves me from trying to reinvent the wheel. I can adjust it to suit my/our needs and is a perfect companion for trip planning in our brilliant Trayon slide-on .
many thanks!
Gary
-- Edited by Gary and Barb on Sunday 6th of May 2018 08:37:20 PM
Farmhat said
11:15 PM May 6, 2018
rayaroundoz wrote:
Thanks for the comments. Appreciate them all.
Ray and Jude - Fuel will probably be the hardest to keep under budget. Originally I had it 50% higher. The secret I think is to stay put as Rockylizard says. I am determined to go as slow as I possibly can, which will be very hard for me as I am always itching to see what is around the next corner and I just love driving. Fuel is not going to get any cheaper overall.
Itching to get out there.
Hi rayaroundoz, in your words above it seems you like driving and having a look around.
I can only talk about my own experience and I find that even if parked up a while, it still takes fuel to see what is around the next corner. If I only gave my tug $100. fuel per week it would die of thirst. I wish I could travel on $100 fuel but I like to thoroughly have a look around an area, and it seems to cost me more than that.
But once out there you will quickly find out exactly what it will cost you.
Joe
glenn said
04:56 AM May 7, 2018
Hi ray
hopeing to do same, just on what farmhat was saying
i dont know about your health but have you thought about electric bike
Grubbygypsy said
08:05 AM May 8, 2018
Hi Ray
I think you're on point there. I only factor in $75 a week for fuel and do fine. In fact at present it acts as a 'spare money' account for me. As long as I keep a buffer amount to enable me to drive 'home' (so 6000klm worth at is stage), then any spare money in that account can get used on whatever. I've only used $76.00 in fuel in the last 3 weeks, so there's $224.00 I could do with what I please. I still don't gallivant around the place more than a few times a week (and I'm a geocacher!). I find I travel so slowly I don't need to be busting a gut to get out every day - life still happens (normal activity). I sometimes look at these travellers (that are way older than I am) and think they must be tired!!! I just cruise and do what I'd normally do. Today I'll be kept busy with housework, once I get up from the horizontal. Tomorrow I'm heading out about 50klm for a kayak and hopefully fit a few caches in. Just a note on the water - I could never carry enough bottles for the amount I drink, so I have two virtually costless methods there. 1 is a distiller (that helps on alcohol costs too if you're so inclined lol). The other is a brita filter container, which I boil my 0.5 micron water and run it through that. So I technically could drink swamp water really...and still end up with a quality water, without paying (too much) for it. Obviously the distiller requires power, so I usually just fit replenishing my stocks into the existing caravan park visit when I have to do washing etc, rather than run the generator for it (otherwise it becomes an expensive 4 litres of water - although probably the same amount as buying it). I'll usually do the same with the boiled/filtered.....but that's not quite as critical as it's easier to boil it up. Just a bit of planning required with regard to timing etc.
Depending on ones fridge power source and size, gas costs could be more. I go through a 9kg in around 11 days and you can pay anything from $20-50 for a refill. So I think my averages are set at $29 per fill (I spend a lot of time away from civilisation - if that's what they call it - when I can). So that works out at $18.50 per week if I'm entirely free camping.
I had a quick read of your blog. Very interesting. I bet you can't wait!!!
-- Edited by Grubbygypsy on Tuesday 8th of May 2018 09:21:11 AM
-- Edited by Grubbygypsy on Tuesday 8th of May 2018 09:26:34 AM
rayaroundoz said
12:36 AM May 21, 2018
Glenn I have thought about bike, either pushbike, electric or motorbike. Not sure which if any would be right for me so will start off on foot and see what happens along the way.
Grubbygypsy thanks for all your info. Very interesting about filtering water. Hadn't thought about doing that. Probably a lot I haven't thought about lol. May have underestimated my gas usage as I have a 3 way fridge. Yeah cant wait to get out there and test all my theories.
homealone said
06:03 PM May 21, 2018
I am (will be) starting out new and also need to consider a good budget. However, having seen all of the world I care to see, and much of the coastline of Oz, "looking and seeing" doesn't interest me anymore. But I do want to see and experience something of inland Oz and will be happy to stay in one place awhile to watch the birds and other things. Therefore, I am guessing this will keep my fuel cost down.
Have a bicycle, plan on fishing/spearfishing where possible.
I have a Berkey Water filter with Carbon filters which will filter even creek water and any water I fill up my water tanks with. The filters last 5 years. So, another cost eliminated. And returning from SE. Asia, I have quite a few clothes at a very cheap price that will last until I die I am sure. Don't drink, and being of a small stature, don't need to eat a lot.
However, I will be making use of the Spreadsheet. Thanks for that
-- Edited by homealone on Monday 21st of May 2018 06:05:15 PM
While I wait to hit the road permanently I've been working on my travel budget.
Yes I know that money is a personal issue and everyone's situation is different etc etc BUT, without people giving their situation regarding onroad costs, us that are still currently planning our travels don't have a real starting point.
So, bearing the foregoing in mind, this is what I have come up with. I should point out that I am solo (and assume I still will be when I hit the road - but always willing to keep my options open), will be 59 years of age and living off savings. Should have enough for around 3 years of travel so will pick up work along the way as the opportunity arises.
Total Budget of $500 per week.
$105 Groceries including bottled water
$10 Takeaways including fast food and bakeries (people tell me you cant go past certain bakeries)
$20 Dining out
$20 Alcohol
$50 Accommodation Free/Low cost camping will be the norm
$100 Fuel (Diesel)
$20 Entertainment/Entry Fees/Sight seeing (small town museums will be my weakness)
$14 Transport (Air fares, Taxis, Hire cars) Aged parent and kids live in Perth so have factored in flights back to WA
$10 Gas (bottled)
$50 Medical (including private Health Insurance)
$15 MH Registration
$15 MH Insurance
$40 MH Service and repairs
$5 Clothes/Footwear/Haircuts etc
$5 Laundry
$21 Communication/Internet (Telstra)
In addition I will have an "Emergency Fund" and also have put aside funds to cover major tourist expenses for things that I have on my bucket list like flights over Bungle Bungles, Lake Eyre and other biggies that are must do's
Time will tell whether I am realistic or just dreaming. Either way I will be "out there" for a while.
Its not about the Destination. Its not even about the journey. Its about having the guts to go in the first place!
Good to see you are thinking ahead and looking at what your costs are likely to be.
The one thing we would comment on, is fuel. We use unleaded petrol in our 1992 Patrol. We have been on the road for almost two years, July 2016 is when we set off. Fuel then was anywhere between 99c and $1.15 a litre. Places like the Nullarbor were in the high $1.70's but in February this year we were paying 1.87 a litre and a few weeks later when our cousins came across the Nullarbor they were paying $2 a litre on the Nullarbor. After Easter we headed to Canberra where on average unleaded was $1.49 a litre. We did manage to find a Woolies service station that was $1.28 a litre including the 4c discount.
We are currently in Parkes, NSW, and fuel is $149.9 a litre for unleaded. We have the Apps Fuel Map Australia and PetrolSpy and use them constantly but they are not always up to date.
We are on a pretty tight budget and these higher fuel prices are beginning to impact the amount of mileage we choose to do, daily and weekly, in comparison to when we first set off.
Cheers, all the best to you.
Ray and Jude
Paper/books, toilet, shower, birthdays/xmas, traffic fines, gambling, tolls, dentist, postage, car service, parking, xtras u think off in van, (electric cord around 120, tape, fire alarm, rain coat, car wash, buckets, ropes, torch, fan, ant stuff, oil for motor, hooks, hose fittings, maps, keys, batteries, tap, water containers, ).
-- Edited by the rocket on Sunday 6th of May 2018 04:32:25 PM
Gday...
Ya on the right path Ray ... and it will turn out to be much easier once you actually get a few months, and kilometres under ya belt.
The good thing I always say is that I can control my accommodation costs (free/low cost camp), fuel bill (stay put for a couple of weeks) ... and if I could only stop eating i would be a millionaire.
However, if ya wanna play 'scenarios' with your known and anticipated costs, try this spreadsheet. Populate the yellow cells, <TAB> through to each one and it will give an idea of the 'cost of living' and whether you have a surplus/deficit.
Having said that, it does get easier after a few months and Km because you get a far better idea of just what 'guesstimates' were close.
Cheers - John
Why the bottled water. Have a reasonable drinking water container and only fill when in a place with drinkable water.
Neil
Ray and Jude - Fuel will probably be the hardest to keep under budget. Originally I had it 50% higher. The secret I think is to stay put as Rockylizard says. I am determined to go as slow as I possibly can, which will be very hard for me as I am always itching to see what is around the next corner and I just love driving. Fuel is not going to get any cheaper overall.
Rocket - mmmm. Now you have put me over budget lol. I thought about "miscellaneous" but having done my tax over the past umpteenth years whenever I put anything as misc I always had to go back and reallocate it when my Accountant queried it so I got into the habit of not having a misc column. Hopefully most of those you mentioned will get buried in one of my existing columns. Anything for my MH will go under service, repairs and maintenance. No more birthday or xmas presents. I'll steer clear of family at those times of year. They will be happy because they wont have to reciprocate. win win.
Seriously though, I get your point that there are many many things that will crop up that I haven't thought of. Its the little things that do add up.
Rockylizard - I have made up a spreadsheet like yours. In fact I think I based it on one you had on the forum when I first started looking here. Thanks. Having never really had the need or desire to budget in the past, it has been an interesting exercise living on a strict budget over the past 3 years or so while I stack away as much as I can for my "new life" on the road. It is amazing how much money we seem to waste on accumulating "stuff" and on crap.
Neil - Good point about the water. I will do as you suggested as much as possible.
As I see it I have a couple of choices. I can either stay working for anther year or more so I have more of a bankroll to start with or I can stop and work earlier along the road.
Itching to get out there.
Great spreadsheet, Rockylizard! Saves me from trying to reinvent the wheel. I can adjust it to suit my/our needs and is a perfect companion for trip planning in our brilliant Trayon slide-on .
many thanks!
Gary
-- Edited by Gary and Barb on Sunday 6th of May 2018 08:37:20 PM
Hi rayaroundoz, in your words above it seems you like driving and having a look around.
I can only talk about my own experience and I find that even if parked up a while, it still takes fuel to see what is around the next corner. If I only gave my tug $100. fuel per week it would die of thirst. I wish I could travel on $100 fuel but I like to thoroughly have a look around an area, and it seems to cost me more than that.
But once out there you will quickly find out exactly what it will cost you.
Joe
Hi ray
hopeing to do same, just on what farmhat was saying
i dont know about your health but have you thought about electric bike
Hi Ray
. Tomorrow I'm heading out about 50klm for a kayak and hopefully fit a few caches in.
I think you're on point there.
I only factor in $75 a week for fuel and do fine. In fact at present it acts as a 'spare money' account for me. As long as I keep a buffer amount to enable me to drive 'home' (so 6000klm worth at is stage), then any spare money in that account can get used on whatever. I've only used $76.00 in fuel in the last 3 weeks, so there's $224.00 I could do with what I please. I still don't gallivant around the place more than a few times a week (and I'm a geocacher!). I find I travel so slowly I don't need to be busting a gut to get out every day - life still happens (normal activity). I sometimes look at these travellers (that are way older than I am) and think they must be tired!!! I just cruise and do what I'd normally do. Today I'll be kept busy with housework, once I get up from the horizontal
Just a note on the water - I could never carry enough bottles for the amount I drink, so I have two virtually costless methods there. 1 is a distiller (that helps on alcohol costs too if you're so inclined lol). The other is a brita filter container, which I boil my 0.5 micron water and run it through that. So I technically could drink swamp water really...and still end up with a quality water, without paying (too much) for it.
Obviously the distiller requires power, so I usually just fit replenishing my stocks into the existing caravan park visit when I have to do washing etc, rather than run the generator for it (otherwise it becomes an expensive 4 litres of water - although probably the same amount as buying it). I'll usually do the same with the boiled/filtered.....but that's not quite as critical as it's easier to boil it up. Just a bit of planning required with regard to timing etc.
Depending on ones fridge power source and size, gas costs could be more. I go through a 9kg in around 11 days and you can pay anything from $20-50 for a refill. So I think my averages are set at $29 per fill (I spend a lot of time away from civilisation - if that's what they call it - when I can). So that works out at $18.50 per week if I'm entirely free camping.
I had a quick read of your blog. Very interesting. I bet you can't wait!!!
-- Edited by Grubbygypsy on Tuesday 8th of May 2018 09:21:11 AM
-- Edited by Grubbygypsy on Tuesday 8th of May 2018 09:26:34 AM
Grubbygypsy thanks for all your info. Very interesting about filtering water. Hadn't thought about doing that. Probably a lot I haven't thought about lol. May have underestimated my gas usage as I have a 3 way fridge. Yeah cant wait to get out there and test all my theories.
I am (will be) starting out new and also need to consider a good budget. However, having seen all of the world I care to see, and much of the coastline of Oz, "looking and seeing" doesn't interest me anymore. But I do want to see and experience something of inland Oz and will be happy to stay in one place awhile to watch the birds and other things. Therefore, I am guessing this will keep my fuel cost down.
Have a bicycle, plan on fishing/spearfishing where possible.
I have a Berkey Water filter with Carbon filters which will filter even creek water and any water I fill up my water tanks with. The filters last 5 years. So, another cost eliminated. And returning from SE. Asia, I have quite a few clothes at a very cheap price that will last until I die I am sure. Don't drink, and being of a small stature, don't need to eat a lot.
However, I will be making use of the Spreadsheet. Thanks for that
-- Edited by homealone on Monday 21st of May 2018 06:05:15 PM