Mike Harding wrote:

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I bush camp 95% of the time - I am not a fan of caravan parks. For the almost three years I have been a nomad I've been tracking every penny of my spending (first time in my life! :) ) and my annual spend is around $14,000.

I live well, I eat well and I drink well - the above includes everything except a new vehicle purchase.

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 Thanks for providing some excellent info 

Whenarewethere wrote:

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We free camp virtually all the time or use more remote National Parks etc. We don't camp to stay amongst people, can't stand it.

We need food whether travelling or at home. The car still need to be registered & maintenance. 

 

We use more petrol & wear out the tyres a bit quicker. Don't actually buy much takeaway or restaurant food as on the whole we don't like it. Grind our own coffee, get the odd bought coffee. Fresh vegetables are a bit more expensive, but still far cheaper than a bought meal. One evening we realised we had 7 different cheeses in the fridge.

 

If we want something we buy it without hesitation. I don't think we go without even eating lettuce!

 

If you feel the need to only stay in caravan parks then you need to budget a much higher figure.

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Thanks for your informative response. Our camping is a mix of free, low cost, national parks and caravan parks.  

Peter_n_Margaret wrote:

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I keep accurate records of our expenses. We live a moderate lifestyle, but never let an opportunity to do something different slip by. We mostly free camp. 
We toured Australia for 6 to 8 months each year for 5 years in 2005-2009.
Then we volunteered in Fiji for 2 years 2010 - 2012 (with a living and accommodation allowance and some rent from the house)
Then we purchased a 4WD motorhome in Germany and toured from Turkey to Scotland and from Greece to Norway for 6 months (and 25,000km) each year for 3 years 2013-2015. On the way home we had stops in Dubai (4 days) and Cambodia (2 weeks). We also had a separate trip to Fiji during that time.
In 2018 we had a month in Europe and a week in Japan in addition to lots more motorhome travel in Oz.
Even this year, Covid notwithstanding, we have had a 4 1/2 month, 20,000km trip to Arnhem Land as well as shorter trips.
The OKA has done 250,000km since 2005.
All done (including airfares, buying, selling & fixing motorhome in Europe, all OKA costs rates and taxes, insurance etc, etc.) for less than $50,000pa average over 16 years.

Retirement can be the best time of your life. Make the most of it.

Cheers,

Peter

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That is awesome. Thank you so much for the info. What was Arnhem Land like - its on our must do list for next year. 

I've got records of two 6 week trips in Vic. 2020.
One is $40, the other $31 a day. This is all costs except wife's groceries.

About 60% free camps. The rest low cost CVPs.

watsea wrote:

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We are a bit new to Nomading, and so far have gone to distant places covering 400-800 kilometres in a day. If you work out the fuel usage and cost, for us, the fuel cost seems to the most expensive part for us while moving around.

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You need to slow down and smell the roses :)

We try to average about 100km per day (but it is usually about 120). Our last trip to Queensland and the NT was planned to be 6 months, but we cut it short to 4 1/2 months and came home "non stop" from Brisbane to Adelaide via Mt Isa and Alice Springs entirely due to Covid considerations. That meant the average km per day increased to 148km. At 18l/100km and $1.50 per litre that is still just $40 per day, but quite a bit more than we would normally expect.

I watch expenses monthly and yearly rather than daily or weekly.

Cheers,

Peter

We are also free campers, in our 3 x 6month trips prior to Covid we stayed in a caravan park for a total of 7 days and that was to meet up and spend time with SIL and Partner. We have certainly seen some magnificent country and stayed in some beautiful spots during that time, and traveled some remote country, can't wait for the borders to open with some stability.

As far as cost goes we travel using the pension and actually can save money doing that so it's a winner!

We will do some short term travel around WA for the next 12 to 18 months, so much to see.

Cheers

Richard

-- Edited by RichardK on Friday 15th of October 2021 12:15:55 PM

Hi Ger08

As you have already said, everyone is different with different camping styles

I have a budget theory, which seemed to have worked for me, over all my travels (so far)

• I do not normally use caravan parks, so I do not calculate that cost
• I have no idea what my maintenance cost will be (on the road), so I do not calculate that cost, but I do have rainy day money available
• I have to pay my rego, and insurance, if I travel or stay home, so I do not calculate that cost

I do know what my mileage will be, before I return to home base, on average 12,000 kilometres, each trip (so far)
I therefore have a rough idea, of how much diesel I will use, and I have to eat if I travel or stay home

1. I calculate my diesel, as being (on average), 25% more than I would pay at home base, (I only travel on bitumen) 
2. I calculate my food as being (on average), 50% more than I would pay at home base. (I try to buy groceries at local shops, close to a free camp)

While ensuring that I have this amount available, before I leave, I have always returned to home base, with a few dollars in my pocket

On my very first road trip, I talked to some people who were travelling on an old age pension
Basically here is what they did

1. They had a rough idea, what their vehicle maintenance cost would be. 
   They did not do many kilometres 
   Each pension day, they put this money aside
2. They knew what their insurance/rego cost would be
   Each pension day, they put this money aside
3. They knew what their food cost would be, until next pension day
   Each pension day, they put this money aside
4. They then knew what they had left, until next pension day
   This is the amount they spent, on fuel, and entertainment

 

peatop wrote:

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Ger08 wrote:

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I know everyone is different and that different camping styles make comparisons difficult, but is a budget of say $1,200 per week doable with a mix of free camps, low cost camps and caravan parks? 

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 Only one thing I can say, if you can't survive on this you really should get a job.

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 Not sure what you mean. Could you add a little more info?

That is an informative - and valuable - topic. Lots of aspects in the posts, so there isn't a lot I can add.

I usually travel alone and free camp, with an occasional overnight at a CP just to recharge some equipment, water up and enjoy a shower - then back into the bush.

$1200 per week is a big budget, so you will do that comfortably unless you have a large rig to tow and do big miles per day. Fuel is the highest cost on trips.

Enjoy your trip wherever you go!

Tony Bev wrote:

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Hi Ger08

As you have already said, everyone is different with different camping styles

I have a budget theory, which seemed to have worked for me, over all my travels (so far)

• I do not normally use caravan parks, so I do not calculate that cost
• I have no idea what my maintenance cost will be (on the road), so I do not calculate that cost, but I do have rainy day money available
• I have to pay my rego, and insurance, if I travel or stay home, so I do not calculate that cost

I do know what my mileage will be, before I return to home base, on average 12,000 kilometres, each trip (so far)
I therefore have a rough idea, of how much diesel I will use, and I have to eat if I travel or stay home

1. I calculate my diesel, as being (on average), 25% more than I would pay at home base, (I only travel on bitumen) 
2. I calculate my food as being (on average), 50% more than I would pay at home base. (I try to buy groceries at local shops, close to a free camp)

While ensuring that I have this amount available, before I leave, I have always returned to home base, with a few dollars in my pocket

On my very first road trip, I talked to some people who were travelling on an old age pension
Basically here is what they did

1. They had a rough idea, what their vehicle maintenance cost would be. 
   They did not do many kilometres 
   Each pension day, they put this money aside
2. They knew what their insurance/rego cost would be
   Each pension day, they put this money aside
3. They knew what their food cost would be, until next pension day
   Each pension day, they put this money aside
4. They then knew what they had left, until next pension day
   This is the amount they spent, on fuel, and entertainment

 

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Thanks so much for your detailed response - I really appreciate it  

Couple of things.....
Any budget needs to also include any costs associated with all the normal costs of life, not just those encountered "on the road".
By those I mean, the costs of your house (if you still have one) including power, insurance, rates and taxes etc, medical insurance (if you have it), insurance and all expenses of the second car (if you have one) all the way to birthday treats and gifts for the grand kids.
These can all be quite significant in total and many of these come in larger "lumps" at irregular intervals.
That leads to the second thought.
We don't budget buy the week (or even by the month), more like by the year. Even then, the totals vary significantly from year to year.
I break our monthly expenses into a dozen different headings (OKA, Housekeeping, Eating out, Booze, Medical, House, Communications, etc etc. That way I can see at a glance if any particular segment is "out of control" or if a trend is developing.
We also have "back-up" funds available if we have a particularly expensive period (like flying to Europe and buying a motorhome).

The "under $50,000 per year average" that I said earlier includes all of the above, but the biggest expense year was more than double that.
The budget does not control our lives. Our "life style" does that.

Watch out for booze, caravan parks and eating out.
Put solar on the house to pay the fixed power costs and dribble some money in when you are not home.
Cheers,
Peter

Same here peatop, 1200 a week is humungous.