The south end of the beach at Hua Hin, Thailand.
Where are Kevin and Ruth now? Hua Hin, Thailand.

Where are Kevin and Ruth going next? Maldives on March 23rd.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

September Expenses

Well, we had a planned budget of $1,300 for the month of September, and we blew it!

Just kidding, but we did exceed our plan a little bit. Total expenses came in at $1,446.

September was a travel month, plus we paid the airfare for our flights that will take us from New York to Cancun and Cancun to Guadalajara next March. Can't believe we paid for flights more than six months in advance! But they were great deals, so it was worth it. Here's how it all broke down...

Gasoline: The little blue car continues to impress. We spent $260 on gasoline for the month, and that was all to take us from the middle of Saskatchewan, through the U.S. and ending up just outside of Ottawa. Kept us at around 90 km/h (54 mph) the entire way. No point in having a fuel efficient car, and then driving it inefficiently!

3,475 kms (2,155 miles) on $260 worth of gasoline. Not bad!

Road Tolls: $11.55 in toll fees to cross bridges.

Groceries: We had a lot of things we had to use up before we left the campground, so we expected a fairly light month in this department. Spent a total of $264 for the month, which brings our Canadian 5 month average for groceries down to $462. Actually, that's pretty good for two people living in the middle of Saskatchewan!

Alcohol: We jumped off the wagon in September and spent $71.90 on beer and wine. 

Miscellaneous: It doesn't take much to put this category out of whack. We needed a few clothing items, bought some cheap sunglasses, a little pocket sized tripod for the camera, socks and underwear, and of course our monthly car insurance ($75) and internet ($115) bills. Add it all up, and we're at $314 for the month!

Entertainment: A little cheaper than we thought, at $67 for the month. We went out for dinner once, and it also included take out pizza and beers, and a couple of stops for Tim Horton's coffee once we made it back to Canada!

Overnight: We originally planned on a night in a motel along the way, but thanks to our couchsurfing and blog reading hosts, we did not have any expenses in this category. Thanks so much to CJ and Kathy in Killarney, Jasmine in Grand Forks, Rebecca and Steve in Duluth, Joy in Marquette, Bill and Bonnie in Mio, and John and Diane in Elliot Lake. We enjoyed spending time with each and every one of you!

Travel: We prepaid for some of our upcoming travel. Our flight from New York to Cancun on JetBlue was $372, and our flight from Cancun to Guadalajara was $86. Yes, those are total prices for the one way flight for the two of us. So, $458 for the month.

Total including the flights was $1,446.

October is a bit hard to budget for. We have to pay for our Halifax to Newark flights, and my upcoming weekend away with the boys. We are flying to Halifax on the 15th, but that flight was paid for and expensed in July. Still, we are guessing at $1,400 for the month, and hopefully we are erring on the high side.


14 comments:

  1. Still pretty good expenses all considering.

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    1. We think so too, especially when you consider that there are two plane rides included in that for both of us!

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  2. As always I'm impressed with your budgeting capabilities. Each month, when you report your expenditures, I remember shopping with the two of you in Valle de Juarez and how 'intentional' you both are about spending money. I admire both of you and am working on being lots more 'mindful' myself. Thanks for the standard you've set.

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    1. Yes, we are always mindful of what we buy. There s certainly a difference between what we need and what we want.

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  3. We have a good budget, too. Sticking to it? That's another question... ;c)

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    1. Yep, that can be problem for a lot of people both for full timing RVing/traveling and for people living in a house and working.

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  4. Well done, but par for the course for you!

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  5. Wow - looks very good. I love the way you manage it all! Very revealing.

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    1. We like to show people that you can enjoy traveling without it breaking your pocketbook.

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  6. Did you post the tripod? If you didn't could you tell me more about it? I want one.

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    1. No we haven't posted about the tripod. It is only a small one that was very inexpensive that we bought at Walmart.

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  7. Great prices on flights but the car insurance seems steep??? Continue to talk about you to friends quoting your aimed $1000 a month though

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    1. Car insurance is expensive here. Kevin has the absolute minimum that you can have on the car still drive it and there is no collision on it.

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