June Expenses - slightly over budget

We had a budget of $3,200 CAD for the month of June, and we ended up spending $3,600 CAD ($2,650 USD).

We started the month in Spain, and flew to Edinburgh, Scotland where we rented a car and toured around. Then drove down to northern England where we ended the month.

Most expenses were pretty much on target, but then of course we knew in advance how much accommodation and the car rental were going to be, and they were the bulk of the expenses. But fuel was a bit more expensive than expected, and I had a relatively minor dentist visit that wasn't planned for.

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

Fuel: Despite having a fuel efficient hybrid car, we spent $261 on gasoline. One thing I have learned with these hybrid cars is that their efficiency is more geared towards city driving... not so much motorway driving at 70 mph! And of course, fuel in the UK is pricey at around $2.43 CAD per liter ($6.75 USD per gallon).

Groceries: Actually quite reasonable at $442, but this is a little bit skewed because when we were with Helen and Tony they paid for a major grocery and alcohol shop, while we reciprocated by paying for a couple of meals out. So grocery expenses are slightly lower than they should be while meals out are slightly higher.

Meals out: We spent $317 on meals out.

Alcohol: Slightly above average, but not bad, at $183. Even with the weak Canadian dollar, alcohol in the UK is still cheaper than Canada. Makes up for the cost of fuel!

Miscellaneous: $176. The biggest chunk of that was my dentist visit. Otherwise, buses and Uber in Edinburgh.

Entertainment: We spent $1.85 when we put a pound into a church donation box!

Overnight: Despite the fact that we did two lots of house sitting, we still spent $850 on 8 nights of paid accommodation. Edinburgh is expensive, and of course we did our castle stay as well. 

Motorhome: Our monthly registration, insurance, and storage expenses for Igor.  Total of $141.

Travel: A total of $1,226. Our flights from Madrid to Edinburgh were $133 each, and you now need an electronic travel authorization for the UK which cost $19 each. The balance of $922 was car rentals for the month.

So, slightly higher than expected, but not by much.

For July, we are starting the month here in England, but we are flying to Bologna, Italy for a night before carrying on to Albania for three weeks. Then returning at the end of the month to Southampton, England to begin our 16 day cruise the first half of August. July is kind of difficult to guess because I have no idea how much my dental work will cost. And, it's busy season in Albania, so car rental and accommodation are not cheap. I'm going to set us a budget of $4,600 CAD ($3,400 USD) and we'll see how we do!

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