Average monthly costs

[Theme57]

Hello all,

TLR - When I was in my Prius driving 2500 miles a month my average was 500 tops, most of that for gas and food. How much is everyone here living off of monthly for their expenses. 

I have a friend, mid 30s, female, who wants to live life traveling and just have fun because she hates her job. She's told me she thought she would have gratitude or fulfillment in her job, but at her level she isn't happy and doesn't have much experience so she'll be in the system for a good 5 or so years before she gets something fairly good. She is amazed by the idea of vanlife, but is somewhat of a scared person and very hesitant to try new things. She sees vanlife as this free life and all the bells and whistles seen on youtube. She is not sure if vanlife will ruin her financially due to having enough to live off of comfortably. I've told her my experiences. I've let her know vanlife can be very liberating but at the same time you give up a lot of convenience and take on a lot of social stigma.

 

[Almost There]

Hello all,

 How much is everyone here living off of monthly for their expenses. 

She is not sure if vanlife will ruin her financially due to having enough to live off of comfortably. I've told her my experiences. I've let her know vanlife can be very liberating but at the same time you give up a lot of convenience and take on a lot of social stigma.

How much each of us spend monthly depends entirely on our income and our way of life.

A person who travels every week to new places will spend a way different amount than someone who prefers to stay in one spot as long as possible.

Those that smoke and enjoy an adult beverage will have entirely different budgets than someone who does neither.

Some manage to live on only a couple of hundred dollars a month, others can't make ends meet on a couple of grand.

To see if she CAN live off what she has as income is only something she can do.

As to giving up convenience and taking on social stigma....not all of us do either EVER!

 I have never found myself to be stigmatized by my lifestyle. Anyone who tries to apply any of that is quickly educated....   I am not homeless...I am home free ...completely by choice. By the time I'm finished describing why I like my life, most are jealous of my lifestyle.

As to convenience...that all depends on what conveniences you think you must have...microwave and a 100 TV channels...that I don't have, but then I also don't want them. I have a bed that is very comfy, a kitchen that is practical and easy to keep clean, sufficient storage room for all that I need to carry.

The only 'convenience' I'm missing right now is a good corkscrew...using the one on my Swiss Army knife is getting old.....

I often describe my studio apartment on wheels as having everything I need and nothing I don't.

 

[Annie W]

Hello all,
When I was in my Prius driving 2500 miles a month my average was 500 tops, most of that for gas and food.
How much is everyone here living off of monthly for their expenses. 

Good question.
As you know Bob Wells offered 2 examples: http://i2.wp.com/images.cheaprvliving.com/budget-table-index.jpg
quite a bit different for many, than merely those 7.
so
in order for others to benefit, may we share more necessities like how much spent on
1. driver's License (tax)
2. vehicle Registration (tax)
3. vehicle Insurance (tax)
4. vehicle Maintenance/Repair savings
5. vehicle gas
6. vehicle parking (if any)
7. Food including water & supplements
8. Cell-phone
9. Internet access
10. entertainment = Thank God, something FREE Nature is quite entertaining...
11. vehicle modifications (aka creature comforts)
12. any "service-pet" (not to be mistaken with a pet of a different kind, lol)
13. drugs (prescriptions, OTC, & other 'recreationals' )
&
whatever else anyone may deem "necessary".

absent such details... leaves newbies confused, & in a potential dangerous situation like stranded out in the wilderness,
no less in winter in such bitter cold, that of hypothermia long DEAD, before ever being discovered too late.
And don't say "No no, us the nomad tribe would never let that happen"
unless there's Social Services ?
======
Okay back to the above, or RANGE a single nomad needs in any wilderness (DT, urban, or elsewhere) to survive financially ?

 

[Riverman]

If I had $500, 800, 1000 or 1500 a month to live on... that's what I could do.

MANY can't...

 

[Annie W]

If I had $500, 800, 1000 or 1500 a month to live on... that's what I could do.  

MANY can't...

Hopefully Not also your situation. - Yet it could be used as a Starting point to work from.

$300/month (someone previously posted) it is. - Which of above 13 items i listed as a sample, do we keep ?

Since HALF of just that list are "vehicle"-items, all but some gas disappears. so How do we stay outa jail ?
(or no need to worry, because #1 thru 3 are Constitutionally illegal anyway).
Yes, in jail peeple get FREE housing, food, clothes, exercise, sick-care, entertainment,
college, & Hey, 
i worked since age 15 full-time, paid a bazillion...... taxes, & now we get to exist on $300 per month ?
while those with a criminal record, get FREE, what us with NO criminal record, don't.
Hmm.
4. vehicle Maintenance/Repair savings = not needed, as can't afford to drive to NC meet-up, or Fla., or Co./RTR, if ever.
6. vehicle parking ............................ = not needed on dispersed camping rotations...
5. vehicle gas .......Bob said $150 ..... = for also driving to grocer Liquidation stores, & foodBanks.
7. Food including water & supplements= SNAP to it; & even allowed seeds for nutritional Sprouts...
.......... for supplementing foodBank left-overs..., (as volunteers get all the Organic produce)
8. Cell-phone ................................. = not needed, as Obama encourages the free NSA cell-phone.
9. Internet access ........................... = $150 needed for earning $
10. entertainment .......... Thank God

Nature is quite entertaining
11. vehicle modifications .................. = not needed, as no $ left
12. any "service-pet" ....................... = not needed, as no $ left
13. drugs (prescriptions, OTC, etc) .... = not needed, as no $ left. Except there's medicaid.

soo, evidently 1 can exist on $300/month in the USA, the richest country on earth............. Right ?

Hmmm.

 

[Theme57]

How much each of us spend monthly depends entirely on our income and our way of life.

A person who travels every week to new places will spend a way different amount than someone who prefers to stay in one spot as long as possible.

Those that smoke and enjoy an adult beverage will have entirely different budgets than someone who does neither.

Some manage to live on only a couple of hundred dollars a month, others can't make ends meet on a couple of grand.

To see if she CAN live off what she has as income is only something she can do.

As to giving up convenience and taking on social stigma....not all of us do either EVER!

 I have never found myself to be stigmatized by my lifestyle. Anyone who tries to apply any of that is quickly educated....   I am not homeless...I am home free ...completely by choice. By the time I'm finished describing why I like my life, most are jealous of my lifestyle.

As to convenience...that all depends on what conveniences you think you must have...microwave and a 100 TV channels...that I don't have, but then I also don't want them. I have a bed that is very comfy, a kitchen that is practical and easy to keep clean, sufficient storage room for all that I need to carry.

The only 'convenience' I'm missing right now is a good corkscrew...using the one on my Swiss Army knife is getting old.....

I often describe my studio apartment on wheels as having everything I need and nothing I don't.

I agree with your sentiments as well. For me I learned so long as I have food, water and somewhere to sleep I am happy enough to feel satisfied. Everything else is a luxury. My friend on the other hand, lives in SF, CA and her standards are a lot higher than mine. Not having a proper bathroom or constant internet access to her is pretty rough.

 

[SoulRaven]

I have watched budgets for full-timing from $500 to $4,000 a month. On the high end, there are things which they see as a "need" (most often "feel good" items, IMO), that many others see as a luxury. As someone frugal for their entire life (inherited from Grandpa), I suggest establishing a budget before preferably, but if not then, immediately after the lifestyle change. With a tight budget, one needs to know where the money is going in case cuts need to be made. Anyone that can't budget what money they have will have problems. One can look at other budgets and work the numbers simply substituting what they might not be spending money on with another item from their must have list. Prioritizing needs in a list would be helpful with desired vs needed being at the bottom of the list for when extra money is available. Honestly, "just have fun" concerns me as I don't know of a lifestyle that offers that.

 

[jester]

Last year I averaged $670 a month (on my blog). My available budget is $800 a month but I couldn't find anything more that I wanted to spend money on.

 

[Theme57]

I have watched budgets for full-timing from $500 to $4,000 a month.  On the high end, there are things which they see as a "need" (most often "feel good" items, IMO), that many others see as a luxury.  As someone frugal for their entire life (inherited from Grandpa), I suggest establishing a budget before preferably, but if not then, immediately after the lifestyle change.  With a tight budget, one needs to know where the money is going in case cuts need to be made.  Anyone that can't budget what money they have will have problems.  One can look at other budgets and work the numbers simply substituting what they might not be spending money on with another item from their must have list.  Prioritizing needs in a list would be helpful with desired vs needed being at the bottom of the list for when extra money is available.   Honestly, "just have fun" concerns me as I don't know of a lifestyle that offers that.

That's what I let my friend know. Vanlife or nomad life isn't about having fun, but to be free and live minimalist. At least from what I can gather. It's not all the bells and whistles you see on YouTube nowadays. Someone could be just as happy sitting in a desert drinking water watching the day go by as much as someone skydiving in South America before returning to a luxury hotel.

 

[JD GUMBEE]

We have a Class A RV, 4 dogs and a cat.
$1200 a month allows us to live quite comfortably.
You learn to share info and take advantage of things on the cheap.
Like a mobile wi-fi for $200 for the entire year.
Cell phone from ebay (A model from three or four years ago)you buy for $60 and then connect it to Verizon towers via a reseller for less than $30 a month for unlimited talk/text.
Buy the day old bakery goods at the store.
Pool resources with other campers for supper each day. (We have nutritious meals for less than $1.75 per plate. Not Mac-cheese/hot dogs either. Garden salads/chicken soup fresh veggies every meal...)
Share rides to the grocery stores. Same with laundry.
Don't pay to dry your laundry, hang it up.
Use a solar shower instead of paying $10 for a shower at the truck stop.
Jump in the river with a bar of Ivory or use natural soap (Dr Bronners type stuff.)
Make use of the library for books, movies, audiobooks, etc.
Read this forum like a fiend. Same with watching Youtube. It's all right there, for free.

 

[waldenbound]

^ Now that's living.
Thanks JD.

 

[Annie W]

We have a Class A RV, 4 dogs and a cat.
$1200 a month allows us to live quite comfortably.
You learn to share info and take advantage of things on the cheap.
Like a mobile wi-fi for $200 for the entire year.

Hi JD,
Everything you examplify is complete sense. And lately more people also make it common sense.
(except for past year), I've lived frugally entire life, from necessity & otherwise.
Sure one can nourish self well on $1-2 daily, especially with sprouts.

Now re Internet-connection without interruption for couple hours daily: how possible ?
Can this be done without wi-fi in a vehicle?
any links here? explaining this, please.

 

[JD GUMBEE]

Hi JD,
Now re Internet-connection without interruption for couple hours daily: how possible ?
Can this be done without wi-fi in a vehicle?
any links here? explaining this, please.

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=29776

 

[Annie W]

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=29776

Hi JD,
would that I understood half of that. Thank you.