Is $25 per day feasible$

[Morris deCat]

I would like to eventually hook up with some folks and travel, however, my income is limited
to a total of $25 per day or $180 per week.
Is that less than most people spend?
If so, what would be a good number 
Thanks

 

[Wabbit]

Bob has a budget breakdown on the main site here...

https://www.cheaprvliving.com

Just scroll down for the $500 budget breakdown. The other $250 a month should go into emergency fund. If you aren't able to save up an emergency fund, you most likely will not succeed in the long term. Emergencies do happen, if you're not prepared, you run the risk of losing the vision until you save up and try again. Best of luck!

 

[Blanch]

I live on $1298 a month and it is very tight. Gas and food are flexible, car insurance and medical insurance and stuff like that isn’t flexible. First you need to determine your monthly bills. Then how much do you spend on food. Then add in gas. Your MPG and how much you travel will determine your gas needs.


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[Morris deCat]

Every person is different. What do you want to do? How far do you want to go? What do you want to eat? Where will you stay? What condition is your vehicle in? What do you spend on phone, insurance, ice, beer, meds...? Only you will be able to figure this one out. My take is that $25 a day is cutting it pretty close to the bone.

Guy

Thanks for your input!

 

[Morris deCat]

Bob has a budget breakdown on the main site here...

https://www.cheaprvliving.com

Just scroll down for the $500 budget breakdown. The other $250 a month should go into emergency fund. If you aren't able to save up an emergency fund, you most likely will not succeed in the long term. Emergencies do happen, if you're not prepared, you run the risk of losing the vision until you save up and try again. Best of luck!

Thanks for your help!

 

[Morris deCat]

I live on $1298 a month and it is very tight. Gas and food are flexible, car insurance and medical insurance and stuff like that isn’t flexible. First you need to determine your monthly bills. Then how much do you spend on food. Then add in gas. Your MPG and how much you travel will determine your gas needs.


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Thank you!

 

[Morris deCat]

Every person is different. What do you want to do? How far do you want to go? What do you want to eat? Where will you stay? What condition is your vehicle in? What do you spend on phone, insurance, ice, beer, meds...? Only you will be able to figure this one out. My take is that $25 a day is cutting it pretty close to the bone.

Guy

Thank you!

 

[mpruet]

It's feasible, but if I were to be forced to live on $25/day, I would first do everything I could to make sure I had a good sized emergency fund.  I'd first try to live on below $500/month and put $250 into an emergency fund until it got up to $3,000.   That means you're going to be living on beans and rice for a while.  Also that means you will have to invest in a means to prepare food and keep it from spoiling.   You can't afford to eat out.  You need to have about $3,000 in your emergency fund and when money has to be drawn from that $3,000 then you need to spend less during the next few months to rebuild your fund.

 

[Morris deCat]

It's feasible, but if I were to be forced to live on $25/day, I would first do everything I could to make sure I had a good sized emergency fund.  I'd first try to live on below $500/month and put $250 into an emergency fund until it got up to $3,000.   That means you're going to be living on beans and rice for a while.  Also that means you will have to invest in a means to prepare food and keep it from spoiling.   You can't afford to eat out.  You need to have about $3,000 in your emergency fund and when money has to be drawn from that $3,000 then you need to spend less during the next few months to rebuild your fund.

Thank you! Good info!

 

[Morris deCat]

It's feasible, but if I were to be forced to live on $25/day, I would first do everything I could to make sure I had a good sized emergency fund.  I'd first try to live on below $500/month and put $250 into an emergency fund until it got up to $3,000.   That means you're going to be living on beans and rice for a while.  Also that means you will have to invest in a means to prepare food and keep it from spoiling.   You can't afford to eat out.  You need to have about $3,000 in your emergency fund and when money has to be drawn from that $3,000 then you need to spend less during the next few months to rebuild your fund.

Good info. Thanks!

 

[Smitty716]

Beans and rice is pretty good eating, especialy of its red beans and rice with some seasoning

 

[Morris deCat]

Beans and rice is pretty good eating, especialy of its red beans and rice with some seasoning

Yes! I love beans and rice, throw in some fried potatoes and I'm good.
Oatmeal for breakfast and a sandwich for lunch.
I have simple taste.

Thanks!

 

[tripper]

A long time ago I traveled on a lot less.
I had no fridge, no solar, maybe $250 month to live on (avg, I'd work a few months then travel a few)
Ramen mixed with eggs and various veggies <- many gourmet ramen recipes on YouTube, you would be surprised!
Corn meal to make corn bread and bisquick (pancakes, biscuits and dumplings too)
Pan popped popcorn
Pastas
Rice
Beans
eggs and more eggs
I also kept a big can of vanilla protein powder I could mix with water and eat for a few days when out of food, my emergency rations.

Just parked my RV in boondocking spots for 2 weeks at a time then drove the minimum to next spot. If I wanted to get somewhere far I would just take many short trips to get there as money was available. Drive 55, saves a lot of gas. I did travel on a motorcycle for a year, gas was a minimal cost, used a 2 man tent, traveled all over the country then. Need rivers or lakes when on mc to keep clean.
In the city would drive to a public hangout in the daytime then park in industrial/apt complex areas at night, no more than 2 miles usually.

So I would say you can get by on a little, but I would really suggest part time paid camp host type work. I did however have a great time back then even on so little.

I often found work in public laundromats, I would just strike up conversations with people, especially older people from the area, and usually they would have some odd jobs I could do for $20 or so. They could see the MC out front loaded with gear so it was obvious I was traveling.

Also found there were always other travelers out there, often we would have potlucks, I got to be an expert on dutch oven cornbread which seems to go well with many potlucks and a good way to try other foods.

 

[Morris deCat]

Thank you! Absolutely excellent information and I like everything on the list.

This will certainly help.

Safe travels !

 

[wasanah2]

I think $25 a day is totally do-able. Keep the cheapest car insurance you can. If you're healthy, you could do without health insurance. I did for years. With what I saved, I had enough for whatever came up. Remember insurance companies wouldn't do it unless they made money for their investors off of your hard earned premiums. If you don't keep a fridge, you can go to my favorite grocery store: DOLLAR TREE. I probably spend 3-5 dollars a day per person (I have my daughter with me) on food. Check out their 3 liter soda for a treat. It tastes better than name brand. No kidding.

So I'd stay somewhere near a Dollar Tree, and they're everywhere these days. Go to the library and use their computers to get online to keep up with folks. Plug in your computer there and charge it up. We also used to carry a power pack and charged it up at the library too. Nice air conditioning at the library and often times we spent the day in the hottest days of summer in comfort. Your tax dollars pay for it. You might as well enjoy it!!

Go to the park's pavilion or covered areas where they have electricity. I often did this if no one was renting them. I just plop down at one of the picnic tables and grab some stuff for lunch out of the cooler and bring out my laptop and either read something I downloaded off the internet or if I'm lucky, pick up a free wifi signal. I asked at the park division and they said if no one had it rented, they didn't mind if I plugged in my computer or phone or battery pack.

At Taco Bell, if you're over 55, you can get a senior drink for free (at least at my local Taco Bell). Add a $1 Frito Burrito and dump a lot of hot sauce on it and you have a nice lunch for a buck. I still can't see how they can make those Frito Burritos for only a dollar.

In fact, if you are 55 or over, there are a lot of discounts and free stuff.

One time at a state park we were fishing and were filthy having been caught in the rain and climbing out with the mud and all. Well, we weren't staying there, just fishing, and we were a mess so we drove over to where the campground was and we simply went in and used the showers. No one said we couldn't. The shower house toilets were used by people there fishing anyway. It was essential....we were a mess and we spent the time to clean out the car too. That said, if you camp somewhere near a state park campground, you might be able to use their showers without camping there.

I think you can totally do this. I'd plan your day ahead of time and plan out your gas consumption and your daily activities. You'll be able to do it. Also, get a fishing license for your state and catch some dinner. If you plan things out well, you won't even feel like you're economizing, and in no time, you'll have a good sized emergency fund.

 

[Morris deCat]

Your information is pure gold. Every suggestion you made I will do since I Like all the food you suggested.
I Just recently bought a fridge, cheap but works great.
Your cooling off suggestion will work since I'm an avid reader.
Planning ahead is the ultimate key.

Thank you very much! 
Blessings and safe travels to you and yours,
Steve

 

[Van-Tramp]

My insights on the subject - https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/full-time-van-living-on-a-budget/

I survived on about $30 per day for many years and that was with putting $10-15 per day into the fuel tank. $25 per day is very do-able, but extremely tight. Not much can be wasted in fuel or dining out, but you DO NOT have to eat Ramen to do this. I would advise on spending the extra $20 per month to eat proper foods, not garbage. It may cost you an extra few cents, but your health will be worth it.

My tips;
1) Don't drive as much. Cost of fuel is the easiest way to save money. Find a place to camp, and stay the full 14 days. This can easily save $300+ each month
2) Don't pay for camping. Use BLM and National Forest lands. Sounds easy, but remember that all the free camping is normally well outside city limits. See how that effects #1 though?
3) Don't eat out, ever. Cook your own foods and save hundreds each month
4) Invest if inexpensive but wholesome foods. Go back to the basics... such as beans, rice, flour, etc. You have TIME, so make your own foods from scratch using the basic ingredients, saving you a ton on your grocery bill while eating healthier in the process. Fruits and veggies are expensive, and not filling. I hate advising against them though, so grab them only when they are on sale for a good deal. Some also need to be refrigerated... which costs too much money. Even a bag of ice every few days for an ice chest is too much. Consider going to a 100% non-refrigerated food stockpile - https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/no-refrigeration-foods/
5) Get a hobby (or two, or three) that are nature-oriented that requires no spending (you will need it to stay sane). Hiking is great, photography (you do not need a professional camera), drawing/sketching, reading, blogging, etc. Something that costs nothing but you find joy in. It will keep you from spending money in pursuit of happiness (something all us humans do for some reason)

Good luck!

 

[Morris deCat]

Thanks , great advice and much appreciated!

as you say, fuel is the highest cost so only driving one day a week hopefully will get me where
the weather is nice.

Safe travels!

 

[highdesertranger]

great advice from Van-Tramp. highdesertranger

 

[ZoNiE]

Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Family Dollar, etc. are not always the best price. They are more of an extended convenience store, and are places stores like WalMart cannot do well.

This article sort of spells it out. Wally world came in and decimated the mom-and-pops and then pulld up stakes and moved out. DG moved in and solves a problem but also charges higher prices...
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-10-11/dollar-general-hits-a-gold-mine-in-rural-america.

I noticed "nice to have" items at these places are actually more than the usual grocery. Even firewood was more than at a State Park Campground, BUT, I treat the places like a big CircleK.

Most regions also have a local low cost grocery chain that competes with Safeway, Kroger, etc. Chains like Bashas' in AZ, for example, tend to be lower priced on many items and run better sales. (And Bashas' has the best beef)

My 2 cents...