Life on road not gonna be cheap

[lenny flank]

I typically spend around $1000/month to travel around the country. But that includes luxuries like eating out at least once each day, and a LOT of museum, zoo and park visits.

If I cut the luxuries, I could easily get by on $700/month or so.

 

[Firtree]

I typically spend around $1000/month to travel around the country. But that includes luxuries like eating out at least once each day, and a LOT of museum, zoo and park visits.

If I cut the luxuries, I could easily get by on $700/month or so.

Can you give us some of your $ numbers to make the $700 or so
Groceries per week
Gas per month w/miles driven
Camping
Phone/internet
Misc stuff -propane, repairs, laundry
Pet?

Nice to see real numbers to understand where I can cut back or look for better prices. I’m a person -‘if you can do it for this amount, I can too’

 

[lenny flank]

My rough breakdown:

Food—about $400 per month. This is typically my biggest expense, mostly because I eat out at least once every day. Usually I buy lunch or dinner each day, at a restaurant or cafeteria or in the Walmart deli (or in an all-you-can-eat buffet), and eat small portable meals (sandwiches, candy bars, fruit snacks) that I carry with me in my backpack for the rest of the day. I also cook soups or canned pasta in the van. If I were to cook all my meals in the van, I could cut this expense by at least half.

Gas—about $100 per month. This depends on the current price of gas, and how far I travel. Typically I only drive the van from one city to another, about 600 miles, about once every month.

Insurance—for the van, it’s about $100 per month. There is also health insurance, which is another $75 per month.

Bus pass—about $60 per month. This varies from city to city; the cheapest monthly bus pass I’ve seen being $55 and the most expensive being $95.

Admissions to museums, zoos, parks, etc—about $150 per month. Depends a lot on where I go. If I’m going someplace like Disney or Sea World, that can easily be almost $100 just for one day. But most places are around $15-20 admission, and many of the places that I go are free.

Miscellaneous—about $150 per month. Includes everything from the yearly state inspections on the van to my Tracfone cellphone to whatever odds and ends I need to buy, from paper towels to new shoes.

Total average per month: $1035.

Drop the luxuries like zoos and museums and eating out, and I'm down to around $700.

 

[JuliaAnne2018]

In other words, it may not be cheaper (probably would be if I just had me and not also the dog), but since I will have my vehicle as my home, I don't necessarily have to choose between my apartment and travel expenses. It's all combined. If it was just me, I'd just park in a different 24-hour parking lot every night. I slept in places like that before when I was too tired to drive.

 

[QinReno]

JA, it's no solace but probably half the newcomers here seem to be in similar financial straits as you. I don't know what you have for a car, but several youtuber women live in their cars, some have dogs. You can be more comfortable in a minivan than a car.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8pBM_asQq-emllRqF4PLEw/videos
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM_ESeME8Z-3LYmcuSzOezQ/videos

A few other scattered thoughts:
1. Your $600/month for rent is remarkably low by any standards I've seen.
2. My advice is that, as a solo women living in a tent, you're much safer staying in organized CGs, rather than off alone somewheres, although campgrounds will cost on the order of $20/night or so already. 
3. Gas will end up being a major expense when on the road, although as some people say, they boondock for free in places and move only occasionally. But they also tend to be well setup for living off grid.
4. Everyone talks about AZ in the winter, but it's not all that warm except in a few places. In Feb-March this year I found southern Cal and down around Yuma to be ok, but everywhere else in AZ and NM were in the low 20s at night for much of the time I was there, including the immortal Quartzsite. Plus gas in CA is typically well over $4.00/gallon, so spending time there is not cheap.
5. Every town and city has a library with free wifi, so you don't necessarily need to spend money on internet.

 

[JuliaAnne2018]

QinReno,

Thanks. I'll figure it out. I will not be able to afford to buy a minivan right now nor the gas to drive it. Gonna stick with the car. I got most of what I need already. Since I made this post, I researched ways to work with what I already have. It can get much colder than the 20s though. But I have about 2-3 months to prepare for that. October and November aren"t as bad. If it gets to be too much, I'll just have to surrender the dog.

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[Dingfelder]

JA, keep in mind that most of us can endure pretty severe hardship for a while, even get pretty used to it eventually. If you do have some difficulties and uncertainties up front, some rough months, or even a rough year or two, I hope you can look at that as the price of the ticket one pay for freedom and the opportunity to move toward better things.

Taking foolish chances is greatly overrated, especially when one gets older and in more questionable health. But there is not that much certainty these days in doing things the usual way either. At least if you are living a difficult life in a car or van, you have the opportunity to save money by living much rougher than most people could tolerate. Even though it's an opportunity you might hate, it's an opportunity to save up a financial cushion that you would not have if you kept renting somewhere ... always waiting for your rent to be raised, getting more and more attached to probably more and more things that you don't need and might hold you back.

I've been trying to train myself slowly to do with less and less. I'm losing battles all the time, but think I'm putting myself in the position to win the war. Don't let hardship put you off too much or for too long. A little of it is probably good for us ... and we might as well meet it on our own terms instead of having it come for us.

 

[LivGolden]

JA, keep in mind that most of us can endure pretty severe hardship for a while, even get pretty used to it eventually.  If you do have some difficulties and uncertainties up front, some rough months, or even a rough year or two, I hope you can look at that as the price of the ticket one pay for freedom and the opportunity to move toward better things.

Taking foolish chances is greatly overrated, especially when one gets older and in more questionable health.  But there is not that much certainty these days in doing things the usual way either.  At least if you are living a difficult life in a car or van, you have the opportunity to save money by living much rougher than most people could tolerate.  Even though it's an opportunity you might hate, it's an opportunity to save up a financial cushion that you would not have if you kept renting somewhere ... always waiting for your rent to be raised, getting more and more attached to probably more and more things that you don't need and might hold you back.

I've been trying to train myself slowly to do with less and less.  I'm losing battles all the time, but think I'm putting myself in the position to win the war.  Don't let hardship put you off too much or for too long.  A little of it is probably good for us ... and we might as well meet it on our own terms instead of having it come for us.

Gosh, I love every word of this.  :heart:

 

[JuliaAnne2018]

Dingfelder, I think I understand what you're saying but not sure if I do. I feel like you're saying take a chance but don't take a chance all at the same time. And, all I can say is I've watched several videos and did a lot of research and brain-picking ever since about 2014. I also think of times when I did not plan on sleeping outside when it was windy and temp was only in the 20s and when I was sitting in my car in 90+ degree weather other times. I always had a habit of thinking too much, and I've lived in WI all my life. I will have to trust my instincts.

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[TexasWoman]

Check out Bob's YT video on "Survival/Space Blanket Cheap way to cool a van or RV"

Works on cars, too....

Texas Woman
:heart: :heart: :heart:

 

[wasanah2]

Since I made this post, I researched ways to work with what I already have. It can get much colder than the 20s though. But I have about 2-3 months to prepare for that. October and November aren"t as bad. If it gets to be too much, I'll just have to surrender the dog.

Is it possible for you to take a weekend trip to give boondocking a test run?  Perhaps leave the dog with a friend or family member or board it?  Just for the first time then you can concentrate on your needs before adding the dog's.

 

[JuliaAnne2018]

Check out Bob's YT video on "Survival/Space Blanket Cheap way to cool a van or RV"

Works on cars, too....

Texas Woman
[emoji813] [emoji813] [emoji813]

I was planning to order some space blankets for when it gets colder out and I realize now insulating a car is probably a lot less work than a van much less my experiments trying to cool my apartment living room on a 90-degeee day with no AC just ice and fans.

Here's an update:

I'm with my mom and brothers camping right now. It's kind of fun. Doing a test run. My first night camping with my dog and me. I got my car about half set up at least how I arranged the bed.

Good thing is, it's only 64 degrees outside. We're in a car ( Chloe my dog and me). The only thing I wish I had is some screen. I'm actually planning on designing a screen house that attaches to this car, but tonight, I covered windows with breathable fabric for ventilation.

Since it's so cool out, all I need is the battery operated fan. I wasn't sure how warm or cold we'd feel. It's about the same as in the apartment with no AC on say a day it is about 70-80 degrees. I did also bring a household fan I can run if I need plus 3 total battery operated/USB personal fans. And grab ice from my mom's cooler or buy some.

And I have my 300 watt/600 watt peak lithium battery pack/generator. If I were to be in the car during the day, I could run my household fan on it. Right now, no need for air conditioner.

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[wasanah2]

I'm with my mom and brothers camping right now. It's kind of fun. Doing a test run. My first night camping with my dog and me. I got my car about half set up at least how I arranged the bed.

Good thing is, it's only 64 degrees outside. We're in a car ( Chloe my dog and me). The only thing I wish I had is some screen. I'm actually planning on designing a screen house that attaches to this car, but tonight, I covered windows with breathable fabric for ventilation.

Awesome!  Have a great sleep tonight!

 

[QinReno]

JA, if there is a Sportsmans Warehouse nearby, they should have a "Coghlan's wall" with the following 4'x6' piece of mosquito netting. Also orderable through Walmart stores. I bought some to put over the open windows in the van. On metal doors, people normally use small magnets to hold such things.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Coghlan-s-Mosquito-Netting/46859796
https://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-craft-magnet-blocks-98406.html

 

[Dingfelder]

There is also something like this portable awning to shade you and protect from rain. The extension can be used in the front or on a side, too, to give you coverage from more than one angle.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0793CV4QW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've found it to be an immense help during the 100 degree days we can get for months on end here. Too much heat makes me feel exhausted and actually physically sick, and if I feel terrible, it must be even worse for my super-hairy dog. It's worth a lot to me to keep us cooler.

I doesn't set up like lightning, but I find it indispensable.

And it folds up into a very surprisingly small and light package. Seriously.

 

[Dingfelder]

If you are tent camping, maybe you are all set with a bucket or can just go out in the woods, and maybe you are fine doing sponge baths exclusively, but I really like a pop-up shower/utility tent like this one for both things:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N0GOJ25/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's a bit big when folded up, but still thin. Unfolds almost before you can stop it, but it's not like it's going to slice an ear off you if it gets away from you. Plenty big enough for a tall person, and I can move around a bit in it. It can hold you and a potty or even a couple buckets etc quite comfortably. Pockets inside and out to hold stuff like toilet paper or soap or portable shower nozzle, etc. No floor in it, so you can use it as a shower in any terrain; just need slippers on.

I would seriously consider something like this in a car, if only for emergency pooping in privacy anywhere, anytime. It is FAST. And I certainly have plenty of memories of half-trotting and silly-walking all over the place desperately trying to find a public bathroom with no success, or finding the only one available full, or finding no place to pull over by the side of the road that couldn't be seen by everyone for miles. A tent like this would have solved a lot of ... important problems.

And with a big bucket of warm water, I can take a shower in it that feels positively luxurious compared to a sponge bath and cleans me much better. A real shower is such a huge delicious luxury.

 

[Jack]

I can see how van life would be a cheaper alternative for many people.  For me, however, my bills will expand exponentially!

My current expenses:
Electricity:  $35 mo.
Phone:       $35 mo.
Internet:    $35 mo.
Food        $200 mo.
Total        $305 mo.

My rent is paid for with my part time care-taking job at my apartment complex.  I don't currently own any vehicles and haven't had to take city transportation in years.  I don't have any credit cards, loans, or debts of any kind.  My life, other than being stuck in a city that I don't want to live in anymore, is as simple as it gets.

On the road, I'll be spending the above amount on gas alone!  Add in insurances and everything else I'll be paying for, and van life is still for me.