Expenses of Newbie Cruisers

[Chef Mike]

We have been cruising for almost six months now and are starting to analyze our expenditures and find ways to cut costs.

Since March our average expenses were a little bit over $1400.00 per month. A break down of those costs may be found on our blog at http://www.pacificsailors.com/p/monthly-expenses.

Any suggestions on how to cut costs further?

Chef Mike

[sailorboy1]

Thanks for posting the numbers, always nice to see real cruising costs instead of "it depends".

The link didn't work for me but I got to it via your home page.

Seems to me that your biggest mystery is "Cash & ATM" where you take out cash and then don't know what happened to it. This is the same reason I hardly ever have much cash on me as I never know where it went, but can always read my credit card startement.

[Amapola]

We enjoyed your blog. We save money by limiting meals and coctails in restaurants, anchoring out, and thaking advantage of grocery sales and BOGOs.

[CeesH]

Mike and Verena,

Loved reading your blog, and love you boat. DON'T SELL HER......

BTW, we spend on a average $ 900,00 month. Sailing a Bav 49. Now looking for a smaller love.

Regards, CeesH

[Chef Mike]

Thanks for the kind words and advice. We put a lot of effort into the blog.

Unfortunately we found a lot of shops that we happened upon on our trip into the Sea of Cortez could only accept cash. Which I agree does create a black hole in the balance sheet. On the mainland the majority of places take credit cards, we keep cash on hand for tips and coconut vendors.

Sorry about the link I am glad you were all able to find our stats.

[videobear]

Originally Posted by CeesH

... we spend on a average $ 900,00 month. Sailing a Bav 49. Now looking for a smaller love.

Regards, CeesH

LOL...you guys should trade.

[cchesley]

Originally Posted by CeesH

BTW, we spend on a average $ 900,00 month. Sailing a Bav 49. Now looking for a smaller love.

Is this good or bad? $900? $9,000? $90,000? $900,000? Help me out here...

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by cchesley

Is this good or bad? $900? $9,000? $90,000? $900,000? Help me out here...

Well I'm kind of uncertain as to what you're asking? I think you mean you don't understand the dollar amount indicated? If so, then here's the deal. Most of the world outside the US swaps the use of commas and periods in numbers compared to US standard.

So five thousand dollars in the US - $5,000.00

In Europe and many other countries $5.000,00

So Cees is saying nine hundred dollars.

[Tom Stormcrowe]

Originally Posted by cchesley

Is this good or bad? $900? $9,000? $90,000? $900,000? Help me out here...

He's using the French system where they use a comma instead of a decimal for less than a Dollar (or Euro).

$9,00 nine dollars
$9.000,00 nine thousand
$9.000.000.000,00 9 billion

He was saying $900.00 in our US notation.

[gettinthere]

chef mike your average is $2500/month. You have to add in the provisioning & prep costs. You think there will not be any more prep costs but there will be along the way. Still, $2500/month isn't too bad to me!

$900/month on a Bavaria 49?

This can't be a long term budget.

[CeesH]

Wow, consternation missed a zero $ 9000,00 ~ 7000,00 Euro this include boat insurance, yearly haul out and bottom work, yearly engine maintenance, yearly maintenance to the rigging and sails, reservation for new sails every 4-5 years, reservation for instrument upgrade every 4-5 years, Daily service costs, marina's, diesel, repairs. Our expenses for food and entertainment, tickets, cost to keep our house insured and maintenance, aaaaand medical insurance cost on EU standard.

This all, and a dramatic change of our plans, is the reason why we have putted her on a long term lease to the EU charter industry (I don't want to sell her and cannot import her into Brasil). Because I need salt on my lips I am now looking for muchhhhhh smaller.

Every foot more cost exponential more money to maintain.

CeesH

[bobconnie]

Darn ! Connie and I cruise on a lot less then most of you folks ! of course we very seldom eat out ! and we seldom drink ashore ! We only use marinas if Connies working as a Travel Nurse and then it's paid for us ! If we have to take broken things to a shop we might stay in a marina but we will anchor out always as a first choice ! we are both Great cooks and I can BBQ with the best of them LOL We use a small amout of booze, but we eat well !! we have cruised on $700,00 to $ 900.00 US dollars for a long time !! but we do almost all the upkeep on our boat, can foods and fish, veggies, have a large freezer, and love our own company !! We play a lot of cribbage, and read a lot, and even watch tv if availble and internet is fun if around ! so I guess we are doing ok !! we have fun everyday and feel great most of the time LOL if we had to spend $1500.00 bucks a month to cruise I would still do it LOL just my 2 cents

[CeesH]

Originally Posted by bobconnie

Darn ! Connie and I cruise on a lot less then most of you folks ! of course we very seldom eat out ! and we seldom drink ashore ! We only use marinas if Connies working as a Travel Nurse and then it's paid for us ! If we have to take broken things to a shop we might stay in a marina but we will anchor out always as a first choice ! we are both Great cooks and I can BBQ with the best of them LOL We use a small amout of booze, but we eat well !! we have cruised on $700,00 to $ 900.00 US dollars for a long time !! but we do almost all the upkeep on our boat, can foods and fish, veggies, have a large freezer, and love our own company !! We play a lot of cribbage, and read a lot, and even watch tv if availble and internet is fun if around ! so I guess we are doing ok !! we have fun everyday and feel great most of the time LOL if we had to spend $1500.00 bucks a month to cruise I would still do it LOL just my 2 cents

We pay more for our medical plan a month and having had 3 heart operations (hospitals in Holland cost up to 1000 Euro a day) in the EU I don't want to go for less.

CeesH

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by CeesH

We pay more for our medical plan a month and having had 3 heart operations (hospitals in Holland cost up to 1000 Euro a day) in the EU I don't want to go for less.

CeesH

Same or more in the states for medical coverage, unless you are a military veteran or have some work pension that provides lifetime medical (rare).

I wish hospital care in the US was so cheap. My wife had a mild heart attack and spent one night in the hospital. The bill was USD$ 42,000.00. That did include a lot of test but still.

[SurferShane]

All sounds good till the proverbial "sh!t his the fan" and you are forced to pay B.O.A.T. tax. Noting all yachtsman must either be rich or likewise have an auto teller shoved up their ar$e!