Cruising on $500 per Month . . .

[avb3]

Originally Posted by w1651

Your already in trouble. The islands are just inherently expensive.

Agreed, and boy was I shocked the first time I went. Local produce is within reason, and I already use a lot of whole grain flours, whole grains like oatmeal and brown rice as well as beans, so as much as possible I plan on sourcing that before I leave.

Packaging and proper storage I suspect will be an issue, so a Lock and Lock budget will be needed

Advice and experiences of others is welcome!

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by avb3

Low Calorie Becel only

Good ingredients, no transfats, no hydrogenated stuff.

Less saturated fats then butter, but I do get your message. Choices needed to be made, and for me this one is the healthier one. And yes I know about the palm oil.

I don't use a lot in a month (maybe 900 grams or so); most of my fat comes from extra virgin olive oil.

I'm kinda anal about what I eat, although every once in a while I cheat with by going to a curry house or Thai place. You DON'T want to know what they use

mmmm... 'tis the natural way of things. Just make sure you get the direction right...

[avb3]

Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond

mmmm... 'tis the natural way of things. Just make sure you get the direction right...

LOL... yeah, I pretty well have it figured out at this stage of life that the orifice with the teeth is the in box

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Gracies

Loom no insult was intented. It was a small joke, which in text is hard to express.

Yes i do live on an island in the Med, one of the most expensive islands in the Med. But also one of the best places for cruising in the med. Summer costs are astronomical and through my knowledge of the med it would be near impossible to cruise the western med with even just a food budget of 500$. That equates to what, 300 EUR? My berth alone for a 20footer is 300 EUR /month. Unless you really are able to live on plain rice and tinned mushrooms then a budget like that on this side of the pond is only going to lead to malnutrition for a family of 5.

I like to cruise, both in my professional job and for myself. Just as an example, my budget for crew on board the big one is 15 EUR / person / day. This allows us to eat sensibly, healthily and fresh. For me fresh food is very important and as over here it is very easy to day sail between anchorages and harbours then it is also easy to victual with fresh produce. Especially in Mallorca which has incredible fruit and markets.

I´m sure in other more remote parts of the world you can survive on such a budget, but to set yourself a budget before thinking of exchange rates and the falling dollar is severely going to restrict possible cruising grounds.

PERHAPS the best idea is to down size the yacht, reduce maintainance costs and increase the money set aside for living costs.

Again sorry for any insult as it was not intented as such.

Secret is dont use a marina... Andratx, Soller, Alcudia, Pollenca.. etc etc are great anchorages.... come winter head south... or tie up on the town quays... 1/3rd the price of marinas... just have to carry your water to the boat and have independant heating for the nights...
I've done it... in a Westerly Longbow... so either your a liveaboard or a 'Townie' with aspirations... can't be both...

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Secret is dont use a marina... Andratx, Soller, Alcudia, Pollenca.. etc etc are great anchorages.... come winter head south... or tie up on the town quays... 1/3rd the price of marinas... just have to carry your water to the boat and have independant heating for the nights...
I've done it... in a Westerly Longbow... so either your a liveaboard or a 'Townie' with aspirations... can't be both...

sounds like a decent lifestyle conducive to sailing away from some where else to do .....

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by zeehag

sounds like a decent lifestyle conducive to sailing away from some where else to do .....

It aint caviar and champagne.... more like chorizo's and Don Simon.... but its fun and theres a few of us doing it.... we just stay outa Palma.... apart from the occasional tie up at the quay on the prom....

[zeehag]

caviar and champagne are for the posers. used to be a lot like that in san diego, but that changed in 1999. i miss that stuff--was fun.

[capttman]

If people are spending thousands a month where is it going, send it my way I only need a few bucks..

[zeehag]

what i was thinkin re: me.....

[w1651]

Originally Posted by avb3

Agreed, and boy was I shocked the first time I went. Local produce is within reason, and I already use a lot of whole grain flours, whole grains like oatmeal and brown rice as well as beans, so as much as possible I plan on sourcing that before I leave.

Packaging and proper storage I suspect will be an issue, so a Lock and Lock budget will be needed

Advice and experiences of others is welcome!

Walmart large storage containers and vacuum packing.

[Capt. lulz]

Originally Posted by dana-tenacity

Ummmm, be as cheap as you like, just don't break the law/be rude to other people/make life difficult for those that follow/attract the attention of the authorities.

Bit rude to assume that poor people automatically become criminals- I have been down and out more than once but didn't resort to illegal activity.

People who would consider stealing instead of managing their finances in a legal and less disruptive way, could quite possibly be distributed evenly among the rich as well as the poor. The problem is that people without the money are more likely to fill in the gap than those who don't have a gap to fill.

With that said, automatically assuming that he automatically assumed all poor people steal, is just as bad as his assumption alleged my you.

[callmecrazy]

Originally Posted by Capt. lulz

People who would consider stealing instead of managing their finances in a legal and less disruptive way, could quite possibly be distributed evenly among the rich as well as the poor. The problem is that people without the money are more likely to fill in the gap than those who don't have a gap to fill.

With that said, automatically assuming that he automatically assumed all poor people steal, is just as bad as his assumption alleged my you.

My kind of logic!

As a poor person who doesn't steal... I fully support this viewpoint

[familycruisers]

Precisely! I resented those remarks throughout. Liar and a thief, I was taught there is nothing worse.
We are planning on cruising on around 500.00
Lots of deals around if you have alittle cash. Some are sad stories of dreams unrealized, bit for whatever reason, cash is king right now.

Btw - 120 pages in two nights!

Great thread!!!

[goprisko]

Originally Posted by Gracies

Loom no insult was intented. It was a small joke, which in text is hard to express.

Yes i do live on an island in the Med, one of the most expensive islands in the Med. But also one of the best places for cruising in the med. Summer costs are astronomical and through my knowledge of the med it would be near impossible to cruise the western med with even just a food budget of 500$. That equates to what, 300 EUR? My berth alone for a 20footer is 300 EUR /month. Unless you really are able to live on plain rice and tinned mushrooms then a budget like that on this side of the pond is only going to lead to malnutrition for a family of 5.

I like to cruise, both in my professional job and for myself. Just as an example, my budget for crew on board the big one is 15 EUR / person / day. This allows us to eat sensibly, healthily and fresh. For me fresh food is very important and as over here it is very easy to day sail between anchorages and harbours then it is also easy to victual with fresh produce. Especially in Mallorca which has incredible fruit and markets.

I´m sure in other more remote parts of the world you can survive on such a budget, but to set yourself a budget before thinking of exchange rates and the falling dollar is severely going to restrict possible cruising grounds.

PERHAPS the best idea is to down size the yacht, reduce maintainance costs and increase the money set aside for living costs.

Again sorry for any insult as it was not intented as such.

I'd like to remind everyone that the proforma budget was for one or two people, not a family of 5.

As mentioned above, it is critical to keep the size of the yacht less than 34 ft.

We provisioned in July in Martinique. French prices. Our food budget for two people and two cats is $250/month

Comparisons to prices in Florida.

Whole dried milk half price.

Grapes 60% of Florida Price

Fish filets half of Florida Price

OJ half of florida price

Baguettes a third of Florida price

Bread half of Florida price

Rice double Florida Price

Coffee same as Florida

Tea, Lipton pkg of 100 bags $7.50 USD about same as Florida and
half the normal price in st Thomas, though on special we got this product at Plaza Extra in St. Thomas for $4

Butter half the Florida price

Pasta more than the Florida price

Apples and oranges double the Florida price

Onions and potatoes about the Florida price but better quality

Wine a third of the florida price, ditto for beer.

Liquor was expensive

Jam about the Florida price

Peanut butter expensive

Herbs and spices about the same

Beef very expensive

Lamb half the Florida price, from NZ no less

Pork cheaper

Chicken better quality and about the same

Shrimp and scallops, cheaper

Lobster meat cheaper

Smoked ham, much higher quality, really smoked, not water added, half the florida price

Beans and lentils hard to find, Grenada a much better place to find them, or Cost U Less in St. Thomas, or Caribbean Supply near Sherwin Williams just north of the runway in St. Thomas.

I don't doubt the western Med is very expensive. The recent unrest in Libya, Tunisia, etc. has probably closed, for now, those cheap places to cruise. but there is Morocco and Algeria, and you can push off from there via Sardinia, Mallorca Sicily to Crete and Turkey.

Think about cruising the western med during the off season. there is more wind, and likely better prices.

INDY

[goprisko]

Originally Posted by callmecrazy

My kind of logic!

As a poor person who doesn't steal... I fully support this viewpoint

There is a great, underserved bias in the USA regarding people with little
means. It represents FEAR of losing one's job, thus one's home and car, and
savings by what is left of the middle class.

This FEAR is not found in most of the world, because the rest of the OECD
has a social safety net which eliminates the risk of bankruptcy from medical expenses, and eliminates the loss of one's home should one be laid off.

Rather than focus on the issues of medical care for all, job sharing instead of layoffs, a 30 hour work week (mandatory) to force companies to add workers to make up for shortages created by working people > 50 hours/ week for 40 hours pay, the working middle class choose to focus on abortion, gay rights, and other circuses.

There will always be a shortage of talented, motivated people to get things done. If you can control your expenses, you will be able to find odd jobs to fill the gaps and permit you to carry on.

For example, my neighbor John, is a very talented Project Manager. His last project was a $4 billion casino-resort in Las Vegas. His company wants him back, desperately. He has been offered projects in Rio and San Francisco. He has turned them all down. He has a ferrocement 37ft ketch, which has seen better days. But the engine and sails work. He is currently working 3 days a week tending bar, making $500/ week.

For him it is sufficient. He likes the low stress part of all this.

I mention this because, it is necessary for many of you to think in terms of casual work to meet your budgets. You simply can't save enough to just go off.

If you are a vet, you might get disability, if you are a vet over 60, take SS at 62, apply for your VA pension so it starts at 65. It will adjust your income so your net income AFTER medical expenses is $10,800 if single and $15,000 if married. You don't have to check in every 6 months like you must for SNAP, you don't have to go after EIC, though you can file for that too, and you can file for SSI too.

If you are much younger, and a vet, stay in the reserves, organize your TAD so it's in one block. Try to get 90 days of training each year. Go sailing the other 9 months. Transfer to the Navy, where promotions are easier to get, select a specialty that is in demand As an E5 you will earn $2400/ month. if you stay in the barracks, you can easily save $6000 during your tour. IF you make E6 or better the income gets better. Stay in long enough to get your "20 year letter" with that comes your pension at 60, yes 60.

If you are currently unemployed, and a vet or young and in the US join the Coast Guard, or Navy reserves. better than starving. Do your two years, make E5, save some money see some of the world, look for a boat. Whatever you do, get your 20 year letter.

IF you are an IT professional try to organize working from your boat, my neighbor Bob does that. He goes to work every week day in his aft cabin. He connects to the internet via a high gain antenna and an Alpha, you can use a high gain antenna and a bullet.

What ever you do, stop thinking you will not work once you leave, instead research working opportunities. schedule your cruises so you arrive at those places, before you run out of money, work rebuild the kitty, then move on.

INDY