Month 9 Expenses & Costs of Cruising

[a64pilot]

See, I can't tell you what I have spent, I don't want to. I have bought mucho stuff that I really didn't "need" but bought because I wanted a toy and it was a way to satiate my desire to be gone.
I waited until the youngest graduated High School, so I worked longer than we needed to. This boat wasn't even meant to be "THE" boat, it was meant to be a boat that we could see if we could tolerate life at 6 kts and how we liked sailing. Plan was to buy a bigger, better, newer boat to cruise in if we liked sailing, and as much as I would like newer and bigger, I can't see repeating all the work I have put into this one, so it sort of became "THE" boat by default.
However I know that initially I will incur non recurring expenses and until we hit a sustainment phase costs will be high.
I figure in four or five months expenses will settle down and at that point they will become more or less stable.
You had I think a newer boat, likely better equipped and didn't replace chainplates and standing rigging etc.?

However by month nine, I would guess your expenses are what they are going to be. I wouldn't expect you to cut your going out to eat expenses in half, would you?

Not knocking you, for example I think your $1,500 a month less than SVBeBe was if I'm not mistaken, things cost, what they cost.

I suspect I will have a little less in my boat, however my projected expenses are very much in line with your budget. Time will tell, cause you can plan till you are blue in the face, but until you actually do it, it's just a plan.

[Hudson Force]

Back in our early twenties we were spending almost all our income with living aboard, boat payments, marina slips while employed and essentials. By the time we retired in our mid fifties we were living on half our income and this continued while full time cruising.

We could have lived closer to the edge with a newer boat, fancier equipment and less "do it yourself" work. I like simple tastes and extra money, so we don't spend much time looking at specific expenses.

We're pretty much in the same camp with a64pilot,- "I can't tell you what I've spent, I don't want to.." We just plan on continuing to spend way less than the income. That's the only absolute!

[Jim Cate]

We just plan on continuing to spend way less than the income. That's the only absolute!

The mysterious secret to fiscal soundness and success! And cruising, too...

Jim

[mayberrybfd]

Love reading your post,,,I always have been a working Man,,that being said,,,,I look at your post and think ,,where could I cut that expense,,,Never been a rich man and do not really expect to be a rich retiree ....but I will always be a Sailor,,,even if a destitute one,,,,

[hellosailor]

Not that it is a drop in the $3k bucket, but hopefully you're aware most libraries offer free ebook loans via the Overdrive software system? And there's Home - Free Kindle Books and Tips where you don't have to get emailed, you can use an Android app to check in for daily recommendations of inexpensive or free Kindle books that you download to keep. They won't be this month's pot-boilers, but there's often good reading to be found.
More new stuff than the usual sources of copyright-expired classics. Christine Kling's sailing novels have turned up there as well, when she put them on free.

FWIW.

[Atraxia]

Thanks for the info Sailorboy1,
most appreciated as I like to compare.
I didn't see you mention boat insurance in your breakdown.
Is that something you are doing without?

[Joel E Felt]

I'm sure it been said, "thank you" for the posts. To the newbie like me this kind of info is priceless. Thanks again
joel

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Well that is part of why/how people can say they cruised on $Low. They don't report the "don't counts", "restocks", "that's a 5 year item" etc etc. and they loaded up the boat and stopped before the costs started again.

I can tell you what I have spent on my boat since the day I got it. From Dec 2010 when I got the boat to Sept 2016 when I left for cruising full time buying, using, maintaining and upgrading my boat I have spent $187,827 (within about $1000 because I did rough math for loan interest).

SB
Their does seem to be some pretty selective accounting when it comes to these how much does it cost threads. I've cruised with folks that published monthly expenses on their blog and could see that some things were selectively left out because it wasn't a normal expense that people would have. Like the sheets that show how inexpensive 4 months in the Bahamas were while leaving out the massive provisioning that occurred before they arrived. Good to see you are just throwing everything into the pot.

As far as your income/savings is concerned, agree it had no bearing on what you post. For us, we have found that somehow our expenses go up when we are earning some paychecks. Boat upgrades occur, dinners out go up,....

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Atraxia

I didn't see you mention boat insurance in your breakdown.
Is that something you are doing without?

I have insurance and I paid it in 1 payment back in Dec/Jan on one of the other monthly expense threads.

[dmalcol1]

Much Appreciated, to be grateful or thankful for:

[sailorboy1]

It's easy to get a unplanned budget issue. Been running the generator more to handle the heat/humidity in the afternoon and I started month 10 by having the strainer clog up. By the time I knew of the problem because the generator seawater pump starting screaming it quickly became a "pop" and smoke as the wet exhaust hose blew a hole and I turned off the generator. With the parts and shipping it was around $220 with me doing the work.