7 years of cost data

[TheThunderbird]

What is useful is Financial planning and cashflow analysis.

Budgeting is a mere accounting record, to pinpoint deviation from expectations.

My point is simply this: why detailing 25% of your expenses, when the remaining 75% is quite unpredictable in occurrence, amount, and need/urgency for remedy!?

You may have fun in knowing that spirits eat up more than food, marinas more than fuel, etc...

But the real issue is
1) to have a war chest for emergencies
2) to phase-in big expenses (say >2000bucks) orderly.

I give you an example of relevance (since you all apparently fail to get me right):
Detailing the cost of vegetables v. beef/poultry sounds good if you eat basically at home.
It becomes a dull statistic, if you dine out twice a week...

The rest is nitty-gritty accountancy of little relevance, to me at least, OR... too much dependant on where you are , life-style, type of cruising

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I don't know, but I suspect the alcoholics can hide out better on a boat, and drinking is more acceptable, hey I'm on vacation, right? So they tend to seek activities where their drinking doesn't stand out as much, least that is my thought. They like parties, football games because they can drink cause lots of others are.
But I have an addictive personality, I used to smoke and just one day realized I was addicted, I didn't want it, I had to have it. I won't gamble because I am afraid I may like it. I have alcoholism in my family, so even though I drink, and drink far more on the boat (hey I'm on vacation, right ) I do tend to "watch it" look for signs that I'm reaching for a beer out of habit, not cause I want one.

In my experience over the years cruisers do more than their fair share of drinking. Cruisers that tend to hang out in the same geographic locations really take it up a notch. Years ago when cruising Mexico, LaPaz had its own AA group made up exclusively of cruisers. It's very easy for some cruisers to spend 10-15% of their total budgets on drinking depending on their location. We had cruising friends that left home as social drinkers and returned as alcoholics.

[a64pilot]

I've decided that trying to define the term Cruiser is just as bad as blue water boat.
But for the ones that seem to occupy the same geographic location, I think your right. I'd even go so far as to say that being on a boat is a good way to hide out if you have an alcohol problem.
A question becomes, were they alcoholics and are on the boat as a way of hiding out, or did being on a boat somehow contribute to the drinking problem?
Just curiosity is all, I am not trying to draw any conclusions.
At my Home Marina, there is a whole dock full of drunks, they are screaming and hollering every weekend, and I have never seen the boats move, or very rarely so anyway.
For them I think the boat is an excuse to drink, in their mind they are not an alcoholic if they are partying, it's OK to get stupid drunk in the name of fun, right? Your only an alcoholic if you drink alone in their mind

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I've decided that trying to define the term Cruiser is just as bad as blue water boat.
But for the ones that seem to occupy the same geographic location, I think your right. I'd even go so far as to say that being on a boat is a good way to hide out if you have an alcohol problem.
A question becomes, were they alcoholics and are on the boat as a way of hiding out, or did being on a boat somehow contribute to the drinking problem?
Just curiosity is all, I am not trying to draw any conclusions.
At my Home Marina, there is a whole dock full of drunks, they are screaming and hollering every weekend, and I have never seen the boats move, or very rarely so anyway.
For them I think the boat is an excuse to drink, in their mind they are not an alcoholic if they are partying, it's OK to get stupid drunk in the name of fun, right? Your only an alcoholic if you drink alone in their mind

I'm not sure what the answer is, you may be right? I think that socializing is a big part of cruising and drinking is a big part of socializing for a start. Often booze in these 3rd world countries is very cheap. Where we are at the regular price for beer is a buck and you can have a shot of spirits for the same price. I don't criticize others on this particular topic as in my younger days I was a world class social drinker although I never touched a drop 12 hours before flying but sailing was a different story.
One morning I woke up feeling like crap and realized things were getting out of control and I've never been one to use a crutch so between having a less cooperative stomach and getting tired of that scene I just quit. My wife doesn't drink so we just don't anymore, can't say I really miss it, maybe the odd time.

[ghendoaus]

Thanks Chuckr for a really useful spreadsheet for helping to plan for my future getaway