$500 v $5000 a month budget - which is best?

[avb3]

I'm going to suggest that for most cruisers the first months are the most expensive, the ones while actually cruising relatively inexpensive, and when you get back there is a ton of deferred items that will absorb a bunch of cash again.

[JK n Smitty]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Hey I wonder which group the owners of cheap production boats fit into?



May as well start covering all bases.

The $5,000 per month group of course. Cheap production boats aren't permitted to anchor or be on the open sea.

[Coops]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

The most stupid thing about these stupid threads is the people who have never been cruising angrily disbelieve anything people who are actually cruising say.

I believe that I will disbelieve you about that, but not angrily.

Coops.

[forsailbyowner]

If I were spending $5k a month I wouldnt be cruising, Id be on shore spending money. I try to do most of the spending before the voyage begins. Then cruise till its time to stop and up the kitty and restock the boat where ever i am. Ive gone for months at a time starting out with $500. But my larder is full and fishing tackle stocked up, full tank diesel etc

[Teknav]

On the other hand...$5,000 USD...less than TWO flight leasing HOURS in the float plane. Stop complaining!!!

Mauritz
Everything is relative!

[zboss]

Really neither... I prefer the $500,000 a month "Bruce Wayne" budget or the $5 a month "Bobby Brown" budget.

[RainDog]

I prefer to alternate. Spend $500 one month, then $5000 the next. I am keeping detailed notes and in 3 years I will definitively declare which is best. Stay tuned.

[Mike OReilly]

Well, as me ol' Pappy used to say, "Brother, if I had your money, I'd throw mine away!"

Would I rather have $5000/month to spend? You bet! Do I? Sadly, no. But I'm happy to accept donations or a sponsorship from my 1% brethren. If you bump me up to even $3K/month I promise never to post in the richy-rich threads again .

Any takers? ... Don, I'm looking at you

[sailorchic34]

Hello everyone. I too believe that it takes what you got. Now me, I'm not cruising the open seas yet, or high cost areas. Though I do a fair bit O sailing and living on the hook. Did about 1000 miles last year. No not long distance, but not sitting at anchor either.

I do tend to spread out things like haul out costs and insurance. So my monthly costs run about as follows. Sometimes a bit more, some times a bit less

$180, Food, supplies for me
$52 Food and cat liter for dakat
$30 Wifi hot spot thingy, use it for fre skype calls too.
$40 Diesel/ gas
$20 general maintenance (some months are zero, some are $40 or more.) Oil, filters, wire, etc.
$44 savings for Haul out, batteries, boat tax, etc (Haul every 4-5 years at the moment) property tax is about $150 a year, including homestead exemption.
$30 Marina visit (Two at $15 a month) for laundry, a long shower, trash food run etc.
$30 Drugs (non recreational)
$10 Beauty girly stuff
$20 clothing/misc. Really a wild card.
$44 boat insurance savings (paid once a year)

That my friends is $500. OK some months do blow the budget a bit. Last years engine rebuild was pricey for sure, though still cheep what with the blonde labor.

Some months there is a propane refill for $18, But I don't always use $40 for diesel either, so it balances mostly. Water I get free at pump out stations.
I don't drink or smoke so no bar tabs etc. Don't eat out much. Twice a year I pay a diver $20 to replace the zinc. I've had enough spare zinc's on board that I've yet to buy a zinc in the last 7 years. Have two more so good for another year.

No car, cable, trash, house, insurance, doctor visits (don't ask where I get the drugs from). No bank or smart phone, TV or stereo. A few years back I got a good used mainsail for $300. Rope I purchased by the spool on sale seven years ago and still have 1/2 left. I use paint for most exterior wood as varnish is a bit dear and I'm not that anal. My last haul out cost me $1100 (again lots O blonde labor), but that cost is spread across 4-5 years and is in the above budget. As is batteries, and other high dollar stuff. My taxes were zero this last year (state and fed), Though I do pay property tax and sales tax.

That's how I do it, but ok I am perhaps a bit crazy and dance to completely different music then most here. I look at the cars on the bridges at rush hour on the SF bay and every day I'm glad that's not me. So yes I choose to be poor. For me its a happier existence. Mind you I did have a 3500 SF house, nice cars, and a whole lotta bills at one time. Decided to get off that marry go round.

No I'm not cruising to far off places. But I could cruise the lower half of the east coast for that amount. Even do it in Cali, where food is not always cheap. Mind you, food costs for the exact same foods I buy could be double or more. But for the last 3-4 months food costs were about $180 ish for each month, give or take $10.

I do choose to live the simple life, I did have all the trappings of the typical american. I had been downsizing for years. When I was laid off in 2010, I decided to see how low could I go on living expenses. That for me is $500. If I lost Dekat, I would save another $50, but would have to turn in my crazy cat lady card. Not happening. So I live a nice hippy chic lifestyle.

Works for me. But probably not every ones cup of tea. If somebody gave me $5000 a month, I'd pretty much keep to the low impact lifestyle.

Happy Girl I is.

[onestepcsy37]

sailorchic -

"property tax is about $150 a year, including homestead exemption."

please don't tell me that california charges property tax on a liveaboard boat!

[bobconnie]

Connie and I have cruised for 500 a month, but that was a long time ago!! now a days it takes more! Not 5000, but more then 500! Look at the huge increse in diesel fuel costs alone! We spend as much time at anchor as we can but even we have to use marinas once in a while !! I do 90+ percent of my maintaince myself, includeing engine and gen set.But I still have to haul out for hull work.We can a lot of the fish we catch, and veggies we can buy at street markets, and can them as well! Most folks would be hard pressed to live as cheaply as we do, but even we can't do it for 500 anymore!! I wish we had 5000 to spend, but we don't! so we cut corners every way we can ! I feel that most folks can cruise, and I mean real cruiseing, on 1000 a month pertty well, but then we seldom eat ashore, and drink very little! Ive found over the years that a lot of cruiers booze bills are higher then our total buget!! LOL Just our 2 cents

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

sailorchic -

"property tax is about $150 a year, including homestead exemption."

please don't tell me that california charges property tax on a liveaboard boat!

I think California taxes just about everything. Boats in California are taxed as personal property. If its your only home, you can claim a homestead exemption. Though if you have a cheap boat your not getting a free ride. The Homestead exemption gave me a $5000 deduct on the value of my boat, Which dropped the taxes about $40. Alas not the $50k I had hoped. Most states will give a RV, or boat a homestead exemption. Not always easy to get, but its possible. I had to give an affidavit that the boat was and had been my only home. Got to talk to the tax folks about it too, as its not that common. It is on the books though.

[BandB]

I don't grasp why either would be considered best or why they would be as a whole. Why do any of us feel that we can proclaim our way the best? I'm afraid that is one aspect of this forum I don't agree with is those who condemn others who live their lives differently. One should never denigrate another who lives on very little but that doesn't to me justify some self righteousness because you spend less than others.

If your spending is at a level you can afford and makes you happy then that would seem to me to be fine, whether it's $500 or $5,000 or $50,000.

[tomfl]

Part of the disparate posts are because not everyone has the same definition of cruising. There are places where you simply can not spend money, like the Berry Islands. There are places where you can spend very little money, like the Dry Tortugas. But there are also places where even living high on the hog you don't wind up spending lots of money, day the DR, or to some extent a place like Mexico. But you can also spend big bucks in Mexico if you go to expensive marinas.

To prepare your cruising budget the first thing you should do is chart your course and then try to get some idea about what the locals are doing. Some folks go to the Bahamas and stay at Cat Key or a similar location while others check in at an out of the way place like Spanish Wells and head directly to the Berrys for 90%+ of their stay. The result is radically different budgets.

[msponer]

Originally Posted by tomfl

... There are places where you simply can not spend money, ... The result is radically different budgets.

That would be a fun thread: "Places to cruise for $500/month."

The least expensive places for us have been: The Sea of Cortez, Galapagos, French Polynesia (it was so expensive I didn't buy anything), and Borneo.