Having had my personal "dog bowl" I've migrated to one of those big mouth mugs with a cover.
Food stays warmer longer, the lid keeps the
salt water out, and if you buy a good one, most of the stuff'll still be in the mug after you recover from that unintentional jibe, knockdown, or "fish on!". And you don't always need a spoon.
So if you want to
cruise on the inexpensive:
- prepare the boat for inexpensive cruising where the items are the cheapest
- know and buy what you need, if you've got money or space left, buy what you want
- stay out of
marinas
- plan ahead to stay on the hook and have the proper
gear
- avoid the high priced areas or areas that go crazy during season
- simplify the boats systems
- the average cruiser spends 80% of their time on the hook
- live within your
power requirements, install wind/water/solar
power generation
- provision simply, avoid brand loyalty if you can, buy locally
- develop interests that cost little money but are spiritually rewarding
- waste as little as possible
- don't neglect annual
maintenance
- don't neglect regular
maintenance
- supplement your
income, be creative,
work for
cheap, volunteer time locally
- if you can't afford to buy it twice, buy the better one at the higher
price once
- be smart about spares, carry what you need, not what the
marine store/service department says
- get copies of maintenance,
parts, and operating
manuals for every system you have on board
- don't be afraid to ask for help, you can get some excellent info and develop lifelong relationships
You're going to have to buy this stuff, so plan on it.
Electronics are relatively
cheap but you don't need all the
instruments. If one item will do double (or triple) duty, then give it serious consideration (laptop vs chart plotter). You need a
VHF but you don't need
SSB (and can get by with a general coverage, shortwave radio). Taking pictures is a given, so maybe a
camera that's water resistant is better than the cheaper one that's water sensitive requiring you to buy a housing. And if the
camera does video, you're ahead of the
game. Get an
EPIRB. Get and wear a sailing harness. If you're going
offshore then give a serious consideration to a life raft (and abandon ship bag).
KISS. It's obvious but the fewer items that you have on board the less that can go wrong and the lower the costs of
repair. Maintain your systems as best you can. Chances are good that sometime your
refrigeration will fail so don't put all your provisions into frozen food.
Be efficient. If you're
heating the
oven for bread, why not fill the
oven with either more bread, a casserole, or other baking items. Use a pressure cooker if you can. If you've made too much pasta, then consider having leftovers before the pasta goes bad. Consider walking or bicycling instead of taking a taxi. Group up for rides to
events,
shopping, or tourism. Consider fans,
LED lights, a windscoop,
solar showers, as opposed to a genset, running the
engine, or being at the
dock.
Buy smart. Case lots of small cans can be more expensive than institution sized, but are far easier to store and if one goes bad, you're out a few ounces vs pounds. Don't forget treats (cupcakes, canned treats, candles, cards). You can never have too many zip lock bags or collapsible plastic containers. Develop a menu so you'll have a good idea of what to buy. If you've got
family or guests aboard, it's good to have a "don't like that" list too. Take care of yourself. Take multivitamins because there will be times when you might not be getting a balanced meal. Develop
meals that are easy to prepare and eat for those times when the weather's not cooperating. Don't forget tools, filters, and other consumables. Don't forget
cruising guides, a few paper
charts, and some
navigation and
safety gear, and a better than average
medical kit.
Take small steps. Go out for a week or two, come home and rethink. Go out for a month and do the same. Practice
anchoring, picking up a
mooring,
cooking underway. Practice heaving to. Spend a week on the hook. Change oil, bleed the fuel system, practice sail
repair before leaving (In my case, the first time was always the toughest for those.). Do things locally that you either feel you need more practice in or need some professional guidance.
If this is your first foray in cruising, do some basic planning, then do the
research. That way you'll have an idea of what each anchorage will cost, where the bargains are, and what there is to do. You can always come home and rethink or reprovision. Life happens and you shouldn't have a fixed in stone itinerary, so have a treat fund for those. Talking to other cruisers with boats like yours for hints and tips. Join SSCA or CCA and read their bulletins for the most
current info.
Do you homework knowing that it's not pass/fail and the answers you get may not be what you planned. Be flexible. Your monthly costs are your monthly costs and there is little correlation between your requirements than the boat next to you in the anchorage.
The only way you're going to know what it costs is to go cruising. That said, knowing your current food and entertainment requirements can give you an idea. If you use 50% higher numbers you'll have a ballpark idea of costs for items brought in to the place you're currently at. Local items may be considerably less and provide better memories and stories.
Almost everyone here can provide info on someone who's cruised on XX-YY/month. But the folks that do that aren't you, don't have your interests, may have cruised in the past or in different waters, or have different requirements. But you've gotta start somewhere...
)
Can also mop up with bread (recipe to follow 
But I forgot to put them in 
But tastes good to me without 
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