Quote:
Originally Posted by Springbok
It was a reality in 1995-2002 but probably is not feasible today unless rediculously Spartan. Clyde
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Hum, Well of course people living on $500 a month are not going to be living the high life. Its a given that at the $500 a month level, your cutting out most of the fluff for sure. But its not ridiculous until about $400
It is possible to live on $500 a month and still have a diverse lunch and dinner menu. Of course knowing how to cook goes a long way there. Which when I think about could be part of the issue.
Many guys seem somewhat culinary challenged and spend
money on processed/ frozen foods. But if purchased wisely, I can eat well for about $170-$180 a month, in northern
California to boot, where
food costs tend to be higher then the national average.
Of course it depends on a whole lot of things. A small OLD sailboat 30'-34' (not a powerboat) with simple systems. Non-drinking/non-smoking sure helps. No
medical insurance, No car, No land side
storage, etc. No or one/two marina visits a month (depending on location) Do ALL your own
maintenance. Cruising locations become somewhat limited. Though one could cruise the lower 2/3's of the eastern US for $500 a month if you avoid
marinas I guess it all depends on the person, and their wants and needs.
It's possible and not all that hard either. Gee I'm doing it with a cat (furry kind) and have everything I need.
Solar for
power, 120V Fridge (oddly uses no more
power then many 12v units on the hook),
internet mifi thingy (how else can I annoy the fine folks here) That's my one luxury by the way. A small netbook (low power), led and CCF
lighting.
Propane stove and heat help too.
Sure I'm avoiding eating out and clothes
shopping is limited to the better goodwill's. But I really don't see myself roughing it. I stay up on boat maintenance and I even have boat
insurance. Mind you my boat only cost $11k when I purchased it. Having the right boat really is important. Buy the wrong boat and it can cost too much for
repairs. For example, my boat came with all stalock standing
rigging. So replacement cost is a spool of wire and some cones. So choosing a inexpensive (gee is there really such a thing) boat is important.
For $1000-$1300 a month I would be living like a queen. That opens up more cruising choices for sure. One still needs to pick the right boat, Too big and overnight slip
fees,
fuel and haul outs start to ding you. But $1300 would be easy even for a guy that drinks a little and buys frozen pizza