Month 15 Expenses of Cruising and Living on the Boat

[smj]

We have used fold up bicycles and a cart for over 25 years. The Publix and Winn Dixie are about 300 yards away from each other so very doable, and yes, no problem taking other stores grocery bags in.
Many different types of cruising and we have usually used the bicycles and cart. At this point we have our car down here so actually shop at the Publix in Marathon and the Winn Dixie in Big Pine. Probably don't save a ton of money but enough to at least pay for the gas. Always nice to drive over the 7 mile bridge!

[sailorboy1]

ok, great for you

I still believe it’s a waste of time for minor savings. It’s like driving across town to save 3 cents a gallon on gas. Yes you “saved” about 45 cents, but hey.

I don’t have a problem with how others spend their time and money. But let’s not confuse wasting time with saving money.

[smj]

Never a waste of time if you enjoy what your doing, and on top of that it's healthy and gets you of the boat! Now what is a waste of time to me is staring at the computer talking to you when we could both be outside on this beautiful sunny 80 degree Christmas Eve. Have a Merry Christmas!

[BandB]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

time is money, plus once you go cruising shopping around for the best deal is not realistic

but sometimes I talk myself out of getting steak and decide hamburger is good enough, and sometimes dare I say I get the cheaper beer (haven't gotten down to the full cheap beer yet)

I think shopping around still happens. You look at fuel prices and decide today or your next destination. You decide it's worth it to get transportation to the grocer rather than pay the nearby prices. You decide when to stock up and freeze.

[a64pilot]

A few of us are Retired Military, I drive down to the Sub base in St Mary’s from Brunswick Ga., Navy guys eat well, it is an exceptional Commissary.
Very good Black Angus filets are $7 a lb, T bones, NY strip etc, less, most stores about twice that.
For us if there is a good Commissary within 100 miles or so, it pays to rent a car from Enterprise for about $30 a day and really stock up.
I’m astonished that you can actually rent a car for a day for $30, but in truth it’s sometimes even cheaper.
You start a shopping list, then once in a blue moon rent the car and go.

[alansmith]

Yup, my daddy was Navy. I miss shopping with his commissary privileges. One of the nice perks for our military. My golf partner and best friend gone for 5 years now. Thanks for bringing me back to those sweet times with my Dad.

[sailorboy1]

Navy Commissary must have really improved since the days I was in, as back then it was better to good to the regular store and make use of coupons. Oh well that just the way it is.

[sailorboy1]

I’ll give warning! In a few days I’ll post this months costs. I’ve been fugal but spent a lot.

So get your ammunition ready

[zboss]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

time is money, plus once you go cruising shopping around for the best deal is not realistic

It’s true that some folks like cruiser nets more than others but this is one of the reasons that local radio cruising nets (well run ones) are so valuable.

You can easily reach out to the local community (a lot of local businesses and locals listen in from shore), fellow sailors whom you might not normally encounter, and to moderators to help find the best deals on whatever it is you need.

We have saved a bundle on food just by listening in... sometimes folks go to the local grocery and announce good sales they see and others know what farmer market vendors have the best food and best deals.

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I’m astonished that you can actually rent a car for a day for $30

In the US, Enterprise often runs $30 for the entire weekend deals ($12.99 a day plus taxes and so forth).

[a64pilot]

You still in Marathon I think it was?
We will leave for that way ourselves next Sun at the next warm up, trying to decided between Marathon, KY, West Palm or where for a month or so.

[sailorboy1]

I’m still at Marathon and plan another week (been gone for family stuff) till weather window to move on.

Yes a listen to local cruising nets and when I need like local knowledge for stuff I ask. But that isn’t the same as bouncing around between grocery stores etc looking to save a few cents on something. The closeness I get to that is stocking up on something or doing a major grocery run to make taking a taxi worth it. But that’s me and I’m a proven money waster.

[a64pilot]

I was asking mainly to determine how good is Marathon for a place to spend a few weeks. It’s still cold up here, sometimes high in the high 40’s, low 50’s with water temp being 48 right now. Then usually February is the cold month.
I wouldn’t head much further North if I were you for at least a month.
Below freezing temps as lows are not all that uncommon in Panama City In February.
Just trying to find a place to spend say a month, is KW better, or maybe West Palm?

[sailorboy1]

It’s way warm compared to elsewhere. The locals ave been cold but to me it’s been nice in the 50s at night a 70 in the day. Water is like 75

[smj]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I was asking mainly to determine how good is Marathon for a place to spend a few weeks. It’s still cold up here, sometimes high in the high 40’s, low 50’s with water temp being 48 right now. Then usually February is the cold month.
I wouldn’t head much further North if I were you for at least a month.
Below freezing temps as lows are not all that uncommon in Panama City In February.
Just trying to find a place to spend say a month, is KW better, or maybe West Palm?

Spend a few weeks?[emoji16]. Quite a few people came to Marathon to spend a few weeks in the 1980's and are still there!

[zboss]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I was asking mainly to determine how good is Marathon for a place to spend a few weeks. It’s still cold up here, sometimes high in the high 40’s, low 50’s with water temp being 48 right now. Then usually February is the cold month.
I wouldn’t head much further North if I were you for at least a month.
Below freezing temps as lows are not all that uncommon in Panama City In February.
Just trying to find a place to spend say a month, is KW better, or maybe West Palm?

We spend a lot of time in west palm and we have been here in KW since June.

Both places have their appeal. Both places have sky high prices for marinas and both places have few great places to anchor. Both places can be expensive.

With that said we spent months anchored off Clematis and we dislike the anchorages here in KW because they are generally open to weather. Even the mooring field here is open in the direction that most bad weather comes from (north). It’s a long dinghy ride across choppy waters from the KW moorings or the anchorages to town.

KW of course has all the cool stuff that KW has... and has water I am comfortable swimming and snorkeling in. It’s also warmer right now by a large margin.

West Palm Beach has the yacht club that has a visiting yachtsman program. Showers, internet, and so forth. It can also be a bit choppy to get to the dock but it’s shorter. WPB has all the stores and shopping you need to work on your boat and provision. Lots of dentists and doctors.

KW has few big box stores. No Walmart’s, no CostCo.... not even a Panara Bread. We have Kmart and Sears.

I fly twice a month for work and I like both airports. WPB has more flights, amazing fireworks, and SunFest (a blast). I think the longest I have waited in line at KW is 5 minutes. It’s also cool getting back home to KE. It’s fun telling all your cubicle worker friends that you are going home to KW

So if you are going to be anchoring for many months than WPB gets the nod but if you are willing to pay for an expensive marina.... key west gets the nod.

Not sure it matters to you but low paying tourist type jobs here in Key West are easy to find and easy to get to.