Month 15 Expenses of Cruising and Living on the Boat

[DennisRyan]

sailorboy1, your facts are highly inconvenient. They make the common fantasy of "livin for just about nuthin on a boat'" very difficult to support. Perhaps you could sprinkle certain restaurant and food purchase details with "champagne, lobster, and prime rib".

Seriously, thanks for the real world numbers. There's nothing like a dose of realism.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by DennisRyan

sailorboy1, your facts are highly inconvenient. They make the common fantasy of "livin for just about nuthin on a boat'" very difficult to support. Perhaps you could sprinkle certain restaurant and food purchase details with "champagne, lobster, and prime rib".

Seriously, thanks for the real world numbers. There's nothing like a dose of realism.

You point out a great reality and that is that people live for all amounts on land and sea. There are plenty of people living in poverty of $1000 month or so, most requiring some form of assistance.

Here's a typical single senior budget living on social security on land:

income $2100

Rent $750
Electric $100
Cable, Internet $150
Phone $50
Medicare Supplement $200
Part D Drug Plan $50
Medications $150
Auto Expense including fuel $150
Auto and Renters Insurance $100
Food, supplies, toiletries, clothing $400

Total Expenses $2100

And that's social security on the high side.

For the person with $1000 income

Housing $100
Electric $100
Cable and Internet $100
Phone $50
Medicare Supplement $200
Part D $20
Doctors and Medications not covered by medicaid $30
Transportation $50
Food, supplies, toiletries, clothing $350

Expenses $1000

So for boaters living on $1000, clearly possible if boat is paid for. Not a budget most would want to live on but a budget many live on and make the most of.

Sailorboy's budget reaches the point of allowing for some discretionary spending and enjoyment.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by BandB

Sailorboy's budget reaches the point of allowing for some discretionary spending and enjoyment.

And I'm not living a cruising highlife and probably are at best at the mid level of spending for a cruiser. And you can't judge a cruisers budget by the boat they have (you probably can judge by it's condition).

I will say that when I got interested in cruising I was thinking that $1500/mo would cover it. Then I learned more and increased it to $2000/mo. Then I got a boat and learned what it takes to maintain it so increased it to $2500/mo. Then my wife finally got involved in the plan and it became $3000/mo.

Not saying I couldn't reduce the budget, but I question whether it would then be an enjoyable activity and living.

[zboss]

36k is just about right for a combo of low cost and actually being able to enjoy the places you visit. Anything above that is an invitation for mental gout.

[SV Bacchus]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Not saying I couldn't reduce the budget, but I question whether it would then be an enjoyable activity and living.

Agreed! Why cut the budget if it takes the fun out?

[scarlet]

Always love these posts! I'd love to see this in a spread sheet over the 15 months. Are you keeping one? perhaps on a link you could post so that for us folks it would consolidate them all together?

btw... anyone who still lives on land keep track like this? I think I will start. in regards to the "food" category, I see a direct correlation between the cost of food when I shop for groceries alone, and what it costs when my husband shops with me. lol... he is one of those "toss in the cart when I'm not looking" guys!! I generally keep our food bill to about $100-150 a week... it doubles if he is shopping with me...

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I've adjusted for the tax deduction loss by reducing the quality requirements, which why entertainment is so low

It's all good, just check for a pulse.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by scarlet

Always love these posts! I'd love to see this in a spread sheet over the 15 months. Are you keeping one? perhaps on a link you could post so that for us folks it would consolidate them all together?

btw... anyone who still lives on land keep track like this? I think I will start. in regards to the "food" category, I see a direct correlation between the cost of food when I shop for groceries alone, and what it costs when my husband shops with me. lol... he is one of those "toss in the cart when I'm not looking" guys!! I generally keep our food bill to about $100-150 a week... it doubles if he is shopping with me...

My financial background could be blamed but we've always done it on land and sea and hard to blame me when my wife was doing it before meeting me, more diligently than I was.

There's an incredible payback most don't realize is there in budgeting and tracking expenditures. You save money. You save without sacrificing too. You save because you're more aware so you don't make the unwise expenditures. You sometimes delay things and then never spend. Also, in reviewing it, some things will jump out at you and shock you. You become aware. I remember in NC one time groceries seemed to be just too high. So, we even built a separate spreadsheet for them, detailing everything for a while. I'd never paid much attention to item costs, just took my list and bought. I never shopped different stores. I never paid attention to weekly ads. Well, this little exercise reduced out grocery costs about $70 a month. Not huge money, but money we were spending while getting nothing in return.

[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)

[smj]

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)

When on the boat time isn't money to me as I'm not working and have all the time in the world. Since we have more time we tend to have the opportunity to shop around for the best deal, whether this entails shopping through Amazon as opposed to West Marine or shopping 2 grocery stores rather than one to get the best deals and take advantage of the specials. When working we tend to do the grab and go shopping routine.

[sailorboy1]

Must be nice to have 2 grocery stores so close in walking distance to each other and the boat to make price checks possible

[smj]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Must be nice to have 2 grocery stores so close in walking distance to each other and the boat to make price checks possible

4 months ago you could have done that in Marathon, hopefully the Winn Dixie will be open soon!

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by smj

4 months ago you could have done that in Marathon, hopefully the Winn Dixie will be open soon!

Well even if it does that’s a 21 minute walk each way from the boat to the marina, I doubt you can carry enough stuff to make it worthwhile to go to bth the Publix and the Winn Dixie. And if you call the taxi that $5 is questionable to make up considering grocies have such a low markup really.

I guess it’s realistic, to someone!

Cruising isn’t the same as going down to the boat for the weekend.

[smj]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Well even if it does that’s a 21 minute walk each way from the boat to the marina, I doubt you can carry enough stuff to make it worthwhile to go to bth the Publix and the Winn Dixie. And if you call the taxi that $5 is questionable to make up considering grocies have such a low markup really.

I guess it’s realistic, to someone!

Cruising isn’t the same as going down to the boat for the weekend.

Bicycles and a cart to pull behind them make a big difference.

[sailorboy1]

I’ll just put that in my extra locker

I thought we were talking cruising, not living at the marina. I just spend 3 months living at the slip and brought bicycles while there. You still couldn’t ride around to different grocery stores and price shop. I have NEVER been at a stopover that had stores close enough to make this practical. It sounds nice but is completely a unless exercise. The best you can do is combine a BIG grocery run when you can take advantage of enough specials that it is worth calling for an Uber ride.

As an example in Marathon last week I walked down to Publix for soda. I can fit 1 12-pack in my backpack with a few other items. But there was a buy 2 get 2 free. That savings was enough to pay for a taxi ride back so might as well stock up.

Also for you “go to two stores to price shop”, are you really going to say carry your Winn Dixie bags into Publix?