Month 27 Expenses of Cruising and Living on the Boat

[sailorboy1]

Historically the months of Dec and Jan are budget busters and this year isn’t going to be different. This month we didn’t travel anywhere and are in Jacksonville FL for boat maintenance and to spend the holidays with family.

Did grocery, beer and supply runs as normal. Maybe spent a little extra for Thanksgiving supplies

Boat costs were high. The biggest portion was some rigging work, but we spend almost $600 on small things that just add up to more than people who don’t keep track think.

Only fuel was a propane bottle refill. Fixed a small propane leak a couple of months ago and apparently the leak on the regulator had been going on a while as we got 2 months on the bottle, where we were getting 1 month.

Most of our dining was smaller stuff. But we also took our daughter out to dinner some in payment of her taxi service and the use of her car.

Entertainment was for a few books, a monthly internet TV charge, and a few rental and theater movies. Communication was for our cell phone service and a good portion of this is really entertainment as we use them to stream and as internet hot spotting.

Transportation was for a 1-day car rental, a few Uber rides, and gas when using family cars.

Christmas is next week so yes, we have been buying gifts and most aren’t hitting the budget till next month.

Insurance was renewal of our Boat US membership and towing.

The total expenses were $ 4463.79. Cost breakdown as follows for planners and hecklers:

Food, soda, alcohol, clothing, sundries - $ 1248.27
Boat upgrades, repairs, maintenance - $ 1941.78
Fuel (diesel, gas, propane) - $ 13.26
Dining out - $ 556.48
Entertainment - $ 59.26
Communication, storage, shipping - $ 96.28
Fees – $ -33.73
Marina - $ 0
Electric - $ 0
Medical - $ 20.19
Transportation - $ 119.89
Gifts - $ 293.11
Insurance - $149.00

[ShellBack89]

Sailorboy - Thank you for posting this information.


Our plan is to have an account dedicated to boat work, putting about 15% - 20% per year of the boat's value in that account.

Do you have a separate account or does it all come out of the same account/budget and you just expect the approximate amount per year for boat work? Knowing that some months will be over budget and some under.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by ShellBack89

Do you have a separate account or does it all come out of the same account/budget and you just expect the approximate amount per year for boat work? Knowing that some months will be over budget and some under.

I have lots of "accounts", but that's just where my money is "parked". My monthly budget to live on is $3k/mo and the goal is that everything needs to fall into that. Some months you win and some months you lose.

If the market keeps dropping the losing months are going to become an issue

[ShellBack89]

Thanks for the response! That's close to what we're planning our budget on. We just paid off all the major bills and will now start stocking the cruising kitty.



I won the Iraqi lottery in 2005 and my wife will continue to teach online until we decide to head further south and then west. Between the two, we'll have enough money to cover all our cruising expenses without touching the kitty.



Hope the market turns back around.

[sailorboy1]

I think we should add "Christmas" to the list of normal budget busters like marinas and dining out. Or add it to the mysterious "doesn't count" category.

[sailorboy1]

My current health insurance pays me a $50 reward for getting an annual physical and $25 for getting my flu shot. Between my wife and I that's $150. The catch is that we can only use on co-pays. So we just used it to pay our 2019 health insurance premium that was only $124 for the year on the plan we chose.

So we paid the insurance company with their own money.

That's being cruiser frugal :-)

[Maka]

Thank you Sailorboy1,,,,,always good to see these real time posts of yours.


Stock market dip due to Democrats taking over the House and their Anti Trump agenda.
Expect more Market losses as the House attacks Tax reform and other economic engines over the next two years.

We wont see a recovery until after the next election in two years.... depending on its outcome.

[ShellBack89]

Originally Posted by Maka

We wont see a recovery until after the next election in two years.... depending on its outcome.

"READ MY LIPS.....NO NEW TAXES!" Wait that was the other guy who lost a reelection because the base stayed home because he caved. Nancy and Chuck played Trump like a fiddle.

[MV Wanderlust]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

So we paid the insurance company with their own money.

That's being cruiser frugal :-)

Wise!

[sailorboy1]

Only 4 days into the new budget month and already have spent 1/2 the months budget.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Maka

Thank you Sailorboy1,,,,,always good to see these real time posts of yours.


Stock market dip due to Democrats taking over the House and their Anti Trump agenda.
Expect more Market losses as the House attacks Tax reform and other economic engines over the next two years.

We wont see a recovery until after the next election in two years.... depending on its outcome.

And tariffs, trade wars, administrative chaos and increasing interest rates have no effect?????

[cyan]

Politics.
Meh.
More importantly, what is Sailorboy1's beer budget, and will he be homebrewing onboard soon?

[Cthoops]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

My current health insurance pays me a $50 reward for getting an annual physical and $25 for getting my flu shot. Between my wife and I that's $150. The catch is that we can only use on co-pays. So we just used it to pay our 2019 health insurance premium that was only $124 for the year on the plan we chose.

So we paid the insurance company with their own money.

That's being cruiser frugal :-)

This is awesome. Well done!

Some months you win, some months you lose is going to be my new mantra. So far this month we're winning, but we still have 10 days to go!

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by cyan

Politics.
Meh.
More importantly, what is Sailorboy1's beer budget, and will he be homebrewing onboard soon?

I’ve home brewed before, but the equipment etc would takeup a lot of room on the boat than I’m willing to allow. So instead we are ok with “cheap” beer in the frig and offset it with brewery stops on our travels.

[cyan]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I’ve home brewed before, but the equipment etc would takeup a lot of room on the boat than I’m willing to allow. So instead we are ok with “cheap” beer in the frig and offset it with brewery stops on our travels.

Brewery stops! That sounds like a good plan.
We brewed onboard once but the King Cooker pretty much drained the propane tank, and the whole boat smelled of hops for 3 weeks.
No breweries where we are going next...