Monthly Expense Report

Friday, 02 January 2009 00:00

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2005 Expenses    2006 Expenses    2007 Expenses    2008 Expenses

Finances are one of the primary concerns of potential RV full-timers. While doing our research before full-timing, I greatly appreciated looking at other people's expense records. My research showed it cost the average full-timer about $2500 a month to maintain this lifestyle. Of course, some claimed they could survive on less than $1000 a month, while others stated they couldn't survive on less than $5000 a month. This big variation is probably contributed to the difference in lifestyle choices. We've tried to be frugal in this lifestyle, yet not cheap. We've budgeted ourselves and try to live within this budget. Two of the largest expense items can be controlled. Our campground fees are kept under an average of $6.50 a day by boondocking and workamping. Fuel for the motorhome is also kept reasonable by not driving everyday, staying at least 2 nights at each stop, and staying still for workamping.

To help future full-timers and others contemplating this lifestyle, here are our exact expenses while living, traveling, and working fulltime in our motorhome.

2008 EXPENSES:

  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Monthly Average 2008 Total Avg Since Starting Fulltime
Barber 0 19 0 18 0 27 0 0 0 56 0 52 14 172 11
Camp Fees (1) 169 346 357 298 0 0 0 0 0 190 295 220 156 1875 188
Cell Phone (2) 91 91 176 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 103 1240 94
Clothing 68 13 0 0 11 0 0 0 0 287 56 11 37 446 33
Dining Out 289 188 235 314 355 154 50 112 117 282 227 114 203 2437 198
Education Books (3) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9
Education Fees (3) -585 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -49 -585 47
Entertainment (4) 23 16 2 3 -50 0 0 17 0 109 0 1 10 121 32
Fuel - Jeep 139 171 82 78 114 0 78 0 0 37 82 180 80 961 101
Fuel - MH 157 325 848 509 0 0 0 0 0 241 0 0 173 2080 188
Gifts 33 45 0 0 163 31 0 0 25 80 227 52 97 1166 84
Groceries (5) 355 340 371 433 375 441 403 512 553 301 281 488 404 4853 412
Hobbies 60 0 5 7 109 0 0 0 21 39 0 15 21 256 39
Household 214 211 40 0 105 73 0 149 15 0 19 10 70 836 90
Insurance - Jeep 0 0 0 767 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 64 767 73
Insurance - MH 0 0 0 952 0 0 0