Realistic Budget?

Some are way off one way and some way off the other.
We live out in nowhere and like to do things when away from home.
Dish is about $55 a month. We were gone 6 weeks this spring and spent about $1200 on fuel and we eat out about once a day at about $50 a day. I have a hot spot on my phone for $40 a month and can't use half of the 2 gig We don't count anything we spend at home. Ins, groceries, hobbies and stuff like that we would spend anyway so it doesn't cost any more when away.

Not a full or long term RVer but as a person who has lived on the planet for a bit I know how to do a budget that relates to my lifestyle. IF this budget correlates to your normal home/vacation budget then it's reasonable.
I think you need to include money to maintain the RV aka emergency funds as well.
Also not seeing all forms of insurance but maybe its been bundled into another category.

Just figure that your expenses as you travel will be at least what you would spend if you were staying at home. Just add fuel, campground costs, and entertainment you expect to use on top. Most of the others are things you would have to do anyway. Depends on your current lifestyle, and what you plan on doing as you travel.

quasi wrote:

January - April Trip
$3,600.00 Camp Fees
$1,457.00 Fuel
$2,000.00 Admission
$3,200.00 Hlth.Ins.
$400.00 Wireless
440.00 Dish
$200.00 Grooming
$2,400.00 Food
$800.00 Restaurant
$400.00 Hobbies

$ 15,397.00 Total
5200 mile trip.
January 1st through April 30th.

$3600 for 4 months of camping spot fees, ever thought about dry camping along the way and cheaper RV parks, where did you find those prices, and the other prices are just way out there, I could RV for a year and maybe have some change left over with your budget.

:E

We plan on doing some occasional boondocking and taking advantage of weekly rates whenever feasible. The lodging figure is 120 nights at $30 per night. Is that an unreasonable estimate? We've also tried to estimate everything at the high end. With money, I think it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. If we find we've overestimated, we'll add another month or two.

Just a hint, I am on a trip now in Northern Cali and tonite I am dry camping in a Indian casino RV parking spot, FREE and cheap food and beer, and my last RV spot was $35 a night on the river.

Also if your going to be in a place for more than a week than get the weekly rate, it usually cost around $22 a night at some places.

Everyone travels differently so it's hard to make a comparison. For us, as full-timers, we wouldn't spend that much for camp fees (we boondock on national forest or BLM lands & because we're 'old' we can use the Senior Pass to get us into the national parks free and 1/2 off on camping there and also at national forest campgrounds & other national public parks, no admission fees as we don't do that kind of entertainment, no Dish and half that for Wireless. Two to three haircuts in 4 months would be plenty for us so your grooming is high. We cook simply and don't go to expensive restaurants and our hobbies are hiking, geocaching, 4-wheeling - things outdoors. So....your budget is high for us.

If you're budgeting $30/night for an RV park then it's a good figure.

We went from Arizona to Alaska and spent 4 months, including expensive fuel along the way we came in much lower.

However, if that's what you spend at home then it's right for you.

Was just thinking the months your going to in the west is our cooler months and you can do lots of dry camping and such to save the money, not sure were you are going but here in Cali now they have Indian casinos about 40 miles apart from each other and they always allow free camping in there parking lots.

quasi wrote:
We plan on doing some occasional boondocking and taking advantage of weekly rates whenever feasible. The lodging figure is 120 nights at $30 per night. Is that an unreasonable estimate? We've also tried to estimate everything at the high end. With money, I think it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. If we find we've overestimated, we'll add another month or two.

Very good and enjoy your trip.

With that where out West are you planning? Remember Jan - April, and some times earlier and later, are winter months which can/could slow you down. If you get South early in your trip you may avoid some of the winter weather than taking a northern route.

Example; This was our backyard in Reno on Nov. 10. 2015 when we were getting ready to leave for S. AZ for the winter.



Anyways enjoy and budgets can be adjusted. :B