Jim says talking about money is unseemly. Therefore: Spoiler Alert! Dollar details follow, so stop right here if information about someone else’s finances makes you squirm. On a more dignified note, there will be no link to our bank account.
On this first leg of our RV extravaganza, which took us from Salt Lake City, Utah to Wellington, Ohio, we spent a total of $2140 or about $120 per day. Our biggest expense was gasoline. No surprise there. For both our tow car (2004 Honda CRV) and our gas hog of a motor home (2004 Lazy Daze) we spent $1187 or more than half of our total. Next was food, at $420. Camping fees were $252; entertainment (museum fees, a trip to the Omaha Zoo, a state park T-shirt, newspapers, etc) cost $165; repairs, $110; and then a few dollars for laundry.
$420 for food seems high, but that cost does include the staples I purchased before we left Salt Lake, and we still have most of those. Gasoline is always a concern; even more concerning is the trend illustrated to us today when we saw a man at a local gas station change his price sign from $3.59 a gallon to $3.75. One thing that will help with gasoline: Jim and I decided that we don’t want to travel any more than 150 to 200 miles between stops, and we want to stay at each location at least 3-4 days -- and less time on the road will lower our daily gasoline costs. On this trip, however, we were in kind of a hurry (if you can call and 18-day drive from Utah to Ohio a “hurry”) because we wanted to get to my mom’s in pretty short order. Other than staying at my brother’s for 3 nights, we didn’t stay anywhere longer than two nights.
Jim is probably correct, talking about money is indeed unseemly, fortunately for you, your old Ohio State friends are unseemly people. (It's a class they make us take our senior year).
ReplyDeleteI was dying to get this kind of information and now I will not have to ask these delicate questions when we see you. Those of us who dream of doing what you and Jim are doing, appreciate your trail blazing and reconnaissance. I do, however, wish that you had been a little less ambiguous about where the funnel cakes fall on the statement of sources and uses of funds.
An even more delicate question that I hope to broach whenever we see the two of you is how do the two of you deal with /share the RV bathroom. I see this as a potential deal-breaker for us ever being able to follow in your footsteps. Sandy has not allowed me in her bathroom (not even to change the light bulbs) for over twelve years now. I think if we RVed, I would have to buy my own port-a-john, and tow it around with us in in lieu of a Honda.
I'm excited to read future posts, from your more lazy meanderings around the country. The slower pace will give you the oportunity to find, photograph, and write about exceptionally interesting museums, muffler giants, and as always uncommonly large balls of twine.
Go Bucks
I hadn't thought of doing a post on the trials and tribulations of the RV bathroom. Jim has been very generous in saying "oh, go ahead and post it" but he might put his foot down there. Hmmm. Now I'm thinking, and that's always dangerous.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry Bev, if Jim didn't outlaw the picture of him with the "Charlie Manson" eyes, he won't stop your bathroom post.
ReplyDeleteAlso I've never found that the thinking itself is dangerous. It's when you allow it to materialize with pen to paper that you get into trouble.
I think putting this kind of information on your blog is important to those who are/might consider doing the same and to those who will read this in ten, twenty or 50 years. My guess is that they'll marvel at the fact that you did it "so cheaply" or that people could still do this kind of thing back in 2011. Regardless, it's good info.
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