December was our first full month of travel and away from the delights of free lodging and a kitchen. As as you will see below, our expenses clearly reflect this. Without the luxury of our own kitchen we ate out virtually every meal, yet our food expenses are only slightly higher than previously. This is due to the cheap meals you can find throughout Ecuador and Colombia (this bit we saw at least). Where we saw the biggest expense increase was, not surprisingly, in accommodations. After 7 weeks enjoying the kindness of friends we hit the road and began contributing to the wallets of hostel and hotel owners around Ecuador and Colombia.
expense breakdown
- Accommodation: $984
- Alcohol $40
- All Inclusive Tour or Cruise $30
- Entertainment $27
- Food $484
- Health Care: $25
- Intercity Transportation $275
- International Transportation $241
- Living Expenses $120
- Local Transportation $117
- Souvenirs $17
- Tips and Handouts $30
- Water $8
Grand Total: $2,398
December daily average: $77
Overall Daily Average: $44.78
Lessons Learned
This month we had a number of unexpected expenses (over $400 worth) due to the challenges we faced in Colombia - cabs back/froth, higher hotel costs, and airline change fees for our trip to Ushuaia which we had to change from Bogota to Lima, Peru. Of course, life does not always go according to your hopes/plans so learning from mistakes is critical. Here are a few lessons we have learned this month that we intend to apply going forward in managing our trip and finances:
- Don’t plan too far in advance - yes, this is a funny one for me to write given my history. However, I was shocked at how much planning out a few weeks really impacted out ability to relax and enjoy the flow of the trip. When we arrived in Colombia we had wonderful plans for making our way north to Bogota to house-sit for a friend. We booked our flight to Ushuaia from Bogota as well as a couple hostels along the path with a goal of spending 2 months enjoying the country. Unfortunately, due to the flooding there, we found ourselves unable to get north of Pasto. The result was numerous cancelled hotels (some which we paid non-refundable deposits), huge flight change fees, and a feeling of constant worry about how we were going to get to Bogota for the 29th of December.
- Buy refundable tickets (where possible) - in attempting to get out of Pasto, we bought one-way tickets to Cali. However, when the first flight was cancelled we called and they agreed to change for a flight 2 days later. When that flight was also cancelled we were able to call and simply get our money back. Believe me, saying goodbye to $200 was NOT something we were ready to swallow so having the peace of mind to be able to get a refund was very nice.
- At times, spring for a nicer hostel/hotel - we admit that we are not the hard-core travelers ready and willing to brag about the $3 deal we got for a bed in a bar that hosts around-the-clock cock fighting. However, we are still on a budget so the average hostels often lacks some creature comfortable. As a result, we found that stopping and splurging for a nicer place (one with hot water, mattresses not made of solid wood, and lacking “the last couple was murdered in this bed” feeling) for a couple nights helps put a smile on our faces. Now, we are not talking about a Hilton or anything outrageous, but sometimes spending a few extra dollars makes a difference to one’s attitude.
About Warren
Wow! If it makes you feel any better, I just booked the tickets, rooms, and transportation for three weeks in Europe and I’m already $2,000 over your cost for a month. The joys of European costs and exchange rates! Thanks for keeping us updated on this, it makes a trip to South America creep up ever higher on our list, even with the flooding : )
Hey Michelle,
Not sure if that makes us feel better or scared for our future budget. However, it is certainly cheaper to travel long term when you can settle down a bit as well as being willing to eat in bus stations at times.
We have fallen in love with South America already so would highly recommend the experience for anyone. We will be here for another year so please come visit!
Hey Warren - just double checking, but was that extra $400 included in your monthly breakdown?
Hey Skott, yep we included the $400 in the breakdown as well. It is mainly in the travel costs as well as incremental hotel fees.
My budget solo is $30 a day which was completely manageable in Mexico and Central America but I faced some challenges in Colombia, the price of transportation really took a chunk out of my budget so I’ve cut back a bit in Ecuador trying to even it all out before I land in pricey Chile.
WOW, very impressive budget. I agree that Ecuador will be much easier to live inside that figure with all the wonderful food options and cheap buses.
When will you be in Chile? We are thinking will be there in April or May and would love to meet up for person if the timing works.
This reminds me that I need to hit you guys up with questions about Colombia. Coz that’s where we’re heading in April -yay!
I love all of the details. Thanks for sharing. I am also a planner and I can see how sometimes that is not always the best atribute.
Do you have a lot of your trip planned out? Does your travel insurance cover airfare costs for changes/cancellations? If so, have you tried claiming anything on it?
Thanks again,
Paz
Hi Paz,
Thank you for the feedback and questions. Believe me, it was hard to resist the temptation to overplan but now I am really getting comfortable with the concept.
We do not have any true plans for the trip beyond the need to be in Ushuaia, Argentina on 2/23 for our Antarctica cruise. Otherwise we are really open about the next stop. Ironically just today we made the decision to go to in a completely different direction next week for our next stop on the trip. After South America we still don’t know if we will head east to Africa, west on to New Zealand, and just head up to Europe. It is crazy to say that, but true.
The insurance we purchased from World Nomads is mainly for the emergency health insurance. There is some protection for stolen items, but trip changes are not included.
I don’t have the money to travel around the world, not yet, but posts like this make me feel like I travel at the same time with you, all the details are great and makes me wanna travel even more. Also, for an inexperienced traveler like me, such a long trip could be risky and full of unwanted surprises
Hey Samantha,
Great to hear from you! Glad to know that you are following along and the information is useful. There is little doubt that we are encountering new surprises each day, but the fun and excitement far outweighs any of the risks we may have feared. We are pushing our limits more with each new destination and loving the opportunity to share the results (whatever they may be) with you.
Aloha!
We so appreciate this info; we’re home based in the Hawaiian islands for now and will probably have a reverse schedule of yours and Betsy’s when we strike out; Asia first due to our location and ending in South America; but we’re taking notes and appreciating all the insight. As simple and slow travel lovers, and more recently bloggers, the more lessons learned via other travelers all the better. Now, seriously, we feel like we’re getting to watch friends take the trip of a lifetime, we look forward to maybe a leg of your journey getting you somewhere close to the islands so we can meet you kindred spirits in person!
In the mean time, safe and happy travels!
Gena we are also inspired by your decision to cast off and live the life of your dreams. While we are on this trip we hope to find the next “thing” that motivates us and allows us to live a life untethered. It seems like you all have already found the solution and we are following along closely to learn.
Just this week we started talking about our next step after South America. Right now the thinking is that we head west instead of east so island hopping over to New Zealand seems in the charts for late 2011. Be careful what you ask as we are homeless after all;)
I’m really enjoying following your adventures. My spouse and have just turned 50 and wondering how we can make our travel dreams a reality. We’re very envious and interested in hearing about your experiences. For my part, try New Zealand after South America. I know you won’t regret it.
Grant, thank you so much for the advice. Today we were discussing the next stop and the Pacific Islands and New Zealand are leading the way. Any advice of things we must do/see or places to stay? Love to learn from those who have been there before.
If you have any questions at all we would be delighted to help answer them. Making this dream a reality was something we never thought possible, but now that we are on the trip we realize how much more affordable it can be. Now we find ourselves complaining if our breakfast is over $5. Just let us know and we would be happy to answer your questions.
My wife and I are thinking about traveling for a month this upcoming June. She doesn’t think that we can live on $50/day, but with these numbers that you listed, I really think we can do it! I just told her we need to stay at low grade motels, and eat cheap
Great breakdown!
I certainly think your budget is realistic depending on a few key things:
1 - where you are going. Ecuador and Peru are certainly within this realm as well as parts of SE Asia. Of course, heading to Iceland could be a challenge without a lot of planning and a friend with a house.
2 - travel to/from the location alone can make the price increase dramatically. We were able to use frequent flyer miles for our flights down here but adding in the full price would have pushed our budget.
3 - depending on the location you may not need to go as low grade as you think. In Ecuador and Peru you can get some decent accommodations for $20/night and meals for <$5/person. We certainly think it would be possible.
Would love to hear more as you ramp up your planning!