Whats the average dollars spent per day

blaze · Guru

Whats the average dollars spent per day

FalcoPilot · Newbie

That works out to $10,000 to $15,000 for several weeks, seems a lot for one person. I'm not fully retired yet but had a few camping holidays at Caravan Park at Byron bay last few years at $1,000 per week over several weeks, (two of us, incl travel from Vic), and thought I was being a little extravagant.
I am now looking forward to longer and simpler free camping holidays.
After doing a recent trip to Cape York in a small Ag/Farm Bike (200cc), I found the joy of travelling cheap at $30 per day.
Currently planning June/July (say 60 days) free camping trip for two in our converted Hi Ace Commuter van from NE Vic, up to Rockhampton and then coastal to Airlie Beach and return.
I get 20L per 100 kms on LPG at 60cpl gives 12c per km, this equals $600 for the 5,000 return trip, and $10 per day over 60 days.
I have learnt to have cheap meals, I am setting myself a challenge of $20 per day for food for two.
So Fuel $10 plus food $20 equals $30 per day, but to be realistic, probably will be closer to $50 to $60 per day (ie with higher LPG fuel costs up north, probably higher food costs plus unforseens/extras).
So $50 to $60 per day over 60 days gives $3,000 to $4,000, hopefully.

jimricho · Guru

I was away for just over two months on one trip last year and my fuel and caravan park expenses came to just under $3,500. Total kilometres was 8,000 and all bar about a week and a half was in caravan parks. Most other expenses were not a lot different to staying at home, ate out a bit more and there was the occasional tourist stuff.

twobob · Guru

funny enough, I was working on this the other day. I took a slightly different approach. I worked on a pension of $360 per week and tried to see what was needed to survive on it and GN

Fuel = using an average of 15lts/100km that meant I could travel approx 100km per day to spend approx $130/wk

Accomodation = CP vary in price and all, but I used an average of $30/night, therefore $210 spent per week

Food = my current groceries are about $40/wk (non meat eater) and I cook most myself

So at that I have spent $380/week = over budget by $20

But if I did not travel for say 2 days/week I meet budget and save $20 OR
If I free camped for 2 days = meet budget and save $40
Do BOTH and I can have a ctn of beer per week $60 saving

The outcome was, it would be very difficult to do on a pension, but I am aware some on here do just that. I have not even meantioned medical/vehicle repairs/insurance etc or internet/phone, let alone buying clothes.

So maybe the bottom line is the pension per week and anything more is luxury.

Cooper · Member

Time to come out from under my rock. I have been lurking and following this forums for a week or so now.

Two bob you are way out in your calculations. Where you arrived at the figure $40 per WEEK for groceries is beyond me, non meat eater or not. Try $15 per DAY and see how you go. Just milk and bread alone are close to $5. In the outback you will pay $4.95 alone for a loaf of bead. Milk $3.75 for 600 mils.

Even living in town you will get sick of your own cooking, good old fish and chips on Friday will cost 6 bucks, add a drink to that and 10 bucks is gone. What about a meat pie once a week $4, or a cake of some description. Only the other day I went into a bakery and came out $10 poorer.

What if you have a dog, it alone will cost $10 a week to feed. Nah dont know where to got the $40 a week from mate.

seonau · Senior Member

Cooper welcome to the forum its a great place.

If you have been lurking around for a bit then you would know you just canned a very highly respected member here.

I look forward to reading and learning from your future posts, I have a lot to learn, i just hope they are more positive. smile

Cooper · Member

Thanks for the welcome Seonau, I still think $40 a week for food is unreasonable.

Lets here from the other nomads, what do you average on food per week when travelling.

-- Edited by Cooper on Wednesday 27th of January 2010 08:29:16 AM

Gary and Kerry · Guru

We did a six month trip earlier this year covering just over 21,000K's.
Every cent we spent was recorded to assess the viablity of going full time sometime in the future..
Our average daily cost was around $72.
See this link for our full cost summary.
http://www.activeboard.com/forum.spark?aBID=51933&p=3&topicID=29461386

Your needs maybe different to mine, for example $12 a day was for smokes you may not smoke, we only did tourist attractions together if it interested us both, if only one interested he/she did it and took lots of pictures.

Just remember "one shoe dosn't fit all.

-- Edited by Gary and Kerry on Wednesday 27th of January 2010 08:43:36 AM

Cooper · Member

I am not looking for an argument here, people, I just said $40 per week is too low.

Yes I read about your trip Gary and Kerry and it was very interesting, excellent post, working on those figures you spent roughly $4 per day eating out.

I have travellled, I have been around Australia, alone, I put in the $15 a day quote as I tried that, it did not work, some days I spent nothing on food, other days I had to top up and went well over the $15. Nor I am not a great meat eater, I like it now and then. I watch the dollars. I like a meat pie or apple pie or cake as well as the next guy. I like nibbles when driving, a decent packet of potato chips are around $3 I said around, not quoting the actual price. A BBQ chicken alone at Coles or Woolies is over $10.

Once you get out in the drier climates you will be drinking more fluids. I kid you not when I say a drink is around $3.50 per bottle. Best to top up in the supermarkets when on special.

I will say it again. $40 a week is far too low for the average food bill.

-- Edited by Cooper on Wednesday 27th of January 2010 09:11:48 AM

dave06 · Guru

well when we head out it is a bit different from "living on the road" so this may be of no use to you but I'll tell you anyway!

we budget for roughly $100 per day, this allows for fuel, cuppas, park stays, entrance fees and food

depending on where we are we have often spent around what bob has said and it can be done, we have done it on that kind of budget, free camping and cutting everything to the bone but we have also spent up to $500 per day

assuming you were doing it on a budget and it was the rest of your life for two I would think somewhere between $60 and $100 per day all up would be close, everyone is different

if you spent too much one week then do what a lot of others do "just sit" until pension day, we strike many "single" pensioners out there doing this, you will find you get invites from other campers and get given heaps of leftovers

I don't think Bob's calc's are too far out, it maybe a little bit light on for food for me but I think doabble, you wont know until you actually do it "out there" for real, a few fish or crabs or yabbies would very quickly supplement that shortfall (if there was any)

twobob · Guru

hey Cooper, I think you right as well, $40 per week is low. Its just that what mine works out at, for my last couple of shops (I shop about once every 3 weeks). I buy basic ingredience and make my own. It did not take into account things like newspapers/mags, grog, nor pet costs, etc.

I do not use milk, and bake my own bread. Though I have purchased some of the no brand bread for a $1 a loaf, to freeze for when I am out. Where I live I can not get tempted to buy a pie or apple slice (which i like), as there is no where to get it closeby. I do not use chemical cleaners (big saving)

Eitherway, my fiquires are not exact or meant to be. I was just trying to indicate that some GN's travel on the pension, and make do. My basic fiquires should indicate that this is budgeting at it best.

In fact it brought home to me, what I had seen and talked about, with other GN on the road. I realised why they only travelled so far, at such a speed. Always knew the cost of things, where to stay, when to fuel up and where. And they were enjoying their travel.

Cruising Granny · Guru

jimricho wrote:
I was away for just over two months on one trip last year and my fuel and caravan park expenses came to just under $3,500. Total kilometres was 8,000 and all bar about a week and a half was in caravan parks. Most other expenses were not a lot different to staying at home, ate out a bit more and there was the occasional tourist stuff.

Did you include the cost of the ingredients in that very yummy home-baked bread?
Folks, if ever Jim is in your neighbourhood, bail him up for a loaf. It's special.
I traded one of my home-cooked meals for a loaf, but somehow I think I came out in front.

drongo & wendy · Senior Member

Every one to there own i guess.
We did 18 and a bit thousand Ks over 4 months, spent $17000 plus dollars and enjoyed every dollar.
But i have a mate that would rather swim with the crocs in the Adelaides River and steal the meat from the tourist boats as they get the crocs to jump, he fights his dogs for the fleas, so he would do it for a pitence, so each for there own is what im saying ummm i think

colsa · Senior Member

It can be done on a pension, we have been doing it for over 3 years now. We never stay with our kids love them to death but grandsons can be hard work 24; 7. We always stay in parks when staying for any length of time. When we are on the move we often use free camping areas, we always check out the prices on every park in the area we are heading to and only shop fortnightly for groceries, things like bread and milk etc are every couple of days depending how much room is in the freezer. We were paying $500 a fortnight for rent three years ago in Townsville that didn't leave a lot of the pension for everything else, the most we have paid in parks is $250 a fortnight and that is here in Adelaide. When we are on the move we only do about 400kls at the most sometimes only 200kls and stay for 2 weeks then next pension we move on the same my hubby says he wants to see Australia not just the road we go on.

JRH · Guru

colsa wrote:

It can be done on a pension, we have been doing it for over 3 years now. We never stay with our kids love them to death but grandsons can be hard work 24; 7. We always stay in parks when staying for any length of time. When we are on the move we often use free camping areas, we always check out the prices on every park in the area we are heading to and only shop fortnightly for groceries, things like bread and milk etc are every couple of days depending how much room is in the freezer. We were paying $500 a fortnight for rent three years ago in Townsville that didn't leave a lot of the pension for everything else, the most we have paid in parks is $250 a fortnight and that is here in Adelaide. When we are on the move we only do about 400kls at the most sometimes only 200kls and stay for 2 weeks then next pension we move on the same my hubby says he wants to see Australia not just the road we go on.

We do the same thing and we manage on the pension quite well.

If we do run low on funds we just find some nice place and hole up until the pension comes in and then we are off travelling a bit further. This way we get to see the countryside and not just the white line down the middle of the road.

We live in a magic country and as far as I am concerned my holiday starts when we get in the car and ends when we finally get back home, we don't have a destination only a direction.

-- Edited by JRH on Wednesday 27th of January 2010 01:00:54 PM

colsa · Senior Member

Good one guru must remember that 'we dont have a destination only a direction '

JRH · Guru

colsa wrote:

Good one guru must remember that 'we dont have a destination only a direction '

Works for us friend. We are off again for just a short 2 weeks in Albany WA on Feb 14, then end of April we start heading North from Perth and we will get back when we get back.

colsa · Senior Member

We're off again in 3 weeks but whos counting we'll do great ocean rd, then north through ballarat then who knows but heading north as well just we'll be doing east coast and you'll be west coast nice spot Rockingham went there when we were in the van park at armadale.

JRH · Guru

When we head North we will be on an indefinite trip, I suppose the main plan is to do a 360 but we all know how plans can go astray.

We are just going to meander around the country, as I said before no destination, just a direction and we will see where we end up each day.

The only thing I know for certain is that wherever we end up at the end of each day it will be a magical place 'cause that is what OZ is, Magical.

Cooper · Member

The original post was referring to "when on the road".

Two bob you have now switched to when you are at home. We can all save on our groceries when at home, with our deep freezers, bread makers and such. Buying in bulk and freezing etc. You refer to the fact you are not tempted to buy "extras" as you are too far from the shops. Again I say, when you are on the road you are "tempted" to that slice of pie and a cup of coffee for morning tea, a counter lunch at the pub with a cold beer, or take away pizza for tea. That is the pleasure of travelling, to enjoy ones self, having the little extras that makes life pleasureable.

I dont know what kind of rig you have, perhaps you have a deep freezer, perhaps you take your bread maker with you. You talk about a pet costs, perhaps you are feeding your pet on canned food which can be picked up very cheaply at ALDI. I always give my dog raw fresh meat and chicken, that alone shoves up the food bill. Not that I begrudge my dog his food. Far from it.

That is the argument here, your stated estimate of $40 will not go far.

colsa · Senior Member

You never know we may run into each other after we eventually get back to mackay to meet grandsons there we plan to go back to perth [another g'child due there in may] but over the top this time. The next g'child could possibly be at school by the time we get there but doesn't matter, mind these plans could change day by day. Can you tell me how to get rid of the 'edit post ' when i do this.

JRH · Guru

colsa wrote:

You never know we may run into each other after we eventually get back to mackay to meet grandsons there we plan to go back to Perth [another g'child due there in may] but over the top this time. The next g'child could possibly be at school by the time we get there but doesn't matter, mind these plans could change day by day. Can you tell me how to get rid of the 'edit post ' when i do this.

The Edit Post Tab is there so you can edit your post for typo's and such, it will only appear on messages you post on the forum. When I or anyone else for that matter reads your post we can only see the Reply and Quote tabs.

I'll keep an eye peeled for a Gold or dark yellow car with an aerofoil on top, so if you see a blue Falcon Wagon with flashing headlights that would be me.

Hope you have a great trip in the meantime.

PS:- Edited for a typo.

-- Edited by JRH on Wednesday 27th of January 2010 04:34:47 PM

-- Edited by JRH on Wednesday 27th of January 2010 04:35:21 PM

Ma · Guru

Cooper wrote:

The original post was referring to "when on the road".

Two bob you have now switched to when you are at home. We can all save on our groceries when at home, with our deep freezers, bread makers and such. Buying in bulk and freezing etc. You refer to the fact you are not tempted to buy "extras" as you are too far from the shops. Again I say, when you are on the road you are "tempted" to that slice of pie and a cup of coffee for morning tea, a counter lunch at the pub with a cold beer, or take away pizza for tea. That is the pleasure of travelling, to enjoy ones self, having the little extras that makes life pleasureable.

I dont know what kind of rig you have, perhaps you have a deep freezer, perhaps you take your bread maker with you. You talk about a pet costs, perhaps you are feeding your pet on canned food which can be picked up very cheaply at ALDI. I always give my dog raw fresh meat and chicken, that alone shoves up the food bill. Not that I begrudge my dog his food. Far from it.

That is the argument here, your stated estimate of $40 will not go far.

I agree Cooper. Wish I could live on $40 a day. Come close to it at home, but NEVER on the road.

Have you got a rig now Twobob. What did you end up with.

twobob · Guru

No rig Elaine, just my swag and Landcruiser, just as before. No need for anything more.

Cooper · Member

Blaze asked about the average dollars spent per day when on the road.

Now without stirring or been a pain in the butt, I noticed that roughly 371 people viewed the thread but only roughly 7 have given actual figures to help out Blaze.

With all the members here surely there is a few who can add to this. It does make interesting reading and it is good to compare notes, tips and ways of stretching that dollar.

dave06 · Guru

Mike thats one of my little bugbears, given that say 50 folks view twice, (roughly the number of consistent posters we have on board at any one time) that gives 100

it leaves 271 "lurkers" sitting out there just waiting to pounce on any perceived incorrect input just like you did!!

the problem that I see with that kind of "dark input" is that instead of joining in at the earlier stages and putting your daily expenditure amounts in you decided to pull someone else's apart

I still have not seen your daily average spending

please place your costings so that we may have yet another comparison!

Cooper · Member

Yes Dave I am well aware of your views on lurkers. Yes I jumped in with my dark input as you call it. I am also aware that you like a good arguement and I will not go there.

I dont have an average daily spending, I never worked it out. I do know it is more than $40 a week for food. Which was the issue here. I also know I spend more than the $15 I quoted. It does not take long to spend $15 when entering a shop. One loaf of bread, milk, few spuds, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce etc will soon add up very quickly. Take your cuppa and cake, you mentioned.

Two bob stated he does not have a rig, he has a land cruiser and swag. That means he probably buys his food fresh every day and I would not mind betting when travelling, he picks up the odd meat pie and apple slice, did he not say he was tempted. His bio says he has a dog, again he would be buying fresh meat for the dog, meat cannot be kept more than a day without refrigeration, more so in summer in a land cruiser, Two bob made no mention of a plug in fridge That meat purhase in itself would be at least $5 per day or if a small dog every two days. If he buys the dog fresh chicken again he is looking at around, note I quote, around $5 every second day. That alone for the dog is roughly $15, leaving him $25 for his own food. Again I say it is cutting it too close to the bone.

As others, yourself included, have pointed out, everyone is different, a lot of people can live on the smell of an oil rag. My only failure was I contested the $40 PER WEEK. If we are out and about travelling we intend to spend more on things for pleasure. If we are home we cut down hence Two bob's $40 per week home budget.

Again all you people sitting on the fence watching and smirking. I ask: Do you spend more than $40 per week on food when travelling.

-- Edited by Cooper on Thursday 28th of January 2010 10:55:12 AM

twobob · Guru

Why do you not P I S S off Cooper. Your personal attacks are not wanted on this site.

I set a premise, that it could be done on the pension. I also listed 3 areas that would need to be considered, in doing so.

Others who are doing it, CONFIRMED my premise.

What part are you missing here.

Until you learn (as in the joke thread) how to comprehend, go back to that hole in the ground you came from

Cooper · Member

twobob wrote:

Why do you not P I S S off Cooper. Your personal attacks are not wanted on this site.

I set a premise, that it could be done on the pension. I also listed 3 areas that would need to be considered, in doing so.

Others who are doing it, CONFIRMED my premise.

What part are you missing here.

Until you learn (as in the joke thread) how to comprehend, go back to that hole in the ground you came from

MATEY !! now I will belittle myself you your low standard ! UP YOURS !! I am entitled to my view.

dave06 · Guru

ah you see you call it "argument" I call it an "active debate on varying levels", all I am saying is if you pull apart someone else's input as you have done with Bobs then fail to put up a valid input of your own then that invalidates your claim to Bob's inability to meet his expenses

if you have no idea of your daily expenses then why would you pull apart someone else's meanderings which is all that Bob has submitted, simply a "supposition" of what his costs could be, he also corrected himself

I often do this myself, in my head, if I cut back on this I can have that, we all do it, Bob put his thoughts in the open

we have circled this great country many times and are well aware of a rough daily cost and it is well above what Bob mentions, I work hard and I spend when I want to but thats me!

but we have often come across folk just like Bob who exist on very little and are having the time of their life simply by being out there, I am not about to doubt another mans input simply because I cant or am not willing to do it do it

I would not be willing to cut down as Bob has done but if it means the difference between getting out there or sitting at home I'm sure I'd find a way!

once again all I ask is for you to work out your daily expenses, as the original question asked, and place it up here for all to compare