By Kyle & Olivia Brady | Founders of Drivin' & Vibin' | We use affiliate links and may receive a small commission on purchases.
Every month (actually every day) we track each dollar spent. This monthly report is released to help aspiring fulltimers and share how we live minimally, yet vibrantly. Our November expenses were slightly higher than previous months due to the price of West Coast traveling and the holiday season.
We make income from our Etsy shop, blog, and YouTube channel to fund our journey.
Watch the Video!
Camping
We camped at 8 different sites during November; and paid for more nights than normal. We wanted to visit family for thanksgiving and soak in the hot springs; this led to a pricey month of camping. But, averaging at $6 a day still isn’t too bad!
- Monthly Expenses: $180
- Daily Average: $6
Food / Household Goods
As with the previous expense reports we like to clarify that this section includes more than food. We lump all of our grocery expenses into this category. So, it also includes medicine, household goods, dog food & supplies, and vitamins.
During November we spent more on food due to the Thanksgiving holiday and amazing vegan dining options in Southern California. However, we still made 90% of our meals in the camper.
- Monthly Expenses: $567
- Daily Average: $18.90
Gas
We didn’t tow the camper many miles in November (Isleton to Desert Hot Springs), but we sure did drive the truck a lot. California gas is among the most expensive in the country, too!
- Monthly Expenses: $280
- Daily Average: $9.33
“Other” Expenses
The catch-all category we call “Other” was higher than normal this month with the bulk of it being spent on our yearly National Park Pass ($80). We also paid for parking, tolls, and laundry.
- Monthly Expenses: $112
- Daily Average: $3.37
Fixed Expenses
These are our unchanging expenses that include insurance, a student loan, subscription services, and cell service.
- Monthly Expenses: $400
- Daily Average: $12.90
Total Monthly Expenses
We’re satisfied with our overall November expenses. Our mission isn’t to live as cheaply as possible; rather, balance our minimal lifestyle with amazing experiences. The holiday season always has a premium price!
- Total Expenses: $1,539
- Daily Average: $51.30
Thanks for reading our blog. Help support our mission – to live freely and deliberately – by checking out our Etsy store or shopping Amazon through our link.
And, don’t forget to sign up for our monthly newsletter 🙂
Hi Olivia & Kyle, I’ve been following your blog for a few months now. I think it is awesome that you are able to fulltime as a young couple! I admire you for choosing this life. I am nearing retirement and plan to travel fulltime starting next year. I wish I had done it sooner! Thanks for sharing your monthly expenses and showing that it can be done on a modest budget. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and safe travels to Maine.
Debra
Thanks so much Debra! Best of luck to you on your journey!
Interesting article. We also track daily expenses but live in a 40 ft motor home. You did excellent on your camping expense. Our best for a year averaged $6.50 a night but we workamper for 8 months.
Our food expense runs parallel with yours. Our gas/diesel fuel expense is more when on the road, but runs about $130 a month for our car.
Love the lifestyle.
Thank you! Sounds like you guys are doing well too! $6.50 is great!
Hi! I enjoy your blog and appreciate you posting your expenses. However, for some of us who might be considering starting our own blog…would you consider disclosing your income, in addition to your expenses, to give us some idea just how feasible it might be.
Thank you for sharing! I have just recently been looking at yalss blog and videos. We are considering starting this June and have a dog – our main concern is many national parks wont allow dogs on the trails 🙁
Do you have a list or video of dog friendly places you have visited?
Thank you