February 2019 found us in Arizona for the entire month along the Highway 95 cooridor between Yuma in the south and Lake Havasu City in the north. As in January, we boondocked the entire month but mixed it up with stays on three different BLM (Bureau of Land Management) locations, a Harvest Hosts site and at a Boondockers Welcome host site.
We started the month on Palm Canyon Road BLM land near the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge located between Quartzsite and Yuma. While there we hiked to see the only known native palm trees in Arizona. Our stay there was only a few days and we will return in the future as this was a great spot to dry camp. From there we traveled south toward Yuma and visited a farm that is a Harvest Hosts host site and spent the night overlooking a cauliflower field. The farm features a restaurant where we enjoyed our first ever date shake. Yum!
Next up was a planned five night stay at a Boondockers Welcome host site in the Yuma area. Our main goal while in the area was to cross the border into Mexico for dental cleanings and exams. This was our third time having dental work completed in Mexico and we will return again in the fall. Our Boondockers Welcome host was a avid off-roader with a Jeep and he invited us to join him on his weekly 4×4 ride. How awesome is that! We had a great time and our host then invited us to stay longer to go on another ride. Needless to say, he didn’t have to twist our arms too much and we gladly stayed.
After a wonderful extended Boondockers Welcome stay we moved north towards Lake Havasu City. Unfortunately we met with high gusty winds and rain with flash flood warnings so we detoured in Quartzsite for a night staying on BLM land on Plomosa Road. The storm passed during the night and we were off in the morning to Craggy Wash BLM just outside of Lake Havasu City for the remainder of the month. The last two weeks of February were unseasonably cold and it actually snowed one night for only the second time in 40 years. Brrr! Despite the cold we still had a wonderful time in Lake Havasu and spent much of our time visiting with friends both new and old. We also did some exploring in the area, took a few hikes, read and enjoyed nature.
Miles driven for the month of February remained low as they have the past two months with the total for both the RV and the car at 805. Total fuel expenses reflected that low mileage and came in at $111. Both mileage and corresponding fuel expenses will be sharply increasing during the next two months as we will be making our way from Arizona to the upper midwest.
Our expenses of $1,260 for the month remain lower than our overall average of $1,500 a month but were $300 higher than in January. We purchased tickets during February for three sporting events taking place in March (MLB and NBA games) that attributes to $142 of this increase. $70 was spent on dental cleanings/exams and $37 on meals out. See the complete expense breakdown below.
monthly travels
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Monthly Expense Breakdown
Below is a breakdown of our monthly expenses along with an explanation of what is included in each category. We track our spending via the free app “PERSONAL CAPITAL” and publicly share it to help others estimate their potential expenses for life on the road.
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Detailed Expense Breakdown
Campground Fees – $0
No campground expenses were incurred this month. Overnight stays included one night at a Harvest Host and eleven nights at a Boondockers Welcome in the Yuma, Arizona area and 16 nights at three different BLM locations in western Arizona.
Communication – $124
Verizon phone plan shared with family, unlimited data plan with AT&T and UPS mail box costs are included in this category. We also paid to have our mail forwarded this month.
Entertainment – $182
Expenses include entrance fees for sporting events happening during March including two Milwaukee Brewers spring training games and an NBA game between the Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks. We also paid for parking at the US/Mexico border, Jeep gasoline for off-roading with our Boondockers Welcome host and monthly fees for Netflix and Hulu plans.
Food – $329
Includes all food and alcohol expenses for the month. $36.83 was spent on meals and beverages eaten out (mmm date shakes!) and $292.01 for food and beverages prepared and consumed in the RV.
Gas (Car) – $44
Total miles driven in the Kia Soul for the month was 582. Fuel prices ranged from $2.23 – 2.29 a gallon.
Gas (RV) – $67
Total miles driven in the Thor Vegas RV was 223. Fuel is also used to operate the on-board generator. We fueled up the RV one time during the month at $2.29 a gallon for gasoline.
General – $107
Purchases included a hair cut, a set of hiking poles, two pairs of pants and miscellaneous household items such as toiletries, paper products and cleaning supplies.
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Laundry – $10
One visit to the laundromat this month in Lake Havasu City, Arizona at Modern Laundromat. Washers were $2.25 each and dryers $0.25 for eight minutes. The laundromat was very clean with new machines. Nice!
License/Insurance – $115
Full-time RV and tow vehicle insurance and licensing.
Medical/Dental – $234
Expense includes our monthly health insurance premium ($139.22), dental cleanings and exams ($72.10) and medication not covered by insurance ($23.00).
RV/Auto – $41
Expense includes an upgraded digital thermostat for the RV.
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Utilities – $6
Expense includes 2.4 gallons of propane from the RV Pit Stop in Quartzsite, Arizona at a cost of $2.30 +tax per gallon.
Expense Breakdown
CATEGORIES | FEBRUARY | YTD 2019 |
Campground Fees | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Communication | 124.07 | 236.59 |
Entertainment | 182.14 | 231.93 |
Food | 328.84 | 633.94 |
Gas – Car | 43.53 | 81.13 |
Gas – RV | 67.45 | 93.08 |
General | 106.69 | 197.55 |
Laundry | 10.25 | 26.50 |
License/Insurance | 115.20 | 230.40 |
Medical/Dental | 234.32 | 373.54 |
RV/Auto | 41.19 | 41.19 |
Utilities | 6.10 | 80.04 |
Total Expenses | 1259.78 | 2225.89 |
2019 By Month
- January – $966
- February – $1,260
2018 By Month
Annual Expenses
- 2019 YTD – $2,226
- 2018 YTD – $22,038
- Last Six Months of 2017 – $9,054