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Costs of Full-Time RVing – November 2018


November 2018 found us traveling from St George, Utah through southeastern Nevada and ending in Maricopa, Arizona. After a busy August, September and October of exploring we slowed our travels down considerably in November while logging only 504 miles in the RV and 539 in the car. The slower trend will continue the next few months as we settle in for the winter. We still plan to do a fair share of exploring though, as Arizona offers visitors much to see and do.  

With the decreased miles traveled in November came less money spent on gasoline. We filled the RV tank only once during the month in Kingman, Arizona and the cost per gallon was $2.75. While driving on Highway 93 from the Boulder City, Nevada to Kingman, Arizona we did see gas at $4.49 a gallon. Glad we didn’t need to stop there! Hopefully the gasoline prices will continue to decrease saving us all a few dollars. 

All nights during the month were free stays including 19 nights on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) property,  1 night at a Walmart and 9 nights at three different casinos. While at the Virgin River Casino in Mesquite, Nevada we enjoyed several meals including their $7.99 prime rib special. It was very good! We also enjoyed a pleasant night at one of the newly added Harvest Host golf course locations.

November was an unusual month for expenses in that our total expenditure was $4,235.62. Our spending per month has averaged under $1,500 for the past 16 months and this month we almost tripled that by purchasing some of the equipment needed for an electrical upgrade including lithium batteries and a whole house inverter for the RV. This upgrade is a project we have been contemplating doing since beginning the RV life and we are excited that it is finally coming together. The actual installation will be taking place in December and along with the install more expenses will be incurred such as cables, switches, labor, etc. Details on the upgrade will be coming in the future. 

 

monthly travels

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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*Note – Includes all expenses incurred except for health insurance which we wish the details to remain private. Please contact us by email with questions concerning health insurance costs. 

Detailed Expense Breakdown

Campground Fees – $0

No campground expenses were incurred this month. Overnight stays included one night at a Harvest Hosts golf course location, one night at a Walmart, nine nights at casinos and 19 nights at Bureau of Land Management (BLM) sites. 

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Communication – $127 

Verizon phone plan shared with family, unlimited data plan with AT&T and UPS mail box are included in this category.

 

Entertainment – $26

Expenses include entrance fees to Valley of Fire State Park ($10) and our monthly Netflix and Hulu plans.

 

Food – $343

Includes all food, alcohol and restaurant expenses. $60.90 was spent on meals eaten out while staying at the casinos in Mesquite, Nevada. We couldn’t pass up the $7.99 prime rib meal at Virgin River Casino! $282.38 was spent on food and beverages consumed in the RV.

 

Gas (Car) – $52

Total miles driven in the Kia Soul for the month was 539. Fuel prices ranged from $2.97 to 3.02 a gallon.

  

Gas (RV) – $114

Total miles driven in the Thor Vegas RV was 504. Fuel is also used to operate the on-board generator. Gasoline price was $2.75 a gallon.

 

General – $221

Purchases included a haircut, a Chromebook (Black Friday special) to replace an ailing laptop and miscellaneous household items such as toiletries, paper products and cleaning supplies.   

Support OORRV. Become a Harvest Host member today and save 10%!

Harvest Hosts is a network of wineries, farms and attractions that invite self-contained RVers to visit and stay overnight. Since starting our journey we have enjoyed the hospitality of many of these locations.  Receive a 10% discount by using Off Our Rocker RV as a referral and we also are rewarded as an affiliate.

Every referral helps support this blog. For more details click here.

Laundry – $12

One visit to the laundromat this month in Henderson, Nevada. Washers were $2.50-3.75 a load and dryers were $0.25 for six minutes.

 

License/Insurance – $108

Full-time RV and tow vehicle insurance and licensing.

 

Medical/Dental – $0

No expenses incurred this month.

 

RV/Auto – $3,203

Expenses included an oil change for the Kia Soul ($23.69)  and hardware for our electrical upgrade including lithium batteries, inverter, monitors, etc ($3179.75)   

 

Support OORRV. Become a Harvest Host member today and save 10%!

Harvest Hosts is a network of wineries, farms and attractions that invite self-contained RVers to visit and stay overnight. Since starting our journey we have enjoyed the hospitality of many of these locations.  Receive a 10% discount by using Off Our Rocker RV as a referral and we also are rewarded as an affiliate.

Every referral helps support this blog. For more details click here.

Utilities – $29

Expense includes one propane fill for the RV and auxilliary 20lb tank. Propane was $2.99 a gallon in North Las Vegas. Propane is used for the cook stove, water heater, refrigerator, furnace., outdoor grill and fire pit.

 

Expense Breakdown

CATEGORIES NOVEMBER YTD 2018
Campground Fees 0.00 852.00
Communication 126.75 1569.57
Entertainment 25.79 671.59
Food 343.28 3749.05
Gas – Car 52.17 848.49
Gas – RV 114.10 2583.75
General 220.88 1853.50
Laundry 12.00 94.79
License/Insurance 108.08 1179.56
Medical/Dental 0.00 552.54
RV/Auto 3203.44 4807.91
Utilities 29.13 254.92
Total Expenses 4235.62 19017.67

2018 By Month

Annual Expenses

 

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