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Costs of Full-Time RVing – March 2019


March 2019 found us on the move after spending the first two months of the year relatively stationary in the Arizona desert.

We started the month in Lake Havasu City where we had spent the last two weeks of February. We headed south to Quartzsite where we stopped to refresh our tanks at the RV Pit Stop and to visit friends while overnighting at the Hi Jolly BLM. From Quartzsite we headed east to Saddle Mountain BLM near Tonopah, Arizona. It was a beautiful area to boondock but very infested with black flies.

After two nights we were off to the Phoenix metro area where we stayed at two Boondockers Welcome host sites and at the Desert Diamond Casino in Glendale. While in the Phoenix area we attended a Phoenix Suns/Milwaukee Bucks NBA game, enjoyed two Milwaukee Brewers spring training games, visited with friends, and much more.

From the Phoenix area we headed south for a quick visit to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and then moved east to Tucson where we stayed at the Casino del Sol. While in Tucson we attended an air show, drove to the top of Mount Lemmon and hiked at Saguaro National Park. After an enjoyable few days in Tucson we continued east on I-10 stopping in Willcox, Arizona for a few nights then on to New Mexico. Finally a new state after spending nearly four months in Arizona! After a couple day stay in Deming, New Mexico we ended the month in Las Cruces at a wonderful Boondockers Welcome host site.

Miles driven for the month of March were much higher as expected compared to the previous two months with a total for the car and RV coming in at 2,114. Miles traveled in the month of April will remain high as we make our way to Minnesota by early May. Our total expenses of $1,269 for the month were similar to the $1,260 spent in February 2019 but still lower than our overall average of $1,500 a month.

Moving forward to April we anticipate our high fuel costs will increase our overall monthly spending to the average range or possibly even higher. See the complete detailed expense breakdown below.

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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Detailed Expense Breakdown

Campground Fees – $0

No campground expenses were incurred this month. Overnight stays included four nights at three different Bureau of Land Management (BLM) sites, thirteen nights at two casinos and fourteen nights at five Boondockers Welcome host sites. 

Communication – $113

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

Entertainment – $21

Expenses include parking at Talking Stick Arena in Phoenix, Arizona during an NBA game and monthly fees for Netflix and Hulu plans. Tickets for the NBA game and two spring training baseball games we attending during March were purchased in February and costs are reflected in that month’s expense report. 

 

Food – $359

Includes all food and alcohol expenses for the month. $31.84 was spent on meals and beverages eaten out and $327.04 for food and beverages prepared and consumed in the RV. 

 

Gas (Car) – $95

Total miles driven in the Kia Soul for the month was 1,303. Fuel prices ranged from $2.39-2.51 a gallon.

 

Gas (RV) – $187

Total miles driven in the Thor Vegas RV was 811. Fuel is also used to operate the on-board generator. Fuel prices ranged from $2.49-2.50 a gallon.

 

General – $154

Purchases included a birthday gift, pillows, can coolers, fans and miscellaneous household items such as toiletries, paper products and cleaning supplies.

 

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Laundry – $13

One visit to the laundromat this month in Tucson, Arizona. Washers were $2.25 and $4.25 depending on size and dryers were $0.25 for six minutes. 

 

License/Insurance – $115

Full-time RV and tow vehicle insurance and licensing. 

 

Medical/Dental – $139

Expense includes our monthly health insurance premium. 

 

RV/Auto – $8

Expense includes a badly needed car wash for the Kia Soul. 

 

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 – $64

Expense includes fees for dump/water stations ($10 & $14) and two propane fills ($16.92 & $23.55). Propane costs per gallon were $2.99 and $2.30. Propane is used for the furnace, water heater, stove, refrigerator, grill and firepit.

Expense Breakdown

CATEGORIES MARCH YTD 2019
Campground Fees 0.00 0.00
Communication 112.52 349.11
Entertainment 20.79 252.72
Food 358.88 992.82
Gas – Car 94.75 175.88
Gas – RV 187.44 280.52
General 154.41 351.96
Laundry 13.00 39.50
License/Insurance 115.20 345.60
Medical/Dental 139.22 512.76
RV/Auto 8.00 49.19
Utilities 64.47 144.51
Total Expenses 1268.68 3494.57

2019 By Month

2018 By Month

Annual Expenses

 
 
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