Hi Camille,
Like you, I was initially scared to track my expenses and “commit” to a budget, because perhaps I was afraid to discover that I was spending “too much” in one category or another, and would have to make adjustments.
In reality, I found the whole process very empowering, and in fact I was able to put all my spending in perspective without judgement. That’s why I’ve continued to track them (and even publish them!) all these years!

Hi Kathryn,
I agree – a rock bottom budget for the sake of a rock bottom budget, ranges from pointless to detrimental. Sure, as a one-off challenge: go for it. But as a lifestyle? Not my thing.
Funny about the “hydro” reference! It’s pretty common here in Canada.

By the way, I grew up in Tasmania and I’ve never heard anyone outside of Tassie use the word hydro for electricity bills 🙂

What an amazing opportunity you created! Thanks for responding.

Hey Pamela,
Indeed, I lucked out with my Toronto pad, especially for what I got. My rent is $1,000 CAD per month, and it’s a very large renovated 1 bedroom that is in a trendy area across the street from the subway and minutes from downtown. It’s an older building with some challenges, but nothing that overtly affects my quality of life.

How did I land it? I guess it was a right time/right place scenario to an extent. I put a call out on FB with my needs, and some Rotary colleagues of mine who are landlords came to the rescue. The jury is still out as to whether I got a special deal or not. 😉

Thanks, Colleen!

I remember when you wrote to me that you were staying in two rooms at the Palacio – the fanciest hotel in Cusco! (Good for you by the way for having/using the points; I remember you shared your strategy and it seemed to be a very smart way to spend relatively little money and get relatively lots of luxury)!

I think it’s important for us all to define what’s important to us and how much we’re prepared to pay for it. My hostel/dormitory/shared bathroom days are long behind me. I will pay more money for a (relatively) comfy place to stay with a certain amount/quality of amenities.

I am also prepared to pay for good food. It doesn’t have to be Michelin rated stuff, but it does need to be healthy and delicious. I don’t eat dry macaroni for dinner because that’s all I can afford. (If it’s all I can afford, I should be looking harder at my budget!)

I think perhaps you also spent way more on your trip with your family because, if I’m not mistaken, you weren’t working through it. Which means most of every day needed to be filled with something. That gets really expensive!
With a full-time job following me around the world, it limits the amount of “trouble” I can get into, and thus, it also limits the amount of money I spend. I also go very slowly, so I can take advantage of low local apartment rental rates, enjoy a full kitchen and shopping for groceries, etc.

I’ve long been an advocate of the idea that there is NO one way to travel, nor to create a travel budget. Travel is so different for everybody! So regardless of what you spent, I’m not using a measuring stick, and I hope you aren’t either. 😉

Here’s a post you may have missed about developing a travel budget. Perhaps it will be useful for your future travel adventures??
https://www.theprofessionalhobo.com/how-to-create-a-long-term-travel-budget-financially-sustainable-travel/

Our spending for the year of family travel around the world is significantly higher than yours. Three teens. And lots of luxury. It was more of a once in a lifetime trip with the kids as they are almost grown up. Our oldest is off to university.

Nora, I’ve been popping in here for years as we were planning early retirement with three kids. And a trip around the world as well. I was convinced I was a budget traveller. But I recall your comments about our choice of hotel in Cusco Peru. We all got sick for the first time on our trip and we laid up in two rooms at the Palacio del Inca hotel. The stay was mostly on points. But I quickly realized what type of traveller I am. I truly appreciated the pristine garbage can as I was heaving into it.

I still want to be frugal. That is, thoughtful with my cash and getting the best value. But we are fat FIRE I guess. But I’m happy with that.

I still greatly admire budget travellers.

I appreciate you showing ALL the costs related to your lifestyle.

We are preparing for our next adventure as expats in eastern Europe for a few years.

Thanks for sharing!