Extended Trips - Budgets

[TTBRIDGE]

Hey All,

Working on a plan that will involve 6 months on the road, that will see us do the top end and WA coast line. It is some time away yet as i want to be fully financial and not work. It is a holiday after all, so budget needs to be determined now.

I have heard many Theron on costs of travel from $100 a day, to $1000 a week, this will ebb and flow depending on KM traveled in a week. Free camping will be the go where possible but we will clearly do caravan parks as well along the way for washing etc.

So does anyone have a guide to what there experance has been, does not need to be 6 months on the road, even a 3 month trip would be a good indicative indication. We would be a full size van with 2 primary school kids.

Any help would be great.

 

[Soaring]

@TTBRIDGE While my approach to the costs on this upcoming 3 month trip have been very much in the:lalala: camp, I have put together a spreadsheet for the first half getting from Melbourne to Broome. Accomodation and fuel with a mix of free camping, caravan parks, and station stays averages out at $95 per day. This does not include food, entertainment or souvenirs.
Hope this helps.

 

[burnsie]

Hey @TTBRIDGE we too are planning for a 5 - 6month trip heading up through WA, then across into NT and QLD. We have 3 kids by the time we start our trip in May 2016 they will be 9, 7 & 4 so two of them also at primary school age.

Will be keeping an eye on this post to see what everyone's thoughts are on this, most people are just leaving or about to leave for this trip like @Soaring so we may get a better idea from people later in the year once they all arrive back from there trips, of course there are lots of people who have already done this in previous years as well with lots of suggestions I am sure.

We are a little bit more along the trip preparation progress than yourselves probably only because we have locked in a start date

We have looked through all the brochures and reviewed all the websites and are finally starting last week actually to put a itinerary together, we are based in Perth, WA so we will start by heading up north and going around that way, once we have an idea on locations and travel distances I think you can get a better idea of costs.

Lots of people have told us that there is not point in driving everyday and seeing everything just so you can say you have been around Australia, especially for us having 3 kids, take your time yes have driving days but spend lots of time enjoying the places you do stop at, well that's what we are going to do anyway

Happy planning!!!!

 

[Robbie Reddog]

We did a 6 month trip around the country back in 2009. Took a combination of long service and annual leave and the Mrs was lucky enough to get unpaid leave. Left end on May and went north along the coast and clockwise around. All up we did just over 20,000km and spend a little under $21K.
We stayed in parks all the time other than 2 week with friends in Derby. Cost included all food, accommodation, fuel, vehicle service, tours, excursions souvenirs etc.
As you say it's a holiday and whilst we watched our expenses our frame of mind was it may be the only time we do this so we made the most of it and indulged in the touristy things.
I remember reading other post at the time and the majority worked on a formula of $1 per 1km. I suppose this ended up working out about right in our situation.

You and the family will have a blast. It's a great country and it's one of the best trips we've done.

 

[Smergen]

As a few will know, the Marshians are also planning such a trip, with our profile being: depart 2018, long service leave, 6 months, 3 kids (10,8/9, 6)

Will be watching this thread for any input as we are starting to plan our journey. Current topic of conversation is what to include and and what not, or plainly "how much do we try and do?" You will never see everything and leaving some things unseen provides an excuse to get back out there and do it again down the track!

To quote the Reverend Steve Tyler:

"Life's a journey, not a destination"

 

[Drover]

I have tried but gave up and put it in the too hard basket.............so many variables but the $1 per K and maybe add 10% seems pretty close. I have most of our receipts in a big envelope but am too scared to add them up, still a week till we get home.

 

[mfexpanda]

Buy food like meat in bulk, cryovac use the engel as a 40l freezer. Make sure cook snacks or cakes and carry water refillable bottles. It's the hidden costs of take away or buying food when out. Make sandwiches, sushi or mini quiches etc when Travelling or visiting attractions. Find attractions that are free or work out the best value for money, lots of places want your money not all attractions are what they make out to be and can be expensive. Choose the ones that give best value for money. There are lots of free camps and make sure you have a washing machine in the van at $5_$6 a load it soon adds up plan ahead in terms of travel routes so there is no doubling back and excess kms. A lot of the time kids may not be as interested as you visiting attractions. Staying at caravan parks that may not be part of a chain can be cheaper or ask for multiple night discounts, and look at showgrounds during school holidays which are cheaper than caravan parks most have power and water available with toilet blocks

 

[DRW]

@mfexpanda that just might be the most intelligent writing from a Collingwood supporter I have ever scene, absolutely agree 100%. My cousin spends the 1K+ per week, but they are retired and they do the coffee shop every morning, buy lunch etc. which ads up as pointed out by your good self, we don’t scrooge at all but we find it too easy and so much more convenient to feed ourselves instead of buying takeaways (then there’s my red wine addiction) so I guess it comes down to fuel, accommodation and attractions as the food budget should be close to the one at home?

 

[mfexpanda]

@DRW it's intelligent coz mrsmfexpanda wrote it and nothing wrong with red wine addiction buy clean skins or Dan Murphys and do wine tastings that don't cost anything and buy in bulk

 

[Drover]

A vac seal unit is a god send for sealing the meat and other stuff, especially the meat as if you sort it into meal units and vac it you will fit more into the freezer just don't forget to buy up heaps of vac rolls as they can be hard to find on the road.........beer and wine best to stock up from the coast or go without..aarrgghhh............and look for the 24hr automatic truck fuel points for diesel you will save heaps, use EFTPOS card easier than credit card, if you have a restrictor in fuel fill stick a slim tent peg in to hold the flap open.
Use Mr Google , Wiki Camps before hand to check out attraction cost as @mfexpanda is exactly right some are not worth it.

 

[DRW]

@DRW it's intelligent coz mrsmfexpanda wrote it and nothing wrong with red wine addiction buy clean skins or Dan Murphys and do wine tastings that don't cost anything and buy in bulk

I joined the Virgin wine club by accidient which in itself is funny because I am platinum with Qantas, they are cheaper, 15 to the dozen and they just sent stuff 4 times a year, oh yeah they have my credit card details lol

 

[DRW]

Back on topic, we do tend to try to buy in each town as well, (this may change when we retire) but I love visiting the local butcher and @Drover there is a good one in Yeppoon as well, turn right at the first round a bout heading back into town and its the 3rd left from memory maybe the 4th??

 

[mbr37746]

We've done 6-8 week trips, to be honest the$1k each week is accurate for us. Like you, we've got 2 primary school kids. This figure is without being either silly or scroogy. No more beer, wine or spirits than at home, eating out as normal, although with the additional cost of attractions, fuel etc. The last trip was 6 weeks, total cost was only just under $6k.

 

[Crusty181]

I joined the Virgin wine club by accidient which in itself is funny because I am platinum with Qantas, they are cheaper, 15 to the dozen and they just sent stuff 4 times a year, oh yeah they have my credit card details lol

Thats unfortunate ... sound great but I can't join any cub that stipulates I have to be a Virgin

(anyway ... wouldn't drinking a lot of wine generally end up with your Virgin membership status being revoked )

 

[Crusty181]

We did a 3 1/2 month trip up the east cost from Melb in (I think) 2011, using around 14ltrs/100km towing. We didnt eat out much because the little folk were too young, but that said we didn't skimp on anything either. We averaged around $110 per day, no free camping at all that trip but it was also during off peak season back home around xmas. And the $110 per day was all inclusive.

For a longer trip you'll need to add car services and maintenance etc to the budget. @mfexpanda was spot on with the washing machine, those costs really add up. We used a Companion single tub for years. Light weight, and you can pack stuff into it which negates any impact from its size. Swear by it, it was awesome

 

[davemc]

longest we have done is over 3 weeks.. We normally hit a local Aldi and stock up and then Weber every night
You can then buy the kids some holiday crap at supermarket prices not at takeaway prices.
Washing machine saved us a lot of $'s as kids get dirty we got a ensuite site and leave it setup use every couple of days.
Free camping will save you a heap with kids as you get charged extra at a lot of parks.

 

[Moto Mech]

Last year we did a 3mth trip, not towing but tenting it. We covered 17000kms, free camped 98% of the time and came in right on $150/day. This was for 2A 3C(one may as well be an adult).
Fuel is a big cost if your covering alot of ground in a certain amount of time.
Next year we are hitting the road full time for 12mths and are budgeting on $110/day or less simply because we dont have to be anywhere at anytime, we can simply plod around, stay at places as long as we want but have decided to pick up work if and when required.
First trip we did in 2003 came in about $100/day 2A2C(both very young)

 

[acmackie]

Nearing the end of our 3 month trip now, will end up doing about 18000km. I plan to go through my credit card and bank statements to work out where all the money went, but quick guess is we're up about $15k. Most of that is fuel, so if you're doing the same distance in more time, then daily average is reduced. I think the first week of my trip I did about 4000km, so roughly 650L of diesel, so roughly $1000 just in fuel for the week. I've also had expensive servicing (Audi....). We have not done a lot of paid tourist things, as we've mostly found the kids to be happy with walks (the more difficult the better...) and seeing free/cheap stuff. Today was the exception, $1100 for half hr helicopter, but you need to keep some money for some special things. Once I get home and sort out the details I'll post it on my trip report (and here if I remember).

 

[TTBRIDGE]

Thanks Guys,

We are well down the planning track in terms of van etc. We upgraded last year, we are self sufficient. Enough Solar to charge, we have an on board washing machine. We will be free camping quite a lot, we will just need water every few days. So that will keep costs down. The trip will be about 15,000 km, based on a high fuel economy number (worst case) we will spend about 6K on fuel, or an average of $226 per week. Car servicing / tires will be factored in and covered before we leave but will essentially get the trip without a service.

Food i figured is about the same as home, and we carry an Engel as a freezer on larger trips and have done the cryovac in the past on Cape York trips with the camper.

So with all this in, my pie in the sky target was under 1200 per week, i think i am looking like 1000 per week will have us well covered. However, this is a kind of a once in a working life trip. So i don't want to be picking change up off the ground.

Keep the suggestions coming, it is a good read.

 

[Smergen]

Some really good info coming here... I love it. Great for budgeting ideas and reference points.