As a part of our TdF trip, I’ve been doing my best to track where we were spending our travel dollars/Euros/Kronners/etc and on what. I’ve been a Quicken user since it was an MS-DOS app, I’m pretty good with it and it’s a nice tool for this kind of thing—it even handles foreign currencies. The grand plan is to be on the road as much as we want and I figured it was a good idea to develop a model to see just how much voyaging we can enjoy without seriously impacting the Scots whiskey budget or Zoe’s dog treat supply.
When the July Hale Nani electric bill arrived, I was pleased to find it was about a third less than a normal ding for that period. While we were in Europe, I’d turned off the water heater and we obviously hadn’t been using lights, the tube, PCs, etc., but it got me to thinking about other savings that resulted from our home base absence. The rather obvious conclusion was that while eating frites and fois gras, riding the Eurail and sipping 1664s, we weren’t doing the $50 Dodge fill-ups or going to the grocery or tapping into our albeit limited wine supply. If I work this analysis right, it may just be we can’t afford to NOT be on the road. My muse, Mr. Ely, MN, Charles Kuralt, would appreciate that.
We leave you this Sunday morning…
This is what I have been telling Rick for years…..it is cheaper to travel than to stay home! What a concept! I simply love it. Keep on traveling, I want to read all about it.