Another month has gone by, and after last month’s improvement, our expenses have headed back up again.
This time, though, the increase was mostly by choice. We decided to spend a bit more on experiences while travelling, as well as paying our annual vehicle registration fees, which always make the monthly total look worse than it really is.
That’s one thing about budgeting for full-time travel. Some months are naturally more expensive than others, but over the course of a year it usually balances out.
Breakdown of Expenses
- Experiences: Well, this is what happens when you visit the Ningaloo Reef, you simply have to get out on the water. We also treated ourselves to a couple of tours at Tom Price and Port Hedland. These sorts of experiences are a part of why we travel, so while they are not cheap, it is money well spent in our opinion.
- Subscriptions: A few of our annual subscriptions all came due this month. They do make the monthly total look a little worse, but they are expenses that only come around once a year.
- Bills: This month also included registration for both the Patrol and the caravan. It is one of those unavoidable costs of owning vehicles, and unfortunately there is no escaping government registration fees.
- Dog Expenses: Shadow had his annual visit to the vet for a check-up and his yearly vaccinations. Keeping him healthy while we’re travelling is just another regular cost of life on the road.
- General: We renewed our snorkeling gear, as our old equipment was nearly 20 years old and well past its best. We also bought a new USB drive for backing up the ever-growing collection of photos and video footage we capture while travelling.
Expenses – Sumary
| Month | Total | Acommodation (avg/ay) | Per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| December | $8,211 | $87.5 | $264 |
| January | $4,090 | $20.8 | $131 |
| February | $10,309.54 | $16 | $368 |
| March | $11,303 | $61 | $364 |
| April | $6,123 | $37.2 | $204 |
| May | $8,643 | $42.9 | $278.8 |
| June | |||
| July | |||
| August | |||
| September | |||
| October | |||
| November | |||
| Monthly avg | $8,113 | $44.2 | $268 |
Summary
Every month seems to bring another expense to deal with. In many ways, life on the road is no different from living in a house, you still have bills, maintenance, registrations, and all those unexpected costs that pop up from time to time.
This month also marks six months of keeping detailed records, something we started back in December. Over that period, we have spent approximately $47,000, not including our mobile phone plans or storage costs back home.
People often say that living on the road is cheaper than living in a house. It certainly can be in some situations, but full-time travel around Australia is far from free. There are always trade-offs, and the costs can add up surprisingly quickly.
If you’re interested in what it costs us to travel full time, you can see all of our monthly expense reports here.
Thanks for reading May 2026 – Travel Expenses. Shadow, the van, and the two of us will catch you at the next campsite.
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