Can you do it on £1k a month?

[emmalina]

Disagree a lot with you here . It depends where in the world you go! I go back to Europe for a month too see my kids and freinds. We eat out a lot and know a lot of people. And if you are handy there is always money to be made. I agree you will always meet strange folk in the cruising world ! I thought we all had to be a bit strange to go cruising in the first place

 

[temptress]

We've just had our financial statements through and for the planned two year career break we can draw £1,000 pm with no draw down in our main capital and no onshore costs. Is that enough to mostly anchor cruise the Med and West Indies for 2 years? Assume that the boat is well found and prepped and there is a separate fund for emergency capital costs such as flights home and broken equipment. If £1k pm is unrealistic then we need to save much harder!

Protecting the capital is very important because when we come back we'll be starting at ground zero both job hunting, though we have very esoteric qualifications that will hopefully gain us job re-entry fairly quickly.

Thanks for your advice.

Interesting question, the answer is of course YES but then it depends. We managed quite well on GBP 1K a month but right now I’m back at work toping up the kitty because we decided having 2K or so a month was much better.

We found Atlantic Europe to all be about the same in cost, Morocco was good value, Spain expensive, the Eastern Med costs much less but it can eat budget getting there and the Carrib is even less again although food and beer is surprisingly costly RUM is almost free .

We did not skimp on 1K and had a nice lifestyle but there was not much left over for extras. Boat maintenance and breakages was a separate fund. SO can you manage on 1k yes you also manage on a lot less and a lot more it all depends on your choices and what you find to be an acceptable lifestyle. Long term cruising is different form staying in the same place for long periods, as is voyaging where you sail long distances to reach new areas, say Med to, Carrib, Carrib to USA, USA to South America or Pacific or Africa etc. All these are different experiences and can be done on different budgets.

 

[charles_reed]

Interesting points by Emmalina and Temptress.
Much has to do with cost of living as well as how mean you are.
3rd world countries easy as chips to live on the roll on £1K/month - not so in the UK, Japan, France.
Now that the Greeks are having economic vicissitudes the cost of living there has definitely reduced (except where charterers with more money than sense foregather) and is now far lower than the UK.
Brazil, but not Venezuela; Chile but not Argentina;
So one definitely needs to add, can I do it on £x/month, where it is in the world.

 

[emmalina]

Croatia has gone silly

I have been sailing the last 30 years but know Europe and the new "Europe" have gone too expensive.
When that happens you up anchor and find new cruising grounds... Its a long way but worth it !

 

[sailaboutvic]

I have been sailing the last 30 years but know Europe and the new "Europe" have gone too expensive.
When that happens you up anchor and find new cruising grounds... Its a long way but worth it !

Croatia have gone silly ???? Why ???? When the last time you visit Croatia ? We spend three months there this year , and other then the price for marinas and harbour wall , there not much cost difference if any ,

 

[emmalina]

Not much has changed appart from prices .. 20 years ago you could spend all summer for 1k now its a week !
I was there last summer for 2 months just to say goodbye to friends..

 

[sailaboutvic]

Not much has changed appart from prices .. 20 years ago you could spend all summer for 1k now its a week !
I was there last summer for 2 months just to say goodbye to friends..

20 years ago you do a lot with one K but this is 20 years later .
Price of food on Croatia is about the same in Europe , fuel cheaper the Italy and Spain bit little more then Greece , thousand and thousands of free anchorages , the only thing that make Croatia an expenses place to cruise is the cost of marinas and harbour which are eye watering , so if that what your after Croatia isn't for you . But as the question was , can you do it on £1 K month , I doubt anyone looking at cruising on that budget would be looking at Marinas , three months and our full mooring fee was 30 euros . Sorry to tell you your out of touch . Plus it one of the cleanness seas I seen for a long time .

 

[Sybarite]

France has got shockingly expensive.
I go shopping on the push bike with a laptop bag.
Ordinary stuff, no alcohol or chocolate, no steaks, costs nearly 40 euros!!!!

I would guess it's about 15% more than the UK, only a few years ago it was 25% cheaper.

The retail price index in France has gone up by 6.5% over the last 5 years. The rest is the currency effect.

http://france-inflation.com/inflation-depuis-1901.php

5 years ago £100 would have got you approx €150. Now it only gets you around €125.

And you think we have problems....

 

[Sybarite]

>. Bear in mind that hurricane season is November to June 1. .

I think you meant to say the hurricane-free season.

 

[charles_reed]

The retail price index in France has gone up by 6.5% over the last 5 years. The rest is the currency effect.

http://france-inflation.com/inflation-depuis-1901.php

5 years ago £100 would have got you approx €150. Now it only gets you around €125.

And you think we have problems....

Don't know where you got your # from The rate on 01/11/2008 was €1.235106/£1 today it's €1.27844. The very obverse of what you infer.
Do we treat the rest of your comments with the same scepticism, this error invites?
It's more like 12 years ago when we were getting €1.40/£1, and subsequently it fell for a time to €1.04/£1.

 

[GrahamM376]

Price of food on Croatia is about the same in Europe

This "Europe" description amuses me, just where in Europe do you mean? We're finding UK food prices crazy compared to Portugal, far more expensive but, last time we were in France that was even dearer than UK.

Living on £1k per month in Portugal is easy, provided Algarve marinas are avoided in high season - or preferably avoided most of the year.

 

[Sybarite]

[h=3]Luke 12:13-21
The Parable of the Rich Fool[/h]Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’"
Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Amen.

 

[Sybarite]

Don't know where you got your # from The rate on 01/11/2008 was €1.235106/£1 today it's €1.27844. The very obverse of what you infer.
Do we treat the rest of your comments with the same scepticism, this error invites?
It's more like 12 years ago when we were getting €1.40/£1, and subsequently it fell for a time to €1.04/£1.[/QUOTE


You're right. Sorry a senior moment. I used the wrong table.

 

[Koeketiene]

We're finding UK food prices crazy compared to Portugal, far more expensive but, last time we were in France that was even dearer than UK.

Where in France?
When we're over in Brittany, I can't say I've noticed food being more expensive than in Britain - on the contrary.
However, I must say that the quality of the food is better in France (maybe subjective).

 

[charles_reed]

Where in France?
When we're over in Brittany, I can't say I've noticed food being more expensive than in Britain - on the contrary.
However, I must say that the quality of the food is better in France (maybe subjective).

Probably high season on the Cotes - if he'd gone along to the Italian Riviera he'd have been even more indignant.
If you shop in the big supermarkets in the UK, it's definitely expensive - use Aldi and local markets it's not so bad. If you really want to be fleeced for food go to Scandanavian countries (and I'm not referring to alcohol). Breton fish is definitely better value and quality than in the UK and in-season vegetables less expensive. But then every town and village has a market day!!
What always puzzles me is that all these continental countries charge VAT on food - in UK it's zero-rated. Yet its more expensive!!!
Perhaps supermarkets ought to join banks in the docks!!!

 

[GrahamM376]

Where in France?
When we're over in Brittany, I can't say I've noticed food being more expensive than in Britain - on the contrary.
However, I must say that the quality of the food is better in France (maybe subjective).

It's about 8 years since we've been down the French west coast, did it 5 years on the run before heading further south. I remember meat being particularly expensive compared to UK and most other food quite a bit dearer.

In Portuguese supermarkets, we can buy 3 pork chops for <1 euro, pork loin < 3 euro/kg, grilling steak varies 7 - 10 euro/kg, stewing steak enough for 2 people around 2 euro, 6 eggs 85 cents, salmon often on offer from 5.99/kg, veg and fruit also cheaper than UK. Lidl and Aldi are also there. Wine of course is dirt cheap, a UK £4 bottle (which has £2.05 duty in the price) costs <2 euro. I can buy 3 bottles there for the price of 1 glass in a restaurant here! Spirits also far cheaper.

Eating out we can get a 3 course meal with a glass of wine or a beer for the same cost as a UK bar snack. Plate of the day from 3.99 euro. IF avoiding tourist areas.

 

[Slow_boat]

We've just got back from a summer on the west coast of France. Our plan was to anchor as much as possible, only marina once or twice a week for laundry etc. and use the money saved for days out etc. As it worked out, swmbo hurt her back so we had to marina most of the time.We still managed on euro 400 pw. We both drink and smoke but rarely eat ashore and couldn't afford days out due to the marina fees.

Most things were more expensive in France. euro 14 for a chicken, for instance. Duck is cheap, though. Clothes are more expensive, even on the markets. Marina fees a lot less, fuel about the same as UK. Lunch was about euro10-12, which is more than similar lunch out in UK.

Chandlery etc is 25% more than in UK

On the plus side, a decent Muscadet sur lea was about euro 9 for 3 litres, merlot euro 12 for 5 litres. And leaving the 10 meter boat there for 6 months is euro 900, including including lift in and out, pressure wash and chocking.

So, £12-1300 a month for two is doable, specially if you don't smoke, but it's nice to have a bit in reserve as an emergency fund.

 

[Sybarite]

We've just got back from a summer on the west coast of France. Our plan was to anchor as much as possible, only marina once or twice a week for laundry etc. and use the money saved for days out etc. As it worked out, swmbo hurt her back so we had to marina most of the time.We still managed on euro 400 pw. We both drink and smoke but rarely eat ashore and couldn't afford days out due to the marina fees.

Most things were more expensive in France. euro 14 for a chicken (depends on size and weight and where you buy it), for instance. Duck is cheap, (ditto) though. Clothes are more expensive (My last Guy Cotten Ocean Sailing suit Jacket and salopette €100, jeans : €10, dress shirts € 5 - 8) even on the markets. Marina fees a lot less (depends where) , fuel about the same as UK (diesel a heck of a lot cheaper: currently €1.21/l - not referring of course to red diesel) . Lunch was about euro10-12 (how long is a piece of string?) , which is more than similar lunch out in UK.

Chandlery etc is 25% more than in UK

On the plus side, a decent Muscadet sur lea was about euro 9 for 3 litres, merlot euro 12 for 5 litres. And leaving the 10 meter boat there for 6 months is euro 900, including including lift in and out, pressure wash and chocking.

So, £12-1300 a month for two is doable, specially if you don't smoke, but it's nice to have a bit in reserve as an emergency fund.

See above

 

[sailaboutvic]

So, £12-1300 a month for two is doable, specially if you don't smoke, but it's nice to have a bit in reserve as an emergency fund.

£1300pm ( £15600.00) for two people is more nearer then £1000pm ,as I said unless you just want to sit in one spot .
Two of us sitting on anchor not moving any where we could live well on (5500 PY ) but the boat would fall apart , we be bored as hell and I guess our Liveaboard life would last all but a few months .

 

[AndrewB]

Don't know where you got your # from The rate on 01/11/2008 was €1.235106/£1 today it's €1.27844. The very obverse of what you infer.
Do we treat the rest of your comments with the same scepticism, this error invites?
It's more like 12 years ago when we were getting €1.40/£1, and subsequently it fell for a time to €1.04/£1.

Sybarite is only a year out, maybe just a typo. According to my records I last got €1.40/£1 on 1st November 2007. The pound crashed to roughly its present level by April 2008 which it held for a while, but then again in November and December 2008 to hit the rock bottom figure you quote.

Many yachties saw the second crash coming and prudently laid in euros, when Alistair Darling (then Chancellor) denied rumours that "quantitative easing" was being considered.