This month wasn’t as good for us as the last but early on some out of the ordinary expenses brought the numbers up. These figures are converted to US dollars at an average rate of 1.45 EU.
Groceries (includes 4 bottles wine) | 317 |
Diesel Fuel
|
883 |
Camping/Water/Dump | 286 |
Propane | 19 |
Tolls/Transportation | 210 |
Restaurant/Ice Cream Cones | 58 |
Entry Fees | 22 |
Internet/Phone/Laundry | 31 |
Medical | 786 |
Miscellaneous | 530 |
TOTAL | USD $3142 |
Camping costs were mostly from the campground near Heidelberg and the Stellplatz in Garmisch. Due to circumstances at the time we had to stay at these two places and for longer than we ordinarily would. Out of 15 days in France, only $29 was spent on camping here.
Tolls were mostly for the 3 days in Italy.
Medical is very reasonable considering it included two specialist visits, lab work, EKG, ultrasound, X-Rays, and prescriptions. Just 2 months of insurance premiums in the U.S. for me alone would cost more than the $786.
Miscellaneous included $200 to replace our GPS (that decided to start working again), $145 for the broken mirror, $62 to replace Steve’s stolen sandals and other small items.
Considering we ate out just once, our grocery costs are quite low – in fact much lower than in the U.S. However, we haven’t bought a single bottle of pop, no chips, no cookies, no candy, and no ready made items other than bread and condiments of course. The bread is a problem: It is way too good.
Note about conversion rates: I include our credit union’s 1% foreign transaction fee plus $1.50 ATM transaction charge in arriving at the exchange rate. Our bank (one of the big ones that makes billions in profits), charges a 3% foreign transaction fee + $5 ATM fee so we only used them one time in Europe. Using the bank account exclusively would cost us an additional $100 a month in fees.