Travel Expense Report: December 2024 (Highest Income Yet!)
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Welcome to our December 2024 travel expense report! Our first month went fantastic, and we were well under budget! However, November was expensive, as we embarked on many adventure sports and activities and splurged a bit more on food. This month, we accounted for November’s overspending and aimed to lower our costs to $53.68 daily. Were we able to do it!? Let’s find out!

Travel Expense Report: December 2024
December was an exciting and adventurous month! We left Ecuador and made our way down to Peru. Because of that, we didn’t know exactly what the costs would look like, especially since we would now use Soles instead of USD. Our December budget was $1,664.08, but we spent $2,225.33 in total. Wa wa waaaa. Another month over budget.
On the bright side, it was also our highest earning month yet, with $182.45 of income — woohoo! That brings our outgoing expenses down to $2,042.88, being $378.80 over budget. We also managed to save $39.22 from our Charles Schwab Checking Account and $81 on a Jungle Tour by providing professional photos. Let’s get into the nitty-gritty, shall we!?
Travel Expense Report Breakdown: -$2,225.33
While we aren’t ecstatic that we went over budget this month, we weren’t exactly surprised. We bought Machu Picchu tickets, took a 36-hour boat to Iquitos (and a plane ride back), and booked some higher-priced tours. Here’s a detailed breakdown of our finances for December:

Accommodations: $342.53
We did pretty well on our accommodation expenses this month. We only spent $35(ish) more on accommodations than our first month in Ecuador when we volunteered for ten days! We stayed in five different cities in Peru, including…
Food & Snacks: $704.19
Compared to last month, we cut our food prices down a few hundred dollars, which is a steal. The three hostels we stayed at the longest (in Chachapoyas, Tarapoto, and Iquitos) all had self-serving kitchens, so we usually bought our groceries, cutting down prices a ton. $80.92 went to snacks in December.
Transportation: $499.50
This was where things got a little pricey for December. We took a bus from Ecuador to Perú, to begin with. We also decided to take a trip to the largest city in the world, inaccessible by road, leaving us the option to take a boat or plane. We did the budget-friendly option of taking a barge on the way there but bought a flight to the coast on our way out. Here’s where most of this month’s transportation costs went:

Activities & Attractions: $322.39
This was by far our most expensive month for activities and attractions, and I admit that I don’t see that slowing down for Perú. We bought a few tours, bought Machu Picchu tickets, and went fishing. Here’s everything we splurged on:
Note on Machu Picchu: We reached out to a few different tour companies, offering to create and provide travel content in exchange for a discount. We were offered a 50% discount on BOTH the 4-Day Inca Trail Trek AND the 5-Day Salkantay Trek.
This cost us $1,082.39, but I had extra money saved up (not included in the $20K travel fund) that we used to pay for this experience, leaving $94.06 as the out-of-pocket cost.
Toiletries & Personal Expenses: $63.93
This is a surprisingly low amount of money spent on toiletries this month. The majority of our toiletry expenses this month were the malaria pills we bought before heading to Iquitos. Other than the malaria pills, we spent around $20 on laundry and bought some contact solution, mouthwash, and ibuprofen for Dylan’s throbbing finger from falling into a poisonous tree spine in the Amazon.

Extra Expenses: $100.75
The “extra” category this month was a little bit higher because we ended up tipping more (around $40) for all the tours we went on. We also had to buy hammocks to sleep in for the 36-hour boat ride as well as silverware to receive our free meals on board. We bought some batteries and new swimsuits because we left ours in Vilcabamba, and splurged on some jewelry at the infamous Beléne Market in Iquitos.
Bills: $194.04
Not too shabby for this month! We bought travelers insurance, Apple Storage, and an app for Final Cut Pro. Next month will be a bit spendier since we will have to buy traveler insurance twice and pay for my blog website host fee. I may also have to buy new glasses since I lost mine at the airport.
Pssst! If you’re looking for travel insurance, we can get you $20 off your first month with our link here!

Travel Income Report Breakdown: +$182.45
I’m so excited to share that this was the highest month of income from our travel business! After my website impressions dramatically decreased in November from the Google Core Update, I was pleased to calculate my earnings for this month. We made money from affiliate marketing, Patreon, and Buy Me A Coffee (thanks, Carl!).
Affiliate Income: $128.93
Our highest income source this month was affiliate marketing (no surprise, there!). We earned a commission through affiliate links through the Amazon Associates Program ($15.70), Stay22 ($91.01), and Benable ($21.22). We only started using Benable last month, so we’re extremely pleased with the results it’s been bringing us! We’re ecstatic about these affiliate earnings, especially during the low tourist season!
Patreon: $25
We’re so grateful to have a community of Patreon members who pay a monthly subscription for our extra travel content! It adds a little boost to our income each month and makes a difference in the long run. We tried to run a holiday promotion offering a free month, though we had little luck (but one person did join!). If you’re a Patreon member, thank you for supporting us!
Buy Me A Coffee: $30
Dylan’s dad Carl bought us three coffees this month, boosting our income up $30! Thanks, Carl for supporting us and buying us a few coffees to continue our work here! You’ll never know how much cafe con leche does for our productivity!

Summary of December 2024 Travel Expense Report:
December 2024 Expenses: -$2,225.33
December 2024 Income: $182.45
December was full of incredible experiences, and while we overspent, we’re proud of what we accomplished. Here’s to a more budget-conscious but equally adventurous January!