Travel Expense Report: October 2024 (First Month)
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Welcome to our very first travel expense report! When we kicked off this journey, we set a goal to stick to a budget of $55 per day for both of us ($54.79, if we’re getting precise). Honestly, we didn’t know if it was realistic. Would unexpected costs pop up? Would our budgeted amount cover everything? That’s why reviewing our numbers was so eye-opening!
Travel Expense Report: October 2024
Our October budget, counting the last day of September, was $1,753.28. And at the end of the month, our expenses came in at… drumroll, please… $1,681.89! Not only did we stay within budget, but we also had an extra $71.39 left over! Additionally, our affiliate income, Patreon support, and Buy Me a Coffee contributions earned us $179.14, reducing our net expenses to -$1,502.75. We’re thrilled to be off to such a strong start, and we’re excited to see how this experience shapes our budgeting skills in the coming months!
October 2024 Travel Expense Report Breakdown: -$1,681.89
Here’s a full breakdown of our expenses in October, including accommodations, transportation, food, personal items, bills, and extras.
Accommodations: $306.81
For October, we stayed in three different hostels. The largest stay was at Viajero Hostels in Quito, where we spent two and a half weeks at $6.48 per night per person. We also had one night at Hostal Pakay in Tena at $15.15 per night per person and a four-night stay in Baños at Mama Tungu for just $4.95 per night per person. Volunteering for ten days also helped keep our accommodation costs down. It’s almost surreal paying only $306 in total rent for the month!
Food & Snacks: $591.81
Eating out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner was surprisingly within our budget. We also indulged in a few Ecuadorian snacks, and interestingly, this total ended up being about what we’d typically spend on groceries back in the U.S. We’re thinking that once we book an Airbnb in Cuenca in a few weeks, we’ll buy groceries to make food ourselves and that’ll cut costs a bit.
Transportation: $213.44
For city-to-city travel, we mainly relied on public transportation. In Quito, Uber turned out to be cheaper than traditional taxis, but we used taxis occasionally when cell service was unavailable. This total includes transportation across eight cities, trips to bus terminals, and even a few canoe rides across the Napo River!
Activities & Attractions: $72.80
We kept our activity budget reasonable this month, visiting three museums, enjoying two cable car rides, exploring a hummingbird sanctuary, and visiting two main attractions. Experiencing all these highlights for under $73 feels like a great deal!
Toiletries & Personal Expenses: $136.10
We stocked up on toiletries like shampoo, deodorant, and toothpaste, along with essentials like mosquito repellent and Vitamin B Complex. We also grabbed some headache relief, anti-acids, and even got my Typhoid Vaccine in Quito for $25. This category also covers laundry and the costs of using public restrooms (free bathrooms aren’t very common here). Since we bought most toiletries in bulk, we expect this expense to be lower next month.
Bills: $295.23
We paid for two months of travel insurance in October, as our insurer bills in twenty-eight-day intervals. This means we’ll only have one insurance bill in November! This also includes the cost of eSIMs, phone plans, and a small PayPal fee. We had a little extra when we left, so we used that to buy new shoes and Sam’s monthly loan payment. However, starting in November, we’ll include those prices in our bills category, too.
Pssst! If you’re looking for travel insurance, we can get you $20 off your first month with our link here!
Extras: $65.70
Extras for October included tips, a few souvenirs, and some minor items like sunglasses and a few pieces of clothing. This category is mostly our “fun money” that we can always cut back on if we need it. Luckily it wasn’t too expensive, and we were still under budget this month.
Travel Income Report Breakdown: +$179.14
In addition to tracking our expenses, we’re excited to share the income we earned this month! While we’re committed to keeping our spending within a $55/day budget, our goal is to offset costs through the income we generate as we travel.
This month, we made money from affiliate income from the blog, monthly payments from our Patreon subscribers, and one large payment on Buy Us A Coffee (thanks, Sonja!!). We haven’t started monetizing YouTube yet, but we hope that within the next six months that becomes a reality for us. Here’s how we did in October:
Affiliate Marketing: $86.39
Through affiliate marketing on our blog and social media channels, we earned $86.39. Affiliate income comes from recommending products and services we genuinely use and love, like our favorite travel insurance, booking platforms, and gear. Every time someone makes a purchase using our links, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to them. For affiliate income, we use the platforms Amazon, Stay22 and TravelPayouts.
Patreon: $25.25
Our Patreon community continues to grow, and this month, we made $25.25 through the support of our Patrons! Our patrons enjoy exclusive travel updates and behind-the-scenes content, and get to be part of a community that directly supports our journey. Shoutout to Tyson Bromenshenkel, Cassie Allen, Liz Kaiser, Ed and Diane Kaiser, Tiffany Bathurst, and Anna Swanson for becoming our first paid subscribers for our first month on Patreon!
Buy Me a Coffee: $47.50
Through Buy Me a Coffee, we received $47.50 this month from followers who simply wanted to support us with a small contribution. Every bit helps us keep creating and sharing our travels, and we’re so grateful to everyone who has pitched in! Thanks, Sonja Kaiser for buying us TEN COFFEE’S!
Extra: $20
When we were volunteering, we met two other volunteers. We offered to take photos of them with our professional camera. After we shared them with them, they gave us $20 as a tip! It was not expected, but welcomed!
Summary of October 2024 Travel Expense Report:
October 2024 Expenses: $1,681.89
October 2024 Income: $179.14
We’re thrilled with how well we managed our budget in our first month abroad and are excited to share these insights as we continue our travels!