Just For Fun: A Bicycle Touring ERE Budget

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NYC ERE
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Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2010 8:03 pm

Post by NYC ERE »

Very simply put, I think you could get away with:
* $5,000 in durables--bike, tools, camping gear

* $10 per day, anywhere in the world

* $1,000 per year in airfare
Assumptions:
* 4% drawdown

* camping and couch-surfing in the First World, possibly hotels in the Third (à la these guys).
This would therefore require a nest egg of:
5,000 + (10*365/.04) + (1000/.04) = $121,250
Economies could be had in steering clear of airfare requirements by hitching boat rides and generally being extreme about things--no shortcuts or "we deserve it" desserts. To be really extreme, you could take a chapter out of Francois Massonnet's book--when I stayed at his place in Paris while on my summer 2007 bike tour, he talked of tentative plans to hunt while on the road. Crossbow, slingshot+ball bearings--it could happen!
Further economies could be had by touring with whatever bike you already have. I used a racing bike on my tour, for example, with only rear panniers (no-go on my carbon fork). A recent Warm Showers guest bought a $50 bike in NYC and set off for Florida. If you have the right skills and tools (and patience), this can work.
Bike Touring Austere ERE Budget:
*$200 in durables ($1.38 Mountain Bike + scrounged/purchased tools, camping equipment, weaponry)

* $0 in airfare

* $5 a day (hunting and depending on the kindness of others)
total budget = $200 + (5*365/.04) = $45,825.


Maus
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Post by Maus »

The first thing I notice is the lack of budget for health insurance. The more miles you bike, the greater the probability that some trip to the ER will be required. In other words, how austere is too austere?


NYC ERE
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Post by NYC ERE »

@ Maus point taken. I forgot about that. I purchased health/property insurance from World Nomads when I did my trip. It was about $1.30 per day--you might be able to roll that into the $10/day, but probably not the $5!
I was traveling for about three a half months, but only mobile for probably two. I managed to get $500 worth of stuff stolen in Cologne and got into a traffic accident in London. World Nomads didn't cover the former (my fault, they said--it was), and the London driver's insurance compensated me pretty handsomely, given that I didn't even require a trip to the ER and had only to replace my front wheel. I think it was 1,800£.


aquadump
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Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 9:28 pm

Post by aquadump »

My numbers are close to yours:

-- $150/mo. in groceries. Can't buy bulk and less options rurally.

-- $50/mo. socializing and entertainment. Books, bar, concert, gift for family cooking you dinner, etc.

-- $5/night average housing. From my limited experience, I feel like some nights you can't find free[dom] camping.

-- $50/mo. gear.

-- $50/mo. insurance.
$450 / mo. x 300 = $135,000.
While I feel these numbers are lower than they actually would be, I have a feeling I wouldn't spend $65 / day.


aquadump
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Post by aquadump »

Also if you haven't read it, I recommend Travels with Willie.


akratic
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Post by akratic »

I would budget $10/day just for couchsurfing/hostels. Yes, couchsurfing is "free" but there's also the expectation that you compensate your host in some other way. Most of the time you could probably get away with doing their dishes, but each host seems to have their own expectation of what's reasonable.
Some hosts will expect you to accompany them out to dinner, or to cook dinner together (but silently expect you to pay for the ingredients), or would be happiest if you showed up with a six pack or a bottle of wine, etc.
You don't "have to" do any of this, but if you're sensitive to what your host expects, I think that ends up being the best experience for everyone. They are providing *a lot* of value to you after all. Unfortunately, this means that couchsurfing can have significant hidden costs in expensive parts of the world.
That said, for sure your budget can work if you off-the-grid camp the majority of the time.
My bike-across-the-country friend also had a nearly 100% success rate of getting churches to take her in for free for a night.


NYC ERE
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Post by NYC ERE »

@akratic Surprisingly, I found in Europe that, more often than not, my hosts would insist on preparing/paying for meals. I had to push really hard to get them to let me pay. In my limited riding in America, because of the larger distances between cities, most days I end up in a rural or suburban area, which means the most convenient thing for my host is to prepare the dinner they were going to prepare and share it.
Perhaps we're illuminating a demographic difference between Couch-Surfing and Warm Showers. I haven't used Couch-Surfing, but I have a vague sense that it skews young--Warm Showers also skewed young in Europe, but not at all in America; most folks I've stayed with are middle-aged and up.
It may also have to do with how tired, dirty and famished one tends to be at the end of a long day of riding, and the empathy felt by experienced cycle tourist hosts. Also, the time of day that one arrives at the host's place--I'm always running behind and arrive right around dinnertime.
I alluded to the Polish couple I hosted last year in another thread, whose budget is $7 per day *combined*. As dusk approaches, they boldly knock on the doors of well-kept-looking houses and ask to camp in the backyard, with great results. They do have electronics (including a netbook courtesy of moi), and I don't think they're having to be off-the-grid much.


akratic
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Location: Boston, MA

Post by akratic »

Oh my gosh, knocking on doors and asking to camp in the backyard sounds so intimidating/awesome! I've got to try this!
And yeah, the high cost of couchsurfing for me probably has a lot to do with my couchsurfing style. I tend to spend over an hour picking out exactly who I want to stay with, and then spend many hours with them over my few day stay. Thus many opportunities arise where money is being spent and I could pay, and they also end up providing me with a lot more than just a bed, so I feel doing something nice for them is even more necessary.
Crashing for a night after a long day biking and then leaving in the morning would probably be much, much cheaper. (Although, in my opinion, this would also be less rewarding -- but you're welcome to your own utility curve!)


NYC ERE
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Post by NYC ERE »

@akratic The caveat to the Polish couple story--mentioned in the other thread too--is that the girl is very outgoing and attractive. A guy might have to be a little more diligent to make the knocking on doors strategy work--or just make sure to bring along an attractive girl. :)
I've spent a fair amount of time with my hosts too, including multi-day stays in Paris, London, Prague, and Dresden. There's a unique bond between cycle tourists which leads to a higher level of charity when hosting, I guess--and I have certainly reciprocated as a host.


Concojones
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Post by Concojones »

Interesting posts! Zev, you've obviously done some serious brainstorming about this.
How do the Polish couple wash?


NYC ERE
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Post by NYC ERE »

@Concojones Probably at their hosts' houses? I started a thread about them--you could probably email them questions.


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