When planning their journeys, all three families kept open minds regarding expenses. For the Smiths, the upfront costs of Rebecca’s renovation lead to a near-zero expense for their maintenance over six months. However, as they were originally planning a 3-year journey, they did not make a short-term budget. In the end, their expenses were close to what the Gonsalveses spent aboard Meridian. All were surprised by the extra expense of travel (not listed in the accompanying sidebars) to and from the islands when they stepped off for work or flew in family members.
The Gonsalveses were the most fastidious in documenting their expenses. They amassed unaccounted and unexpected expenses for phones and communications, gifts and souvenirs, and travel when the owners came to use their boat.
Fabuloso: Budget and Actual Expenses for Six-Month Sabbatical
| Expenditure | Budget | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Boat maintenance | $6000 | $7200 |
| Insurance | $2000 | $2500 |
| Fuel | $1500 | $2400 |
| Food (provisioning) | $15000 | $4800 |
| Food (eating out) | $6000 | $3000 |
| Alcohol | $3000 | $1500 |
| Entertainment | $1500 | $3000 |
| Gifts | $0 | $1800 |
| Total | $35000 | $26200 |
Meridian: Actual Expenses for Six-Month Sabbatical
| Expenditure | Cost |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | $8350 |
| Insurance | $5700 |
| Dockage | $1000 |
| Mooring | $370 |
| Fuel | $2550 |
| Water | $235 |
| Propane | $60 |
| Food | $4000+ |
| Total | $22265 |
