# I'm back but was it too long?



## frenchfancy (May 21, 2005)

Hi back from France after being 13 weeks away and several that's conservative thousand pounds the poorer. Not sure if i want to stay away that long again. Does anyone else share my feelings, and how to manage your money more economically that i did. I am sure there are lessons to be learned here from
my buddies online.


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

I suppose how much you spend depends on where you stay, and whether you eat out every regularly or stay in  Did you do alot of aires, or concentrate on the big sites?

ps have removed the duplication of posts


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

frenchfancy said:


> Hi back from France after being 13 weeks away and several that's conservative thousand pounds the poorer. Not sure if i want to stay away that long again. Does anyone else share my feelings, and how to manage your money more economically that i did. I am sure there are lessons to be learned here from
> my buddies online.


We often stay away for up to five months at a time, for us it's not a holiday but a way of life.

We live in the van much as we do at home, have the same meals and keep almost the same routine. Housekeeping bills do not vary much from those at home, we rarely eat out. Our major costs are deisel and site fees (minimal if free parking or using aires/stellplatz etc).

Don


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## 98483 (Apr 3, 2006)

by coincidence we were away for 13 weeks, and lashed out 3326e on it.

so what WERE you doing?


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## Pusser (May 9, 2005)

I've never been away on holiday for more than two weeks ever. I do know that once I am heading for home, I am really looking forward to it and it is great to get into my bed. This always happens whether I have been away in a hotel, mobile home, villa with pool, or motorhome. But I realise that in general, because of time restraints, we tend to go only from A to B and stay in one place. If I was touring around taking each day as it comes, I think there is enough of interest for me to stay for quite some time but of course, I won't know this until I try it.

We do go out for a meal sometimes but I resent paying huge amounts for Cor Don Blur food where the meal looks as though an artist has painted your plate. I also have an embarrassing love of mundane receipes like stew, roast or a fry up. I prefer this sort of food to say lobster which I do like but pound for pound a mutton stew would be better. I am also not a great lover of steaks and when we go into a resturant, normally I just have spag bol, mussels sometimes although I get bored with them after the first two or three. I also do not like fast food except fish and chips, chinese, Indian if was allowed, but not burger stuff nor pizza. Pizza I do not care for at all.


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## tokkalosh (May 25, 2006)

13 weeks isn't long if you are enjoying yourself.

There are nearly always ways to cut down on spending, especially when motorhoming .......
- were you wild camping or on sites?
- did you eat out a lot?
- did you visit attractions with an entrance cost?
- did you go out every night?

But also, what would you have spent had you been home those 13 weeks?


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

frenchfancy,

Did you live a luxury lifestyle :wink: SEVERAL THOUSAND POUNDS :!: Well we were away for 3 1/2 months Apr-mid Jul but didn't spent too much, probably averaged about 200€ a week.

We had a mixture of German Stellplatz, French Aires and campsites (whilst in E Europe & Austria) and an Italian aire. We did eat out cheaply in E Europe though.


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Spending*

Hi

In my own situation, I am expecting my 6 months away to cost me £6000.00.

Of that, I would have spent a similar amount had I stayed at home!

Of course if our plans to earn whilst we are away comes to fruition, we will probably not return!

Rapide561


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## Scotjimland (May 23, 2005)

*Re: Spending*



Rapide561 said:


> In my own situation, I am expecting my 6 months away to cost me £6000.00.


Hi Russell

Far too rich for my taste, I hope to spend as little as possible by using aires and free camping when possible, buy only fresh veg from local markets and forage for wild edible plants .. :wink: 
We don't eat out here, that won't change, I hate fast food and restaurants .. ( I work in the food industry, I know what they do to food)

How much will it cost is a "how long is a piece of string question" .. only time will tell.. fuel will be the biggest outlay :?

I haven't mentioned "road kill" to the kids.. ...... Yet ! :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## damondunc (Feb 14, 2006)

OH NO not Bambi burgers    

How could you? :wink: :wink: 

Chris


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Spending*

Hi Jim

I am in reality expecting to spend about £600.00 - £700.00 per month - anything between this and £1000 is the emergency pot!

Oscar tends to do silly things like cut his foot open when the bank balance least expects it!

Rapide561


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## 88781 (May 9, 2005)

*recipe*

Fed up with Jamie Oliver Jim!, try this on the kids :roll: :lol:

HEDGEHOG SPAGHETTI MARINARA

Serves 4. 500g spaghetti, 30ml olive oil, 250g lean hedgehog, 1 medium onion chopped, 125ml water, 60ml dry white wine, 4 eggs, 60ml double cream, 100g Parmesan cheese (grated).

Chop hedgehog into small chunks. Beat eggs and cream with a fork in a bowl. Add half the Parmesan. Put pasta in boiling water. Put onions and hedgehog chunks in a pan with olive oil on medium heat until onions are almost clear. Add wine and reduce heat. Do not let meat crisp. Drain pasta when cooked, then combine with egg, cream and cheese mix. Add meat, onions and wine without draining fat and mix. Garnish with rest of Parmesan and serve immediately.


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

"Chop hedgehog into small chunks"

what do you do with the spiky bits? come-on......


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

I find that roadkill hedgehog meat is a devil for getting between your teeth, so .....


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## tokkalosh (May 25, 2006)

How do you keep the fleas in the pan :lol:


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## Pusser (May 9, 2005)

*Re: Spending*



ScotJimland said:


> Rapide561 said:
> 
> 
> > In my own situation, I am expecting my 6 months away to cost me £6000.00.
> ...


Normally the French and I think Spanish frown on taking bodies of the road as they like to get them to a morgue and inform the families. 8)


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## Scotjimland (May 23, 2005)

Nothing wrong with 'badger burgers' or 'fox fingers' :lol: :lol: :lol: 

or this one 

Squirrel Road Kill Brunswick Stew

Okay, you've got quick reflexes and have just hit a squirrel.Take that su
cker and skin it, cut the head off and remove the internal organs. Cut
squirrel into pieces and add to chopped pork of equal amounts and saute i
t slowly until light brown in 1/4 cup shortening. Then remove from the pa
n. Use the squirrel and pork fat to brown 1/2 cup of chopped onions. Pu
t the squirrel, pork and onions in a stewing pot and add 2 cups of quarte
red tomatoes. 2 cups of lima beans. 1 cup of hot water. Cayenne to taste.
Simmer till squirrel and pork is just about tender and add 3 cups of
corn. 2 spoons of Worcestershire sauce and a cup of toasted bread crumbs.
Simmer for until completely tender..then there you are!!!


mmmmmmmmm yum yum


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## chrisgog (May 17, 2005)

Just returned from 28days in France total cost for everything was £1300. This was £140. on tolls (had to use these on return to return home quick as daughter broke leg and needed operation) Could save this if we did not use tolls. £395 on diesel for 1500 miles and 16 of those nights were on a campsite or paying aire. Could save on campsites but sometimes you need comfort and a safe base to leave things out overnight etc. Cheapest campsite was 8 euros (£5.60) and dearest 21 (£14.70)
We had yearly insurance and an excellent ferry crossing from Norfolk line. Within this price was the shopping and eating out bill so I do not think we did too badly.

Too be honest, as soon as we return home we are cashing money right left and centre as we feed a family of 4 at home but only 2 of us travel. Young adults cost an arm and a leg to feed and diesel over here is dearer.
We love buying enough for one or 2 days food and making do with home cooking and wine and then a meal out every 2 or 3 days.
You are on holiday and I know that I would spend more at home!!!!!!!! Think about that.


Chris


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## 89673 (Jun 3, 2005)

You pays your money and ..............

We spent three weeks away covered 3500 miles spent £480 on diesel, about £350 on food, (eat out a handful of times) £98 on campsites/aires/stellplatz. Of course we spent a few bob on pressies and the like but we're not counting them. 35Euros on Italian motorways and about the same to travel a fraction of the distance on the French Peage (so we soon stuck to N roads).

France/Belgium/Germany/Switzerland/Italy/France

£18.50 for France Passion is woth it when you work that out as a per night charge, the more you use the more you save. Their safe, often have water and other facilities, so we'll let you work the rest out for yourselves.

There is also an Italian version of France Passion.

Happy Camping!

H&B


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