The Pricetag

Someone asked me the other day what this ride is going to cost. Well...I'm not sure. The price of gasoline jumped 50 cents a gallon in California last week...not good news if you are planning on 12,000 miles at 19 miles per gallon. But...if we can average $4 per gallon, that would be about $2500 for a little more than 625 gallons.
The airline tickets to Hawaii and Alaska were about $1300 and I will have some transportation expenses in both of those places getting back to the airport.
I have budgeted around $40 per day for food and my biking buddies are all good cooks, so we plan on making use of the grocery stores and farmer's markets we pass. That is...so long as cooking fits into our time schedule. We don't want to eat fast food, but we don't have time to slow roast a pork tenderloin either. We are limiting ourselves in regards to the cooking equipment, so gourmet dinners will not be on the menu, but healthy, tasty food that replenishes working bodies will be standard fare. Lots of fruits and vegetables, lean meat, nuts, whole grains, and when I can sneak one in, a gooey cinnamon roll. :) We need easy, so things like yogurts and gorp will always be handy.
Our lodging costs have been drastically offset by the generous warm showers hosts, but there will still be a lot of camping and I have budgeted $25 per night. Some nights it will be more than that, some nights less, so it should all even out for those 20 some odd nights.
There are miscellaneous costs I have budgeted for, like tolls, ferries, and parking. I also factored in some maintenance for the truck ( a couple of oil changes, mostly) and bikes.
I am thinking...and hoping...that when everything is said and done, the trip will cost around 8 grand. Does that sound like a lot? For the ultimate road trip? I think it's a bargain.


You might be interested to know that most of the funds have come from what I call "dejunking". I have intended to get rid of things Bill and I no longer wanted or needed for years. Every winter I would say, "I'm going to clean out the attic, and the closets, and the basement...downsize". But it never happened...until last year. I also substitute teach in the school district in which I live. I taught over 30 years ago, and then stayed home to be with our four children. When my daughter suggested I start teaching again, I wasn't sure that it was a good idea. I think I winced when I accepted my first sub job in November. But it's a good fit for me, and I actually find the kids quite endearing. All that to say I have a financial stake in this trip...I have worked hard to make it happen.
maybe you can't...because you won't...