How to Justify the Spending

[Neil Q Smith]

I would like to open a new thread debate, about how we all "Justify the Spending" on our Vehicles / Rigs, Kit, Travel Expenses, etc.

I ask this question, because I am currently unemployed - Laid-off work December 2015, when World Oil Price dropped, and thousands of us "oil & gas workers" lost their jobs....

I love Overlanding, and have always been an adventurer / explorer - so it's in my blood / genes to do this.
But now that I have very limited income, and a family to feed and take care of, how can I "Justify the Spending" on this expensive "hobby", when maybe I should be focusing my spending elsewhere, on normal life issues and bills.

My vehicle / rig, and all of my kit is already paid-for and in good order - so no issues there.
But how can I justify spending more money in this area, whilst unemployed?
Even if it provides an avenue of focus and stress release....

Would really like to hear your opinions and experiences in this area.
I believe I can learn a lot from your feedback, and maybe find a way to help "Justify the Spending"

Thanks a lot in advance, for all your replies and input.

 

[The other Sean]

My "budget" has always been dependent on the situation. I was laid off in 2009 and ended up at Wal-Mart (got tired of unemployment after about 30 days) making Half as much. My budget allowed me $29 at the end of the month, so, I drank PBR, camped in my $29 tent, bought no new gear and only did things that were free or cheap.

As I climbed my way back up, my extra money and ability to buy and do things came up with it.

My main focus is always bills and responsibilities. If I want extra things, I need to figure out how to earn the money to get them or figure out how to barter and trade to get them. I took a night manager position at Wal-Mart not because I wanted it or thought it would go somewhere, but, because it meant an extra $3 hr. Still WAY down in pay from my previous job, but, $11hr is head and shoulders above $8 hr. I went from having $29 left at the end of the month to a good $30.50 left over.

If I were to get laid off again, I would stop any "upgrading" of gear / vehicle and only take trips that were within a tank of gas and the camping / activities were free.

With all of this said, your mental health always needs to be attended to. Time out and with family is always important. I did plenty of dock fishing, bike riding, hiking, walking and patio sitting with friends when my situation was junk. I already had a pole, a fishing license, a bike and friends. None of that cost me anything.

 

[Neil Q Smith]

My "budget" has always been dependent on the situation. I was laid off in 2009 and ended up at Wal-Mart (got tired of unemployment after about 30 days) making Half as much. My budget allowed me $29 at the end of the month, so, I drank PBR, camped in my $29 tent, bought no new gear and only did things that were free or cheap.

As I climbed my way back up, my extra money and ability to buy and do things came up with it.

My main focus is always bills and responsibilities. If I want extra things, I need to figure out how to earn the money to get them or figure out how to barter and trade to get them. I took a night manager position at Wal-Mart not because I wanted it or thought it would go somewhere, but, because it meant an extra $3 hr. Still WAY down in pay from my previous job, but, $11hr is head and shoulders above $8 hr. I went from having $29 left at the end of the month to a good $30.50 left over.

If I were to get laid off again, I would stop any "upgrading" of gear / vehicle and only take trips that were within a tank of gas and the camping / activities were free.

With all of this said, your mental health always needs to be attended to. Time out and with family is always important. I did plenty of dock fishing, bike riding, hiking, walking and patio sitting with friends when my situation was junk. I already had a pole, a fishing license, a bike and friends. None of that cost me anything.

Thanks a lot for your feedback and sharing your story - much appreciated.

I'm doing pretty much as you suggest right now:
Focus on Family & bills, use what we have, don't buy anything else, and do as much as we can for free / cheap as possible.

I am also selling a lot of "surplus / unwanted" items on Finn.no which is the Norwegian ebay equivalent.
It's slow, but it brings in a few $ each week, which allows me to start small-time saving again.

I still have ambitious plans for the future.
Guess it's good to have goals to aim for.....

I totally agree with the mental health balance.
It's frustrating not having a job, but I am trying to refocus all that negative energy into other positive activities.

Thanks for sharing :)

 

[Edward Gentle]

I struggle with this a lot. There's things I really want to get but in the back of my mind I always think (But what if something happens).

I've pretty much just set a small budget for each month and purchase whatever it will allow me to. I've put my purchases in order of necessity vs. wants and just go from there.

 

[Jimmy P]

I'm of the mindset that the bills get paid first, and then what's left over is budgeted appropriately. Entertainment is part of that budget, and this hobby is part of that entertainment. The justification requires I answer "can I afford it" and "is it necessary". If both of those questions are answered with a yes then I can justify the purchase. Then I face the priority of the purchase. I always have a list of things I want / need, and that prioritization is something I still struggle with. Such is life .

 

[Overland-Indiana]

Overlanding doesn't HAVE to be expensive.. I started my build on the concept of making a reliable, cheap and economic rig. I settled with a 2001 Jeep XJ. We pay bills, food and all other necessities first. If any money is left over after adding to the savings account then we will use it for camping/overlanding. We pack our own food and try to stay at State Parks or National Forests that are either free to camp or very cheap. As a family of 4 (soon to be 5) we can camp an entire weekend, including gas, food and camping fees for $100 sometimes less depending on distance. But to simply answer your questions, you cannot in anyway justify spending money on your rig or gear when you have bills to pay, the bills are first priority.

 

[Steve]

I'll be the cranky uncle here and add one more addition to the "focus on family and bills", and that's your future. Responsibilities don't stop at paying the month's bills and then spend the rest on entertainment and toys. A huge percentage of people have no savings or retirement plans whatsoever. If you don't, that's where your extra cash *should* go.

We bought a way below average priced house, paid it off as soon as possible, and then for the next 25 years stuck every spare dime we could into IRAs, 401k, etc.; up to 56% of my income, and 28% of Deb's. This, and living a comfortable but modest lifestyle, eventually allowed us to retire in our mid-50s. Having fun doesn't need to cost a lot, and you can do quite a bit for free.

 

[The other Sean]

To the O.P., I do agree it was a s#it situation being out of work and then sucking it up and taking a job at Wal-Mart for half as much as yo uwere making previously. I was / am in manufacturing and that was pretty hard hit during the depression. BUT.... from that, it took me down a peg or two and really made me appreciate what I did have. I actually remember the moment I realized I was doing well again. I had filled the gas tank in my truck without first checking my bank account and the calendar. I simply saw I was low on fuel, filled up, paid and drove away.

 

[The other Sean]

I'll be the cranky uncle here and add one more addition to the "focus on family and bills", and that's your future. Responsibilities don't stop at paying the month's bills and then spend the rest on entertainment and toys. A huge percentage of people have no savings or retirement plans whatsoever. If you don't, that's where your extra cash *should* go.

We bought a way below average priced house, paid it off as soon as possible, and then for the next 25 years stuck every spare dime we could into IRAs, 401k, etc.; up to 56% of my income, and 28% of Deb's. This, and living a comfortable but modest lifestyle, eventually allowed us to retire in our mid-50s. Having fun doesn't need to cost a lot, and you can do quite a bit for free.

100% agree. My wife and I go over our budget monthly and adjust accordingly. Retirement contributions are included in with the bills. Most times when one of us gets a raise, we look at our "ins and outs" and simply increase our retirement contribution that much as an extra 3% isn't make or break on bills.

We both have "our" accounts aside from the house account. We both have an agreed upon contribution to the house account that covers all bills and retirement and anything left over is ours for whatever we want. This method also helps avoid arguments when someone buys something. When UPS drops a box off, the other person cares not what is in it.

 

[adventure_is_necessary]

I've always tried to be as frugal as possible with my upgrades and gear for overlanding. I have a lot of gear to begin with given my background in camping, backpacking, and bikepacking over most of my life, but all of that is more space efficient and lightweight, whereas I need some stuff that's more suited towards comfort rather that space/weight savings. I was in the OP's shoes for about 2 months. I was laid off at the worst time. energy bill was high at that time due to weather, just came out of the holiday season so all extra funds were exhausted, and other bills were coming due. I put a lot of my hobbies on hold unless I could do them cheaply or for free. Maxing out credit cards is not advised, but I was thankful for them for emergencies. I definitely had to budget as best I could, but I was also lucky to find some part-time work until I could get back into my field.

 

[[DO]Ron]

I think you can only justify it if you got enough money to be able to justify it..

I could not justify it for years.. taking care of the house. My pet. My gf and just paying the bills all go in front of a hobby. Now I finally got the cash for that hobby so now I could justify it.

If your financial situation doesn't let you don't try it and wait for better times.. if the Hilux is paid off and all the gear as well stick with that for now. You don't want to be in debt financially especially without a job. Things can take a turn for the worse way to fast then.

Sent from my SM-G903F using OB Talk mobile app

 

[1derer]

There is times where I can't justify it and don't. I refuse to stop exploring just more on foot, camping, backpacking or short local trips.

 

[Raul B]

I'll be the cranky uncle here and add one more addition to the "focus on family and bills", and that's your future. Responsibilities don't stop at paying the month's bills and then spend the rest on entertainment and toys. A huge percentage of people have no savings or retirement plans whatsoever. If you don't, that's where your extra cash *should* go.

We bought a way below average priced house, paid it off as soon as possible, and then for the next 25 years stuck every spare dime we could into IRAs, 401k, etc.; up to 56% of my income, and 28% of Deb's. This, and living a comfortable but modest lifestyle, eventually allowed us to retire in our mid-50s. Having fun doesn't need to cost a lot, and you can do quite a bit for free.

This right here is Gold information....

Up until recently I would throw any extra funds we had into my truck to get it "Ready". It also doesn't help that one of my incomes is from selling these parts and I felt like I had to "live the lifestyle" in order to make myself relevant to people looking to buy these parts. That being said... I am now focusing more on family time and paying off our debt so that I don't have to work 3 different jobs to support our lifestyle.... Like steve pointed out... I am one of those that have zero saved up for retirement... Living in Southern California on a single income sure doesn't leave a whole lot for investing or savings.....

I have been building rigs professionally for over 12 years now. These fades come and go and eventually ( in the next year or two) people will move onto the next "thing" and everyone will have a bunch of surplus parts they will be able to buy for cheap :)...

My suggestion.. is spend less on fixing up the rig and just get out there with what you have..... too many people get caught up buying stuff and forget to just get out there and enjoy life....

 

[Saints&Sailors]

This right here is Gold information....

Up until recently I would throw any extra funds we had into my truck to get it "Ready". It also doesn't help that one of my incomes is from selling these parts and I felt like I had to "live the lifestyle" in order to make myself relevant to people looking to buy these parts. That being said... I am now focusing more on family time and paying off our debt so that I don't have to work 3 different jobs to support our lifestyle.... Like steve pointed out... I am one of those that have zero saved up for retirement... Living in Southern California on a single income sure doesn't leave a whole lot for investing or savings.....

I have been building rigs professionally for over 12 years now. These fades come and go and eventually ( in the next year or two) people will move onto the next "thing" and everyone will have a bunch of surplus parts they will be able to buy for cheap :)...

My suggestion.. is spend less on fixing up the rig and just get out there with what you have..... too many people get caught up buying stuff and forget to just get out there and enjoy life....

@Raul B has a great point too: "...spend less on fixing up the rig and just get out there with what you have..... too many people get caught up buying stuff and forget to just get out there and enjoy life..." The overland community is full of people who spend all their time working on projects, buying gear, etc. instead of actually getting out there and exploring (we're all guilty of this). Sometimes we lose sight of what we are actually trying to accomplish.

@Steve 's post is gold information. Live below your means, save for your future, etc.

One nuance to keep in mind for the US folks is that the OP is outside the US (he's in Norway, according to his profile). Some things that are common in the US are quite unorthodox for other countries. For example, most other developed countries provide much more supportive pension plans to their citizens than the United States. In fact, Norway has the largest sovereign wealth funds (technically, they have two) in the world with nearly one trillion US dollars in assets - that's twelve zeros for those counting. "Rules of thumb" (e.g. saving/investing for retirement) in some parts of the world aren't as applicable in other societies. In the case of Norway, their sovereign wealth funds effectively guarantee their citizens a basic income and a solid safety net during retirement. The point is that worldviews are different and "normal" is a relative term. Things that seem logical in US culture sometimes doesn't translate well to other cultures and vice versa (e.g. "Freedom to Roam" concept in some European nations would be a serious violation of property rights in the US). Just some food for thought.

Side note: I've totally been digging the "overlanding on a budget" threads that have come up recently. Goes to show that we don't all have to be millionaires to enjoy our public lands.