In yesterday’s post, found here, we mentioned that we aren’t staying in England after our ship arrives on April 21. We’ll spend one night in Southampton, drive a rental car for over an hour to London Heathrow Airport, and then fly away. We will share details once we book that flight and our chosen location.
We were looking forward to spending more time in the UK and carefully considered the change in plans. I suppose, in part, we may have been dealing with somewhat of a shock comparing prices in South Africa to England, but we considered that fact.
We did receive several comments from readers living in the UK, espousing how reasonable the cost of living is in some areas, especially for food. But, food isn’t our primary expense, although it may be higher for us than some; we only eat high-quality meats, dairy, and vegetables. Most likely, our weekly grocery bill and 25% to 40% higher than most.
In reviewing meat prices in England, we checked the beef prices considering that we can consume a kilo (2.2 pounds) of meat in a day between us. After all, our day-to-day way of eating is called “ketovore,” where we consume meat and meat products, a small amount of high-quality dairy, and non-starchy vegetables.
In searching at an online grocery store in England, the link is here; it was easy to see how we can easily spend the amounts we listed in yesterday’s post.
But, as mentioned, groceries aren’t our most significant expense, nor is dining out. We don’t eat fried foods, nor do we eat fast food. Thus, when dining out, we visit mid-range restaurants that can easily cost US $100, ZAR 1531, with a few drinks, the main course, taxes, and tips. We factored in those costs to our totals, knowing we generally dine out once or twice a week.
Our most significant per day expenses are auto and holiday home rental, which account for most of the listed totals. You may say, “Well, don’t rent such lovely places. Stay in apartments or hostels to reduce the cost.
But, this is our travel journey, and we decided long ago we’d never sacrifice the quality of a rental nor “stay anywhere
to save money. We don’t want to haul our bags up two, three, or four flights of stairs. We don’t want to hear noise from connecting walls if we can avoid it. We seek pleasant surroundings, views, and safe areas when possible.
In every case, we strive to maintain the criteria we established when we first began to travel in 2012. That hasn’t changed much over the years, although we have factored in inflation in this world we live in, allowing us to pay more for our expenses, and although our fixed income has increased very little.
All of these decisions we make are predicated on our desires and needs, not only based on cost but also on convenience and our desire to expand our horizons in learning new areas, cultures, and ways of life. We’ve spent considerable time in the UK in the past. Perhaps this change is an excellent opportunity to go after a bit of the unknown, overall, adding to our worldwide experiences and adventures.
Thanks to all of our readers who wrote to us for your much-appreciated comments and suggestions.
Be well.
Photo from one year ago today, March 5, 2021:
Due to a day-long WiFi outage, we could not post on this date.