Title: The Challenges of Managing Money on Tour
Living on tour, I originally thought I could survive just on my daily allowance. I mean, I’m pretty good at saving money, given how well I managed a year in New York City. The first week went just as planned.
But then, things got trickier. With so much traveling, our routine changed a lot. Picture this: after being on the road for 8 hours and unloading equipment for 5 more, I’d end up eating wherever was open at midnight. Even if that meant a mediocre $20 burger! And sometimes, a drink to soothe the aches and pains from heavy lifting was in order.
Despite my initial determination, I realized it wasn’t going to be that easy to stick within my spending limit. The second week, already, saw me exceeding it by $16. I had to buy a new backpack to replace my old one.
Third week, expenses shot up again when I decided to subscribe to Dropbox for a year. That alone almost took half of my daily budget, making my total weekly expense around $330.
Yet, somehow, I’m not too upset. I’ve been able to save more than I planned for this month, and expect more contribution to my retirement account. But I can’t help being a little wary.
My spending habits have changed. After watching every dollar in New York City, it’s been tempting to relax my budget. Malls are common hangout spots during our free time in new cities. Impulse purchases have become a norm — a new shirt here, some weird wines there.
But there’s a silver lining. I can only buy so much since I have to lug everything around. Yet, I can sense my mindset towards spending shifting, and it’s a little concerning.
Being on tour also means eating out a lot. That’s the downside of spending hours on the road, hopping from place to place. Cooking isn’t always an option.
And there’s the aspect of ‘living in the moment’ on tour. We’ve had so much fun visiting roadside attractions, although the small costs add up a bit. Not to mention, my hobby of collecting shot glasses is turning into more of an obsession.
We’ve found that we all love exploring unique wineries. How could we resist trying pecan pie wine in Texas or the Flying Monkey red in Kansas?
So, for those who have toured before, I’m curious. Was it challenging to return to normal spending habits once you were back home, or did the huge shift back to everyday life reset your spending behaviors naturally? I’d love to hear your experiences.