How many nights / miles / gallons?

Haven't kept records for years, but might start doing them again when on trips, if only to remember routes & overnight stops. I'm normally reasonably good at remembering but replying to a post re Switzerland and Italy a couple of days ago and I couldn't remember which roads I took, and it was only a few months ago, :lol-049:

I do do random MPG checks occasionally, if roads are empty in Germany I can get down to about 14/15 MPG :p
 
A few years ago I got a little psion organiser. As an exercise I entered my car fuel usage over a few years. It amazed me how much it changed seasonally, always being higher in the winter, probably due to greater use of choke (carburettor then, automatic chocke). Some may see this as sad, but I enjoyed it at the time.
 
I like to keep a record of the scooters miles vs the vans and last time I checked on this trip the scooter was ahead at over 3000. Had to have a rear tyre fitted a few weeks ago as they only last about 3-4000. The mpg is averaging over 100 though :D
 
I keep a journal on our longer trips so we know where we have been, meals out etc. I keep a record of fuel, mileage and gaz as well as what we use cards for or cash withdrawals.

The rest of the time we don't have a clue!
 
The fuel records I keep are a simple Excel spreadsheet into which I add the mileage and the amount of fuel ... it keeps a running total of costs and MPG.

I find it easy enough to scribble the mileage on the receipt and keep it in my wallet until I get home to add it to excel.
 
I start off with good intentions as follows
Day 1 know to the penny what we’ve spent,
Day 2 forgot to take mileage (occasionally I manage to get to day 3 as we’ve not had to fill up with fuel or buy shopping)
Day 3 working fuel costs doesn’t quite work due to forgetting to take mileage
Day 4 where were we yesterday
Day 5 why the heck am I bothering
Day 6 scrap idea and get on with holiday.
Day 7 damn that’s the first week gone - life’s too short to worry about skiing ����
 
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hairydog said:
Jenny, if you pay by card you can add the cost up at the end of the year, and you can get the total mileage at the end of the year. So you may not know the mpg but you will know the cost per mile.
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To each their own but it is beyond me why anybody can be bothered . If you don't have the money you can't do it . Once you've done it you can't undo it . Maybe best not to know what you've spent ?
 
When we first got the truck 5 years ago I used to religiously keep a record of the mpg at every fill up using the brim to brim method and odometer.After doing this for a couple of years,getting increasingly dispirited at averaging 25 mpg and frequently being called a ''saddo''by mrs wakk I now don't bother.All I do now is reset the odometer to zero every time I fill up the tank and know then I have a range of approximately 400 miles before the next top up.
 
***** said:
For me it is nothing at all to do with affording it or not, and coming from a Transport Industry background, I do like to know my running costs!
Then you can decide if you have more cost effective options! Maybe different roads, tolls, or even a different type of holiday!
After each long tour we do, I know within a couple of quid what I have spent. Don't get me wrong, I don't watch every penny, but I itemise into four categories, which are fuel, tolls, aires, everything else!
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I like to keep an eye on my fuel consumption because it alerts me to anything going wrong ... a serious drop in MPG would be a great "head for home" warning.

But, it is easy for me, I just got my van through another MOT and the miles from previous MOT?

12/10/2015: 106607 ... when I bought it.
28/09/2016: 111871 ... 5,264 ... last year's mileage.
25/09/2017: 116421 ... 4,550 ... this year's mileage.

Mileages taken from MOT certificate.
 
I never keep count of costs, I do set the trip clock every time I fill up and occasionally I have a quick guesstimate as to mpg it is roughly about 25 mpg. But who cares ? It's about enjoying the adventures
 
helen262 said:
I never keep count of costs, I do set the trip clock every time I fill up and occasionally I have a quick guesstimate as to mpg it is roughly about 25 mpg. But who cares ? It's about enjoying the adventures
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My main interest, as said above, is to keep an eye on the health of my engine, but I do find it amusing to compare it against what some folks will spend on a package holiday. My running fuel total for the van since I bought it is £1,235.38 plus about another £300 or so on bits for MOT's/repairs etc. Not too bad I would say for two years of sheer pleasure. I have no idea how much I spent on the conversion and stuff bought for my personal comfort etc., THAT'S what doesn't matter IMHO.
 
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Log book keeper

Have kept Captain's Log for 20 years, mainly a narrative, a big help to my age related memory loss !
26 weeks away this year ..minimum cost thanks to WC and Mhome stopover.
 
I dont care how much it costs cos im still sending out the begging emails and hoping for a good return,someday.:bow::cry:
 
I note everywhere we’ve been, with comments, on maps.me. As for the rest of it - I check my bank account and if I have the same or more after a month = happiness, if I have less = misery. Life’s too short to worry about every penny, pound, cent or euro. When we were younger and our kids were at home we had to look after every penny. Now we don’t have to. Our lifestyle now brings us happiness and if it costs us money so be it.
Pat
 
Just added up the totals from our 3 week NC 500 trip 2400 miles
25.46 mpg. Mixture of motorways A roads ,narrow lanes and a few miles in reverse!
07 Renault Master low profile coachbuilt. Semi auto gearbox
 
iampatman said:
I note everywhere we’ve been, with comments, on maps.me. As for the rest of it - I check my bank account and if I have the same or more after a month = happiness, if I have less = misery. Life’s too short to worry about every penny, pound, cent or euro. When we were younger and our kids were at home we had to look after every penny. Now we don’t have to. Our lifestyle now brings us happiness and if it costs us money so be it.
Pat
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Same school of accounting as me
 
alcam said:
Same school of accounting as me
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I follow some blogs where folks account for every penny/cent - a coffee here, an ice cream there, 50p in this parking meter, €1.15 on a bus ride. I’m thinking get your head out of the spreadsheet and enjoy the sunset; stop logging the cost on your phone and enjoy the glass of wine. But hey, different folks for different strokes eh?

Pat
 
iampatman said:
I follow some blogs where folks account for every penny/cent - a coffee here, an ice cream there, 50p in this parking meter, €1.15 on a bus ride. I’m thinking get your head out of the spreadsheet and enjoy the sunset; stop logging the cost on your phone and enjoy the glass of wine. But hey, different folks for different strokes eh?

Pat
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I worked with a guy like that, he could account for every penny he earned,, saved and spent going back for many years ... I personally couldn't be bothered with that, but he found it interesting ... he wasn't a meanie or tight wad, he just had a genuine interest in following his money.

I guess it's like everything else in life, horses for courses.
 
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Does anyone record their expenses on a spreadsheet?
I would like to do this and was wondering if anyone could recommend one please?
 
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