3-5 year RTW finacial planning 101?

[wildlands1]

OK, the farkles on my '09 wee-strom are almost done. The divorce is soon final. ($$$) and the old dog will be dead within 6-9 months() so soon begins the money part.
I'm thinking $75usd/day average total, including shipping, = $525/week, =$2250/month,=$27,300/year. Heck, thats cheaper than staying in USA. I'm gonna pack all my remaining stuff in the shed and rent out my house, sell my cars, and anything else possible. In '03-'04 i averaged $66usd/day for a year around CA/SA solo from USA, but I wasted so much money on latinas. Now i (mite) know better?
5 nites a week cheap hotel @ $25/nite = $125/week (more in some countries, less in most ill spend time in, camp sometimes also)
Food, $5/meal (road food or cook some)= $15/day, = $105/week
Beer & Cigars $10/day (or less?) = $70/week
Petrol, 4 tanks/ week @ $5/gallon = $100/week (i ride short n slow)
= $400/week. = $125 saved for girls, shipping, scuba diving, park fee's, visa's, etc..
My first big expense will be trans pacific shipping to somewhere across, maybe NZ, or OZ, since to the philipines, my first choice, looks impossible (why?) and scuba diving in SE Asia. Once thats done itll be much cheaper i think. I know from past experience based on my frugal travel style that Viet/Camb/Nepal/India will be way cheaper, enabling my budget to bulk up for more pricey areas down the road. I dont plan on having any health insurance from USA, if something happens, ill suck more out of my retirement i guess. Anyone with recent travel experience have any advice?

[docsherlock]

Originally Posted by wildlands1

Anyone with recent travel experience have any advice?

Yup - don't skimp on the health insurance and give the whores a miss. You don't present yourself well in this post, IMHO.

[Toyark]

+1 on what Doc said

[Wildman]

If it helps and this is purely planning, we decided on needing an average of:

$18 per day fuel
$21 lodging
$23 food
$15 incidentals (your & cigars, not women)

For a total of $77 per day each. Never put it to the test.

YMMV of course.

[docsherlock]

Originally Posted by Wildman

If it helps and this is purely planning, we decided on needing an average of:

$18 per day fuel
$21 lodging
$23 food
$15 incidentals (your & cigars, not women)

For a total of $77 per day each. Never put it to the test.

YMMV of course.

Yeah, on the numbers game, I allow $100 per day but like to spend considerably less if I can.....however, if you munch the miles, the gas spend is, well, spendy in first world countries - I dropped 50 euros a day just on gas last summer.

[mark manley]

I am not sure about NZ but OZ is about the most expensive place on the planet at the moment, if money is a little tight go straight to SE Asia, you will find everywhere more expensive than last time but you seem to have allowed for this in your budget.
As has been said get some medical insurance.

[wildlands1]

ok, but...health insurance for me in usa is like 1000 dollars a month! and half the time they come up with some reason not to pay it. why not just wing it, and if something happens get fixed in bankok or delhi or anywhere but usa? i have the cash on reserve if ness. im comfortable with other countries health systems. for example; in 2006 i found i had a heart flutter, while cycling. i got two cash estimates in dallas for a simple zap to the heart thru my leg vein. one was 50,000. dollars, another was 30,000 dollars! then i met a doc in my gym who had a friend in mexico city who was a top heart doc there. i flew to DF Mex, did the 1 hour operation, spent 5 days re-cup in acapulco on beach with my wife, for $6000. usd! and i am fine.
example #2 my wife had boob job quotes of 8-10,000 dollars here, but got awesome ones in bangkok for $2300usd.
americas health system is a rip-off as are all the insurance companies.
comments? p.s. i never present myself well, and i dont give a crap.

[docsherlock]

Originally Posted by wildlands1

ok, but...health insurance for me in usa is like 1000 dollars a month! and half the time they come up with some reason not to pay it. why not just wing it, and if something happens get fixed in bankok or delhi or anywhere but usa? i have the cash on reserve if ness. im comfortable with other countries health systems. for example; in 2006 i found i had a heart flutter, while cycling. i got two cash estimates in dallas for a simple zap to the heart thru my leg vein. one was 50,000. dollars, another was 30,000 dollars! then i met a doc in my gym who had a friend in mexico city who was a top heart doc there. i flew to DF Mex, did the 1 hour operation, spent 5 days re-cup in acapulco on beach with my wife, for $6000. usd! and i am fine.
example #2 my wife had boob job quotes of 8-10,000 dollars here, but got awesome ones in bangkok for $2300usd.
americas health system is a rip-off as are all the insurance companies.
comments? p.s. i never present myself well, and i dont give a crap.

"Don't give a crap" - Nor do we mate - it's your lookout.

The problem with the US system (one of them), is that if you are insured, you get price x, but if not, the same job in the same place costs 10x. So being uninsured is a much bigger risk - all well and good if you can fly out, but in a bike wreck you may not have that luxury.

[wildlands1]

i dont recall i said anything about "whores", just "latina's" which were half assed girlfriends, not professionals ( i dont think) in 5 different countries. so plz dont assume i meant that kind of girl. i would never do that, its boring. been there, done that. but it seems all of them are out for either money or a usa visa.
but back to my question. how can i afford USA b.s. health insurance at that price? i dont need to be medi-vac'd back to USA. are there international health insurers?

[niello8]

We used Medjet assist for emergency evac & Insure assist for health care abroad. Total cost for 1 yr was about $1300. Our American insurance wouldn't cover anything overseas and cobra was $1500/month so we said nah.

[Pumbaa]

You might be confusing health insurance with travel insurance. Get travel insurance - something that will cover medical emergencies while abroad.

[docsherlock]

Originally Posted by wildlands1

i would never do that, its boring. been there, done that.

I think it's travel insurance you need for the part outside the US. Medical insurance in the US is, of course, up to you.

[wildlands1]

ok, so who is a cheap/reliable "Travel Insurance" provider. ill only be riding in the US for a week to get to the freight terminal on west coast.

[Walkabout]

Originally Posted by wildlands1

i dont need to be medi-vac'd back to USA. are there international health insurers?

Travel Insurance is covered in threads about it over in "Trip Paperwork" IIRC, or "staying healthy on the road" - such information gets a bit scattered around.

As for the chances of medivac, you don't get to decide when you can't walk (for instance) - if you end up as a stretcher case you will want to "get out of there" to any decent hospital; not necessarily in the USA.

[rossphoto]

Originally Posted by niello8

We used Medjet assist for emergency evac & Insure assist for health care abroad. Total cost for 1 yr was about $1300. Our American insurance wouldn't cover anything overseas and cobra was $1500/month so we said nah.

EXACTLY, I usr Med Jet on all big adventures... Its worth the peace of mind...