Clawing our way to financial independence

I am back home, and very happy to be here J It was fun to be out in the field, but it is so lovely to be back in my own home. Mr W. is off to the next location without me. I am home for a few days and then off again for 5. One day our cats will forgive us, it just won't be this month! All 3 of them are shut in the house, and a friend checks in on them every other day. It forces them to get along, but now I am home there is hissing and fussing going on. I found no evidence of any serious battles in the house when I got home, so I am sure it is all show.

I think we did better with travel costs overall this trip. We will be reimbursed for all costs in about a month's time, but for the moment it comes out of our pockets instead. In essence, we have a business budget to stick to because we estimated our costs when we bid on the project. Keep in mind all costs are for 2 people. An average day was as follows:

Hotel- $101

Breakfast and lunch: $14

Dinner: $24-45, average of about $32

Gas: $60

We spent a lot on gas this trip, but still within our business budget, which is:

Budget is:

Hotel- $150

Meals- $80

Gas- $100

In the future though I don't think I would reduce my cost estimates- there is room for any contingency in there- such as expensive hotel rooms in small towns, as well as increased driving costs. We also include $50 for wear and tear on the vehicle (in addition to gas). Interesting to note anyway.