February 1st, 2023: It will soon be fifteen years since I did this tour, and I thought it might be interesting to add up, for the first time, what I spent on lodging. I camped more, and used Warm Showers more, than on any other tour I've done. Because I had quit my job, and didn't have plans to get another one anytime soon, I was more frugal than I usually am while touring, although not very frugal, I guess, by the standards of most people.

Because I've always paid for almost everything with a credit card, and have the transactions stored in my Quicken personal finance software all the way back to 1999, it was easy to dig up this info, with four exceptions: Campgrounds which I paid for in cash, and didn't keep records of. Those four (marked with **) are estimates. But they are pretty close estimates, I think.

Day                Cost                    Description

5/13/08        23.98                  Fort Clinch State Park Campground
5/14/08          5.00                  Trader's Hill County Recreation Area
5/15/08       10.0.0                  Happy Acres Campground
5/16/08        73.83                  The Painted Lady Bed and Breakfast
5/17/08         61.01                  Best Western
5/18/08        14.59                  Givhans Ferry State Park
5/19/08       39.60                  Colonial Inn Motel
5/20/08       78.99                 Days Inn
5/21/08        56.32                  Econolodge
5/22/08        15.00                  White Oak River Campground
5/23/08       56.85                  Pine Tree Motel
5/24/08        0.00                   Warm Showers
5/25/08      59.84                   Super 8
5/26/08      59.84                  Super 8
5/27/08       77.35                  Best Western
5/28/08     129.71                  Comfort Inn
5/29/08         0.00                  Warm Showers
5/30/08       50.00                  Peach Bottom Inn
5/31/08       57.72                   Blue Note Motor Inn
6/1/08           0.00                   Warm Showers
6/2/08        76.99                   Quality Inn
6/3/08        69.76                   Myer Country Motel
6/4/08        94.27                   Holiday Inn
6/5/08        94.27                   Holiday Inn
6/6/08        10.00                   Interlake RV Park
6/7/08           0.00                  Warm Showers
6/8/08        20.00                   Dudley Home Hostel
6/9/08        60.00                   Great Eagle Motel
6/10/08     101.65                   Sunrise Motel
6/11/08         0.00                    Warm Showers
6/12/08      75.76                    Quinn's Jockey Cap Motel
6/13/08       0.00                      Friend's house (Jessamyn West)
6/14/08      75.21                     Greystone Motel
6/15/08       15.00                    Newcomb Campground
6/16/08      59.54                    Clarks Beach Motel
6/17/08       67.81                    Super 8
6/18/08        0.00                     Warm Showers
6/19/08      72.80                     Dollinger Motor Inn
6/20/08     18.75                      Evangola State Park Campground
6/21/08      20.00**               Uncle  John's Elk Creek Campground (Cabin)
6/22/08     68.40                     Super 8
6/23/08     68.40                     Super 8
6/24/08     65.28                     Super 8
6/25/08     50.00                     Mill House Bed and Breakfast
6/26/08       0.00                      Monroeville Community Center
6/27/08    60.48                      Knight's Inn
6/28/08    10.00**                  Thrasher Woods Campground
6/29/08      0.00                       Iroquois, Illinois Mayor's Office
6/30/08    59.27                       Super 8
7/1/08        59.27                      Super 8
7/2/08       63.27                       Super 8
7/3/08        41.38                      The Motel Wilton
7/4/08         0.00                       Cascade, Iowa Town Park
7/5/08       68.32                       Elkader Inn
7/6/08       62.41                       Econolodge
7/7/08       64.61                       Wabasha Motel & RV Park
7/8/08       55.31                        Super 8
7/9/08         2.50                        Springvale Campground
7/10/08     54.62                       Super 8
7/11/08      54.75                       Budget Host
7/12/08      10.00                      Fish Cleaning Shed Next to Motel
7/13/08     76.29                       Best Western
7/14/08       0.00                       Arthur, North Dakota Town Park
7/15/08       0.00                       Binford, North Dakota Town Park
7/16/08       0.00                       Minnewauken, North Dakota Town Park
7/17/08      66.31                       Econolodge
7/18/08        0.00                       Makoti, North Dakota Town Park
7/19/08     77.62                       Super 8
7/20/08     53.50                       Kings Inn Motel
7/21/08      45.00                      Campbell Lodge
7/22/08     55.64                      Maltana Motel
7/23/08      73.83                      Chinook Motor Inn
7/24/08     20.00                     Dorm Room at University
7/25/08     69.55                     O'Haire Manor Motel
7/26/08     20.00 **              Campground in Cut Bank
7/27/08      10.00                     Campground in Cardston, Alberta
7/28/08      48.15                      Cabin in Saint Mary
7/29/08     138.98                    Pine Lodge Motel
7/30/08         5.00                    Eureka, Montana Town Park
7/31/08        67.35                     Sandman Motel
8/1/08            6.00                    Riverlake Campground
8/2/08          10.00                    Cedar RV Park
8/3/08          10.00                    Cedar RV Park
8/4/08         10.00**               Ferry Fairgrounds Campground
8/5/08         54.85                    The Junction Motel
8/6/08          15.00                    KOA Campground
8/7 10          10.00                     Eagles Nest RV Park
8/8/08          0.00                    Chris Graves (friend)

Total amount spent in 88 nights, including free lodging/camping: $3,662.78

Average per night, including free lodging/camping: $41.62

I thought it might be interesting to break down the total and average based on the type of lodging.

First: I paid nothing at all for fifteen nights (Warm Showers, friends, free camping in town parks, etc.)

So, the average I spent per night, NOT including free lodging/camping is $3,662.78 / 73 days = $50.18

Most of the time I stayed in motels. And that's continued to be true (even more so) on tours I've done since this one in 2008.

I spent 51 nights in motels at a total cost of $3,391.96. So the average motel cost was $3,391.96 / 51 = $66.51.

How does the cost of motels in 2008 compare to today (2023)?

Compared to my most recent tour in the Fall of 2022, the cost of motels has gone up, of course. The average motel cost per night on this much shorter tour, 24 days in September and October 2022 was $81.10.

BUT: That average price is skewed by one extremely expensive (for me) night: $183. I could have found something much cheaper if I hadn't been lazy that day. And there were a few nights on that tour where there were cheaper motels, but I felt like staying in a nicer place.

So, somewhat surprisingly, I don't think the cost of budget motels in non-touristy, middle-of-the-nowhere areas has increased as much as one would suppose.