Actually, my budget includes all the goodies, shoes and clothing, dining out once in a while, repairs, etc... As for movies, I watched them on my laptop, which provided me with free communication via Email when I encountered open routers, which was almost nightly. My cellular telephone expenses were very inexpensive as well, prepay at .10 cents a minute through T-Mobile and no monthly fees.
As for entertainment other than watching movies, I provided my own and made a pretty good income while doing so. I carried all my music gear with me on the boat, a Yamaha PSR-3000 arranger keyboard, Bose L1 Compact amp, keyboard stand, keyboard seat, vocal processor, lights, etc... I performed at marina bars and restaurants, tiki bars, and yacht clubs while cruising south. The performances not only provided me with great entertainment, but additionally, the remuneration frequently included free slip rent for the night and a free meal at the location. Some of the places I performed didn't want me to leave and asked if I could spend the winter there.
Now, I got to eat as well, or maybe better, than most cruisers. But, I'm a damned good cook, and know how to make a great meal out of chicken, fresh caught fish, and various sausages. I got to eat lobster, and and steak, just as frequently as I did at home.
When it came to repairs, I did 99 percent of them myself, but there were a few that I could not perform, mainly because I'm too old, fat and claustrophobic to attempt to climb into a space that a ferret would have difficulty acccessing.
Now, lets talk about insurance expenses. My budget did include insurance for the boat, while old codgers like me are on medicare and have supplemental plans for health, dental and eyewear. My boat insurance is much less than my homeowners policy, less than $500 a year for great coverage through Erie Insurance Exchange.
My point is, if your boat is in reasonably good condition and you keep up a good preventative maintenance schedule, don't spend a lot of time at marinas, and cook most of your own meals onboard, then there is no reason to spend huge sums while cruising. I met hundreds of cruisers on my trip to the Florida Keys, many of which were long term cruisers. The vast majority of them lived pretty much the same as I did and spent about the same or less than I did. I was the only professional entertainer in this group, but most of the others had some skill that provided them with some supplemental income. Several had sewing machines and made sails and did canvas work. Some were diesel mechanics and had all the work they could handle. There were a couple guys that were doing great fiberglass repairs, divers that did bottom cleaning, you name it and there was always someone that specialized in that skill available among the cruisers.
Of course, there were boat bums as well. They were usually single males that lived aboard their boats, vessels that were akin to unkept apartments in an inner city slum. I saw some dismasted sailboats that were covered with marine growth and bird droppings anchored at various locations, many appeared to be derelict, but an equal number with someone living aboard. But, you really couldn't consider these individuals as cruisers as they just lived aboard in a warm climate. I suspect that many of them were living on the public dole when it came to income sources.
I guess my point is, why would I spend more money to live per month while cruising than I would while living on dry land? When I'm at home the cost of living includes all the same expenses while being afloat, however, those expenses on dry land tend to be much higher on average. Additionally, many of the expenses on land do not exist on the boat. Real estate tax, water and sewage charges, heating oil, electric cost, driveway sealing, snow removal, etc... are far more than any boat expenses I know of.
Sorry for the rant,
Gary