Vacation expenses

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is eye opening considering how many people on DCUM act like it’s super pitiful if your annual vacations are to places like Rehoboth and Orlando. I also don’t understand how people are spending this little.

We are going to Key West for Spring Break and staying in 1 hotel room at a mid-level full service chain (Marriott, Hilton). Our flights and hotel alone are $6-7k once you factor in checking 1 big suitcase for all 4 of us, Uber to/from airport, resort fees and taxes, etc. It’s easily a $10k trip with a car rental, meals out, and excursions like renting kayaks and swimming with dolphins. And it seems like we always stay at really dumpy hotels compared to other families we know in a similar income bracket!

We’re traveling to a wedding on the West coast this summer and will tack on a national park trip afterwards. I’m sure the whole thing will cost $20k and we’ll be gone 2-2.5 weeks. A trip to Europe or South America would be equally costly.

I like Rehoboth and Orlando, FYI. I am not a travel snob! I think those hotel rooms add up - especially at a popular time at spring break. Lately, I like to stay at VRBOs lately for more room and often lower cost.

But as I mentioned, we are in the income bracket stated in the OP, and once we went to Aruba and stayed in a house rental by owner near the Marriott there. We went to the beach near the Marriott and saw all the guests there, and I thought to myself - I could not justify the price of this hotel - does really everyone here make that much more than us that they're willing to drop that much on this hotel?! LOL.

That said - I like to travel often and I could spend more on ONE trip if I took fewer trips. I guess everyone is different - we are saving for college and retirement and pay for our vacations in cash. Maybe others put it on credit and aren't saving. Who knows.

Disney used to be super cheap and easy so we went a bunch of times. I would not go to Orlando during spring break.

I'm the person you're responding to. We went Universal during Spring Break 2023 and stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel. It wasn't cheap but we had a great time. Fortunately I paid for that trip before I started budgeting Or unfortunately, maybe these trips are why I had to start budgeting... hahaha.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is eye opening considering how many people on DCUM act like it’s super pitiful if your annual vacations are to places like Rehoboth and Orlando. I also don’t understand how people are spending this little.

We are going to Key West for Spring Break and staying in 1 hotel room at a mid-level full service chain (Marriott, Hilton). Our flights and hotel alone are $6-7k once you factor in checking 1 big suitcase for all 4 of us, Uber to/from airport, resort fees and taxes, etc. It’s easily a $10k trip with a car rental, meals out, and excursions like renting kayaks and swimming with dolphins. And it seems like we always stay at really dumpy hotels compared to other families we know in a similar income bracket!

We’re traveling to a wedding on the West coast this summer and will tack on a national park trip afterwards. I’m sure the whole thing will cost $20k and we’ll be gone 2-2.5 weeks. A trip to Europe or South America would be equally costly.

I agree, I’m always suspicious of DCUM travel costs. I think one thing that might happen is that people just remember the flights and hotels, but don’t add in costs for meals and activities.

Also, for us, we end up with higher priced flights because we won’t do a connection to save money or take really early or late flights. We also have to take vacations according to the school calendar, which adds to costs.

We’re a family of four, 300k HHI, and our travel budget is generally between 10k-20k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is eye opening considering how many people on DCUM act like it’s super pitiful if your annual vacations are to places like Rehoboth and Orlando. I also don’t understand how people are spending this little.

We are going to Key West for Spring Break and staying in 1 hotel room at a mid-level full service chain (Marriott, Hilton). Our flights and hotel alone are $6-7k once you factor in checking 1 big suitcase for all 4 of us, Uber to/from airport, resort fees and taxes, etc. It’s easily a $10k trip with a car rental, meals out, and excursions like renting kayaks and swimming with dolphins. And it seems like we always stay at really dumpy hotels compared to other families we know in a similar income bracket!

We’re traveling to a wedding on the West coast this summer and will tack on a national park trip afterwards. I’m sure the whole thing will cost $20k and we’ll be gone 2-2.5 weeks. A trip to Europe or South America would be equally costly.

I like Rehoboth and Orlando, FYI. I am not a travel snob! I think those hotel rooms add up - especially at a popular time at spring break. Lately, I like to stay at VRBOs lately for more room and often lower cost.

But as I mentioned, we are in the income bracket stated in the OP, and once we went to Aruba and stayed in a house rental by owner near the Marriott there. We went to the beach near the Marriott and saw all the guests there, and I thought to myself - I could not justify the price of this hotel - does really everyone here make that much more than us that they're willing to drop that much on this hotel?! LOL.

That said - I like to travel often and I could spend more on ONE trip if I took fewer trips. I guess everyone is different - we are saving for college and retirement and pay for our vacations in cash. Maybe others put it on credit and aren't saving. Who knows.

Disney used to be super cheap and easy so we went a bunch of times. I would not go to Orlando during spring break.

I'm the person you're responding to. We went Universal during Spring Break 2023 and stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel. It wasn't cheap but we had a great time. Fortunately I paid for that trip before I started budgeting Or unfortunately, maybe these trips are why I had to start budgeting... hahaha.

It's not worth it for spring break. We used to pull our kids out of school to go to Disney when they were in Elementary School (or younger). We'd also use the military discounts and use the Southwest Credit Card people recommended here years ago so we could go for a few thousand and stay 10-12 days or do a cruise and Disney (one year) and it wasn't as much as people here say it is). Now we have tons of miles saved up not traveling so when we do travel again, it will be affordable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is eye opening considering how many people on DCUM act like it’s super pitiful if your annual vacations are to places like Rehoboth and Orlando. I also don’t understand how people are spending this little.

We are going to Key West for Spring Break and staying in 1 hotel room at a mid-level full service chain (Marriott, Hilton). Our flights and hotel alone are $6-7k once you factor in checking 1 big suitcase for all 4 of us, Uber to/from airport, resort fees and taxes, etc. It’s easily a $10k trip with a car rental, meals out, and excursions like renting kayaks and swimming with dolphins. And it seems like we always stay at really dumpy hotels compared to other families we know in a similar income bracket!

We’re traveling to a wedding on the West coast this summer and will tack on a national park trip afterwards. I’m sure the whole thing will cost $20k and we’ll be gone 2-2.5 weeks. A trip to Europe or South America would be equally costly.

I agree, I’m always suspicious of DCUM travel costs. I think one thing that might happen is that people just remember the flights and hotels, but don’t add in costs for meals and activities.

Also, for us, we end up with higher priced flights because we won’t do a connection to save money or take really early or late flights. We also have to take vacations according to the school calendar, which adds to costs.

We’re a family of four, 300k HHI, and our travel budget is generally between 10k-20k.

You have to bargain shop. You stay at an under $200 a night hotel. If you have younger kids, before 6th grade (or maybe 6th depending on what classes they are taking) you go during the school year, early fall is great. You fly into a nearby airport if it's cheaper and rent a car. You go to mostly fast casual vs. expensive dinners. You use an air miles credit card, like South West. You find any available discounts (for us, usually military). You consider what things cost.

$20K for a West Coast trip seems a bit crazy.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Those who mentioned Europe is cheaper than US, how well in advance do you book your flight tickets and do you go through travel agencies to find better deals?

[Anonymous]

Family of 2, we spend 20K per year on 2 trips oversea, each for about 12 days. Fight is usually cheap because we don't have to do school holidays. Hotels are getting more and more expensive. Last trip we spent $400/night.

[Anonymous]

$360k, family of 4. Last year we spent $13k and budgeting about the same for this year. Would love to spend more but we need to save for college/retirement and kids have activities that make them reluctant to take big trips over the summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Those who mentioned Europe is cheaper than US, how well in advance do you book your flight tickets and do you go through travel agencies to find better deals?

I start looking when flights are released (about 11 months out) - I haven't found travel agencies to help me save money. I do the google flight explore feature a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is eye opening considering how many people on DCUM act like it’s super pitiful if your annual vacations are to places like Rehoboth and Orlando. I also don’t understand how people are spending this little.

We are going to Key West for Spring Break and staying in 1 hotel room at a mid-level full service chain (Marriott, Hilton). Our flights and hotel alone are $6-7k once you factor in checking 1 big suitcase for all 4 of us, Uber to/from airport, resort fees and taxes, etc. It’s easily a $10k trip with a car rental, meals out, and excursions like renting kayaks and swimming with dolphins. And it seems like we always stay at really dumpy hotels compared to other families we know in a similar income bracket!

We’re traveling to a wedding on the West coast this summer and will tack on a national park trip afterwards. I’m sure the whole thing will cost $20k and we’ll be gone 2-2.5 weeks. A trip to Europe or South America would be equally costly.

We are just better shoppers than you? We are going to AZ for spring break. Flights were $400x4 ($1600) and hotel is averaging $400x7 ($2800). Rental car is $400. So together those three are $4800, not $6-7k.

[Anonymous]

This year will be about 10k, although that includes spring break 2024 which has already been paid for at this point. We are a family of 4 and make about 450k per year. We usually do one more expensive week long trip each year (spring break this year to FL) and another week long trip over the summer that is always a driving trip up to a lake area we love every year. Then there is usually a few weekend trips or a random trip to visit family. Kids are 3 and 7 so expectations aren’t super high yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is eye opening considering how many people on DCUM act like it’s super pitiful if your annual vacations are to places like Rehoboth and Orlando. I also don’t understand how people are spending this little.

We are going to Key West for Spring Break and staying in 1 hotel room at a mid-level full service chain (Marriott, Hilton). Our flights and hotel alone are $6-7k once you factor in checking 1 big suitcase for all 4 of us, Uber to/from airport, resort fees and taxes, etc. It’s easily a $10k trip with a car rental, meals out, and excursions like renting kayaks and swimming with dolphins. And it seems like we always stay at really dumpy hotels compared to other families we know in a similar income bracket!

We’re traveling to a wedding on the West coast this summer and will tack on a national park trip afterwards. I’m sure the whole thing will cost $20k and we’ll be gone 2-2.5 weeks. A trip to Europe or South America would be equally costly.

We are just better shoppers than you? We are going to AZ for spring break. Flights were $400x4 ($1600) and hotel is averaging $400x7 ($2800). Rental car is $400. So together those three are $4800, not $6-7k.

Do you plan to eat or do anything there?

[Anonymous]

I would love to merge this thread with one on the college forum about middle class (which the OP defines as $300k in DC) and the FAFSA. On that thread the $300k earners claim that there's no way they can afford to save for full pay college tuition. On this thread (and the ski trip one) $300k earners are setting aside $25k/year for vacations. I wonder if it's the same people?

[Anonymous]

$180k HHI but we average $7k a month in spending. We are catching up on overseas trips to relatives post COVID. So about $12k last year and this year. Still saving for retirement and public college at healthy levels. We live in a less popular school district and don’t spend a lot of money of cars and such.

[Anonymous]

We do one big 10K spring break or summer trip a year outside the US. Then we do a 4.5K trip to see family in Montana. And a 6k trip for two weeks to live at the beach in the summer. And then a 3k trip to see family at the holidays. Usually one weekend trip for 1k. So about 25K

[Anonymous]

HHI 700K, 25K this year, next year would likely be more. Points and miles subsidize our travel, without them would be more in 30K-35K range.