What would you consider an "overly expensive" couple's vacation? (1 Viewer)

[Sand]

You'd have to watch your budget to spend a week in Hawaii for $5,000, but could live lavishly with $5,000 for a week on the beach in Mexico.

Just went to Kauai and spent about ~4k for 8 days.  Food/gas/hotels are pretty expensive there.  That includes using miles for the flight and points for about half the hotel.  Take away the points and it comes out to about 5k/7 days kind of rate.   So your number is about right, I think.  

 

[belljr]

Never been to Europe and never plan too 

 

[culdeus]

Never been to Europe and never plan too 

cool story bro

 

[belljr]

cool story bro

Lol - i was quoting someone else and apparently deleted it

 

[Idiot Boxer]

@Worm  You think your sister would be my +1 on the trip?  Seems like a good solution for the childcare issues.  Plus she'll think I'm a big spender.

 

[Binky The Doormat]

Straight $$ isn't a good metric.  Go by % of income.  I think 5% is that line, but i haven't thought about it.

Oh, and tell your sister to shut up and go back to her cardboard box.

you want to spend 5% of your gross income on a vacation on a regular basis?  

 

[rascal]

you want to spend 5% of your gross income on a vacation on a regular basis?  

Where did i say that?  I said spending 5% was considered overly expensive.  I also said i was basically pulling the number out of my ###.

 

[Binky The Doormat]

Where did i say that?  I said spending 5% was considered overly expensive.  I also said i was basically pulling the number out of my ###.

gotcha.

 

[gianmarco]

Where did i say that?  I said spending 5% was considered overly expensive.  I also said i was basically pulling the number out of my ###.

So you really want to do that?

 

[kutta]

you want to spend 5% of your gross income on a vacation on a regular basis?  

That doesn’t sound too unreasonable. Make $200k, spend $10k on a great trip. Make $400k spend $20k.

Seems about right. We stopped buying useless stuff and started going places about six years ago, and it’s awesome.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Yeah, I don't really have a problem with that either

 

[Random]

Is the 5% number per vacation?  Or annually?  We travel 4-5 times per year.

 

[Anarchy99]

Surprised that no one has brought up the battle of the sexes budget allocation rules . . .

If it's someplace she really wants to go, a potential budget for a 7-day outing could be $10K+. If it's someplace I want to go, I get a lot of attitude and a 7-day budget of $1,500. Usually, her trips could be planned for less money than allocated and my destinations can't be realistically completed for only $1,500. Of course, that's how we end up going where she wants to go way more.

That part aside, everyone has different circumstances. We had 4 kids in college until this year. Big expensive trips haven't really been in the budget in recent years.

 

[eoMMan]

As long as other items in the budget are attended to, 5% allocated annually for vacations doesn't seem too bad.

 

[belljr]

Surprised that no one has brought up the battle of the sexes budget allocation rules . . .

If it's someplace she really wants to go, a potential budget for a 7-day outing could be $10K+. If it's someplace I want to go, I get a lot of attitude and a 7-day budget of $1,500. Usually, her trips could be planned for less money than allocated and my destinations can't be realistically completed for only $1,500. Of course, that's how we end up going where she wants to go way more.

That part aside, everyone has different circumstances. We had 4 kids in college until this year. Big expensive trips haven't really been in the budget in recent years.

Lol - I have the other problem.  While my wife is very good with budgeting and frugal sometimes She is just cheap.

Things will be like I can get A,B,C   for 3K    but if we want A to be a Suite it will be an extra 300 for the week.

I will then say is it really a difference between 3,000 or 3,300.       If its only an extra 300 bucks for the nicer option go for it.  There is obviously a line somewhere but 300 is not it 

 

[top dog]

Voted 6000+... Here was how I broke down my math..

$1000 flights ($500 per person)

$1400 hotel ($200 a night)

$1050 food ($150 per day x 7.  Could probably reduce that a bit as you aren't going to spend as much on the travel days on food, but allows for some wiggle room)

$1050 booze ($150 per day x 7.. The wife and I like to drink)

Totals $4500.  Add in a little bit extra for excursions/entertainment and the countless gifts my wife will buy for "the kids" and $5,500 is probably fair for 7 days.

That being said, if you are doing an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean or something like that, I assume it should cost significantly less because you are limited to their choices.

All out of pocked = $5,500 

All inclusive = $4000

 

[Rick James]

I don't think you can judge a vacation cost as a whole as overly expensive. The flight costs what it costs. I live in a major hub on the east coast, and getting to Europe costs $1,000. Anything less than that is gravy. 

To me, overly expensive comes into play with the lodging. $200 per night seems to be the sweet spot for a nice 4 star hotel in Europe. Just booked one in Amsterdam and Berlin; both beautiful hotels right in the middle of where you want to be for $200/night. Anything beyond that, imo, is overly expensive. We booked on in Florence a few years ago for $400/night and while it was lovely and my wife's favorite hotel ever, it was a little much.

 

[RUSF18]

People really enjoy making simple questions overly complicated.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

So, what was the amount your sister balked at?  

 

[zoonation]

I wouldn’t say”wow, that’s expensive” unless it was over 10K.