ER Travel Budget

[mpeirce]

> The pet sitting thing is killing us.

This is a big part of why we didn't replace our happy little pug when she died. Our two cats tolerate our absences pretty well - and friends/family seem OK with performing basic cat maintenance when when we are gone. The cats also provide a little companionship for each other as well.

We're never gone for more than 2 weeks. If we are gone longer in the future, we'll have to handle that somehow.

 

[Meadbh]

We include ALL expenses related to travel: pet sitter, gas, airport parking, meals for the most part. The only time we will not include meals is when we are "set" somewhere for 1 week or more with a kitchen, and the amount of spending on groceries is the about the same as we would have spent at home. then we exclude that.

The pet sitting thing is killing us. We have an anxious dog who cannot be kenneled so we have a girl come stay at our house but it's expensive $50 a day. We want to be snow birds this winter and are trying to figure out what to do. I want to take the dog, my husband does not really like the dog (unrealistic about pet behaviors). He is trying to force me to get my son to watch him in his condo - which is unrealistic as he works long hours. The dog will be totally anxious in some other house and alone so long.

This is a major reason why I do not have a pet. It would be like having a child. Never wanted one of those either!

 

[Major Tom]

280SF or 2800SF?

The former - 280 sq ft.

I went from a 1300 sq ft house, to a 700 sq ft apt, to a 500 sq ft apt, to a 400 sq ft apt, to the current 280 sq ft studio. It's good training for if I ever decide to live in an RV

 

[Major Tom]

This is a major reason why I do not have a pet. It would be like having a child. Never wanted one of those either!

But at least you don't have to have a college fund for a pet

 

[utrecht]

We are still 18 months from retirement, but we have budgeted $36,000 per year for travel. Obviously we want to travel a lot. I'm sure that number will shrink down the road at some point but we will only be 50 and 46 so we expect it to be a long way down the road.

 

[Alan]

We don't have a fixed budget for travel and in the 4 years of retirement we have averaged about 6 months/year travel. This year it is Europe, next year will be Australasia, following year US again.

So far the cost is ~$20 - $35k and that does include groceries while traveling. I don't attempt to determine the difference in grocery costs had we been at home instead of traveling.

While we are still fit and enthusuastic we will continue to do so provided there is no major reversal in our finances.

 

[bhoferp]

BellBarbara-We snowbird with our somewhat anxious boxer. While I have heard mixed reviews on both, we have found a Thunder Shirt and Rescue Remedy work well. We also use both at home-like we are having our house painted now, so if our dog gets anxious out comes the Thunder Shirt and the Rescue Remedy. The biggest differences to me while snowbirding is that I have to walk the dog all the time on a leash to do her business, but we have a fenced backyard at home. Also, our snowbird destination has a great dog park where we go to run off some energy. (A tired dog is a good dog!)

 

[dmdunca44]

We don't have a fixed amount for travel. It is determined each year by how well the nest egg has done. Last year we spent $12,000 which included about $1000 to kennel the pooches (considered a travel expense). This year it will be closer to $15,000 when all is said and done.

Everything on a trip is considered a 'travel expense' including groceries/eating out...

 

[PatrickA5]

I play the "rewards" credit card game as kind of a hobby. If you're into that sort of thing, it can payoff big time. I rarely pay for hotels or flights. This year, we're doing 7 days in the Washington DC area. Three round trip flights ($30). Seven nights at Marriotts, Hiltons and Comfort Inns (free). Car rental for a week (free). I figure I save several thousand a year in travel costs doing this. Now, if I could only figure out how to get free major league baseball tickets and free food, we'd be all set.

 

[Sarah in SC]

BellBarbara, that is great advice from bpoferp about the thunder shirt and rescue remedy. I foster border collies and use the thunder shirt extensible with anxious dogs.

I think if you find the right spot for snowbirding, that having the dog with you will provide a lot of joy and companionship. And you won't be worries about him being stressed out at home.

If we only had one, ah, how much easier our lives would be! Not likely to happen any time soon!

 

[chris2008]

When I inherited app. 200K from a travel loving relative some years ago I decided that this would be our travel fund in early retirement.

 

[audreyh1]

When I inherited app. 200K from a travel loving relative some years ago I decided that this would be our travel fund in early retirement.

I think it's a good idea to have an extra-budget travel fund set aside to fund the first few years of ER travel - assuming travel is a priority.

 

[BellBarbara]

I feel for you Bellbarbara. Our pets are precious to us and we hate to leave them for 7 weeks straight, but taking your pet with you to the warm climate may not be a great idea even if you were able to convince your DH. I would imagine you would be out of the condo a lot and worry that the pet was having anxiety. That would diminish your own enjoyment. We took one of out pets with us to the beach for a week when a friend lent us his cottage and it was a huge mistake. We knew he was miserable (and barking) while we were on the beach and I was worried what he might do in the way of damage to the unit. Do you know for a fact that the pet doesn't do well at the kennel for the entire time? Is it possible that the pet becomes used to the new surroundings after a few hours or days at the most? Most pets do.

A fellow pet worrier. haha Yes, we know he does not do well as we put him in a nice kennel and paid for extra visits out of the kennel....just for 2 days while we showed and sold our home. He rubbed the skin off his nose in a inch square area (never did this before) and ate his bedding (never eats anything odd). So I will never do it again to him.

He is crate trained and loves his *condo* as we call it (it's huge). I really think it's all about me. We would crate him if we took him with us when we were out. He doesn't bark unless he sees another dog.

But he is 9, with an average life expectancy of his breed of 12 years, so to me it's all temporary. Like a 3-5 year budget hit.

 

[BellBarbara]

When I inherited app. 200K from a travel loving relative some years ago I decided that this would be our travel fund in early retirement.

This is GREAT!

 

[BellBarbara]

BellBarbara, that is great advice from bpoferp about the thunder shirt and rescue remedy. I foster border collies and use the thunder shirt extensible with anxious dogs.

I think if you find the right spot for snowbirding, that having the dog with you will provide a lot of joy and companionship. And you won't be worries about him being stressed out at home.

If we only had one, ah, how much easier our lives would be! Not likely to happen any time soon!

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I think Brady would be absolutely fine coming with us, I worry more about my husband. He is always criticizing Brady, even though he is really a GREAT dog. He says he had dogs growing up, but he is late 50s and has not had one since then and just doesn't *get* them.

I don't think I can take his constant criticism of the dog, total buzz kill. Funny thing, he insisted we get the dog when we married as a way of bringing our two families together (I had an older dog then, she is gone now). haha

Totally agree, we are done after Brady. Not to mention he shattered his leg in a freak accident in December - cost is 5K to repair. UGH

 

[Birchwood]

For a couple like us with simple taste, 20-30K/year is plenty.

That will include a lot of small road trips(photography interest),
biking trips, and driving our cars.
It may include one cruise a year.
One foreign budget trip a year,

Emphasis is on experience not on buying stuff.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I play the "rewards" credit card game as kind of a hobby. If you're into that sort of thing, it can payoff big time. I rarely pay for hotels or flights. This year, we're doing 7 days in the Washington DC area. Three round trip flights ($30). Seven nights at Marriotts, Hiltons and Comfort Inns (free). Car rental for a week (free). I figure I save several thousand a year in travel costs doing this. Now, if I could only figure out how to get free major league baseball tickets and free food, we'd be all set.

Good for you. That is my plan now that we won't be continually refinancing as mortgage rates decrease and I can let the credit score slip a little. I have been enjoying the boarding area blogs, especially one where someone collected a million miles in a month.

 

[jkern]

Travel budget is $4800 per person. Not the biggest, but I don't like to be away from home for long anyways.

 

[obgyn65]

I do not have a specific travel budget. If I had to guess, overall it could be about $10,000 per year, not sure. For one person.

 

[45th Birthday]

We spend about $27,500 per year and have averaged that amount fairly consistently for ten years or so. Couple with two children. Kids are now in college, so they aren't with us for most travel, but we do more. We include transportation to our summer house in travel, but nothing else. Dog kennel costs $50/day go in "dog" expense. Meals and food go into travel even though we would obviously have some of that if we stayed home. Significant costs for some trips (first class air to Europe and some hotels) are "paid" from a large stash of frequent flyer miles and are not included in the travel expense number.

 

[cardude]

Oh boy do I remember those days. Our DS is now 28 and asks us how we put up with him while we were travelling with him as a teenager. DD was an angel for the most part, but DS constantly governed the itinerary, from not rising in the AM until he was good and ready, to getting up to take a shower as it was time for us to leave for our dinner res. But we forged on. Those trips were some of the most memorable to all of us and I wouldn't trade one of his sulky moments for the pure joy of spending time together while viewing some of the wonders of the world.

Although our kids visit us often now, and are thrilled to have us visit them, they are too busy to vacation with us and have their own adventures to experience, sans parents. We pray that this will change when they have their own little ones and perhaps will take a trip with the grandparents tagging along.

Well I don't feel so dumb now. Just finishing up a month-long trip to Italy with DW and TWO teenage sons that was waaaay too expensive and very difficult. DW and I went to Italy pre-kids years ago and had the time of our lives, and I guess we wanted to give the kids a little worldly experience before they are off to college. Well, IMO it was a disaster and I silently vowed never again. DW was really disappointed as well because she wanted the kids to experience all the culture and museums and architecture, etc. All they wanted to do was sleep late and play games online all night.

In retrospect a month was way too long, and we wore them out on "culture" and didn't include enough kid friendly activities. Seems logical now but obviously it didn't dawn on us when we were planning it.