Still working so not much time for travel. Household budget set aside for family vacations is $5-10K/year (50/50 split for me & mom). We go on a 5-week vacation (+1 week recovery) once every 2-3 years. However, we usually take a 1-2 week staycation every year around the Christmas/New Year.I'm sure this varies a lot. How much is your yearly travel allowance?
What % is this of your annual expenses?
I have $2,000 in my budget per month. I plan on taking 3-4 USA trips per year, for ~2 weeks each, if at all possible.
Spending that much may be a challenge, as I am pretty frugal when traveling. As I get more comfortable in my retirement, I would like to do a 3-month RV trip to Alaska.
I fly Spirit airlines, fly mid-week, book trips somewhat off-season, etc.
I just applied for my passport this AM, just in case I venture through Canada or the Caribean in the near future...
UGH! I've flown Spirit a few times and they absolutely SUCK! Southwest, Jet Blue, Virgnin and others are just as cheap and have so much better service, more leg room, wifi, TVs in the back of the seats. I'll never fly Spirit again.
The way I look at our travel budget is how much we spend on travel related living expenses relative to what we spend at home. Last winter we spent three months in SE Asia and, not counting airfare, we actually spent less than we would living at home (we do have a house there). For example if we spend $1500 a month on food and eating out etc in the U.S. but then spend $2500 on the same things when we travel I figure our actual travel expenses we have to save for are $1000. I don't count what we would spend anyway. So now our goal is to make our basic travel expenses close to what we would spend living at home, and save for the travel extras, those experiences we are willing to spend a little more on. So far it is a plan, will see how it works out over the next few years. Wonder if anybody else looks at it this way?
We do somewhat. It's really just the groceries and discretionary expenses that we can offset. Most of our other costs are fixed (rent, insurance, phone, internet, etc). Still, it's awesome that a meal for a group of 20 in the Philippines costs the same as dinner for 10 in the US.So now our goal is to make our basic travel expenses close to what we would spend living at home, and save for the travel extras, those experiences we are willing to spend a little more on. So far it is a plan, will see how it works out over the next few years. Wonder if anybody else looks at it this way?
I admit, not the most comfortable. I am flying from MSP to Vegas for $58 each way.
For example, in 2016 I will be taking a 13 day repositioning cruise across the Atlantic. For less than the cost of a business class airfare, I will get transportation plus almost two weeks of living expenses.
We have made the same comments to friends numerous times - next Spring we're on a 12 day repositioning cruise, oceanview cabin, St. Maarten-Barcelona for $349.50 US p.p. base fare & taxes....(gratuities not included).
(Of course, we do have to fly Toronto-St.Maarten one-way, and then Porto-Toronto one-way home...but, all in all......)
Where's the best place to find these re-positioning cruises?
Look on any cruise line website. Repositioning cruises aren't any different than any other cruise except for the fact you end up at a different port from where the cruise began. They usually are when there is a seasonal change, such as when ships are repositioned in the Spring from the Caribbean to Alaska or Europe. For example, you might find a ship in May that has been sailing the Caribean all Winter have a sailing from Miami to San Francisco. They're not necessarily any cheaper although they sometimes are.Where's the best place to find these re-positioning cruises?
We do somewhat. It's really just the groceries and discretionary expenses that we can offset. Most of our other costs are fixed (rent, insurance, phone, internet, etc). Still, it's awesome that a meal for a group of 20 in the Philippines costs the same as dinner for 10 in the US.
The way I look at our travel budget is how much we spend on travel related living expenses relative to what we spend at home.....Wonder if anybody else looks at it this way?