What's Your Annual Travel Budget?

[Nemo2]

Does it pee and chew your shoes too?

No, you have to do that yourself.

 

[W2R]

I think this would be a bit more fun!

That's cute!

 

[Teacher Terry]

I couldn't live without my doggies) Everything else would get cut first although we are downsizing the number by natural attrition.

 

[Dtail]

Love animals, but just not willing to sacrifice some entertainment/travel plus the inevitable expenses later in their lives.
However truly understand those attached to their pets.

 

[bobandsherry]

Love animals, but just not willing to sacrifice some entertainment/travel plus the inevitable expenses later in their lives.
However truly understand those attached to their pets.

Pet sitters (and vet bills) add up,but 10 year relationship with our pup makes it worth it. However, once he passes (he's 12 or so, a rescue so not really sure) we won't get another. Will give us a few more bucks for travel If we get an itch we'll foster a rescue.

 

[Scuba]

Pet sitters (and vet bills) add up,but 10 year relationship with our pup makes it worth it. However, once he passes (he's 12 or so, a rescue so not really sure) we won't get another. Will give us a few more bucks for travel If we get an itch we'll foster a rescue.

We love our dog too, although we have agreed that once he passes we will be pet-less at least for several years. I would really like to do a year of travel around the world but cannot leave our dog. It’s a stretch to leave him for 6-7 weeks this year and I can’t see doing a longer trip without him. I just hope that by the time he passes (he is 8 but is a small dog so could easily live another 8 years), we’ll still be healthy and fit enough to do the travel we feel we can’t do now.

 

[gayl]

12k -- 3 international + 1 domestic trip of 2 weeks or longer. Single, no pets. I don't include all expenses as I'd have to eat, go out anyway. I only track hotel, flights, cruising bc that's an expense I wouldn't have at home

 

[GravitySucks]

Another point of reference is are most of the posters on this thread including ALL expenses incurred during the travel trip (dining, etc) in their travel number or just the "pure" (airfare/hotel, etc) travel expenses?
I include all expenses, as it is much easier to track this way, since I track all my expenses.

For me the Dining comes out of the Dining out budget, not the vacation budget. Hotel, gas and oil, air and train fare, RV costs, admission fees only. Suppose I should include auto depreciatiion.

 

[scrabbler1]

Does it pee on your floor and chew your shoes too?

I can't find a separate clip on You Tube, but in the movie "Sleeper" by Woody Allen, there is a scene about 51 minutes in where Allen's character Miles is introduced to "Rags," a mechanical talking dog. Allen replies, "Is he housebroken or will he be leaving little batteries all over the floor?" LOL

 

[mexexpat]

Another reason we've been spending more on travel is that we no longer stay in B&Bs or small inns (we stopped staying in hotels decades ago). We now only rent houses or apartments (in EU, often only apartments are available) and only those with 2 baths. We don't share a bathroom at home and haven't since our newlywed days....secret to a good marriage IMO! Ours is in year 46.

 

[Scrapr]

Pet sitters (and vet bills) add up,but 10 year relationship with our pup makes it worth it. However, once he passes (he's 12 or so, a rescue so not really sure) we won't get another. Will give us a few more bucks for travel If we get an itch we'll foster a rescue.

We have decided that when our last Golden passes we will be doggie less. We tried that when our last Golden died. I lasted about a year before we rescued another Golden. Mrs Scrapr now says we will use Rover to dog sit for our fix

Our last 3 week trip we had a dog sitter come stay at the house. One of the 2 Goldens gained 6 pounds. We weren't happy. We really try to watch their weight as bigger dogs have mobility problems at the joints. Weight makes a difference. I don't think she was really a dog person

 

[karen1972]

Our budget is only $5K for travel. However, if we don't spend money out of our health and household items, that money is then free to be spent on additional travel. So far this year it's not looking good, some additional medical expenses and new water heater/stove/mattress is eating up those budget categories rather quickly.

However, 2015 we had no issues so spent $19K on a Europe trip through 9 countries.

 

[karen1972]

Pet sitters (and vet bills) add up,but 10 year relationship with our pup makes it worth it. However, once he passes (he's 12 or so, a rescue so not really sure) we won't get another. Will give us a few more bucks for travel If we get an itch we'll foster a rescue.

We foster because we do leave for months at a time and it's not fair to pets to be away from family for that long. It is the best of both worlds, you get a pet while your home, you're saving a life and you don't have to pay for any of the care. Granted I typically donate to the rescue as much as a pet would cost me in a typical year.

 

[Red Badger]

About $20-25K this year. Most of that includes a 4 country trip to Europe. Like some others, no more coach seats. Lie flats going over (overnight). Newer, premium class (similar to domestic first class) coming back. Two round trip tix = / < $5K.

Will do a mix of hotels and AIRBNB for lodging. Trains all FC & high speed.

Planning more North and Latin America travel 2019 and later, so travel budget could be smaller...... Or not.

 

[Nemo2]

Trains all FC & high speed.

À chacun son goût

We seek out the old slow trains that the locals use...get to interact with townsfolk and watch the scenery go by.

This from our recent Monastery trip in Romania:

 

[mpeirce]

Like some others, no more coach seats. Lie flats going over (overnight). Newer, premium class (similar to domestic first class) coming back.

Be careful when you try the transatlantic business class with the lie flat seats. It's really really hard to go back to coach.

Now, I'm 6' 6" and it literally felt like a form of torture flying to South Africa and back in coach a few years back (on a full plane too!). It's a 15 hour non-stop from Atlanta - 16 hours back.

Now we only fly business class to Europe and it means fewer trips, but seems worth it to us.

We did fly back from Barcelona on in Economy Plus (extra leg room) after doing an Atlantic crossing. So it was only one way.

It does hold us back a bit from booking a trip to Australia or Asia. Those flights cost a lot!

 

[Freedom56]

À chacun son goût

Il devrait être, "chacun à son goût"

Courtoisie de la police de langue française.

 

[Red Badger]

Be careful when you try the transatlantic business class with the lie flat seats. It's really really hard to go back to coach.

Now, I'm 6' 6" and it literally felt like a form of torture flying to South Africa and back in coach a few years back (on a full plane too!). It's a 15 hour non-stop from Atlanta - 16 hours back.

Now we only fly business class to Europe and it means fewer trips, but seems worth it to us.

We did fly back from Barcelona on in Economy Plus (extra leg room) after doing an Atlantic crossing. So it was only one way.

It does hold us back a bit from booking a trip to Australia or Asia. Those flights cost a lot!

That (shunning coach) already happened. Last coach flight was 2005-ish. For ~2 hour fights, we may now use premium economy. Otherwise, we go first class (as described above for international) everytime we fly. We are okay with the non-lie flat seats coming back, as we stay awake the entire trip (except maybe 40 winks type sleep). By the time we get home to the east coast, we're ready for dinner and then sleep.

Like others, being a road warrior kept me in the pointy end of the plane most every flight for a couple decades. The worst would be premium economy on trips to Europe - got upgraded to 1st on many of those as well (company policy was FC only on flights over 8 hours). Family travel (using points/miles) was always above coach class.

BTW - doing the lie-flat to Europe, and then the wide seat with footrest and real food (almost) going home trimmed the price almost by half compared to lie-flat both ways.

And yeah, Asia is expensive! Sent DW to Korea last year in first class both ways. Ouch!!!

Coach is kind of like the neighborhood I grew up in - - - I just can't go back there....

 

[Nemo2]

Il devrait être, "chacun à son goût"

Courtoisie de la police de langue française.

Ah oui, le retour à l'école mon ami:

https://www.thoughtco.com/a-chacun-son-gout-1371066

Interestingly, English speakers use this expression considerably more than the French, though it has been slightly twisted into "chacun à son goût" (literally, "each one to his taste") or "chacun a son goût" ("each one has his taste"). The correct French expression, however, is (à) chacun son goût.

 

[Freedom56]

Ah oui, le retour à l'école mon ami:

https://www.thoughtco.com/a-chacun-son-gout-1371066

[/i]

Non c'est Qebecois

https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/chacun_à_son_goût

 

[Nemo2]

Non c'est Qebecois

https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/chacun_à_son_goût

Mutation of the French à chacun son goût

 

[athena53]

Be careful when you try the transatlantic business class with the lie flat seats. It's really really hard to go back to coach.

Now, I'm 6' 6" and it literally felt like a form of torture flying to South Africa and back in coach a few years back (on a full plane too!). It's a 15 hour non-stop from Atlanta - 16 hours back.

Now we only fly business class to Europe and it means fewer trips, but seems worth it to us.

We did fly back from Barcelona on in Economy Plus (extra leg room) after doing an Atlantic crossing. So it was only one way.

It does hold us back a bit from booking a trip to Australia or Asia. Those flights cost a lot!

Yeah, DH got spoiled the first time we were able to upgrade with miles. He was 6'2" and the extra room, on top of the premium gin and the ice cream sundaes made to order, eventually meant that we cut back on the number of trips so we could fly Business Class. He's gone now and I'm only 5'7" but what the heck...

And yes, I looked at Australia airfares in Business Class and just decided they're extortion and not a good use of my travel dollars even though I could come up with the money and still pay my bills. I could fly anywhere to Europe in Business Class and still have money left over for a week or two in a Hilton for the same $$$.

 

[jabbahop]

We will be about $40k this year.
PV Mexico in January
Son’s college graduation family trip to kauai last week x 6 people
Wife and I to Thailand and Bhutan in October for 3 weeks (biz class)
Nieces wedding x 5 people
College kids flights home for Xmas and thanksgiving

We made travel our priority while we are still in our 50s and active. We could make it cheaper not taking the kids to Hawaii or going coach to Asia but it is in the budget so ...

 

[NW-Bound]

... I looked at Australia airfares in Business Class and just decided they're extortion and not a good use of my travel dollars even though I could come up with the money and still pay my bills. I could fly anywhere to Europe in Business Class and still have money left over for a week or two in a Hilton for the same $$$.

But that's a very long flight to Sydney or Auckland from where you are, vs. going to Europe.

We have been to Australia and NZ once some years ago, with free business seats courtesy of DW's megacorp. It was a strictly personal leisure trip, and the tickets were upgradable to 1st class if available, which we were able to do on the Sydney-Auckland leg.

It was too bad we were both working at that time, and could not have an extended trip like we could now. The ticket price from the West Coast is not as bad as from elsewhere in the US, but still... Maybe premium economy price is more palatable.

 

[NW-Bound]

I just checked, and business seat is around $5K for LAX-SYD non-stop. Flight time is 15 hours.

When we went in 2000, the cost was around $3.5K.