Blow that Dough 2023

[Koolau]

So that includes flights, accommodations, cars and food for every one?

In the past couple of years, I've priced out vacation in Hawaii and it ran like $8k for a week or 10 days.

Ridiculous.

Yes, and as a resident I think it is terrible that tourists are charged ridiculous "tourist taxes." When setting up a Hawaiian vacation it is vital to find out not just what the official charges for hotel, activities, cars, etc are. You need to know what the add-on taxes run. It is a LOT!

Don't get me wrong. I'm glad my taxes are relatively low because we rip off the military and the tourists. It's just that at some point, folks are gonna say it's too big a rip off. Amazingly, people still come. I guess it's worth it (it has been worth it for us to live here where prices are high for residents as well.)

Heh, heh, ya'll come!

 

[MarieIG]

I can finally say, we are blowing dough!! Just paid for cruise from Venice to Athens with a couple day’s extension on each end. I am not much for flying but DW dream

Sounds lovely!

 

[explanade]

Yes, and as a resident I think it is terrible that tourists are charged ridiculous "tourist taxes." When setting up a Hawaiian vacation it is vital to find out not just what the official charges for hotel, activities, cars, etc are. You need to know what the add-on taxes run. It is a LOT!

Don't get me wrong. I'm glad my taxes are relatively low because we rip off the military and the tourists. It's just that at some point, folks are gonna say it's too big a rip off. Amazingly, people still come. I guess it's worth it (it has been worth it for us to live here where prices are high for residents as well.)

Heh, heh, ya'll come!

I'd love to see all the beautiful water views, lush jungles, dramatic terrain like Diamond Head.

But the same money could be spent visiting Australia or SE Asia too.

When you look at the hotel and vacation rental stock they're asking a lot for these old dilapidated looking hotels and condos.

The 5-star resorts probably have nice new-looking interiors but their rates are really blowing off the top dough.

 

[grasshopper]

Finalized a Lindblad trip to Belize and Guatemala. 6 days on the ship and 3 days inland to visit Mayan temples and forest life.

We had this trip thumbnail planned before covid, and now just decided to try small ship (100 passengers) cruising again.

Just the right amount of activity for us, kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, for these old bones.

 

[Kings over Queens]

Sounds amazing.

Good fishing in Belize as well.

 

[Music Lover]

Yes, and as a resident I think it is terrible that tourists are charged ridiculous "tourist taxes." When setting up a Hawaiian vacation it is vital to find out not just what the official charges for hotel, activities, cars, etc are. You need to know what the add-on taxes run. It is a LOT!

Don't get me wrong. I'm glad my taxes are relatively low because we rip off the military and the tourists. It's just that at some point, folks are gonna say it's too big a rip off. Amazingly, people still come. I guess it's worth it (it has been worth it for us to live here where prices are high for residents as well.)

Heh, heh, ya'll come!

As long as enough people come you can continue to soak them. However, we find it far too expensive and can get better bang for our dollar elsewhere.

 

[Koolau]

I'd love to see all the beautiful water views, lush jungles, dramatic terrain like Diamond Head.

But the same money could be spent visiting Australia or SE Asia too.

When you look at the hotel and vacation rental stock they're asking a lot for these old dilapidated looking hotels and condos.

The 5-star resorts probably have nice new-looking interiors but their rates are really blowing off the top dough.

Yeah, I honestly don't know how they sell those rooms for that kind of money. Of course, last time we were tourists was 2005. We snagged a hotel two blocks off the beach. It was being upgraded, so wasn't top dollar. We got a rate for staying 5 weeks. I think it was around $140/night.

 

[Koolau]

I'd love to see all the beautiful water views, lush jungles, dramatic terrain like Diamond Head.

But the same money could be spent visiting Australia or SE Asia too.

When you look at the hotel and vacation rental stock they're asking a lot for these old dilapidated looking hotels and condos.

The 5-star resorts probably have nice new-looking interiors but their rates are really blowing off the top dough.

How are the airfares to Australia? Last time we looked - early 00s they were pretty pricy IIRC. We found that a rental car is not needed (on Oahu.) I can't imagine you could do much in Australia without a car. That might make up some of the difference between the two destinations. Not trying to sell Hawaii, just like to help think through the options.

I've heard that the BNB market helps save money in Hawaii but have no experience with that at all.

 

[audreyh1]

Finalized a Lindblad trip to Belize and Guatemala. 6 days on the ship and 3 days inland to visit Mayan temples and forest life.

We had this trip thumbnail planned before covid, and now just decided to try small ship (100 passengers) cruising again.

Just the right amount of activity for us, kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, for these old bones.

Great! Please share your trip report.

 

[flyingaway]

Currently in a 11 day trip to El Salvador and Nicaragua. I cannot believe that both countries are very safe for tourists, contrary to what we read before. Costs will be around $3,500 for a couple. Hotel costs are about $60~$90 per day. We do stay at some hostals because of good locations, but all are private rooms with private bathrooms and air-conditioning. People are very friendly. Rental car is expensive.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Glad that I saw Hawaii in 1997. I can go to Europe for the same price as Hawaii so it’s obvious which one I picked.

 

[explanade]

How are the airfares to Australia? Last time we looked - early 00s they were pretty pricy IIRC. We found that a rental car is not needed (on Oahu.) I can't imagine you could do much in Australia without a car. That might make up some of the difference between the two destinations. Not trying to sell Hawaii, just like to help think through the options.

I've heard that the BNB market helps save money in Hawaii but have no experience with that at all.

Airfares to Australia and NZ are very high right now for Premium Economy and Business Class, like around $4000 for PE and at least $6700 for business if I fly through Vancouver.

In 2018 I paid like $5100-5200 for business class to Australia.

In 2019, I used miles for business class to Australia.

And in November 2022, I used miles for business class to Australia. On this trip, I spent a total of about $5300-5400 including some expenses for flights within Australia. It also included about a week or so of car rental. Total length was like 17 full days on the ground.

Pretty sure I was shopping trips to Kauai and Oahu at that time and the land costs for maybe 10 days would have easily been $5300 or more for lodging and car rental. I didn't even look at what dining costs were like.

To be fair, Australian Dollar was really low at the time, so I lucked out on a great exchange rate. So maybe with a less favorable exchange rate, the cost would have been $500-700 more.

 

[Markola]

^. I have round trip from Minnesota to Cairnes, Australia via LAX and SYD with Delta Comfort and trip insurance in November for $3,069. It’s a lot but, then, I step back and marvel that in the modern world I can go half way around the world and back for so little.

 

[Koolau]

^. I have round trip from Minnesota to Cairnes, Australia via LAX and SYD with Delta Comfort and trip insurance in November for $3,069. It’s a lot but, then, I step back and marvel that in the modern world I can go half way around the world and back for so little.

That sounds about consistent with our tickets from Hawaii to the mainland midwest. We paid about half that this year for our return to the mainland.

So apparently, airfare is "proportional" to the miles as I would guess.

 

[PandaBear]

So that includes flights, accommodations, cars and food for every one?



In the past couple of years, I've priced out vacation in Hawaii and it ran like $8k for a week or 10 days.



Ridiculous.

Yes….
2 coach flights from CA
2 first class flights from CA
1 first class flight from VA
7 nights in a 3 bedroom VRBO (one block from beach-it was $550 a night)
2 nights in Waikiki hotel
2 inter island flights

In Waikiki we did breakfast in the condo and packed lunches/snacks for beach and our day trips. We did three dinners in the condo (basically Costco ready to eat meals) and then dinners in varied brewing companies. The two days before and 5 days after the kids were with us we basically ate out 2 meals a day.

We did quite a few pricey activities….All day at Kualoa Ranch, 2 kids did Coral Crater (Adventure tower and ziplining), 2 tickets for PCC and rented lounge chairs and umbrellas for beach days. Other activities weren’t as pricey, such as Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, both palaces.

Dh and relaxed on Maui…rented the mini lounger/cabanas 3 of the 4 days.

We didn’t eat at fancy restaurants but do drink alcohol, so our dinners with the kids ran about $400. And that 19k didn’t include our 5 nights on Maui, as I used points. That would have been another 5K, as the room itself was right about $900 plus taxes and resort fees.

 

[Andre1969]

Manual All the Way! I have owned over 100 Sports and Exotic cars in my life and not 1 was an Auto. IMHO it defeats the object of a sports car.

I definitely agree. Now I can't drive a manual worth a damn (although I could if I really had to), so for me, if I ended up buying something sporty/exotic, I'd wuss out and get an automatic.

However, if you CAN drive a manual and enjoy it, by all means I'd say go for it! Sure, they're a pain in stop and go/city/gridlock traffic, but if the car is more of a toy/pleasure car, I'm guessing you won't be subjecting it to that type of torture.

 

[Winemaker]

OK, the dough is in the process of getting blown. First class mainland to HNL, OGG back to mainland next year to celebrate our 40th. Several nights at the Royal Hawaiian, Four Seasons Lanai and Maui. Ka-Ching!

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Blew over $5K on travel so far this summer. $2.8K total for 3 people, 4 days/3 nights at a resort at a theme park with nice restaurants, and probably (I paid cash a few times) about $2.7K for 10 days for just me visiting with old friends and eating at local joints, but I picked up the tab when I could.

 

[Koolau]

Glad that I saw Hawaii in 1997. I can go to Europe for the same price as Hawaii so it’s obvious which one I picked.

Heh, heh, the dollar is strong in Hawaii, so no bargains! Go figure.

Seriously, every once in a while I'll hear where the Hawaii gummint is considering even MORE rips on the tourists. Fortunately, usually, someone will chime in that we're gonna kill the goose that laid golden eggs.

But when I drive past Waikiki beach, it is back to "full" again, so maybe we have to "make hay while the sun shines." It does bother me, but I'm the beneficiary. One "bargain" in the Islands for most retirees is taxes.

Just for a hoot, (this is all IIRC) our first trip to the Islands ca 1975, we got a "group deal" through DW's trade association to attend the national meeting so the discounts were significant. We had 10 days, 9 nights in the Rainbow Hilton hotel, plus airfare and lei greeting, airport transport and a handful of discounts on "attractions" for less that $600! SWAG is that would cost 20 X today. Maybe more. Or, put another way, $600 probably would not cover the "tourist taxes" today.

 

[Winemaker]

This is probably our last trip to the Islands unless we take the grandkids sometimes, for that reason, Koolau. We're even breaking the flights across the mainland in 2 parts; stuck inside a small aluminum tube for 10-12 hours is no fun for someone 6'5" tall.

 

[Montecfo]

We spent 11 days in Hawaii earlier this year. 9 days Kauai and 2 on Oahu. Saw a great friend from high school and went to all the great sights on Kauai.

It was kind of expensive but we always plan this type of travel so did not really register on the BTD meter.

We rented a local car on Turo and flew on points.

One upshot: not sure we loved high season travel enough to do it again in winter.

 

[CincyDave]

Within the past couple weeks, we have booked a 12 day Panama canal cruise, 3 weeks in Panama City beach and 3 weeks in Cape Coral. Kids are hinting at another vaca with them and grandkids, which, of course, Daddy Warbucks pays for everything.

 

[5Miler]

Just booked a 37 day dive vacation in Bonaire for next April/May and bought 1st class airline tickets for the trip. Then to celebrate my 70th I purchased a new S&W E Series 1911 to the tune of $1100. Not because I needed it but because I wanted it.

 

[Koolau]

Just booked a 37 day dive vacation in Bonaire for next April/May and bought 1st class airline tickets for the trip. Then to celebrate my 70th I purchased a new S&W E Series 1911 to the tune of $1100. Not because I needed it but because I wanted it.

Heh, heh, wait 'til you buy ammo!

 

[Retired Expat]

Seeing lots of BTD moments that involve travel. DW and I are not big travelers. Never have been. When we lived in California, it was either a trip to Disneyland with our kid (and sometimes a friend), or a trip to the Central Coast (Pismo Beach, San Simeon, etc.). Not exactly high-cost vacations that included driving, although the Disneyland trip stays were at their more expensive resort hotels for 4-5 days.

Here in retirement, as a couple of homebodies, we're looking for ways to spend some money. The house we own was newly built 4 years ago, and we purchased new appliances when we moved in, so "modernizing" the house won't be needed for years. Spent the last four Springs changing up our landscape in the front yard. But that now has settled down, so that has become one less expense.

Wife and I joined a really nice gym with a pool and booked a personal trainer for 2x a week. We also signed up for Pilates 2x a week. May well see that money back in reduced health care or will live longer which is really how you BTD. But we enjoy it and feel better for it so why not?

Also off to the UK for a month which is serious Dough blowing and in December to the mountains of Patagonia where we rented a house and invited on our dime, DD and husband and the new baby. Maybe 15k when all done and paid for. Maybe more as i sprang for Business class on the 12 hour flights