Author Topic: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?  (Read 6369 times)

SweetTPi

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How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« on: June 21, 2016, 07:28:56 PM »
I've never taken a 'real' vacation before.  I randomly set a vacation budget of $600/yr, based on no reality at all.  Well, maybe a bit of reality, as that would cover a plane ride back to where my family is.  Until this year, my vacation days have been for visiting family for the holidays (and occasionally, funerals).  I live 1000+/- miles from any family, and until now have had only 10 days of vacation/yr, and it's been important to me to get home and spend time with them.

Now I have more vacation, yay!  This year I've taken a 3 day camp weekend, and have another one planned.  So far, it has been a reasonable cost of about $375, including all meals/lodging/travel/etc.  The thing is, I just found another camp experience that I would love to attend, but it would be near $1000 for 4 nights, all told.  I really want to go, but it just seems so expensive.  It's an organized camp focused on fitness with seminars and activities, if that makes any difference.

Financially, I'm in great shape.  I max out my 401k, Roth IRA, and overall have a savings rate somewhat above 50%.  Spending $1000 would not make me financially unsound.  I know this.   However, this does not tell me if it's something impulsive or something reasonable.  Thoughts?

boarder42

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #1 on: June 21, 2016, 07:47:06 PM »
You just made camping super expensive.

I'm taking an 11 day European cruise and spent 10 days in Hawaii this year for free. You should look into travel hacking.

Most places I've ever camped have awesome nature around you can explore without someone telling you what to do each day

Personally 250 a day seems absurd for camping

kpd905

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #2 on: June 21, 2016, 07:57:46 PM »
You should look into travel hacking.


+1 to this.  We are going to France, Italy and Switzerland for 16 days to hike around Mont Blanc.  Should be under $1,000 since flights were free with miles, and the few nights in hotels are free.

Pigeon

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #3 on: June 21, 2016, 08:00:21 PM »
Everybody is going to have a different idea of what's reasonable based on a host of factors. Your dream camping vacation complete with seminars would be my idea of hell. I rent a civilized cottage on a lake for 4 people for a week for slightly more than that. We've even been to Disney a couple times and while it cost a bundle it was a decent value for us. Some years we just hang around the house and relax.

Decide how much you are willing to spend and maximize the value.

SweetTPi

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #4 on: June 21, 2016, 08:35:40 PM »
Thanks all!

I think Pigeon has it right.  I just can't figure out what I'm willing to spend.  I've been frugal my whole life, and while one side says 'Yes!' the other half is sneering at the expense.

And maybe camping & seminars aren't quite the right words- maybe summer camp for adults would be more accurate?  Part of the draw is that there will be 400-500 people there excited about similar things as I am, and I can be as adventurous as I want, and try all sorts of new things.

I get that people like travel hacking to get to go to cool places inexpensively, and I've thought about it.  The thing is, I am alone at home all the time, and I have no desire to be alone in some other place.  I take no pleasure from travelling solo, regardless of how little it might cost; It's just a lot of stress, to me.

MrsDinero

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #5 on: June 21, 2016, 08:51:40 PM »
I think how much you spend depends on what you want to do.   I love solo travel.  Most of the different countries ive visited have been on my own.  However a few times I joined an organized group which yes cost more.  Usually the organized groups I joined had to do with camping.

I had friends who liked to "camp" but their idea was to pack everything but the kitchen sink, have a camp fire, and drink lots of alcohol.  Sometimes it was fun but for me I prefer camping with only what you carry on you back and I prefer a more backpacking style, hike 8-10 miles, set up camp for the night, wake up, pack everything up, then hike to the next site.

When i was a single woman, I never felt safe camping/backpacking alone so I started joining groups or lookes at travel adventure type agencies.  I always had a fantastic time.  Yes I spent more than if I were to go alone but I met some awesome people, backpacked hundreds of miles, saw some beautiful places you could only go to on foot, and felt safe.

If you want to go to this summer camp for adults I say go for it.  You can find cheap airfare to get you there but it sounds like you'll have fun and it will be quite an experience. 

JLee

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #6 on: June 21, 2016, 08:55:31 PM »
Thanks all!

I think Pigeon has it right.  I just can't figure out what I'm willing to spend.  I've been frugal my whole life, and while one side says 'Yes!' the other half is sneering at the expense.

And maybe camping & seminars aren't quite the right words- maybe summer camp for adults would be more accurate?  Part of the draw is that there will be 400-500 people there excited about similar things as I am, and I can be as adventurous as I want, and try all sorts of new things.

I get that people like travel hacking to get to go to cool places inexpensively, and I've thought about it.  The thing is, I am alone at home all the time, and I have no desire to be alone in some other place.  I take no pleasure from travelling solo, regardless of how little it might cost; It's just a lot of stress, to me.

Once a year, I drop $500-700 for a weekend of racing.  It's about $150-200/hour of actual driving time if the car doesn't break. Incredibly expensive, but I love it.  It's worth it for me to do that, but I can't justify more than once a year.  Is it worth it to you?

Looking back on my life so far, I can't think of a single trip that I have taken or place that I've gone where I think that it was a waste of money.  What's the absolute worst case -- you feel that it wasn't quite worth $1k and you work a few extra days at the end of your working career to make up for it?  Best case, you have a blast.

Metric Mouse

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #7 on: June 22, 2016, 12:09:24 AM »
This is unreasonable. You can camp and be fit for free. Paying $1000 dollars to do something you can do for free is absurd.

andy85

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #8 on: June 22, 2016, 05:43:51 AM »
if you are doing near a week of spendypants hotels, dining, gas money/flights, entertainment, etc...id say 1000-1500 easy with no travel hacking

boarder42

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #9 on: June 22, 2016, 06:08:35 AM »
so really i think you answered your own question in your post. 

YOU NEED TO FIND A SOCIAL GROUP OF LIKE MINDED PEOPLE.

Luckily the internet has been invented and you can find tons of different things to do thru facebook and things like Critical Mass bike rides.  if your goal is like minded people b/c you're lonely, start looking around for social groups in your area dont spend 250 a night to camp with a bunch of other people who likely arent like minded in the frugal aspect, and the friends you make here will likely drag you on spendier adventures.  i personally would look locally before blowing that kinda money camping.

Schaefer Light

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #10 on: June 22, 2016, 06:36:36 AM »
I think it really boils down to how much you budget for travel.  I probably budget more than most, but that's because it's one of my favorite activities.  If a $1k camping trip fits in your travel budget, then there's nothing to worry about.

Apocalyptica602

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #11 on: June 22, 2016, 06:42:59 AM »
I've tent camped or staycationed for very little money and also done the spendy-pants 2 week all-inclusive honeymoon for a figure most people on this forum would give me a few black eyes for.

They're both great, and I plan to do both 'styles' of vacation again in the future.

The point is getting value for your money and not being stubborn about certain aspects of your vacation, flexibility breeds profit.

By the time we have our next tropical trip, I'll consider renting a condo NEAR the beach instead of the resort on the beach. Even buying "tourist priced" liquor in the store is cheaper than the differential on the all-inclusive. Open up a new credit card with a significant reward bonus etc. I'm no 'extreme travel hacker' but it would be foolish not to learn at least the basics (minimal time invested for a solid benefit).

Good luck!

Mrs. Healthywealth

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #12 on: June 22, 2016, 07:39:05 AM »
I think it really boils down to how much you budget for travel.  I probably budget more than most, but that's because it's one of my favorite activities.  If a $1k camping trip fits in your travel budget, then there's nothing to worry about.

+1  We also budget, so it makes the decision of how much to spend easy to answer.  Last week we spent $370/night to stay on the beach for 2 nights, probably the most expensive leg of our vacation, but it was a lot of fun being able to just walk onto the sand.  Most people wouldn't think we would spend so much since we are pretty frugal, but you also gotta live a little if you are headed down a path of FIRE...helps you not get burnt out.  The fact that you are asking this question shows that you are responsible.  We save about $5500/yr (less than 5% of our income) for a family of 4, we spend only about $4000 or less, but make a conscious effort to save this for bigger trips versus investing the left over.

Travel hacking is something that sounds worth your while. Mad Fientist has a bunch of articles on it if you look thru his archives under "travel hacking":

http://www.madfientist.com/archives/

http://www.madfientist.com/travel-hacking-and-slow-travel/

boarder42

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #13 on: June 22, 2016, 07:42:14 AM »
I think it really boils down to how much you budget for travel.  I probably budget more than most, but that's because it's one of my favorite activities.  If a $1k camping trip fits in your travel budget, then there's nothing to worry about.

+1  We also budget, so it makes the decision of how much to spend easy to answer.  Last week we spent $370/night to stay on the beach for 2 nights, probably the most expensive leg of our vacation, but it was a lot of fun being able to just walk onto the sand.  Most people wouldn't think we would spend so much since we are pretty frugal, but you also gotta live a little if you are headed down a path of FIRE...helps you not get burnt out.  The fact that you are asking this question shows that you are responsible.  We save about $5500/yr (less than 5% of our income) for a family of 4, we spend only about $4000 or less, but make a conscious effort to save this for bigger trips versus investing the left over.

Travel hacking is something that sounds worth your while. Mad Fientist has a bunch of articles on it if you look thru his archives under "travel hacking":

http://www.madfientist.com/archives/

http://www.madfientist.com/travel-hacking-and-slow-travel/

not to hiJack but you need to do a case study if you're saving 5500 per year and making over 100k .

JLee

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #14 on: June 22, 2016, 07:54:55 AM »
I think it really boils down to how much you budget for travel.  I probably budget more than most, but that's because it's one of my favorite activities.  If a $1k camping trip fits in your travel budget, then there's nothing to worry about.

+1  We also budget, so it makes the decision of how much to spend easy to answer.  Last week we spent $370/night to stay on the beach for 2 nights, probably the most expensive leg of our vacation, but it was a lot of fun being able to just walk onto the sand.  Most people wouldn't think we would spend so much since we are pretty frugal, but you also gotta live a little if you are headed down a path of FIRE...helps you not get burnt out.  The fact that you are asking this question shows that you are responsible.  We save about $5500/yr (less than 5% of our income) for a family of 4, we spend only about $4000 or less, but make a conscious effort to save this for bigger trips versus investing the left over.

Travel hacking is something that sounds worth your while. Mad Fientist has a bunch of articles on it if you look thru his archives under "travel hacking":

http://www.madfientist.com/archives/

http://www.madfientist.com/travel-hacking-and-slow-travel/

not to hiJack but you need to do a case study if you're saving 5500 per year and making over 100k .
Given that was followed immediately by "we spend only about $4000 or less", it's a pretty safe bet that he's talking about vacation budgets.

boarder42

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #15 on: June 22, 2016, 08:02:47 AM »
I think it really boils down to how much you budget for travel.  I probably budget more than most, but that's because it's one of my favorite activities.  If a $1k camping trip fits in your travel budget, then there's nothing to worry about.

+1  We also budget, so it makes the decision of how much to spend easy to answer.  Last week we spent $370/night to stay on the beach for 2 nights, probably the most expensive leg of our vacation, but it was a lot of fun being able to just walk onto the sand.  Most people wouldn't think we would spend so much since we are pretty frugal, but you also gotta live a little if you are headed down a path of FIRE...helps you not get burnt out.  The fact that you are asking this question shows that you are responsible.  We save about $5500/yr (less than 5% of our income) for a family of 4, we spend only about $4000 or less, but make a conscious effort to save this for bigger trips versus investing the left over.

Travel hacking is something that sounds worth your while. Mad Fientist has a bunch of articles on it if you look thru his archives under "travel hacking":

http://www.madfientist.com/archives/

http://www.madfientist.com/travel-hacking-and-slow-travel/

not to hiJack but you need to do a case study if you're saving 5500 per year and making over 100k .
Given that was followed immediately by "we spend only about $4000 or less", it's a pretty safe bet that he's talking about vacation budgets.

good call misread that. wow.

rubybeth

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #16 on: June 22, 2016, 08:04:30 AM »
I don't think it's unreasonable if it's what you really enjoy and it's a small enough chunk of your budget that it isn't at the expense of other financial goals, and it sounds like you're doing well with that stuff, so I wouldn't sweat it at all. Why do you need the approval of random people on the internet? ;)

Part of taking a vacation is to recharge and give you a break from daily life so you can go back refreshed and relaxed. Everybody's idea of fun/relaxation is different. For you, it's this camping experience with like-minded people. I think that sounds pretty cool. I don't think it sounds impulsive or unreasonable at all.

Fishindude

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #17 on: June 22, 2016, 08:56:51 AM »
There is a vacation for every budget.  I think it is unhealthy to work all of the time and taking an occasional vacation away from home is good for the brain.   If you have kids family vacations when they are young will be some of their fondest memories when they grow up.  Also think that getting away from the phones, computers and constant communication is healthy.

I've done extended weekend camp outs or river canoe trips that were a blast and cost almost nothing.   When our kids were young, we rented a cheap lake cottage in a neighboring state for a week with another family and did those trips door to door for under $800 for our family of four.  As I've gotten older and more financially secure, some vacations have been quite expensive.

Best advice I could give, is find something within your budget and get away for a while.  It's very unlikely you would regret it.

Choices

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #18 on: June 22, 2016, 09:09:42 AM »
We work backwards from what you're doing. We have a vacation/travel budget, and when it's gone for the year we don't go on any more trips. So it's kind of a game to see how much we can do within our budget. Can we stay at less expensive hotels or camp? Can we bring some of our own food? Can we use Groupons? etc.

What kind of annual vacation budget are you comfortable with? We value travel and new experienes very highly, but if you value your hobbies or savings more than travel, then you might choose to stay home.

2Birds1Stone

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #19 on: June 22, 2016, 09:14:48 AM »
I just got back from a $30,000 vacation last month........but my employer footed the bill.

catccc

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #20 on: June 22, 2016, 09:25:46 AM »
I think if you value it, go for it.  I never regretted spending $$ on vacations with my family.  Even $6K on a week in Turks in Caicos.  That was pretty much flights, $500/night beachfront resort accommodations, and groceries.  We made most of our meals in the condo.  It was lovely and I wish we'd stayed longer.

I'd love to do some travel hacking, but the game just got tougher, I think. (something about amex serve changing?)  Plus we have been house hunting (for years) and I am paranoid about what it will do to my credit score.  That's the bigger issue.  I'd hate to have my 30 yr mortgage rate "messed up" by travel hacking activity.

boarder42

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #21 on: June 22, 2016, 09:43:15 AM »
i think people here come at things from the wrong side alot.  here is how my brain would process what you are asking.

1. oh wow this camping trip seems really cool and i can meet with alot of like minded people
2. crap its 1k.
3. what other options are out there that are cheaper.
4. if i cant find an option for half that price, how could i build my own vacation not using this overpriced adult summer camp
5. if i absolutely cant figure anything else out, how do i reduce my price for this trip, what avenues do i have that i could decrease the cost, do they log as travel on a CC great i can use a couple CC to curb the cost, could i volunteer at the camp for the weekend - you may have as much or more fun volunteering, etc.

If there is anything i think i want or need or have to have for whatever reason i dont just take it for face value, you optimize it.  by optimizing you open your self up to do more with your money be it saving it or otherwise.  .

As for the people worried about credit scores i've been travel hacking for years ... just got really deep into it Feb 2015... churned over 15 cards last year alone.  bought a house and still had a high credit score in feb of this year.  i did back off my apps for a couple months around dec/jan but other than that. 

in addition to just focusing your spending its about optimizing your spending.  and too many times people over look the value of optimized spending on these forums.  give me a week and i could figure out how to make turks and caicos cost nothing with credit card hacking most likely.  i'm not interested in going there currently as i have no time. but still

The travel hacking game is ever changing - the current issues are more on teh CC company side than the Manufactured Spending side(see Serve comment above)  CC companies are closing the door on the number of applications the accept annually ... its quite annoying. 

catccc

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #22 on: June 22, 2016, 10:03:21 AM »

As for the people worried about credit scores i've been travel hacking for years ... just got really deep into it Feb 2015... churned over 15 cards last year alone.  bought a house and still had a high credit score in feb of this year.  i did back off my apps for a couple months around dec/jan but other than that. 


I know it doesn't actually affect your score that much, but the timing is the issue for me.  We are looking to buy in a very specific (like 3 small blocks) low inventory area.  So the right place could come up tomorrow, or it could come up in 5 years.  It makes it hard to plan.  I'd be all over it if we already owned or knew it wasn't going to happen for a few months.

Trudie

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #23 on: June 22, 2016, 11:11:28 AM »
Everybody is going to have a different idea of what's reasonable based on a host of factors. Your dream camping vacation complete with seminars would be my idea of hell. I rent a civilized cottage on a lake for 4 people for a week for slightly more than that. We've even been to Disney a couple times and while it cost a bundle it was a decent value for us. Some years we just hang around the house and relax.

Decide how much you are willing to spend and maximize the value.

This.  As with most things, there is no "one size fits all" answer.  The whole point of this is to avoid spending too much money on unnecessary stuff and that which you do not value to be able to spend money on the things you do.  So, for instance, I may eat out once a year so I can spend $5000/person on a 2-3 week tour of Europe.

There are ways you can try to save, but do the things you want.

SimplyMarvie

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #24 on: June 22, 2016, 11:14:17 AM »
We have high vacation spending -- it's a choice we make. We basically don't spend money on anything but debt/savings, vacations and food and gas, but we feel like that's where we get the most 'bang for our buck' as far as enjoyment for our dollars, and so that's the choice we make. Everyone has hobbies, you know?

If this camping outing has value for you, then go for it! If there are ways that you can reduce the spending and not necessarily reduce the pleasure of the experience -- maybe in transportation? Or staying near the area and just attending seminars? Or volunteering? If not, then bite the bullet and decide.

If you're more interested in budgets, we budget about 10% of our after-tax income for travel, which means about $10k, total. For this year, that'll cover my solo trip to Paris for 4 days in January, a family trip to Rome for a week, several summer weekends out in the countryside, going to the UK to see the new Harry Potter play with my BFF, a cruise for the 5 of us, a week camping out with friends, and our part of our trip home for the holidays. I'm hoping I can eek a 5 day weekend in Germany in there too, but it all depends on the costs for everything else. We try to pinch every penny of that $10k until it squeals, because once the money is gone we have to stay home and no one likes that. But like I said, it's a priority for us -- probably as much or more than FIRE is.

Mrs. Healthywealth

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #25 on: June 22, 2016, 12:34:02 PM »
I think it really boils down to how much you budget for travel.  I probably budget more than most, but that's because it's one of my favorite activities.  If a $1k camping trip fits in your travel budget, then there's nothing to worry about.

+1  We also budget, so it makes the decision of how much to spend easy to answer.  Last week we spent $370/night to stay on the beach for 2 nights, probably the most expensive leg of our vacation, but it was a lot of fun being able to just walk onto the sand.  Most people wouldn't think we would spend so much since we are pretty frugal, but you also gotta live a little if you are headed down a path of FIRE...helps you not get burnt out.  The fact that you are asking this question shows that you are responsible.  We save about $5500/yr (less than 5% of our income) for a family of 4, we spend only about $4000 or less, but make a conscious effort to save this for bigger trips versus investing the left over.

Travel hacking is something that sounds worth your while. Mad Fientist has a bunch of articles on it if you look thru his archives under "travel hacking":

http://www.madfientist.com/archives/

http://www.madfientist.com/travel-hacking-and-slow-travel/

not to hiJack but you need to do a case study if you're saving 5500 per year and making over 100k .
Given that was followed immediately by "we spend only about $4000 or less", it's a pretty safe bet that he's talking about vacation budgets.

good call misread that. wow.


Yup, I meant $5500 per year for vacation. LOL If I made over 100k and only saved $5500/yr, I would really need a punch in the face (unless there was some damn good reason)

boarder42

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #26 on: June 22, 2016, 01:43:55 PM »
I think it really boils down to how much you budget for travel.  I probably budget more than most, but that's because it's one of my favorite activities.  If a $1k camping trip fits in your travel budget, then there's nothing to worry about.

+1  We also budget, so it makes the decision of how much to spend easy to answer.  Last week we spent $370/night to stay on the beach for 2 nights, probably the most expensive leg of our vacation, but it was a lot of fun being able to just walk onto the sand.  Most people wouldn't think we would spend so much since we are pretty frugal, but you also gotta live a little if you are headed down a path of FIRE...helps you not get burnt out.  The fact that you are asking this question shows that you are responsible.  We save about $5500/yr (less than 5% of our income) for a family of 4, we spend only about $4000 or less, but make a conscious effort to save this for bigger trips versus investing the left over.

Travel hacking is something that sounds worth your while. Mad Fientist has a bunch of articles on it if you look thru his archives under "travel hacking":

http://www.madfientist.com/archives/

http://www.madfientist.com/travel-hacking-and-slow-travel/

not to hiJack but you need to do a case study if you're saving 5500 per year and making over 100k .
Given that was followed immediately by "we spend only about $4000 or less", it's a pretty safe bet that he's talking about vacation budgets.

good call misread that. wow.


Yup, I meant $5500 per year for vacation. LOL If I made over 100k and only saved $5500/yr, I would really need a punch in the face (unless there was some damn good reason)

i was expecting you to say you have 200k in loans at 10% you were paying down as quickly as possible and the 5500 was your company match for your 401k. or something to that effect if thats all you were saving.

boarder42

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #27 on: June 22, 2016, 01:45:27 PM »

As for the people worried about credit scores i've been travel hacking for years ... just got really deep into it Feb 2015... churned over 15 cards last year alone.  bought a house and still had a high credit score in feb of this year.  i did back off my apps for a couple months around dec/jan but other than that. 


I know it doesn't actually affect your score that much, but the timing is the issue for me.  We are looking to buy in a very specific (like 3 small blocks) low inventory area.  So the right place could come up tomorrow, or it could come up in 5 years.  It makes it hard to plan.  I'd be all over it if we already owned or knew it wasn't going to happen for a few months.

it was the same thing for us.  we wanted lake front in the cheapest lake community in the area we live in... found the house stopped the CC churning and bought it.  i still wouldnt get into it til you closed just as a safety net but you can hit it hard afterwards.  2 cards i churn for non sign up bonuses net us 4k a year in cash.

Dicey

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #28 on: June 22, 2016, 10:51:39 PM »
Many years ago, my neighbor knocked on my door and told me about a gourmet food & wine whitewater rafting trip that was run by three buddies. One was a rising chef at a famous restaurant, one owned a wine store and the third had a well known Outdoor Adventure/Expedition Company. They put together this trip for the sheer joy of it. The adventure weekend had been glowingly reviewed by Craig Claiborne in the NYT and was sold out. They only ran it on a few times a year, i.e. full moon weekends during peak rafting season. There had been a cancellation and  my neighbor thought I'd enjoy it. I impulsively agreed and had an utter blast. (Neighbor was just a friend. IIRC, I didn't even hang out with him on the trip.) Again, some details are fuzzy, but I think it was similarly spendy, albeit adjusted for inflation. There were interesting people from all over the country and we spent four glorious days on the Touloumne River. The guides did everything but paddle for us. Utter decadence, sheer delight.

Later, I became a vegetarian and later still mostly gave up wine. I was on the path to FIRE then and got there eventually. The friends became more successful and were pulled in separate directions. The weekend? So glad I did it. The thrill of running class V rapids and then lolling along the river as our guides waited on us hand and foot was a hoot. It was the perfect trip at the perfect time.I have since taken longer vacations further from home, but nothing that cost more on a daily basis. I am glad to this day that I said yes to the memorable experience. Sometimes you just have to trust your gut and go for it.

Kaminoge

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #29 on: June 23, 2016, 08:23:47 AM »
I know it's not a very helpful answer but "it depends". I spend a LOT on travel. Not because I travel in a particularly expensive way but because I travel a lot. For me it's worth it because it's what I enjoy in life. I wouldn't go into debt to travel but I'll happily put off my eventual retirement for a few years to have funded a load of awesome trips.

If you can afford the camp and it's something that you expect to truly enjoy then I'd say go for it. I'm all for collecting cool experiences in life. Retiring early is a great aim but so is taking advantage of experiences along the way.


FLBiker

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Re: How much is reasonable to pay for a vacation?
« Reply #30 on: June 23, 2016, 02:25:52 PM »

As for the people worried about credit scores i've been travel hacking for years ... just got really deep into it Feb 2015... churned over 15 cards last year alone.  bought a house and still had a high credit score in feb of this year.  i did back off my apps for a couple months around dec/jan but other than that. 


I know it doesn't actually affect your score that much, but the timing is the issue for me.  We are looking to buy in a very specific (like 3 small blocks) low inventory area.  So the right place could come up tomorrow, or it could come up in 5 years.  It makes it hard to plan.  I'd be all over it if we already owned or knew it wasn't going to happen for a few months.

It really doesn't have to affect your score at all.  I'm basically always working on a credit card signup bonus, and my score has never been below 800.  One thing I do is, if possible, I downgrade cards to versions w/o annual fees, rather than closing them, to keep my average length of credit up.