What percentage of your take home do you budget for travel?

[zhuzhu]

I am curious as to how you guys budget for travel. How many times a year, and how much of your total take-home income do you set aside for them?

How easy is it to go over the budget for travel?

 

[katamari]

DH and I take an annual vacation and rotate between a domestic and an international trip. We don''t budget from each paycheck, but we do things like saving change (and for us, change is more anything left from a $5 or $10 bill if we pay cash for something) and putting money into our travel saving for one another for presents.

We generally scale the travel to the budget and would never go over budget for travel. We have vague ideas of where we want to go and make it work.

 

[jewelerman]

Zero.Would love to travel again when there is more income...incoming.

 

[Haven]

We don''t really budget for travel. We just know that travel is a priority, so we don''t spend our fun money elsewhere. I suppose you could say that we budget everything else that we do to ensure that we''ll have enough leftover to spend on traveling.

We''ll typically go on one big trip a year. We''re going to Ireland this summer, I can''t wait!

 

[zhuzhu]

I asked because we have never budgeted for it, but think we need to start. Particularly because my In laws are always givin us pressure to go see them or they want to come stay with us. I will rather spend the money going there than suffering the stress of them coming in town! HAHAHA!

It gets expensive to fly across the country for sure, as we usually do over the weekend trips by driving!

 

[reader]

Budget? I usually just hit priceline and see what good deals there are for where I want to go, and take them.

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

None of it. I detest traveling. I know you aren''t supposed to say that, but I just hate it. I''ve done an awful lot of it over the years and I would be happy now just to live out the rest of my life in our village if it meant never going through Heathrow again.

I love to go to New York and I liked my honeymoon in the South of France, but we just take the cost out of our generic savings accounts. We don''t budget for it specifically.

Sorry your inlaws want to visit zhuzhu. I know you have issues with them. I don''t think I could bear to waste holiday time and money on visiting them, either. How about tolerating them at home for a week then using what you''ve budgeted to go somewhere really nice after?

 

[justginger]

We''re like Haven - don''t set aside a certain amount, but watch pennies to make sure that there''s enough built into our savings to allow for the vacations we desire. Some years it''s only $2000, other years it''s $10,000.

It''s a number one priority for me, so I am able to regularly visit my family, and not a priority for my FI at all. Thankfully he''s entering the marriage knowing that it will become a big priority by association!

 

[perry]

Historically, I''ve used my tax return/annual bonus money (or part of it) for a good summer vacation (typically 2 weeks).

That has not worked the past year or two due to several reasons. I do hope that I can take a summer vacation this year.

Perry

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Date: 3/26/2010 6:52:25 AM
Author: justginger
We''re like Haven - don''t set aside a certain amount, but watch pennies to make sure that there''s enough built into our savings to allow for the vacations we desire. Some years it''s only $2000, other years it''s $10,000.

It''s a number one priority for me, so I am able to regularly visit my family, and not a priority for my FI at all. Thankfully he''s entering the marriage knowing that it will become a big priority by association!

Just dittoing this. We used to have a "travel" account, but I''ve been trying to streamline our accounts because it''s easier for me. I don''t spend money on clothes, shoes, purses, etc., but I do have a travel weakness. We take at least two trips a year: one domestic and one international. We''ve been spending more time travelling recently (we call them our pre-baby trips). Last year we took one domestic trip (South Carolina) and two international trips (Italy and Ireland). This year we have a domestic trip planned, but are planning to visit Switzerland as DH is has been training to climb the Matterhorn.

I''m not quite sure what % of our take-home pay we apply towards travel--we put 35%+ into savings and a small portion of that is used for travel, so I wouldn''t say more than 5% or so...

 

[snowflakeluvr]

We don''t budget for vacation, but if we have the funds, we typically go somewhere. With five kids(and last year, college son''s girlfriend as well) even traveling to Florida from Michigan was quite costly. We are not budgeters on vacation-eat out, shop, do some fun things. It adds up quickly with our large crew. (Daddy never says no to little ones at Disney!)

We are thinking every other year in the future, and maybe traveling with dh a little as his work travel picks up, so we can have a little couples'' getaway as well.

 

[Blackpaw]

I would say roughly 40-50% of our pay goes towards saving for travel. Its been quite our thing for the last few years and will be for a few more years to come.

Sometimes I do worry that we have no savings, no house. But then i realize i have plenty of time to get a mortgage, and once we do it wont be so easy to take long holidays.

While we''re on holiday we invariably go over budget

but we make it all up when we get back!

 

[MissMina]

I am one of those who mumbles "Are we there yet" before we get to the corner. The last time I went on a vacation I was 14 and with my parents......The Griswolds.I won''t go into details but the highlights were four flat tires, a broken windshield, a Hobo Jungle and a peeping Tom.

 

[rierie26]

I just set up a travel savings account and put about $200 - $300 a month in there depending on what''s going on. The account is for general travel, not for a particular goal in mind. If I don''t go on a vacation, then the money will just stay there for future travel (hopefully).

 

[zhuzhu]

Date: 3/26/2010 11:57:07 AM
Author: Kitcha
I just set up a travel savings account and put about $200 - $300 a month in there depending on what''s going on. The account is for general travel, not for a particular goal in mind. If I don''t go on a vacation, then the money will just stay there for future travel (hopefully).

That''s very smart! We should try that!

 

[zhuzhu]

Date: 3/26/2010 11:47:16 AM
Author: MissMina
I am one of those who mumbles ''Are we there yet'' before we get to the corner. The last time I went on a vacation I was 14 and with my parents......The Griswolds.I won''t go into details but the highlights were four flat tires, a broken windshield, a Hobo Jungle and a peeping Tom.

Oh no, please DO TELL!!! IS that why you haven''t traveled since you were 14?

 

[isaku5]

Date: 3/26/2010 11:47:16 AM
Author: MissMina
I am one of those who mumbles ''Are we there yet'' before we get to the corner. The last time I went on a vacation I was 14 and with my parents......The Griswolds.I won''t go into details but the highlights were four flat tires, a broken windshield, a Hobo Jungle and a peeping Tom.

This just gave me my first (and much needed) laugh for the day!!!

The Griswolds, you say. That is hilarious!!!

Now, to the original question: What''s a budget???

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Nothing. I didn't know we are suppose to set aside mone specifically for travel. Just all extra income goes into savings and when we want to go on a trip, we take out the cash we will need and stick that in our wallets (or checking account).

We're planning a trip to Hawaii with the kids, so I guess I should start looking up how much that will cost so at least we'll have enough extra to pay for it. I'm not even sure what airfare to there is! Luckily we live on the West Coast and it won't be crazy expensive (hopefully)!

 

[zhuzhu]

Date: 3/26/2010 5:24:24 PM
Author: MC
Nothing. I didn''t know we are suppose to set aside mone specifically for travel. Just all extra income goes into savings and when we want to go on a trip, we take out the cash we will need and stick that in our wallets (or checking account).


We''re planning a trip to Hawaii with the kids, so I guess I should start looking up how much that will cost so at least we''ll have enough extra to pay for it. I''m not even sure what airfare to there is! Luckily we live on the West Coast and it won''t be crazy expensive (hopefully)!

I live in the west coast too, and the air fare to Oahu was about ~600 for each adult, last year.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 3/26/2010 6:18:36 PM
Author: zhuzhu

Date: 3/26/2010 5:24:24 PM
Author: MC
Nothing. I didn''t know we are suppose to set aside mone specifically for travel. Just all extra income goes into savings and when we want to go on a trip, we take out the cash we will need and stick that in our wallets (or checking account).


We''re planning a trip to Hawaii with the kids, so I guess I should start looking up how much that will cost so at least we''ll have enough extra to pay for it. I''m not even sure what airfare to there is! Luckily we live on the West Coast and it won''t be crazy expensive (hopefully)!

I live in the west coast too, and the air fare to Oahu was about ~600 for each adult, last year.

eh, it''s going to be a fun but so expensive of a trip. DH is absolutely insistant upon bringing the boys. . .it would be a lot more relaxing going without them (mimosas for breakfast, etc.). hahaha Our goal is one year from now. My younger son will be 8 1/2 then. . .not sure if he''ll be too young still. . .

 

[lelser]

We travel a lot, even when you take out the travel for business. 2 trips per year minimum to the east coast to see the godkids and friends, Europe at least once a year for family friends and just to get back to Europe and usually 1 or 2 longer trips. 2009 was Tanzania (half work, half play) Tucson for work, skiing at Whistler, 2 weeks in Swizterland and Germany for work and play, 2 weeks in Nepal and Bhutan, and a week in Ecuador plus the NY/NJ trips.

2010 is Tanzania, Tucson (sensing a pattern here...) NYC, skiing, San Fran, a few work trips, and we''re in the planning stages for 3 weeks in Italy, then Kenya and Tanzania in December.

It''s our biggest single household item, and we make all sorts of other choices to allow it. We rarely eat out when we''re not traveling, drive nice but modest cars we bought for cash, own our house outright. Travel is wonderful.

 

[MissMina]

Zhuzhu
Well since you ask
My dad was an insurance salesman and "won" a trip to a convention in San Francisco.
Well actually we had to get to The City on our own but the accomodations at the then illustrious Mark Hopkins Hotel were comped. My parents decided that it would be educational (not to mention cheap) to borrow a station wagon and camp out every other night. Now my dad is from urban Minneapolis and had never before taken the slightest interest in the great outdoors. My mom refused even to picnic.

Still we borrowed the car, took along what we thought we might need including two cots and we were off. When we hit the Kansas Turnpike which had just opened and had no speed limit Dad floored it. Soon we heard an ominous sound and found we had a flat tire. My Dad had no clue of how to change a tire. Luckily a State Trooper came along and did. We had to get the tire fixed so we stopped in Emporia Kansas.
Since this was to be our first camp out night Dad stopped at the local police station to ask where the best place was. Armed with the directions to a local park, we found a secluded spot. We all fell asleep easily but suddenly became aware of, movement and voices outside the car. Just a few yards away was a railroad track
and the local hoboes hang out. We were too tired to move so we just hunkered down in the car and hoped not to be noticed. In the morning Dad went to complain to the police and of course learned that he had zigged when he should have zagged.

After that creepy night we thought we deserved a motel. It was hot in the daytime but very cold when the sun went down. I was in the bathroom getting ready for bed and had just applied my nightly facial coat of Noxema when I looked towrd the window and saw a man staring at me. We both screamed, he ran and my Dad chased after him without success. When we got up in the morning the back window of the car was smashed and we had another flat tire. The motel manager blamed it on the weather ??

By the time we made it to Texas we were ready for another camp out but wanted some entertainment so we decided to go into town to see a movie. You know in the old Westerns when a stranger comes into town and no one is in the street but everyone is pulling back their curtains to look as you go by? Well that''s exactly the way it was. Like all the inhabitants had vanished into thin air. That night we got no supper or entertainment. But the Texas night was beautiful and my mom and I elected to sleep outside on the cots. We slept soundly and woke up refreshed . As I went to put my feet on the ground I encountered something squishy............Yucca worms.

The rest of the trip was anticlimactic. Or maybe I have just blocked it out.
In any case that was our family''s last cross country vacation and mine as well.
But not too long afterward we moved to the San Francisco bay area.

 

[elrohwen]

We don''t really budget out of our paychecks. I guess we just plan for one big trip a year, and decide where that will be and how much it will cost. We''re both pretty cheap/budget minded, so any vacation we gon on is done the budget friendly way - no luxury hotels or anything (though we do tend to spend a lot on food). We don''t spend a lot of money on other fun stuff in general, so whenever it''s time for our yearly vacation we don''t feel bad spending a bit.

We also try to take some other short trips throughout the year, but most of those involve staying with friends or relatives and are fairly cheap.

 

[noelwr]

probably not as much as lelser, but 3-4 intercontinental trips per year spread over the U.S, Africa and Asia. we live in Europe, but don''t find it interesting for vacationing anymore.

I think on average, a 6th of our salaries goes to travel. however, a bonus will usually cover 2 trips p.p.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Every year we spend a decent amount on travel within the US. Houston a few times a year to see family, Reno/Tahoe twice a year to see my family. California once a year to see friends. Las Vegas and Florida for work. Those are the trips we take every year.

Last year we didn''t travel outside of the country, but we did go to Maui for a week. But in 2008, we spent 2 weeks in Italy, and this year we''re spending 2 weeks in the Cote d''Azur and Paris.