How do you keep track of your spending while on vacation?

[StuckInKS]

I hate to admit it, but we just spend. It comes out of our bank and I will log on every so often to see how much the balance has dropped, but that is about it.

Now, when I say we just spend, I mean we don't total up what has been spent, don't monitor how much we spend per day, etc. but we don't just spend freely and buy anything.

We buy food and snacks, if not on DDP, and limit the kids to 1-2 sovies each. My poor kids have been to WDW 3 times and DD 8 is still waiting for her Mickey balloon. She did finally get to go to CRT though on this trip, thanks to the DDP. We have never done a character meal either.

So, we don't "keep track," but we do limit how much we spend.

 

[Skye23]

I do the same on all of my vacations - I take a very small notebook (one of those tiny memo pads, preferably something cute) and I write down every single penny I spend, what it was for, and what method I used to pay ie credit card x or y, debit card (which account), cash or gift card. Every night I add it up and there's my daily total. Obviously I know in advance how much is available on the credit cards, in the bank account and how much cash I have.

 

[lisaross]

When we go on vacation - i have everything saved b4 we go - so depending what type of vacation, i either put separate money aside per day for for an activity if i charge, i keep mental note how much i can charge...

Inspired by the "How do you pay" thread.

What method do you use to keep track of your spending while you are vacationing?

• Do you just put all of your receipts away and then sort it all out after you get home?
• Put a set amount of cash aside for each day and then budget your daily spending that way?
• Charge everything on your KTTW card but carefully log each purchase on an budgeting ap on your phone?
• Spend with no regard to the dollar amount and then just deal with it later? (Because you're on vacation, darn it!)

I'll admit that I don't monitor every penny and I usually have more money in the vacation account than I will probably spend. So I spend pretty freely while we're vacationing and then deal with the cost later. It's pretty much the only time when I do not scrutinize every purchase carefully.

 

[100AcreWood]

We're big Dave Ramsey fans so we're with you on the vacation budget. We estimate, then save a few hundred over our estimate just in case. Then we're careful when we're there to only spend what we need. For souvenirs we give the kids a set amount for the week and bring the cash in envelopes (only because we want to show them they need cash not a credit card to buy). When the cash is gone, they are done buying souvenirs. Dh and I could care less about buying anything at this point. We'd rather spend our extra on mickey ice cream bars!

 

[ssawka]

We really don't budget, even at home, but DW and I are very disciplined as far as spending is concerned. We definitely live below our means! Now as for paying for things on vacation, at WDW we put just about everything on the KTTW card, which then charges our rewards card.

For DD, we ask family to give her Disney Gift Cards for her birthday and Christmas. All of her souvenirs are purchased with that. With sixteen older cousins, DD pretty much never needs clothes or toys.

As for DW and I, we don't really need Disney souvenirs anymore. We may each buy a shirt or something, but I doubt we spend over $100 between the two of us. The only exception would be if we decide to do extra activities (spa, tour, etc.)

 

[verlee]

We budget ahead and then we spend very little while we are there. We do a package deal including DDP that is paid off before we go. Once there, we really spend very little maybe a 100.00 for gifts for family and friends and maybe an item or two that we can not put on our DDP but it really is not much at all. WE don't deny ourselves, just not impulse spenders.

This! We plan everything we are going to do in detail and budget as close to everything that we can before we go. Including tips, souvies, snacks, drinks ect. Then once we are there we know what we are going to buy. There are no suprises. We almost never impluse buy and if we do it is very obvious and we discuss it. We have found that method very easy to follow at WDW. And so far, no one feels like they are being denied. (not to mention Mom and Dad are not freaking about $$$)

 

[DawnM]

We are too far into a budget to even afford to stay on property!~

Dawn

KTTW - Key to the World Card, your room key/card.

 

[HeyIt'sMe]

I am a budget nerd. I budget for fun and find it somewhat relaxing. Checking my budget vs. online checking account is the last thing I do before bed and the first thing I do every morning.

While at Disney, we use our debit card from our vacation checking. DH and I just keep our receipts throughout the day, and that night when we're back at the hotel, I balance the account. I am able to check my register against my online acct. through my phone.

I realize most people would hate doing this, but it's kind of my thing, so that's how we do it.

I am exactly like this! I thought I was the only one that found working on our budget fun & relaxing. Plus, I am an accountant so I guess I picked the right career choice, huh?

As for vacation spending - We usually have a package so the room, tickets and meals are paid for before we go. We use our Disney Visa reward dollars to pay for the tips that aren't included in the dining plan and souvenirs.

We have a vacation savings account so we'll take some cash out for DH & I to carry for incidentals but mostly we use our credit card (to get rewards!) that we pay off with vacation savings funds when we get home. We have an estimate that we budget to spend on souvenirs and such but we don't limit ourselves if we see something we love. Several years ago DH found a WDW leather jacket that he loved and decided to buy it. The cost was around $400. But that was the most expensive thing we've ever purchased at WDW.

We give our DD a Disney Gift Card to use for her spending money. In the past it was $100 but I think this year I might up it to $200.

When we get home I take all our receipts and make a spreadsheet to analyze how much we spent and categorize it. Love it!

 

[21hearts]

We did one trip where we just bought/spent what we wanted and didn't look at our bank account until we got home. Never again.

We do a combination of gift cards, cash or charge to our KTTW (or bank) card. For our last two trips we did $100 per day and that worked really well for us. We plan on doing two days at each park for our next trip and are planning on having $60 per day. Whatever we don't use gets rolled over to the next day.

We also keep all of our receipts and when we get back to the hotel I add up what was spent (how much & if it was gift card/cash/charge) and we keep track of it that way.

 

[DisneyNutMic]

I used the notepad on my cell phone each day. I started with the remaining balance in our funds and every night I subtracted what we spent that day and started with a fresh note for the next day on what we had left to spend. I wasn't consumed with what we were spending each day but I felt better being able to subtract our spendings each night so that the next day I felt more at ease (I'm a budget nerd too). I actually enjoyed this vacation more than I ever have before too.

 

[notaprincess]

I'm coming from overseas and dream about my Florida holidays all year long. I have a very generous budget beforehand and all the money saved up too.
Once in WDW I just spend, mostly on Dining as I hardly ever buy a souvenir. If onsite, I just check my statement of KTTW charges at the end briefly. If off-site I check my CC statement and pay it off upon my return.

Granted if I was traveling as a family, those habits would change. But for now I have only myself to account for.

 

[dzorn]

Inspired by the "How do you pay" thread.

What method do you use to keep track of your spending while you are vacationing?

• Do you just put all of your receipts away and then sort it all out after you get home?
• Put a set amount of cash aside for each day and then budget your daily spending that way?
• Charge everything on your KTTW card but carefully log each purchase on an budgeting ap on your phone?
• Spend with no regard to the dollar amount and then just deal with it later? (Because you're on vacation, darn it!)

I'll admit that I don't monitor every penny and I usually have more money in the vacation account than I will probably spend. So I spend pretty freely while we're vacationing and then deal with the cost later. It's pretty much the only time when I do not scrutinize every purchase carefully.

We really don't at all, but then we don't go crazy spending money either.

Denise in MI

 

[Priorityonecb]

Not out of necessity, but just because I think it's fun...I write out an approximation of each day's spending while on vacation. At night when everyone is winding down, I take out our reciepts and see how close I came. I usually pad the budget generously, so it makes me feel good to tell dh "Hey!! We *saved $30 today!"

Stating for the record, we don't go on any vacation *having to nickel and dime ourselves. I just do as part of my obsessive trip planning entertainment!

 

[blanq]

I don't subscribe to any of the methods listed in the original post. I travel enough that I am pretty darn good about figuring what any kind of trip will cost me, whether it is to WDW or some other destination. In advance, I figure what we will spend for airfare, hotel, food, activities, etc., and then I pad it by an amount I feel comfortable for extras. I have the money in the bank before we travel (for costs I will spend while on the actual trip), so when the credit card statement rolls in, I just pay if off. I have never run into a situation when my anticipated budget was very far off from the reality.

 

[Marionnette]

I don't subscribe to any of the methods listed in the original post. I travel enough that I am pretty darn good about figuring what any kind of trip will cost me, whether it is to WDW or some other destination. In advance, I figure what we will spend for airfare, hotel, food, activities, etc., and then I pad it by an amount I feel comfortable for extras. I have the money in the bank before we travel (for costs I will spend while on the actual trip), so when the credit card statement rolls in, I just pay if off. I have never run into a situation when my anticipated budget was very far off from the reality.

I didn't ask you how you budget your money for your trip. I asked how you keep track of your spending once you are there. Or whether you keep track of it at all.

It's just that I find it interesting that some people can write a detailed trip report that includes every purchase and the price they paid. I usually can't recall if we spent any money in the airport for snacks the morning of our flight. Or if we purchased a snack when we were in the AK. So I figure that people much keep pretty complete records of their spending and I wondered how they do it.

 

[jsmla]

It's just that I find it interesting that some people can write a detailed trip report that includes every purchase and the price they paid. I usually can't recall if we spent any money in the airport for snacks the morning of our flight. Or if we purchased a snack when we were in the AK. So I figure that people much keep pretty complete records of their spending and I wondered how they do it.

I do keep our receipts but not in any sort of systematic way, just shove 'em in the suitcase. Nine times out of ten I pitch them once we get home. I also keep a journal when we travel but don't usually record our spends there so I'd know if we'd had a snack at the AK (One spicy cheese pretzel and a Safari Amber for me, please ) but not how much I paid unless I can find the receipt.

I don't think we're as disciplined as most folks here!

 

[Dreamer Kevin]

I am a budget nerd. I budget for fun and find it somewhat relaxing. Checking my budget vs. online checking account is the last thing I do before bed and the first thing I do every morning.

While at Disney, we use our debit card from our vacation checking. DH and I just keep our receipts throughout the day, and that night when we're back at the hotel, I balance the account. I am able to check my register against my online acct. through my phone.

I realize most people would hate doing this, but it's kind of my thing, so that's how we do it.

I thought I was the only one of my kind....

I budget everything, including the dog's kibble. My day is made when I get an extra couple of quarters to toss in my coin jar, which I then count while sounding like Gollum hissing "My preciousssss."

Given the choice of checking my account online or looking at French girls in lingerie, I'll take the bank anytime ("yeah baby, compound Daddy's interest..."). I don't know my next door neighbor's name, but my mutual fund manager is Peggy and her bad knee has been acting up lately.

Come to think of it...I am the only one of my kind!

 

[disykat]

I do the same on all of my vacations - I take a very small notebook (one of those tiny memo pads, preferably something cute) and I write down every single penny I spend, what it was for, and what method I used to pay ie credit card x or y, debit card (which account), cash or gift card. Every night I add it up and there's my daily total. Obviously I know in advance how much is available on the credit cards, in the bank account and how much cash I have.

I (we) do this - though my memo pads aren't particularly cute. We put pretty much everything on our credit card so it just gets paid at the end of the month like usual. However, we like to know exactly what we've spent for our "vacation total." We just like to know. We're pretty frugal so overspending isn't really an issue for us.

 

[blanq]

I didn't ask you how you budget your money for your trip. I asked how you keep track of your spending once you are there. Or whether you keep track of it at all.

It's just that I find it interesting that some people can write a detailed trip report that includes every purchase and the price they paid. I usually can't recall if we spent any money in the airport for snacks the morning of our flight. Or if we purchased a snack when we were in the AK. So I figure that people much keep pretty complete records of their spending and I wondered how they do it.

Sorry, I guess I was not clear. I suppose I should have added, I don't keep track of my expenses at all. Once I determine the budget ahead of time, and know what I likely will spend, it just seems I always end up in the budgeted ballpark that I don't find any need to track it all.

 

[annsteere]

I carry a standard business size envelope in my purse or pocket. At the beginning of a trip local currency is inside. As I spend receipts go inside. On the outside of the envelope I record what I spent.