How much money do you spend a year on vacations?

[wen8jr]

IMO - I would never trade an already planned Disney trip for a Myrtle Beach trip for the whole family.

But that being said, we just don't like Myrtle Beach at all and have swore it off for good after 2 trips. But a lot of people like the condo thing and lying around the pools and going to Broadway at the Beach (which is not on the beach by the way but is more like DTD but not really if you know what I mean). We have family that loves Myrtle Beach but hates Disney. Myrtle Beach is just not our thing as we like all inclusive type vacations that offer something special.

Also a side note, you would most likely have to have a car to get around to go eat, etc. at Myrtle Beach unless you plan on using taxi service.

We spend anywhere from 3K-5K per year normally. This year we will probably be up to 8K on trips as Disney will be our second large vacation of the year and we always do several long weekends. DH was off extra time between jobs and we took advantage of an extra trip for our 20th anniversary.

I understand your like for BC but we won't pay out for a deluxe resort at Disney as we go during peak times due to my son's college schedule and the room rates are just too much for me to feel comfortable...so we always stay in a moderate. We also drive 12+ hrs.

There are 3 of us and this year we are doing split stay with Disney/US. Disney Moderate 7 nights and US Portofino Hotel 3 nights with US and SeaWorld tickets (and maybe Discovery Cove). I get my deluxe resort fix at US. I expect this trip to cost us a total of $5500.00. Last trip there were four of us and it was about 5K but the room rates have gone up at least 500.00 at Disney for a week.

 

[TwistGrl101]

Do all parents travel with the dance team? Could she just go by herself?

Edit: Missed that she's 7. Kinda shocked they have competitions that big/far away for 7 year olds.

It just so happened that the year we joined, the parents have been pushing for years for a destination competition, and have gotten their wish. The consensus is that it will not be an every year thing...maybe every other?

 

[DawnM]

Under $3,000.

 

[emma'smom]

We spend probably 5-10k a year on vacations....but multiple trips. We are a family of four and we are perfectly happy with some level of budget travel (ie. inside staterooms on cruises, QS dining plan at WDW, etc). We try to consider as a family what the important elements of any vacation are that would diminish the experience if we didn't do it and which are just superfluous extras. Then we do the things that are important and skip the extras putting the $$ toward another trip.

We travel occasionally for dd's swim team and soccer tournaments, but I don't consider those vacation dollars.

Also, can you work frequent flier models to you advantage? If you want to save $$$, just drive through the night. Your kids will sleep through 1/2 of it.

 

[jcjen519]

I wouldn't spend my vacation money on the Myrtle Beach trip that benefits only one child. That doesn't seem fair to the other kids. I also wouldn't let a dance teacher/organization decide how I spend my limited vacation money/time. If I had multiple children and each was involved in activities that could easily require an expensive trip for a competition every year, I would decide now how much money and time I was able to spend on that and expect the money to come from the budget for kids lessons and educational activities, not the vacation budget.

i agree. also, is there really no way you could just bring the baby or leave all the younger ones with your mom? if not i would be saying no to dance until the younger kids are older. going on this dance trip with the 3 younger kids sounds awful. at least for the portion of the trip dedicated to dance.

in general i don't find 8k to be too much to spend on a trip. however, i wouldn't go on any trip i couldn't easily afford so what dollar amount i personally spend is not the point. good luck!

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

We spend way more than the average family on vacation. Or we did. We won't be anymore.

Between October 2011 and April 2013 we spent $19,000 on just 5 Disney trips.

The first one, 11 days with all 5 of us was $7,000.

The 2 trips after that were just DH and I and those cost around $2,000 each.

The next family trip last October cost $6,000.

Then the last trip this past April was $2,000.

But we have cut back on how many times a year we are going to go.

And we also just bought into Wyndham timeshare points and will be staying in condos off site now and also going to other states and other vacations besides Disney.

 

[NancyIL]

OP - I believe you have already answered your own question! $8k is TOO MUCH for the vast majority of young American families to spend on a single, weeklong vacation. I do not know your financial circumstances, but the fact is, you will have MANY expenses in the future with 4 kiddos, and unless you are very financially savvy and have a healthy bank account and a
$100k + income, then it's too much.

Don't fall into the trap of reading these boards and thinking that everyone is having these wonderful, fabulous Disney trips and you're missing out. That's not true. Some on these boards are older adults, with grown kids, who live within driving distance and have had many years of saving. Some splurge and will be back in a couple of months/years to ask about getting out of debt. Some have their trips paid for by parents.

Here's what a future with 4 young kiddos looks like - braces, cell phones, sports or band or academic endeavors, cars and car insurance for several at the same time (given the spacing of your kids). Other family vacations. A larger home? 3 in college at the same time. In a way, it's overwhelming to think about, and I'm not trying to scare you, I'm simply saying that for a huge percentage of the population, spending that much for one vacation is not even on their radar.

Now I absolutely see a Disney vacation as a possibility, if you were willing to compromise (which I believe is a given with 4 active kids - you just can't do everything that each kid wants when they want it). But if you feel that you cannot give up BC and 8 day tickets, then I think you're spending too much.

My advice is just what I would say to my younger sister if she asked the same question - in other words, I'm not intending to judge, but rather to answer from the standpoint of someone with older kids and some experience under her belt.

Good luck with your decision.

Very well said!

I have a notebook where I write down every trip expense. I know what each trip costs, but I haven't added up the yearly totals in several years. Most of my trips are solo or with one other person (husband, friend, or one of my kids - all in their twenties). I do know that when my kids were younger and all 5 of us went to WDW - we stayed off-site and we didn't park hop. There is no way we would've spent the 1990s' equivalent of $8K on a one-week WDW trip.

 

[Doodlebug939]

Last year we went to see family in PA/NJ and did little side trips to DC and NY City. It was a world wind trip and I wouldn't have traded a moment for anything. That trip was about $2,500 because of fuel cost and didn't need but a few days of hotels. Money well spent.

This year we are not going anywhere overnight but rather day trips in the local area for with meals and tickets probably about $300-$500.

Next year we are going to Vegas for our 20th anniversary for three nights. So that trip will probably be about $1,500 (Part of it is paid because hubby has some airline credit)

Then the goal is to go to Universal for two nights and stay onsite and then visit Disney for four nights. We usually are able to get a military rate at Disney so that does save us and we stay moderate if money is tighter.

At that point we haven't been to Disney in three years so it will long awaited. And I am sure it will take about $5,000 total (Still have Disney gift cards and plus tickets left)

But for our family it really varies. I only work during tax season and that typically pays for little things like kids braces. So we are basically on one income so we have to plan and spread our trips out to be able to afford them.

I understand your husbands concern. I wouldn't be able to justify both trips. And for me a dance competition would not really allow for much vacation time. How would your other kids do with sitting and waiting during practice and warm ups. I am not judging the priority of your daughters dance but if it was just a hobby that she enjoys I would not base my vacation on it. I would pass on this one and if she is still in it in the following year that they travel then I would consider going. At that time she will have several years of study and will know if it is something she wants to do long term.

 

[DawnM]

How much is your stay at BC?

How much time do you actually stay there NOT counting sleep time?

I don't know what rate you are getting at BC, but I assume it is a large portion of your budget.

Is the pool for two hours a day worth the $200+ per night?

If you can't afford both trips, you can't afford both trips.

I will just say that I could take both trips for $8,000 and still have a lot left over IF I really wanted to go. And that would include transportation and dog sitting!

On average, how much does your family spend each year on vacations, whether they are a few overnights plus a big vacation or whether you do one big vacation every other year, etc.?

I am asking because I am stuck in a dilemma. We are all set to book our 8 night Beach Club vacation for 2014. We took a year off of any vacations because we have a newborn. Disney will cost is about $8,000.

Well, we just found out that DD will be competing for dance in Myrtle Beach next summer.

With a family of 6, and an already expensive vacation planned to Disney, we are thinking we may have to cancel our big trip now and just make Myrtle Beach our family vacation.

DH thinks it would be ridiculous to go on 2 vacations one month after the next, plus he may not be able to get the time off from work.

I will not travel with only DD, as I can not leave my 3 younger ones for that long of a time.

We could drive for 11 hours to Myrtle to save airfare money, but 11 hours in the car with my crazy kids will likely cause me to rip all of my hair out. (Kids are 7, 5, 3, 6 months.)

So I know there are families that do multiple trips a year, some families are more fortunate than others, and also everyone has their own thoughts on vacationing. I do believe it is important for families to vacation. But how much $ is too much to spend for something that is gone in a week?

I don't know if I can justify (barely afford for that matter) our Disney trip which we are already anxiously counting down for PLUS our mandatory trip to Myrtle Beach!!

Staying somewhere besides BC is just not an option, btw. We don't want to sacrifice a two years in the making trip by making it any less of an experience that we want.

 

[TwistGrl101]

How much is your stay at BC?

How much time do you actually stay there NOT counting sleep time?

I don't know what rate you are getting at BC, but I assume it is a large portion of your budget.

Is the pool for two hours a day worth the $200+ per night?

If you can't afford both trips, you can't afford both trips.

I will just say that I could take both trips for $8,000 and still have a lot left over IF I really wanted to go. And that would include transportation and dog sitting!

Room for 8 nights: 1760
8 day base tix for 5: 1650
Airfare using points:900
Dining plan or OOP foodi: 1500
Spending money, tips, kids clubs, stroller rental, other: 2000

It's the pool, plus the convenience of transportation. Plus we can't fit our family in a moderate.

 

[Katy Belle]

You just need to figure out how much you can afford. If you only have the $8000, and time off for one trip, then you must decide if the Dance Competition is more important to you or the Disney Vacation. If you have double that to spend, do both.

In recent years our yearly vacation budget has been $5,000-$10,000. When our kids were young and DH was making a smaller salary, our vacation budget was smaller, even non existent for several years. We have only been to WDW twice. Every family has their own priorities. I have been a SAHM for 18 years, that hurt the vacation budget. We want to fund most of the cost of college for our 3 sons. We want to have at least 3 million in the bank when we retire. We are going to WDW in the spring. We will get 2 Value Rooms. Every family has to make their own decisions on what is best for them.

We did pay $5,000 last year for 2 sons to go with the school Marching Band to Ireland. We will pay for a similar trip for our 3rd son, when he is in High School. The whole family did not go, because we couldn't spend $13,000 on vacation last year.

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

OP - I believe you have already answered your own question! $8k is TOO MUCH for the vast majority of young American families to spend on a single, weeklong vacation. I do not know your financial circumstances, but the fact is, you will have MANY expenses in the future with 4 kiddos, and unless you are very financially savvy and have a healthy bank account and a
$100k + income, then it's too much.

Don't fall into the trap of reading these boards and thinking that everyone is having these wonderful, fabulous Disney trips and you're missing out. That's not true. Some on these boards are older adults, with grown kids, who live within driving distance and have had many years of saving. Some splurge and will be back in a couple of months/years to ask about getting out of debt. Some have their trips paid for by parents.

Here's what a future with 4 young kiddos looks like - braces, cell phones, sports or band or academic endeavors, cars and car insurance for several at the same time (given the spacing of your kids). Other family vacations. A larger home? 3 in college at the same time. In a way, it's overwhelming to think about, and I'm not trying to scare you, I'm simply saying that for a huge percentage of the population, spending that much for one vacation is not even on their radar.

Now I absolutely see a Disney vacation as a possibility, if you were willing to compromise (which I believe is a given with 4 active kids - you just can't do everything that each kid wants when they want it). But if you feel that you cannot give up BC and 8 day tickets, then I think you're spending too much.

My advice is just what I would say to my younger sister if she asked the same question - in other words, I'm not intending to judge, but rather to answer from the standpoint of someone with older kids and some experience under her belt.

Good luck with your decision.

This is well said and as a mom of four (soon to be five), I understand what this poster is trying to convey even though it isn't what a lot of us want to hear, especially coming on these boards and reading about some of the kind of Disney trips many people on the DIS take annually

To answer your original question, our travel budget is usually $10-12K/year. That usually includes one big trip with the whole family, a family weekend or two, a couple-few trips with just one or two of the kids, and any number of spur-of-the-moment overnight or day trips as well as the kids' summer camps.

As far as your situation goes, have you really looked into the practicality of going to Myrtle Beach without a car? It has been years since I was there but I don't remember that being a place that is particularly easy to get around without wheels.

My husband often can't get off work for all of our trips, and when the kids were younger I dealt with that by finding another willing adult (usually my mom) to come along to be an extra pair of adult hands and eyes for dealing with the kids (I have 3). Do you have someone you might be able to invite along to Myrtle Beach so that your DH doesn't have to try to get time off for vacations two months in a row?

Finally, would you be able to reschedule your intended BC trip to space the two out a bit better in terms of both the budget and your DH's schedule? Two trips 4 or 6 months apart might be easier to manage than two trips in consecutive months.

Considering that OP mentioned that going out of town for dance competitions isn't going to be a regular or even a yearly commitment, I agree with Colleen's suggestions. If your DH cannot get the additional time off work, is there a way other moms in the group or an extended family member can come along to help you if you need to bring your other children with you? If the logistics and financial commitment required of doing two trips back to back is an issue, is it possible to push the Disney trip back by a few months or so and maybe change your accommodation options or length of stay? Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[TwistGrl101]

DD loves dance, we can't now tell her she can't compete. It stinks that they chose Myrtle Beach.
Maybe I can try to drive through the night, bringing my mom to help. I can't see myself not bringing my other kids.
Staying at a cheaper hotel in Disney won't save us much money.
I'm glad to see other families spend around $10k a year on vacations. It just seems crazy though.

 

[kamik86]

DD loves dance, we can't now tell her she can't compete. It stinks that they chose Myrtle Beach.
Maybe I can try to drive through the night, bringing my mom to help. I can't see myself not bringing my other kids.
Staying at a cheaper hotel in Disney won't save us much money.
I'm glad to see other families spend around $10k a year on vacations. It just seems crazy though.

How long is the dance competition?
Do you know what the schedule is like?

I ask because I was discussing with my DH sometime when I'm on a work trip maybe he would like to take a few days off and come along, but we have to pick which ones carefully. For example my last work trip to DC was Monday-Thursday but I was generally out of the hotel by 7 and didn't get back until 8 or later. Meetings would be all day long and run late etc.

If for the dance competition she is going to have to do rehearsals and be at dance and have team dinners that everyone else may or may not be invited to etc. Oh and at most of those they want all teams to watch all the other teams... how much time is there REALLY going to be for you to have a family vacation?

 

[NewmanFamily6]

Well I travel to Disney every year for dance. We are also going to Myrtle Beach next week for dance. I still go on the family trip to Disney. We went on our family trip in June. I love competitive dance so that isn't going away in our family

 

[4HppyCamprs]

OP it doesn't really seem like you want budget suggestions but rather that spending that large of a amount on a 2 week vacation is justifiable. I am not sure your going to hear on this board that you should take these vacations when you have already stated that you can barely afford the Disney vacation. A Disney vacation and dance recital is a want. It is not a need. The deluxe lodging is not the only way to fit a large family onto Disney property or to have a fabulous vacation but really that doesn't matter because BC is what you want. That's fine but then your really cant complain that it is all so expensive.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[NancyIL]

Room for 8 nights: 1760
8 day base tix for 5: 1650
Airfare using points:900
Dining plan or OOP foodi: 1500
Spending money, tips, kids clubs, stroller rental, other: 2000

It's the pool, plus the convenience of transportation. Plus we can't fit our family in a moderate.

$220/night for the Beach Club is really a good rate - as deluxe Disney resort prices go. My only quibble with your proposed budget is $2,000 for misc. expenses @ $250/day - which seems high to me. However, even if you cut way back on that, it won't pay for your trip to Myrtle Beach.

 

[Southernmiss]

OP - I believe you have already answered your own question! $8k is TOO MUCH for the vast majority of young American families to spend on a single, weeklong vacation. I do not know your financial circumstances, but the fact is, you will have MANY expenses in the future with 4 kiddos, and unless you are very financially savvy and have a healthy bank account and a
$100k + income, then it's too much.

Don't fall into the trap of reading these boards and thinking that everyone is having these wonderful, fabulous Disney trips and you're missing out. That's not true. Some on these boards are older adults, with grown kids, who live within driving distance and have had many years of saving. Some splurge and will be back in a couple of months/years to ask about getting out of debt. Some have their trips paid for by parents.

Here's what a future with 4 young kiddos looks like - braces, cell phones, sports or band or academic endeavors, cars and car insurance for several at the same time (given the spacing of your kids). Other family vacations. A larger home? 3 in college at the same time. In a way, it's overwhelming to think about, and I'm not trying to scare you, I'm simply saying that for a huge percentage of the population, spending that much for one vacation is not even on their radar.

Now I absolutely see a Disney vacation as a possibility, if you were willing to compromise (which I believe is a given with 4 active kids - you just can't do everything that each kid wants when they want it). But if you feel that you cannot give up BC and 8 day tickets, then I think you're spending too much.

My advice is just what I would say to my younger sister if she asked the same question - in other words, I'm not intending to judge, but rather to answer from the standpoint of someone with older kids and some experience under her belt.

Good luck with your decision.

Agree. Agree. Agree.

Another mom of four who are teens. One of our sons was in competitive gymnastics. It was an expensive sport.

All of our kids have played rec soccer and some all-star soccer. Dd11 is being recruited by a select team (lots of travel and much more expensive). She will not play as it's too expensive and time consuming for our family resources of time, $ and energy and at the expense of opportunities for other family members to do something they want to do.

There is limited money to do everything. We have done Disney vacations twice and would love another one next year. Don't know if we can with auto insurance for 2 teen boys.

Our kids participate in what we can afford without neglecting other family activities.

For us, sports are not going to dictate to us how we live the rest of our lives.

 

[torinsmom]

How long is the dance competition? Any way you could go to Disney right after the competition? You could rent a car one way and drive from there to Orlando, which would be around 7 hours. That way you could do one way tickets to MB and then one way tickets back from Orlando.

I know you said you like to stay onsite, but with a family your size, you might be surprised how relaxing an off site pool home can be. We just got back and stayed in a 5 bedroom, bath pool home for less than $800 for the week in Indian Creek, a 7-13 minute drive to Disney parks. We enjoy spreading out in the house, having a fridge and full kitchen and laundry room and the boys LOVED having the private pool

To answer your question, I usually spend $2000-3000 on vacation each year. Even if we fly, we can do Disney for $2000(there are only 2 of us) and then if we go to the beach, we share a house with family and spend $1000 tops.

 

[2TxAgs]

I'm glad to see other families spend around $10k a year on vacations. It just seems crazy though.

A better measure of how much people spend is to ask: what percentage of your income do you spend on vacation? If someone makes $200k, then a $10k vacation is only 5%. That's probably a good number. If, however, your yearly income is $70k, then 5% only amounts to $3500 in vacation dollars.