What is your yearly vacation budget PER person.

[JeremyGNJ]

I feel I should answer this in more detail. I do not have a vacation *budget*, I have a vacation *savings*. I consider it irresponsible of me to budget for a vacation. Instead, I save what I can and decide on my vacation based on available funds.

I have exactly 5 savings accounts. Each savings account is used for different things. In my physical bank, that i use for my everyday stuff, I keep the minimum amount I need to avoid all fees. Then I have 4 online savings accounts because they pay better interest.

1. Auto Account - My wife's car is paid off...but I continue to "pay" her car payment every month to the savings account for a new car.

2. Emergency Account - Enough for a few months expenses if one of us lost our job

3. Vacation Savings - I put a set amount in here every month. If I have a good month I will put in a little extra. If I have some unexpected expenses, I will skip a month.

4. The "other funds" account. Basically any extra money I have that doesn't apply to those other things I put in here. When it gets big enough, I'll take some put some in IRA or College Fund.


In this way, it don't budget for a vacation. I simply save as much as I can and use it as it come. Sometimes we need to "get away" and do a couple small trips. Sometimes we do a big trip, etc.

 

[wallawallakids]

I am so lucky that my trips are made "more affordable" per person because I have multiple children.

I really pulled one over on the travel industry. Lucky me. I get to scam the whole system.

 

[eliza61]

I voted about 1000 per person. that covers meals, airfare, park tickets and usually car rentals.

 

[Marionnette]

I am so lucky that my trips are made "more affordable" per person because I have multiple children.

I really pulled one over on the travel industry. Lucky me. I get to scam the whole system.

Oh, please!

There's a huge difference between "cost per person" and "cost per trip" when you're factoring in the number of people. No one ever accused you of pulling one over on the travel industry. {{sheeh!}}

The OP was looking for what people budget per person for vacation. Aside from the fact that there are many ways to spend your vacation dollars, the fact remains that if you compare "like" vacations (all factors being equal aside from the ages and number of vacationers), you are more likely to spend a higher amount per person for two people to take a trip than what you are paying per person for a family or group of 4.

 

[Angeni11]

It really depends on where we are going.

My husband is from England so we go to visit every other year. Plane tickets alone for that for our family of 4 can range from $3500 - $5500 give or take depending on when we go and since the kids are now older it can only be in the summer.

Now that our youngest will turn 5 this summer we are going to combine visiting family with seeing other countries in Europe. Next year to get them into the idea we are only going to add Ireland and Whales however in 2017 when we go we are looking at Sweden (we have friends there we haven't seen in a very long time and I would love to see the country and visit them). We know that is going to be expensive and what we spend will be much much higher.

We still try to find good deals on hotels although we don't always take the cheapest options because I want to feel comforatble where we are staying. Unfortunately we are going in the summer from this year on out due to school so things are going to cost more but well worth it to see our family and I think will be wonderful expericences for our boys.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Our Branson trip was 4 nights, rather than 8. We drove rather than fly. All 5 of us stayed in one room. Two very different trips.

Our "big" Branson trip in 2010, we shared a large house that was actually much more per person than our offsite Disney spot, and we stayed just as long. We drove to both - though obviously spent less on gas to Branson And we went to a lot of shows, so we spent a ton on entertainment. In the end, sounds like we spent more at Branson than you, but less at Disney than you, so it seems more "extreme"



That said, we have taken shorter, more economical trips to Branson too

 

[Iowajes]

Totally depends on the year.
We've been saving for 4 years now to go on a vacation that is going to run about 5k per person. Just the airplane tickets cost $1,500 pp.

 

[tikitorie]

I plan on an extra $5000-$6000 per year (family of 5). Sometimes it's a vacation sometimes a home improvement. This year was a home improvement since we did Disney in November

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

I voted in the $1001-2000 per person category, but that's a ballpark estimate and like everyone else, depends on a lot of factors. So far in 2014, we've probably spent about $800 per person, but that counts all of the expenses for my 40th birthday trip to Disney that we took at the end of 2013/first of 2014, even though I paid for the DVC rental and our Disney tickets in 2013. In 2013 we didn't take a family vacation because my husband works civil service and was furloughed.

We haven't had a family vacation where we fly to our destination, ever, so that keeps our vacation expenses smaller and allows us to take more frequent weekend trips. I did take the kids and fly to see my brother in Oregon in 2010, but my husband was on TDY that year and didn't go. We drive to WDW (6 hr), drive to see my husband's parents (7 hr) and that's all we've done in the last couple of years. We took a Spring Break trip 2 years ago to LEGOLAND and also did DQ. Last year for Spring Break we went to a relative's vacation home about 7 hours away, so that was minimally expensive. This year we went to a regional amusement park for 2 days and probably spent about $500 total for 2 days in the park, 2 nights in the hotel, and food and gas.

If I had to guess, we'll probably go see my in-laws sometime this year ($500/weekend) and may go back to Disney for a long weekend, since we have seasonal passes this year.

 

[Minnesota!]

I budget about $8,000 - $10,000 or so a year for vacations for the 4 of us? So between $2,000 and $2,500/person.

Last year we did Chicago, San Diego, and WDW for that. This year, WDW, then a getaway in August (up north), then hoping somewhere warm the week after Christmas...

 

[texasroni75]

We don't do big vacations yearly, but for a WDW on-site trip: budget is $5000 total. For our group of 5 (oldest DD doesn't vacation with us anymore) it divides up to be $1000/person - or $142 per person per day for a 7 day trip. This includes everything from travel expense, hotels, food, souvenirs and the items we purchase before-hand to bring with us that are specifically for the vacation.

Camping trips and other non-resort type trips would cost a lot less. We can camp out in a cabin for a week at a campground resort in-state for less than half of that. We've also done a 13-day trip to visit family up north (including gas to drive there, hotel stay for 9 nights, ate nearly every meal out, and visited 2 theme parks there) for about $3000. So, the budget for non-Disney trips is about $500-$600 a person.

 

[kuhltiffany]

Try having 2 different gendered pre-teens...we need at least 3 beds so that really increases the cost of hotels!

 

[hsmamato2]

This is what I meant.... example- If I go camping with my fam. of 3, it costs 20 per night in our big tent. My friend goes also,and it costs her 20 per night for her family of 7,in their huge tent-so essentially, her cost per person is less than mine.....for that camping trip.
at Disney, I would have to pay for more park tix for more people, but I would find lodging that fit into that budget also....like camping,or big condos,etc to make the numbers work, but it's personal how we each vacation. We either fly or drive to our destinations,depends on what happens to be more cost effective at any given time. And yes, for us, sometimes flying is cheaper.

Oh, please!
There's a huge difference between "cost per person" and "cost per trip" when you're factoring in the number of people. No one ever accused you of pulling one over on the travel industry. {{sheeh!}}
.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

This is what I meant.... example- If I go camping with my fam. of 3, it costs 20 per night in our big tent. My friend goes also,and it costs her 20 per night for her family of 7,in their huge tent-so essentially, her cost per person is less than mine.....for that camping trip.
at Disney, I would have to pay for more park tix for more people, but I would find lodging that fit into that budget also....like camping,or big condos,etc to make the numbers work, but it's personal how we each vacation. We either fly or drive to our destinations,depends on what happens to be more cost effective at any given time. And yes, for us, sometimes flying is cheaper.

Food needs to figure into this budget though. We camp a lot and while the site cost is the same for 2 or 6 the food budget is very different for the different size families and groceries are a part of the overall budget when camping.

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[ponyboy]

I don't really budget anything, I spend what it takes to do stuff and work harder to make up the shortfall if there is any. I try to keep the price around $2000-2500 per person but I am paying for 10 people so it adds up pretty quick.

 

[disneychrista]

Food needs to figure into this budget though. We camp a lot and while the site cost is the same for 2 or 6 the food budget is very different for the different size families and groceries are a part of the overall budget when camping.

Yes but when camping isn't the majority of the food the same as your general grocery budget? It doesn't cost more to make hamburgers camping then it does at home.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

Yes but when camping isn't the majority of the food the same as your general grocery budget? It doesn't cost more to make hamburgers camping then it does at home.

Actually it is more because I don't have a stocked pantry and deep freeze when camping. We are also dependent on local grocery stores which tend to be more expensive than my home shopping. In addition when we on a long vacation we clear out our fridge and don't so typical shopping so that grocery money would be transferable but for our upcoming 4 day camping trip I will have to do regular shopping for home and special camping shopping on location.

Even if you use your regular shopping budget while camping you would still include that amount when talking about total cost because 20.00 per night is not the total cost for the trip. What about gas? Wood (we can't transport wood in Indiana) ? .

20.00 a night just seems overly simplistic. It is a great deal if you can get it at that total cost. Our seasonal site charges 34.00 for overnight guests and we are paying 24.00 a night for a state park trip. That does not include required parking permits or the above mentioned food and gas.

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[Shanan]

This year will be different for us. DH has a seminar in Charleston in September & since I have always wanted to go there I will be flying with him. The hotel room will be paid by the company ( company even suggested the wives go if they want too). DH meals will be covered. So cost will be for my meals (breakfast is included at hotel) & what ever touring I will be doing & of course my plane ticket.
In December DH company has a company Christmas party in Boston every other year the company pays for both employee & spouse to come. Since DH started working for them just last August this year will be first time I will get to go to Boston with him much less ever
Will still take weekend trips to see friends & family & that usually is relatively inexpensive.

 

[lovin'fl]

About $1000-1500 per person. We are a fam of 5...kids all in HS and this is recent years (when they were little it was more like $500pp, if that and we didn't vacation often). Now, past several years, we like to do about 5-6 shorter trips (4-6 nights each...about 30 nights over 24 months) in 24 month period.

 

[hsmamato2]

yes, food figures into it...but in my example, camping, I use my regular grocery budget anyway,so I don't count that. And Yes, I know it costs more to feed 6 than 3 people....but this thread is about vacation expenses Like I said, for our size,and travel m.o., it's average cost overall per person.