You know what kills my vacation budget?

[alayne]

I'm so glad I'm not a lone with the pre-trip expenses. My Mom is always getting on to me about all the "extras" I do before the trip. Disney outfits for the girls - which include everything from the hairbow to the shoes. Then the "Mickey Welcome Package" that includes the autograph book, plush, light up toy, snacks, etc. Not to mention the travel bags full of stuff to do, watch and listen too.

My Mom says I spend more on "getting ready" for the trip then I do on the actual vacation.

I do look for deals all year long and I have the Bin from the years before that I pull out so I don't have to buy another lanyard (oh wait but that one is just so cute).

My DH only buys clothes, shoes, socks, etc when we go on vacation. If we didn't go on vacation I think he would walk around in rags.

I have tried to include our pre-trip expenses in a budget of their own. This helps me to control my spending especially on all the cute outfits for the kids.

 

[pigletto]

We do the same thing. I love coming home with enough surplus to justify booking another trip!

I am glad to know that so many others suffer from the same pre-vacation issues as I do. For our Christmas trip, I decided I *needed* a new camera before we travelled. And I'm a new-undies kind of girl too.......considering that the TSA goes through our luggage on almost every single trip, I want them to know I'm vacationing in undergarments that are in good condition .

We build 2 vacations of some sort a year into the budget if we can. So we're getting new undies and socks every six months

 

[Corjack]

We fly out of Indianapolis airport, which is 2 hours from here. Since we fly out early in the AM, we have to get a hotel the night before. So you figure in dinner in Indy, parking the car at the hotel for the week, and you are at $200 before we even fly out!

Other than that, we pack snacks for the kids, trade pet duty with the neighbor (we take care of his dogs when he is gone for work, he takes care of our cats when we are gone), and limit airport purchases to a bare minimum.

Our biggest expense was all the crap you buy at WDW once you are already there! Stuffed animals, pins, photo packages, etc...They all add up quickly!

Greetings fellow Fort Wayne Dweller....is it ever going to warm up?

 

[MinnieForMe]

Hi:
I can relate. I often said that it cost more to prepare for the trip. I, also, was into the custom outfits for three kids. Luckily, I made most of them myself but there were quite a few expensive outfits. I have to admit, I don't regret it as the pictures were perfection to scrapbook. LOL.

Seriously, boarding the dogs cost $450 a week.

The kids always have outgrown their clothes by the following year so it's new bathing suits, shorts etc.. I don't want our family to "match" but I do color coordinate to make it easier to mix and match while we travel allowing us to fly with two suitcases for five people for two weeks. We also carry our own snorkel equipment in those bags (from fins to masks to life jackets).

Did I mention that snorkel equipment set me back almost $500 this year but we'll have it for future diving and snorkeling trips.

I like to be prepared for most situations and that can get expensive!

 

[hsmamato2]

you guys make me laugh sometimes I just need that...thanks! really for us our biggest thing is remembering we have to pay for airport parking,and and we have to pay someone to care for the dogs....but I consider that a pet expense,not a travel expense LOL

 

[annsteere]

Many of these, plus a trip to Dollar Tree.

I buy ponchos for us and a bunch of light up sticks and bubbles to hand out to kids waiting for fireworks or parades.

 

[Marionnette]

I used to be the same way...new vacation clothes and shoes, little gifts for the kids to keep them amused on flight, parking at the airport, paying the dog sitter...it really added up!

Now we leave the kids at home to watch the dogs. They drive us to the airport and pick us up. And all I have to do is pick up some caramel popcorn from the confectionery on Main Street!

There are advantages to having older children!

 

[VanellopeVonSchweetz]

lol love it! This pretrip is going to be my most expensive by far! Where to even start? Our camera decided to die on Christmas, that's probably the single most expensive item we'll need! Though maybe that doesn't qualify as pretrip since we need one now anyway!

For myself alone there's the tanning, hair trim, sandals, swimsuit, shorts, a couple tops, mani/pedi....it's our first trip in 5 years...mom wants to look decent

Since we have family down there, there's no hotel cost. But the cost of going to several parks is a killer. Still looking for the best deals! But hey, life's short and they're only young once right?

 

[bettymae1121]

OP here! Glad I'm not alone in this! Don't get me wrong, I budget most of my "pre-vacation" expenses in with the trip, so it's not like a $1500 vacation balloons to $3k without my noticing it. That's actually what got me thinking and made me post the thread.

I get free airline tickets as a perk of my job, and we earn Sheraton hotel points with our Amex card, so I'm thinking "Hey, nearly free vacations!". So I start to do some preliminary planning and budgeting to go to DLR summer 2015 as my graudation gift for college (I'm taking classes now). My "free trip" is still going to cost between $2500 and $3000! Sure the flights and 1 week hotel stay will be free, but I still need park tickets, airport parking or transfers, transfers to the hotel, meals, souvineers, boarding for the pet, and again...all those pre-vacation expenses like clothes, sandals, and other random expneses.

Dang, free stuff is expensive!

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Great thread! We come to WDW once or twice a year from the UK so thank goodness I am restricted by luggage space or I would bring my house just short of bricks and mortar lol.

We have an owners locker now which is great! I have a vacation bin at home with all the stuff to bring. My problem remains this. If I was honest I know I can buy what I need should I need it when we get there. Which I should just do. But I just enjoy buying for our vacation lol. It's part of the experience and addiction!

And every year I do so well. I tell myself I don't need x, y and z. Then proud the bags get packed a couple of days to go. There they sit looking at me. Speaking to me....Paula what if America doesn't have any toothpaste because you know there are hardly any supermarkets in Orlando....

Then I fold. Rush to the supermarket buying toiletries and underwear ( always socks with my I am obsessed ) . Is it over?

No I repeat this process at the airport justify it to DW as 'duty free' even though we both know these items are half the price in Walmart, already in the owners locker and in the packed luggage. Just to make matters worse I take great delight in taking the mickey toiletries from the resort room everyday using ours we brought instead ( getting snappy with DW if she dare use it ) and then bring it home!

Why! I need help... Lol so I create home at SSR and SSR at home...confused...

 

[crazelion]

Snacks. That is the expense that gets me every time. Stopping at every rest stop you see to buy drinks and chips. I have to my full throttle.

This year I am making a snack bag for the car with drinks and potato chips, full throttle.

Of course with traveling a holiday week at the end if May. Sighs.

 

[USS Disney]

Ok so this is the third time reading this thread and the third time I have physically laughed aloud. You guys are all awesome.

Most expensive this year was new luggage... I always forget how much those things cost!

Then of course theres also the "favor" I will have to repay to whoever I con into watching the dog and driving us to/from the airport... never know how much THAT ones gonna run me.

 

[aubriee]

For me a big expense is pet care. I have two dogs and a macaw parrot. The groomer that takes care of my dogs, won't take care of a parrot and the man from my mom's church (one of the few people my parrot doesn't terrorize) who comes over twice a day to feed my parrot, can't take care of the dogs, because my akita would eat him. Consequently I have to pay my mom's friend to come over twice a day to feed the parrot and then pay the groomer to take care of my spoilt rotten, high maintenance shih tzu and tempramental, moody akita, so I have two pet care bills. Thankfully, my groomer loves my shih tzu and gives me a discount for the second dog.

I do alot of solo trips so my husband drives me to the airport usually, but then he goes about twice a year and for those trips we have the park n' fly fees.

I love the Ohana OluKai flip flops for the parks and usually buy at least one or two new pairs several times a year, so that's usually around $120.00-$140.00 for the two pairs (but well worth every penny).

Then a day or two before I leave, I have to get my nails filled, a pedicure, brow and lip wax, and haircolor and cut.

 

[Sheaboys]

I packed for 7 of us, 5 kids (14-3), everyone got something new and a few new clothing items. Not to mention everyone got new Keens, we have never had them before and going at the end of August, it was important and worth every penny! Hats, sunscreen, etc.

The airport breakfast for 7...well let's just say another small fortune! and again at Orlando airport because again an early morning take off.

 

[tinker&belle]

We fly out of Indianapolis airport, which is 2 hours from here. Since we fly out early in the AM, we have to get a hotel the night before. So you figure in dinner in Indy, parking the car at the hotel for the week, and you are at $200 before we even fly out!

Other than that, we pack snacks for the kids, trade pet duty with the neighbor (we take care of his dogs when he is gone for work, he takes care of our cats when we are gone), and limit airport purchases to a bare minimum.

Our biggest expense was all the crap you buy at WDW once you are already there! Stuffed animals, pins, photo packages, etc...They all add up quickly!

Have you looked into Park and Fly? We parked at a very nice hotel (I think it was a Westin) near the Indy airport for a little over $100. It included our stay, parking up to 14 days and a free breakfast. They also shuttled us to and from the airport.

 

[Mom2Ben02]

I am pretty frugal with vacation planning. I don't buy travel sizes...when my shampoo, toothpaste, etc., gets down to about a week's worth from every day use, I stick it in the vacation bin. We just toss the empty bottles, and use the space for souvenirs. We don't have pets. We are going in November, so I am just bringing the summer clothes we have and get an extra week's use from them. We are using our normal grocery budget to buy food for breakfast in the room, lunch to carry in and snacks for the drive.

If I had only boys, I'd be shaking my head at all of you.

My daughter, however, is going to break my bank. I keep seeing cute things and buying them! I mean, she NEEDS a Minnie pettiskirt, right? And, of course, she HAS to have hairbows to match. I can MAKE those, so it won't cost me much, right?? And, how can she be in a Minnie outfit without having the boys wear Mickey shirts??

It is all her fault.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

If I had only boys, I'd be shaking my head at all of you.

I don't know about everyone else's boys, but my son is very fashion conscious, loves new clothes, is very particular about his appearance, LOVES to shop (far more than me ) and has more shoes than any girl I have ever met.

 

[ManyMinnie]

I don't know about everyone else's boys, but my son is very fashion conscious, loves new clothes, is very particular about his appearance, LOVES to shop (for more than me ) and has more shoes than any girl I have ever met.

Other than the shoes part, my son is the same way.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[runsandjumps]

I am sure we have done this for nearly every trip. I think it goes hand in hand with living in different climates. My mom is treating me to a salon trip for my birthday so at least that's one expense I won't be adding.

I still need a bag, beach towel and a couple pairs of sandals to go with my dresses.

It's not like they are a total waste, but buying it all at once can be overwhelming.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Sometimes I get my legs waxed before we go. That's about $130 including the tip.

For 2 large dogs that share a kennel, we generally run about $300 for the week! At least they enjoy it. When we go to the vet (where they are boarded) our dogs get really excited, hoping they are going to "doggie summer camp." The cats have someone come by once a day, so that's another $200.

I don't buy new underwear, but I do have to make sure every single outfit is cute and that I have enough outfits to make it through a week.

I've been through this rodeo often enough that I have all of this in my vacation spreadsheet at least, so it's just stuff that I consider a part of going on vacation!

ETA: I just realized that in 2.5 more years, if my niece goes to LSU, I can pay her to stay at the house and take care of the dogs and cats when we go to Disney!