Intentional spending on vacation
A chart on where to save and splurge on vacation
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A few weeks ago, I shared a post on intentional spending in my closet. I loved reading the comments on how you all intentionally spend in your closets, and I realized that there was another area where I spend a lot of money that I wanted to dive into: vacations.
I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to go on vacations (fun fact about me: I’ve been to 46/50 states!). And, sure, sometimes possessions are more valuable than experiences, but some of my best memories were made on vacations.
But, it’s expensive. I spend thousands each year on vacations—sometimes for small trips to nearby cities and sometimes to farther away international destinations.
Like I did for clothing, I made a chart to share how I intentionally spend on vacation—the things I spend more or less than average on, and how much thought I put into each purchase.
For the X-axis, I considered the amount I spent per item. I used the cost per item that I spend, and decided if I spent more, less, or the average cost per item (the average souvenir will cost less than a flight).
For the Y-axis, I considered how impulsive these purchases typically are for me. My most impulsive purchases are the ones I make the same day, often without having considered that expense when thinking ahead to how much I planned to spend on that vacation. My least impulsive purchases are ones I made long before I arrived at the destination.
“Destination” on the chart refers to the cost of living in that location, and this is hands-down the most expensive decision I make with vacation planning. Some of my most recent vacations were to very high cost of living areas, like Alaska and Scandinavia, but I went on those vacations because those were places I wanted to go to, places that had been on my list for years (over a decade for Alaska!).
On the same hand, flights are often a larger expense—if I want to go somewhere and the flights are expensive, I might try to be flexible on the days and times I can fly, but I still want a flight to that destination. I’ve also had a few too many stressful connections at airports, and now am willing to pay a little extra more to get that direct flight when I can. Also, TSA Precheck is so worth it.
I’m also willing to spend more for a hotel in a good location. I’ve found that with a hotel more out of the way, I end up spending more on transportation anyway, and I want to take advantage of the time I have on vacation.
A lot of people use vacations as a reason to buy new items for their wardrobe (and there’s nothing wrong with that!), but I personally stick to buying new items only when I need them for some utility (like hiking socks and pants for my trip to Alaska).
I spend less on excursions, but honestly, I think I should spend more here. Every time I’ve paid for a tour, I’ve never been disappointed.
While I’m happy to pay more for a hotel in a good location, I scrimp on the quality of the hotel—sometimes too much. On my trip to Scandinavia, I stayed in hostels for nine nights, and I ended up regretting that decision. Sure, it was fun to meet others, but I wish I had a few nights in a hotel in between those hostel nights to get some more relaxed sleep.
Controversial take: I’ve never bought travel insurance. If I was traveling out of the country long term, I would get it (I think I had something through my school when I studied abroad in college), but I think that box when you buy a flight that offers “trip insurance” is never worth it. If I needed flexibility, I would either pay for a refundable flight or some other travel insurance that would cover the trip. But for where I am now in life, I’ve never had to unexpectedly cancel a trip, and don’t bother getting travel insurance. Is this impulsive? A little.
I might spend more on nonstop flights, but I usually stick with the cheapest transportation once I’ve landed. I’d rather explore the city via public transportation.
I don’t bother getting travel-sized toiletries—I just always travel with full size, even before I had TSA precheck. And I haven’t had any issues! Not sure if I would recommend this one, because if you have something expensive that got thrown out, that would be a bummer, especially if it was something you couldn’t find at your destination.
The last thing I spend less on (impulsively!) is souvenirs. I try to limit the amount of souvenirs and gifts I get, and I try to get things that will actually be used. But I can’t say these aren’t impulsive spends, because I never really know what I’ll want as a souvenir until I see what’s available.
I’ve looked up museums that morning (or gotten a recommendation) and walked in the same day. Even when a museum is expensive, I often find it worth it, especially when it’s about the history of the area.
And it’s hard to say that food and drinks aren’t impulsive categories, because I’ve walked in places before and ordered on the spot without looking up the menu before. And sometimes when I’ve looked up the menu before, it wasn’t correct (or had outdated pricing!). I might grab some easy, cheaper meals here and there (like a sandwich to go), but I’m not in the habit of cooking while on vacation—it takes away time I’d rather be exploring.
Where does your vacation spending fall in the plot? Would you move categories around? Drop your answers in the comments!
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Love how you have laid this out, and I might just do the same. One observation: you may not need insurance for things like cancellation or trip disruption but, for me, medical insurance is absolutely worth it. I’ve never had to use it, but you could be wiped out financially without it. Peace of mind is priceless.