maitaitom

I leave the budget to Tracy. At the end of the trip, she always says, "We went over budget on this trip." I say, "OK, but it was a blast." Then we plan our next trip where we will undoubtedly go over budget. Oh well, retirement can wait.

Cindywho

I like maitaitom's philosophy!

LSky

I have a pretty good idea of what it will cost when we leave for the trip and I stick close to the budget.

The budget is generous with room to play if something marvelous comes along but we are often under budget. I don't walk along with a calcultor saying, "nope! Not in the budget."

There is always room in the budget for something for the home.

SusanInToronto

I actually calculated tonight what our trip to Spain earlier this month cost. I already had a spreadsheet started, with the prepaid expenses (airfare and 1 of the apartments we had rented). So I just added in the cash withdrawals while we were there and everything we charged to our credit cards. My husband was a little surprised at how much it was, but we did spend more than usual on dinners since this was his 65th birthday celebration.

I always like to have a good idea of what we spend. Whenever we used our credit card, I would move the money from my regular chequing account to the account that I use to pay Visa. So there are no unpleasant surprises awaiting me when the bill is due.

CathyM

Well, I'm a Finance Director and track expense and analyze for a living. But when it comes to my trips I don't track the expenses. I have a moderate budget for my hotels and book in advance. I stress enough at work about spreadsheets and the last thing I want to do on vacation is start tracking every taxi & tapa receipt I guess I rebel when traveling!

crckwc1

Well, I don't know a spreadsheet from as bed sheet but DH and I do keep track of what our vacations cost. Being anal, he dutifully records daily expenses in his trusty little notebook. We have credit/debit card receipts to total when we get home, and of course we already know the transportation costs and prepaids. We have traveled enough to kind of have a sense of what it's going to cost us on a daily basis, but we still like to see the grand total after we get home. And we don't fret over it if the total is a little more than anticipated.

Gavin

I have a rough idea of what I expect our trips cost but certainly don't do spreadsheets. Sometimes I will tally expenses from bank and credit card statements after we get home but not usually. The important financial thing is the bank balance after the credit card bill is paid; as long as it's OK I'm good to go again.

myshofer

i do spread sheets before trip and always try to maintain the amount during the trip what was calculated at home.in this way i never face financial problems after my trip.

johnnyomalley

I'm not interested in a spreadsheet or an exact amount. I keep track of pre-paid stuff, and I plan on a certain amount of money for daily expenses, but if we go over, I don't worry too much about it. I don't put any limits on shopping, other than common sense. Do I really need/want it and how can it get it home.

I put aside a set amount per paycheck for travelling, all expenses get put on the CC which gets me points which I usually cash in for hotels when travelling.

I/we live simply and do not have any expensive habits other than travelling.

Gundy

I do a spreadsheet during the planning process with a budget for the entire trip. While we are on the trip I don't keep track of everything. We may be over or under a little, but I know we are going to be close. A few dollars here or there isn't going to make much difference.

joannyc

I've no idea what my vacations cost... and I don't care. I work very hard and only take a 18-23 day vacation once per year. Some hotels may be paid via points. But, I don't care how much the rest of it costs, only that it lives up to my planning and expectations.

trvlgirlmq

I am a total researcher so I start a spreadsheet with possible costs as soon as we have begun planning. As I book or pre-pay for things they go in the Actual Cost column. I keep track of costs in a little notebook while we are on our trip and enter all of that into the spreadsheet when I get home.

Just returned from a trip a week ago and according to my spreadsheet we went over budget by $30. This does not include souvenirs or gifts.

I find it a good way to keep costs in check. If I am planning and I see the total number getting a bit high I can adjust things by compromising on how many meals we eat out, what sites are not must see on this trip, etc.

bamafam

I am in the "go on feel rather than numbers" camp. When we travel I research costs for the things we want to do, transportation, meals, etc., but always allow a pretty generous amount of wiggle room. Usually we are within $200 - $300 of our target budget (over or under), which I can live with. I detest spreadsheets and tracking expenses that way would take all the fun out of trip planning for me.

Saraho

My husband and I divide the cost of our trip. I manage the plane tickets (may use frequent flyer tickets) and arrange for the lodging, which may include B&Bs, convents, hotels or a stay with friends. My husband covers the cost of meals, museums, admissions, etc. We each pay for whatever souvenirs or presents we wish to buy. This works well for us.