Cost of Florida Holidays

[mick]

Originally Posted by enjibenji

I've always said to my dh, when I am on my death bed, I won't be talking about houses or material things but reminiscing about holidays and lovely places that we have seen and done. 😊 Memories.

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I can't imagine being on my death bed saying to Joan - "I wished we hadn't visited Florida so many times"

Because we always take cash I do keep a record of exchange rates since 2001 and that's scary enough.

Daughters are well catered for and the last time I looked I didn't spot many pockets in a shroud.

Mick

[cornishfrogboy]

My father always says to me ‘you can’t take it with you’. It has proved good advice through my lifetime (so far).

Since remarriage in 1998 and the initial commitment to a deposit, a home etc, we have been vacationing heavily since 2005.
10 xUSA so far, plus numerous in the Med.

We have some rules.
1. We have always paid off including spending money well before we travel.
2. We pay off our credit cards every month, only keeping them for S75 and lodging at Hotels, Car Hire etc.
3. We have no great interest in cars, any more than a Dyson, Ironing Board or Microwave. They are simply tools.
4. We are now probably in our final 4 bed home and with a small, 5 figure mortgage.

I do not have the faintest idea what vacationing has cost us, nor do I greatly care. The way that we book and pay for them renders it largely irrelevant.
I do however know that the cancelled one for this March/April (because I had to cancel all of the various parts) was £4700 plus spends for the four of us...SFO, Monterey, S L Obispo, Seattle, Vancouver. That included both car hires, internal flights, hotels, attractions.. the lot.
I buy my flights at around 11 months out, always coach (even if I were to win the lottery), open minded as to where I am going in the USA (although Orlando generally figures). Our destinations are price driven. This August (moved from March), I considered Arizona, California, Oregon, Chicago Il, Detroit Mi and numerous others, before settling on Phoenix, Tucson (for Davis Monthan), Tombstone, Joshua Tree, Universal, Warner Bros, Pismo Beach, San Simeon, Monterey and SFO.

As the months pass, then I add the extras, car hires, internal flights, hotel rooms etc etc. If I am a bit flush, then I spend more and if it is a tight month, less. By the time I fly, every single thing is either paid for.. or the money allocated. Typically my hotels are of Marriott quality, although on occasion, we may push the boat out in a special place. It must however fit within our fiscal rules. I pay to see things and the interior of a Hotel is pretty irrelevant to me, other than cleanliness. I am a Premier Inn type of guy. I rarely get in my room before 2030 and am generally at breakfast by 0800 before going out straight after. Having slept in fields (Army), my needs are hardly on the precious side.
We drink little on vacation, so Hotel bars etc are pretty irrelevant.

This method has served us well over the years and I intend sticking to it.

The worst holiday that could ever be inflicted on us? An all inclusive on a beach in Mexico or similar. I would need sectioning within a few days as I simply would not be able to cope with it. I want to see things! If I want to lie on a beach, then I have plenty to choose from within a few miles of my home.. and they are free. If a resort was ‘AI’, I honestly do not think that I would drink or eat much more than I do now. I would be paying for the gluttony and excess of others.

[ginwithaslice]

As a family we have spent nearly 2k on some holidays to Europe, I think Florida is actually quite good value.

I doubt anyone towards the end of their lives wishes they had gone on fewer holidays or spent less time with their families. Enjoy them while you still can 😉

[ginwithaslice]

Originally Posted by landandword17

This happened my cousin. This summer was to be their first family holiday. Eldest is 21 and youngest 19! The kids had wanted Florida since they were tots and my cousin and his wife said no and bought 2 brand new cars every year, upgraded house several times. Now, the trip has been cancelled for this year and eldest has announced she's moving in with her bf and youngest is off to live in London in September. Family trip will most likely never happen now. My cousin's wife has been very upset about this and has actually started some online counselling because she took it so bad and wasn't eating or sleeping. It really makes you think. They have a 6 bedroom house now and only the two of them in it. I told her they did the best they could and they did what they thought was right at the time but it makes you think. It's hard to get our priorities right and serve all the voices in our heads that tell us we should be doing this and that.

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That is terribly sad, poor woman. I've been using some time to put my photos into proper photo books the past few weeks instead of leaving them on the Cloud or on camera. Guess what most of our favourites are of... yes - holidays!

Not all expensive, many around the UK and Ireland but all part of our family history now.

So many memories and happy times, really couldnt put a price on them.

[mick]

Originally Posted by ginwithaslice

As a family we have spent nearly 2k on some holidays to Europe, I think Florida is actually quite good value.

I doubt anyone towards the end of their lives wishes they had gone on fewer holidays or spent less time with their families. Enjoy them while you still can 😉

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Just to add to my post #31 I'm 74 and Joan's a week away from it and I hope we'll be seeing Highgate Park many more times.

We'll be there for next Thanksgiving again and already booked the villa for next spring.

Mick

[ginwithaslice]

Originally Posted by mick

Just to add to my post #31 I'm 74 and Joan's a week away from it and I hope we'll be seeing Highgate Park many more times.

We'll be there for next Thanksgiving again and already booked the villa for next spring.

Mick

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Fantastic! Wishing you good health to enjoy. 👍

[mick]

Originally Posted by ginwithaslice

Fantastic! Wishing you good health to enjoy. 👍

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Thank you.

We've both beaten a cancer apiece - what doesn't kill you makes you stronger

[catherinesian]

I like to have a balance. We went for many years with very cheap holidays (nothing abroad) whilst we were saving for a house and early in our careers.
Since then our income has over doubled so we bought a new house, are about to buy a nice car but haven’t overstretched ourselves so much that we can’t afford nice holidays

[florida addict]

I remember getting a bank loan at 19 to go to Barbados. It cost £375 each and was a fantastic holiday, absolutely no regrets and 30 years later the memories are still priceless

[hardly]

It’s all relative. I looked into buying a caravan a few years ago. Some sites want £5+k just to keep it onsite per year, + depreciation.
Glad I didn’t.