Preparing a Vacation Budget / Washington DC

[scfr]

How do you all prepare a budget for a vacation? Do you have different spending categories, or do you just make one big "vacation" category? How much do you spend on food per day (if you plan on eating 1 or 2 meals out, with the rest of the meals eaten in your room with groceries purchased)? Do you give yourself a cushion (10%? more?) since it is hard to know what your exact costs will be in advance? Or do you just sort of throw the idea of a budget out the window when it comes to vacationing?

It has been over 10 years since I took an actual "touristy-go-see-the-sights" vacation, so I'm quite at a loss as to how to prepare a budget for one. (All of my recent trips have been to visit family, where my only expenses were getting too and from, plus gifts to bring and maybe taking them out to dinner.)

In October, I'll be going to Washington DC for the first time to see the sights. For those of you who have been, how many days are needed to really take in the major sights? [I don't plan on going back; this will be my one & only trip to the nation's capitol, so I might as well see it all.] How much did you spend? Is there a specific hotel you recommend that is a real bargain (clean but inexpensive with good access to the busses)? I know DC has excellent public transit, so I won't be getting a rental car.

Thanks!

[fairy74]

I always pick up a couple of travel guides at the library (Access guides and lonely planet or thoses $40 a day guides are great). That way you can get a handle on basic estimated costs, I do a cushion of 10% over what I estimate I will need. I also like those books because they tell you about free or reduced admission days at a lot of sights. If you are travelling with two people it can be worth it to invest in one of those entertainment books (lots of 2 for 1 meals and admissions)...also you might check out tripadvisor.com to see actual honest reviews of hotels and restaurants. chowhound is great for finding cheap and good grub...have a wonderful trip!!!

[Aleta]

You can also go to skyauction and bid for a place to stay. You can get some really great places at reasonable rates. Your money situation will depend upon whether you will have kitchen facilities or not. While you won't be able to eat every meal there, you can cut the costs somewhat by cooking some meals, or making salads, or sandwiches.

Also, when you go out, take some snacks, water, etc with you. That's a great idea about that trave book. I also go to tripadvisor.com to check out rentals as well. I hope that you have a great time.

[vsjhoc]

DC is fabulous if you like museums, because 99% of them are free. Air & Space is the most visited museum in the world. There's lots of art. American Indian. American History. Portrait Gallery. Even the zoo is free!

Bring comfortable walking shoes.

[PrincessPerky]

enough time to see it all...umm a year?

Really each museum which is 'free' (tax supported) could fill a day or a week..depending on how much you are interested in the topic. Plus a day to see monuments..then the zoo...and all sorts of other stuff.

vacation cost I go for a healthy cushion...figure 10% over the cost of hotel, and food, plus another hefty...oops amount..last year (when we went to DC) that oops was put on the car soon as we got home. I would rather have it and feel free to buy a gift or two, than not have it.

[Coleroo]

lol... we just throw all caution to the wind. If we have, lets say, $1000 in the vacation spending category, we'd be like "ok what can we do and where can we stay to get the most out of vacation". Then we just spend randomly on whatever catches our eye until the money is gone (we've never run completely out). That seems to work best for us.

[sparkysgirl]

We don't go over 500.00 for our place to stay ( we always do condo's with the rest of the family)
we have 1,000 to spend. we go in on groceries with family which was 50 bucks this year for the week. The rest of grande goes toward whatever we want it to go to..
we collect gas cards throughout the year. we buy them with our test drive rewards .

[Cassandra]

I'm going to D.C. in August and was thinking the same thing.

I'll be there for a week and I'm planning on bringing $500-600. When I go on vacation, I buy whatever catches my eye until I run out of money (which usually happens on the last day). I'm staying with my Aunt (in Alexandria, Virginia) so I don't have to worry about hotels.

If you want to see the White House, you have to get a pass from your senator. E-mail your senator ASAP so he has time to run a background check and everything. Also ask about getting a private tour of the capital if you would like one.

We're going to visit George Washington's home (Mount Vernon) which isn't far from D.C. My Aunt (who has been there many times) loves it and has planned an entire day there. Mount Vernon

Georgetown (not just the college) is a great area to visit. Tons of shops, restaurants, etc. all within the same area. From the pictures I've seen it looks very pretty. Here's a link: Georgetown. You can easily spend a few days there.

That's all I can think of for now. I'll ask my Aunt about hotels for you.

Cassandra

[catlinye_maker]

The public transit system in DC is really very good, so don't count out hotels outside of the city if they are near Metro stations. As far as must see's, the Vietnam Memorial, the Smithsonian museums (all free and I think the flag in the American History museum is a must see), the Holocaust Museum (there's a charge for this one I believe, and don't plan anything too demanding on the same day, we found it very emotionally draining) the Lincoln Memorial.. And that's without counting the government buildings, Library of Congress and that sort of thing. Walk on the Mall, maybe fly a kite there.

[cptacek]

If you are planning on just using the Metro system, fly into Reagon National airport. The Metro doesn't go to Dulles.

[debtfreeme]

I always stay some place that has a breakfast bar or buffet or something already included.

Also, when I was there two years ago I stayed in the youth hostel. 25 per night and we had breakfast. I just don't keep anything valuable in the hostel. I have never had a problem (except Paris) and often you can get your own room. There is also one just outside the city in MD. Hostels allow you to cook your own breakfast, keep snacks, make a great lunch and you get to hear things you might not. When I was there I learned about a jazz type festival, had a blast, made some new friends and just had a great time. There is a lot to do in DC.

Also, walk everywhere when you get into the city proper. It is not that big for the museums and such

Smithsonian museum are free!
Ride the metro! Walk the parks and monuments! Take a bus tour to orient you and get to places with out having to worry about parking. Hit some of the places less than an hour from the city: Mount Vernon perhaps? really pretty and well planned.

[The Budget Man]

I used to have difficulty trying to save for the holiday in the first place. Now I add the holiday costs onto the "Bill Account" and treat it as a bill due the date I expect to go away.

When the time comes for the holiday, the money is there. (That's the advantage of 21st century style budgets, they do the organizing while you get on with life.)

The holiday budget depends on how long we're planning to be away for. We're off for three nights at the coast in the morning. I've a set amount in the bank for the trip and I'll keep a mental note of what is left.

When you read this, think of me beach walking into the sunset and kayaking up undisturbed waterways.

Isn't it great to be living in the most exciting time in history. No other generation has seen so much change, been able to travel so freely and enjoy life this much.

[Aleta]

I agree with The Budget Man that the best way to budget is to make it an irregular bill and allot money to it monthly. The money is then transferred from my regular bill paying account that earns decent interest.