Does anybody feel guilty about the money they spend while going on vacation? Since we are a one income family, money is a big issue here. Although I make a couple of hundred dollars a month dogsitting, money is always talked about.

We go on one family vacation a year, we do not go away for weekends, just one long vacation. Since our cruise is getting closer, I always feel guilty about the money we have spent already and what we will spend. We are always "budget" travel type people, so we always have money in mind and try to be logical on what we spend it on. I keep thinking about what bills that vacation money could be used on. UGH..it is horrible I feel this way before each vacation. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy our vacations, but the money kills me each time LOL...

Anybody else feel this way?

I know Ame just posted about how much Disney costs, it is so hard for us not to worry about money.

By Emily7 on Saturday, August 9, 2008 - 03:46 pm:

We haven't been on a real vacation since the kids were born, but even when it comes to weekend get-aways money is an issue.
We are in the same boat as you, only having one income & sometimes I feel guilty for not working.
Thankfully for out get-aways we always plan those around bonus time.

By Debbie on Saturday, August 9, 2008 - 04:06 pm:

LOL, I try not to think about the money we are spending. I try and look at it this way...dh works really hard, in fact, I do to(just not at an outside job), we deserve a vacation each year. Dh gets a bonus each year in March, and we always use part of it for our vacation. We take one big vacation a year. We also do a few weekend trips, like going to stay with my brother and sil, or my parents, who both live a few hours away. We never spend more then we can afford. Sometimes, we take a expensive trip, like Disney, or like this year, we went to the lake, which wasn't really expensive.

Bottom line, we deserve a vacation each year, and we always find a way to take one without breaking the bank, or going into debt.

By Pamt on Saturday, August 9, 2008 - 04:10 pm:

I don't really because we don't put any vacation expenses on credit (we may put them on the card and pay off immediately) and I think vacations are so, so important. I think part of my job as a parent is to expose my children to history, different cultures, science, etc. and let them experience the world. That's why we vacation, plus it is to strengthen the family bond and develop memories, stories, and inside family jokes. I also am a big believer that a vacation doesn't have to cost a fortune either and I am a master at planning vacations on a budget. No guilt here! We are leaving on a family trip to Nicaragua on Monday and I can't wait!

By Dawnk777 on Saturday, August 9, 2008 - 06:43 pm:

No, no guilt this year, since we aren't going on a vacation. I think hubby worries about the money end of a vacation, more than I am. I just have a good time. (Or I would, if we were going somewhere.)

By Karen~admin on Saturday, August 9, 2008 - 06:55 pm:

Every time. LOL

By Reds9298 on Saturday, August 9, 2008 - 11:10 pm:

Nope. It's our time!!!

By Enchens on Saturday, August 9, 2008 - 11:39 pm:

All the time. So much so that dh stopped telling me how much we spend just so we could actually enjoy our vacations. We also try for once a year. This year was Michigan for two weeks so we're done for a long, long, long while.

One thing that does help me is doing little things to find out about free events or festivals, what days of the week certain museums have free admission, low cost places to visit for fun, stuff like that. Otherwise I'd be too freaked out about how much we're spending to even go out and enjoy anything.

By Dawnk777 on Saturday, August 9, 2008 - 11:44 pm:

Don't go to the Apostle Islands and take the boat cruise, then! LOL! DH grumbled about how much that cost, but later on, thought it had been worth it. It was the most expensive thing of our last vacation. A lot of the rest of the activities were mostly in state parks, that didn't cost so much money, yet had a lot to see.

I figure if we we ever go up to the Duluth, MN area again, we won't have to do the Apostle Islands, because they won't have changed that much and we've already seen them.

By Conni on Sunday, August 10, 2008 - 12:49 pm:

I get money guilt just from going to the grocery store.