We are not a small family. We have 7 children. Our family does a great deal of vacationing, because we feel it is extremely important. My point can be made easily for most people. Think about your favorite vacation as a kid, now ....what did you get for Christmas that year? Isn't it amazing?? Its not about what gift you received, but whom you are with that creates lasting memories.
One of our vacations is a group event each year down to the beach. We share a 6 bedroom house with two other families that we have known for years. The house sleeps 18 comfortably and we generally have 21 people go. Please keep in mind that 9 of those are teenagers that could care less where they sleep. Most of the boys love sleeping on the decks listening to the ocean.
We eat unbeleivably delightful meals of red snapper, steaks, italian feasts, shrimp, etc. As a group, a great deal of wine drinking also happens.
The week is spent swimming, sand castle contests, volleyball games, kite flying, deep sea fishing, reading, cooking, and just relaxing.
Our family cost for our 8 days beach vacation totals for 9 people are:
One third of rental: 900.00
Gas for two vehicles: 380.00
Food split three ways: 241.00
Fort passes for day: 12.00 ( kids free )
Swimming: free
Volleyball: free
Kite flying: free
Touch football : free
Reading: free
Tour of USS Alabama and sub: free ( hubby Marine)
Collecting sea shells: free
So total comes to 1533.oo divided by 9 equals 170.34 a person.
The same vacation by one of the other families that went with us are:
One third split of rental 900.00
4 airline tickets: 1472.00
Rental car for week: 272.00
Food split for week: 241.00
Deep sea fishing for 4: 800.00
Wine/Alcohol for week for 4: 367.00
Krispy Kremes for all: 172.00
Ferry ride to USS Alabama: 24.00
Meal in Mobile one night for 2: 111.00
Movie rentals for week for one son: 36.00
Matching t-shirts for 4: 48.00
Total for same week vacation totals :
4443.00 divided by 4 equals 1110.75
We all had fun! But there is a huge difference in the cost. We drove for 10 hours there and back, they flew. They drink, we dont. You can find time and money for vacations, if you try. They are one of the most important things you can do for your family!
Vacation cheap or expensive??
May 26th, 2007 at 05:42 pm
May 26th, 2007 at 08:03 pm 1180209803
Our addiction is Walt Disney World. We go there at least once a year. So many people ask how we can afford to go that often. Then they tell us about their trip - stay at a moderate or deluxe Disney hotel, fly down, rent a car, eat at the fancy restaurants and the character meals every day, etc. Cost, $6,000 or more for the week.
We drive down, rent a condo offsite, eat breakfast in our room, stick to the nicer counter service restaurants, carry water bottles (tap water). Cost, $2,000 for the week. So we can go for 3 trips for what they spend for one. No wonder we are able to go annually and they can't seem to manage it.
May 26th, 2007 at 08:22 pm 1180210945
Thanks for sharing.
May 26th, 2007 at 08:34 pm 1180211662
Those "vacations" were so much fun, and we have great memories. The cabin didn't have electricity for years, so we used oil lamps, pumped water and carried it up a hill, and had to "flush" the toilet with a bucket of water, but we loved every minute of being there.
You're right, I remember what I got for Christmas two years of my entire childhood, but I have lots of wonderful memories of what we called "Old Cottage Michigan".
May 28th, 2007 at 12:45 am 1180313103
May 28th, 2007 at 12:52 am 1180313520
This year we're doing our first and last BIG FAMILY VACATION ROADTRIP-A-RAMA. Rented convertible, coastal highway, classy B&Bs, glamma all the way. If I knew it were possible to rent camping equipment I might consider it, but it's more like "assume one of us will be dead in six months and get the most out of it we can."