I'm leaving on a jet plane - or a mini-van.
Filed under: Budgets, Simplification, Travel, Relationships
June 22. Less than three months away. It's the start of a 1400 mile road trip. It's a long drive; Grants, New Mexico to Columbus, Georgia. It will take about 24 hours if we drive straight through, which we plan on doing. Why are we driving across the country? It's one of the most memorable days in a woman's life. A wedding. My wife's cousin's wedding to be exact. She's not just a cousin though, she is a best friend; a lifelong friend. My wife is the Maid of Honor. We have NO choice but to go.
We've known about this trip for a long time now. At first we were going to fly, but the cost of two adult and two child airline tickets aren't exactly cheap. Then my father in-law said he probably wasn't going to the wedding because of the cost of the same tickets. A lightbulb shined over my head, "Let's all drive there!" That set the plan in motion.
So we are planning on loading up our minivan. Seven people, 1400 miles...should be fun eh? It would be really fun, that is until you start budgeting for a trip like this.
Food, gas, extras...it all adds up quick. Luckily our lodging is all taken care of. We'll be staying at her cousin's house, either that or they will rent us a cabin. So that is covered. I also figure we'll need about $400 for gas. I think that's a very bloated amount. We might not even need that much. Food is the hard one. I'm not quite sure how much to figure for this part. So I figure why not just include $1,500 for food and all the extras. We are going to be gone from home for a total of about 10 days. That means $100 a day for food=$1000 with $500 extra for the trip. I think that's about right don't you?
Wow. That was easy. Now we just got to pack the mini-van and be on our way. I just feel like I'm forgetting something.
Wait a minute. I've got it. I'VE GOT TO HAVE THE ACTUAL MONEY!!!!!
It's so stressful, it really is. A lot of times it gets the best of me. It puts me in foul moods and I can't stand it. At the same time, there is no way around it. I can't say, "Forget it, we aren't going." That wouldn't fly around here.
When it all comes down to it, we'll get the money and we'll have a lot of fun on this trip. Between now and then I should be a real mess. But we'll get there.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-28-2008 @ 8:34PM
Badder77 said...
$100 a day for food seems excessive. Pack a cooler with sandwiches; fruit; granola bars etc. for the road trip portion. That will save you a lot of money for the two days you're in the car.
Same thing when you're in Georgia. Whether you're at your cousins or in a cabin, I'm sure you'll have access to a fridge and an oven/bbq/something. Hit up a grocery store instead of a restaurant and prepare your own food. You can eat out for some meals, but save yourself some money!!! $1000 for food over 10 days is bordering on the ridiculous.
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3-28-2008 @ 8:52PM
abelicio.padilla said...
Oh it's excessive alright. I just want to be safe.
I have no intention of spending any more money than I have to, but I want to make sure that I do have more than enough for the journey :)
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4-01-2008 @ 11:04AM
Kathy said...
I don't think $400 is enough if 1400 miles is one way and your drining a mini van. Most mini vans get approx 17 miles per gallon, you will need about 83 gallons of gas, which would cost closer to $300 one way, plus you need to consider the gas money you would need once there... It seems you may want to reconsider you budget. http://route-planner.org/
Also, food seems low if your feeding 7 people... Easy to do breakfast and snacks home, but lets be realistic you will be on holiday and there will people who want to go out for lunch/dinner...
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