I noticed that I find myself overly rationalizing travel costs

My only comment is that I wish I had $2,000 of food and entertainment used at home for three weeks! Sounds like a nice life!!

Having just recently begin to travel for extended times, it occurred to me (also somewhat recently) that my regular income seemed to be stretching further - and that maybe I was spending quite a bit less not being at home than I thought. Sounds kind of obvious - however I had always just thought about the cost of my travel as a completely separate category of expense, without considering what I might be saving (other than food, which still seemed to be less at home than when gone). Trying to decide whether I want to track that more carefully or not. Maybe not this week, though……

You are engaging in some creative accounting manipulations but it is your set of books. I tend to go the other direction and look mostly at marginal costs. The net is probably the same but to my mind not as complicated.

Susan and Monte; welllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll I guess I should have explained this was vs say going someplace local. Either way, if its $1000 for three weeks, then it still sort of cancels out but you will have to add back in entrance fees to what ever you are going to see. Point well taken.

Frank, its just a coffee can.

Now if you started selling body parts you could actually make money traveling.

Over rationalizing? Or just calculating costs and savings in your travel budget? Whatever works for you. We set a yearly travel budget each year which is over and above our regular living expenses budget. Anything not used gets rolled over into the next year's. Of course right now that travel budget is pretty hefty, so we're splurging on a couple of longer and more self indulgent trips this coming year. We don't calculate any savings accrued by not being at home. That can easily be eaten up at any time by unexpected expenses like repairs or appliance replacements.

One of the major points here that's at the very end....is that cost of labor differentials and the currency exchange rate between the US and a Central European country like Hungary for health services like dentistry (and others) can literally offset the entire cost of your trip. Using the assumptions that 1) the procedure is necessary and not purely elective and 2) you'd have to get it somewhere in a timely way and can't put it off. If you had gotten it in the states, you'd be out $$$. If you get it in Hungary, you come out ahead financially. Medical tourism pays off, that's why many people do it. When I need dental implants or something like that someday, that's what I will do too. For non medical things, I find I can eat better and more cheaply in Europe in general and have better lodging for less, among other things. This is even more true in Turkey and Mexico, both places I've been to several times.

No I don’t think you are over rationalizing, just analyzing. We noticed a long time ago that if our lodging in Europe was free (we do exchanges) we always came home without dipping into any savings and usually had a surplus in our bank account. We put more money in our savings accounts when we are away as we aren’t spending on any household items, utilities are turned down or not used and cost of restaurants/wine can be less than we would typically pay in California. If we can find a bargain airfare (<$1,000 pp RT) we don’t worry about spreadsheets, etc.

Excellent work. Try not to let it keep you p at night, though. Me? Hang the expenses! I'm spending the kid's inheritance and, dammit, business class is worth it. And I've informed him of the likelihood he's going to get the house and the land and a zeroed out bank account.

Just for fun, and loosely using James' format, here are the costs for Italy/Greece in April 2022 (26 days). These are all in $CDN for 2 people:

Airfare 1: $1700 (Northern BC to Vancouver round trip)
Hotel and food in Vancouver: $500 (1 night before outbound and 1 night upon return)
Airfare 2: $4600 (Vancouver to Rome, Athens to Vancouver, Premium Economy)
Inter-Europe Flights: $875 (Bari-Athens, Athens- Naxos, helicopter to Tremiti Islands)
Ferry: $100
Gas to/from Airport : $0
Parking off airport: $0
Accommodations (combination of hotels and apartments): $4275
Airport Transfers in Italy and Greece: $240
Public Transportation: $50
Car Rental and costs (fuel, tolls, parking): $970
Food $2200
Entertainment: $100
Booze: $300
Phone SIM Card: $60
Dogs in Kennel: $1200
Covid Tests: $150
What ever I forgot: $200
COVID Travel Insurance: $250

Total: $17770

Turn the furnace down to 10*C (wish it went lower): -$50
Not driving my truck for three weeks: -$125
Food -$840 ($30 a day)
Entertainment: -$0 (dont get out much at home)
Booze: -$150
Dining out nice: -$0
Total: -$1165

Cost of Trip: $16605 CDN ($12952 USD using todays exchange rate)

Its one of the few times I've actually tallied up a proposed trip cost, and this is why I'm still working!

EDITED to Add: COVID Travel Insurance

This is an interesting way to look at things, but it also seems a little artificial. To each their own. I don’t think of it as offsets. I just save up a little each month for travel and never spend more than I have saved.

That we get to travel at all is an amazing opportunity that not everyone gets to do. However one figures it, having enough funds in a budget to spend it on discretionary spending such as travel is a blessing.

One of the major points here that's at the very end....is that cost of
labor differentials and the currency exchange rate between the US and
a Central European country like Hungary for health services like
dentistry (and others) can literally offset the entire cost of your
trip

Agnes, I started going to the Dentist in Budapest maybe 10 years ago. Two cleanings a year and an x-ray once a year saves about $800 a year. Then a somewhat serious condition occurred while there about 6 years ago. As a result an outpatient surgery was required. That's how I got introduced to serious medicine there and I was amazed at the quality, service and cost. Lightly regulated capitalism is working well in the private medical sector - still wouldnt go to one of their government program facilities. I saved well over $5000 on my last trip getting some routine cancer screening (something my insurance will only cover every five years, then after deductible) and another minor outpatient surgery. My annual physical with blood work and a chest x-ray is $200 more or less , I figure about a $1000 savings....

Oh, and meds. I am one of those by the book people so I dont cheat and I only buy a months worth of meds each visit. That's good for another $400 a year in savings. If I stocked up more, it could be 3 or 4 times that. But Uncle Sam frowns on bringing back more than a months worth.

What I am doing in March is elective, and only practical to have done because it is half cost in Budapest (another $4000 savings).

Averaged out, just the non-elective work, I probably save in the neighborhood of $2500 a year which is almost what the apartment (which helps make this possible) costs me to own.

I do cringe a bit at the term "medical tourism" as when it comes to health, it should not be confused with anything but getting the best possible treatment.

OP; Sorry, I got off topic.

I'm not in a position yet where I can live somewhere else for a month or two a year, but I do often dream of the day when I retire and can take extended trips. Since I tend to overthink everything, I have done this kind of rationalization in my mind, but never seriously enough to put to paper. Because I'm cheap enough to consider dancing a limbo under a pay toilet stall to save a nickel, I find that any budget discussions tend to make me miserable and I never take it any further. For me, it's best not to rationalize too much and just travel because I can and want to.

Wine, about $3 a glass for the pretty good stuff
Beer $1.25 to $1.50. Prices are better than this off the tourist path.

http://kadarkawinebar.com/winelist/#VOROSBOR

Apparently I drink less than you LOL