StuPadaso

I tend to splurge on hotels. I have enough difficulty sleeping as it is, especially when I'm not in my own bed. I need a room that is very quiet and secure with a top-notch bed.

Hotel security is key though. I won't bore you with the details, but we had some issues during a family vacation when I was a kid and ever since then my Dad was very fussy about which hotel we'd stay at. I guess seeing his on-the-fly investigative skill during a dozen more family vacations rubbed off on me. I'm just as fussy (and alert) as he was, and it's more than 40 years after the fact.

Tizzette

What if you outlive your money?

Worse to die poor and broke.

Annalisa12

Sugar Daddy or Mommy!

sxytxn

For me, I'm not into the car rental stuff. I like to explore with the rest of society.
I love buying cheap tickets, staying in Hostels. I meet interesting people there.
Majority of my money is spent on good food and good beer or wine.

leonidas

This is a really interesting conversation. There is so much variation in things on which people splurge!

nachosdelux

Business class air (discounted or miles or upgrade) for international.

Decent hotels (4-5*)

Food - not so much - like to eat local cuisines, so often not expensive

Transportation - public if convenient, or taxi/limo if time/value is good

Rental car - like small/economical - easy to park

As I have aged, and traveled more, I spend more on (better) food and hotels.

BearX220

In this thread: evidence that "splurge" is a relative term. One person's baseline requirement is another person's extravagance.

On longhaul flights I look to upgrade to business with miles or burn on big redemptions, especially when the wife is along. On domestic flights my biggest "splurge" is taking the occasional buy-up (AA Plusgrade, etc.) offer to sit in F.

I am too old for bottom-dollar, one/two-star, hole-in-the-wall hotels. I will not stay at Days Inns, etc. Hamptons and Courtyards are about the lowest I go. But I don't necessarily like or want five-star fawning -- it makes me uncomfortable and strikes me as a waste of money -- the highest I tend to go is a nice big-city Grand Hyatt or Conrad.

I hate taxis and car services and like local public transport -- figuring out the bus and train services is fun for me. Not too much makes me happier than an hour loitering around Paddington or Waterloo watching the destination screens.

Mini-splurges: bar tabs / premium drink, interesting restaurants (at all price points), no fast food on the road. And buying things for immediate convenience, like an umbrella or hat, without thinking about price.

And I buy too many books and clothes when I'm travelling and too often have a carry-on only on the outbound, but have to check a bag on the return.

Esltroy

I only will get one "good" meal a trip to someplace local. Other than that I just go to the closest costco and get a super salad and wraps. I'll eat them the rest of the time and it saves me a lot of money.

I don't splurge on cars, but with national, if I have a choice, I'll pick the convertible.

When I fly for leasuire, I splurge on first class seats. (If possible)

As far as Hookers and Blow, I give them up for lent. Since then, I stopped abusing blow.

TENYKS

two words: strippers

Tizzette

I need a good, comfortable hotel in a location I can step out and walk. I will pay more for a better room that includes a sofa. If I can use points on a splurgey kind of place, I will stay there but otherwise midrange is fine. I'm never able to be any one place long enough to have time or energy to spare for public transportation, so I spend money on cabs to make the most of my time. For the same reason, I like half day local tours that give you an overview and general sense of the place. At any reasonable opportunity, I will take a train and pay for first or executive class since it so affordable compared to first class airfare. I don't like fancy, expensive restaurants, and I am more of a grazer anyway, so if I don't know a good local place, an appetizer in the hotel bar might suffice.

NJTrucker

a great steak

Jabarie MacQuarrie

good seats at sporting events
sausage rolls

Nacho102

AS 75k so always get upgraded to 1st. Emerald exec elite, so i get any car I want, hotels are tough as we're financially limited to about $120/night with my company but priceline name your own price can often garner a 4-5* hotel. Most of my splurging is spent on socializing at bars and hooking up with women.

China Clipper

Yeah, probably because some people have more money than others...

This reminds me... while I do throw money away on upscale cruise lines, it's definitely not for the 'pampering' which I despise! It's for the cuisine, the quiet, the accommodations and uncrowded public spaces.

At one (putatively) self-service coffee/tea station (off-hours) I was trying to make my own drink and a steward rushed up to do it for me. Can't stand that.

But there are people who like the idea of never having to lift a finger. It's hard for service providers to please everyone, which is why personnel should be taught to take cues from customers.

exilencfc

That is very true. But it's still interesting to see what proportion of their travel budget people devote to various things. Priorities are not the same as a discussion of spending power