At the end of pandemic-era restrictions, many Americans prioritized traveling and visiting new places. Though that urge is still strong, recent economic uncertainty has likely made some recalibrate what maintaining that lifestyle is worth.

Let’s say, for example, that you and your spouse live in New York and have gotten used to traveling every couple of months. You’re both in your 20s and your combined annual income is around $200,000.

The two of you recognize that now is a great time to see the world — before sore feet and finding kid-friendly travel options make wanderlust a little more painful. However, being in your 20s is also a great time to start saving for the things you and your spouse want down the road — a house, children and a comfortable retirement.

While you can travel often and still hit big money goals, the key is putting real numbers on your trips, then building a plan that funds memories without stealing from your future.

Drawing on research from Budget Your Trip, Pacaso — a real estate firm specializing in vacation homes — pegs the average mid-range one-week vacation in the U.S. for two people, including typical lodging, food, transportation and activities, at $4,536 before extras. (1)

However, airfare and food are big variables. Typical round-trip flights average about $378 per person for domestic trips and $1,217 for international getaways. Pacaso also estimates that travelers spend about $96 per person on meals per day. If you’re a foodie on a mission to try all the local spots, or if flying coach doesn’t quite suit your needs, your $4,536 one-week vacation could easily end up costing much more.

Fortunately for you and your spouse, domestic travel prices have been trending down in 2025. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), domestic round-trip flights are now 6% cheaper, car rental prices have declined 3% and hotel rooms cost 11% less than in 2024. (2)

Sadly, the same isn’t always true for overseas travel. AAA noted that the cost of international airfare has increased by 8%, and that hotel rates abroad are only down 2% year-over-year, which doesn’t take into account the falling value of the U.S. dollar against other major currencies such as the euro or the British pound. If you take currency fluctuations into account, it’s likely that hotels in those regions are more expensive for Americans compared to last year.

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If you and your spouse’s six annual trips are domestic and each last a week, using the average weekly cost mentioned above, you would spend about $27,216 a year on travel. If, on the other hand, you prefer international trips, the costs would be even higher.

Based on Pacaso’s estimates, international airfare adds roughly $839 per person compared with domestic travel. For two people, that is about $1,678 extra per international trip. Meanwhile, accommodation and food costs could help offset that additional expense or add to it, depending on where you and your spouse decide to visit.

Read more: US car insurance costs have surged 50% from 2020 to 2024 — this simple 2-minute check could put hundreds back in your pocket

If travel spending is a line item that comes after automatic contributions to core financial goals, six trips in a year can work.

A simple framework to help you decide is the 50-30-20 rule, which requires putting about 50% of take-home pay toward essential needs like housing and food, 30% toward wants like eating out and vacations, and 20% toward paying down debt and saving for things like retirement or a down payment on a house.

By that rule, you and your spouse have approximately $60,000 in leftover money to spend on vacations. With your overall vacation costs mentioned above — $27,216 a year on six vacations — that means you and your spouse should have just under $33,000 to spend on other wants, like dinners out and new clothes, for the rest of the year — or perhaps less if you opt for more international travel.

However, lifestyle creep is real, and you need to be vigilant so that you don’t let a splurge here or there add up to a budget-busting expense. One way to avoid that situation is to automate your savings budget and bill payments so travel expenses don’t raid that pot. And all discretionary expenditures — like airfare, lodgings, travel and food — should come out of cash savings and not be charged to a credit card.

One step you can take is to create a fixed annual travel budget that fits your income after retirement savings and necessities are funded. If your six-trip annual costs crowd those priorities, you may be able to right-size the budget by taking one or two less trips, spending less on eating out, downgrading accommodations or traveling to cheaper destinations.

Other tips include using shoulder seasons and midweek stays to benefit from the recent cooling in hotel and car-rental prices, and booking lodgings that include a kitchen to cut down on food expenses.

It’s also important, if you use points and airmiles, to treat them as a discount only after you have priced the cash cost, not as a reason to overspend.

Finally, consider automating a monthly transfer into a dedicated travel account. When it is time to book the next trip, spend from that account only. That simple guardrail preserves your savings plan and makes every trip a little more guilt-free.

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Pacaso (1); American Automobile Association (2)

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.