Reality Check

Is it possible to keep to a travel budget when introducing teenagers to the world on an adventure holiday? Teenagers eat alot, cost the same as adults for most tours, activities and shows and love to buy stuff. It's a potential money pit of grandiose proportions. Sure, the ideal of travelling within the pre-travel budget is all well and good until the trip begins and the spending doesn't stop.

One way in which to ease the necessary reality of a holiday budget when travelling with teenagers is to ensure that they save up their own spending money before departing. Great idea? Absolutely. Is this possible? For sure, but not without challenge and sacrifice on behalf of the teenager. What! Challenge? Sacrifice? I know, it almost sounds cruel to expect such things from teenagers especially before the holiday even begins, but with such destinations as Tokyo, Paris, Rome, London and New York to name a few on the horizon, spending is inevitable.

So for the past two or so years, Adam and I have encouraged our girls to save money whenever possible, and once their money went into the bank it wasn't available until the holiday. This sort of 'rule' of course was indeed a test of commitment 'to spend now or not to spend', and that became the reoccurring conflict the girls faced each time money was burning in their hot little hands.

"The wait was worth it!", cries Rosiegirl as we enter Shibuya 109 in Tokyo - 7 levels of shopping heaven for teenage girls size S or smaller. She makes a beeline for her favourite stores, Yen poised, ready to spend to her heart's desire, or at least to her own budget. I'm thinking, this is fab! Not only can the girls buy what they choose, I don't have to pay for it. They will learn so much about budgeting, how to resist impulse buys, ration out their spending and......... well....... we are now only 3 weeks into our 14 week trip and both Sunny and Rosiegirl have spent over half their money. Hmmm, at least they haven't spent it all? After a frank discussion about the swift depletion of their bank accounts in a relatively short time, they decided that no more spending is going to take place until they reach London - that's 6 weeks away.

So, as we visit the spectacular Chateau's of the Loire Valley, walk through the vast Popes Palace in Avignon, admire the scenery of the French and Italian Rivieras, see priceless works of art in Florence and Rome, drive the stunning Amalfi Coast, relax and eat gelato in Venice, drink schnapps and see an orangutan in Vienna, dance on a famous fountain in Salzburg, scale the heights of the original Disney Castle in Bavaria, ride the highest railway in the world in Switzerland, drink fine wine in Dijon and dream new dreams in Versailles, there will be NO spending.

This should be a breeze. Ask me again in 6 weeks......