Dang... I could have booked...

[CorbinCatFan]

Wow, finally only one more year of college for our youngest. Done the braces, ballet schools, picky eating, half drunk soft drinks, school trips, picking out colleges, books, spending money, cars, car insurance, gasoline, cell phones, the list goes on forever........

 

We're finally having our first "adults only" cruise in 17 years. Life's good.:D

[ProwlinNGrowlin]

Advice- get an extra fridge/deep freeze and buy in BULK!

 

I can't complain about the groceries....we're a family of 4 and I spend about 75-100/wk in groceries and then we take a trip to costco and stock up on ground beef, pork chops, steak, chicken for about 150-175, but we don't have to buy meat for about 2-3 months....not too bad at all compared to some of the others!!

[beccadoby]

I think Carnival loses money on them in food.:p

 

ME TOO - I TOTALLY AGREE!

 

We went to Red Lobster last Sunday after church. Bill was $112 for 2 adults 3 children (ages 15, 10, and 7). All food and sodas.

 

After we got the bill, DH and I started thinking about our August cruise:

 

4 nights 1st and 2nd person $304

3rd and 4th persons $244

Yes, total price- taxes, fuel charges, port fees all included!:D

[MrPete]

Wait till you all see what the price of cooking oil is about to skyrocket to!

[DqALEX]

I think the cost of the cruise is just the beginning. By the time you get to the cruise, park or get a hotel, pay tips and then of course we have to buy junks. The other stuff adds up to more than the price of the cruise.

 

It fools ya.

Thats very true. I drive to Jaxport when I cruise from there, because for 5 of us the air would be more than the cruise.

[VentureMan_2000]

And of course, we are still the "kool-aid" house where all the teens gather, so each weekend we "feed" 10-20 or more teens on a Friday or Sat. nite. (better my house where I know they are supervised, and THEY know they are supervised!) Sodas and snacks for that many teens? They eat me out of house and home!

 

 

Ah, Yes... then there are the neighborhood kids we feed all the time too. They think of us as their second set of parents. I think we see some of the kids more than their parents do. :eek:

 

We too are the "kool-aid" house... with 5 computers hooked up to the net, PC games, game cube, Wii, and Air-soft, there is plenty for all the kids to do here. Seems like I never have any less than 8 kids here on Friday nights and weekends and days off from school.

 

But like you, we like having them all around where we can keep an eye on them them. :)

[jetskier]

4-day cruise on the Fantasy April 10th for $199pp plus $21pp tax, $20pp FC, $14pp insurance. $508 total. Parking at pier another $56. Grats for the week $40pp. Then it is $60pp for the dive boat in Cozumel for a 2-tank dive. So I am now at $764. Taxi at around $20 total. Then dinner for two at Casa Denis about $20 plus my free margarita. So I am now at $804. But honey, we got the cruise for only $199pp. :)

 

Dave

[Tbay-eh]

Dang... anyone else feel this pain...?

 

 

 

I could have booked half of a 7 day cruise for what I just spent on groceries... over $500. Anyone else have three hungry teens who compete in High School sports, and whose practices are 3 1/2 hours each day, plus meets?

 

They're eating me out of cruise and home... :eek:

 

:cool: :cool: I unfortunately bought my husband and 19 year old son the NFL Sunday football package - bad enough I have them but my sons 5 or 6 buddies - 220 pound average come over to watch as well. The rule of the house is they supply pop and snacks and I make supper. During the break they go out to play road hockey and build up an appetite. I could probably pay for two cruises over the course of the football season. By they way they all cheer for a different team and I learned early on never to make chili again - the paint is still peeling.:eek:

[seaman54]

Dang... anyone else feel this pain...?

 

 

 

I could have booked half of a 7 day cruise for what I just spent on groceries... over $500. Anyone else have three hungry teens who compete in High School sports, and whose practices are 3 1/2 hours each day, plus meets?

 

They're eating me out of cruise and home... :eek:

I buy rice 25 lb bags an lots of pasta, its cheap an it fills them up. they eat&eat an dont gain a lb. Now if i ate that i would be 300 lbs. What i do is cook up a lb at a time of each an keep it in the fridg, they just warm it up when they get hungry. Good for football players ect...

[VentureMan_2000]

I buy rice 25 lb bags an lots of pasta...

 

 

We buy rice in 25 pounds bags... and flour in 25 pounds bags too.

 

I just bought 28 pounds of corned beef in hopes that I can have more than seconds or thirds.

 

Just as jetskier posted... cruises on Carnival are priced fine... but add on all the other expenses and cocktails, it can add up fast. If I was a religion where drinking was frowned upon... it might slow me down... :D

[Deefar]

I feel your pain. I have 2 teenage boys and eat like an army. Last week Saturday I spent $400 on groceries, by Thursday it was all gone. My youngest son is 15 and he is very much into sports like wrestling, swimming, cross country running and track. He also is involved with the Spanish club and the school plays and musicals. He also enjoys skateboarding and ice skating. My oldest boy is almost 17 and is more into the schoolastic programs like Masterminds, SADD, schoolastic bowl, german club, marching band, anime club, chess club, volleyball, plays and musicals and chorus. He loves music and has taught himself how to play the bass guitar and keyboard. He also loves foreign languages and is teaching himself Japanese and Korean. When the food is gone here they will go to Grandma's house next door and eat all their food. My MIL says she spends about $300 a week on food for my boys. Honestly, I can't figure out where they put all that food. Both my boys are thin. I am convinced that they both have tape worms:eek:

[Caribbreeze]

Cruising has become my point of reference for budgeting -

I could buy 4 DODs for that price - so no thank you.

I could pay for an excursion for the cost of that - so no thank you.

The bathroom needs renovating? Can I do that and cruise this year? No?Then I love the pink tile :)

[Randus62]

Dang... anyone else feel this pain...?

 

 

 

I could have booked half of a 7 day cruise for what I just spent on groceries... over $500. Anyone else have three hungry teens who compete in High School sports, and whose practices are 3 1/2 hours each day, plus meets?

 

They're eating me out of cruise and home... :eek:

 

 

I feel your pain.

[Randus62]

I feel your pain!:eek: We have 3 sons of our own(6, 9 and 8 months) and we also inherited 3 additional kids a few years ago who are 11,15, and 19. I buy milk 8 gallons at a time and 1 gallon of juice. It doesn't last through a full week before I have to get more!!

 

 

6????????? Dang, don't want any of your pain! :D

[Randus62]

We have had over a 2 year hiatus from cruising because my DD was in braces, $200 a month, forever!

 

 

Now, just a thought here. You could have all her tetth pulled and order her special soft food on the cruise. Just kidding. :D :D

[nicnat]

He leaves at the end of April for boot camp "MARINES!!" and he said the thing he will miss the most is cruising.

 

 

He should have joined the Navy:D my DH did a few cruises that way.:D He said the food wasn't as good though.:p

[halos]

Now, just a thought here. You could have all her tetth pulled and order her special soft food on the cruise. Just kidding. :D :D

 

Now that's funny!

[k.hill]

You know your getting addicted when you measure your purchases in cruises.

 

"I don't know about a new flatscreen TV honey - I could cruise twice for that" or

 

"Well, the furniture is nice, but I really was hoping to get another cruise in before next year."

 

"The car is paid off!, great - that'll give us enough for an extra cruise next year!"

[spikester]

eeekkk! I am glad I don't have children!

 

I am not quite at the stage of "oh, I if I skip this, I can get this On board"

 

great thread!