How Much Money Should I Aim At Saving?

[Catch and Grease]

I'm young and I've never set foot in a passenger airplane but I want to go to Pennsylvania around Christmas to visit family and just go to Penn ( I've always wanted to go to Pennsylvania )

A round trip ticket is around 320$ Jacksonville to Philly, but then I would need money for all the other stuff like food, gas, etc... How much would be safe?? I'm thinking 500 atleast... Oh and I'll be staying for a week or week and a half staying at family's house.

I also might want to go to a Pittsburgh steelers game if they are playing at Heinz while I'm there but that's even more money to consider...

Its gonna be hard to save a whole lot considering the sports I play, and I'll have to tame the bait monkey and gear gorilla haha

[flyfisher]

Tickets to the football game alone will run you probably close to $100 plus parking not to mention the gas money to get from the philly area (assuming you are staying around there since that is where you are flying in to) to get out to pittsburgh which is about 350 one way if i recall.

 

After all that i would save up around  grand for the trip.  You can always have extra but it sucks to come up short.   You may also be able to find cheaper flights if you go into Newark which isn't that far away from the philly airport.

 

Also flights from orlando to philly are usually a lot cheaper and usually direct flights

[tomustang]

Gas? Are you planning to rent a car or ride shotgun when you get to Pa?

[Catch and Grease]

I'll be staying in Wyoming Pennsylvania its just cheaper to fly from Jacksoville to Philly rather than valdosta Georiga to Wilkes barre airport. I'll just get a ride from valdosta to Jacksonville then from Philly to Wyoming

[Catch and Grease]

Gas? Are you planning to rent a car or ride shotgun when you get to Pa?

I'll probably be using my cousin car/riding shotgun paying for gas

I can get a little help from my family up north and I'll get a little bit of money this christman btw

[Raul]

Twice as much as your plane ticket costs. You say 320 for the ticket then save 650 an you'll be "safe".

[fish-fighting-illini]

Even if you don't use it you should plan on at least $30 / day for food. Undoubtedly you will probably be eating some with your hosts. . As part of that you you should offer to chip in on the food bill. If they refuse so be it.

At least one night you ought to buy either a meal out for the family or have pizzas brought in.

If your schedule requires you to be eating at an airport take into account that airports are expensive, even to eat a sandwich.

You can save a few bucks at the airport on porter check in / checked baggage tips. Small airports don't always have them but bigger airports do. You can go to the porter out on the curb or you can walk past them and go walk 40ft beyond them right to the ticket counter yourself and do the same thing.

No offense to anyone but using the porter and tipping them $5 -$10 is one of the silliest things I've heard of.

You hand them money to give you your ticket and give them your bags. They take your bags 40ft away to the same spot that you would have put your bags yourself.

Beyond that set a budget for entertainment, gas help etc.

[Bankbeater]

I'll say $2000.  It's better to have to much $$$ on hand than not enough.

[fishinfiend]

Tell them to drive down to J'ville and skip many of the costs you will encounter. 

 

There is no Larry's Giant Subs in Pittsburg. lol

[Siebert Outdoors]

I'll say $2000.  It's better to have to much $$$ on hand than not enough.

 

I was going to say atleast 1k. 

[Catch and Grease]

Thanks for the input guys, if I can save up 1000 that would be fantastic, if I go to the football game I won't be burdened with 100% of the cost because people will go with me so it won't be quite as expensive....

[flyfisher]

Going to an NFL game will probably run you $200 by itself but I will say if you have never been to a game it is worth every penny.  Make sure you tailgate and do it up right.  The speed of the game and size of the players is so much different in real life as opposed to on TV. 

[Catch and Grease]

Going to an NFL game will probably run you $200 by itself but I will say if you have never been to a game it is worth every penny. Make sure you tailgate and do it up right. The speed of the game and size of the players is so much different in real life as opposed to on TV.

I've never been to a NFL game but the steelers are my favorite team and I've always wanted to go see them play in Pittsburgh!

[Redlinerobert]

Take a look at Stub hub for game tickets.  You'll find them by section.  Don't use a scalper...you may end up with fake tickets.