# Budgeting while on vacation.



## Hannah (Jul 20, 2006)

How do you all plan on how much you are going to spend. We are going to St. Martin in about 7 months and there is a LONG list of everything I want to go. We are going to be there for 9 nights so I might be able to fit everything in. Just to let you know we would rather eat at cheap places and do alot of activities rather than eat at a upscale place and sit on the beach. But my question is how do you know how much EVERYTHING is going to cost. I have been doing research but there is always HIDDEN fees/costs that you don't think of. This is our first BIG trip as well as out first trip to the Carribean,can anyone give us some insight on how to budget yourself.


----------



## daventrina (Jul 20, 2006)

Take half the clothes and 3 times the money....
We don't spend a bunch on eating out either. Doing reaearch on what is available to do for little or no cost can save a bunch! Many times you don't need to spend a bunch of  money and do "the ACTIVITY" thing.


----------



## timesharejunkie4 (Jul 20, 2006)

Your trip does not have to cost a fortune - You can have good inexpensive dinners on the Dutch side for $35 - $50 for 2.
If you plan to travel to a lot of different beaches where you will have to pay to use their beach chairs and umbrellas for $10-15 per day, rent 2 chairs and an umbrella from pack light for $25 for the week.


----------



## tashamen (Jul 20, 2006)

Maybe you've got too long a list of things to do.  Seriously.  One of the best things about going to SXM is simply to enjoy the various beaches - make a day trip to a different one most days where you can have a leisurely relatively inexpensive lunch and swim, or perhaps snorkel.  Car rental in SXM is fortunately very reasonable, so that helps.  Also there are places there where you can rent beach chairs and snorkeling equipment for the week rather than renting them on the different beaches for the day.  (Just don't ever leave anything in the rental car!).

Please don't forgo a couple of good restaurants there - not necessarily THE most expensive, but if you don't have a couple of gourmet meals, especially on the French side, IMO you're missing the best thing about SXM.  But you can also buy wonderful French bread and pastries, European wines and cheeses and takeout meals that are relatively inexpensive but still excellent quality.  

You asked about excursions to other islands in another question - Anguilla would theoretically be the least expensive to do, though we have never bothered to go there.  Once you get off the ferry you would either have to rent a car for the day or take taxis everywhere.  An alternative would be to do a day sail to Anguilla with transportation to a beach and possibly lunch included.  In any case, all of the boat/ferry operators to Anguilla, St. Barts and Saba have websites and post their prices.

We have the opposite problem - we like to eat in good places but will forgo an activity if it's too expensive (since we've been there before).  You can never know exactly what things will cost but with research - just about everything has a website these days - you can plan in advance.  Enjoy your trip!


----------



## boyblue (Jul 20, 2006)

Why not call the tour operators or the activities department at your resort and get the info?


----------



## caribbeansun (Jul 20, 2006)

Depends what you want to do:

Food - $200-$250/day
Car rental - web site when I book it
Diving - usually posted on web site but average $100/day with equipment rental
Gambling - I limit myself to $500/week (rarely need much of the budget)
Tours - usually posted on various web sites for specific things we might want to do
Shopping - I go with a specific item in mind so know roughly the cost, my DW on the other hand spends a whack of dough every time
We rarely do things on vacation during the day that we can do at home (other than DW's shopping )
Lying on a beach - free
Lying on a beach with a cold drink - $5/drink (much better!
I'm a little surprised you've got such a LONG list for SXM.  We never try to do everything on any trip - we assume that if we like it we'll come back again and do more unique things.  We are on vacation and we prefer to have some down time and recharge if that's not your style then do your best to research on the internet the things you absolutely, positively must do and set that money aside.


----------



## Blondie (Jul 29, 2006)

Figure first for the car and for the $$ for parking at the airport- we always forget the parking cost and get socked when we get home!!  In SXM buy on the Dutch side where you will use the dollar as opposed to the euro. WE usually have this rule- for our tummies as well as our wallets- we do not eat breakfast and lunch out on the same days. Too many big meals kill me. So, we often do the coffee/bagel etc on our balcony in the morning. For lunch we take a break and eat in the condo in the shade or go somewhere if we are out sightseeing. (We always do a huge grocery shopping for breakfast and lunch foods, beer, wine, snacks, water)  We sometimes will split something for lunch too if we are out and if we are not hugely hungry. For dinner we try to stay under $100. On the French side in Grand Case or Marigot we only eat where they advertise 1$ equals 1 euro. Love the lolo Talk of the Town, love the floating bar across from Royal Palm for the great pizza and caesar salad. Both cheap places! We find it very easy to economize on vacation. We usually take around $1,500 and find it is enough. We never use a credit card on vacay- too risky in some places. Have fun


----------



## Kal (Jul 29, 2006)

Hannah said:
			
		

> ...there is a LONG list of everything I want to go. We are going to be there for 9 nights so I might be able to fit everything in. Just to let you know we would rather eat at cheap places and do alot of activities rather than eat at a upscale place and sit on the beach.....


 
We have visited St. Maarten for many years and stay 3 weeks.  With that long of time we are very mindful of the costs and set priorities for the most important things we want to do.

Rental Car - Most important as you must have a car to fully enjoy the island.  You'll be there during high season so supply and demand will limit savings.  Expect to pay about $200/week.  For insurance ABSOLUTELY accept the rental agency liability coverage ($5/day).  Use a credit card that provides collision coverage at no additional cost.  For gasoline, expect to pay $30-40/week.

Beach Chairs - You can use Pack Lite as others have suggested, but that will limit where you sit at the very best beach, Orient Bay.  The cost for a chair, umbrella and drink will be about $14/person per day at Orient.  Somewhat less at other beaches.

Food (Bkfst & Lunch) - We always buy groceries (moderate $) for breakfast in the condo and buy excellent French pastries every other day (~$2/person/day).  You can get fresh tropical fruit in grocery stores and roadside vendors at bargain prices.  We take lunch with us in a small soft-sided cooler.  We eat light to save calories for dinner.

Dinner - Given the very wide range of choices, you will have good control of costs.  You can get a side of grilled baby back ribs for $5 at local "lolos" (outdoor grills), a "plate of food" for $8 at Talk of the Town in Grand Case, a nice meal for $12-$15/person at Le Piccolo (Simpson Bay) and  Marigot Port La Royale.  Lots of excellent restaurants in the $15 to $40/person range.  Of course you can buy groceries and prepare dinner in the condo at very moderate prices.  Go *Here* for my list of favorites.

Tours/Adventures - These are all over the map and can get pretty spendy.  The best choices would be the *America's Cup Regatta* ($75/person), Butterfly Farm (~$12/person),  *Lord Sheffield Tall Ship Sailing*, ferry to St. Barth's ($$$$), etc.  Please provide a list of the things you want to do and we can provide specific comments.

Shopping - Be very careful here.  Because St. Maarten has the very lowest prices in the Caribbean, you WILL spend much more than you had planned.  Prices for liquor (*Absolut = $6/liter*) and jewelry are incredibly cheap.  On the French side you can get a fantastic selection of goods that you can't pass up.

Drinks - You can get a case (24 bottles) of Carib beer for $15 in the grocery store.  Otherwise, you'll be spending $2/bottle elsewhere.  Drinks and shooters can be had fairly cheaply IF you plan carefully.  Otherwise, it will be a big chunk of your budget.

Hope this helps.  Check out my *website* for many images of St. Maarten.


----------



## pal (Aug 1, 2006)

I would bring a rolling refrig and pack some sandwich stuff, maybe bacon for breakfasts, they have great cheese there and some tortillas for snack and cocktail hr...we do.


----------



## silverfox82 (Aug 2, 2006)

Although we don't "budget" we also don't spend a great deal most of the time. We bring tea bags to get us thru the first few days, have an early lunch at one of the beach BBQ's, and often hit the restaurant at the Caravanseri resort for happy hour and excellent appetizers for $20. The money saver for us are the grocery stores in Marigot for french bread, pates and cheese. Thats lunch for 2 for 10 bucks total for 2 days. We only eat when were hungry, remember it's hot there, so for us 1 real meal a day is sufficent. Then when we go out and spend $250 for dinner we don't feel guilty. Bring enough money for comfort backed up by credit cards and you should be fine.


----------



## Aldo (Aug 2, 2006)

In St. Maarten, you can get a GREAT chicken dinner to go at the Lido, in Cole Bay, for $5.  It will last a normal person for two days.  Rib dinner there is $8.

Fantastic Jerk Pork full luncheon at the Jamaican Jerk Grill on the Bush Road out of the Phillipsburg is $7.

In Marigot, fantastic rib luncheon at the Grillade Antilles, in the Lolo building at the harbor, is $8.

Also, don't miss Talk of the Town in Grand Case...also $8 or $9, the food is good, not quite as good as the Grillade Antilles, but it is right on the beach and the view is tremendous.


You can always get a meat patty for a buck in lots of places.  Nice lunch for a buck.

There are lots of Bakeries.  The "Cake House" bakeries, (there are two, one in Middle Settlement, and one near the roundabout going towards St. Peter's, sell day-old pastry for a song, and have fantastic apple turnovers.

Rent your car at the airport.  Walk away from the vendor, they will cut the prices $20 to $30 a week from their first quoted price.

Cheapest Liquor--the Liquor store next to the Jump-Up Casino in the East End of Phillipsburg, although the best wine selection is the Grand Marche in Marigot.

Cheapest Groceries- the "Afoo" markets.  One in Phillipsburg and one in Cole Bay.  Watch the expiration dates.  The huge supermarket at the roundabout on Bush Road has the best selection, but it costs more.

Cheapest Gasoline seems to be at the Station on the south side of the road in La Savane near the new Gendarmerie.

Souvenirs and clothing etc...go where the locals shop..the BackStreet in Phillipsburg.  It's a bit dirty and real, but the prices are well below those on the more touristy Frontstreet.


----------



## daventrina (Aug 7, 2006)

*America's Cup Regatta*



			
				Kal said:
			
		

> The best choices would be the *America's Cup Regatta* ($75/person)


We just went on America II on Maui for the second time and it was a blast again. If your into sailing, the regatta would have to be a must do.


----------



## tashamen (Aug 7, 2006)

Blondie said:
			
		

> In SXM buy on the Dutch side where you will use the dollar as opposed to the euro.



We just got back on Saturday from SXM, and nearly all shops and restaurants on the French side are currently giving an even 1$ to 1 Euro exchange rate, so in fact it paid to use dollars on the French side.  (This was only for cash transactions.)

Will write an updated review of RIC La Plage later in the week - we had a great time!


----------



## lele32 (Sep 26, 2006)

*Budgeting while on vacation at St Martin.*



			
				timesharejunkie4 said:
			
		

> Your trip does not have to cost a fortune - You can have good inexpensive dinners on the Dutch side for $35 - $50 for 2.
> If you plan to travel to a lot of different beaches where you will have to pay to use their beach chairs and umbrellas for $10-15 per day, rent 2 chairs and an umbrella from pack light for $25 for the week.




I'm going to St Martin in March.  Just saw your post regarding beach chair & umbrella rentals.  Do all the beaches charge for chairs, etc.?  I have an exchange to the Sapphire Beach Resort & understand there is hardly any  beach there, & rocky.  I don't know anything about the area and this is first I was aware of charges to use the beaches. 

Anyone know anything about the resort?  Where is the best place to get car rental?  Hotel, airport or online?  All info would be appreciated


----------



## jojoless (Sep 27, 2006)

lele32:

We are frequent visitors to St. Maarten.

For car rental, we always rent from Michael @ Unity Car Rental.  Reliable service and a great guy.  Here's his e-mail address: unitycarrental@yahoo.com

We never spend more than a few hours at any beach, so to save on chair/umbrella prices, we rent from Bob @ Pack Light Vacation Rentals.  Two chairs and an umbrella will cost $25 for the entire week. Website:  http://www.sxm-services.com/packlight/index.html


----------



## lele32 (Sep 27, 2006)

*Budgeting while on vacation (at St Martin).*

Jojoless:

Thanks for the tips for rentals.  
I don't quite understand the need for chairs, etc.  Are there no public beaches?  Are you or anyone else familiar with the Sapphire Resort?  Just wondering what we may be getting into.


----------



## Bootser (Sep 28, 2006)

lele
The beaches on St. Maarten are great. However all the beaches charge for chairs unless you are at you're resort beach. (unless I'm just missing one)
I guess I'm not that well traveled, are there really beaches that give away chairs to use. I can not think of a place I have been where I have been able to use a chair for free. I am not counting though a resort that has their own chairs on the beach available for guests. 

Chairs keep coming up on the thread because as others have mentioned, it is highly recommended that you tour the island and try other beaches. There are a lot them and all enjoyable with their own character. Mullet Bay, Long Beach, and Bay Rouge are close to Sapphire (not walking distance though). You will definately want to go to Orient on the French side. I would also recommend Pinel Island and Dawn Beach. When and if you do go to these other beaches you will have to rent or bring your own chair.
Orient and Pinel can be expensive for chairs. Orient has a lot of chair vendors, so its possible to find less expensive chairs that include a free drink. But it is a big beach and that may not be easy on your first try.
Pinel Island is just a spit of land with a neat little beach area. Take the water taxi (small boat ferry). Can't remember the cost of the boat ride, maybe $15 for 2 round trip.

Concerning the Sapphire, I am not that familiar with it nor the beach in that area. It is on Cupocouy beach, which has a smaller beach. The beach there is below some small cliffs. I have heard from time to time the beach disappears due to tidal action, then comes back days later. Don't know if this happens once a week, once a month or once a year.
It is a neat beach and area, though I have not personally spent much time in that area. I do not think the Sapphire has free beach chairs on the beach though to use.
Ron


----------



## Cat (Sep 28, 2006)

The beach at the Sapphire is almost non-existent. We stayed next door at the Ocean Club Villas. The OC had a deck where you could park to sun yourself. It's a lovely place for swimming, but there's just hardly any sand to sit on all day. The waves can get pretty big. One of the best things about the Sapphire is that there's a Jacuzzi on the unit patios that afford a gorgeous view of Cupecoy.

Mullet Bay is a really nice beach where there are some trees for shade. You can actually see it when you're in the water at the Sapphire. It's not far, but you'll probably prefer to drive it rather than walk.


----------



## lele32 (Sep 28, 2006)

*Budgeting while on vacation (at St Martin).*

Cat & Bootser:

Thanks so much for your comments.  I guess I wasn't really thinking about them being actually public when I asked about chairs on the beaches.  

Our first time to St Maarten, so hope we won't be disappointed with the exchange.  By the map, it looks to be a long way from town?

Again, thanks for your input


----------



## Bootser (Sep 28, 2006)

lele
There is some shopping available in Maho, which is not far from the Sapphire. Maho is a nice little area, and fairly upscale. Small groceries, restaurants etc.
The island is small and you will be surprised how easy it is to get arround. Phillipsburg may seem a long way on the map, but not that far for the mega shopping days. 
Marigot will be closer to you than Phillisburg, but Phillipsburg has historically had lower prices. The cruise ships dock there and it can be quite crowded most of the time when they are in, but I'm confident you will like it.


----------



## jfitz (Oct 3, 2006)

Just to clarify the beach chair question, every beach on Sint Maarten / Saint Martin is a public beach.  However, beach vendors are given "rights" to rent chairs in specific areas at the more popular beaches, typical charge is $15 for two chairs, one umbrella with often a bonus of two free drinks.  This does not prevent you from using your own chair or towel on the open areas of any beach.  Some beaches, such as Orient, have many vendors.  Others, such as Baie Longue, do not have any vendors and are strictly bring your own.  Most resorts offer free beach chairs to their guests at the adjacent beach.  A few beach bars, Buccaneer Beach Bar comes to mind, provide free beach chairs to their customers.  Locals bring their own chairs to the beaches as do many of the more informed visitors.  Weekly chair rentals, as previously mentioned, are used by many repeat visitors to the island and can save you considerable money over the course of a vacation.  We always bring our own.


----------



## Bootser (Oct 23, 2006)

Anyway...........
You're going to have a great time.


----------



## Bootser (Nov 5, 2006)

*Buccanear Beach Bar*

Another great way to keep your vacation economical is to go to great little beach bars for happy hour or any other time. One of many that comes to mind is Buccanear Beach Bar in Simpson Bay next to the Atrium and down the road from the Pelican.


----------

