After (most) every trip, I take stock of my costs. I want to know what I spent and on what so I can continue to find efficiencies. For example, we did a great job keeping our costs low for our trip to Copenhagen and Hamburg because we followed my #1 secret to traveling on a budget. While travel itself is a luxury, and I do enjoy splurging, I still want to be conscious of my budget.
That being said – a destination bachelorette party can get pricey, quickly. Part of why I chose a cruise for my bachelorette in 2017 was because it was very cost effective. When it’s not your party, you’re at the whim of the bride (and the MOH). Fortunately, Chelsea and her sister, Caitlin, set expectations early on of what costs would be, so I knew what I was getting into, and we were able to spread out the costs over several months. After I headed home, this is what I’d spent:
Restaurants: $261
Even more than our lodging, the cost of eating out was hefty – maybe we should have spent more on groceries. 😉 That being said, we had some awesome meals in Austin, including many great tacos. The most expensive one I had was brunch at Josephine House; I technically paid $336, but after everyone sent me money for their portion, it came out to ~$50.
Side note: I didn’t buy anything when we went out on Dirty 6th Street. As a group of women, we got alllll the free drinks!
Airbnb: $220
Our whole group stayed in a gorgeous Airbnb known as “The ATX Oasis,” which I would absolutely recommend. The pool was the perfect hangout spot for us, and we had plenty of room to spread out. I felt it was definitely worth it, even as one of the women sleeping in the bunk bed!
Flight: $163 (One Way)
Since we’d originally planned on road tripping, I booked this one-way individually on Southwest. When we pivoted our plans, I flew directly to Austin from Toronto, so the first leg of my flight was part of that itinerary.
Lyfts: $161
This covered the cost of six rides total, including getting three of us to the Airbnb from the airport, my ride back to AUS (I was the first flight home), as well as my ride home from TPA. We alternated booking rides among the group, but we still required two cars for every outing. It added up quickly!
Rental Car: $51
To transport everyone in our group, we needed two rental cars. These were super handy to have during the day, though we definitely relied on Lyft at night to avoid anyone needing to drive to the bars. Parking can be tricky in Austin, so it’s worth evaluating if it would be better to solely rideshare.
Photoshoot: $49
This was an ask from the bride, and the MOH made it happen. We hired a photographer to follow us around downtown Austin for about two hours, stopping to take pictures as we walked the street, grabbed drinks at Jo’s Coffee, and posed with the “I Love You So Much” mural.
Pole Dance Class: $35
We had a private pole dancing class at Inner Diva Studios in Austin, and it was a ton of fun. I had never been to one before, and it turned out to be a really great activity for a bachelorette – and honestly, a way better workout than I expected. I was sore for three days afterward!
Miscellaneous: $16
This includes our matching tank tops (worn to the pole dancing class), groceries for the house, everyone’s cowboy hats, our wigs, and the decorations around the house. We didn’t end up needing a ton of groceries, but it was very helpful to have snacks (and drinks) for the house.
Total: $956
Note: the cost of the AO Bus Tour was covered for everyone, so that also isn’t factored in here!
Looking for other ideas on what to do in Austin, or how to travel on a budget? Check out these links: