What is the cost (total) of your trip to FSU?

[mies]

There are many wonderful trip reports in this thread, but I think it may be useful to have an answer to this question for any newbies who are only planning the trip.
If there already was a poll like this one - I apologize for the duplicate.
Thank you all for participation!

[I/O]

Good question and it probably depends very much on residential location - for me, many trips all over the world including several to Russia and surrounds, none of which have ever cost less than 6K or 7K.
 
It's worse now with family in tow - last trip was about $15K all up.

[LAman]

I have to admit, the first one was most expensive...why..because i didn't know exactly the choices i had ( or made the wrong choices).
Most trips were 2 weeks in length. Couple were to 3 separate cities. Still, never really splurged. The side trip to egypt still wasn't the most expensive trip. Most trips are in $3000 range, even though I spend almost 3 weeks now for trips.

[missAmeno]

Cant view results without submitting vote and messing up poll.

[Patagonie]

It starts generally at 3000$ for a week, add 1000$ per additional week. 3 weeks 5000$.

[newjason]

If you have to ask,  well then , It is too much.     

[Anotherkiwi]

Good question and it probably depends very much on residential location - for me, many trips all over the world including several to Russia and surrounds, none if which have ever cost less than 6K or 7K.
 
It's worse now with family in tow - last trip was about $15K all up.

Yep, the only disadvantage to living in New Zealand is that it's further from anywhere than anywhere else!  My first trip cost about $7,000 and the second a bit more (NZ Dollars, so about $US 4,800 the first time and $US 6,000 the second time due to a big improvement in the exchange rate).  At this stage I'm looking at going again in April or May - have to save up again after next month's trip to Australia!

[JayH]

Cant view results without submitting vote and messing up poll.

All above  $3K  -- 50% above $6K

Probably a better way to ask is daily expenditure allowance on top of air fares.

[BC]

I spent an average of 4k per trip  x 4 trips around 16K or so.  Am confused about the (total) part... By the time my wife got here and settled in proly looking at 10K more..

I selected 4k in the poll

[Muzh]

Well, my first trip was so long ago, a gallon of gas was about $1 so my answer will really skew the poll.

The only time I rented an apartment was on my first trip AND that was for only 4 days. Ever since I stay with the outlaws.

The most I've spent was 6K (including airfare) for the three of us and that included $1.5K we left for the outlaws.

The cheapest was when I/we could fly R/T for $345. I still would take $4K with me because we would go for a month and I like to have fun.

My wife is in Kharkiv right now and the two tickets were around $1600 and she took $1500 with her. She also brought her CC and I know she will use it every time they go to the Hypermarket.

Not sure if I should make a selection.

[mies]

Cant view results without submitting vote and messing up poll.

edited, now you should be able to view the results

[kmin]

Siberia

30 days $600 for flat with furnishings
Flight $1400
Food & Liquor $800
Entertainment & Restaurants $400-500

Total $3000-3500


Montenegro

14 days $700 for flat with furnishings
Flight $1400
Food & Liquor $250
Entertainment & Restaurants $300
 

Total $2500-3000

[GQBlues]

First trip was definitely the costliest for me. All costs considered leading to, during and post-first trip expense, $18K. 13 ground days in Moscow (<15 travel days total), 3 months pre-trip period.

I spent 6 subsequent trips thereafter. St Pete (2), New Siberia (3), Moscow (1). I haven't been back since early '05.

All other costs and expenses since wifey arrived are not a part.

mies-

Are you doing some sort of survey?

[CDW]

I paid in £, but will show you in $  (assuming £1 = $1.50 US, in today's value)

My 1st trip Tashkent (with Irina, my ex-gf)

Less than $1,600 for 5 days to Tashkent, Uzbekistan

$750 for air fare  (paid £500, for example)
$350 accomodation
$500 spending money


My 2nd trip Kiev (with Irina, my ex-gf)

Less than $2,000 for 1 week including 2 air fares  (1 London-Kiev for me, and 1 Tashkent-Kiev for her)
$1,000 for 2 air fares
$500 accomodation
$500 spending money


My 3rd trip Kiev/Odessa  (with Irina, my ex-gf)

Less than $3,000 for 2 weeks in Kiev/Odessa including 2 air fares  (1 London-Kiev for me, and 1 Tashkent-Kiev for her)

$1,000 for 2 air fares
$1,000 for 2 weeks accomodation & return bus fares Kiev-Odessa, me and her.
$1,000 spending money


That's about $6,600 in 3 trips

I also visited: Belarus twice, and Colombia 8 times.

[mies]

mies-

Are you doing some sort of survey?

No, it's to satisfy my personal curiosity. I've read on another forum that AM travel fewer times to FSU than European men before starting fiance visa process, due to the high cost of trip. Hence, I got curious how costly the trip really is. Also, I think it gives a good idea to people on this forum who are just planning their first trip - they know what to expect.

[CDW]

No, it's to satisfy my personal curiosity. I've read on another forum that AM travel fewer times to FSU than European men before starting fiance visa process, due to the high cost of trip. Hence, I got curious how costly the trip really is. Also, I think it gives a good idea to people on this forum who are just planning their first trip - they know what to expect.

They can cut down the costs as long as they know their budgets and not looking for gold diggers!!

From these 3 trips I have mentioned above:

- We did not stay at any high-end hotels.  We stayed at apartments
- We did not go out to fancy restaurants every nights!!  My ex-gf were happy to cook
- She wasn't a gold digger, and in face had never asked me for money !!

At the end of the day, if you wish to meet your future wife, you would need some "test/trial" to see if both of you can live together.   By going out to fancy restaurant every night will not help you. 

If you read the Mistakes Men Make, written by Jamie Morrow, a very respectable owner of a marriage agency in Colombia, you will find it very useful

http://www.latin-wife.com/Foreign-Brides.asp

Look at module called "Taking a Vacation" from the site

You're going to have a good time in Colombia and its going to feel like a vacation, but you can't treat it as a vacation. Enjoying your companion only in vacation mode can skew the woman's perception of how her life will be in America, and it prevents you from experiencing how day to day life would be with her under normal circumstances. It's easy to have fun and get along when you're doing enjoyable activities, but how is she going to respond to day to day activities. We provide you a house to assist in such matters. Put yourselves in the role of husband and wife without using outside assistance (maid). Observe how she shops for food, cooks, cleans up afterwards, does the laundry, maintains the bedroom and living area, or how she helps you with any of these. What's her take on a simple walk together? You don't need an event to have a good time. You should be able to enjoy her company in the most mundane of places. Events can create distractions. Almost anyone can have a fun time at a fun place. For some guys they gage the fun time they have with a woman as a determinant of compatibility, when it is really just the outings that are creating the enjoyment, not the woman. If you only see your woman in play mode you are not going to know if she is going to be a responsible contributing member to the family. To determine such capabilities, casually provide her with multiple activities set at different times that require different degrees of effort to complete, and then determine if the results are acceptable to you. These activities would be everyday stuff you would expect from your partner. Some examples could include making particular arrangements prior to your visit, following a cooking recipe in Spanish that you are familiar with but that she is not, or having her buy something that fits the exact parameters you want. A foreign woman can love you very much, yet not function well when it comes to assisting you to the standard you expect.

[mies]

At the end of the day, if you wish to meet your future wife, you would need some "test/trial" to see if both of you can live together.   By going out to fancy restaurant every night will not help you. 

This is an interesting point. I often read on russian forums opinions of women who say that a man, especially at the initial stages of infatuation, is supposed to be willing to impress his woman - by taking her to nice restaurants and other places, and not trying to save on dates. If he is trying to save with the woman he met recently - he isn't interested in her or he doesn't "follow the dating etiquette." Hence, he deemed unsuitable for international relationship.

The paragraph you quote, although it has some good points, is also useful to see how ridiculous some people are. And the way they treat women is disgraceful. I would not date a man who uses such book for guideline. And would break up with a boyfriend if I found out he is educating himself from such books and trying to test advices on me. Would do it in a heartbit. And will never regret the decision. I'm only offering love. I'm not offering "mother-slash made-slash nanny-slash personal assistant-slash whoever else" services. So no need to test me on this. But we are all different, so I'm happy your current gf thinks otherwise

[Muzh]

This is an interesting point. I often read on russian forums opinions of women who say that a man, especially at the initial stages of infatuation, is supposed to be willing to impress his woman - by taking her to nice restaurants and other places, and not trying to save on dates. If he is trying to save with the woman he met recently - he isn't interested in her or he doesn't "follow the dating etiquette." Hence, he deemed unsuitable for international relationship.

The paragraph you quote, although it has some good points, is also useful to see how ridiculous some people are. And the way they treat women is disgraceful. I would not date a man who uses such book for guideline. And would break up with a boyfriend if I found out he is educating himself from such books and trying to test advices on me. Would do it in a heartbit. And will never regret the decision. I'm only offering love. I'm not offering "mother-slash made-slash nanny-slash personal assistant-slash whoever else" services. So no need to test me on this. But we are all different, so I'm happy your current gf thinks otherwise

Mies, I'm with you. 
 
I wish some guys would be more honest with the ladies they are dealing with and explain to them they are nothing more than a business transaction.

[Faux Pas]

This is an interesting point. I often read on russian forums opinions of women who say that a man, especially at the initial stages of infatuation, is supposed to be willing to impress his woman - by taking her to nice restaurants and other places, and not trying to save on dates. If he is trying to save with the woman he met recently - he isn't interested in her or he doesn't "follow the dating etiquette." Hence, he deemed unsuitable for international relationship.

The paragraph you quote, although it has some good points, is also useful to see how ridiculous some people are. And the way they treat women is disgraceful. I would not date a man who uses such book for guideline. And would break up with a boyfriend if I found out he is educating himself from such books and trying to test advices on me. Would do it in a heartbit. And will never regret the decision. I'm only offering love. I'm not offering "mother-slash made-slash nanny-slash personal assistant-slash whoever else" services. So no need to test me on this. But we are all different, so I'm happy your current gf thinks otherwise

I too agree. Money shouldn't be the center of anything in such budding relationships. That also works both ways. If the man doesn't wish to spend then, he shouldn't spend. If the woman finds this distasteful, she should promptly kick him to the curb. Should she insist he spend and he doesn't wish to, he should kick her likewise.

With that said, "testing" by being frugal on visits to see if a woman is "worthy" is the cry of a stingy man. The woman should take note then, run. Also, if the man spends like a drunken Sailor trying to impress, she should should still run. There is a balance that is easily met when available cash isn't part of the relationships equations or discussions.

[GQBlues]

No, it's to satisfy my personal curiosity. I've read on another forum that AM travel fewer times to FSU than European men before starting fiance visa process, due to the high cost of trip. Hence, I got curious how costly the trip really is. Also, I think it gives a good idea to people on this forum who are just planning their first trip - they know what to expect.

I understand.

I do have to emphasize these things are very subjective. For instance, I counted all the costs associated in my experience leading to, during, and post 1st tripper expense - including but not limited to, a catsitter ($900.00), airfare/travel expense/hotel for some of the ladies coming from out of town, flowers/gifts for all the ladies during Valentines (29EA)/IWD (17 EA) (my experience period just happened to be during these months and had to treat the women equally), etc..

To quote Tiger Woods, "It's a process."

[mies]

With that said, "testing" by being frugal on visits to see if a woman is "worthy" is the cry of a stingy man. The woman should take note then, run. Also, if the man spends like a drunken Sailor trying to impress, she should should still run. There is a balance that is easily met when available cash isn't part of the relationships equations or discussions.

My stance on this matter is exactly the same. "Frugality tests" are bad sign early on in relationship. Man throwing money like there is no tomorrow is also bad - either because the guy is misrepresenting himself and spends beyond his means during the early dating stage (or trip to FSU), or he is too liberal with finances and spends beyond his means habitually.