Financially ready for a Safari?

[rookhawk]

I get a lot of calls and conversations asking about safaris, generally from people that have already decided they are going to do it in the near term. In all of planning and cost threads I've read so far, nobody has yet discussed how they knew they were financially ready for a safari beyond paying for it. I thought a survey might create insights as to when a hunter is indeed "ready" based upon real-world feedback.

Based upon the feedback, I might be able to create some charts and graphs showing "when the average AH member decided they were ready".

1.) Did you have credit card, automobile, consumer debt, when you went on your first safari?
2.) Did you have a mortgage when you went on your first safari?
3.) What percentage of your annual before-tax income did you spend on your first safari?
4.) Did you finance aspects of your safari, or finance other aspects of your lifestyle to free up capital for your first safari?
5.) Were you contributing 15% of your income to retirement at the time of your first safari?
6.) Did you continue going on safaris with regularity (every 1-2 years) thereafter under a similar personal financial outlook?
7.) For repeat safari travelers, Yes or No: I will continue going on safaris regardless of the health of my current or future financial outlook.

 

[Jondnov]

1. Just a truck payment
2. Yes had about 10 years left of a 15 year house mortgage.
3. About 20 percent of annual income on first safari. Total cost hunt, taxidermy, tips, flight
4. Didn’t finance anything on safari
5. Contribute closer to 10 percent toward retirement
6. First safari 2022 and second booked for 2025
7. I will only go on safaris as long as I have the money in the bank to pay for it. Don’t want to finance anything

 

[mark-hunter]

1.) Did you have credit card, automobile, consumer debt, when you went on your first safari?
2.) Did you have a mortgage when you went on your first safari?
3.) What percentage of your annual before-tax income did you spend on your first safari?
4.) Did you finance aspects of your safari, or finance other aspects of your lifestyle to free up capital for your first safari?
5.) Were you contributing 15% of your income to retirement at the time of your first safari?
6.) Did you continue going on safaris with regularity (every 1-2 years) thereafter under a similar personal financial outlook?
7.) For repeat safari travelers, Yes or No: I will continue going on safaris regardless of the health of my current or future financial outlook.

1. No
2, No
3. I did not reduce my usual spending to finance safari
4. Hard to say. But I based my decision on my available savings, not on monthly income.
5. I pay my retirement and health care dues, regularly - regardless of safari
6. Yes. I try, with a stoppage during covid pademics
7. No. With bad health, and no money, safari is impossible. (Level of health status, subject to discussion) But, the lesson from this, go to safari now, because you dont know what happens later.

Pls note: I cannot afford high profile exotic safaris, big 5, expensive countries, full bags, etc. I speak about pricing south Africa and Namibia. I went to my safari when I was 46, only.
I also think that an average blue collar, from USA or EU, can afford PG safari at least once or twice in his life, which depends on good planning

 

[Justbryan]

1.) credit card- yes, automobile- yes
2.) mortgage- yes
3.) 10%
4.) finance- no
5.) income to retirement- $0, I am done with contributions to retirement with current investments.
6.) every 2 years
7.) I will continue to go on safaris/other international hunts as long as I have the money.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I get a lot of calls and conversations asking about safaris, generally from people that have already decided they are going to do it in the near term. In all of planning and cost threads I've read so far, nobody has yet discussed how they knew they were financially ready for a safari beyond paying for it. I thought a survey might create insights as to when a hunter is indeed "ready" based upon real-world feedback.

Based upon the feedback, I might be able to create some charts and graphs showing "when the average AH member decided they were ready".

1.) Did you have credit card, automobile, consumer debt, when you went on your first safari?
2.) Did you have a mortgage when you went on your first safari?
3.) What percentage of your annual before-tax income did you spend on your first safari?
4.) Did you finance aspects of your safari, or finance other aspects of your lifestyle to free up capital for your first safari?
5.) Were you contributing 15% of your income to retirement at the time of your first safari?
6.) Did you continue going on safaris with regularity (every 1-2 years) thereafter under a similar personal financial outlook?
7.) For repeat safari travelers, Yes or No: I will continue going on safaris regardless of the health of my current or future financial outlook.

1. No
2. No
3. About 8%
4. No
5. No
6. Yes
7. No

 

[VonJager]

I get a lot of calls and conversations asking about safaris, generally from people that have already decided they are going to do it in the near term. In all of planning and cost threads I've read so far, nobody has yet discussed how they knew they were financially ready for a safari beyond paying for it. I thought a survey might create insights as to when a hunter is indeed "ready" based upon real-world feedback.

Based upon the feedback, I might be able to create some charts and graphs showing "when the average AH member decided they were ready".

1.) Did you have credit card, automobile, consumer debt, when you went on your first safari?
2.) Did you have a mortgage when you went on your first safari?
3.) What percentage of your annual before-tax income did you spend on your first safari?
4.) Did you finance aspects of your safari, or finance other aspects of your lifestyle to free up capital for your first safari?
5.) Were you contributing 15% of your income to retirement at the time of your first safari?
6.) Did you continue going on safaris with regularity (every 1-2 years) thereafter under a similar personal financial outlook?
7.) For repeat safari travelers, Yes or No: I will continue going on safaris regardless of the health of my current or future financial outlook.

1. Yes.
2. Renting at the time.
3. 25%??? Saved for a couple years before the first.
4. No, but kind of. I could have used the safari money to pay down debt, but wanted to go, so made it work. Did not take out new debt.
5. Yes.
6. 2011, then 2016, 19 21, 24. Nz is '14. Panama in 23. Pretty consistently have gone somewhere every 2-3 years since the first.
7. No. Things don't have to be perfect to keep going, but I am not going to safari into bankruptcy.

 

[Nevada Wapati]

1.) Did you have credit card, automobile, consumer debt, when you went on your first safari?
2.) Did you have a mortgage when you went on your first safari?
3.) What percentage of your annual before-tax income did you spend on your first safari?
4.) Did you finance aspects of your safari, or finance other aspects of your lifestyle to free up capital for your first safari?
5.) Were you contributing 15% of your income to retirement at the time of your first safari?
6.) Did you continue going on safaris with regularity (every 1-2 years) thereafter under a similar personal financial outlook?
7.) For repeat safari travelers, Yes or No: I will continue going on safaris regardless of the health of my current or future financial outlook.

1. No
2. No
3. 10%
4. No
5. No - I had just retired and used the money for my annual & sick leave payout
6. Yes
7. No - I'm not going in debt for a hunt

 

[Wade J VanGinkel]

I have zero debt.
But I live on a porch. Drive vehicles that look like they should be in the junkyard.
I put 7% in retirement fund and company matches 5%.
Spend about 20k+ a year on hunting trips but most are 6k all in.
I'm 56, work 6+ days a week and will continue to work and go until I'm dead.

 

[Mekaniks]

1. No
2. Yes
3. <10%
4. No
5. >15%
6. Next Safari took 7 years
7. I will continue to go as often as I can

I get a lot of calls and conversations asking about safaris, generally from people that have already decided they are going to do it in the near term. In all of planning and cost threads I've read so far, nobody has yet discussed how they knew they were financially ready for a safari beyond paying for it. I thought a survey might create insights as to when a hunter is indeed "ready" based upon real-world feedback.

Based upon the feedback, I might be able to create some charts and graphs showing "when the average AH member decided they were ready".

1.) Did you have credit card, automobile, consumer debt, when you went on your first safari?
2.) Did you have a mortgage when you went on your first safari?
3.) What percentage of your annual before-tax income did you spend on your first safari?
4.) Did you finance aspects of your safari, or finance other aspects of your lifestyle to free up capital for your first safari?
5.) Were you contributing 15% of your income to retirement at the time of your first safari?
6.) Did you continue going on safaris with regularity (every 1-2 years) thereafter under a similar personal financial outlook?
7.) For repeat safari travelers, Yes or No: I will continue going on safaris regardless of the health of my current or future financial outlook.

 

[Stetsonham]

1. Small amount of student debt
2. Couple of them
3. Hard to say because mine fluctuates but 10-20%
4.no
5. More then 15% personal investments
6. Working on every two years first 23’ next 25’
7. No

 

[mdwest]

being financially ready for a safari is a relative equation...

there is a huge difference in the cost, planning, and time needed to be invested depending on what we're talking about... someone interested in dipping their toe in the water and seeing what hunting in South Africa or Namibia with a basic $3500 PG hunt is a very different thing than someone going all in on their first outing with a $15K budget for trophy fees with the intent of pursuing a large bag of animals..

the average middle class American can pretty easily afford a basic PG hunt without having to be too concerned about the finances.. Ive shown numerous guys how they can spend a week with their wife in South Africa chasing PG for the same cost as spending a week with their wife at Disney...

If the typical middle class American can afford a trip to Disney every few years without breaking the bank.. they can also afford a trip to South Africa (or Namibia)... the problem isnt cost.. the problem is education and awareness... they all THINK that Safari is only for fat cat, uber wealthy people with more money than sense.. they dont know or understand that they dont NEED to plan or save any differently for a hunt in Africa than they would need to plan or save for a week in Cabo or Cancun or the Bahamas (as long as they are willing to keep things basic and simple)..

Being financially responsible should be a priority no matter what your hobbies/habits are.. Most shouldnt need to change anything or place greater priority on savings, being debt free, etc than they are already doing prior to considering a hunt in Africa..

Its just a matter of figuring out what it is you want to do with your time and where it is you want to spend your discretionary income... do you want do sun your buns on the beaches of Aruba and drink fruity cocktails with umbrellas in them this year? or do you want to hang out with a cartoon mouse and spend $50 a meal for hotdogs and other park food while riding roller coasters and watching the Lion King production? or do you want to chase an impala, a warthog, and a blue wildebeest for a week?

when you start to add up all of the associated costs.. all three trips end up +/- within a couple of thousand dollars of each other depending on how important things like the quality of the hotel room(s), quality of meals, etc you want..

For those that have more discretionary income, they might be able to plan a larger hunt, or a hunt with more expensive animals, etc.. but thats not different than those with more discretionary income planning a week on the beach in bora bora instead of a week on the beach in Cozumel..

A safari is accessible by just about anyone... there are plenty of working class guys here on AH alone that provide proof/evidence of that.. while some might not be able to afford to do a leopard hunt every 24 months.. just about everyone other than the lowest paid day laborer types can do a basic PG hunt every 12-36 months without much adjustment to the way they live their day to day lives..

 

[rookhawk]

being financially ready for a safari is a relative equation...

I agree with the element of relativity. I was thinking that the data in aggregate would show "when is the average safari hunter "ready" for a safari".

A person that makes $50,000 with $400,000 in debt may never be able to go. The guy that has no consumer debt, no mortgage, and fully funded retirement making $50,000 a year might be able to go twice a year, every year.

Travel adventure is just like other hobbies and passions, many people are trying to keep up with the Joneses. I thought it would be illuminating to see what is the level of financial freedom people have that allows them to enjoy safaris. The stereotype is that its for hedge fund managers and CEOs, my hypothesis is that those people may be flat broke, but the joe sixpack with less debt might actually be the one doing more safaris.

Lets let the survey roll and I'll create a few charts and graphs when we have enough data to show the facts. What's the financial freedom level of the average safari hunter regardless of income? What attributes did they have that determined "they were ready for a safari"?

 

[Bullthrower338]

Remember the 80’s anti drug commercials
“I work more hours, to make more money to buy more cocaine.”
‘Nuff said. lol Guns and hunting are my cocaine only I still have the guns and a lot of great memories instead of nasal cavity issues and worried about drug screening. Sometimes I think the cocaine would have been easier to quit and cheaper!

 

[Trogon]

Biggest change for me at age 56 (after deciding to look at Africa when closer to retirement at 65) was the settling of my parent's estate, never expected much of that. I put aside a portion of inherited money and decided to go to South Africa in 2020-pushed to 2021 due to Covid.
I have no home mortgage, no payment on vehicles, no child support (been done awhile), pay off credit cards every month and make decent money. I visited South Africa 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Next visit to Africa will most likely be in 2025. Not sure on continuing visits after that? Transitioning into a work position with reduced hours but still decent hourly pay and health insurance being covered.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

1.) Did you have credit card, automobile, consumer debt, when you went on your first safari?
No
2.) Did you have a mortgage when you went on your first safari?
No
3.) What percentage of your annual before-tax income did you spend on your first safari?
10%
4.) Did you finance aspects of your safari, or finance other aspects of your lifestyle to free up capital for your first safari?
No
5.) Were you contributing 15% of your income to retirement at the time of your first safari?
Yes
6.) Did you continue going on safaris with regularity (every 1-2 years) thereafter under a similar personal financial outlook?
Yes
7.) For repeat safari travelers, Yes or No: I will continue going on safaris regardless of the health of my current or future financial outlook.
Yes, but the frequency will be directly relative to my financial health

 

[mdwest]

The stereotype is that its for hedge fund managers and CEOs, my hypothesis is that those people may be flat broke, but the joe sixpack with less debt might actually be the one doing more safaris.

Theres a lot of truth in that..

I know more than a few people that make a significant amount of money, that live in completely leveraged world.. they have a great house, nice cars, wear a nice watch, etc.. etc... and are at risk every day of their lives.. if that income source ever ends for any reason the entire system would crash down upon them in just a matter of months... They live at the ragged edge of their means...

A Joe 6-Pack, working at Jiffy Lube making $18.95 an hour doesnt have as much discretionary income on a monthly basis.. but he does have substantially more financial stability.. and is in a much more secure position to plan/save/execute a safari than the CEO that can put a residual $5K a month into savings after paying all the bills.. but never does...

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

1. No
2. Yes
3. 17ish%- saved for a while, first safari
4. No
5. >15%
6. No
7. I hope to go again, sooner rather than later. Will not go into debt for any trip.

 

[TOBY458]

Zero Debt. And I only use my annual bonus money to pay for my trips. I never touch my base salary. All retirement accounts were/are fully funded to the max allowed. Anything left over goes into a brokerage account and a gun here and there.

 

[mark-hunter]

There was a similar thread, how to finance safari on this forum.

Incredibly high number of individuals save the money by reducing the investments in their cars, they drive 2nd hand cars. Do not change cars every 5 years, etc.

 

[uplander01]

If you can pay cash for it without getting behind on funding monthly bills, savings, retirement, or going into debt------go for it, regardless of the trip big or small. The trips are less fun if you are worried about the money part the whole time, worth it to put off and save a little more so the pressure can be off financially.