How splurge calculator Works
The peak-end logic of trip spending
Trip memories are built from peaks (the one great meal, the amazing guide, the incredible bed) and endings — not from the average of 30 adequate experiences. Spending that concentrates into one or two peaks per trip buys disproportionate memory; spreading it evenly across everything buys a flat, forgettable average.
Where saving never hurts
Lunches (the best street food beats average restaurants), local transport (public beats taxi in most great cities), the third and fourth museums, and hotel gyms nobody uses. Savings here fund the splurge category without touching the trip's quality — the reallocation travelers never regret.
Choosing the splurge category
Sleepers (great hotels pay off nightly), eaters (one memorable meal beats three okay ones), doers (the guide or dive or show is the trip's story). The honest pick is what you actually talk about afterward — the allocator shifts percentages toward it and squeezes the tolerated categories to fund it.