To London with Love?

So here’s today’s dilemma: I have a chance to go to London for a week next month and am not sure if I should. I can’t make up my mind and since Hubby and I appear to have swapped brains on this issue, he isn’t being of any assistance. Help!

Allow me to break this problem down to its most basic issue: money. Hubby is going to London for a week at the end of October and wants me to join him. My initial feeling was that this would not be a problem since we had sufficient air miles to get me there for free. Since he was going for work, our hotel would also be covered. So far so good.

I think that by now we all know me well enough to know that even a free vacation with Typ0 isn’t free in the long run. Once in London, I would need to go shopping for everything from books to clothes. (Maybe even a new ipod for Hubby for Christmas! [Hubby Edit: at UK prices?? Yeah, right!]) Plus, I’m not going to London and not eating at Jamie Oliver’s restaurant, Fifteen, which, even for lunch, will put us back about £100. *eek* London isn’t exactly a cheap town and I would likely be killing my spare time in pubs and chippies whilst visiting with my family and good friends like Aurenna.

My estimate is that we would likely spend an extra $1000 if I go to London on this “free” trip. So now do you see why I’m torn? Heck, Hubby keeps saying it’s doable and won’t be that bad but I think he’s in denial.

So what should I do? Do I go to London and try to budget myself and live with Hubby when he finally gets the bill for the trip? Or do I forego this lovely opportunity, disappoint Hubby, and more importantly, Aurenna? I can’t decide! Help!