How can you afford to travel?

[emptynest1]

Fuel surcharges, airlines charging for everything from bags to sandwiches and fees going up every day. Gas going up making it hard to drive.

How can any of us afford to travel and how does this impact the travel industry?

[psblin99]

Everyone that has disposable income spends it in some way. I Just choose to travel. It does not mean that I don't do hours of research and shave the cost anyway I can as long as it does not cut the experience. Instead of prizes or cash back, my credit cards are tied to airline or hotel miles. You just do what you have to do.

[YOW]

This answer is a bit cliche, but for us it's about sacrifices and priorities.

 

With more of our budget taken up by fuel and by other goods/services becoming more expensive as a result of higher fuel prices, something's gotta give. If travel continues to be the biggest priority for our disposable income, we will have to make sacrifices in something else. Either we dip into savings, or we decrease other discretionary spending -- eat out less, go to less movies and sporting events, do less shopping and more bargain searching, etc. We're willing to do this to continue travelling. Others may not be, and that is the challenge facing the travel industry today.

[gillianrose]

I don't think air travel is too expensive at all, though I agree that road trips have become very expensive by comparison.

 

I think it has just become a major pain flying to the destination to start a cruise or land tour. I hate special fees, add-ons, etc. I want to pay a fair price for air and cruise travel upfront and not be hassled about paying extra fees or be nickel-and-dimed throughout my cruise or flight. I want to fly jumbo jets, want meals, want an adequate baggage allowance and for sure want a nontstop flight/

 

My first round-trip, high-season, unrestricted coach flight from California to Europe (with lovely meals and beverages, printed menus, adequate baggage allowances, etc.) cost $700 over 35 years ago and was enjoyable. The airplane was not jam-packed with bodies; I could make my reservation over the phone with pleasant American reservation agents and I could (and did) make changes to the ticket without penalty. The airline made a profit. Life was good.

 

I was not wealthy and my time in Europe was decidely on a very tight budget (I was very young), but the proportion of the costs of my trip devoted to air travel was BY FAR the most expensive portion of the entire trip which lasted for MONTHS and that is when gasoline for my car cost around 25 cents per gallon.

 

If the airlines are willing to provide an experience that more closely resembles my first flights, then I am willing to pay them more upfront for the experience. I would much prefer to fly less frequently and have each occasion be more pleasant than to have cheap tickets and a horrible flying experience and afford to do it more often. Maybe I have to look at flying business class, but the difference between restricted coach and business class is huge, so I simply want a better coach experience and to have the airlines price that accordingly.

[Hootsie]

We are taking our family of 5 to Amsterdam next week to catch a 12 night cruise. We are flying there for free with frequent flyer miles (DH travels EVERY week, M-Th and racks up points). We are staying at a Hilton in Amsterdam after the cruise on points (he stays in Hiltons on his job travels). Sure, the cruise was spendy but I work part time as a nurse and this money is just extra. We CHOOSE to spend it on travel with our family. We could spend it on other things but we feel family travel is important and we love it!

[Polydonald]

How do I afford to travel? It is surprisingly simple: I don't own a car even though I can afford to have a nice car.

 

I live in an urban area. My office is 12 blocks from my home. I walk to and from work every day. I have not paid for a full tank of gasoline, an oil change or car insurance in 14 years.

 

I still have a driver's license and when I absolutely need a car I rent one (just like my friends in London do). If I rent a car one weekend a month or two single days at $150 it costs me $1,800 a year. This is less than I was paying just for insurance. (A few years ago I figured out that getting rid of my car was saving me around $6,000 a year. It's probably more today.)

 

I use public transportation when I can (how European) and car services and taxis when I can't. And, when there is no other way, I rent.

 

Not everyone can live this life. My parents would not have been able to do this. The love affair with the car is not universal. I am mystified by people who complain they don't have enough money to travel like they once did yet have their "everyday car and their weekend car."

 

Of course, I wonder when the cruise lines will be paying so much for oil that they will make us man the oars and row to our next port of call.

[Lsimon]

...If the airlines are willing to provide an experience that more closely resembles my first flights, then I am willing to pay them more upfront for the experience....... Maybe I have to look at flying business class, but the difference between restricted coach and business class is huge, so I simply want a better coach experience and to have the airlines price that accordingly.

 

Just for the fun of it I just looked up the price of a round trip ticket to Rome this September on a popular flight web site. The lower cost flights ran more or less about $1200 for the dates I picked at random (two 1/2 weeks apart). The same search at business class was about $3300 and up. Now the last time I remember gas being $0.25 was the early 70's, before the first oil embargo, so I tried adjusting your $700 airfare by the CPI inflation factor since 1973 and came up with a result, interestingly enough, of $3,300. So it appears for the same inflation adjusted dollars you can have a nicer flight experience. Although I completely understand the tendency for most of us on a budget to go for a restricted coach fare and save the $2,000 for other things.

 

I don't know what all this says, other than some interesting statistics, but thought I'd point it out.

[psblin99]

We are taking our family of 5 to Amsterdam next week to catch a 12 night cruise. We are flying there for free with frequent flyer miles (DH travels EVERY week, M-Th and racks up points). We are staying at a Hilton in Amsterdam after the cruise on points (he stays in Hiltons on his job travels). Sure, the cruise was spendy but I work part time as a nurse and this money is just extra. We CHOOSE to spend it on travel with our family. We could spend it on other things but we feel family travel is important and we love it!

 

You mention family. I travel often with my 21 year old daughter. Even though we did not travel much when I was a kid it carries some of my strongest and fondest memories.

 

I was lucky many years ago to travel all over the USA and learned alot of the ins and outs that still apply today.

 

At 21 she has been to Alaska, British Columbia, San Francisco, Boston, NYC, St Thomas, and several cruises. We will spend Xmas week in Puerto Rico and am thinking of Peru and Machu Pichu next year.

[dkjretired]

Simple, had a life changing win on a slot machine...

[DocJohnB]

How do I afford to travel? It is surprisingly simple: I don't own a car even though I can afford to have a nice car.

 

I live in an urban area. My office is 12 blocks from my home. I walk to and from work every day. I have not paid for a full tank of gasoline, an oil change or car insurance in 14 years.

 

I still have a driver's license and when I absolutely need a car I rent one (just like my friends in London do). If I rent a car one weekend a month or two single days at $150 it costs me $1,800 a year. This is less than I was paying just for insurance. (A few years ago I figured out that getting rid of my car was saving me around $6,000 a year. It's probably more today.)

 

I use public transportation when I can (how European) and car services and taxis when I can't. And, when there is no other way, I rent.

 

Not everyone can live this life. My parents would not have been able to do this. The love affair with the car is not universal. I am mystified by people who complain they don't have enough money to travel like they once did yet have their "everyday car and their weekend car."

 

Of course, I wonder when the cruise lines will be paying so much for oil that they will make us man the oars and row to our next port of call.

 

Donald,

 

Absolutely love your response.

[gillianrose]

Just for the fun of it I just looked up the price of a round trip ticket to Rome this September on a popular flight web site. The lower cost flights ran more or less about $1200 for the dates I picked at random (two 1/2 weeks apart). The same search at business class was about $3300 and up. Now the last time I remember gas being $0.25 was the early 70's, before the first oil embargo, so I tried adjusting your $700 airfare by the CPI inflation factor since 1973 and came up with a result, interestingly enough, of $3,300. So it appears for the same inflation adjusted dollars you can have a nicer flight experience. Although I completely understand the tendency for most of us on a budget to go for a restricted coach fare and save the $2,000 for other things.

 

I don't know what all this says, other than some interesting statistics, but thought I'd point it out.

 

LOL. I love it! I tossed in some of the specifics of my trip in hopes that someone here would do just what YOU did (so I wouldn't have to do it). Fabulous! Thank you!

 

(Do they really have printed menus nowadays on business flights?)

[Hootsie]

You mention family. I travel often with my 21 year old daughter. Even though we did not travel much when I was a kid it carries some of my strongest and fondest memories.

 

I was lucky many years ago to travel all over the USA and learned alot of the ins and outs that still apply today.

 

At 21 she has been to Alaska, British Columbia, San Francisco, Boston, NYC, St Thomas, and several cruises. We will spend Xmas week in Puerto Rico and am thinking of Peru and Machu Pichu next year.

 

Our girls are 15, 16 & 20 and have traveled to at least 12 countries so far (we're adding more next week). They may never remember what they got for each birthday and Christmas but they have never forgotten any of our trips. Our photos and memories will last forever and are priceless.

 

Our oldest will be a junior in college next fall and is going to Spain for a semester (spring 2009) on a university exchange. We can't wait to go visit her and let her be our tour guide.

[chessbriar]

Instead of taking 3 vacations a year, we are planning on 2 longer ones for 2009 & 2010. Plan ahead and beat the increase. I have flights booked through 2009 beat the luggage surcharges. I have cruises booked through 2010, beat the fuel surcharges. On top of that, by planning ahead I lock in the prices on airfare before they go haywire and also enables me to get the best prices on the cruises, if they ever go lower I will get the lower price, but I'll never pay more.

 

I use X credit card for most purchases and earn shipboard credit or discounts through the year.

[emptynest1]

You are all very inventive in your quest to save money to travel.

I too make travel a priority. I like to go first class so that means I travel less.

 

Hi Doc. I love your signature.

[gillianrose]

To Lsimon: The coach ticket you mentioned to Rome, is that peak season and unrestricted, meaning I can make changes to it, add in other stops (as I was able to do on that first trip to Europe, i.e. several months into my trip over there, I asked if my ticket would allow me to fly anywhere else without additional charge, and sure enough, I got three more flights between Europe and the UK and intra-UK and I wasn't charged a penny more).

 

Or were you looking at a restricted coach ticket and comparing that to Business Class?

 

Recall my first ticket "way back when" was full fare coach. Unrestricted Coach tickets are a lot more "user-friendly" (can make changes, can often earn more mileage points [if that's important], can get a refund, etc.).

[cruisin'mama]

I have had the dream to take a cruise to Alaska for my 50th birthday for quite a while. My best friend and I planned the itinerary we wanted, the aft cabin, etc. and I saved to go next summer. Unfortunately the economy has taken a hit in the construction industry and my husband has been out of work all year. Now it looks like my cruise fund may end up making a house payment instead. It's killing me, but I booked the cruise ( the day they released them) and got the cabin I wanted, knowing if things don't get better, that my plans will go down the drain and my dream won't be realized. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't hesitate to cancel because I DO have my priorities straight, I just thought when I turned 50, I wouldn't be in this predicament financially. I envy those of you who can afford to cruise often and not take a hit financially by doing so.

Maybe I should try those slot machines!

[PurpleCow]

Thinking about prices in "the good old days" makes me chuckle. When I purchased my first car, a sweet 1965 lavender Corvair with white leatherette upolstery, I paid $2,600. My annual salary as a first year teacher in Dade Country, Florida, was $3,000. So the car cost about 2 times my annual income. Beginning teachers now command an annual salary $32,000. Given that, my little Corvair cost more in 1995 than a brand new Beamer convertible would cost today. When I was divorced in 1976 my weekly take home pay was about $120. (Even in 1976 that wasn't a lot of money.) My weekly grocery budget was $35., and that included 14 school lunch sacks and a carton of cigarettes! We didn't eat too badly, either, although there were times when I would have to go without unless one of the children left something on the plate. At that time, never in my wildest imagination would I have thought I'd be cruising a couple of times a year, let alone taking land trips to Europe (where gasoline was nearly $6.00 a gallon in 2006, BTW) and Australia. But, back to my point . . . prices are relative. It's a good to keep some perspective when we complain.

[FinelyCruising]

How can you afford to travel?

 

I feel like I can't but I just go anyway. I could easily talk myself into not being able to afford it, but I work through those times ;)

[psblin99]

I have had the dream to take a cruise to Alaska for my 50th birthday for quite a while. My best friend and I planned the itinerary we wanted' date=' the aft cabin, etc. and I saved to go next summer. Unfortunately the economy has taken a hit in the construction industry and my husband has been out of work all year. Now it looks like my cruise fund may end up making a house payment instead. It's killing me, but I booked the cruise ( the day they released them) and got the cabin I wanted, knowing if things don't get better, that my plans will go down the drain and my dream won't be realized. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't hesitate to cancel because I DO have my priorities straight, I just thought when I turned 50, I wouldn't be in this predicament financially. I envy those of you who can afford to cruise often and not take a hit financially by doing so.

Maybe I should try those slot machines![/quote']

 

Keep the dream it was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Aussie One]

Its easy take a Ski Trip [spending Kids Inheritance] enjoy forget all the Doom and Gloom

[usha]

We are still living in the same house we bought in 1977, and paid off in 1996. Our 3 kids are all grown-up now, so there's no more tuitions for parochial grade school, high school or college. We keep our cars for 7 or 8 years before getting new ones, and we don't buy a lot of crap. (Well, I don't buy a lot of crap...:D )

We both feel that cruising is an honest investment. The value is never diminished over time, and the memories only get more precious to us. We've never regretted a cent that we've spent cruising.

Wish I could say that about everything we've spent money on.:o

[bqkali]

Quite frankly, the way I can afford to travel is by being cheap with everything else!

 

-I drive a used car with great gas mileage and walk or carpool whenever possible

-I live with a roommate though I could afford a place on my own if I cut my travel budget (like that's ever going to happen! :p )

-I go out to eat about once a month, and then it's somewhere fairly reasonable, like Applebee's, and I only go if I have a coupon

-I don't go out for drinks after work or on weekends

-I only go to the movies about twice a year and only rent DVDs from the public library so it's free

-I buy clothes in the off-season when they are on clearance and I never buy what I don't need. I am also careful to buy washable clothing whenever possible to save on drycleaning expenses.

-I don't have cable TV or a landline telephone, and I have a great employee discount on my cell phone plan. I do splurge for high-speed internet though

-I don't buy the latest gadgets or upgrade items until absolutely necessary

**These changes let me put away 15% of my paycheck into a travel account that I only use for vacations. It adds up pretty quickly, though I spend it pretty quickly, too!

 

When I travel, I don't spend extravagantly.

-I book modest accomodations and always shop around for the best deal

-I travel in the off-season to save money on airfare, hotels, cruises, etc

-I get around using public transportation in order to avoid car rental and parking costs and it's also much cheaper than cabs

-I take advantage of free admission sights and I send away for coupons from local tourism offices for other attractions

-Instead of eating at restaurants, I eat at small cafes, delis, or stop at a grocery store to get picnic food

[Napi's Mom]

I have had the dream to take a cruise to Alaska for my 50th birthday for quite a while. My best friend and I planned the itinerary we wanted' date=' the aft cabin, etc. and I saved to go next summer. Unfortunately the economy has taken a hit in the construction industry and my husband has been out of work all year. Now it looks like my cruise fund may end up making a house payment instead. It's killing me, but I booked the cruise ( the day they released them) and got the cabin I wanted, knowing if things don't get better, that my plans will go down the drain and my dream won't be realized. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't hesitate to cancel because I DO have my priorities straight, I just thought when I turned 50, I wouldn't be in this predicament financially. I envy those of you who can afford to cruise often and not take a hit financially by doing so.

Maybe I should try those slot machines![/quote']

It's really hard to have a traveling itch, and NOT being well heeled financially isn't it! Many who post on this forum, keep saying

"IF you can afford to cruise...what's a few bucks more for this & that..." which makes it obvious they have disposable income we don't. Some of have to decide, as you, between paying bills and our dreams of travel. Some of us who are stupid (like My Dh & I) will go so far as refinancing a home to do it. We are on a very fixed income, little or no savings, but we do have home equity. Our SS and pension, plus a part-time job for Dh IS the majority of our income. We still choose to see the world (not silly 7 day Carib. cruising) as were nearing the end of our chances to do so, so we sacrifice. As this type cruises invariably cost more..we need to find the best for the buck (right now Celeb. is , for service & price, very competitive). We use the plastic and see the world, one small part at a time. We middle income, now retired folks, will have been on every continent except Antarctica after our NZ/Aus trip next yr.!:D

[hcat]

we will also take fewer but longer cruise to conserve airfare & try to combine our Carib cruises with visits to Florida instead of going there separately to our condo...

 

The abovequoted airfares for Rome are discouraging--hope they moderate soon or we may well cancel our next cruise from Rome--hate to do it but there will come a break point..the cruise line just posted an offer for reduced fares if you book with them so maybe that'll work out for us as well!

[flashdog_1]

I'm not really going to say anything new and different, just tell my story about travel.

 

From the time I was about 12 and saw a book entitled Around the World in 2000 pictures I knew I was going to go see those things in the photos!

 

I won't bore you with where i've been in my 67 years, but I've actually lived overseas several times, and before finding a place to live, learned to carry maybe 2 changes of clothes so we could hop on and off transport (freedom of the 60s). This was at the time that Fromer's Europe on $5 a day was popular. So I set myself a goal of living on $1 a day per person while living in Spain. We got pretty hungry, but had money to write home! ha

 

It's just about priorities. Some of us learn later than others about the value of our time and money. If you connect earning big bucks with success and happiness then that is your choice. I happened to take the other way round. Decided life was not long enough to do that, so learned to live very very frugally, and still got to travel.

 

Now that I'm older and do not want to stay in fifty cent a night pensiones, I go first class when possible. I love cruising because it treats me well and it's kind of my reward for all my frugality.

 

I do all the credit card points, airline miles, hotel points etc. and it's a big help when you really want to go on a cruise but the port of departure is way far away and not driveable, or so expensive it would not be possible without those airline miles.

 

I know what hour of the day the butcher at Brunos reduces his meat (it's not out of date, it's just yesterday's meat), watch for really good sales and somehow it works out. We do not suffer from lack of gourmet food. (It funs in the family. My son graduated from culinary school).

 

And we don't just stay on the ship, or just walk around in the port cities. We do excursions we want that we think represent the culture, or just something we like to do, but in a different setting (this year it will be zip lining in Alaska for my daughter). It's only fun to pitch pennies when you are living comfortably at home. It's not fun to do when you're on a cruise, is it?

 

It requires budgeting. No splurging unless something is at least 75% off in a garment store. Some how it works! My lawn is beautiful and I have great clothing.

 

Oh yes, I keep a good car until it dies. I have a 2000 Park Avenue still going perfectly. When I take it out I do 5 errands in one trip. You know how to do it.

 

I hope everyone can devise his/her own way to budget so he/she can keep cruising without suffering too much financially.