s/o Responsible - Travel on credit?

[heartosunshine]

In the original thread, http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/519536-being-responsible-is-sucky-sometimes/, some posters spoke of regrets for not having traveled even if it wasn't the most responsible financial decision. That there are always going to be home repairs, car repairs, etc, but you won't always have the opportunity, time, or health to travel and make memories.

 

So, when is it okay to put travel expenses on a credit card? Assume that bills are paid on time and regularly so it's not a choice between groceries and travel but a choice between a home repair or travel, for example. You can do one or the other with saved cash but not both.

[bolt.]

I don't mind going into short-term small-scale debt to take advantage of travel opportunities. I'm much better at paying off a bill than I am at the discipline of saving up.

 

But, I AM good at paying off the bill in short order, and I am aware of what the privilege costs me. If it didn't work, or wasn't worth it, I wouldn't do it.

[Rebel Yell]

When you can delay the home repair. My neighbor, for ex, could use new kitchen faucet. Hers has been ducttaped together for few years now. She put that money toward a trip to Scotland that came up unexpectedly, and delayed the repair. No CC involved.She is very happy with that decision. Her priorities are for living....having had a sib die of ovarian cancer changed her mindset about stuff.

 

How expensive was that kitchen faucet? :svengo:  We only know of the $20 ones from Walmart. If I could go to Scotland for $20 we'd go there every week. :lol:

[creekland]

We always put travel expenses on credit... but I also know how much credit we can use, then pay off within 1 - 3 months with rare exceptions.  Low or interest free cards don't add up to much in such a short period of time.  I'd never go for 18% as some places say the average rate is...  Our HE line is at 2.99%, so if we need to pay something else off that's higher, we can.

 

As for travel vs upgrading the house (or repairing)?  We decide how much we can live with things.  We have old carpet that is literally coming apart in an area or two.  No big deal.  We can overlook it.  Old appliances?  They're still working.  Contrast that with how many posts on here talk about newer ones dying.  We'll replace them when they die.  When hubby was having to repair the water pipes just a bit too often we had them all replaced.  We also had new windows installed quite some time ago when we realized we had icicles on the INSIDE of the very old ones...

 

Soon the carpets will be pulled up I think, but I've seen that it's hardwood underneath, so I'm not sure the carpets will be replaced with just the two of us empty nesters and three cats here.  I kind of like hardwood - but I'll have to see what it looks like.

 

Every family has to pick and choose how to spend their $$.  For some, they prefer that new deck or kitchen to any sort of traveling.  We're the opposite.  Neither is wrong.  It's just a difference of preference.  We're travel junkies so will put every last unaccountable for $$ into it including stealing from other "not as preferred"  funds like upgrading the house.  We also like living somewhere and eating, so will not raid the mortgage or grocery fund.  ;)  And it's important to have an emergency fund that is separate from the emergency "travel junkie" fund...

[catz]

Well we always use credit cards on vacation (we use credit cards pretty much for everything).  But we never carry a debt on them.  They're always paid off the first month.

 

I know a few too many people who have gotten themselves into trouble by living beyond their means and I would not be comfortable with large debt for a vacation unless it was something like traveling to a dying close relative or a wedding of a close relative.  I love travel, but we budget and plan for it.  We also try to do some shorter trips closer to home, sometimes involving a tent.  ;) 

[Crimson Wife]

Different people have different priorities for their money. Personally, I think travel is overrated. Sure, it's fun while it lasts but it's a LOT of money for something that is so transient. I'd personally rather spend the money on something that will last longer.

 

For the cost of a single day at a theme park, we can buy an entire year's family membership to a local museum. For the cost of a week at the beach each summer, we can fund swimming lessons or music lessons for a year and the kids have actually gained a skill that will last a lifetime.

 

I have no problem with other people choosing to travel if they feel it's worth it to them. YMMV :-)

 

[Crimson Wife]

And because my parents did not vacation overseas when I was a kid, it motivated me to find an au pair position in France the summer between my senior year in high school and my freshman year in college so that I could go. I used the money I got as graduation gifts to buy my plane ticket and I got room & board as part of the au pair program. I didn't earn a ton as an au pair, but it was enough to pay for a week's in London (my aunt lived there so I stayed with her) and a week in Paris.

[KungFuPanda]

5 years down the road, will the trip have a negative effect on your home, credit rating, or lifestyle? If not, I say take the trip.

[elegantlion]

I wish I had traveled more and spent less on stuff in my younger years. It depends on where you're traveling. I'm tired of amusement parks that do little to broaden your horizons, but there are plenty of places where traveling can leave a distinct impression on who you are and who you will become. 

[Slache]

We are very not wealthy and I said go. We don't go into debt or put off bills or necessities. Because of that we didn't travel for about 4 years, but we're back to it now.

[creekland]

 I love travel, but we budget and plan for it.  We also try to do some shorter trips closer to home, sometimes involving a tent.  ;)

 

Our travels can be anything from a weekend in a nearby state park mostly geocaching to 3 weeks in Nova Scotia and the maritimes or 2 months out west.  To stretch our $$, any of these often involve a tent.  We absolutely love tent camping in parks - other than flush toilets, the fewer the amenities, the better to us.

 

Once in a while we do amusement parks, but mostly we outgrew them several years ago.  Now we tend to send the teenagers to those with their friends.

 

That said... we're doing Disney for 6 days this coming August - at one of the luxury hotels (partially courtesy of my mom who is also coming).  I'm overlooking the cost due to it being our last true family vacation prior to empty nesting and Disney is a reminisce trip based upon one we did 16 years ago, when youngest was a bit younger!  It's also close to his college.

 

But for essentially the same amount of $$ as that week, the adults of us (3) are spending a month on the beach in the Bahamas in Feb...  One can look for bargains to stretch $$.  Renting condos helps sometimes.

 

Oh, and all of the above were put on credit card (esp to protect our $$ should anything happen), but all are also already paid for (except plane fare and food/activities in the Bahamas) - or will be once next month's bill arrives.

[QueenCat]

It depends. I feel it is always okay to put travel on a CC if it means seeing family, especially if they are ill, and they might not be there later. For the more "for fun", you have to know your own comfort level with debt. There is not a right or wrong for this type of thing, it's just too personal for that.

[heartosunshine]

This is very interesting! Thank you all for your posts.

 

To clarify a little: I'm thinking "travel" as in see friends & family, some of whom are ill or advancing in years, to share memorable experiences with Dh and/or children, or to expose children to a world outside the one they live every day.

[Seasider]

I have parents living cross country and a child out of state. When they are ill, have an emergency or when they pass away, I will feel justified in using my credit card for traveling.

 

Perhaps I just haven't yet been presented with a great enough temptation in another direction. But I did, at one point in my young life, know what it was to be buried in credit card debt. Never again.

[creekland]

This is very interesting! Thank you all for your posts.

 

To clarify a little: I'm thinking "travel" as in see friends & family, some of whom are ill or advancing in years, to share memorable experiences with Dh and/or children, or to expose children to a world outside the one they live every day.

 

This would be a no-brainer decision to me.  We'd be going.  We'd do what we could to stretch our budget, but we'd be going.  There's no education as good as traveling/experience and there's no going back in time to get to know important people in our lives.

[heartosunshine]

This would be a no-brainer decision to me.  We'd be going.  We'd do what we could to stretch our budget, but we'd be going.  There's no education as good as traveling/experience and there's no going back in time to get to know important people in our lives.

 

Yes, to the bolded!

[MysteryJen]

We postponed house things for travel and I am so glad we did. It is a highlight of our family history. Now the kids are getting older and 90% of all available funds go to swim travel and college. If a great opportunity comes up, we will go and pay it off later. That is why we keep our passports current!

 

I believe travel broadens the mind and keeps us engaged with the larger world. It is an important value for us.

[maize]

I feel the same about travel.

 

But I do think at some point in the nearish future we should go to Germany. My husband has not seen his mother in over three years. Problem is we really don't have that kind of money laying around. We would have to do it on credit. I see that is something different though.

 

But yeah every time we take trips the kids mostly crab. It's a lot of work to get it organized, get there, be on the go. Blah blah. I guess some people go for that. I don't so much.

 

I think a trip to visit family-and in your case to visit your husband's home country--takes a different spot on the priority list than ordinary travel. We traveled to Europe more than once when my oldest children were small and we were barely scrimping by financially because my parents were there. We would never have made the sacrifices we did for those trips if not for the chance to see grandparents, though it also meant a lot to me to show my kids where I lived as a teenager.

[AmandaVT]

We made this very decision almost 2 years ago. We had committed to not having a car payment and drove older cars that we maintained. Then we started having problems with the older cars and were putting a fair amount of money into them over the course of the year. We weren't able to drive the 5 hrs to visit family (pretty much all of our family is in the same place) because of the cars. When my aunt died, we had to rent a car because our cars were unsafe for a drive like that. That was the catalyst for us to get a new car with a payment. It's been well worth it because we've been able to see friends and family every 6 weeks and DS has gotten closer to the grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins that live down there. But we did have to weigh out our options and decided that adding some debt was worth it to see  family more. 

[Ottakee]

We decided to take part of an inheritance and do an out west trip.  It wasn't on credit but that money could have gone into home repairs or our retirement (which is sadly underfunded), etc.  Dh and I decided that we wanted to do one last big trip with the kids while they would still all enjoy going.  We did the budget way with hotwire and other lower cost hotels, some meals consisted of peanut butter sandwiches and fruit from the back of the van.........but we went.  The kids all LOVED it and now we have those memories.

[creekland]

It wasn't on credit but that money could have gone into home repairs or our retirement .

 

This is the same with us.  We could choose to take the same money and put in a 2nd bathroom (lived with one for all this time raising three boys - and a small bathroom at that), or fixed up a nice deck out back, or put up fancier stuff in our living room/den (all hand me downs, thrift shop, or auction buys), or had new(er) vehicles, or new beds, or a new kitchen, or... well, put in pretty much anything.

 

We chose to travel instead and have absolutely no regrets.

 

Someone asked me (recently), won't you regret it when you go to sell the place and it's not worth as much?  Compared to losing all those trips with my hubby or family - absolutely not!  Even the memories and stories are better with all that we live with on a daily basis to fund our junkie habit.

 

But  I wasn't sure if my kids felt the same way... youngest has a friend over now and has friends over on a pretty regular basis.  Would he rather we had put money into having a nicer looking place?  He looked at me like I was crazy - as did middle son (home from college).  They both far preferred traveling.  I guess we passed on our junkie habit...

 

NO regrets!  We all make our choices based upon what we prefer.

[J-rap]

If we knew we could pay it off within six months, I'd feel okay.  (Three months is my preference though.)  For example, if we always had $500 extra each month and wanted to take a family trip that cost $3,000, then I would know that we would absolutely have it paid off in six months.  Only one time we took an international three-week trip that took us more like a year to pay off, but it was a trip of a lifetime for our family, and we did know that we could pay it off in a year. 

 

I am so glad we did that trip, because it is an amazing experience and memory that we will all have for the rest of our lives.  It also really set all of my kids on some very unique and wonderful paths.

 

We are kind of travel junkies and the travel experience is far more important to us than many other things that other families think of as necessary.

[J-rap]

Also, I wanted to add that we put EVERYTHING on a credit card that gives air miles (and pay them off monthly).  We have earned countless free air tickets this way.  We were even able to put some of our kids' college tuition on a credit card;  we get tons of air points that way!

[G5052]

We have a relative who goes to EVERY out-of-state family event, and who tries to visit every close relative at least once a year.  Their credit cards are maxed out and there are months that they barely put food on the table.  Good motivation, but we worry about them.

 

Some years we didn't go anywhere at all, or did a week somewhere less than a day's drive away.  I've flown out alone when close relatives died and stayed with relatives or friends.  Twice in the last ten years we took big blow-out trips.  But all of these trips have been paid off within six months if not before, and we knew that we could cover them.

 

Somewhere in between there's balance.

[Melinda in VT]

I would travel on credit if it were to visit a close relative who was dying. Or if it were the only way to get someone out of a dangerous situation.

 

That's about it.

 

We did choose to drive clunker cars for years because we spent the money on travel instead, but that's different.

 

I really hate debt. It stresses me out so much I wouldn't be able to enjoy the trip.

[maize]

Yeah, unfortunately it is getting increasingly difficult to go there. We used to go at least every other year and sometimes every year. But at least we had somewhere affordable to stay. Now my MIL lives in a tiny apartment. So I don't know what we are going to do unless we manage to find someone else in the family willing to let us stay there. Airfare has gotten so expensive too. I remember when I first met my husband before we were married we could get tickets in winter for $350 round trip. Now? Pah...not even close. And it's now 4 of us.

 

But yes I still think somehow we should find a way to make it happen.

Having a place to stay does make a big difference in the cost of the trip, and yes, airfares have gone up significantly. Fortunately for us my parents are back in the States--clear across the country, but even with gas and hotel costs along the way it's cheaper to drive my family out than try to fly.

[heartosunshine]

It wasn't on credit but that money could have gone into home repairs or our retirement (which is sadly underfunded), etc.

 

See, I agree, that's the thing. There's ALWAYS home repairs to be done, there's ALWAYS more that needs to be added to retirement funds, there's ALWAYS something else. It's a matter of priorities.

 

For me, travel is a priority but we haven't done much in recent years because of finances (except for day trips and tent camping.) Finally, we're in a better position and have a chance to go somewhere at 1/2 the expected cost (to go at a different time is much more expensive). This is a trip to see close relatives we haven't seen in 7 years (some of whom are ill), only part of the cost would be put on credit, and it would be paid off by the end of the year.

 

BUT, I'm having trouble making the switch from saving every last penny in a "responsible" way (or "investing" it in home repairs). I've been brainwashed by Dave Ramsey, Suze Orman, etc, to save, save, save, and NEVER use credit.  :o   That's why I'm so surprised that there are many who still do, although in a responsible way. Hence, my original question.

[heartosunshine]

Also, I wanted to add that we put EVERYTHING on a credit card that gives air miles (and pay them off monthly).  We have earned countless free air tickets this way.  We were even able to put some of our kids' college tuition on a credit card;  we get tons of air points that way!

 

A friend recommended this recently. I need to look into it!

[Jane in NC]

Going to an amusement park is not travel for me--but I understand this is a grand vacation/adventure for some.

 

We camped at Yosemite when my son was four, rented a cabin at Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota when he was five, hiked along the Cabot Trail when he was seven...you get the picture.  He learned about history, science, and art along the way, trying all sorts of new foods.  This was part of his education.

 

My son is becoming a citizen of the world.  He is currently in England--having returned there after a week in Spain. 

 

But back when he was a mere lad asking why we did not have cable, I would ask him what he would prefer:  cable or an airplane ticket.  We honored many of his whims when we traveled (seeking out petroglyphs in Arizona or spending hours examining fossils at the Natural History Museum of the Smithsonian). 

 

I think everyone has priorities--although not everyone has loose change.  Like Creekland, we tend to use things until they die instead of replacing items for the latest style.  For us, travel is a priority. 

 

 

[carriede]

DH and I so not carry a balance on the CC. We might choose to travel over house repairs, but we'll pay for it outright.

[ScoutTN]

We are fairly low income and do not use credit cards for anything. We just don't have the financial wiggle room to do that. We borrowed for our house, but only for that. We take inexpensive vacations and are doing well to have some money (not a lot) saved for emergencies and car replacement and retirement. If I had a chunk of money I would remodel my kitchen and do some other home improvements before I would take an expensive trip.

 

Homeschooling is a financial sacrifice and eliminates some enjoyable options like more travel from our lives. But millions of people have grown up happy and well educated and well prepared for their adult lives without extensive and expensive travel and I hope our kids will too. They may well have opportunities as young adults for travel, especially related to education or mission work and we may be able to do things when they are older that we cannot now. I would like to go out west and see the Grand Canyon before they go to college.

 

For this year, I am happy that we will travel to the beach for a week in the fall and make a few trips to interesting places in our state and to nearby states for short vacations and to visit friends. Including a trip to Greenville in the spring for the GHC. :) All inexpensive and paid for with cash.

 

We are saving towards a trip to Williamsburg for fall of 2015. Then Washington D.C. hopefully, a couple of years later.

[ScoutTN]

This is very interesting! Thank you all for your posts.

 

To clarify a little: I'm thinking "travel" as in see friends & family, some of whom are ill or advancing in years, to share memorable experiences with Dh and/or children, or to expose children to a world outside the one they live every day.

This, yes! This kind of travel does not have to be expensive unless your family live overseas or across the country. Even across the country can be managed on a budget. Time with family is irreplaceable and you will never regret it!

[Crimson Wife]

But millions of people have grown up happy and well educated and well prepared for their adult lives without extensive and expensive travel and I hope our kids will too. They may well have opportunities as young adults for travel, especially related to education or mission work and we may be able to do things when they are older that we cannot now.

 

Exactly!

 

I do agree with many of the PP who said that traveling to visit family is different. We go every year to visit our family.

[creekland]

BUT, I'm having trouble making the switch from saving every last penny in a "responsible" way (or "investing" it in home repairs). I've been brainwashed by Dave Ramsey, Suze Orman, etc, to save, save, save, and NEVER use credit.  :o   That's why I'm so surprised that there are many who still do, although in a responsible way. Hence, my original question.

 

For us, the deal is knowing we can NEVER get time back with our family/friends, and especially our kids.  I can always remodel the home later if I ever choose to do so.  We have retirement savings, but not enough for an "extravagant" retirement nor to leave millions to our kids.  Those are not priorities for us.  The time we spend with our kids - showing them the things we love (at home or traveling) is priceless.  Knowing I've seen my grandmother and other relatives before they pass on is also priceless.  NEVER using credit?  Not so much.

 

There's a medium between NEVER and IN DEBT TO YOUR GILLS.

 

We'd love to live on the road traveling, but since we can't figure out how to pay for it, we don't.  There are still places I'd love to go and see, but I have to prioritize and then pick off that list based upon known finances.  Emergency funds are also important to have on hand.  But NEVER using credit?  Nope.  Low interest + time dependent options are fine with me.  Putting that 'round the world 2 year trip on a massive credit card?  Not so much.

Going to an amusement park is not travel for me--but I understand this is a grand vacation/adventure for some.

 

We camped at Yosemite when my son was four, rented a cabin at Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota when he was five, hiked along the Cabot Trail when he was seven...you get the picture.  He learned about history, science, and art along the way, trying all sorts of new foods.  This was part of his education.

 

My son is becoming a citizen of the world.  He is currently in England--having returned there after a week in Spain. 

 

But back when he was a mere lad asking why we did not have cable, I would ask him what he would prefer:  cable or an airplane ticket.  We honored many of his whims when we traveled (seeking out petroglyphs in Arizona or spending hours examining fossils at the Natural History Museum of the Smithsonian). 

 

I think everyone has priorities--although not everyone has loose change.  Like Creekland, we tend to use things until they die instead of replacing items for the latest style.  For us, travel is a priority. 

 

Loved Yosemite, Custer, the Cabot Trail, petroglyphs, fossils, - and knowing my boys are world citizens as well as familiar with the parks next door.

 

I don't care that they have no interest in the latest styles of whatever.

[AmyontheFarm]

We are blessed that 90% of our families live within 35 minutes of our home.  Well, that's usually a blessing...  Anyway, since we are dairy farmers and my husband won't hire anyone else we don't travel usually anywhere.  We are home twice a day 35 days a year just to milk cows.  We took the kids to Disney land 4 years ago only because I had received free passes for the day for our family to go.  We drove down from Ontairo, stayed for 4 days in Florida and drove back.

 

Most stressful time of my husband's life.  He had to actually trust people with his barns.  While we were gone, $5000 in damage to the silo, tractors and misc. happened.  Also, two pregnant cows died.

 

I wasn't sure if he would leave the farm again to even go to town!

 

I love to travel.  I want to travel.  We have the money to afford us to travel in the Great Lakes area every other year or so.

 

But I want to go with my husband.  I'm resigning myself to the fact it will never happen.

 

I guess that is why I love hearing about other people's travel trips!

The only advantage to not using the money for traveling is we have fixed up the house a bit, since people like to travel to us, experience farm life and relax.  

 

I'd rather have a dumpy house and see Paris!

[elegantlion]

As my life changes, I want to travel more. I'm weighing the options of staying in a house a love, in a town I tolerate (limited activities, a bit too quaint, however), and keep it as a home base. 

 

As a kid, my family planned (yes, the entire family - I have one older sister) an annual 2 week vacation in pop up tent trailer. We have been to almost every national park from Missouri to Nevada, used to count oil wells across Kansas, watched my very laid back father drive 500 miles in one day so we could see it all. Those are wonderful memories and experiences that shaped who I am in many ways. 

 

I grew up hoping to do that with my son. We've traveled a fair bit, but not in a while and not to many of the sites I'd hoped to share with him by now. They were always on the "we'll do that later" list. Later is running out of time at this point. 

[regentrude]

Different people have different priorities for their money. Personally, I think travel is overrated. Sure, it's fun while it lasts but it's a LOT of money for something that is so transient.

 

While the actual trip is transient, the memories created are far more permanent than any item or material possession. Things can break, get lost, damaged, stolen - but an experience is something nobody can take away from me :-)

So, for me, travel creates something lasting.

[regentrude]

We did not have to travel on credit, but we did choose to buy a house below our means so that the mortgage would leave us discretionary income for travel. And we have been postponing non-essential home updates.

As first generation immigrants, it was one of our top priorities to travel with our children back to Germany regularly, so they could develop a relationship with their family members (all of which are there) and their heritage culture. I am very glad that we did this. This year will likely be the last year for our family to travel together, and there are things I regret we did not do and places I regret we did not visit together - but we have fabulous memories, and the kids really grew up with two cultures.

We also try to see as much as possible of the West of the US; we love the Utah desert and the mountains in CO. The trips we took with our kids were experiences we will remember forever, and they played a vital role for our relationship in the family.

 

So, for us travel ranks top of the list after absolute necessities are covered. The few years that we have with our kids and can travel together are very precious; I did not realize how short the time would be until just recently... and now we are nearing the end.

[marbel]

While the actual trip is transient, the memories created are far more permanent than any item or material possession. Things can break, get lost, damaged, stolen - but an experience is something nobody can take away from me :-)

So, for me, travel creates something lasting.

 

I so agree with this.

 

In 2005 we had the opportunity to spend a month traveling in the UK.  Our kids were a bit too young but it was our opportunity so we took it. We still talk about that trip often, still look at the photos, still share great memories of it.  We probably won't have such a trip as a complete family ever again.  But it's still there in our memories.

 

It's true (going back to a pp) that things like memberships to museums and such can be meaningful and provide more opportunities for outings, and we do have a membership to a local museum and one to a garden.  But doing some things that are pure fun, such as an amusement park, are good too.  Once I had a conversation with the adult son of some friends of mine.  We were talking about a trip my family was thinking of taking to a big tourist attraction.  He said he had gone there many times as a kid, but his his memory is that all they did was go to museums while he really wanted to go to the amusement park, even just once.   So his memories of all these museum visits was not so great.  I wouldn't go so far as to say he was bitter about it but he might have been. Certainly he will do things differently with his own family.

 

It can be hard to find a balance between everyone's desires and the financial realities! 

 

[creekland]

While the actual trip is transient, the memories created are far more permanent than any item or material possession. Things can break, get lost, damaged, stolen - but an experience is something nobody can take away from me :-)

So, for me, travel creates something lasting.

 

Same here.  We consider trips to be far more lasting than things.  My kids remember details from every single trip we've taken (they remember more than I do most of the time), but I doubt they could tell you about the TV we had when they were young (that my mom replaced one day when she was watching them while hubby and I took off for the day for our anniversary).

 

The memories and education will last forever.  Even now, as we're approaching that reminisce trip to Disney in a few weeks, everyone is bringing back up experiences from that last trip 16 years ago.  I doubt they remember of what we had here in or around the house 16 years ago (though the furniture, carpeting, and appliances are mostly the same for obvious reasons).

 

My kids remember well standing on the side of a volcano in HI seeing new earth literally being made in front of them.  They remember walking down Wall St in Bryce Canyon and playing next to the red cliffs of Prince Edward Island.  The pictures they would have seen in a book just aren't quite as memorable.

[Joker]

Travel is important to us even if it is just a quick weekend getaway. We love it and dds talk often about this or that trip. We are taking a big one the end of the year to see family on the other side of the country and that will go on credit. I've already purchased plane tickets on credit and will have those paid off before we actually leave. Then, the trip itself will go on our card and we will pay it all off within 6 months. We use a hotel affiliated card and receive free nights often so it's worth it to us to use it, especially since we like taking road trips rather than flying whenever possible. It really helps when the hotels are free.

[Χά�ων]

I have, what I am learning, is an unusual outlook on vacationing and travel. No matter how I look at it I cannot afford it. I do not have credit cards and have no intention of getting them for a trip. I save up $100/month when possible. I use my 30 MPG car (closer to 40 if I would take the foot of the gas pedal and do 55 the entire way) and we drive. We do not stay in hotels. We rarely camp. I pull over at a rest stop and sleep for a few hours. If a shower is needed we use a truck stop.

 

We do not visit big name places. Only one stop is allowed to cost more than $10/person. The "big stop" is never something that can be done within 4 hours of home (riding a zipline, water skiing parasailing are examples of things off limits while surfing and snorkeling in the ocean would be allowed) and needs to have either a Groupon or a coupon from a visitors center. We have a pass for the national parks, science museums and children's museums for reciprocal benefits. We take advantage of free sites around the country.

 

You will never find us at a Six Flags or WDW. Souvenirs are for the family, and cost under $5. They are usually a hat pin or a patch or a pendant with the name of the place on it. If none of these are an option a magnet may be bought instead. The rule is that the cost will not exceeded $5. These are collected and displayed at home upon return. 

 

I create a spread sheet and input worst case scenario gas prices (currently $4/gallon) and under estimate my MPG (currently 25) and how many miles I am planning (rounded up). I figure I will need to refuel every 250-300 miles and I keep a running log of my costs and the difference between what I estimated originally.

 

I plan for cheap food. Usually Costco (if available) Little Ceasers, Taco Bell or kids meals for each of us at fast food places (fun fact, regular adult meals used to be the size of current kids meals and I do not mean the upgraded kids meals either). I do not keep snacks in the car for boredom eating, though I do buy gum in bulk at Costco for chewing. The only drink allowed is water and that is in a reusable water bottle. I used to pack a cooler but found that in the heat of summer the added expense of ice and the hassle was more trouble than it was worth. I do keep a very few food items in the car. These are either shelf stable items that can be eaten as it without being heated or cooled and are not sugar loaded crap or a small bag of fresh veggies. I do not eat tomatoes, wheat or canned meat so it is rather a short list. I have a small car so space is at a premium so I do not take a stove so the food must be eatable straight from the container and it is only for breakfast foods.

 

This year's trip will go through 8 midwest states, will be a little over 2,000 miles my formula has me figured at right at $500 for my worst case scenario. I will probably spend closer to $350 which is the worst case for gas cost. This is actually a big trip for us and this time and I broke my own rule of having two big stops.  :blushing:  In my defense one of the stops was something we were going to do a few years ago but a natural disaster prevented us from going. 

[Brilliant]

Also, I wanted to add that we put EVERYTHING on a credit card that gives air miles (and pay them off monthly).  We have earned countless free air tickets this way.  We were even able to put some of our kids' college tuition on a credit card;  we get tons of air points that way!

 

I know this is an unpopular position sometimes, but I do the same.  I've heard Dave Ramsey mock that he's never heard anyone get rich off their credit card points.  No, but I've been on more free trips than I can count using air miles & hotel points.  England, Peru, Hawaii, etc.  Trips that we couldn't otherwise pay cash for.  When my mom-in-law died 2 years ago, all 4 of us went to Texas on award tickets (would have cost us well over $2000 cash).  My hubby earns a lot of these points with his business travel, but I also highly recommend credit card sign up bonuses. Google that phrase for tips. :)

[marbel]

I know this is an unpopular position sometimes, but I do the same.  I've heard Dave Ramsey mock that he's never heard anyone get rich off their credit card points.  No, but I've been on more free trips than I can count using air miles & hotel points.  England, Peru, Hawaii, etc.  Trips that we couldn't otherwise pay cash for.  When my mom-in-law died 2 years ago, all 4 of us went to Texas on award tickets (would have cost us well over $2000 cash).  My hubby earns a lot of these points with his business travel, but I also highly recommend credit card sign up bonuses. Google that phrase for tips. :)

 

:iagree:       We don't get rich off credit card points, but we have saved money on gas, clothing, and other items.   We don't get airline points because we don't travel enough, but we do get other things.  I love the Amazon gift card I get a couple of times a year.  It's not a lot but it's more than I would have if I was paying cash for everything. 

 

[Χά�ων]

I know this is an unpopular position sometimes, but I do the same.  I've heard Dave Ramsey mock that he's never heard anyone get rich off their credit card points.  No, but I've been on more free trips than I can count using air miles & hotel points.  England, Peru, Hawaii, etc.  Trips that we couldn't otherwise pay cash for.  When my mom-in-law died 2 years ago, all 4 of us went to Texas on award tickets (would have cost us well over $2000 cash).  My hubby earns a lot of these points with his business travel, but I also highly recommend credit card sign up bonuses. Google that phrase for tips. :)

I do not spend enough to make this worthwhile for me to do. I looked at when I was in my early 20's and tried it for one month with my ex. Big mistake. He did not understand the concept of spend less than you bring home and I chopped the cards up. Oddly enough his inability to budget and live within his means is one of the biggest reason's he is now an ex. He never did manage to grow up enough to figure out the concept of spending less than you bring home. I refuse to live like that. I knew at 16 I did not want debt and I have worked really hard to stay debt free. I do not make much but I own my own house etc in order to live on less. :)

[creekland]

I know this is an unpopular position sometimes, but I do the same.  I've heard Dave Ramsey mock that he's never heard anyone get rich off their credit card points.  No, but I've been on more free trips than I can count using air miles & hotel points.  England, Peru, Hawaii, etc.  Trips that we couldn't otherwise pay cash for.  When my mom-in-law died 2 years ago, all 4 of us went to Texas on award tickets (would have cost us well over $2000 cash).  My hubby earns a lot of these points with his business travel, but I also highly recommend credit card sign up bonuses. Google that phrase for tips. :)

 

Add me to your group.  I use our Discover card whenever I can and a credit union Visa that gives points whenever Discover is not accepted.  We don't exchange them for travel, but I've gotten oodles of birthday and Christmas gifts for free via Amazon or store gift cards (and they aren't cheap gifts either).  We've also gotten $100 gas cards from the Visa.

 

All of this is for free when the cards are kept paid off - and we only charge on them what we would be spending anyway.  With medical bills this past year, it really added up to more things free.

 

It's also safer to run payments through the credit cards than paying directly from my bank account and with all the hacking lately, I definitely appreciate that.  Cash is still safe too, of course, but I don't like to carry huge amounts of cash on me and there are no reward points or cash back $$.

[regentrude]

I know this is an unpopular position sometimes, but I do the same.  I've heard Dave Ramsey mock that he's never heard anyone get rich off their credit card points.  No, but I've been on more free trips than I can count using air miles & hotel points.  England, Peru, Hawaii, etc.  Trips that we couldn't otherwise pay cash for.  When my mom-in-law died 2 years ago, all 4 of us went to Texas on award tickets (would have cost us well over $2000 cash).  My hubby earns a lot of these points with his business travel, but I also highly recommend credit card sign up bonuses. Google that phrase for tips. :)

 

Absolutely! We charge everything we can to our credit card and pay it off monthly. Thus, we are occasionally able to get free airline tickets, even overseas. While we may not get rich doing so, it definitely helps save money. Not sure what DR has against that.

[creekland]

That being said, I am a bit sad we have not made it to Disney World yet and I don't know when that will be. We're also dying to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. On the bright side, by the time we go they will have everything :laugh:

 

FWIW, Disney is not and has never been our favorite destination.  We're only heading there as our final family vacation before empty nesting due to its location being ideal for drop off at a mid Florida school and since it's a reminisce trip for us from 16 years ago.  We're also spending a couple of days at the beach.

 

Back when we visited the college in Oct I gave my boys a choice between a quick Disney weekend or a weekend on the beach and they both chose beach without hesitation.

 

Our more recommended vacation destinations (in the US) are HI, western National Parks such as Yellowstone, Sequoia, Bryce, Zion, Badlands, Carlsbad, and more (different pluses to each of them), or eastern National Parks like Smoky Mountains or Shenandoah.  Adirondack State Park in NY is also a gem.

 

For the prettiest river in the world (our opinion, of course), you can't beat the St Lawrence River between the US and Canada.  It's such a gorgeous blue with thousands of islands (literally).

 

For the best city destination (again, in US) Washington DC is hard to beat with all of its attractions - and the majority of them are free.

 

My ideal - go anywhere - reminisce vacation would either be Hawaii or National Parks starting with Yellowstone.  However, neither of those are near where we need to be in Aug.  Sometimes you have to make choices.

 

For what we are spending at Disney... I still wonder if it was our "best" choice, but it's paid for (now), so we're going.  And you can spend less than we are... the campground there is a nice one or there are plenty of less expensive hotels, etc.  We're just doing a complete reminisce vacation with my mom and that includes staying at the Polynesian (to us, it is really nice - we first stayed there for a couple of nights on our Honeymoon...)

 

But if on a budget, there are many other places to consider.

 

[FaithManor]

Absolutely! We charge everything we can to our credit card and pay it off monthly. Thus, we are occasionally able to get free airline tickets, even overseas. While we may not get rich doing so, it definitely helps save money. Not sure what DR has against that.

We do this too! It's all about discipline...not spending more than you can afford. We saved the money for our Iceland trip and tours then booked on the cap 1 venture card. We have several hundred dollars now in reward points accumulating for a family trip to Scotland or other European or Latin American country.

 

We also do this with an Amazon card because you get triple points for amazon purchases - between textbooks for the high schoolers, literary studies, and household shopping we rack up a lot of points that way. We will be able to do all of our Christmas shopping this year on reward points with amazon.

 

But, we live within our means and even if we put something big and unexpected like a water heater on a card, we either pay off from savings or we divide it into 3 payments so the interest is fairly negligible. We don't carry big balances and have to worry about the scads of money paid in interest.

 

I would imagine that the credit card companies bank on customers who are unable to pay their balances in a timely manner.

 

Also, if your credit rating is high enough to get the Venture card, your first year is interest free. So if there was a trip you wanted to take and did not have the whole amount saved, if again a disciplined person, you could put the trip on the card, divide by 12, and make that payment allowing you to travel now but not incur a big interest bill. You would accumulate points instantly and that money can also be diverted to the balance instead of being spent on other things.

 

(Posting from a couch in Iceland while dh and ds are out exploring caves. I'm waiting for the Handknitter's Association of Iceland to open up so I can look at Icelandic wool yarn and then I'm going to the botanical gardens which dh doesn't care to see. :) )

[Jane in NC]

(Posting from a couch in Iceland while dh and ds are out exploring caves. I'm waiting for the Handknitter's Association of Iceland to open up so I can look at Icelandic wool yarn and then I'm going to the botanical gardens which dh doesn't care to see. :) )

Faith, my dear, sending you a wave from across the pond! 

 

We followed the credit card strategy you outlined with the LL Bean visa for years.  All of those coupons earned for dollars spent paid for much of my son's backpacking equipment.  Now I have switched my credit card use to an airline affiliate card since I foresee more international travel in my future.

 

I think one thing that keeps people from traveling is that non-travelers might glance at the cost of a Disney vacation (not considering the less expensive ways of doing it) and assume that vacations are for someone else.  But as others have noted there are ways of doing all sorts of interesting things on a shoestring.  I for one do not care to eat in restaurants on a daily basis.  When we drive somewhere, I have a cooler and picnic basket loaded with food in the car.  VRBO often lists inexpensive rentals with kitchens. As homeschoolers, we can often take advantage of off season or shoulder season discounts.