Is the current economic status preventing your family from traveling?

[kydisneyfans]

It did initially, but since gas is now almost a dollar a gallon less, things are back to "normal". The budget adjusts with each and every increase. We combined phone, cable, and internet in one package to offset a rise in the budget somewhere else. We raised our homeowners deductible to offset that rate increase. Groceries went up, so we eat out less. At some point though, there will be nowhere else to cut.

We did not travel over any of the holiday weekends this year, but we do have 2 big trips, the July trip to Myrtle and October trip to Disney.

 

[secretpantssam]

I said no, but I've been working really hard to skimp and save and earn a little extra money so I can go to disney.

 

[myprincessgirlisa]

YES!!! & supporting 5(soon to be 6) ILs on TOP of all this has put any/all vacation plans on the WAY back burner

it really stinks cause i REALLY need to get away once in awhile

 

[Chicago526]

I put "unsure" because while inflation certainly isn't helping our budget, what's really keeping us home is all the work we are doing on our house at the moment. If overall prices were lower, it's hard to say if it would allow us a trip or not while still rehabing the house (a trip of any kind, not nessesarily Disney).

 

[espana94]

Unfortunately, I had to say "yes" to this poll. I was laid off in May and have yet to find a new job. Things are getting tight around my house. We planned to take a trip to WDW this summer (we are supposed to be there right now). It got pushed back when I lost my job.

 

[tonilea]

No, but thankfully we were already well on our way to being debt free before groceries and gas prices started going up. Two years ago, we couldn't have even considered a vacation at all. We have been able to absorb the adjustments, we just aren't saving as much as we would like.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

I have to say no. While we aren't doing our usual 10 day trip (never more than 3k) to WDW this fall, we've gone other places and we're planning an expensive trip for my folks' 50th anniversary over christmas. Granted, we fly free, but destination expenses still cost us! We live pretty frugally at home and always budget money for travel.

 

[Rebelmom67]

The only vacation destination that has gone UP in price is WDW. I have a trip planned over the holidays and that will be my last one for a long time.

I frequently visit Branson, Gatlinburg, Myrtle Beach and the Outer Banks - none of these destinations have seen the inflation that WDW has. I will be spending my hard earned cash at these destinations from now on.

 

[ChrisandDon'sMommy]

Yes, somewhat. We can still travel, but it's less than usual, and we are definitely more thrifty.

 

[HappyLawyer]

i have been looking for ways to reduce some costs, this may seem silly but instead of booking a SUV normally we do the trailblazer for us 3 it is very roomy, but i have booked a midsize car instead. We also do "Florida" not always Disney US and IOA and SW and BG have some good deals on tickets right now. This has been the first year we have not traveled.

 

[Goofy'slady]

I voted no, because this summer we've traveled the same way we've done in past summers. We've done our annual May Disney trip and we've done our two long weekend trips this year and can't forget about our State Fair. While we don't travel for the later is sure racks up some serious cash like a weekend trip can, but this year we did it for under a 100 bucks and for a family of 4 I think that's pretty darn good.

We always plan our summer trips at least a year out, that way we put a little aside and know how much things are gonna cost so we've just estimated next years trip a little on the high side to allow for room to grow so to speak.

T.

 

[missmun52]

No. The economy hasn't affected us at all. We have more disposable income and are better off than we were last year and the year before and so on. I'm just curious, out of all the posters who say the economy is affecting their vacations, how many are actually affected by food and fuel prices and how many are affected by other things, such as changing jobs, moving, other purchases?

I would never buy a vehicle I could barely afford to fill up at $3/gallon which is what a lot of people did when fuel prices were lower. I have an SUV, but I wouldn't have bought it unless I knew it wouldn't break the bank to fill it.

We also did not take a vacation every year (or feel entitled to one) when our kids were small. There were plenty of things we couldn't afford to do when we and they were younger (the economy had nothing to do with it) and we waited til we could. A few days at the beach are remembered as fondly as the two trips we took to WDW because it wasn't about where we went but the fact that we were together making memories, even inexpensive ones.

The economy has alot to do with people moving, changing jobs ect. The company my husband worked for prior sent people home letters saying everyone was getting a 10% pay cut (due to present economy). Its good that you have not been affected but not everyones salary have gone up like yours might have, some have gone down yet expences have risen. some salaries have not moved, yet expences (like gas, food and electric) have risen. A friend of mine is in management and their company is being affected so instead of cutting pay they are cutting insurance.

10% ago people may have been able to afford that vacation but with a cut like that you eliminate the unnecessary and usually vacation is the first to go. You had great insurance and now you have one that sucks and instead of paying $250 a month you are literally paying about $500 and have higher copayments. (so that 3000 + that you might have used for vacation is lost)

 

[tapplebapple]

For me, the answer is yes. Unfortunately I am in sales, and commissions have been slower in coming in (I have to wait for the client to pay us before I get my piece). Business has not slowed down, I am still closing the same number of deals as I did last year. But the sales process has lengthened from start to close and then the payments are coming in a little more slowly too. So, I have been trying to live on my base and that has meant vacations are a luxury. I actually didn't take the week off I had scheduled for this summer because I didn't ever have the extra funds to schedule a trip. I figured that it made more sense to work than to sit home and stare at the 4 walls with DD8. But now I have that week saved and can take it later (hopefully) when things start to change back to normal.

 

[Mrs.Reese]

Yes our salaries are frozen and with declining enrollment there is talk of lay-offs. Disney is actually pretty decent for us financially because we use the heck out of our AP's. Now we will probably be camping or staying off-site if we go at all. I too am like a a squirrel preparing for winter. I'm trying to boost our savings to about three months of the mortgage payment.

 

[Kay1]

Yes our salaries are frozen and with declining enrollment there is talk of lay-offs. Disney is actually pretty decent for us financially because we use the heck out of our AP's. Now we will probably be camping or staying off-site if we go at all. I too am like a a squirrel preparing for winter. I'm trying to boost our savings to about three months of the mortgage payment.

Same here, except we took a small cut in pay. My husband is now doing another person's job and works all the time.

 

[HappyLawyer]

The economy has alot to do with people moving, changing jobs ect. The company my husband worked for prior sent people home letters saying everyone was getting a 10% pay cut (due to present economy). Its good that you have not been affected but not everyones salary have gone up like yours might have, some have gone down yet expences have risen. some salaries have not moved, yet expences (like gas, food and electric) have risen. A friend of mine is in management and their company is being affected so instead of cutting pay they are cutting insurance.

10% ago people may have been able to afford that vacation but with a cut like that you eliminate the unnecessary and usually vacation is the first to go. You had great insurance and now you have one that sucks and instead of paying $250 a month you are literally paying about $500 and have higher copayments. (so that 3000 + that you might have used for vacation is lost)

i would have too agree, i work part time at a hotel so i can get the discount, you cannot beat 45 bucks for a room at marriott, anyway we have so many people at the hotel moving due to work, one man's company moved to tx, he was relocating there, he said it was cheaper then trying to stay here, and look for work, this economy just sucks right now, i do not remember ever being in this type of strain i have been in the last 4 years.

 

[bdcp]

People have always relocated for work and just like anything else, it's cyclical. The thing that always floors me is people who whine they can't find a job where they live, but when you suggest they relocate to an area that does have jobs, they refuse to do it. My favorite is because the other spouse doesn't want to leave "home". Sorry, sometimes you have to make hard decisions. The unemployment rate is still very low and the economy is not in a recession. Inflation is not that high. I think people are noticing it more because the media talks so much about it and finds the people in the worst situations to talk to. Remember, it is an election year and that's when the media decides the economy is in the toilet. Notice how now all you're seeing is about the economy in the news and hardly anything about Iraq and Afghanistan? They didn't just magically become non-news. It's what the media chooses to focus on. I'm not even going to get into the politics of the liberal media doing this.

My point in my other post was that vacations are not entitlements and we made decisions over the years to not go or to do something shorter/closer to home because we couldn't afford, but we never, ever blamed the economy.

If you go back through this site, even when the economy was booming, you will find people complaining about the economy, job loss, etc. It's just right now, the media keeps it front and center.

And check the poll. 2/3 (the majority) of people aren't affected.

 

[kadesha]

It's not preventing, but it's definetly causing us to not stay as long.

 

[musicmama]

I voted unsure because --
Yes, we're going to Disney at Christmas but had to adjust arrival day to get cheap airfare (DD loses 2 days of school) and bought fewer days' ticket in order to save $$$. We'll do free stuff instead of parks for 3 days.
No, we didn't do 3 camping trips to the shore this summer because gas was too expensive! We did 1 shortened trip to the shore because of DD's Irish dance competition. Otherwise we wouldn't have gone at all, and it doesn't cost us to stay at our campground so that's a lost membership cost.
No, we haven't eaten out at all this summer because of gas prices.
Yes, DD has been at some Irish dance competitions, but fewer than last year because of gas prices to travel and because of needing to reallocate the $ towards utilities costs.

Gee, maybe I should have voted "yes" instead!

DH taught fewer courses than expected over the summer (1 got cancelled and 1 got "stolen" by a full-time prof) and his Sylvan teaching was cut in half because of declining enrollment. Hopefully that will increase with the fall, but given the economic conditions near where we live, I'm not holding my breath.

Our oil budget DOUBLED, our electric went up 50% and may go more. My 3% raise was negated by a 15% increase in our healthcare premium. The only reason the Disney trip is still on is because the airfare was paid for by Amex points and it's impossible to change / cancel, and the trip cost decreased by $500. when the newest code came out.

 

[Iluvthemouse]

I voted unsure. We went to NYC in June and then Mexico for 9 days which is our usual trip every year. Right now I would like to take a cruise in October but I am unsure on the economy but also we may need to pour some money into our cars.

We skipped Disney this year because DD and DH are both "disney'd out".