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[FreeTime]

I'm sure the wealthy do, but the OP was specifically asking about those that make under 100k.

There are cash paying people that make less than $100k.

 

[robinb]

When your child was little, vacations were cheaper than they are today. The point of this thread is who is able to take vacations TODAY under these parameters.

Maybe, maybe not. A $1 in the year 2000 is worth $1.75 in today's dollar due to inflation. So a vacation may have been cheaper in 2000 in absolute dollars but not in dollars adjusted for inflation.

 

[persnickity]

We don't spend much on entertainment and activities typically, are pretty frugal when it comes to clothing and housewares, and buy a new car once a decade - so, yes, we can still afford a vacation budget of $2500 or so each year. Some years, that is multiple short trips, others it's one "big" one. It's our 20th anniversary this year, so we've saved up extra money for a bigger budget trip.

 

[DLgal]

Maybe, maybe not. A $1 in the year 2000 is worth $1.75 in today's dollar due to inflation. So a vacation may have been cheaper in 2000 in absolute dollars but not in dollars adjusted for inflation.

Airfare and hotel rates across the board have increased much more than the 75% increase over that time due to inflation.

 

[Brian Noble]

Are you able to still afford yearly vacations in 2023?

Maybe the better question is: "What yearly vacation can you afford?" Early in our lives as parents we were living close to the line--a mortgage that was a bit over our initial budget, one income, and educational debt that amounted to a second monthly mortgage payment. We even bounced a couple of checks here and there in the early days.

Our first "vacation," with a toddler and one on the way, was driving from Ann Arbor to Toledo for a long weekend stay in a hotel near the Toledo Zoo. It was fantastic fun, and very cheap.

It was many years before the idea of going to Disney was realistic--after paying down some of that debt and adding a part-time second income.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

This is a good question, but it's hard to put a dollar amount on "middle class" when cost of living and the corresponding salary ranges varies so much by where you live. The term "middle class" can mean so many different things. My family lives in an expensive state, where a combined income of $100,000 would actually be considered "lower" class, especially if you're talking about a household with children as opposed to a child-free couple.

That said, "affording vacations" can also mean a variety of different things, assuming you didn't only mean Disney. Many middle class families probably can't afford a full-out Disney vacation once a year, but maybe they can afford to go all out every OTHER yea, or once every three years. Or maybe they can afford to stay at the campground for 5 days but not at the Grand Floridian for a week. Or maybe they're not going to Disney at all, and are doing weekend trips to more local areas, or renting a beach house somewhere for a week, and splitting the cost with friends or extended family. It seems to me that whatever income bracket you're in, you can find a way to make SOME kind of a vacation work, if it's something you prioritize and find value in.

My husband grew up in a house where money was extremely scarce, and they still found a way to vacation. Their vacations were driveable, and included camping or were only for a few days at a time. My family growing up was solidly middle class, and did weeklong vacations (Disney or otherwise) when the funds were available which amounted to every about every other year. Now, my husband and I as a unit with our kids, spent many years somewhere between middle and lower middle class, and we still found a way to vacation at that time. It never felt like we just "couldn't afford" to travel, we just had to wait and save until we could afford to travel the way we wanted to. However, we did make lifestyle decisions and certain sacrifices to make to make it happen.

 

[BeautyBeastAndNemo]

We live very frugally (no drinking, smoking, share 1 car that’s 10 years old, eat out only once per month). Any “extra” money we get goes into the vacation account (bonus, tax returns, etc). I also use points programs to our advantage and use them for flights, hotels, etc. too. We don’t have extravagant birthdays and Christmas, we prioritize experiences instead. It can

be done, just takes careful plan

Ahh the bonus. Most people don't get a bonus. Lucky you! I would also then ask where you live. (You don't have to answer-just hypothetical). I feel like we are frugal. Make right about that number, and we can't afford a vacation but every other year. We don't get a bonus , either. The cost of living here is higher than say somewhere like Oklahoma but cheaper than NYC.

We are a little above your stated threshold, but I'm not going to lie - we get a substantial check from my parents at Christmas (thank you Santa!) with their request we do something for ourselves and my DD11 with it. So, we use it as our vacation.

My grandfather used to do this for my parents as well as for me and my sis. Dad carried on the tradition.

Would they like to adopt me? Ha!

 

[BeautyBeastAndNemo]

We don't spend much on entertainment and activities typically, are pretty frugal when it comes to clothing and housewares, and buy a new car once a decade - so, yes, we can still afford a vacation budget of $2500 or so each year. Some years, that is multiple short trips, others it's one "big" one. It's our 20th anniversary this year, so we've saved up extra money for a bigger budget trip.

Happy anniversary! 20 is a big deal!
Super curious- what "big" trip just costs $2500 for a family? Plane tickets anywhere alone are about that or more for a family these days.

 

[BeautyBeastAndNemo]

Maybe the better question is: "What yearly vacation can you afford?" Early in our lives as parents we were living close to the line--a mortgage that was a bit over our initial budget, one income, and educational debt that amounted to a second monthly mortgage payment. We even bounced a couple of checks here and there in the early days.

Our first "vacation," with a toddler and one on the way, was driving from Ann Arbor to Toledo for a long weekend stay in a hotel near the Toledo Zoo. It was fantastic fun, and very cheap.

It was many years before the idea of going to Disney was realistic--after paying down some of that debt and adding a part-time second income.

I get that. I do feel like that are many that probably can't even afford a weekend away these days.

 

[BeautyBeastAndNemo]

There are cash paying people that make less than $100k.

Probably not as many as you think, though, unless it is a cheaper vacation or vacation every few years. I doubt many that make $100k or less could pay cash for something like a Disney vacation every year.

 

[cvjw]

I'm sure the wealthy do, but the OP was specifically asking about those that make under 100k.

My reply was to the PP who stated that people who travel a lot just use a credit card. In our case, we do not put travel on a card.

 

[BeautyBeastAndNemo]

Airfare and hotel rates across the board have increased much more than the 75% increase over that time due to inflation.

Yes! I saw the cost of a Disney vacation 10 years ago (before kids) and we paid about 1/3 of what it costs to go today and stay onsite (with equivalent number of tickets/food)

 

[BeautyBeastAndNemo]

Good discussion <3

 

[rangerxenos]

Happy anniversary! 20 is a big deal!
Super curious- what "big" trip just costs $2500 for a family? Plane tickets anywhere alone are about that or more for a family these days.

You don't have to fly, in fact for a family of 4 driving makes more sense and is probably much more cost effective.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

Happy anniversary! 20 is a big deal!
Super curious- what "big" trip just costs $2500 for a family? Plane tickets anywhere alone are about that or more for a family these days.

I think you can do a "big trip" for $2500 if you're not flying. Also, you could probably do a cruise for about that amount depending on length of the trip and number of people.

 

[dreamer17555]

Our family is making under 100k. I don’t exactly have child typical expenses beyond a Y membership for the family, and co pays for my special needs son. My son is 16 and lives at home, my DD is 21 and normally at college but recently finished up the DCP and is home (while working) for the summer.

We have a very reasonable house payment (half of what renting would be), and a car payment. I recently paid of majority of credit card debt except one card that is interest free for 18 months (and will be paid off before that). We have some emergency savings but honestly probably not a full 6 months of expenses.

And yes we vacation. Vacationing is a priority here. My kids are growing up fast, making memories is important. I’m dealing with some health issues which is putting life even more into perspective.

We eat at home 98% of the time. We don’t go to movies. We do spend a lot of time doing family nights at home.

But you can still find amazing vacations for semi reasonable if you know where to look. My 16 year old and I are booked on the Disney fantasy eight night in September for an inside guaranteed room with restrictions. Cost of sailing $2800. We will drive there from North Carolina. We got a good hotel rate. We will do a single excursion- parking and tips are going to be the biggest chunk besides the cruise itself. Still we should be able to keep it under $3600.

That is totally worth it for and 8 night cruise and making memories.

 

[DLgal]

You don't have to fly, in fact for a family of 4 driving makes more sense and is probably much more cost effective.

That again depends on where you live and where you are going. We live in CA. Driving across the country is absolutely NOT more cost effective than flying.

 

[persnickity]

Happy anniversary! 20 is a big deal!
Super curious- what "big" trip just costs $2500 for a family? Plane tickets anywhere alone are about that or more for a family these days.

By "one big trip", I really meant one trip for the year using the whole budget vs. 2 or 3 long weekend trips. We're in the midwest, so lots of places are reasonably driveable for us. Last year, we drove to Shenandoah Nat'l Park, Washington DC, and Ocean City, MD for a week long "big" trip costing around $2500.

 

[DisneyElite4]

Family of 5 here, living in the Midwest, making a little more than the top of your income range. We vacation yearly, sometimes twice a year, but are only able to do so due to our specific circumstances:

1. We have ZERO debt outside of a mortgage. We bought our cars and our house back when we were two higher-income earners (I now work less hours to be home more with the kids.) We saved a ton of money before we had kids, put a large down payment down on our home so that our mortgage payment is tiny, and bought brand new cars either outright, or paid them off quickly. We did all this when our income was higher, and it’s helped us survive and still be able to vacation now, as our daily living expenses are very manageable. We are also able to still save for retirement and college, and still have a hefty savings account for home repairs and emergencies.
2. A family member died and left me a considerable amount of money about five years ago. This went into savings and is used as-needed, but I also bought DVC with it. The family member who died loved Disney, and would have been glad I spent some of it this way. Our contract is small and the yearly dues are manageable. If we didn’t have DVC, we wouldn’t be able to vacation as frequently or as nicely.
3. We both have wealthy parents who are NOT middle class like us. They are generous with their money in many ways.

I think being honest about how people are able to afford things is helpful, and it’s something I’m always curious about, too. We would not be able to have such a nice life with our income if it weren’t for the three things I shared here, and I feel incredibly grateful for what I have in life.

 

[BeautyBeastAndNemo]

You don't have to fly, in fact for a family of 4 driving makes more sense and is probably much more cost effective.

Not much worth vacationing to is within driving distance to me, and I am sure it is the same for others.