Have you ever gone on a trip you knew you couldn't afford?

[OrangeBirdGirl]

No. But I don't want debt in general.
Now if you were the type that would rack up debt on non-essentials in your everyday life (new clothes, going out to eat, movies, etc) then I guess the mindset would probably be then you are already doing it and the "fun" of what you are paying off is probably gone quickly. Where at least if you are racking up debt on a vacation then you will have the memories forever.

 

[QueenIsabella]

I wouldn't be able to enjoy a vacation without at least a debt plan to pay for it. By that I mean, any other debts are on auto-pilot to be paid down, and I cut back before going, and planned to cut back again when I returned. I grew up poor, and still have money issues--I get very anxious if I don't have the means to pay for things. This is more how we approached things in our pre-kids days, when we had two good incomes.

These days, I don't have debt (beyond the mortgage), so I would save to pay for a vacation. I think the joy and relaxation of the vacation would wear off, long before the bill is paid. We put specific $$ towards the vacation fund. This year is a "light" year, so we're doing driving vacations. We're saving up for next year's cruise.

 

[FutureDisneyEventPlanner]

I guess my thing is not necessarily having debt, but spending money on an expensive trip, when I could be using that money elsewhere. Or running the risk of spending that money on the trip and then needing it later.

 

[lisajl]

Yes, when the kids were younger we did. We don't anymore. I just paid off our trip to Ireland...going this year. I can't tell you how great that feels knowing that the flight, the tours, etc is all paid. We will still have the car to rent and pay for and anything else we buy but everything else is paid. YAY! Lots of saving, scrimping.

 

[birmantaz]

"Yes. Life is short. I've never regretted it." This 100% But within reason - I will take my kids on vacation to see the world (the BIG world and the other BIG Disney World). My sister passed away way too young from cancer - that really reinforced that life is short - you need to live. A little bit of debt that you can see paying off - is worth living in the moment now.

 

[toonaspie]

I actually booked a plane trip and a hotel room to DLR a couple of weeks ago. Came to my senses quick enough to get a full refund. (So less than 24 hrs)

 

[lynzi2004]

NO. I tend the other way, don't go on trips I know I CAN afford. I grew up very frugally, had to pay my own way through college, money was tight. Now we have enough money but spending on things like vacations is hard for me to feel comfortable with. I'm getting better at it, but still always looking for deals, rarely stay in deluxe accommodations.

This is how we look at most things. We could afford deluxe, long stays, etc. we just can’t bring ourselves to spend the money on it. On the other hand, we aren’t big spenders on clothes, housing, etc. More than anything we do most things cheap(ish) so that we can do more experiences as a whole. We are trying a moderate over a value this next trip and are definitely looking forward to the experience though!

 

[clm10308]

What does "can't afford" mean to you? For some people paying cash in advance is the only way to go, but for others making payments on a credit card is fine.
To me "can't afford" would be charging a trip on a credit card and having not way to pay off the card after.
I don't regret any of the traveling that our family has done using credit cards, and we have never defaulted on a credit card or loan.
It is true that paying interest costs more money in the long run, but that doesn't bother me.

 

[platamama]

I've never put myself in debt to go on a trip but I could see how the enjoyment of a vacation could be very compelling for someone who needs a break. Personally, I don't think I could handle the stress of having that debt.

BIL took his family on an African safari years ago, took out a 2nd mortgage to do so, and they had an incredible time. It really took the kids out of their privileged bubble and was eye-opening. He went through some financial stress years later (and fortunately seems to have recovered). I don't think he regrets that trip at all even if it might have contributed to his stress later on, because he thought the experience was worthwhile.

 

[tink89]

No. when we started out we were very young and with a baby. We never even thought about going on vacation. We would take small day trips and we love discovering new towns. When DD was 3 we took our first Disney trip. We saved for about a year. I started with Swagbucks and we had to always save before going anywhere. Now that we are at a much better place financially we still save before going anywhere. Or I make sure it is either paid off or that I will be able to pay it off when the bill comes. I would be super stressed if I went on vacation and did not have the money to pay it. I do not like being in debt.

I do also agree that life is short and you have to enjoy it. And if you have no debt at all and this will be it and you will be able to pay it off in a reasonable time then maybe I would say sure. Not for me but YOLO right?

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I guess my thing is not necessarily having debt, but spending money on an expensive trip, when I could be using that money elsewhere. Or running the risk of spending that money on the trip and then needing it later.

Well then you need to decide which is more important to you.
Having the money or taking the trip.
With the very similar questions that you keep asking it seems like you expect us to provide you with the "right" answer.
We cannot do that.
You need to decide yourself and live with the decision.
I suggest you do that instead of asking the same thing on here about money.

 

[FutureDisneyEventPlanner]

Well then you need to decide which is more important to you.
Having the money or taking the trip.
With the very similar questions that you keep asking it seems like you expect us to provide you with the "right" answer.
We cannot do that.
You need to decide yourself and live with the decision.
I suggest you do that instead of asking the same thing on here about money.

Okay. Thanks.

 

[Magical2017]

We LOVE to travel and enjoy being with one another whether we drop $10k or $400. Our kids have a favorite place and it is sooooo inexpensive. They love the rustic little cabin we rent with the cozy porch overlooking the forest and prefer it over the big fancy house we have rented on the resort side. It is in a state park, and there is a man-made beach. You get free canoe rentals each day. There is no wifi--you have to drive to the resort side, 5 miles away for that. We unplug, read, hike, play tennis, swim, and play board games. We can also take our dog, and don't have to pay for boarding. We book and pay for the cabin in the winter and then pick up groceries on the way. No matter what other places we travel to each year, they always request our annual trip to the lake.

 

[DLgal]

What do you mean by "can't afford?" Like, can't afford now and won't be able to ever pay off the credit card? Or, don't have the money saved up ahead of time? Or, you have to charge it, but paying it off later won't be a burden?

We have gone on several vacations and charged them. We paid them off a couple months later, or we transferred the balance to a 0% offer and paid it off over time. Last year was the first time we actually had the whole trip paid for ahead of time, and were able to pay off the incidental charges when the credit card bill came due the next month.

In my opinion, sometimes a vacation is a necessity for your mental and physical well being, and we prioritize family vacations over a lot of other things. Life is short, tomorrow isn't promised, and we try to balance everything.

I think some people are scared of the word "debt." It's not all bad. I dont regret any of the trips we have taken and would not hesitate to take a vacation and charge it in the future. We have never even come close to maxing out our cards.

 

[starry_solo]

No...in fact, our family is already talking about saving for a trip 10 years away (we're already saving for a trip in 5 years)...

 

[Tiggerlover91]

How did it affect you? Why did you make the decision to go, as opposed to saving the money for other things?

*This post is not meant to bash, just a question.

No I have not. I can't enjoy myself knowing the money wasn't really there. I did cut a trip short when I realized I didn't budget in the right amount for the kosher restaurants and the museum we were going to in Atlanta once, but we still had a great time regardless!

Disney just doesn't happen unless I know for sure hubby is okay with the tax refund paying for it. Yes I can save for it throughout the year, but it's just much easier to swipe that money from our refund and have Disney paid for. The only thing I'm pulling from my paycheck for our current trip is the spending money. Hubby asked if I could and because he asked in January when I had time to, I said sure! $150 over 5 months adds up fast! I only needed $600 for my son and I, but that extra $150 will give us $750! That's plenty for the two of us over 5 days!

 

[hopemax]

Yes, once. For our WDW honeymoon, we knew we wouldn't have enough money saved before the wedding. So we planned it 5 months after our wedding to have more saved, and we committed to paying X per month for 4 months, because we knew there was a very, very good chance that DH would be laid off 3 months after we took the trip (which he was - fallout from the Boeing McDonnell Douglas merger). We knew it was special circumstances and not a way to approach every vacation, stuck to our plan and even though DH's layoff went longer than we expected, glad we didn't scrimp on the trip.

 

[hopemax]

Texas Tech is in the Final Four and we made it happen even thought it was not planned or budgeted for. Airline tickets were stupid prices on such short notice, but we weren’t missing it. We’re here now and don’t regret it one bit!!

Seems like it worked out. Congrats!

 

[wendow]

We've never, ever taken a vacation that we hadn't paid for 100% upfront or had the money saved for.

I was raised by a single mom, and we frequently had no money. We ate meatless spaghetti, rice& beans and scrambled eggs for years as those were the cheapest foods. Even though we were 'poor' (my mom never used that word to me but I now know we were...), my mom was not one to get into debt. She taught me to save and pay for what I wanted. So, if we want to go on a vacation, it has to be paid for before.

 

[karly101]

It really depends on how much debt I guess?

My most recent trip I couldn't really afford - it was all paid for but then due to complications from an injury my sister had we had to reschedule our flights and cancel a portion of the trip. This meant our cheap trip away ended up costing $1500 more (the flights were such a good deal!). My travel insurance refused to cover it due to a sporting injury that occurred 7 days before taking out the cover (lesson learnt buy insurance as soon as buy the flights next time!). Do I regret it? No we had a fantastic trip - I'm working a bit more to try and make up the money and replenish my savings. You never know what is around the corner ...my mum passed away young and I would rather take the opportunity to travel and spend time with my sister whilst we can.