how often do you take a family vacation?

[imgoingtodisney]

It seems to some people that Im always on vacation! I worked fulltime until DS was 1, then part time until he got out of Kindergarten. For the past 4.5 yrs Ive been fulltime again.
DS & I took 1 family vacation week (when he was 4) to go to NH. Last year (when he was 9) was the first time since then that we ever took a vac week. We are hoping to be able to continue once a year. How often do you guys get to go away for a week?
(sorry the same year that DS was 4 we also took a weeklong vaca to FL)

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

We usually take 2 week long vacations and several long weekends, budget permitting.

 

[caitycaity]

we usually take 1 week a year for vacation, just the two of us. we visit relatives on holidays, but i don't really count those as "vacations" b/c they are not usually very relaxing. LOL

 

[JohnTBap]

We only go for short periods - the weekend, or four days at most.

 

[Jenzebelle]

DH and I can't afford a vacation

 

[Saffron]

I haven't had a vacation where I left my own backyard since 1998. I started back to school in 1999, so there is no vacation budget. I've taken several day trips though.

Next year I hope to take 2, one week vacations, one to Universal/IOA, one to Wildwood NJ. I also am going to WDW for 10 days, but I'm not sure when that will be. I have to change my reservations around.

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

my dd's are 12 and 10. I am divorced and work full time.

when the dd's were babies and ex and I were still married, our "famiuly vacations" consisted of flying down to Ft. Myers to stay with his parents for a week or two. we made three trips in four years. we'd drive around the Ft. Myers area and do a lot of the touristy things. but at the time we didn't have the money for a hotel, so the only place we could stay was with my in laws. we never took the dd's on so much as a weekend getaway.

ex and I separated when the dd's were 2 and 4. I took my first real vacation with the dd's the following summer -- we spent four days at Hersheypark.

the following year I took the proceeds of my lawsuit (I'd been injured in a fall) and took the dd's to WDW. then I got a better paying job, and since my girls were in school and no longer needed full day child care, I was lucky enough to be able to go on two vacations every year.

last year, due to changes in my finances, I wasn't qable to manage so much as a single weekend getaway. the dd's didn't miss out, because they were both in great day camp prgrams. but I couldn't afford camp for both kids AND a vacation, and decided that my priority was to make sure my girls were properly supervised and in an enjoyable program.

this year I have to pay for older dd's bat mitzvah, and in 2 years I have to pay for younger dd's bat mitzvah. so there won't be any vacation for awhile. maybe we'll manage a long weekend somewhere during the summer. maybe Mystic, or Hershey.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

We took a 9 day vacation in 2001 - it was our first major vacation in about 4 or 5 years.

In 2002 only had a weekend getaway because we had to divert vacation funds to a house remodeling. It doesn't look too likely that we will be vacationing in 2003 because of the new baby which I'm beginning to think of as "The 6 Million Dollar Kid."

Hopefully we will get in a couple more major trips before my older son turns 18 and leaves for college. That's in 6 more years.

 

[mickeyfan1]

I get 6 weeks plus 2 days Vacation every year, I have worked for the same company 31.5 years, and DH gets none until next Novemeber (he just started at this job). When he worked for our business, he would take off a day or two once in a while, but when you are self employeed, if you don't work, you don't get paid. I usually take 2 weeks to go on the east coast tour (family) and at least 2 trips to WDW , and then if I am really lucky, a week somewhere else. I used to take DS when he was younger, and he still thinks I should, he's 25, but I don't think so.

 

[becka]

As a kid we never took a family vacation but we did go visit relatives about once a year if possible. We were in the military so I still got to see a lot of things on day trips wherever we were living at the time.

Since DH and I have been married we have taken 2 week long vacations in 5 years. We have made probably 5-6 long weekend trips in that time as well.

Our last vacation was a long 4 day weekend at WDW back in 5/2001. It will probably be our last for at least a few more years. We really want our next trip to be DS's first WDW trip possibly in 2005 sometime. It will take us that long to save up the money.

 

[wvjules]

I've just recently started taking vacations. It's just DD and I so we do what we want whenever we want. We went to WDW and Clearwater in June 2001 for a week. Went to Six Flags for a few days. This month we went to WDW for a week. And in June 2003 we're going back to WDW and then doing our first DCL cruise. I think we're gonna try to go to the beach sometime this summer too.

 

[Blondie]

We take one "big" vacation once a year (to WDW--usually during the fall or winter) and then several 3 or 4 night "little" vacations to the beach or somewhere else during the summer.

I don't count the long weekends to visit la famiglia in Philadelphia a vacation because it isn't. It's running from one relative's house to another in a very short amount of time. It's rather exhausting.

 

[CarolG]

In past years, we tried to take a really nice vacation every 2-3 years or so, with short 3-4 day beach or mountain trips in the off years. We really splurged in 2001 for our 25th anniversary (WDW and DCL cruise).

This past spring and summer we were focusing on getting everything arranged and paid for older DS's first year in college, and younger DS's football camp and activities -- no time or money for a long vacation. And younger DS will be starting college, too, in a few years. I'm not really sure when/if there'll be another "family" vacation for a while.

 

[SuiteDisney]

For several years we couldn't afford any vacations. Now we're fortunate enough to go to WDW twice a year.

 

[believe]

It all depends. We try to take 1 week long vacation and 2-3 weekend getaways. This year we had 2 weekend getaways and no week long vacation since I didn't want to leave my Mom. Last year we had 1 long weekend getaway, 1 week long vacation to Canada and a 4 day vacation to WDW. It all depends on what our budget allows.

 

[Kermit]

It depends. DH is a techie and always seems to be getting laid off because companies are going out of business, so we seldom have vacation time. We take a lot of weekend trips. We live in a great location, about 45 minutes from the mountains and 3 hours from the beach, so it's easy to find somewhere nice to go. We just recently sold our pop-up camper to free up some money for the baby we're going to have in a few weeks, but most years we probably got away for about 4-5 short weekend trips and one slightly longer "real" vacation. This past year we didn't get away much at all because I was pregnant most of the year, and I'm sure it will be a while before we're ready to take our new baby on the road. I'm looking forward to going somewhere in a few months where I can really relax.

 

[EROS]

1 week/year and several long weekends

 

[AirForceRocks]

I don't count the long weekends to visit la famiglia in Philadelphia a vacation because it isn't. It's running from one relative's house to another in a very short amount of time. It's rather exhausting.

We solved the running around problem very easily. If we are traveling from DC to Florida, everyone knows where we'll be staying. If they want to see us, then they can come to the house and see us. Otherwise, they can catch us on the next trip.

 

[JAP]

We usually do one long week and then take a day or two here and there.

I like AFR idea. LOL! DH's family takes turns visiting. They keep trying to plan family trips and I am a little opposed to that idea. A long weekend somewhere with them would be great but otherwise I would like some relaxing time alone with DH and kids.

 

[DonnaS]

We take as many as we can budget and get the time off for. DH has six weeks of vacation, but we don't go out of town for all of it.

Since we don't have children and the responsibilities (financial and otherwise) that they entail, we are able to do more.

Last year we did a 2 week to Hawaii (it was supposed to be 3 weeks, but we had to cut back) and a few trips to Disneyland.

This year we will do a 1 week trip to Idaho and a 2 week trip to Alaska/Canada.

However, when money is short, our vacation savings is the first one borrowed/ robbed from. LOL