Colleen27
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2007
I think it is more socially acceptable to say "we can't afford it" rather than "we choose to not spend our money on that," but I feel they are sort of mixed up.
Weird, isn't it? But so true.
I think it is more socially acceptable to say "we can't afford it" rather than "we choose to not spend our money on that," but I feel they are sort of mixed up.
Not that it's any of your business but we didnt pay for any of those. All of those trips were either with my grandparents or aunt, uncle and cousin who paid for everything and they were overnight trips to DL. We live an hour away from DL. We would drive down around 8AM and drive back around 5PM thr next day.
We havent been ona vacation that WE have paid for in 3 years because we havent had the money. We've just been lucky enough to have relatives to go with for the weekend.
I think it's sad to see people eating every meal in their room, eating tuna fish for a week, limiting their park days.. that's just sad. How is that fun? How are you enjoying life, why are you living beyond your means for a theme park ? Why are you making your family miserable for the mouse?
You have not been on a vacation in 3 years but you have three listed in your signature (2008, 2009 and 2010). Aren't they vacations?
All of the above AND we can pay for it without charging it. Yes I put it on the credit card for the protection and miles but we are able to pay for it when the bill comes. And we don't owe anything on the credit cards before the trip or special thing.
Ok Fabmic, I'm going to pick on you just a little. You aren't the only one who does this.
Why when someone ask a question about money or the lack of it do we feel the need to point out how many vacations they have had?IMO, that is so annoying. First, in general it's downright rude. second, it's not anyones business.
Just my pet peeve.
I guess I don't consider our overnighters as vacations. That's where the confusion was I guess. Going 1 hour from home for a night does not mean vacation to me. I guess it all depends on your definition of vacation. If it had not been paid for by other people we wouldn't have gone (and actually, 3 of those times was just me, not my parents). I'm just lucky that I have a younger cousin who gets to invite someone and chooses to invite me. Yes I am extremely grateful for these "trips" but in my mind, I don't consider them to have been vacations. So I still stand by the fact that we have not been on a real vacation in 3 years because we haven't had the cash for it. YMMV
Vacations are part of our itemized budget. We don't go until the money is there and we don't take from another fund to pay for it.
Now, I have no problem forgoing a few things to add to the fund. We can give up eating out as much for a few months, we can give up salmon this month and go with chicken....and sometimes we have had to do that as unexpected expenses have come up, like a new HVAC or a new appliance to replace the broken one.
Dawn
I also budget for vacations, but occasionally I do take from another fund. There are times when I underspend and/or can find a little room in my budget. If all my obligations are met (retirement, college, expenses) I have been known to do a quick trip to DW on the cheap.
Well, I guess the rest of my post shows I am willing to take from another itemized budget list, but it is an expendable list, like swapping out an expensive food item for a less expensive......or extra couponing for the month, etc....there are some list items I will not take from.
We do have wiggle room in our budget though and don't have debt other than the house.
Dawn