Where is travel listed in your priorities/budget?

[mrsabbott]

I dream of travel and yet, it never seems to be a priority! I don't mean jet setting it around the world (although I totally would if I could!).. I just want to visit cool places with my family! Make memories! I'm even thinking we might just camp our way across America! Inexpensive and yet fun, right?

Well, it seems like there is always something.. Right now, I'm the only one working full time. I don't make much and my son's pre-school/day care costs an arm and a leg even if I do get half off! Hubs is a full time student right now and while the GI Bill pays for his schooling, the only income from him is his VA disability (which we're thankful to have but doesn't cover everything). Due to a failed business, we also have a lot of additional debt. Not to mention a ton of repairs and things that need doing around the house!

And so, any extra income (there isn't much) has to go toward bills or repairs. Year after year after year, we have to put off traveling and vacationing. Our kids are growing up fast!

We have a small vacation fund with about $500 in it. I'd like to add more to it if I could, even if it's just $10 a month right now. DH says he wants to travel and is open to camping and things like that.. but his idea of travel is going to car races.. which is okay occasionally, but not what I'd call fun all the time. He wants to camp at race tracks, I want to camp in the Florida Keys or the Grand Canyon..

Do you put travel and vacation in your budget? Is it a priority for you or just something you do if you happen to have extra money?

 

[dawnhaze]

I have multiple savings accounts for different things and one is for travel. It doesn't get contributed to until after bills are paid, food is bought, and the short and long term emergency savings have already been contributed to.

It is a priority over pretty much any other luxury item for me though.

 

[Colleen27]

For us, the only luxury expense that comes above travel is my girls' tuition. Repairs come before vacation but not upgrades or remodels, even though we're in an older home that could certainly use it. The way we see it, our ugly bathroom will still be ugly in a few years, but our options for traveling with the children will only disappear as time goes by.

My oldest is in high school now and that's cramping our style - football and band rule out about 2/3 of the summer and most weekends from Aug to Nov. Once my middle child gets to high school we may not have any time at all that works for everyone, because she's a multi-sport athlete, in band, and planning on a very rigorous academic program besides. So we do make it a high priority to travel as much as possible now, knowing that there will soon come a day when all the money in the world wouldn't allow us to get away as a family.

 

[superme80]

At the moment it isn't a priority. We can't afford it. Hopefully in a few years we will be financially stable and can budget trips in. We traveled a lot when I was growing up. We saw tons of historical sites, museums, and camped all over California. I would like to do that with my boys...well maybe not the camping part. I want to do a road trip across the United States when my boys are in late elementary school. Take it before mommy and daddy are no longer cool enough for them.

 

[JillianMarie]

For us, travel ranks pretty high. We drive old cars, live in a much more economical house than we could probably afford and pinch pennies everywhere we can so that we can afford to travel. My friends think we have WAY more money than we do because they only see where we go, they don't see the tight budgeting in the rest of our lives to make it possible for that to happen.

 

[ZoeBell]

It is definitely a priority for me. It's always on my mind. I'm always on the lookout for a good deal. I don't go as often as I'd like though. I put away $100 a pay period(get paid every 2 weeks) into a credit union vacation club. I don't use it for anything besides vacation. But when I settle on a vacation it usually takes more then my vacation club money. Then when I kick it into high gear and save with my everyday money.

 

[superme80]

For us, travel ranks pretty high. We drive old cars, live in a much more economical house than we could probably afford and pinch pennies everywhere we can so that we can afford to travel. My friends think we have WAY more money than we do because they only see where we go, they don't see the tight budgeting in the rest of our lives to make it possible for that to happen.

This is how it is with my parents. It took me years to realize how their budget worked. My mom loves to travel and they cut a lot out of their budget so they can. Both are content to live modestly so they can go more places.

 

[AliceIn]

Do you put travel and vacation in your budget? Is it a priority for you or just something you do if you happen to have extra money?

We did not take our first real vacation until last year when our oldest was 11. The other two were 8 and 7. We had high daycare costs for a long while, and I did not feel that our 401Ks had enough in them to justify big vacation expenses. We visited family in other states and did small day trips while we were there. We also did a couple of "staycations" during the winter time where we'd do a day or two at a local hotel with an indoor pool. For the kids, this was plenty for a long time.

Now that the kids are older and we have a bit more disposable income, we will likely take vacations more regularly. We have based it on how good our bonuses are. We get them in late January/early February. If it's a good bonus, we'll take a nice vacation. If it's mediocre or poor, we'll do something more scaled back.

 

[mrsklamc]

Do you put travel and vacation in your budget? Is it a priority for you or just something you do if you happen to have extra money?

Well, sorta both. It is a priority, but it does have to wait until we have 'extra' money.

We do travel, but less than I'd like because DH is a 'stuff' person while I am an 'experience' person so we have to compromise.

 

[goingtowdwwithkiddos]

It is high for us. We live really cheaply our house and cars are much less expensive than our yearly income. I have savings for emergencies and we do not use that for vacations. We do not eat out often about 10 times a year, we do waste plenty of money on our kids, and now that we have started high school we can only go during school vacation time so most places our higher to go so if we are going we have to make it a priority.

 

[lauradis]

1. roof over head
2. food
3. electric
4. saving for retirement
5. vacation


So after the true requirements of life, its high for me. We do live lower then our means. save about 15 percent into retirement and only 3 percent to present day vacations but 5 percent of the retirement savings is for travel slush fund..

 

[LJSquishy]

We don't have a vacation fund or even have vacation set as a priority at all...it's never on the radar for us. We don't go anywhere except once in a blue moon.

We've been married for over 6 years and other than our honeymoon, our only vacation to date has been Disney World in 2011. I desperately want to go again, but a $3,000 vacation isn't exactly budget friendly. Maybe in a few years.

 

[Marionnette]

I dream of travel and yet, it never seems to be a priority! I don't mean jet setting it around the world (although I totally would if I could!).. I just want to visit cool places with my family! Make memories! I'm even thinking we might just camp our way across America! Inexpensive and yet fun, right?

Well, it seems like there is always something.. Right now, I'm the only one working full time. I don't make much and my son's pre-school/day care costs an arm and a leg even if I do get half off! Hubs is a full time student right now and while the GI Bill pays for his schooling, the only income from him is his VA disability (which we're thankful to have but doesn't cover everything). Due to a failed business, we also have a lot of additional debt. Not to mention a ton of repairs and things that need doing around the house!

And so, any extra income (there isn't much) has to go toward bills or repairs. Year after year after year, we have to put off traveling and vacationing. Our kids are growing up fast!

We have a small vacation fund with about $500 in it. I'd like to add more to it if I could, even if it's just $10 a month right now. DH says he wants to travel and is open to camping and things like that.. but his idea of travel is going to car races.. which is okay occasionally, but not what I'd call fun all the time. He wants to camp at race tracks, I want to camp in the Florida Keys or the Grand Canyon..

Do you put travel and vacation in your budget? Is it a priority for you or just something you do if you happen to have extra money?

Taking time off to relax is a pretty high priority for us, but that doesn't necessarily involve travel. I don't know that I would be able to put $10/month aside for vacationing and then allow myself the freedom to spend it on a luxury when there are necessities that need to be paid for. However, I'm at a different stage in my life from where you're sitting right now. My house is paid off. Never carried debt other than my student loans from the 1980's. The kids are nearly finished with college. Our retirement funds are doing well and our business is thriving. Travel is high on my list of priorities only because we have all of the other more pressing financial matters on autopilot.

It sounds as if you're just not at a place in your life where travel is going to happen easily. But you can still make magical memories with the kids. Pitch a tent in the back yard. Toast marshmallows over a fire pit. Catch lightening bugs. Tell ghost stories. Sing camp songs.

Or take them fishing at a state park. Pack a picnic. Show them how to skip rocks. Pick some wild flowers.

It doesn't have to cost money or happen in a distant location in order to be memorable.

 

[emma'smom]

This! My carpets totally need replacing and the wallpaper in our master bath screams 1997---but bring on the cruise ships and mickey bars! Seriously, the carpets can always be replaced later--but memories can't be replaced. We've started to encourage my aging parents to travel with us so we can guide them along and assist them as needed. Pictures/videos with grandparents and grandchildren can't wait....and who knows what the future brings.

We have a vacation account where I put any extra money we have after regular bills and savings---travel is probably one of our highest priorities (beyond necessary expenditures at home including private school tuition). We have friends who fret about the cost of vacations, yet they just had new furniture delivered. To each their own.....it's all about what we value, right?

For us, the only luxury expense that comes above travel is my girls' tuition. Repairs come before vacation but not upgrades or remodels, even though we're in an older home that could certainly use it. The way we see it, our ugly bathroom will still be ugly in a few years, but our options for traveling with the children will only disappear as time goes by.

So we do make it a high priority to travel as much as possible now, knowing that there will soon come a day when all the money in the world wouldn't allow us to get away as a family.

 

[StephMK]

Travel is the most important expense to us other than the necessities. We don't get the extra movie channels on cable, use pay as you cells, and drive older cars. We will even wait on non-essential home repairs rather than give up a trip. We define trip as anywhere away from home though. Lots of our travel is to visit family. We both value family and never know how many future opps we'll have to visit.

Both sides of the family are out of state so we do lots of road trips. Even a weekend trip involves a decent amount for gas money and boarding for the dogs. We go to the beach annually and do some weekends away to visit family in different locations. Luckily, siblings and parents all live near different big cities so we can combine sight seeing with visiting family. We do a big "our family only" trip every other year or so. Next year we are doing a road trip through WY to Yellowstone.

I never thought about it until pp mentioned it but both DH & I are experience people over stuff. Neither of us has any expensive hobbies or collections. Going places is our main entertainment expense.

I grew up going on annual vacations so it has always been a priority. My parents were very careful with the budget and always planned for an annual trip.

 

[DawnM]

I have an ING account (now Capital One) that takes out some $$ each month automatically.

We also typically use DH's bonus each year for travel. He doesn't get large bonuses, but enough for a frugal Disney trip usually.

Dawn

 

[HeatherC]

Travel is a big priority for us. We go away...ALOT. And we have three kids, live in a high cost of living area and are pretty much one income. (I sub at the schools during the school year.)

Because money is always tight, I am constantly looking for the best value in our vacations. We have been to Disney more times than I can count. Never imagined we would ever be able to afford it. Then I discovered the internet which makes it so easy and fun to plan.

We have used SkyAuction for $250 a week villas, credit card points for free airfare and hotel stays. If I get a few extra dollars one week, I may buy a small gift card to use for vacation at places we like to eat at.
We have camped many times, saved our pennies and change and birthday money, etc..

We have also used biddingfor travel, getravelop and govarm to stay affordably in beautiful places. I am talking 2-300 dollars for a week!
It truly can be done, just takes a lot of leg work which some people just don't want to do. Me? I live for it.

To me, that $500 you have saved can almost be a weeks vacation somewhere.

I guess I look at it like...I want to go, how much do I need, and how can I make it happen quickly. Once I book something, it is funny how much we can come up with to make it happen.

Start small..see if you can cut your grocery bill by $10 this week. Put the money in your vacation fund. Use a coupon...put the money saved in your fund. Don't buy fast foood the next time, put that money aside. It truly does add up quick.

My kids are growing up so fast and I am SO happy that we have been able to travel with them as much as we have.

Good luck to you!

 

[nunzia]

For us, travel ranks pretty high. We drive old cars, live in a much more economical house than we could probably afford and pinch pennies everywhere we can so that we can afford to travel. My friends think we have WAY more money than we do because they only see where we go, they don't see the tight budgeting in the rest of our lives to make it possible for that to happen.

That is pretty much us as well. It isn't that we don't enjoy day to day life, it is just that we enjoy being frugal in little things and then splurging on a big thing.

 

[hsmamato2]

let's see....
#1- Home
#2-Food
#3-Car
#4-Traveling/experiences
I don't think it's always a matter of money, I've noticed it's a matter of choices,and time-provided you can make some time, you can go have experiences together- It's a definite choice, I choose not to spend in many other ways,so I can put $$ aside to travel.
Travel can = whatever interests you,zoos,theme parks,forests,beaches,camping,hotels,driving,flying,trains...whatever.Notice on my list,things like new clothes,and toys,aren't even on there. I just replaced some broken furniture in my home recently, but it was all on clearance for cheap,and it was needed-we had put it off for quite a while, on the basis that the couch would still be ratty anyway, but this time together traveling,well,that was happening now. And it was (still ratty when we got back LOL)

 

[JessM]

Vacations rank very high on my priority list. I won't go into debt over them but they are much more important to me than "stuff". My DBF and I both have demanding careers we have recently started (me 2 years ago, him this year) and our vacations are a time for us to spend time with just each other without distractions.

We normally do one beach/cruise vacation and one other vacation a year. We also will do a weekend away 4ish times a year. This year will be more difficult because we have 3 out of state weddings to attend but we will make it work.

We don't buy extra clothes or other things we don't need, we eat out with groupons and we pack our lunches for work. Many of the local things we do for fun are free like hiking, kayaking or see bands at one of our local pubs. I also look for great deals on vacations so we get out of it pretty inexpensively. We've already learned how to work the Credit Card reward system and I travel a lot for work so I normally have some rental car or hotel rewards to use up.