Can You Afford a Vacation?

Years ago, I knew a family that had never been farther down the road than the town’s boundaries. They didn’t think they wanted to spend money ‘needlessly’ and that vacations were too expensive. On the other hand, however, I grew up always going on vacations every year. My parents planned and saved to give us the luxury of seeing the United States and Canada, a little bit at a time. These were always road trips. As my own small family grew up, we continued that tradition of traveling the United States and Canada by camping – one of the greatest ways to see the USA! As the children got older, we started cruising to the Caribbean and beyond as well as flying to our vacation destinations.
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To this day, my daughter, Karen, and I plan many get-aways each year. Some way in advance and some are more spontaneous. But each involves planning. Planning where to go. Planning how to get from here to there. Planning what to do once we get there. Planning how much to spend on hotels, transportation, excursions and food. It’s essential to plan to have an enjoyable vacation. Granted, there may be emergencies or other situations that crop up that you just can’t plan for. Those you will figure out as you go.

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The title of this blog post is “Can You Afford a Vacation?”. The answer to that question may mean many different things to many different people. Each has their own threshold and expectations. Some may only take day trips. Some enjoy staycations. Some take road trips. Some fly. Some travel by train. Some stay at resorts. Some camp. Some cruise. There’s something for everyone. Just engage your own individual sense of adventure and go! Enjoy! But plan, first!

• Travel where you live. For years, I lived in Rochester, New York. But until I participated in a ‘passport’ program, had never been to several of our local historic places of interest. It brought on a much greater appreciation for the architecture and people that built and served Rochester in the early days, and through the years.
• If you decide to fly to your destination, you may wish to use a travel agent (TA). They can search for the best deals and flights. While non-stop flights are not plentiful, they are much preferred, rather than layovers and changing planes along the way. If you are internet savvy, check out the airline sites on your own. I like to use Expedia AARP to get started and also have a few other sites, such as AirFareWatchDog, as well as the main carrier sites. You can have certain websites notify you when rates change or become available. Don’t forget to plan in advance how you are going to get to and from the airport! And be sure to budget for parking off-site near the airport or cruise terminal.
• If you are flexible with your travel dates, you may get a great deal money-wise. But not only that, if you can book on ‘shoulder’ dates of a busy season, the crowds will be less than during peak season. Just be mindful of the weather where you plan to go as that could impact your vacation.
• Not fussy about where you hang your hat? There are a plethora of hotels in every dollar bracket in just about every city near and far. Not a hotel person? What about an AirBnB? Or a more traditional Bed and Breakfast? Really adventurous? What about a hostel? Again, there’s something for everyone and their travel budget. Just be sure to totally read the descriptions for various amenities, fees, taxes and more, as these can and do add up!
• No need to exceed your daily food budget when traveling, unless of course, you plan only to eat at the best restaurants. There are always options nearby, whether it is a local restaurant, chain/brand restaurant, fast food restaurant, food trucks, street vendors etc. Or, order in! Many restaurants and drivers will deliver to just about anywhere! Growing up on our vacations, we had a big breakfast, then fruit and snacks in the car for lunch, then a decent dinner. When we travel now, we basically plan on one really nice meal during our time away. And yes, it’s usually Italian as we enjoy Chicken Parmigiana! The rest are less expensive options. Many hotels offer a complimentary breakfast for guests to start their day. This usually includes a couple of hot items such as scrambled eggs or waffles, fruit, cereal, pastries, juices and coffee/tea.
• If you decide to venture outside the United States, it’s best to have a credit card that does not charge foreign exchange fees. Most businesses large and small will accept a credit card. Some will accept US Dollars, but your change will be in the local currency. Many travel credit cards also offer travel insurance and rental car insurance as part of their program. But note, you need to use that card for the booking process to be covered. I’ve found that Capital One’s Venture card has worked well for us over the years.
• If you are cruising, often you will have to reserve and pay for your cruise well in advance. Some cruise lines expect final payment a year in advance of travel. This can be done in installment payments, making it easier than paying one large lump sum. Deposits are almost always required to hold a cabin. Once onboard, a sail & sign card that’s billed to your credit card is your cashless system for everything from beverages to shop purchases to excursions. Gratuities are automatically calculated and added to your account. Just be aware of your thirst as those bar bills add up fast and may put you over your budgeted vacation costs. Also, many of today’s large cruise ships offer a floating casino experience. Again, this can put you over your allotted budget, so be sure to plan accordingly.
• By doing your homework before traveling, you can get a good feel for what your vacation will cost you, again, barring any emergencies. Try to stick within that budget for an enjoyable and memorable vacation for all.
• Belonging to reward programs for airlines, hotels, credit cards, etc. can definitely help to make vacations affordable. Many have a cash-back system based on purchases.
• Some cruise lines, airlines and hotels have a system in place where you can purchase gift cards/certificates or buy miles. This may help with future vacation plans.
• As you complete your different vacation homework assignments, gather them all in one spot. I create spreadsheets. Not a big computer person? No worries! I used to use a notebook, and of course there were many hi-lighted entries in the AAA TourBooks.
• Want to know how much you actually spent on your vacation? Keep track of your expenses. Take an envelope or two along to keep receipts in, or one for each day’s receipts. Or write them down by the day in a notebook. It will be interesting to see how well you planned when all was said and done! And it will give you insight into future travel budgets and help you plan better for your next vacation. It’s also helpful for filling out customs forms if you’ve traveled overseas and made purchases that need to be declared.
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  For years, when my late husband worked at Kodak, we had to have our entire year’s vacation requests in by March. I truly believe that this is what makes me the planner that I am today. We’d talk about what we wanted to see or do and I’d research it by delving into AAA TourBooks and maps. We truly had some great, memorable vacations over the years. I dreamed about going to Hawaii and Alaska. I put a ‘time’ on when I wanted to go and we made it happen. I wanted to see each state in the United States. So far so good, with the exception of North Dakota — still on my bucket list! Anything is possible! As Walt Disney said, “A dream is a wish your heart makes.” Make your dreams of traveling come true!
  Go! Seek! Explore the world around you!

You’re never too young to start dreaming,
and you’re never too old for your dream to come true.
Follow your dream.
— singer-composer Robert Finley