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.........I have been too poor to take a vacation for a long time. .........I can only save about $200 a month at best, ..........
You were living within 30 miles of the Oregon beach parks where camping is $12-$20 a night. You own a little pickup with a shell to camp in. Dogs are allowed in all those campgrounds.
So, I suspect that what you mean is that you don't feel you can afford the sort of vacation you deserve.
Maybe all those families who can't afford a vacation actually mean to say they can't afford the sort of vacation they think they deserve. No week at Disney World, no Caribbean Cruise, nor any week in Paris. They don't mean that they can't afford to go and spend a week at Grandma's house, or go camping and hiking in the state parks and they don't count a weekend fishing with the kids to be a real vacation.
As kids, we went to Grandmas house for a month or two, she lived on a farm, so it was like a wonderland to us city kids. We did not eat out, ( it was not the done thing back then) a meal out was at a different relatives home. Nowadays as seniors, we do sometimes take a cruise or a more lavish vacation, but there is also nothing wrong in packing the cooler & heading a 100 miles in any direction. Fun.
People who moan about no vacations or travel, are, probably, the same ones buying $5 Starbucks several times a week. We all have to set our own priorities
Now you’re gonna hear the angry swarming buzz of pet owners! However, I have to agree that having pets does make a financial difference, however slight compared with the rest of a lifestyle.
When we had dogs (and having two is NOT “just as cheap as having one”!) and went on vacation, we had to add the cost of their caretaking while we were gone. It can be substantial at $50/day or more. And no, bringing them on vacation was not an option, since the point was to do things that we normally could not do because of pet duties. A weekend away with them was nice sometimes, but not a real or prolonged vacation from the routine.
You are right! Dogs are amazing, but they are expensive if you plan to travel without them. Lots of places (i.e. national parks) don't allow dogs. Leaving a dog at home like you said costs $40-50 a night. For some that might not be a lot of money, but for others it is.
You were living within 30 miles of the Oregon beach parks where camping is $12-$20 a night. You own a little pickup with a shell to camp in. Dogs are allowed in all those campgrounds.
So, I suspect that what you mean is that you don't feel you can afford the sort of vacation you deserve.
Maybe all those families who can't afford a vacation actually mean to say they can't afford the sort of vacation they think they deserve. No week at Disney World, no Caribbean Cruise, nor any week in Paris. They don't mean that they can't afford to go and spend a week at Grandma's house, or go camping and hiking in the state parks and they don't count a weekend fishing with the kids to be a real vacation.
Last year we wanted to do a three night vacation on the Oregon coast. We had enough budget for one night at a hotel so we did some research and found a yurt to rent at a state work and had a three night vacation. It was a great time and the yurt was short walk to the beach. Plus we saved money preparing our own food. Affordable vacations can be just as memorable.
I've done it ,with a family of 4 ,for $600 per week. One needs to plan according to a strict budget.
All year long, all expenses are put on a point's earning credit card. I get free membership in all the programs. I worked part time in a hotel chain. We drive,and bring our gear.
Finding a average hotel,with a good pool and maybe a kitchen ,in orlando,is not that expensive. $80 per night is doable. Doing groceries and having most meals at the hotel is doable. Doing just 1 Disney park is ok. Bumper cars are fun and cheap,etc.
Or even a week at the beach. Stay at a hotel 10 minutes Tues from Shore. Fill the cooler for the day. Sand and water is all you need.
Only 39 million can't afford it? With over 200 million Americans? I find it hard to believe that the vast majority of Americans can afford summer vacations, actually.
I have been too poor to take a vacation for a long time. The last one I took was a year ago and I met a friend at an AirBnB vacation guest house and we both brought food and paid for our own gas, and I think she paid more than half for the guest house. It was a huge splurge for me.
I can only save about $200 a month at best, and that's if nothing goes wrong each month. I don't think I'm a giant exception to most of America these days.
But, I'm a homebody, too and I have my hobbies and a (normally) quiet apartment somewhere with good weather, so it's really no big deal to me. I'd like more money to go visit friends who don't live close, more often. But, I figure that's a first world problem.
You really only need a vacation if you don't like to be where you are, eh?
Husband and I can afford a vacation anytime we want. But we hate the thought of going somewhere, staying in marginal hotels or paying high rates for good ones, eating unfamiliar food, etc.
There is no place like home and the cash is still in the bank.
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