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They say that the best years of your life is in your 20s. I am in my mid 20s (26) and day by day I am getting older. I want to travel. I want to go to Miami LA NYC again Toronto and London etc. Though I work 2 minimum wage jobs. My parents travel they actually went to NYC today with my niece for a couple of days. My mom told me that I need to travel more and I told her I dont have any money.
I see people on facebook around my age that are going all over the world and country! How are they doing it? I know every person situation is different. Ae they getting a credit card and taking short trips and paying for it later? What the hell are they doing?
I do have enough to travel but I REALLY want to move out of my parents house.
How can you travel the globe and in this country when earning so little. I am in school to I am getting a degree in TV production. Anyways what can I do to travel more when I earn so little and trying to save to move out?
What are ways to go on a vacation or take quick trips around the country and etc?
Sugar mommy/daddy? Find someone successful with a career on latch on for the ride....your niece seems to have figured it out.
Otherwise, I've found no shortcuts to affordable travel....especially after you have kids...heck even fast food for a family of 5 is now $35 when its all said/done.
The fact that she brought up credit cards is a big red flag. Anyone who considers opening credit cards in order to travel, has no business traveling.
She's going to have to decide what's more important ... moving out of her parents' house and having savings, or travel. I can't imagine that all these things are possible while earning minimum wage.
I don't know about that now...you must have meant 'anyone who considers opening credit cards *and financing all of their travel with the funds from the cards* has no business traveling'.
I opened up a credit card for the exact purpose of being able to use it for travel and plan on doing it again soon.
Got the Chase Sapphire Reserve with the 100,000 point sign-up bonus and went to Kauai. That's coming from someone who only had 1 credit card up until the age of 36 (now I have 3 but I only use one...whichever is giving me the best travel benefits at the moment).
If OP is 26 I'm assuming she may have a card or two already; using a cc for the sign-up points/bonuses to help fund travel might be a decent idea if she is responsible at managing credit. I can't say it's the 'first' thing I'd suggest to OP though considering her circumstance of still being at home and saving up to move out. Probably not spending enough to make worth getting a card for this purpose unless she has a big purchase coming up...
Sugar mommy/daddy? Find someone successful with a career on latch on for the ride....your niece seems to have figured it out.
Otherwise, I've found no shortcuts to affordable travel....especially after you have kids...heck even fast food for a family of 5 is now $35 when its all said/done.
What's wrong with packing a picnic? HUGE money-saver for families, and if you can find a nice picnic ground - check out local parks as well as state and national parks - the kids can run around and stretch their legs (then sleep most of the afternoon) and you'll have a pleasant break from driving. Works during nice weather for three seasons.
I don't know about that now...you must have meant 'anyone who considers opening credit cards *and financing all of their travel with the funds from the cards* has no business traveling'.
I opened up a credit card for the exact purpose of being able to use it for travel and plan on doing it again soon.
Got the Chase Sapphire Reserve with the 100,000 point sign-up bonus and went to Kauai. That's coming from someone who only had 1 credit card up until the age of 36 (now I have 3 but I only use one...whichever is giving me the best travel benefits at the moment).
If OP is 26 I'm assuming she may have a card or two already; using a cc for the sign-up points/bonuses to help fund travel might be a decent idea if she is responsible at managing credit. I can't say it's the 'first' thing I'd suggest to OP though considering her circumstance of still being at home and saving up to move out. Probably not spending enough to make worth getting a card for this purpose unless she has a big purchase coming up...
The flaw in this logic is that there's almost always a large spend involved in order to get the sign-up points. The Sapphire Reserve is $4000 in three months wth a $450 annual fee (for 50,000 bonus pts ) For United, it's $2000 in three months with a $95 annual fee (40,000 bonus pts). The lowest is probably Southwest at $1000 in three months with a $100 annual fee (40,000 bonus pts). That's a lot of charging for someone who is on minimum wage. And my suspicion is that even with two minimum wage jobs, she's probably not working 40 hrs/wk. And at 26, probably doesn't have enough established credit to qualify for the Sapphire Reserve, or even the United.
OP, where do you want to go the most? Abroad? Big city? National park? The beach? Decide, then focus on that goal. In all cases, start squirreling away a travel fund. Read up on your chosen destination. Check YouTube videos and other online sites.
See if student rates apply to admissions, tickets, events, etc. Take notes.
Do you have a car? Or are you dependent on other forms of transportation? If you have a decent car, check online for the cheapest gas in your area and sock away the savings. If you choose domestic travel, get some friends together to go with you - you can drive, they can chip in on gas and accommodations. Consider camping - huge savings. Pack picnics and snacks, and hit local supermarkets and vegetable stands and bakeries, etc., en route and at your destination. Plan on splurging for one really nice meal in a really nice place during your trip - otherwise, take care of your own meals.
Check out local attractions and places within a 100 mile radius for daytrips before you venture farther. Then plan a weekend or weekday three or four day trip to somewhere nearby, so you won't be on the road all the time. This will help your cabin fever without busting your budget.
And plan ahead. School will start soon, so keep an eye out for more ambitious possibilities for spring break and next summer.
Hostels & camping are cheap ways to stay in places. Decide where you want to go & find the cheapest method to get there ( bus or train if domestic travel) & then look for a cheap hostel or bring camping gear. Buy easy to prepare food at grocers, & picnic, you do not have to eat out. You can buy some sliced cheese, crackers & fruit & that is fine.
Hostels & camping are cheap ways to stay in places. Decide where you want to go & find the cheapest method to get there ( bus or train if domestic travel) & then look for a cheap hostel or bring camping gear. Buy easy to prepare food at grocers, & picnic, you do not have to eat out. You can buy some sliced cheese, crackers & fruit & that is fine.
You can buy unsliced cheese for less, and slice it yourself. Bring crackers from home to save time and $$, buy some fruit locally for freshness. Check out farmers' markets along the route.
The flaw in this logic is that there's almost always a large spend involved in order to get the sign-up points. The Sapphire Reserve is $4000 in three months wth a $450 annual fee (for 50,000 bonus pts ) For United, it's $2000 in three months with a $95 annual fee (40,000 bonus pts). The lowest is probably Southwest at $1000 in three months with a $100 annual fee (40,000 bonus pts). That's a lot of charging for someone who is on minimum wage. And my suspicion is that even with two minimum wage jobs, she's probably not working 40 hrs/wk. And at 26, probably doesn't have enough established credit to qualify for the Sapphire Reserve, or even the United.
No flaws in the logic as I already stated she's probably not the 'best' candidate to take this route and already mentioned what you said about spending (although I wouldn't rule it out completely without more concrete information about her situation as (a) we don't know if she could qualify for either or not based on her credit history, and (b) like I said if she has a large purchase coming up it could be an option). Are you totally against her getting a SW card which only requires a 1,000 spend then if she could qualify for it? Just curious.
I was addressing your original statement which started out saying 'anyone' considering opening up credit cards for travel shouldn't do it which I don't agree with. I put in a clarifying statement saying that I 'do' however agree that anyone considering funding all of their travel using money from a credit card (without the ability to pay it off quickly) should not do this--which is what I actually assumed you meant (although that has not been clarified).
You can buy unsliced cheese for less, and slice it yourself. Bring crackers from home to save time and $$, buy some fruit locally for freshness. Check out farmers' markets along the route.
I know that, but sometimes I do not have a knife with me, nor do I want to go get one from a FF place. The price difference is often minimal anyhow. Or some deli meat
It will still be cheaper & healthier (imo) than FF
The flaw in this logic is that there's almost always a large spend involved in order to get the sign-up points. The Sapphire Reserve is $4000 in three months wth a $450 annual fee (for 50,000 bonus pts ) For United, it's $2000 in three months with a $95 annual fee (40,000 bonus pts). The lowest is probably Southwest at $1000 in three months with a $100 annual fee (40,000 bonus pts). That's a lot of charging for someone who is on minimum wage. And my suspicion is that even with two minimum wage jobs, she's probably not working 40 hrs/wk. And at 26, probably doesn't have enough established credit to qualify for the Sapphire Reserve, or even the United.
Barclay AA Card recently had a bonus where you paid the annual fee and made 1 purchase and got 50K AA Miles, which is close to an off peak Europe RT.
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