Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have encountered a considerable amount of jealousy from those who do not travel.
In fact, I make a point of seldom talking about traveling unless I'm in a forum like this one, unless I am with a group that likes to talk about traveling, or I'm with a couple of close personal friends.
My wife recently retired from her job at work. I believe that many of her coworkers were jealous of the fact that we usually took about two major a trips a year (usually out of the country). The mistake she made was telling her coworkers where she was going. Anyway, there were a number of reasons she chose to retire, but I think the jealous attitude of her coworkers was part of it.
In my experience, travel seems to cause people to be more jealous than doing something like buying an expensive new car. People seem to largely overlook that.
I would encourage anyone taking big trips though to think twice before sharing your travel plans at work. You may want to tell them you're just staying home and doing yard work.
Traveling is very common in my social circle so nobody is jealousy.
But I prefer travel forums.
Everyone has his/her own travel preference. A bunch of friends went to Russia this winter, which I have zero interest. Destinations on my list do not interest others, either. On travel forums, there are discussions about almost any destination imaginable, for instance, Basque. I've been obsessed with Basque for almost a year. But very few I know have heard of it.
Was very interesting to live and work among the Basque. (where I found my favorite engineering / invention / and manf company partners of all time)! Borne from the persecution of Franco.) https://www.mondragon-corporation.com/en/about-us/
266 companies / 80,000+ employees, WW presence
I am not interested in very frugal travel, like camping, Couchsurfing, working holiday(volunteer).
When I can't afford a decent vacation(4-star hotels, dine out every day), I won't go. There's nothing wrong with staying at home. Sleeping on my own bed is ten times better than camping, not having to pack and unpack is relaxing, cooking a light breakfast at home is easy and healthy, reading a book in my chair is also a very rewarding experience.
Luckily, I have more time to travel than most people.
I don't mind cutting corners a bit on lodging or food, but if I'm scrimping and saving it means I can't afford the trip.
I think they ask because they are genuinely curious. And I thoroughly disagree with the comments that imply those who don't travel have somehow wasted their money on frivolous things. Which is somewhat the same in any discussion when someone wants to know how "X can afford Y?" when the answers assumes the person asking is wasting "disposable" income. There are many, many, people who don't have disposable income. They're "wasting" it on something frivolous like food, or mortgage, or kid's doctor bills. And because they don't have disposable income, they truly don't understand how others do.
Someone upthread mentioned "a small family of 3-4 is about $20,000 for a 7 day cruise." And said it in such a casual way, like having an extra $20K is no big deal. That's half a year's pay for most people.
$20,000 for a 7 day cruise with a few nights of accommodation and airfare to the Galapagos. Thing is the Galapagos is a special destination because of limited access and beautiful creatures in an environment hopefully untouched as much as possible. It is not an everyday or every year destination but once in a lifetime.
But for 10k a small family could go on a two week trip in 4-5 star accommodations in Europe, Morocco, or South America. Yes it can be 25% of yearly disposable income but if traveling is a priority and for 2 weeks out of the year living something new people can afford to travel. If they rather go fishing and buy a small fishing boat, rv camper or buy motorcycles or go to concerts they can do that instead.
$20,000 for a 7 day cruise with a few nights of accommodation and airfare to the Galapagos. Thing is the Galapagos is a special destination because of limited access and beautiful creatures in an environment hopefully untouched as much as possible. It is not an everyday or every year destination but once in a lifetime.
Fly to Quito and book a cruise there, will be closer to $2,000. Including cost of flight to GI ($400?) you'll come out way ahead.
Bonus = If have time can also arrange Amazon jungle tour from Quito, overnight bus to the rain forest spend a few days then bus back.
Sure if one does things cheap but then you get cheap experiences. I rather a top quality cruise and hotel.
You may personally prefer an expensive hotel and cruise, but "inexpensive" doesn't automatically equate to "cheap." I've mostly been going on expensive nature tours for the past few years (including Galapagos), but I've done inexpensive trips as well, and I've enjoyed those just as much.
Sure if one does things cheap but then you get cheap experiences. I rather a top quality cruise and hotel.
You can book all levels of cruises from Quito. Point was DIY arranging locally offers significant savings over a big package purchase from agent USA or internet, it doesn't have to be a "once in a lifetime" trip due to excessive cost.
My dad & his wife did tons of traveling. I never asked them how they could afford it. Now they're broke with no money for retirement. But I never pried into their business.
You can book all levels of cruises from Quito. Point was DIY arranging locally offers significant savings over a big package purchase from agent USA or internet, it doesn't have to be a "once in a lifetime" trip due to excessive cost.
Very true, or know someone who works on one of the cruise liners and possibly get a "Friends and Family" deal. When I was working down in Antarctica for the second time in 2010, our station manager's main job, was working for Lindblad Expeditions as the Expedition Leader or Undersea Specialist.
And she told all of us winterovers that we could use her deal whenever and wherever we wanted. So, me the budget traveler, jumped at the chance, considering Lindblad is one of the most expensive small expedition cruise liners out there. The way it worked, a month out, if there were openings for a particular cruise I wanted, I would call Lindblad and tell them who my friend was and they immediately charged me $50/day for however long the cruise was.
I never did a cruise before, and since I don't have my own sailboat, to get to places like the Falklands and South Georgia I would need to use a cruise liner. So I did a 21-day cruise, leaving from Buenos Aires, Argentina, down to the Valdes Peninsula for a day, then the Falklands for another 2 days then out to South Georgia where he circumnavigated the entire island over 8 or so days, got to see Shackleton's grave, then back to the Falklands for a few more days then we ended up in Ushuaia, Argentina.
The cruise cost me $1,050 and I threw in a $500 tip, but the normal price from the room I had for that particular cruise would have been $40,000 (that doesn't include airfare to South America), definitely one of my trips of a lifetimes. Plus I was already in South America after finishing my Antarctica contract so that helped as well.
For those wanting cheap cruises to Antarctica, there are some amazing, deep discounted, last minute deals out of Ushuaia, but the problem is you have to be hanging out in Ushuaia at the time of departure and hope for some openings/cancellations/no shows. I guess the company rather fill a room and get some money instead of letting it go empty.
Last edited by cjseliga; 01-21-2019 at 08:28 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
