Making Travel a Priority

I’ve been asked so many times, how can I afford to travel as frequently as I do?  It’s very easy–my husband and I have made travel a priority in our lives, budgets, etc.  You only live once and this is a way we prefer to live.

We actually have a running list of where we’d like to go, how long of a trip it should be, and then we work towards making it happen. Some places are great for a long weekend–if we can drive there in a few hours or fly there quickly–like Las Vegas or Memphis, anything concerning the beach and relaxation should be a 1 week trip, and anywhere that will involve a long flight or a lot of exploration–Europe or Greece–will be a 2 week trip.
map of greece
However, sometimes we have to sprinkle in unplanned trips which can set our list back a little. For instance, my British friends Matt and Emma will be on holiday in Mexico in October.  I originally met them in Mexico, so we’ve decided to vacation at the same resort as a reunion of sorts.  We weren’t planning to go to Mexico this year–we’ve been there so many times–but I can’t wait to see Matt and Emma!

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Grand Palladium Pool

How do we save for a trip?  Easy, we have one bank account set aside, just for trip money AND we put half of every paycheck in there.  Sounds like a lot , right? But we consider travel just as important as making the truck payment.  We cut all other extraneous costs down to a minimum, so unless it’s a necessity, extra money doesn’t get spent.  I never stop to buy a cup of coffee on my way in to work and I rarely eat lunch out.  I usually bring a lunch to work with me.  We use coupons to help keep the grocery bill down, and use our grocery shopper’s card to rack up our fuel points. We also work from a grocery list and don’t buy a bunch of stuff that’s not on it–this means very little junk food.  It also helps that my husband is a bargain shopper–we rarely buy new clothes unless they are on sale.  I’m not so good at catching clothes on sale, but I’m getting better at it. I love the beginning of summer when I get to stock up on sweaters for next year!  Any extra money we receive also ends up in this account–bonuses, gifts, etc.

Keep in mind, this isn’t our only savings.  We also have another account for saving for emergency or capital expenses.  This way, if a big expense comes up, like the time I slid off the road in black ice and needed all 4 tires replaced at the same time, we take it from that account NOT the vacation account.  And the first money that comes out of any pay is retirement/401K/mutual funds.  We are paying ourselves and our retirement before anything else so that hopefully when we are retired, we have enough money to travel to our hearts content!
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We will also bargain shop for the trip.  I will do frequent comparisons of prices through Apple Vacations, Funjet, and Cheap Caribbean.  Doing a search on Expedia will alert me to which airlines fly to our destination and what the flight schedules look like.  Based on those results, I will then price bundled trips through the airlines.  Typically, during these searches I can also determine if there are any sales on certain resorts or airlines which can also help us save money on the trip cost.  I love a good fill-the-rooms sale!

Overall, if you are planning your budget wisely and sticking to it (it does take diligence and discipline), it’s pretty easy to save for vacationing.

Where Should You Travel?

I frequently get asked the question of where should I go for my next vacation? That’s never an easy answer for me. Do you think you want to go where I’m going next? (I’m shooting for Barbados, but could end up anywhere.) Unless you do, you may want to take some things into consideration. Here’s how I decide.time-2801596_1280*How much time do I have to devote to my next trip? If I have a week or more, I’ll venture further from home and keep in mind that I’ll need to budget for more. If I only have a few days, I’ll stay closer to home and seek out non-stop flights so I don’t waste an entire day getting there.dollar-941246_1280*What is my budget? If I have a lot to spend on vacay, I’ll upgrade to a nicer resort (there’s definitely a difference between a Sandals and others). If I have a limited budget, I’ll stick to a less inclusive or seek out a non-inclusive resort, villa, or studio to stay in.ecstatic-2821540_1280*Regardless of anything else, I will search for what’s on sale. In the past, this has landed me in a completely different country than I originally intended, but I can’t pass up saving money when it’s able to be saved. I like to use Apple Vacations, Expedia, Momondo, Southwest Airlines, FunJet, Cheap Caribbean, Room Scanner to help me price trips.*What activities do I want to participate in? Do I want an active, sightseeing trip? Do I want to do volunteer work while I’m there? Do I just want to veg by the pool and sip fruity cocktails? Activities will come into play when deciding on the where.*Do I want to go somewhere warm or cold? Or is the location more important than climate? If there’s a particular place I have on my list to visit, climate won’t really matter to me. But, if my goal is a restful, relaxing trip, you’ll find me by the pool or scuba diving in a warm, most likely Caribbean locale.

*What dates will I be traveling? Any travel around holidays, will tend to have a higher price tag. So, the trade off is usually pay more to travel when I have holiday days off, or save more on the trip, but use a vacation day to go during non-holiday times. And most trips during the summer months will tend to cost more.*Who will I be going with? If it’s just me and hubby, we can easily determine where we are going. If others are going, or this will be a group trip, we’ll need to determine if they are bringing children, what their budget is, and what activities they would be interested in. Is it a girls weekend or family trip? That adds other needs to consider.

All in all, it’s a loaded question when you ask me where you should travel to, but at least now you know why and may have some ideas of your own. Regardless of where you decide to go, the important thing is to just go!

To AI or not AI? That is the question

I’m a huge fan of all-inclusive vacations, which are common if you travel to a non-US locale.  Even more specifically, I love all-inclusive resorts!  I know there’s a large segment of dissenters who would argue that all-inclusive vacations aren’t “authentic”.  Don’t get me wrong–I have vacationed a la carte as well as the rest.  But I do think the all-inclusive vacation has created a niche that simplifies vacationing and make it more relaxing.  As far as “authenticity” goes, any trip can be as “authentic” as you want.  It’s your own opinion that matters anyway.
Here’s what I like about the AI vacation:

  • You can make all of your arrangements–airfare, resort, transportation between airport and resort–in advance, usually in one place if you’re using a travel agent or booking yourself with AppleVacations, FunJet, Cheap Caribbean,etc., and for one price.
  • You can choose flights that accommodate your time frames.
    • I like to fly non-stop when possible (I don’t want to waste vacation time on travelling), so I shop for charters and typically have to fly certain days.
    • I prefer non red-eye flights since our nearest international airport is 2 hours away.
  • You can shop your resort. 
    • Do you prefer a 5 star with a view of the ocean, gourmet meals, and decked out rooms or are you just looking for a place to lay your head for a few hours at the end of the day?
    • Do you have to have your usual top-shelf drink or can you make do with the local beverages?
    • Do you want to vacation with children (or without, and don’t want to share the pool with any)?
  • You can choose your transportation between the resort and airport.
    • Do you need a quiet limo ride for only your group?
    • Do you have a small group who all want to share a van or mini-bus?
    • Do you want a fun-filled bus ride that you share with all others going to your resort and others nearby?
  • Once at your resort, your AI includes:
    • your room–always ask for the upgrade at check-in.
    • all food, beverages, and cocktails while you are there.
    • non-motorized sports like kayaking, snorkeling, tennis, gym facilities.
    • daily and evening entertainment which can be anything from games, sports, aerobics/yoga classes poolside to fun-filled evening shows that may be audience participated or musical/dance shows.
  • If you choose a Super Inclusive, or Luxury Inclusive you may even get:
    • gourmet dinners, 24-hour room service
    • American beverages and top shelf cocktails
    • Scuba diving, golf, jet-skis
    • evening performances by local celebrities
    • sunset catamaran cruises, candlelight dinners on the beach
  • The AI eliminates the needs for:
    • carrying cash on the resort.
    • trying to compute the resort’s foreign conversion rate when paying for anything.
    • accruing foreign transaction fees later after charging everything on your credit card.
    • tipping.  Be aware, some resorts don’t allow it.
    • leaving the resort while you are there.
  • Things that cost extra:
    • you can book any extra sight-seeing trips or excursions as you wish through your resort.
    • most resorts have a spa that will offer massage packages.
    • tipping–if you choose to.
    • gaming in the casino and souvenir shopping

Basically, you can schedule a ton of activities (free and otherwise) if you want, or you can schedule nothing and sit at the swim-up bar all day.  At an AI resort, it’s your vacation, your choice to do as much or little as you’d like.