Ah. Vacation Time Is Here Again, And Again, And Again.
@danishcanadian (28953)
Canada
July 14, 2012 12:11am CST
On our limited incomes, Hubby and I like to plan shorter, and more frequent vacations closer to home, than to travel too far, and spend too long away. Not that I wouldn't enjoy a trip to Croatia, if someone dropped a bunch of money in my lap, but for now, we're sticing close to home.
I am lucy enough to be planning four trips now.
1) July 27-29 to Kitchener Ontario (about 20 minutes from here) for two nights, to the annual Serbian Food Festival. We're going to stay at our usual place in itchener, and spend our days eating Cevapi, drining Sljivovica, dancing the kolo, and listening to all of our favourite music. Awesome!!!
2) September 5-7 around our anniversary (6) in Niagara Falls. It's going to be our fifth, so I'm looking for a nice special room with a jacuzzi in it. I'm surprised (very pleasantly surprised!!!) to say that the hotels in Niagara that I'm looking at (Canadian Side) aren't that expensive. This is great, because we don't have a ton of money.
3) Christmas in Toronto! We always go to Toronto for Christmas, and we love it! We go on Christmas eve or morning, stay one or two nights, and come home after Christmas so we can stop at Red Lobster on the way home, since it's not open on christmas day. Our Christmas dinner is usually room service, because even on Christmas, the hotel restaurant is booked solid!!
4) NYC! I have absolutely no idea when I'll be going, but I'm putting away a couple of hundred bucks a month. Because my hubby's American, I managed to open an account in an American bank. This works great for when I go to the states. I just got my passport, so I can go whenever. All that's left is the cash. This will be a solo trip, bcause Hubby has no interest in NYC at all. I'm going to be sure and save up enough money to stay at the Waldorf Astoria!!!
How do you like your vacations? Long annual ones, or shorter but more frequent ones?
5 people like this
14 responses
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
14 Jul 12
wow to be able to put away a couple of hundred bucks a month your are not that poor, I don't mean it in a mean way.
But that is quite a lot of money for many people on limited incomes, you guys are fortunate.
Have a great time!
2 people like this
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
14 Jul 12
You're absolutely right. The nice thing is that there are two of us, and Hubby keeps his money in the USA. I pay the rent, he pays utilities. At the beginning of the month I sort money into the following categories.
Rent
Bills
His medical
His spending
My spending
Food
His savings
My savings
Of course all my medical is covered by Ontario.
Also, I haven't spent a penny from MyLot, gather, or any other such sites in years!!! All that is funneled to my American bank. Christmas & birthday money gies into my Canadian bank. If the Christmas cheque is joint, hubby and I either split it, or spend it on a trip.
I totally get what you're saying about fixed incomes. My daddy caught me how to make a mountain of value out of a molehill of pennies.
BTW I took advantage of the 20x optimum pts at Shoppers today. I now have enough, combined with other bonuses I've received recently, to get $170 in free stuff. If Niagara Falls goes over budget, I won't have to worry about Walker's diabetic stripsor some groceries, because of the points. I hoard points earnings and save them till I really need them!!!!!
@PoppaDave (438)
• United States
14 Jul 12
Glad you have the trips planned . I am leaving next week on one. I had a feeling I recognized you here and always enjoyed your other posts, glad I found you. Tell the old man hello. Have safew trips and don't spend all your money.
2 people like this
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
14 Jul 12
Good to see you too. I don't recognize your screenname, though. :( And yes, hello to the old guy.
1 person likes this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
14 Jul 12
Wow! The Waldorf is posh! I hope you have a fun safe trip . I haven't been to NYC since the 80's. Is there anything you Have to see?
1 person likes this
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
14 Jul 12
Thanks. Nothing that I can think of, I've just always wanted to go there. Call me a snob, but I believe that a Piaget place is a safer one. The riff-raff can't afford it. I'm not knocking low-income people like me, just saying that it's not going to draw guys line the D-Bag neighbour I had to take to court last year. Remember reading about him? I live right across from the local drop-in. Some who go there are genuine and nice, others are BUMS!!!!! if I have to be snob to stay safe, then that's what I have to do. By "bum" I mean dangerous, treatening person who inspires people to lock doors and learn self defense.
Hubby told me NYC taxis are safe. Safe transit, safe hotel, that's why I don't mind going on my own.
1 person likes this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
14 Jul 12
That is not being a snob but being careful. If you had said you were going to NYC back in the early 80's ,I would have worried but now? It is far safer! I hope you have a great time.
1 person likes this
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
14 Jul 12
Most of all I like one long haul trip of between two and four weeks. This year due to the distance and expensive cost of the plane tickets it was for four weeks. We flew from England to Argentina. We visited Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Uruguay. I was traveling with my disabled son and my daughter. That happened in March and April 2012.
In one weeks time we will be going on a seven day trip to the Lizard Peninsular in Cornwall. It is meant to be a fun trip for my kids and not an adventure for me. We will be staying at a bungalow on a holiday camp. It will have two bedrooms, a lounge, kitchen and shower room. I will be driving down there from where we live in Somerset, England.
Good luck with your planned trips.
1 person likes this
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
14 Jul 12
Sounds like a great vacation! Long hauls are nice, but more expensive to plan. We go away every few months, and our travel agent always finds us great deals!! Not to mention, we can afford holidays like Christmas, anniversary, etc. when we do it that way.
@LilyoftheThorns (12918)
• United States
14 Jul 12
Wow! I'm jealous! I would like to take as many trips as you are, but I bet I have even less money then you! Haha
Niagra Falls!? That's gonna be awesome! I am really into photography, and that would be a great photo op! I'm sure everywhere you're going has potential for good photos.
And I am sooooo jealous you're going to NYC. I have never been there but really want to go. Unfortunately I don't know anyone who would have any interest in going with me! Maybe on day I'll be brav enough like you and make it a solo trip!
This summer I am planning on driving to California (I live in Arizona) to visit my older sister, it's about a 3-4 hour drive. My younger sister is going with me, we're only planning on staying a few days. But we may go to Sea World with our sister and nephews, so tha will be fun! I better not forget my camera this trip!! Haha
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
14 Jul 12
Where In AZ? I used to live in Sedona! Your trip to CA sounds great!! We'll take a ton of pics in Niagara falls.
@LilyoftheThorns (12918)
• United States
17 Jul 12
I live in the Phoenix area. I took a trip a few years ago with a friend to Sedona. It is so beautiful up there! We only got to spend that 1 day there (drove there and back same day), I hope I get to take a trip up there and maybe stay a couple days and explore! Any recommendations on any little shops or anything I'd need to check out?
I look forward to seeing the pictures!
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
18 Jul 12
Sounds like you have it all nicely planned out.
Since we have a large dog and getting someone to watch her is kind of hard so we usually get one long trip a year and have someone stay at our house when we are gone.
We just got back from NY a couple of weeks ago. May I suggest staying in NJ to save your self money. Hotels in NY are really expensive and if you drive it costs a ton of money to park your car. They also do not offer free internet access, and breakfast will cost you a fortune.
I recommend staying at the Fairfield Inn in East Rutherford NJ. It is only around $125.00 per night, has free breakfast free internet access, free parking and there is a bus stop right in front of it. It will cost you about $9.00 per day to take the bus in to the city and back, and it only takes between 15 and 20 minutes to get there. The bus lets you off close to Time Square and 42 Street. We stayed at the Residence Inn across the street, but we have a family of 5, we checked out the Fairfield Inn though and it is pretty nice. It is not the Waldorf Astoria but it costs a whole lot less in a whole lot of ways.
We stayed in the city one night while we were visiting. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt, we had a room that was 1/4 the size of the one we had in NJ, and it cost $200 a night, we did not have any internet access, it cost us $60 to park our car over night, and breakfast cost my family $80.00 with tip. Just something to consider and budget for.
1 person likes this
@sweety_81 (2124)
• India
20 Dec 12
Yes, New Jersey City is a lot more economical than staying at NewYork City.
So, you may have a try there.
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
14 Jan 13
This sounds like a lot of fun and I hope you were able to do all of this. I know that it sure helps when you set goals and plans for places you were wanting to visit. I know this yr we are wanting to go to Minneapolis and then next yr an Alaskan cruise. I know our income tax plus saving up is going to help male this happen.
@AmbiePam (85604)
• United States
15 Jul 12
I wish I had you planning my vacation. In fact, I think if I had you handling my finances I might be going on a cruise soon. You are very inventive. Were you always like that? Or was looking for a good deal something you got from your parents? My dad is like that. He seems to find a good deal for vacation and vacation activities all the time.
@poppoppop111 (5731)
• Canada
7 Jan 13
Wow lucky you. We are originally from near Ottawa so we have been to all those places many times. I went to NYC when I was a teenager but I am dying to go back so I can see some broadway. Great idea to take more local trips. I tend to travel a few times a year very far and have not experienced much in my local area. We just moved to Vancouver island so I think maybe I'll take some trips around bc to get to know this area. I would love to plan a weekend in whisler to go skiing.
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
15 Jul 12
I really like to do weekend visits to friends in other cities, but sometimes I like to do a longer trip - like my 2011 trip to Kansas or the sad 2007 trip to New Jersey.
I did a day trip today, but that wasn't to do anything fun, it was to pick up another load of the new roommate's stuff from her old home.
My car is STUFFED! Honestly, the only way anyone is going any place in my Sorento is strapped to the TOP! 
1 person likes this
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
15 Jul 12
I just came back from two weeks in Germany....and it really wasn't enough time. I do also like to do short road trips...I went to my friends in Wisconsin for 5 days and that was awesome....now no vacation until Nov...I'll be going to GA to my daughters house for thanksgiving!
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
14 Jul 12
I don't get to take vacation at all. I take mini mini mini ones like going to the store or Dr appts by myself. Sad huh?
I'd love to just take a weekend somewhere but we don't have the money to go anywhere. The gas getting there would kill us nonetheless spending any money or even staying over night. I miss those days we used to go up north a few times a year when we were both working full time but it's just not happening for us.
@sweety_81 (2124)
• India
20 Dec 12
Well, we had one of our vacation trips last year. But, because of children and a lot of other constraints, including financial, we have not been able to plan any more vacations. We would plan one may be next year, when things improve.
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
26 Jul 12
Your vacations sound great! Long or short, it is always nice to get away. Personally, I like a mix--sometimes I need a longer break, and sometimes 1-2 days is enough. I am taking my boys camping this weekend to a wolf preserve--not really a relaxing time, but fun and interesting, nonetheless. We will heading down the shore later in the summer for a few days (yes I am from Jersey) and to Florida in November, if all goes well.
Enjoy your vacations--with the ways you save money, you deserve them! 
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