I wonder should I horde the 6-7 thousand dollars for next years trip and put it under my mattress,buy gold, plant a garden, get a cow?

I'm thinking not. As long as you are not borrowing money can you think of a reason based on the economy not to go? RR

Some of us are also thinking about those retirement years; spending one's money is always a personal choice.

Some of us are also thinking about the possibility of losing our jobs; not really a prospect to be laughed at.

During tough economic times, the pursuit of one's passions is one of the keys to surviving it. For me, that is travel. I'm leaving for Piedmont, Italy in two days. You better believe I'm going to squeeze out as much joy and fun over the next two weeks! Especially since my husband and I have decided to hold off on our next big trip until 2010.

Chiqui

I don't mean to be flippant. I have no idea how this economy will effect me. I suppose if it lasts several years I could stay home, save some money etc. Everyone will make different choices. I have to assume this will last 1-2 years and things will get better. If I have to I'll work until 70 maybe even later, my dad retired at 95, so it's tradition.

Only one thing for sure, my life has a limited duration. I think it is going to be long but who knows. One day at a time.

I for sure do not want to look back at the end and see all the missed opportunities to fulfill my dreams. Dreams are real the economy is beyond my control. RR

Robert, That's exactly how we feel!
Travel is our top priority after all the have-to bills are covered...including helping our adult children.
My husband is 20 years older than I am...and he's still working full time at 75.

My top priorities are living a balanced and happy life, being a good person, helping those in need, maintaining good health, etc. Travel is wonderful, but it is certainly not my top priority. It is my reward...

quote:

Originally posted by teachick:
My top priorities are living a balanced and happy life, being a good person, helping those in need, maintaining good health, etc. Travel is wonderful, but it is certainly not my top priority. It is my reward...

I agree. My health is priority number one, everythings good there, I therefore am carrying on with my plans. How about this? My health is good and my life plan says I'll live to 110.
But I could get hit by a bus today and die.
One more reason to fulfill my dreams. RR

As I watch our savings shrink in our retirement funds, I envision having to work for a very long time. Not like the retirement of our parents' generation, fer sher.

All the more reason to reward ourselves with travel, when (and if) we can.

I read awhile back that when we pass over, we'll be held accountable for all of the permissible pleasures that we were offered and that we chose not to experience.
My grandmother taught me not to live my life with regret. So, if the opportunity comes up, I take it. I don't want to find myself sitting on a cloud one day, with a halo over my head while I play my heavenly harp as I look back over my life and wish I'd done this or that.

Will I continue to travel?
Yeppers! I just did.
I just came home from 2 gloriously stellar weeks in Jasper National Park at a watercolour workshop in Jasper, painting my little fingers to nubbins. I'm already booked in for the spring week workshop and the 2 week fall workshop for next year.

I expect to work for many more years, as there's just me bringing in the paycheque, so an actual retirement where I stop this job never even enters my mind. I will likely work always, as long as I'm able.

Good topic, Robert! Thanks for starting it.

"The easiest way for your children to learn about money is for you not to have any." ~ Katharine Whitehorn
Brenda

I had planned a cruise in my younger days, and cancelled it when I decided to buy a house instead. Absolutely the right decision at the time...I'm a big planner, and that includes planning for my financial future. Retirement savings is always a priority for me, and I make sure I have that money carved out of my budget before anything else. Especially important now that I am self-employed, and don't have a company match to add to it!

Having said that, I've still got 20+ years for my retirement $$ to grow, and I save specifically for trips. Therefore, I take them! I might amend my plans based on finances at a particular time, but am luckily at the point in my life now where I have the financial flexibility to do many of the things I want to.

It's all about choices... I choose to continue to drive my 8 year old car, even though I could go buy a new one. But if I do that, I have less money for travel, and travel is a priority for me.

I think if I was already living off my retirement account, I would be more worried, but with my timeline, I'm not hurting my retirement by traveling now. So, I go where I can, when I can, and don't feel guilty that I'm not saving it for a rainy day!

Anne

To state the obvious, financial circumstances differ widely among persons and aren't just a matter of attitude. There are people who still have loads of money and are travelling without a care in the world; there are people who have nothing and can't even afford food, housing, or health care.

Maybe I'm the only person on this board who has experienced layoffs and protracted periods of unemployment, when paying the rent and the grocery bills has been a serious problem. It's not that I don't love travel, or that I believe in not enjoying myself. It's just that the necessities come first. Saying that financial conservatism based on necessity is just having a bad philosophy of life seems a bit unfair to those whose financial circumstances are less fortunate.

KT, your point is well-made. I think I should have probably said that I envision working for a very long time, as long as I still have a job! Nothing is ever for certain.

KT, I agree one hundred percent. The fairy dust only goes so far... I would never dream of flaunting my ability to indulge my every whim on those who can't even think about a vacation right now. I assure you, most of us get it and it makes us appreciate those rewards all the more. We're all built differently with different sets of priorities...

Your need to conserve right now in my mind is no reflection on your passion for travel. You're just taking care of yourself the best you can.

Anne, I drive a 14 year old Volvo. I'm with you!

Life is a series of choices. Some problems can be forseen.

5 years ago I warned a friend not to buy with zero down, interest only mortgages (several houses).

I live in many ways simply. I intend to drive my honda civic until it blows up and I live in a small house,2 bedrooms with one bath.Looking at home improvement shows folks seems to "need" to have 3000-4000 square feet.

I'm sorry if I offend, I understand and praise the universe for my incredible circumstance. I am well aware of poverty.

I don't think many on this board live on $200/year as many do,we are all fortunate. I certainly help those less fortunate.

I intend to raise 5000 dollars for the American Himalayan foundation before my trip. RR

KT,

You are not the only one. It has happened to me to.

I am fortunate to have a stream of income and a working wife, but more debt than I am comfortable with. So my first priority is to reduce debt. I can't enjoy travel while I am on the verge of panic.

Since we seem to be expected to recite our bona fides here: I live in a one-bedroom rented apartment; I drive a 1992 Mazda; I don't drink, smoke, or buy coffee; I give money to charity and social causes; and I have no credit card debt. I live entirely on my own salary, I've spent a lot of it paying back student loans for my undergraduate and graduate degrees, and it's far more likely that I'll end up helping out my mother financially than that I'll inherit a cent. I already live simply at home, which has enabled me to travel at a budget level, so far. Like so many ordinary people, I didn't gamble wildly in the boom years, but I've been hurt by the bust by losing retirement savings and am certainly not immune to being laid off.

I am not pleading poverty, and I absolutely realize that I'm extremely lucky compared to most of the world's people. I was just trying to say that not everybody, not even on this board and amongst those who travel, has the same degree of financial security. Everyone has to make his or her own decisions, based on individual circumstances, and there is a wide, wide spectrum between wealth and poverty. That might be something to bear in mind when making judgments.

Full disclosure: I do have a 9-night trip to Britain planned in November, using a frequent flyer ticket and a couple of homestays, and I'm on the fence about whether I'll go ahead with it, so I haven't yet doomed myself to a life of sitting home and cheese-paring.

I think I'd better quit this thread before being branded as the resident cheapskate curmudgeon.

P.S. John, I certainly wasn't responding to your post, which was posted while I was writing mine. I just want to clarify that.

KT,
I do not think that you need to give your bona fides, tho I understand how you feel. What is happening today in the economic world has gone far beyond "making choices"; it is spinning out of control for many who have made those prudent choices for a long time. What people choose to do in regards to travel remains a personal choice, perhaps the conversation should be more along the lines of "given today's economy, how does one make travel plans?", but we have had many of those threads lately and I think the topic is overdone. I also think I need to step away from this thread because it has become less sensitive than I like; my choice.

Robert, I think you've answered your own question so I am going to close this thread - if the board moderators want to reopen it later, they can.