Are winter getaways a good way to splurge?
By Dawn Cuthbertson, Sympatico / MSN Finance
Now that I have a better handle on my finances, I've enjoyed watching my savings account grow. Turns out I don't have to be a hermit to save money, as long as I pay myself first and am very selective with my "fun funds."
My new basic motto: I have to deem it a “10 out of 10” to spend.
I had not planned to take a trip south this winter. For the sake of my savings account, I was determined to face winter like a trooper and pray for an early spring without complaining too much. Even when I was soaked with dirty slush (head to toe) waiting for the bus a few weeks ago. Even when that pesky groundhog called for six more weeks of winter.
Then curiosity got the better of me.
Seeing photos of people's tropical getaways and hearing about the great deals they got sent me online looking at discount travel websites. Nothing grabbed my attention.
Last weekend, I spoke to a travel agent and she told me that there wasn't much to choose from because many resorts were booked. I left with a few earmarked.
Back home, I read reviews of the resorts from people who've been there but was in no hurry to book. Separating from my hard-earned cash, even with a great deal on an all-inclusive resort dangling in front of me, was proving difficult. I knew I could afford it but I wasn't ready to budge. I'm glad I didn't book because the next day, the price dropped another $200.
I leave in just over a week and in my opinion, this is a 10 out of 10.
Related: Eight rules for a successful staycation
Posted by: susan | Feb 21, 2022 9:34:02 AM
Ok, you now have my curiosity peaked...where are you going and how much did you pay for your vacation? I just came back from Mayan Riviera, Mexico and feel I paid too much and the hotel was listed as a 5 star but it was not.
Posted by: susan | Feb 21, 2022 9:34:30 AM
Ok, you now have my curiosity peaked...where are you going and how much did you pay for your vacation? I just came back from Mayan Riviera, Mexico and feel I paid too much and the hotel was listed as a 5 star but it was not.
Posted by: susan | Feb 21, 2022 9:34:38 AM
Ok, you now have my curiosity peaked...where are you going and how much did you pay for your vacation? I just came back from Mayan Riviera, Mexico and feel I paid too much and the hotel was listed as a 5 star but it was not.
Posted by: loads of money | Feb 22, 2022 11:10:45 AM
i have been on 4 -10 day vactions already since nov. and am planning on 2 more 2 week vacations
before april, isn't it great to have money and be in a recession. been to costa rica,rio,greece,cook islands, plan on going to cancun and austrailia next, and yes i still drive my gas guzzling full
size suv infact i just bought my 16 year old a full size tundra.it is a great time to travel, i was even
able to chisel down my vacation to the cook islands by over half as the travel agent had prebrought
packages and only 2 days left still had a lot of them left so i got a good deal, she said she wouldn't make any money from it , but i didn't care.there are lots of last minute deals out there, justr be prepared to haggle lots over priceand don't worry if they aren't making money and you will be fine
Posted by: Ben | Feb 25, 2022 12:12:51 PM
Susan, You have to remember you were in Mexico. A 5 star hotel in mexico is not the same as a 5 star hotel in Canada or the US.
Posted by: mel | Feb 25, 2022 12:47:49 PM
Hey to loads of money
What job do you have that permits you to travel so much?
Have a position for me ? lol
Posted by: Riverrat | Feb 25, 2022 1:42:41 PM
After reading the post by "loads of money" I have come to the conclusion that he/she is a lying ass!
Posted by: boomsgua | Feb 25, 2022 2:42:45 PM
Loads of money! I hope I don't find you cuzz if I do i'm gonna kick the shit out of you! Rich people don't boost how much money they have or how many vacations they gone on. In fact they do the opposite because they want to be treated like normal everday people. Your a scam artist acting like a rich guy which in fact you eat KD everyday, drive a 1986 ford tempo and have no one in your life the only vacation you went on is the discovery channels wild and exotic adventures fuck face!
Posted by: Jas | Feb 25, 2022 2:44:14 PM
Loads of money......no need to brag about how "rich" you are. Glad life is all rainbows and flowers for you....but shut the hell up. And why the heck does a 16 yr old need a car like that? way to spoil.
Posted by: Dodge | Feb 25, 2022 3:36:12 PM
You don't need loads of money to travel, if you are smart. Just got back from a trip to Barbados and did not spend that much for the holiday. If you are wise and look for the bargins, then you can save youseelf a lot of money. By the way Barbados is not that expensive as i heard, about in line with all the other destinations
Posted by: gottobeme | Feb 25, 2022 5:43:20 PM
what the heck is wrong with people? I am and have been for a long time very bored and tired of people talking about " getting away from it all" what exactly are people getting away from ?Taking vacation in tropical locations ,getting married in cancun or somewhere else thousands of miles away from home is utter ridiculousness .If home is such bad place to be these people should look at themselves and figure out how a "getaway will solve anything"!It's a hoity, toity thing to do and then come back home and brag about it to anyone who will listen .I can think of a lot of ways to spend my money and" pamper me vacations" isn't one of them .. it sure is a give me , give me generation with no thoughts of the real issues of life .If a handfull of photos of how happy and drunk you were there is worth thousands of dollars to you ,go for it !!!As for me I've come to my senses.I'm thinking how all that money can help me make all 12 months of the year pleasant..
Posted by: tom | Feb 25, 2022 5:47:10 PM
A vacation is great, if it has a purpose. Sometimes going away because everyone else seems to be is more of an imposition than a true "I need a break time.' I was lucky and got a last minute deal the first week of December before the mad rush and price increases. Everything was great, and the crowds were just non existant. Now I'm using my second week off this year in the summer to explore locally. We live in such a great part of the world but take it for granted. I figure my longest day trip this summer will be about 2 hours away and put me in touch with some of the best value options and greatest scenery in the world. Sometimes we can't see the forest for the trees. I don't have the greatest love for winter anymore but sometimes wonder is the $1000 I spent to go away for one week really worth it?
Posted by: Dave | Feb 25, 2022 8:16:39 PM
Boomsgua Your choice of words shows a lack of intelegence. No need
A vacation away, no mater what time of year,or how far you go, is a chance to see something not available where you live. I can lay on the beach and suck back beverages at home. No need to do that at great expence. Do what makes you happy!
Posted by: vanessa | Feb 25, 2022 10:21:42 PM
Hey, loaded with money. You,re a dickhead with a snotty attitude. Good thing everyone isn,t like you
Posted by: JackSprat | Feb 25, 2022 10:36:49 PM
Loads of Money. SUVs and Tundras are a dime a dozen now. If you have an endless supply of money why don't you invest in a Hybrid or something more responsible to the environment? I suspect you "don't care" about that either. Or perhaps you just don't know that they now make hybrids that are large enough to fit yours and your sons extra FAT ASSES.
Posted by: Don | Feb 26, 2022 12:24:25 AM
Hi.
My wife and I don't make HUGE sums of money, but we're 50-ish and empty-nesters, living in the Calgary, Alberta area.
Travel has ALWAYS been important to us and to our kids.
Our modest home (1200 s.f, built in 1978) is paid for, and we drive older vehicles.
As a matter of fact, we retired that 86 Tempo (as used as an example above) in 2002, and replaced it with a 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix. We also bought a used 1992 Chevy 4x4 pickup as a beater in 2005 ... and we're still driving both of them. (200,000 km on the Pontiac, and 300,000 km on the truck) I'm typing this message on a 6-year-old PC as well.
We took the kids (drove the 86 Tempo) to Disneyland in 1993, and then flew to Disney World in 1999. Yes we have also made lots of other trips, mostly by car ... but a few shorter domestic flights on Westjet.
My wife and I "splurged" last year, and went to Hawaii (2 weeks in a condo) for or 25 anniversary. We plan to do a lot MORE travelling in the coming years.
We just got back from 11 days in Florida, which included a 3-night cruise on the Carnival Imagination.
So why do we choose to "blow" our money on vacations?
Simple... because it brings us pleasure and relaxation. The cell phone stays turned off, unless we want to call the kids.
Thanks to the internet, and to my Tom-Tom GPS ... we can budget, arrange, and prepare for our vacations from the comfort of my computer chair in the den ... and ENJOY them when we get there. Like most anything ... the more effort that you put into something the more you can appreciate it.
It's all about choices, IMO. You can choose to "skip" vacations, work yourself to death, and compete with your neighbors to have the "latest and the greatest" toys ... OR ... you can build experiences and memories that will last a lifetime with travel.
At least that's the way I "see" it.
Posted by: Jake | Mar 2, 2022 10:18:57 PM
Hey, "gottobeme", you are a bigger ass than "loads of money".
Who do you think you are to judge people that like to get away on vacations? If that is not you idea of enjoyment, good for you. Some of us like to take vacations in exotic places, to experience different cultures, and meet interesting people. The only reason that some jerk like you would mock others for this is because you obvious cannot afford it. You are a bitter jackass who cannot stand the thought of others enjoying themselves. By the way, have you ever ventured more than a block from your home in your life?