Am I the only dreamer???

Are there others who faithfully read this forum even though you know you can%26#39;t afford a vacation this year? Try as I might, I just can%26#39;t do it financially. I have looked into the lowest price places, but when you add in gas and food, it gets on up there. I used to just go, spend, and worry later. THAT is what created part of the $ mess! I am working on digging out of a pit as well as saving for 2 camps for my daugther this summer. Even with a job with a decent income, a single Mom with 2 girls equals not a lot of extra money. Please do not hear me ';poor mouthing'; as I have a very blessed life. It is blessed with a wonderful family and a job I ( mostly) love...just not a lot of money! Guess I am just looking for some company of other dreamers who long for the beach but can%26#39;t make it this year!

Am I the only dreamer???

I%26#39;m so sorry you can%26#39;t go this year :( Start saving for next year! Hope you get to make it down soon!

Am I the only dreamer???

Sorry too. We never spend money on food becaue we always book a place with a kitchen and spend two entire weeks living off prego spagetti , hot dogs and bologna. We have pizza maybe twice, which is about what we do when we are home anyway. Our budget is tight this year too. I have spent hours checking rates, calling hotels, begging for better rates. If you have housekeeping taken off, many hotels will reduce the rate. Something to keep in mind for next year. I read this forum even though we only go once a year. You should be proud that you are digging your way out and taking responsibility for your spending. Too many people spend and worry later. Good luck.

Maybe next year you can get another single mom %26amp; kids to come with you %26amp; share lodging expenses. It can make cooking meals %26amp; just hanging out on the beach lots more fun.

It%26#39;s kind of a catch 22 because if you need to cut back on dining out %26amp; entertainment expenses, you really don%26#39;t want to skimp too much on lodging because you%26#39;ll be spending all your time there.

Every single vacation I go on whether it%26#39;s a mini-vacation or week at the beach, I never forget how lucky I am to do so.

I%26#39;m holding off on making reservations because my husband%26#39;s employer has called a mandatory meeting for all employees next week. You know what that can mean with today%26#39;s economy.

I am sorry that this year won%26#39;t work for you - it is a tough market out there! This forum is also a great way to help pass the long days of late winter while we%26#39;re all waiting for warmer weather. It is never a bad time to dream of beach vacations. :)

Oh and I forgot to mention, one of the ways we are able to go on vacation this year is b/c we are splitting the cost of our villa with my husband%26#39;s parents who are coming with us (thus also adding a builT-in babysitting service for a night or two, if we%26#39;re lucky!). Sopranofreak has a great suggestion of trying to split the costs with another family, maybe that could be an option for you in late summer/early fall if you%26#39;ve saved up enough money, or for next summer!

There%26#39;s nothing wrong with dreaming! That means you have hope and hope is what gets us through the trying times in our lives.

I haven%26#39;t been on vacation in a couple of years and had worked hard to save for Aruba. Then on New Year%26#39;s my dog ate something poisonous and I spent my entire Aruba fund on saving her! When I thought about it, I just couldn%26#39;t get too upset. It was so much fun researching that trip and it absolutely kept my mood up during stressful times.

Now I%26#39;m going to share expenses with a friend and do a long weekend in MB which I wouldn%26#39;t have considered had I not kept on dreamin%26#39;, coming back to this site and researching. I%26#39;m sure if you keep looking you will find a fun escape! And if it just doesn%26#39;t pan out this year, at least you%26#39;ve filled your head full of positive images and kept yourself motivated to stick to your goals!

How are you with credit cards? I say that because I have a hilton honors American Express. We went for a week to the Embassy Suites in NMB last year for nothing!!! All by using my AE card. I always use it for anything I can and then take that amount out of my checking out. Kind of like you would do with a debit card. I pay all of the bills I can with it and buy everything from gas to groceries with it. The points add up quickly. As I mentioned we stayed 7 days at the Embassy Plantaion Place last summer and also had points for Los Angeles precruise hotel. My points I have this year will be used for a trip to Charleston and 2 price cruise nights.

Agree with previous poster. American Express has one of the best point programs out there. My daughter (college age) got an AE card last summer and saved enough in 3 months to get 1/2 her plane ticket paid for. She always pays off her card and has quickly learned how to benefit from their perks.

Remember too to sign up with the many available hotel programs. They are free and you quickly earn points for free stays. I had 3 free hotel nights last year with Hilton Honors. Valid at Hampton Inn, Embassy Suites, Doubletree, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites and Hilton. Other hotel chains have similar programs.

I am glad you found the $ to go, enjoy!

Thanks so much!I raised my with holdings so I can have the money throughout the year rather than the government using it all year and getting a refund! I am excited adn should finalize things as soon as I find out what the monthly braces payment will be:0