Follow-Up question to recent post--What is avg income of Fodors travelers?
Mar 23rd, 2002, 11:49 PM
#42
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Now answer this. What will your retirement income be? My wife is a US federal government worker so she will get 80% of her working income for as long as she lives, with yearly cost of living increases. As a contractor, my pensions will be much less so I will depend more on savings and investments. So we expect to have enough income to travel well into our retirement. Since we're into healthy living, we expect to be able to stay mobile well up into our golden years.
Mar 24th, 2002, 05:33 AM
#44
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I'll add my two cents...my husband and I are both military officers, combined income 130K, no kids, live in DC, we take two trips to Europe every year, one in early spring and one in the fall. We use the space-A military transports so the flights are free to us if there is room. We try to stay at base lodging when its available and convenient. Otherwise we use 2/3 star hotels and public transportation. We usually spend about $150 per day including everything. <BR>We used to travel much cheaper when we were kids and still had a great time, but now the main problem is TIME.
Mar 24th, 2002, 06:36 AM
#45
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I am a single teacher with no kids and I have made a vow to myself to travel somewhere every summer while I don't have kids. I have gone all over the United States including Alaska and twice to Hawaii, I have been to Australia for 3 weeks, all over the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. This will be my first trip to Europe.<BR><BR>I travel by budgeting and working a few extra teaching jobs. It is not how much money you make, it is what you do with it. When you sit down and look at your net income, it is amazing how much money one can waste! My car is old, but it is paid for - and it gets good milage. I buy clothes twice a year during the Labor Day and Memorial Day sales. I don't have a CD player! I don't care.<BR>What I love more than anything is traveling. All the extra income I make from extra teaching jobs goes into a savings account. Last year, I was able to take two trips without using credit cards.<BR>I travel cheap - stay in simple hotels and walk or use public transportation. Travel is one great investment a person can make in themselves.
Mar 24th, 2002, 07:04 AM
#46
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Combined income (most his) $150,000. Two kids in college, saved some for them but using student loans. My husband is a sought after speaker and so we have traveled to Europe 4 times in the past two years plus Hawaii. His airfare is paid for, use miles for mine, few days on business the hotels are paid for but then we hit the Rick Steves type places. Usually enjoy them more than the stuffie hotels.<BR><BR>
Mar 24th, 2002, 09:06 AM
#47
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Just had to reply to this post, being from Scotland and all. You folks, you are all rich. Our wages here are nothing like yours and our cost of living is higher than yours - so no more threads about why our Hotels are expensive, and our food is expensive, etc etc. Just come on over, and share a little bit of your dollars around.
Mar 24th, 2002, 09:22 AM
#49
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Tammy<BR>I live in the midwest of the US and I too have been surprised at the salaries of some who have posted here. Please be assured that not all have those kind of incomes....we travel, but our income is modest compared to some who have posted here. And yes! Someday we will be in your country!
Mar 24th, 2002, 09:45 AM
#50
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The cool thing is HOW to make international travel possible on a limited income...<BR><BR>Take a parttime job working for the airlines - get travel benefits & others.<BR><BR>Work another job for more income. Coordinate your vacation time(!)<BR><BR>Work for a company with overseas offices, branches, whatever. They'll have opportunities - and you don't have to be a top exec to get them.<BR><BR>Learn something of a second language even if it's out of those little travel books!<BR><BR>Use your airline frequent flyer mile credit cards for everything. Look for specials to increase miles.<BR><BR>Don't advance reserve in hotels in Europe - use the Information office in major airports and train stations. Stay in clean, decent places from $50 a nite.<BR><BR>Share the trip (that makes that hotel nite $25...!)<BR><BR>Walk, take public transportation.<BR><BR>Eat at the street stands. If you would eat a hot dog from a vendor cart in the US, you can eat safely most anything from a vendor in Europe. (Save up to eat at one special place on your trip for the experience!) Shop in delis and grocery stores that the locals go to and make your own meals.<BR><BR>Look for combos - hotel & meals, flight & hotel, etc.<BR><BR>Change money at AMEX offices, no exchange fees for members.<BR><BR>Check dates to take advantage of free entrances to various museums, galleries, etc.<BR><BR>I have done all this and more personally and have traveled on a half a shoe string (including camping in Europe). Don't miss travel - it's great! <BR><BR>And sorry to the person who wants to get the travel bug out of his/her system before having kids...well forget that - once you're bitten, you carry the, uh, virus(!) forever!
Mar 24th, 2002, 10:05 AM
#51
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According to tax returns, I made $25,000 last year not including child support, which would put me up to $28,000 for last year. It helps, however, to get a large income tax return. I consider that savings for vacation. ; )<BR><BR>Went to Europe for a few scant days last year; go again to Europe for a few scant days this year. And plan to go to Europe for about a week and a half next year (with careful budgeting).
Mar 24th, 2002, 11:24 AM
#54
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This post is chock full of those one-generation-away-from-white-trash types who are making 50k/year at cushy government jobs, yet claim it's 200k a year. How many people with that sort of income have time to surf and post on travel sites all day? People work long hard hours for that kind of money. Typical of rude and crude Americans to boast, brag and lie.<BR><BR><BR>
Mar 24th, 2002, 11:30 AM
#55
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My husband and I are teachers, and we both earn almost $55K before taxes. We live in a very expensive part of the country, so we have to live in a small townhouse to keep our mortgage affordable. We save as much money as we can during the school year so that we can travel in the summers - we don't have kids yet. <BR>I do believe that it is all about priorities. We have friends who make a lot more money than we do, have gigantic McMansions with huge mortgages & drive luxury cars, and they can't understand how we can afford to travel!
Mar 24th, 2002, 11:37 AM
#56
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Prefer2b,<BR>Hate to dissapoint you, but we make $205,000 per year and do have time for this site. I am 34 and have busted my tail to get here. Now I work smarter and not harder, so get off our backs and maybe if you work harder you can ditch that crappy attitude you have.
Mar 24th, 2002, 01:25 PM
#58
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Income last year was 230K, 205 my husband, 25 me (I only work one or 2 days/week). We are early 40's, 2 kids. Now, we pay for one week beach cottage rental every year, and usually one other international trip every other year.<BR><BR>However, my husband's job frequently offers perks in the form of really great trips, which we would probably never have been able to take, since we are avid savers for our kids college and our retirement. So even with a higher than average income, we still only spend an average of about 5,000/ year on travel. Luckily the other trips we've been able to take would have cost us an additional 10K a year at least.
