brett

Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.

Therese

I get somebody else to pay for it. I realized a long time ago that I liked to travel, and have picked a career that lets me travel as much or as little as I'd like (not sales trips but invited lectures). Once I'm there I can add a few days to the trip for fun.

dealhound

FF miles, (my husband travels for biz and racks them up), forgoing certain luxuries, not having kids and shopping for deals.<BR><BR>I only stay in 4 star hotels, and I never pay more than $125- $150 a night for the privelege. I have spent HOURS researching on the net, scouring to get the best deal for my money, but I love when I am able to stay at a 4 star for what some sucker is paying for a Howard Johnson

Envious of Therese

Therese what do you do?<BR><BR>I want your job. Been searching for that since college!

Teenagersaresuch

curious's snotty question deserves every smart-assed answer its gotten. It doesn't want a real answer, it wants to insult everyone. <BR><BR>I've found stealing from mailboxes from the first of the month, ripping of money from drug dealers and starting up pyramid schemes has kept me in enough money to travel all I want. So, see, I am rich and have really good (stolen) credit, to answer your impertinent question.

carolyn

I plan a big trip every few years and research, research, research. Then, save, save, save. <BR><BR>I spend loads of time checking prices all over the web. Recently looking at flight prices on travelocity I thought I would have to shell out $1000 for a flight to Italy, but it was a direct flight. I moved over to the United site, same flight $371! I rented a villa, and with that air fare, talked a bunch of people into traveling with me, so the accomodation cost went down.<BR><BR>When traveling, I don't splurge on food, maybe just have one fancy dinner.<BR><BR>Like road warrier, it's a matter of choosing what you spend your money on. I drive an 11 year old car. If I had a $300+ car payment, I wouldn't be headed to Europe this fall. My clothes budget is small.<BR><BR>Some expenses in life can't be avoided, but if you plan ahead you can get there, it may take years, but you have to think positive.<BR><BR>

bubba

Mugging little old ladies right after they have cashed their Social Security check might work as well....but not very nice.

ROFL

Oh, God, I am laughing out loud!! Everyone is definitely putting their talent for witty comebacks to best advantage--and no one's getting hurt! I'll be checking back in.<BR>THANKS FOR THE CHUCKLES!!!

cindy

I have friends and relatives who buy new cars every 3 years, have all the latest electronic gadgets, splurge on dinners out several times a week, etc.<BR>We have a nice house, and 2 5-year old cars, 1 credit card which we keep under control, 2 kids in college which we planned for so are not in the poorhouse now trying to pay for it (of course scholarships help ). When we decide to travel, we live basically on 1 1/2 incomes and save half of mine until we have enough to go! It all depends on your priorities. My advice? Sell the truck, pay off the credit cards and tear them up, and don't take out any more mortgages! If you're in debt as much as it sounds like, your first priority is getting out of debt and not worrying about seeing Europe. Just don't default on those child support payments!!

Therese

To answer Envious's question, I'm an M.D. and professor at a medical school. I'm enough of an expert in my field that I get invited to lecture elsewhere (and end up turning down a fair number of invites). M.D.'s who choose academics make less money (in many cases LOTS less) than those in private practice, but one of the perks is travel. My husband is also an academic, so some of my travel is with him (and then I use my frequent flyer points to offset the cost of the trip).

Titus

Up till recently…I’ve been selling m’ organs…worked fine fer a while…but now I don’t breath too good and…when I drink a beer in a London pub…it jus’ dribbles down m’ laig…<BR><BR><BR>kin yew hep me?<BR>

swabbie

Join the navy and see the world

lisa

Simple -- NO KIDS

Poor Me

Well, let's just say there were 40 years between my first and second trip to Paris. And other travel is usually every 4 years or so. My kids are grown and on their own so I waited a long time to have fun for myself. I live in a mortgage free house in a non-upscale neighborhood; have no credit card debt; buy decent clothes and keep them; and drive a 14 year old car (because I love it). I seldom eat out at home; I am a good cook. I spend my disposable income on theater, art and travel. And, I am lucky to earn a living that supports that and do it now rather than wait for "retirement" and possible poor health.

DoDah Dave

I’ve been doing “big” travel for the past five years, Europe 4 times and a major U.S. city that I’d never been two on the fifth year. I’m leaving for Paris in 6 days. I am self-employed and I rat-hole all the money I can during the year by doing what others have mentioned and then I travel during my slowest business time. In other words, when I have money I don’t have the time to travel and when I have the time to travel I have to be really careful with the funds.<BR><BR>I too am amazed at some of what I read here. I have never been able to afford anything over a two star hotel, but can’t say that I mind. A hotel is a place to shower and sleep and little more, at least to me. The managers of the hotel I’ve used since the first trip now know me and give me many nice perks and a bit of a price break as well. I consider them friends and we even exchange cards over the holidays. I usually make do with two meals a day when I travel. I’m 20 lbs. overweight as it is, so if I eat less and walk like Hades and come home thinner and more fit than when I’ve left, well, all the better.<BR><BR>I’ve made friends in England who apparently enjoy my company (they keep inviting me back). I love to stay with them and get a view of local home life, but I never stay more than a couple of days. I don’t “shop” when I travel, I doubt that I’ve ever spent more than $40 for a meal, and that’s the biggy-splurge meal of the trip. I do picnics in the public squares and eat the breakfast that comes with the room. I buy multi-day passes and ride the buses and the tube and not taxis. I pay attention to web specials and have never paid more than $500 for a roundtrip ticket to London (from the Midwest). Obviously I fly coach. If I can do just about anyone employed could do it too.<BR>

filly

Don't let these peole fool you. They are all on the high end of the middle class, upper middle class or rich. If that is not the case they are d.i.n.k.s (double income no kids, in case you don't know) No one with more than one kid can afford much of this trans-continental travel in many, many families throughout the world<BR>when incomes and resources need to go to housing, food, clothing and education. Furthermore, many of the people here are travel snobs who long and hard down their noses at anyone who does not travel outside their own country.

Melissa

I married the military! Seriously, we flew to Germany from Dover AFB on a C-5 for $3.20 per person including a meal. Granted, it took us 37 hours of travel (and lots of sitting) from the time we left our home in NC to the time we set foot on German soil and then actually arrived at our destination in Venice, but it was worth it! <BR><BR>Flew back to Germany on a C-130 from Aviano AFB and then back home on a C-5 again from Rammstein.<BR><BR>Being military has plenty of perks to take advantage of!

Melanie

why Mr. Butler,<BR>whenever did you change your name from Rhett to Brett?? You are not trying to hide out from our Miss scarlett, are you? And she's such a sweetie honey!

Bill

Frequent flyer miles and good decisions on family expenses.

Barry

Totally agree with Cindy, Carolyn, DealHound, FairQuestion and others.<BR><BR>We got back from our latest trip on Tuesday (Salzburg, Vienna, Munich, Prague and Budapest). We got a post 9/11 $309 rt on Delta, 25% off Eurail SaverPass, and 50% off hotels. We got "city cards" in each city and used public transportation (all excellent), and ate wonderful wurst and sauerkraut in small cafe's or from street vendors, made our lunch from the hotel breakfast buffet, went to local supermarkets for wine and beer, etc, etc, etc. We do this every March right before the winter fares end, and sometimes in November when they begin.<BR><BR>I have a favorite saying I lay on friends who ask how we travel so much..."you can't spend the same money but once"! So, we choose to eat out when we travel, almost never while at home. We both drive 7 year old, perfectly good, paid for vehicles. We coupon shop at the grocery store and pay for as much as we can with American Express Delta Skymiles card (food, gas, etc.) In fact this is first trip out of the last 5 that we have had to pay for the airfare! We've done the last 3 in Business Elite, FREE!<BR><BR>I wear 10 year old tee shirts... but guess what ... they say things like "Top of the Rock" (Gibralter) on them, and the only place you can buy one is there gt<BR><BR>It all depends on what you think life is about... and for us it's actually SEEING the world! For example, we spent Easter weekend 3 years ago in Israel... you can't go now! And when we are watching CNN we see street corners that we were actually standing on, and shots of the "Dome of the Rock" or the "Wailing Wall" in the background and WE UNDERSTAND because we've been there! That's worth a heck of a lot to us!<BR><BR>56 countries down and a bunch to go gt<BR><BR>Best wishes to all,<BR><BR>Barry