It is really overwellming to see all this posts, guys.
You are very helpfull and i hope not just to me but others newbies as well.

I want to send my gratitud eto Jim Tardio who came up with two brilliancies as :
"If you don't live now, you'll pay the rest of your
life...with the cheap coin of regret."
You may end up like my father who saved for the future and never saw it.

It was exactly what I was looking for.

Thanks to all and please, continue.

For my husband and I "not" travelling just isn't an option. I think sometimes you are born with the need to go to other countries and sometimes you're just fine staying home.

My husband and I have always put aside money to travel. Like others, we've decided where we want to go, paid attention to seat sale trends, etc., did a budget, saved, then gone and enjoyed ourselves. And, like others, we make do with a manual car, cottages or budget hotels, eating out only once a day, no knickknacks but lots of photos, etc..

I've just retired and my husband will in two years. Working with a financial advisor, we put together a plan that showed us taking out considerable money every year from our investments for travel. She was dumbfounded. What about our heirs? Well, we don't have any children and since we earned the money, other than bequests to a number of charities, why shouldn't we spend it any way we want. Then she figured out that if we followed our plan, by the time we were 95, we would be broke. That's fine with both of us. Finally, she couldn't believe that we could actually find somewhere that we wanted to travel to every year.

That's what I mean. Some people simply 'have' to travel, some don't.

The point about credit cards is good - I have a Delta AX card and put everything possible on it, gas, goceries etc. I let my pay check build each week and pay the card off each month....it's good for a free ticket via membership miles on a suprisingly regular basis.

I had to smile at the finacial advisor who asked, "what about your heirs?" It seems if you've raised your children well and given them a good education and responsibilty you've done enough. Many young people now are making more money then their parents.

I loved Jim's phrase too about regrets. It is kind of a motto for me too, but Jim just put it into better words. I have had too many regrets in life, and now I tend to do anything I can afford or have time to do if I know I will regret not doing it later. I am sure I will enjoy travel when I retire, but I am also sure climbing steep pyramids, trudging camera equipment all over from sunrise to beyond sunset, and other such things are a heck of a lot more fun now than they would be later (if I can do some of them later at all).

Tat, I hope you have been inspired by some of these travel crazy Fodorites to just go for it. Too much world for so little time.

Tat,
I was 19 before I ever flew, then waited almost 10 years before I ever flew again. But that first flight changed me forever and since then, it's my dream to travel. As a single mother, I have to be very careful to budget for my travel desires. But it's my priority, more than anything else. I've got a modest house and car but do admit that I have a weakness for shopping and nice clothes (I think it's the single female thing.) If I wanted, I could spend more money and have an amazing house but I've preferred to spend it on my travel dreams. This past year, I was able to go on three major trips, one of which I carried my children. The other two trips, just for me.

My sister, on the other hand, lives in an amazing house on a golf course that is designed inside and out! She and her husband have drive the SUV, italian sports car and extra car. Their kids go to private schools and they are both members of country clubs and other social clubs. They haven't been on any trips in the past several years. I envy what she's got, and she envies my trips. But I don't envy her enough to give up my travel.

I've taken advantage of special deals on lodging and flights and utilize public transportation whenever possible.

Mcgeezer is very wise and I have to agree with his comments. For one of my children's birthday, I took him on a great tropical island trip...just the two of us! I like to do this type of thing to inspire them to work hard in school/college. I'm hoping to make my son an airplane pilot so that I can have those flight benefits!

I've enjoyed this post as much as you have and have read each entry carefully. I've picked up some great ideas!

To sweet24 -

You are the smart one in your age group. When your friends are old and gray, what memories will they have of their youth? How many new cars they bought? Wow, isn't that exciting?

Go now while you are young. I wish I had, but I was too afraid to jump out there on my own. So a few years ago when I hit 40, I had a miniature mid-life crisis and finally went to Paris. That's all it took. I've been to Europe twice a year every year since then. But not as easy to go with 2 kids and all the bills you have to pay, all the responsibilities that you have as a spouse and a parent.

But go I will. I'm in the process now of planning a two month study abroad trip for university credit hours. A girl in one of my classes is going with me. She's 22, a fifth year senior and took an additional student loan to do it during her last semester. She knows if she should do it now, before she is tied down with a husband, kids, a job and a mortgage.

I've already taken one of my sons with me twice, and he is hooked. He is constantly trying to figure out ways we can go on the next European adventure. When my younger one hits 13 in a few years, I will indoctrinate him too.

You go girl!

I never used to fly, I would hide behind my fear of flying and had just decided never to see a foreign country in my life.

One day my boss and I were talking about his trip to Asia and I remarked that I would like to travel abroad someday. He swept his arm quickly in front of him and said did you see that? That was your life just slipping away.

This shocked me and the more I thought about it, the more I decided to brave my fears and just do it.

So the next opportunity came up to go on a date to Austria and northern Italy, I took the invitation, got on that plane, sat wide awake all night and when we landed I was hooked on travel. When we took the train down to Venice I was in love....with the country....and have been going there ever since, at least twice a year.

So, go for it while you are young,have your health and stamina and eagerness!

OK, so I booked my tix from CLT to MUC direct last night, $609.50 US for my wife, daughter(infant) & myself. The good thing about living in Charlotte is we get deals like this quite often (this is a kick-off by Lufthansa to introduce this new route). The bad part is, unless you get a deal or plan way ahead, tickets are typically not cheap here. We're still planning the trip of course & have been to Munich twice before so, we will probably spent a lot of time in western Austria this trip. I am open to suggestions but are leaning towards Zell am See being our base right now. Happy Travels.

Yeah, natalia,
I AM afraid to fly, but I am working on it ... I have purchased tickets, haven't I ;) Took me half-a-day to call and buy reserved tickets, my palms were swetty and stuff. O, boy !
I am flying ...
So, I am reading all of your posts passionately, gasping strenght to do what I want and hope it'll make me happier !

Thanks to all and please, continue...

It was decades between first and second trips to Europe, but...my kids are grown, have a month's vacation, and I live below my income so there is cash for travel. I choose what is important to me and travel makes my soul swell (once I get out of the airport that is).

My hubby & I put aside money each month in a vacation fund. It is as important as the mortgage, car payment,etc. However me missed a vacation last summer & are now funding our 17 year-old daughters trip to Italy with school in March so....looks like another year without europe. It's breaking my heart!

Didi you missed

$499 -- Paris in Spring (April-June), 6 Nights & Air
http://www.travelzoo.com/Top20.asp?id=100120958
Source: Go-Today.com

I hope it will help !

I agree w/amc. I could do the whole big house, fancy car thing but travel is so much more important. I see many of my friends trapped in their big houses trying to keep up w/the Joneses & for what ? So you can say you live a certain place ? Who cares ? Experinces are much more valuable than things too me.

Hey Tat. Many others have posted excellent advice re: prioritizing, commiserating about vacation time, etc., so how 'bout some everyday stuff you can do to save $ and stoke that wanderlust:
1) If you buy gum, coffee, cigarettes, etc. on a daily basis, knock it off and pocket the $. Start a travel fund.
2) Take your lunch to work instead of buying. A pbj on wheat and a few pieces of fruit (total: <$2) is a lot more satisfying than forking over $5 for a soggy sub and another $1.50 for a soda.
3) You've obviously got computer access - get a copy of Microsoft Money or Quicken and force yourself to enter in everything that leaves your wallet, checkbook, credit card, and debit card for one week - two weeks and it will be a habit. That will open your eyes REAL fast re: where your money goes. My husband was a MMoney Nazi at first, but I have become so compulsive about using it that on days I've spent $ I hit the computer right after I walk in the door and kiss him hello.
4) Curb that grocery bill. I discovered a few months ago that by going an extra three miles I can find much cheaper groceries at another store, and we use coupons regularly. Often I won't buy meat unless it's less than $2/lb (with exceptions for fish) on sale, and then I'll buy extra to freeze. I checked on Money to see if the new store was making a difference in the "groceries" category, and how rewarding to see that line in the graph move down!
5) If nothing else, get a picture of a place you'd love to go - from Nat'l Geographic, a magazine, whatever. Put a copy where you see it every day (the fridge?) and literally wrap a copy around your credit card. That way, when you are whipping it out to make another purchase, you might stop and think first about whether you really need to buy it, vs. needing to exercise that soul of yours and let your wanderlust roam...
Just my $0.02 on a Friday. May you live long and travel well :)

My schedule is flexible, and my husband gets four weeks vacation per year. We don't have children. We have a nice house in a nice neighborhood, but we skimp on other things that aren't that important to us. We have one car, which we usually drive into the ground, and we rarely eat out.

We've used frequent flyer tickets on most of our trips to Europe. These have been earned through airline credit cards and other promotions. Recently, we've also had several free hotel stays in large cities, paid for with points.

On vacation, we save money on food by going to a grocery store or bakery for breakfast and lunch, and often get some kind of takeout meal for dinner as well. If we aren't using hotel points, we usually stay in B&B's or small, budget hotels. We never feel deprived. We decide what's most important to us, and make that our priority.

We managed to spend three weeks in Belgium, Holland, and Paris last year, and it cost us about $2500 total, no hostel stays or backpacks required. Airfare and six nights hotel were free. We didn't set a specific budget and expected to spend more, but that's just how things worked out.

amc, I would live in a shack and drive a junker car if that is what it took to be able to afford to travel. Travel enriches the mind and the memories, treasures so much more valuable than SUVs and a big house and a country club.

My husband and I have no kids and have been married for 15 years..Up until about 7 months ago, we lived in a very small, but nice home, in a small Canadian town where it is very cheap to live...So for the last 15 years, we have travelled as much as possible, by not having fancy toys and fancy cars and basically spent every cent we had on travel (except our retirement fund of course)..We have since moved to a new home, but have vowed that travel is still number 1 to us, and it is, but is alot harder to afford with a high mortgage payment..But we will travel budget if we have to, because travel is what is most important to us!!

I spend my money nowdays on clothes, luggage and travel and drive an older car, have a paid-for house and have cut down on other expenses. I used to go to alot of musical events and plays, which are so expensive now that I dont think they are worth the money. I also used to eat out most of my dinners in restaurants, so I have really cut down on that.
I buy designer clothes at bargain stores and at the showrooms in downtown Los Angeles, so I save money there too.

I stop and think before I splurge "would I rather have this ofr a trip to Europe?" and the trip wins out.

Tat: i always travelled as a kid,so I blame my parents for my addiction. my husband worked for many years at a job that required some travel so the frequent flier miles started coming in. I changed to credit cards to accrue more miles- putting college tuitions and dorm fees for nine years (2 kids)gave me at least one trip a year. i taught on a year round schedule for ten years- two months on and one month off.(that was great while it lasted- now i work a modified tradional- had two weeks in oct this year for italy)anyway, travel was easy to fit in! at least two big trips a year.....and you do get hooked. my guess is once you venture out you will find a way to travel. it is worth it! (you may want to negotiate that two weeks off a year though-see if you can't flex something some how-as many posters have told you, do it while you can!)as for money- i have found that i spend far less travelling than my husband does on golf!!!!