I guess the difference between being wealthy or not wealthy has more to do with what you want than how much you have...

If you really have the travel bug, listen to this: 2 czeck men, 21 and 25 have a passion to travel but only earn a few hundred dollars a month(4 years ago) as roofers for high rise buildings(where they can earn the most money). They work only long enough to have money to go on their next trip. They have been all over the middle east and Africa. They showed up at our doorstep after taking Icelandic Air (cheapest at that time) with a total of $2000. This was in March, my son picked them up at the airport (he was a friend of friends of theirs). With this money we helped them find a car to buy(needed repairs which friends of ours supplied free) because they intended to drive it across the country from Pa. to Alaska!!!! We helped them stock up, mostly on beans and soy products for protein. <BR> They were climbers and had all their equipment with them. They made it out West, met some fellow climbers, but one night someone stole all their equipment and gear, leaving them only their food. These fellow climbers took them to a ranch in Wyoming where they worked for a few months to earn $ to buy what they needed. Meanwhile local ranchers gave them clothes and supplies. They made it to Alaska and back with only one small breakdown and flew home in late Oct. having fulfilled their dream. The dealer who sold them their car bought it back so they went back to the Czech Republic with $300each as a start for the next trip!! Now they are value travellers!!! Judy

The top 5% equals above $114,729.

Yes, traveller, you are in the top 1 percent of people who file income tax returns, or darn close to it. Acording to the tax foundation, the top 5 percent earn above $114,729 and the top 1 percent, above $269,496. <BR> <BR>Now, remember that people who have no reportable income, such as people living on Social Security or welfare, don't report at all, so for sure your household is in the top one percent, once the non-filers are included. <BR> <BR>The 50-percent cutoff, $25,491, is just a bit below where I am. So if you want to feel wealthy (in the financial sense, anyway), you should come hang out with me instead of your super-rich clients, LOL! <BR>

I think this thread is back in style again.

The main difference between the wealthy and those who are not wealthy is that the wealthy have credit.<BR><BR>And they have credit, typically because they have saved money and eliminated debt. And inherently this lowers their risk profile.<BR><BR>The presence or absence of credit will bring a culture society to wealth much faster than the presence or absence of money.<BR><BR>Becoming wealthy is as simple as spending less than you earn.<BR><BR>Which many of us have trouble doing.<BR><BR>As a corollary, the fastest way to help transform the less wealthy into the more wealthy is to help them help each other by facilitating credit, through minimizing risk. Eliminating risk through the reduction of social ills like unplanned pregnancies, alcoholism gambling.<BR><BR>Those who believe that fiscal conservatism and social conservatism are unrelated just haven't thought through the facts of how things work.<BR>

In my case, my husband hates to travel, but has to for his job. I love to travel, but have a boring 9 to 5 job. So every other year, I take a trip without him. It only costs 1/2 as much that way! Occasionally, I can talk him out of some of his travel points.

To answer the first question posted 15th April 1999, speaking for myself, NO.

To answer the first question posted 15th April 1999, speaking for myself, NO I'm not wealthy.. Have to save like mad and hope to get overseas once a year.

We have been very fortunate to have taken several trips a year for the last few years. We live on one income; however, our kids are gone and on their own. We watch our expenses and my husband deposits money in a holiday fund. When we travel to Europe we do not stay in the best hotels or take the most expensive tours or eat at the most expensive restaurants. In Paris for instance you can get very good crepes for dinner which are not expensive. We have also dined on cheese, grapes and wine for dinner in our room. The best way to travel is to plan and research. Museum passes for instance sometimes save you money. Traveling off-season will cost you less for airfare--we usually but not always travel in late April and October. Walking through the beautiful parks of Europe do not cost anything. So, for those of us who have to budget there are ways to do it.

What possesses anyone to answer this truthfully using their own name. This is the internet for god's sake and anyone can read this. Jeesh!

WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH TRAVEL?WHY IS THIS POST STILL HERE? WHY ISN'T THIS POST REMOVED??

Oh, I love every time this threaqd resurfaces.<BR><BR>Yes, of course we all are.<BR><BR>Obscenely wealthy, every one of us.<BR><BR>LOLOLOL<BR>

ttt

Great postings!<BR><BR>I love hearing about people's adventures and how they manage them. I can remember when I first got out of college and made $10,000/year (1986) and still managed to go to San Francisco for the 4th of July every year to see the fireworks over the bay. I stayed at the Fort Mason youth hostlel for $10/night back then. I'd buy groceries at the Safeway across the street. I'd take the bus around town. I could do a week in San Fran for $500.<BR><BR>I still do San Francisco for a decent budget. I snore now, so the hostel is out of the question. (bunkin' and snorin' don't mix) I use priceline.com and get a 3* hotel for $60/night. I still take public transportation, etc. and buy groceries and put them in a cooler in the room. I eat one great meal every day or two. <BR><BR>I'm planning my 1st trip to Europe, 20 days in Germany and Austria. What an adventure. Fodors is a great resource. <BR><BR>This I can say about travels, it is the best way to appreciate life. To see other places, other people, to eat other food, and to photograph, which is what I love most; is what life is all about. Detroit makes me so numb. I really don't like where I live. Travel is my key to sanity and freedom. Travel makes me feel undoubtedly ALIVE! <BR><BR>Gute Riese!

Make travel a priority in your life and do without some extras that will be forgotten about next week. The memories of a wonderful trip last a lifetime. When I began planning a return trip to Englad after 27 years, those memories flooded back as if I'd been there yesterday. Cover as many of your expenses as you can with "freebies." If you're very self-disciplined and can pay off your balance each month, charge everything possible to a credit card through which you can get airline miles and/or hotels. Look for specials such as the offered by Continental this year that gave a 25 percent bonus on points transferred from your American Express rewards account, and the one that gave up to 25-30,000 extra points if you flew 5 to 7 round trips between certain dates. Another offer this year gave 10,000 Marriott points for taking out a Marriott Visa. Look for deals on the Internet. There are so many ways to make it happen if traveling is what you really want to do.

The days of "rich" travelers is long gone. In 1968, when I was in college, my roommate went to Europe for a month. His father paid for his trip. His father was a long time mail man with the post office. As I say, that was in '68. I have many friends who are teachers, with a nice house, nice cars - all the usual, modest, but nice stuff. They take a trip to Europe every other year, alternating with a nice, two week trip to NY. <BR><BR>I know secretaries, retirees, semi-employed actors, escrow workers, and clerks in the various courts, all who can afford to have a nice house and travel. <BR><BR>In fact, of all the frequent travelers that I know, including yours truly, none of us are "immensely wealthy."

Get a credit card that gives you miles for each dollar you spend. See if you can be disciplined about using it for lots of regular expenses (gas, groceries), perhaps even work expenses, and always paying off your balance. My husband and I have flown to Greece, South Africa, and Puerto Vallarta with miles in the past five years. This summer we're going to Italy with miles. We're not rich by any means, but when you save the cost of airfare, it makes trips much more affordable!

My wife and I just shop around for cheaper tickets. It takes time to find but they are out there. And fortunately, we both have friends in the four corners of the globe so when we travel, we almost always have a free place to stay and have the added benefit of tour guides who are our friends and who wont let us get ripped off.

I guess I am in the minority here because we are "wealthy" (although not "immensely"). We worked incredibly hard for over 20 years and then were able to sell our business and retire in our early 50's. We are pretty much able to travel when and where and how we want, as much as we want, within reason. (No Concorde flights or private yachts.) And we are profoundly grateful for that. But the point is, I started traveling when I was 19 and took my first European trip on a real shoestring (student airfare, youth hostels, lots of picnic lunches). I have always somehow managed to put aside the money no matter how little I was making. I really think it has to do with priorities, and those of us who love to travel will always find a way.