Traveling B.C.
 

Hubby and I are both teachers, 25 yrs. old. We want to start a family in the next year or so, but also have so many places we want to go and see B.C. (before children)! Of course, being teachers, we have to do some fancy money saving ahead of time to take a trip like this. The money is really the only thing that keeps me from saying, "Okay, let's go to England next Xmas!" I feel guilty b/c this past Xmas we went to Italy, so I feel like it's too soon. But then I think, if we're gonna start a family soon after that, shouldn't we just do it?
Mostly, I'm just curious about your thoughts on this subject. Should people do everything and go everywhere they can B.C.? Is it worth the financial sacrifices?

Look at it this way. If you don't do it now, then in a few years you will be AC (after children) and you will look back at BC and wish you'd just done it.

I say go for it.

During my sister's first pregnancy, she didn't think kids would slow her down (travel-wise) much at all. When my nephew was born, they applied for a passport for him when he was only a few months old. Then she got pregnant again and with two, it's now a major production just to go out to dinner, or to the grocery store, or to grandma's house.

My nephew has yet to use that passport and it will probably expire before he has the chance. They are not even considering foreigh travel for at least another 5 years.

Obviously, you can't see and do everything BC - or you'd be too old to have kids :) But try to get a few trips in "BC" :D

I agree! We couldn't afford to do it BC and so didn't go anywhere until we had been married about 18 years, when kids were teens. Now we are making up for lost time! GO!

Yes, definitely, yes!

Especially as England is relatively cheap during Xmas... British Airways frequently runs $99 each way airfare specials... go for it!!!

Is it worth the financial sacrifices?

compare the finanical sacrifices of travelling AC to BC

I hope you go, but I wouldn't depend on
cheap rates precisely at Xmas time.
Fares are usually not the cheapest between Xmas and New Year's. I found in the past they are cheapest either mid-December, or after January 1; don't know if that will be possible since you are teachers. I'd get on e-mailing lists for air fare specials: all the major airlines, plus Expedia, Travelocity, etc.

It seems that when you are young and need a lot of money (raising children is very expensive), you don't have much discretionary income. When you are older and don't need as much money (the kids are gone, the mortgage, that was huge when you took it out, is now pocket change) you make a lot more and have discretionary income.

Traveling is interesting, but it is a luxury, and far less important than raising your children.

So I will be the wet blanket here. Unless you are really well set for whatever costs you will have with children, I would defer expensive travel, and use my resources on my family.

We traveled BC and we still travel AC. If you love to travel the money is well spent. I say go for it as often as you can BC. Go at a fast pace, stay out late, eat at swanky places, bar hop, go to movies, linger in museums, and shop extensively.

Then AC when you visit parks, enjoy picnics, never have coffee after dinner (at least not in the same restaurant where you wolfed down dinner), and fall asleep at 8:00 pm (but get to enjoy sunrises) you'll realize that you're not missing too much, cause you've done it.

Before our kids were born, we went to Australia and Fiji. I will never regret those trips, or that time alone with my husband. Don't know if I could stand the 22+ hour flight from NYC anymore, and it certainly couldn't be done with children in tow.

Go and enjoy yourselves. You'll be happy to have the memories during those 2 AM feedings!

Hi saraasllin, I personally think that it depends on your financial picture.

If you can afford to take trips before your have children without having a budget problem after having children then I would definetly take those trips.

But if you are going to be paying off credit card bills for years due to trips or depleting your saving account and worrying about all the expenses that having little ones entail then I would not.

Wishing you good choices.

My first couple of trips to Europe were as a young teacher. But I did them through the Ohio Education Association at rates that were unbelievable, yet pretty deluxe trips. Does your state association have those trips? Certainly worth checking, and of course, they are always planned during school holidays. We did a week in Spain at Easter one year, and a week in Switzerland at Christmas the next.

I like reading everyone's thoughts! I have no idea if Arkansas has an education association that would help teachers travel for less (ha! probably not!) but wouldn't that be fab! LoveItaly, I didn't want to be too wordy in my original message, but now I'll add that we would NOT take a trip on credit. We did that once, awhile back and have almost paid it off. Ha! Ever since then, it's been only money we actually have that's been used. And since we don't have kids and we try to live pretty low maintenance, it's do-able for us to save the money.

Travel now, travel with babies, travel with toddlers, travel with preens, tweens, teens...travel with your folks, your friends, yourselves, alone, on tours... Don't stop.

Seriously, will kids make your travel style different? Of course. So will house payments, pets, the value of the dollar, the length of the school year, aging parents, aging knees, tuition payments. Maybe student loans already are taking a bite.

Point being, sure, if you have time and inclination, travel and do things that would be inappropriate to do with kids. When you have kids, say, look for vacation rentals in Spain or Ireland. Think about teaching overseas. House exchanges - tens of thousands of people swap houses with folks just like them for a month or two in summer. You get their car, they get yours, they use your dishwasher, you use their creek...;) Spend a month or two with a 3 y-o in an Italian village and s/he may be babbling Prego and Grazie when you get home - how wrong is that?

I love the slogan of a former dessert-only cafe near where we live. "The future is uncertain. Eat dessert first." Words to live - and travel - by.

Gardyloo, I have never heard that expression but I love it!! And so true.

And saraaallison, I took my daughter everywhere on trips. The only time she didn't go with us was when she was at summer camp (her choice).

I always have felt that all the vacations with my daughter added to the experience of the trip. I know that all children are different and some are easier to travel with the others of course. But children can really add to the joy of the trip.

Your last sentance of your original post ask "Should people do everything and go everywhere they can B.C.? Is it worth the financial sacrifices?"

Again, I think that is only something you can answer. I am not sure what you mean by the financial sacrifices.
Not enough money to put a down payment on a house.
Not enough money to contribute to your retirement fund.
Not enough money in cash in case of a job lay off.

Anyway, hopefully you will figure this all out and make the best decisions for you and your spouse and your future children. Take good care.

My wife and I, both teachers, took a European trip BC, in the summer of 1988, only days after we changed employers and school boards and moved into a new home 5 hours drive from our old community. It is worth it.
AC you will have to set lower expectations for several years, but camping trips and driving vacations will be viable options. We have been finally able to, in recent years, drive to both coasts of North America, take an Alaska Cruise, and travel to Australia now that the kids are older and the finances better. Summer gives you some flexibility as teachers.
So go ahead. Just don't put yourself in too much debt. IMO, if you cannot pay off this trip within a period of six months, look for cheaper options.

I think the thing to do now is save up as much as possible. No need for finance details, but IMO you should ideally have a cushion well above what is required even for several trips before having children. I'd also consider if you can find a way to make money from a sideline business, in addition to your regular jobs. Even better if you can earn two salaries and live on one, saving the rest. If you are financially prudent like this, it will all pay off and you will have the financial stability to travel with children later.

Are you one of those people who will insist on taking their 6-month old to Paris or are you willing to travel without the new children? The answer to that could be important.

In terms of the cost of travel I can only say that IMO the cost has more to do with HOW you prefer to travel than anything else.

I am glad you didn't make this a homework assignment like one of the more infamous posters who asked us to "compare and contrast" two European cities once.

Good luck to you.

My husband and I did a lot of traveling B.C.! We've also done a lot of travel A.C. - with the children, without the children, him without me and me without him!!! Whatever works really at the time.

I was always so very grateful for the traveling I had completed B.C. I was happy to have children - feeling that I had had some adventures and was happy with that if there were to be no more.

We were very lucky that our kids loved to travel and we mainly went on camping holidays etc. I did not take our kids traveling when they were babies though!

We spent one whole year traveling around Australia in a mobile home when our kids were 9 and 11 years old. That was one of the best years ever!

Sometimes a group of us girls might plan for a week say in Hong Kong but my husband and his mates might go snow skiing for a week.

We took our kids overseas in December last year and we all had a great time.

Of course, I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that we've had and our hard work has allowed us to do all this traveling. But honestly, B.C. , money wasn't the big issue - you're only young once - you've got to live it while you can.

I guess what I'm saying is that you should make the most of every opportunity - life is for living - enjoy it while you're young - travel as much as you can and with any sort of luck you'll also be able to travel further after the kids are off your hands.

If you can afford to go now, just go. My wife and I have been married for 25 years, and once the children came, our travel was exclusively family oriented. About 5 years ago we were able to begin traveling without the kids and haven't stopped since.

Once you begin your family, ALWAYS make them your priority and get ready to sacrifice your desire to travel for them. There is plenty of time after they are grown.