pdx

Little outburst after a wave of urge.

KL467

You have to take the first step. Get a passport and book a flight. It is that easy. If I can do it, anyone can.

pdx

It's all about funds, KL. Money money money.

hetismij

pdx, I know how you're feeling, but I want to go back to Oregon and haven't got the dosh.
In fact I'd happily go anywhere right now but can't. House sitting for my son, who is in France, two dogs I can't get into a kennel anywhere, and a husband away on business trips having more fun than should be allowed, plus the lack of funds to do much of anything anyway are getting me down

KL467

pdx, Maybe the OP has money. Not enough info.

Tiff

Whatever the reason pdx, hang in there!

It will happen. I speak from experience. Plan the trip anyway so then you will be ready!

nytraveler

If you really want to do it - you'll find a way to get the money.

Is it worth cutting back elsewhere?

Getting a second job for a while? (I worked 2 jobs my first 2 years out of college to help get started, as did many of my friends.)

lanejohann

it is amazing ..gee i love that word lol
how much you can save really
i save all over the place
even if it is coins
just takes longer to get anywhere but it can happen
swear you wont touch the savings and start
today

suze

KL467, pdx *is* the OP!

WillTravel

PDX, good luck with getting some cash together. I don't know if you are near or far from your goal, but maybe you can find a way to increase your income by doing some side jobs, or find a way to save (like giving up your car if you have one), and so forth. I hope your situation is not so extreme that you can't see an end to it.

wordteacher

Get your passport NOW, sign up for airfare alerts TODAY, then watch your fantasy become REAL. Even I have managed--low school teachers salary and all--have managed to make four trips to Europe in the past 3 years. Airfares are unusually low this year, so what are you waiting for...h@ll, what am I waiting for

KL467

Oops, pdx, sorry about that. I didn't realize the third statement was from the OP.

Anyway, traveling to Europe may be less expensive than you think. My six-hour train trip through Germany next week is only $59.59 (2nd Class). The hostel I am staying in in Berlin is nice and super-cheap, even with a private room. Although I never seem to get them, I have seen flights from the U.S. to Paris and Rome for $400. Some of the best things in Europe are free. It took me 38 years to get there. I am leaving for my fourth trip on July 2nd. If you do not already have one, get your passport. You never know when you will see a great deal. Good luck!

Nlingenfel

I am going to 67 in August. I still work 6-7 days a week, when needed (I'm self-employed). I am far, far from rich. I go to Europe about 3 times a year. I don't get my hair done every week, don't eat out much, and certainly don't buy clothes, like I did when I was young. When in Europe I go cheaply, usually touring by car and staying in the country.
You can do it! Make it happen.

adrienne

You can do it!!! I'm out of work and I'm going to Portugal and I'm using the money I've saved in the last few months plus buying my ticket with FF miles. The budget will be tight and I'll mainly use public transport and stay in cheap hotels but I'm going!

Last year I started thinking of all the ways I could cut expenses and managed to reduce my expenses by about $1,000 per year. That $1,000 will almost fund my two-week trip. Some of the ways are small and I think people thought I was crazy but all the small things really add up. Here are some things I've done to cut costs:

- Always watch the supermarket sales and buy non-perishables in bulk.
- My hairdresser sees some clients at her home so I started doing this rather than going to the salon - cost savings about $400 to $500 per year (mostly for coloring as I only get a hair cut about 3 times per year).
- Stopped Netflix - I realized that most of the movies I was getting from Netflix I could get from my libraries for free. Cost savings about $60 per year.
- Started using on-line bill pay. Cost savings about $25 per year (small stuff but it does add up).
- Took a defensive driver course that reduces my car insurance $100 per year plus reviewed car insurance and changed deductible to further reduce insurance premium. You can do this every 3 years (with my insurance company).
- Got rid of my second phone line - $240 per year.

I started looking around to find free things to do in my area and have found a ton of them; mostly art and music programs which interest me. Entertain at home rather than going to restaurants. It's totally amazing how little money I can live on and still have a full and rewarding life.

The most important thing to do is get rid of any debt you may have. Finance charges will kill you.

Every time you want to buy an expensive cup of coffee or some junk food in the supermarket put the money into your savings fund instead. Save all your change - it will add up to $50 very quickly. Only carry $20 bills in your wallet; you'll think twice about breaking a $20 for a small purchase.

I took a second job to pay for my first few trips to Europe. It was totally worth the extra working hours!

scdreamer

We are much the same as Nlingenfel ... we are in our late 50s; I am director of a small non-profit agency (emphasis on "small" and on "NON-profit"), and my husband is a public works employee. We do not drive new cars. We do not go out for lavish meals or to fancy bars for drinks. We do not buy new clothing or electronic toys at the drop of a hat. I don't care much for jewelry. We do as many home improvement/repairs and landscaping projects as we can ourselves. We do not carry credit card debt.

We travel twice a year - usually summer to Europe and winter to Mexico (although this winter we went to South America) ... and yes, we constantly hear from friends and work acquaintances the old "must be nice to have all that money to go on trips," but those people are almost always dressed in the latest faddish designer clothing and driving new cars every other year.

I think it's all in the choices one makes. I choose to travel, and I do A LOT of research and strategizing into making the most of my travel funds. I use my miles credit card for just about everything year-round ... groceries, gas, utility and insurance payments ... so we almost always have plenty of air miles to help pay for our flights. We investigate the cost of apartments vs hotels (saving money on having meals in while traveling), we look at savings on in-country travel expenses (rental car vs train, for example)- basically every aspect of our travel has been researched before we go anywhere ...

Any time I can save a buck at home, I put it away in a savings account earmarked for travel.

Anyone can travel if they want to - but it's definitely a delayed gratification kind of thing. Passing up that new pair of shoes today, or using the library for that book you are dying to read ... those are the little things that pay off in the end.

Vttraveler

pdx--Like you, I definitely feel we don't have the money for a European trip in the near future. I guess I am more worried than others about the current economic situation.
My husband and I certainly make choices about how we spend our money and could pay for a trip to Europe by setting other priorities. We could save less for our retirement or ask our son to take out more student loans for college for example.

I feel sorry that our kids also don't feel they can afford to travel much right now (I am talking taking an inexpensive backpacking trip rather than a earning money with a summer job)

But it really isn't the end of the world for any of us. WE have all been fortunate to be able to take some wonderful trips and I certainly hope we'll all be able to take more in the future. Our family did take a great trip to Guatemala in February. We had bought the plane tickets right before the economic situation got quite so dire and the trip was really very inexpensive.

In the near future we are planning to enjoy Vermont/New England, visit our kids who will be at school in Philadelphia and Washington and spend a long weekend in Montreal. We have put together a list of places we have wanted to see for years but have never managed to get to --like the Canterbury Shaker Village, the Grandma Moses collection in the Bennington museum and the Mark Twain House in Hartford. It isn't Europe but it doesn't sound too bad.

pdx

Now I feel guilty. I'm just being a wah-wah-cry-baby and do not warrant these good efforts and thoughts.
I haven't been good about money lately and I really do have hope for trips within the next year. It was just a moment; know what I mean?
Thank you for the inspirational stories and the reminder to buck up.

Bucking up, starting right now.

Vttraveler

I didn't mean to sound sanctimonious. I also feel unhappy about not being able to go to Europe. Under our family vacation rules, I had been due (and counting on) a solo trip to visit our friends in Brussels because my husband took a trip to Mendoza, Argentina--but it just doesn't seem to make financial sense right now.
I am still planning my Belgium trip (with a few days in paris). Fortunately I like the planning stage