Very LOOONGGG Vacation.. how do you do it?

jdizzle wrote in post #9903835
I vacation about four times a year. I made a promise to my family that we would do more things together when we moved. I don't have any financial burdens that keep me from working like a dog and working lots of overtime ( no mortgage, no car payments, etc.). I'm just looking forward to retirement myself.

Four times? If I may ask, are these "all out" vacations, or some other variety?

nphsbuckeye wrote in post #9904179
Four times? If I may ask, are these "all out" vacations, or some other variety?

Three of them are usually "all out" plus, one is always with my wife's family to the Outer Banks.

nphsbuckeye wrote in post #9903684
Face it, the people who post on these forums are fairly well to do. I don't know many people who can tunnel thousands into a hobby these days. It's probably been about a year since I bought anything for this hobby (excluding my computer which I built in June).

Some might be. Others just have different financial priorities. An example: only recently did I "upgrade" my vehicle - to a 10 year old car. Before that I was driving a 27 year old van, and before that I was driving a 21 year old van. I don't eat out more than once or twice a week and even then it's usually inexpensive fast food. I don't go to bars every Friday/Saturday night and blow 40+ on alcohol. I don't smoke, and I don't shop very much.

I'm what you might call "frugal" where others are spendy. But I'm spendy where others are frugal.

Having said that, I still don't vacation. If I get away for any period of time it's on a client's dollar rather than my own...and I don't spend anything when I go.

cdifoto wrote in post #9904332
Some might be. Others just have different financial priorities. An example: only recently did I "upgrade" my vehicle - to a 10 year old car. Before that I was driving a 27 year old van, and before that I was driving a 21 year old van. I don't eat out more than once or twice a week and even then it's usually inexpensive fast food. I don't go to bars every Friday/Saturday night and blow 40+ on alcohol. I don't smoke, and I don't shop very much.

I'm what you might call "frugal" where others are spendy. But I'm spendy where others are frugal.

Having said that, I still don't vacation. If I get away for any period of time it's on a client's dollar rather than my own...and I don't spend anything when I go.

hey come on... enjoy some of your hard earned money hehehe

cdifoto wrote in post #9904332
Some might be. Others just have different financial priorities. An example: only recently did I "upgrade" my vehicle - to a 10 year old car. Before that I was driving a 27 year old van, and before that I was driving a 21 year old van. I don't eat out more than once or twice a week and even then it's usually inexpensive fast food. I don't go to bars every Friday/Saturday night and blow 40+ on alcohol. I don't smoke, and I don't shop very much.

I'm what you might call "frugal" where others are spendy. But I'm spendy where others are frugal.

Having said that, I still don't vacation. If I get away for any period of time it's on a client's dollar rather than my own...and I don't spend anything when I go.

Well, you're a pro photographer who owns gear because you need to to survive. Others, who are not pros, and have very high expendable finances, may be frugal in an entirely different sense. Count me as one finding the irony of owning thousands of dollars of camera equipment, but can't afford month long vacations (which sounds like the category or Fortune 500 found CEO who rarely has to work anymore, or Congress, than a commonality).

jdizzle wrote in post #9904232
Three of them are usually "all out" plus, one is always with my wife's family to the Outer Banks.

Cool. Does her family actually live at the Outer Banks? I don't even know how many times my parents have taken me to the OBX to vacation. My mom wanted to move there, but hasn't ever gotten around to it (and probably won't unless someone else foots the expensive bill).

nphsbuckeye wrote in post #9911381
Cool. Does her family actually live at the Outer Banks? I don't even know how many times my parents have taken me to the OBX to vacation. My mom wanted to move there, but hasn't ever gotten around to it (and probably won't unless someone else foots the expensive bill).

Her family doesn't live there. We always rent a house for a week in the OBX. I love going to the OBX every year.

jdizzle wrote in post #9911480
Her family doesn't live there. We always rent a house for a week in the OBX. I love going to the OBX every year.

I didn't think they would, just because few people actually live at the OBX (I apologize for the way that sounds like an MTV show, but it's much easier to type). But, I didn't want to completely call shenanigans that they didn't really like there.

I have many, many good memories of vacationing there. Unfortunately, my parents separated when I was 21, so those memories are truly a thing of the past...

Biiiiiiiiiiig lottery win

othomas wrote in post #9912756
Biiiiiiiiiiig lottery win

I mean that's the only way I could do it

nphsbuckeye wrote in post #9912573
Unfortunately, my parents separated when I was 21

Mine split when I was 12. I was relieved.

I don't. The last vacation I had was in 2007, a week-long cruise in the Caribbean at the peak of hurricane season, which was my 1 1/2 year late honeymoon.... (and incidentally also a GREAT vacation. I dream about that cruise practically every day... haha)

I scrimped every penny to be able to afford a (used)40D and am happy to say it's on its way. Now I will start saving for lenses so I can USE that camera. LOL

I don't have an out-of-the-home job (stay at home mom) because childcare would cost more than my skillset (veterinary technician) can make, thus making a "normal" job pointless. And I'd rather raise my child anyhow.

We promised each other we weren't going to vacation until we got our debt paid off. We have 1 year to pay on one car and we're using our refund to pay that off... and 2 years yet to pay on the other car. Unfortunately, my mother in law booked a beach house at Myrtle for the whole family this year and expects everyone to go, end of story, regardless of funding. So some of the money I had put aside to pay for camera stuff is now going to a stupid vacation I don't even want to go on to keep the peace between us. It would probably be fun, if I had a camera setup to take!

I teach elementary school, so if it's not the four-day weekend in October, the 9-day break in November, the 17-day break in December, the many three-day weekends, the week in February, and next week (spring break), then there's always the ten-week break in the summer.

I luv beeing an teecher.

Seriously, I love the time off (it's 3:31 right now, and I should have left half an hour ago )

When I got my master's in administration, it only took about two job interviews for administrative positions to learn that I had no interest in advancing my career. No thanks. Late days, work all summer, and stress out all the time?

Nah, I'll continue to work for peanuts, drive a compact car, and take the benefits of time. It's the one thing (time) that you only get a certain amount of, and none of us know how much that is. Better enjoy it all you can.

That said, time to log off the computer and go home. It's a warm, sunny day.

cdifoto wrote in post #9912902
Mine split when I was 12. I was relieved.

Good, I guess.

Mrs McCoy,

Do you not have a lens for your 40D? (that's on the way)

Surely someone from POTN can hook you up with a lens for a few days...

Bryan